DEVICE FOR SEPARATING PIECE GOODS TO BE STORED IN AN AUTOMATED STORAGE FACILITY

Abstract

A device for separating piece goods to be stored in an automated storage facility is provided. The device includes a conveyor for conveying piece goods from a stock to a support surface of a collecting device, a controller for controlling the conveyor, a sensor, to detect the striking of the support surface by piece goods. The detector has an imager, which produces at least one recording of the underside of the support. A handling device is configured to remove a piece good from the support surface for further transport into the storage facility is coupled to the controller, which is further configured to control the handler according to the information.

Claims

1. A device for separating piece goods, the device comprising: a support surface configured to receive the piece goods from a conveyor; a light source arranged on a first side of the support surface, the light source configured to emit multiple luminous beams to illuminate a strip that extends over the support surface in a first direction, wherein the support surface is at least partially transparent to the multiple luminous beams; an imager configured to record images of an underside of the support surface using at least some of the multiple luminous beams; and a controller configured to: move the light source over the support surface in a second direction extending transverse to the first direction; and obtain information on a position and an orientation of one or more of the piece goods on the support surface based on the images, for control of a handler for removing the one or more of the piece goods from the support surface.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising the conveyor, wherein the controller is configured to operate the conveyor to move the piece goods to the support surface from a stock.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the imager is arranged on an opposing second side of the support surface.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the entire support surface is configured to scatter or deflect the at least some of the multiple luminous beams to illuminate the imager.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to emit the multiple luminous beams to transversely illuminate the strip that extends over the support surface in the first direction.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the multiple luminous beams are equally spaced apart along the first direction.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a collector that includes a plate having an upper surface that forms the support surface.

8. A device for separating piece goods, the device comprising: a support surface configured to receive the piece goods from a conveyor; a light source arranged on a first side of the support surface, the light source comprising a plurality of light-emitting diodes that are spaced apart along a first direction on a substrate, wherein each light-emitting diode emits a luminous beam, and wherein the support surface is at least partially transparent to the luminous beams; an imager configured to record images of an opposing second side of the support surface using at least some of the luminous beams; and a controller configured to: move the light source over the support surface in a second direction extending transverse to the first direction; and obtain information on a position and an orientation of one or more of the piece goods on the support surface based on the images, for control of a handler for removing the one or more of the piece goods from the support surface.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes are configured to emit the luminous beams vertically downward toward the support surface.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes are configured to emit the luminous beams horizontally in a direction parallel to the support surface and wherein the light source further comprises a mirror arranged to deflect the luminous beams vertically downward toward the support surface and to move in the second direction.

11. The device of claim 8, further comprising the conveyor, wherein the first direction extends transverse to a transport direction of the conveyor.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to move the light source to continuously move a strip of illumination over the support surface in one pass.

13. The device of claim 8, further comprising the handler, wherein the handler is suspended on a linear guide that is mounted above the support surface and extends in the second direction.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the light source is suspended and guided on the linear guide.

15. A method, comprising: detecting receipt of one or more piece goods on a support surface from a conveyor; operating a light source arranged on a first side of the support surface to emit multiple luminous beams that illuminate a strip that extends over the support surface in a first direction, wherein the support surface is at least partially transparent to the multiple luminous beams; moving the light source over the support surface in a second direction extending transverse to the first direction; recording images of an underside of the support surface using at least some of the multiple luminous beams during the moving; and obtaining information on a position and an orientation of the one or more piece goods on the support surface based on the images, for control of a handler for removing the one or more piece goods from the support surface.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising operating the handler to remove the one or more piece goods from the support surface according to the information.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising moving the one or more piece goods to a storage facility with the handler.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising moving the one or more piece goods to the support surface with the conveyor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein detecting receipt of one or more piece goods comprises detecting an imminent or actual impact of the one or more piece goods on the support surface.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising interrupting operation of the conveyor responsive to the detecting.

Description

[0025] The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to a preferred exemplary embodiment that is illustrated in the drawings. In these drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of the inventive separating device; and

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of the light source guided on the linear guides and of the support surface arranged underneath the light source.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of the inventive separating device 1. The separating device 1 comprises four main components, namely a conveying device 3 for conveying piece goods 2 from a stock 4 onto a support surface 5, a control computer 6, a detecting device that is coupled to the control computer 6 and serves for detecting the position and orientation (including the projected contour) of the piece goods 2 lying on the support surface 5, and a handling device that is coupled to the control computer 6 and serves for removing a piece good from the support surface 5 for further transport into the storage facility. The detecting device for detecting the position and orientation of the piece goods 2 lying on the support surface 5 comprises an image recording device 23 arranged underneath the support surface 5 and an infrared light source 18 arranged above the support surface 5, wherein the infrared light source 18 serves for exposing the support surface 5 and the image recording device 23 serves for recording the images produced during the exposure. These components and their functions are described in greater detail below.

[0029] A large number of piece goods with different shapes and different sizes, particularly pharmaceutical packages 2, are initially part of a stock 4 that may be kept, for example, in an open container or bin. The pharmaceutical packages 2 are conveyed obliquely upward from this stock 4 by means of a step conveyor 3. The step conveyor 3 comprises a support plate 29 with an upper edge 30. Above the support plate 29, a step with a conveying edge is moved from the bottom toward the top parallel to the support plate 29, wherein this motion of the step conveyor 3 is controlled by the control computer 6. FIG. 1 shows a connecting line 28 between the control computer 6 and a control drive of the step conveyor 3 that drives the step to be displaced upward. The motion of the step is indicated with a thin arrow. A pharmaceutical package 2 lying on the support plate 29 is pushed upward by the conveying edge of the step as indicated with the arrow 31. The pharmaceutical package 2 is pushed until it passes over the upper edge 30 and then drops or falls onto the support surface 5. This impact of the pharmaceutical package 2 on the support surface 5 is detected by a sensor 7 that may consist, for example, of a light barrier arranged parallel to the upper edge 30 of the step conveyor 3. However, it would also be conceivable to use other sensor arrangements such as, for example, tactile sensors. In this case, the width of the step conveyor 3 is chosen such that it is slightly smaller than the width of the support surface 5. Furthermore, the width is adapted to the expected size spectrum of the pharmaceutical packages 2. One or more pharmaceutical packages are pushed over the upper edge 30 of the support plate 29 by the conveying edge of the step during each upward displacement of the step from the stock toward the upper edge 30.

[0030] The support surface 5 is preferably formed by the upper side of a plane plate 27. In its normal position (that is not illustrated in FIG. 1), the plate 27 is initially inclined, i.e. sloped downward from the conveying device 3, such that piece goods 2 impacting on the support surface 5 initially slide or roll down an inclined plane. An actuator coupled to the control device 6 is realized in such a way that it can quickly move the plate 27 into a horizontal position. As soon as the sensor 7 has detected an (imminent) impact of a piece good 2 on the support surface 5 and signaled this impact to the control device 6, the control device 6 initiates a motion of the actuator such that the support surface 5 is moved into the horizontal position (illustrated in FIG. 1) and a sliding motion of the piece good 2 is decelerated. The support surface 5 is once again moved back into the inclined normal position after the removal of the piece good 2 from the support surface.

[0031] After the sensor 7 has detected the arrival of a pharmaceutical package 2 or the simultaneous arrival of several pharmaceutical packages 2 on the support surface 5 of the plate 27, the control computer 6 ensures that the step conveyor 3 does not convey any additional pharmaceutical packages 2, i.e. that its conveying step is retracted downward. The control computer 6 furthermore activates the detecting device for detecting the position and orientation of the pharmaceutical packages 2 lying on the support surface 5. For this purpose, the control computer 6 activates a drive 19 for the infrared light source 18 via the line 21, wherein said drive ensures that the infrared light source 18 moves in the direction of the arrow 20, i.e. in the x-direction. The motion of the infrared light source 18 preferably begins at the edge of the support surface 5 situated adjacent to the step conveyor 3 and then takes place continuously over the entire support surface 5 until it stops at the opposite edge. The infrared light source 18 with its drive 19 is suspended and guided on a linear guide 12.

[0032] The infrared light source 18 emits several luminous beams 22 that are arranged behind one another in the y-direction onto the support surface 5 such that these luminous beams 22 expose a narrow strip 26 extending in the y-direction. For example, an infrared light source 18 with a row of infrared LEDs 32 of the type illustrated in FIG. 2 is used for generating the several luminous beams 22. FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of the detecting device of the inventive separating device 1. FIG. 2 shows the support surface 5, above which two linear guides 12 are arranged, wherein the infrared light source 18 is held and guided on said linear guides. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the infrared light source 18 features twenty infrared LEDs 32 that are arranged in a row along the y-direction. The control computer 6 activates the drive 19 of the infrared light source 18 in such a way that the infrared light source 18 moves over the support surface 15 in the x-direction with approximately constant speed, wherein the control computer 6 also ensures via the connecting lines 24 that the image recording device 23 records a predetermined number of images within approximately identical time intervals. For example, 20 to 400 images, preferably 40 to 80 images, are recorded during the motion of the infrared light source. The images of the underside of the support surface recorded during the motion of the exposed strip are assembled into a depiction of the support surface, from which the information on the position and orientation of the piece goods required for the activation of the handling device is obtained, wherein the time interval between the images corresponds to the time period, in which the exposed strip moves by a distance that corresponds to the desired image resolution. A complete image of the support surface is obtained in each position of the exposed strip, in which the strip is respectively shifted by the desired resolution. These images are assembled into an overall image with a suitable algorithm. Part of the processing may already be carried out in the image recording device 23.

[0033] The support surface 5 comprises the upper side of a plastic plate 27 that is transparent to the emitted infrared light and diffusely scatters this infrared light while it passes through the plastic plate. Due to this diffuse scattering, the infrared light reaches the camera 23 regardless of the current position of the exposed strip 26 on the support surface 5. If a section of the support surface 5 is covered by a pharmaceutical package 2 lying thereon while the exposed strip moves over the support surface, the images recorded by the camera 23 while the exposed strip moves over the pharmaceutical package 2 contain unexposed areas in the y-coordinate regions that are covered by the pharmaceutical package 2. The control computer 6 calculates the position coordinates of the pharmaceutical packages 2 lying on the support surface from the sequence of images of the camera 23, in which unexposed areas are respectively recorded while the strip moves over the pharmaceutical package 2.

[0034] After the control computer 6 has calculated the position and orientation of the pharmaceutical packages 2 lying on the support surface 5 based on the image signals arriving from the camera 23, it can utilize these coordinates for activating a handling device that respectively picks up one individual package 3 from the support surface 5 and deposits this package onto a conveyor belt 16, wherein the conveyor belt 16 delivers the pharmaceutical package 2 into the gripping range of a storage and retrieval unit of an automated high-bay storage facility (that is not illustrated in FIG. 1). For this purpose, the control computer 6 is coupled to the handling device 8 to 11 via the line 14. It is furthermore coupled to the drive 15 of the conveyor belt 16 via the line 17.

[0035] The handling device is held and guided by the linear guide 12 and features a drive 10 that can move the handling device in the direction of the arrow 13. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the handling device features a suction head 9, the suction of which causes the upper side of a pharmaceutical package 2 lying on the support surface 5 to attach itself to the handling device such that the pharmaceutical package 2 can be lifted off the support surface 5. The suction head 9 is controlled by a drive situated in the box 8. The handling device features a second drive 11 that is guided on a vertical rail in order to move the suction head 9 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, an additional drive is provided for moving the suction head 9 in the y-direction. Consequently, the suction head 9 can be moved in all three directions in space. Based on the determined position coordinates, the control computer 6 ensures that the suction head 9 attaches to a predetermined location on the upper side of the pharmaceutical package 2, at which the pharmaceutical package 2 can be securely taken hold of. The pharmaceutical package 2 attached by means of suction is then lifted off the support surface 5 and deposited onto the conveyor belt 16.

[0036] Another advantage of the embodiment of the inventive separating device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 can be seen in that the linear guide 12 carries the movable infrared light source 18 with its drive 19, as well as the handling device. At the beginning of a separating cycle, the infrared light source 18 is situated in the edge position illustrated on the left in FIG. 1 while the handling device is situated outside the support surface 5 at the right edge of the linear guide 12, for example above the conveyor belt 16. In a conventional process sequence, the support surface 5 is initially scanned by the infrared light source 18, wherein the infrared light source 18 can be moved along the linear guide 12 without colliding with the handling device. After the scanning process, the infrared light source 18 is once again displaced to the left edge of the linear guide 12 such that the entire linear guide 12 is now available for the motion of the handling device.