Patent ID: 11858743
Assignee: TGW LOGISTICS GROUP GMBH
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 23:
24. A picking station (2) for picking of returned items, wherein the picking station (2) is connected to a source container distribution system (3) and a returned-item container distribution system (4′), the picking station (2) comprising:
a delivery device (32) for providing of a source container (5) at a loading position (35),
a delivery device (34) for providing of a returned-item container (53) at a retrieval position (33),
a sorting buffer (36) configured to provide returned-item containers (53) sorted into a sequence, having
a plurality of buffer positions (39) ahead of the retrieval position (33) and arranged one behind the other in a delivery direction on a first conveyor device (37),
a plurality of sorting positions (42) arranged one behind the other in a return direction on a second conveyor device (40), and
third conveyor devices (43) connecting the sorting positions (42) with the buffer positions (39),
wherein the first conveyor device (37) and the second conveyor device (40) are connected to one another by a fourth conveyor device (48) in order to convey the returned-item containers (53) from the sorting buffer (36) to the retrieval position (33), and to convey them away from the retrieval position (33) to the sorting buffer (36), for processing of return orders,
wherein the first conveyor device (37) has at least one conveyor unit (44) for transport of the returned-item containers (53), and the second conveyor device (40) has at least one conveyor unit (45) for transport of the returned-item containers (53),
wherein conveyor units (46, 47) for transport of the returned-item containers (53) are assigned to the buffer positions (39) and to the sorting positions (42), and
wherein the delivery device (34) is configured with the single loading position (35) on the fourth conveyor device (48), and

a control unit (26) configured to selectively control the conveyor units (44, 45, 46, 47) so that the returned-item containers (53) in the sorting buffer (36) are sorted into a sequence that is determined as a function of the sequence in which the source containers (5) are provided at the loading position (35), and so that a source container (5) and a returned-item container (53) for an order arrive at the loading position (35) and retrieval position (33) approximately simultaneously.