Patent ID: 8397898

Claim:
A scalable shipping buffer having an integrated sorting function for preparing a shipment consisting of several different goods, wherein the goods are to be loaded in or on a transport vehicle in a sorted sequence and wherein the goods are delivered to the shipping buffer in an unsorted sequence, comprising: a handover point; a driven withdrawal line for conveying downstream the goods to the handover point where the goods are handed over towards a transport vehicle in accordance with the sorted sequence, wherein the withdrawal line substantially extends along a longitudinal direction; a driven first buffer line extending substantially parallel and adjacent to the withdrawal line, the first buffer line comprising a first number of buffer locations; a plurality of transfer devices, wherein the transfer devices are arranged such that each buffer location of the first buffer line has assigned at least one of the transfer devices for transferring one or more of the goods from the first buffer line to the withdrawal line; a feed device arranged such that the goods, which are supplied to the withdrawal line in the unsorted sequence, are feedable into the first buffer line; a driven second buffer line extending parallel to the withdrawal line and adjacent to either the withdrawal line or the first buffer line, wherein the goods on the second buffer line can be moved oppositely relative to the first buffer line and withdrawal line; a second feed device arranged such that the goods from the withdrawal line or the first buffer line are feedable into the second buffer line; a discharge device being arranged for discharging the goods, which are located on the second buffer line, onto the withdrawal line or first buffer line, and a control device for controlling the scalable shipping buffer.