Industrial trucks and methods for operating same

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an industrial truck (10), the industrial truck (10) comprising a lifting mechanism (12), a fork carrier comprising two fork prongs (16) being height-adjustably guided on the lifting mechanism (12), a preferably individual rack bay label (31, 32, 33) provided on a rack bay (F1, F2, F3) of a storage rack (30), particularly a high-bay storage rack, is captured as digital image data by means of a digital camera (18) disposed on a fork prong (16) or on the fork carrier, the digital images being preferably transmitted from the digital camera (18) to a computer unit (22) of the industrial truck (10), wherein the digital image data is analyzed by the computer unit (22) and transmitted after the analysis to a display panel of the industrial truck (10), particularly a display unit (24), and information corresponding to the captured rack bay label (31, 32, 33) of the rack bay (F1, F2, F3), particularly text information and/or symbols, is displayed on the display panel of the industrial truck (10).

Claims

1. A method for operating an industrial truck having a lifting mechanism and a fork carrier including two fork prongs that are height-adjustably guided on the lifting mechanism, the method comprising: capturing an individual rack bay label provided on a rack bay of a storage rack as digital image data using a digital camera disposed on one of the two fork prongs or on the fork carrier; transmitting the digital image data from the digital camera to a computer unit of the industrial truck; analyzing the digital image data using the computer unit; and transmitting, after the analyzing step, information corresponding to the captured rack bay label to a display panel of the industrial truck.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the display panel comprises a display unit, and wherein the information corresponding to the captured rack bay label is displayed on the display unit for view by an operator of the industrial truck.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information corresponding to the capture rack bay label comprises one or more of text information and symbols.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital camera is implemented as a barcode scanner and the rack bay label comprises a barcode.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the barcode scanner is a 1D barcode scanner, a 2D barcode scanner or a QR scanner.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein clear text characters are captured as the rack bay label using the digital camera.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after the information corresponding to the captured rack bay label is displayed by the display panel, one or more of the digital image data and the information corresponding to the captured rack bay label is transmitted to a second computer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the one or more of the digital image data and the information corresponding to the captured rack bay label is transmitted to the second computer based on an interactive entry made by an operator of the industrial truck.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second computer is a computer of a materials management system.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting using a detector that goods are present in, have been taken out of, or have been placed into the rack bay having the rack bay label, and after the rack bay label of the rack bay has been captured and analyzed, one or more of the digital image data and the information corresponding to the rack bay label is transmitted to a second computer.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second computer is a computer of a materials management system.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the rack bay label is captured as digital image data before or after goods are placed in the rack bay.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the rack bay label is captured as digital image data before or after goods are removed from the rack bay.

14. An industrial truck comprising: a lifting mechanism; a fork carrier including two fork prongs that are height-adjustably guided on the lifting mechanism; a digital camera provided on a fork prong or on the fork carrier that is configured to capture an individual rack bay label mounted on a rack bay of a storage rack as digital image data; a computer unit connected to the digital camera configured to analyze the captured digital image data; and a display panel configured to display information transmitted by the computer unit corresponding to analyzed captured digital image data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described below, without limiting the general idea of the invention, using embodiment examples with reference to the drawing, wherein reference is made expressly to the drawing with respect to all details not explained further in the text. In the drawing:

(2) FIG. 1 A schematic view of a rack and an industrial truck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a schematically represented industrial truck 10, wherein elements not essential to the invention are not depicted for reasons of visibility.

(4) The industrial truck 10 comprises a lifting mechanism 12 on which a load carriage 14 is height-adjustably guided. The load carriage 14 further comprises two fork prongs 16, wherein for reasons of depiction, only one fork prong 16 is shown or visible. A digital camera 18 by means of which the individual rack bay labels are captured is disposed on the end face of the fork prong.

(5) In the side view shown in FIG. 1, the industrial truck 10 is positioned in front of a rack 30. The rack 30 is particularly implemented as a high-bay warehouse and comprises a plurality of rack bays F1, F2, F3 disposed one above the other, in which corresponding goods are loaded and unloaded on pallets, for example, The per se known tasks of loading and unloading the goods are performed using the industrial truck 10.

(6) Individual rack bay labels 31, 32, 33 are disposed in the region of the rack bay floor on the front side of the rack 30 for each rack bay F1, F2, F3. The rack bay labels 31, 32, 33 are implemented as a barcode and/or clear text characters, whereby the associated rack bay F1, F2, F3 is specified and labeled.

(7) When positioned opposite the corresponding rack bay label 31, 32, 33, the corresponding labels are captured as digital image data by means of the digital camera 18 and transmitted to a computer unit 22 of the industrial truck 10 via connecting line 20. The digital camera 18 is thereby connected to the computer unit 22 via the connecting line 20.

(8) The digital image data is analyzed and accordingly implemented by means of the computer unit 22, so that the individual rack bay labels 31, 32, 33 for each rack bay F1, F2, F3 are represented in the processed form on a display 24 of the industrial truck 10. The individual data and information about each captured rack bay label 31, 32, 33 are shown on the display unit 24 for an operator.

(9) In addition, input means (not shown) are also provided, whereby the specific and identifying data and information for a rack bay is transferred from the computer unit 22 to a second computer 26 when a corresponding input is made by an operator. The computer 26 is thereby a component of a logistics warehouse management system, for example, whereby the goods loaded into or out of the rack 30 are managed. The computer 26 can additionally be connected to a further external computer 28 of the warehouse management system, for example by means of a wireless connection.

(10) All features indicated, including those found alone in the drawing, and all features, including individual features, disclose in combination with other features, are considered to be essential to the invention both alone and in combination. Embodiments according to the invention can be fulfilled by individual features or a combination of a plurality of features. Features labeled as particularly or preferably within the invention are understood to be optional.

REFERENCE LIST

(11) 10 Industrial truck

(12) 12 Lift mechanism

(13) 14 Load carriages

(14) 16 Fork prongs

(15) 18 Digital camera

(16) 20 Connecting line

(17) 22 Computer unit

(18) 24 Display unit

(19) 26 Computer

(20) 28 Computer

(21) 30 Rack

(22) 31 Rack bay label

(23) 32 Rack bay label

(24) 33 Rack bay label

(25) F1 Rack bay

(26) F2 Rack bay

(27) F3 Rack bay