WO2025021281A1 - Storage rack, arrangement having a storage rack, and method for managing the contents of a storage rack - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage rack having a plurality of storage areas for the manual placement and removal of articles, in which storage rack each storage area is assigned an identification means, wherein: the identification means is designed and arranged so as to identify the article when the article is placed in the storage area, when the article is removed from the storage area, and/or after the article has been positioned in the storage area; a computing unit is provided, in particular a stationary or mobile computing unit; the computing unit is designed to generate, in particular by means of a storage management software executed on the computing unit and on the basis of information from the identification means, information about the current storage occupancy, specifically what article is stored in what quantity in which storage area; a target storage occupancy plan is stored in the computing unit or the computing unit can access a stored target storage occupancy plan and the computing unit is designed, in particular by means of a storage management software executed on the computing unit, to generate a variance comparison between the target storage occupancy plan and the current storage occupancy.

Description

Storage rack, arrangement with a storage rack and method for managing the contents of a storage rack

The invention relates to a storage rack with several storage locations for manually inserting and removing articles. The invention also relates to an arrangement with a storage rack. The invention also relates to a method for managing the contents of a storage rack.

Storage racks with multiple storage spaces for manually inserting and removing items are used, for example, in craft businesses to store screws, nuts and small parts, and generally items, and to arrange them in a clear and easy-to-remove manner. For example, a worker takes a box of screws from the shelf before starting work. This usually happens in the morning when work begins. If the worker then puts the

If, in the evening, any unused screws or boxes of screws are returned to the shelf, generally articles, the worker is usually in a great hurry in the evening because he wants to finish work. It can therefore be observed that the placing of articles or packages of articles in a storage shelf is sometimes extremely careless. As a result, this leads to the contents of the storage shelf no longer being organized. If a specific article, for example a specific screw, is then searched for, this is extremely time-consuming, as in the worst case the entire shelf has to be searched. In a craft business, for example, a master craftsman monitors the contents of the storage shelf. He can be supported, for example, by a salesperson or salesman who regularly checks the contents of the storage shelf and ensures that all

There is always a sufficient number of items available. If new items are to be added to the storage shelf, this is usually done in consultation with the foreman.

The invention aims to improve a storage rack, an arrangement with a storage rack and a method for managing the contents of a storage rack. According to the invention, a storage rack with the features of claim 1, an arrangement with the features of claim 8 and a method with the features of claim 16 are provided. Advantageous further developments of the invention are mentioned in the respective subclaims.

According to the invention, a storage rack with several storage locations for manual insertion and removal of articles is provided, in which each storage location is assigned an identification device, wherein the identification device is designed and arranged in such a way that Placing the article in the storage location, removing the article from the storage location and/or positioning the article in the storage location to identify the article, wherein a computing unit is provided, in particular a stationary or mobile computing unit, wherein the computing unit is designed, in particular by means of warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, to create information about current warehouse occupancy on the basis of information from the identification device, namely which article is stored in which storage location and in which quantity, wherein a target warehouse occupancy plan is stored in the computing unit or the computing unit can access a stored target warehouse occupancy plan and the computing unit, in particular by means of warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, is designed to create a target-actual comparison between the target warehouse occupancy plan and the current warehouse occupancy.

The target warehouse occupancy can not only contain the storage location for a specific article, but also a target number for a specific article. Because the computing unit can carry out a target-actual comparison, an operator can immediately determine where in the warehouse shelf which articles may be incorrectly stored. It should be noted that with fully automated warehouse shelves such a target-actual comparison is not actually required, as it is completely sufficient if the warehouse management computer knows the location of a stored article. However, with warehouse shelves with several storage locations for manually inserting and removing articles, a target-actual comparison is extremely advantageous, as on the one hand incorrect occupancy must be expected due to the manual insertion and removal of articles and on the other hand incorrectly stored articles can be easily found in this way, either to then remove them or to sort them correctly. In the specific case of a storage rack with several storage locations for manually inserting and removing items, the possibility of carrying out a target-actual comparison between a target storage occupancy plan and the current storage occupancy offers surprising advantages that make using the storage rack as well as its maintenance or care, i.e. maintaining a predetermined order in the storage rack and/or maintaining a target storage occupancy, much easier. The computing unit can be designed as a stationary or mobile computing unit and can be implemented, for example, as a smartphone, tablet, notebook or the like. The invention also includes the use of a computing unit in a cloud, in other words a computing unit in the form of an internet-based application. The invention also provides for the separation of data and software, so that, for example, software runs on a mobile computing unit that accesses data in a network, for example an intranet or the Internet. In the case of a stationary computing unit, data can also be accessed in a network or the data can also be stored locally in a memory of the computing unit. If the storage rack is in a vehicle, either a vehicle-stationary computing unit can be provided in which the data is also stored in order to be able to work independently of mobile phone coverage.

Alternatively or additionally, a smartphone can be used as a mobile computing unit, including access to data via a cellular connection.

Warehouse management software running on the computing unit can be in the form of a simple table, but can also allow access to a database. The separation of software and data is provided for within the scope of the invention.

In addition to information about current warehouse occupancy, i.e. the quantity of a certain item on the warehouse shelf, the warehouse management software can also contain further information about the item, such as a best-before date. For example, so-called chemical dowels or injection dowels work with resin and hardener and have an expiration date. Shortly before the expiration date, the warehouse management software can request that the item be used up or, for example, reduce its price. If the expiration date has passed, the processing unit or the warehouse management software can request that the item be sorted out. Of course, further data on the individual items can be kept, such as processing instructions and the like.

The storage rack and/or the computing unit can be arranged in a vehicle, for example in a tradesman's service vehicle. Such storage racks can be of considerable size and contain a large number of items, so that the storage rack according to the invention offers considerable advantages. In a further development of the invention, the identification device has an RFID reading device arranged at the storage location.

In this case, every article, for example every package, should have an RFID chip with a unique identifier. When the RFID chip is queried using the RFID reader, the RFID chip outputs this unique identifier and this identifier can then be assigned to a data set that describes the article or the small parts within a package. Since the RFID reader is located at a defined storage location, the computing unit makes an assignment to which storage location to which the RFID reader belongs. When an article is identified by a specific RFID reader, the computing unit knows not only the article, but also the storage location on the warehouse shelf of this article.

In a further development of the invention, the identification device has a reading device arranged at the storage location for reading a code on the article. Such a reading device can have a camera or a barcode reader, for example. An article on the storage shelf can also be identified in this way. Each reading device is assigned to a specific storage location, so that the computing unit can determine which reading unit received a signal. The computing unit therefore knows which article is stored at which storage location on the storage shelf.

In a further development of the invention, each storage location is assigned an electronic display device.

Such an electronic display device can be used, for example, to display the article stored in the storage location, in the case of screws, for example, the type, diameter and length. The display can also be in the form of an image or symbol representation of the article. In addition, the number of articles in the storage location can also be displayed, for example. When an article is removed, the display of the number of articles can be automatically reduced using the computing unit; when an article is inserted, the number shown on the electronic display device can be increased. If the wrong article is inserted, for example, a warning message can be given or the display device can light up in a signal color. If a specific article is sought, the computing unit can also, for example, cause the display unit to light up in a signal color at the storage location where the article being sought is located, in particular by means of software running on the computing unit. The electronic display device is controlled by the computing unit, in particular by means of warehouse management software running on the computing unit.

In a further development of the invention, the identification device has at least one camera arranged at the storage location for capturing at least one image of the article and an electronic image processing unit for processing the image and for identifying the article. An article, such as a package containing several articles, can also be identified using electronic image processing. For example, a package or an article can be captured using a camera and then an image of the packaging or article can be created. A code or description or symbol on the packaging or even the article itself can then be recognized using electronic image processing of the image, which allows the article to be identified. A code can be a barcode, QR code, letter code and/or number code.

In a further development of the invention, the computing unit, in particular by means of the warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, is designed to adopt a current warehouse occupancy as the new target warehouse occupancy plan in the event of deviations from the target warehouse occupancy plan, wherein the adoption must be acknowledged by a user.

In this way, the warehouse occupancy can be adjusted dynamically, for example when the projects to be processed change and, as a result, other items are required to be able to process these projects. For example, different screws must be provided for the construction of a load-bearing wooden structure than for the creation of decorative interior fittings. With the storage rack according to the invention, the warehouse occupancy can be changed accordingly. For example, it is also possible to simply swap the storage locations of items, so that items that are used particularly frequently are arranged directly at handle height. A change to the target warehouse occupancy plan caused by this can be easily adopted as a new target warehouse occupancy plan by acknowledging a current warehouse occupancy.

In a further development of the invention, the computing unit is designed, in particular by means of the warehouse management software running on the computing unit, to set up different authorizations for different users for display and confirmation. For example, different authorizations are useful in the sense that a worker who, for example, takes articles to his construction site in the morning can only determine storage locations for certain articles on the warehouse shelf. A foreman or warehouse manager, on the other hand, can also change the warehouse occupancy and consequently change the target warehouse occupancy plan. A salesperson who is responsible for stocking and restocking as well as maintaining the warehouse shelf can, for example, also change the target warehouse occupancy plan, but this may require the confirmation of the warehouse manager or foreman in addition to the salesperson's confirmation. The invention therefore makes it possible to Individually adapted operation of a storage rack for manual insertion and removal of items can be realized.

The object underlying the invention is also achieved by an arrangement with a storage rack according to the invention and at least one mobile display and/or computing unit, in particular a smartphone, in which the result of the target-actual

Comparison of the computing unit can be displayed on the mobile display and computing unit.

In this way, an operator can use the mobile display and/or computing unit, in particular using his smartphone on which suitable software is installed, to immediately identify which storage location contains incorrectly sorted items and/or which storage location contains too few items. This makes it much easier for a salesperson to care for or maintain the storage rack. A warehouse manager or foreman can also very quickly identify whether the storage rack is sufficiently filled for the coming working days or whether the storage rack needs to be refilled. In a further development of the invention, if there are deviations from the target storage plan for incorrectly sorted items, a correct storage location for these items that corresponds to the target storage plan is displayed in the mobile display and computing unit.

The mobile display and computing unit not only shows the storage location where incorrectly sorted items are located, but can also show where the correct storage location corresponding to the target storage plan is located. Such a display can be made either using the number of the storage location or in the form of an image or a graphic representation of the storage rack. If the storage rack is equipped with an electronic display device at each storage location, the electronic display device at the correct storage location can also light up, for example. For example, the electronic display device lights up at the current storage location of the incorrectly sorted item.

article in a first signal color and the electronic display device at the correct storage location lights up in a second signal color.

In a further development of the invention, in the event of deviations from the target warehouse occupancy plan, a current warehouse occupancy can be acknowledged as a new target warehouse occupancy plan by means of the mobile display and computing unit. In this way, the storage rack can be rearranged if necessary, for example to arrange frequently used items at a comfortable handle height.

In a further development of the invention, the computing unit is designed to set up different authorizations for displaying and acknowledging, in particular by means of the warehouse management software executed on the computing unit.

In a further development of the invention, an article search in the storage shelf can be carried out by means of the mobile display and calculation unit, so that the mobile display and calculation unit shows the current storage location of the product being searched for.

In this way, every worker can easily find an item they are looking for on the warehouse shelf, for example using their smartphone and software installed on the smartphone.

In a further development of the invention, the current storage location is shown on a display of the mobile display and computing unit and/or each storage location is assigned a display device arranged on the storage rack, wherein the current storage location is displayed by means of the assigned display device.

In a further development of the invention, a stock level corresponding to a number of a specific article at a storage location and/or in the entire storage shelf can be determined by means of the computing unit, in particular by means of the warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, wherein in particular the mobile display and computing unit displays the current number of a specific article at a storage location and/or in the entire storage shelf.

In this way, for example, a salesperson can determine whether there is a sufficient number of items in a certain storage location and whether there may be other, incorrectly sorted items in other storage locations. Based on this, a decision can be made as to whether the incorrectly sorted items simply need to be re-sorted or whether items need to be reordered. A warehouse manager or foreman can also use this method to determine whether there are still enough of the required items on the warehouse shelf.

In a further development of the invention, the computing unit, in particular by means of the warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, is designed to carry out a dynamic To enable warehouse management, whereby the target warehouse occupancy plan is automatically changed, especially when a storage location for one or more items changes.

In this way, the storage rack can be adapted very easily to any changing requirements. The object underlying the invention is also achieved by a method for managing the contents of a storage rack, with the steps of automatically identifying an article manually inserted or manually removed by an operator into a storage location of the storage rack by means of an identification device, wherein the identification of the article takes place when the article is inserted into the storage location, when the article is removed from the storage location and/or after the article is positioned in the storage location, transferring a data set for the removed or inserted article to a computing unit, in particular a stationary or mobile computing unit, wherein the data set contains an identification of the article, information as to whether the article was inserted or removed, and information for identifying the storage location, and determining a current storage occupancy of the storage rack by means of the computing unit and carrying out a target-actual comparison of the storage occupancy based on a target storage occupancy plan stored in the computing unit or based on a stored target storage occupancy plan to which the computing unit can access.

The method according to the invention makes it possible to electronically manage the storage occupancy or inventory in a storage rack for manual insertion and manual removal of articles. This makes it possible to combine the advantages of a storage rack for manual insertion and manual removal of articles and electronic warehouse management. Above all, however, the method according to the invention can be used to determine whether all articles in the storage rack are in the intended storage location or whether there are discrepancies between a target storage occupancy plan and a current storage occupancy. This makes the care and maintenance of the storage rack considerably easier and, in particular, it is possible to quickly and with little effort place any incorrectly sorted articles in the storage rack in the correct storage locations. In a further development of the invention, the adoption of a current storage occupancy as a target storage occupancy plan by means of confirmation by a user is provided. In this way, the target warehouse occupancy plan can be changed very easily. This can be done, for example, by replacing items with more advanced items, adjusting the contents of the warehouse shelf to projects that need to be processed, or simply increasing or decreasing the target number of items in a certain storage location.

In a further development of the invention, checking the authorization of a user is provided before accepting the acknowledgement.

It is advantageous that not every user can change the target warehouse occupancy plan. This is reserved, for example, only for the warehouse manager or foreman and, if necessary, a salesperson, possibly in consultation with the warehouse manager or foreman. A worker who simply takes items from the warehouse shelf and puts back items that are not needed should generally not have the right to change the target warehouse occupancy plan.

In a further development of the invention, the computing unit provides information about the storage location of a specific article. In this way, when a specific article is sought, an electronic query can easily determine where the article, for example a package with several small parts, is located. As a result, accidentally or carelessly placing articles in the wrong storage location no longer means that a specific article must be searched for throughout the entire storage shelf. This saves a considerable amount of time and can prevent great annoyance among the users of the storage shelf.

In a further development of the invention, the determination of a refill requirement of the storage rack is provided.

Since the computing unit knows the current warehouse occupancy, a refill requirement can be determined. For example, a refill requirement can always be recognized when there are only two pieces of a specific item left.

In a further development of the invention, when determining the refill requirement for at least one article, the number of articles removed during a predefined period of time is taken into account. For example, the number of items removed over a period of one week can be taken into account. If only this number or a smaller number is left on the storage shelf, a need for replenishment is recognized.

In a further development of the invention, the determined refill requirements are automatically ordered. In this way, it can be ensured that there is always a sufficient stock of the required items.

In a further development of the invention, the identification of the article is provided by querying an RFID chip on or in the article, by reading a code on the article or on a packaging of the article and/or by capturing at least one image of the article or the packaging of the article by at least one camera and subsequent electronic image processing of the image.

Using RFID chips, by reading a code, for example a barcode or a QR code, or even a designation written in plain text, or using cameras and electronic image processing, an article can be reliably identified, even if the article is very quickly and manually placed in the storage shelf or removed from the storage shelf. RFID chips can be particularly advantageous here, since an RFID chip can be queried while it is being placed or removed, or only after it has been positioned in the storage location. An RFID chip is read using radio waves and is therefore relatively independent of the position of the article in the storage location. Further features and advantages of the invention arise from the claims and the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the drawings. Individual features of the different embodiments shown and/or described can be combined with one another in any way without exceeding the scope of the invention. This also applies to the combination of individual features without further individual features with which they are shown in conjunction. The drawings show:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a storage rack according to the invention according to a first embodiment and

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a storage rack according to the invention according to a second embodiment. Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a storage rack 10 with several storage locations 12, 14, 16. In Fig. 1, only three storage locations or shelf compartments are shown as an example. Of course, within the scope of the invention, significantly more or fewer storage locations 12, 14, 16 can be present. The storage rack 10 is intended for the manual insertion and removal of articles 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b. Within the scope of the invention, articles generally refer to products, components, small parts, for example screws, nuts or dowels, as well as packaging with several products, components or small parts. This is shown in Fig. 1 by an operator 24, for example a worker, holding an article 18b in his hand. The operator 24 can manually insert the article 18b into one of the storage locations 12, 14, 16 of the storage rack 10. The operator 24 can also remove one or more of the articles 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b from a respective storage location 12, 14, 16 of the storage rack 10.

The storage rack 10 is provided with an identification device 26a, 26b, 26c at each of the storage locations 12, 14, 16. The identification device 26a is assigned to the storage location 12, the identification device 26b is assigned to the storage location 14 and the identification device 26c is assigned to the storage location 16.

The identification devices 26a, 26b, 26c are connected to a computing unit 28, which can be designed, for example, as a stationary warehouse management computer. However, the computing unit 28 can also be designed, for example, as a mobile computing unit and can in particular also be designed as a smartphone on which suitable warehouse management software runs.

A connection between the identification devices 26a, 26b, 26c and the computing unit 28 is symbolized in Fig. 1 by means of data lines. However, a connection can also be made wirelessly, for example by means of Bluetooth, in other words a suitable radio connection.

Each of the articles 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b is provided with an RFID chip 30. Each of the RFID chips 30 carries a unique identifier which it outputs when read. Therefore, even if all RFID chips 30 in Fig. 1 are marked with the reference number 30, the RFID chips 30 are different in that each RFID chip 30 has a different identifier.

This identifier is usually designed in RFID chips in such a way that it is a multi-digit number. The multi-digit number is only assigned to a single RFID chip, so that there are no two RFID chips with the same number as an identifier. Using the unique identifier, a data set can be assigned to each article 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b in the computing unit 28, which data set contains, for example, the properties of the individual articles 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b. The properties can include, for example, dimensions, material as well as the number of articles, e.g. screws, in a package. The computing unit 28 also recognizes which of the identification devices 26a, 26b, 26c transmits the identifier of one of the RFID chips 30 to the computing unit. The computing unit 28 therefore knows in which of the storage locations the respective article 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b is stored. In other words, the current storage occupancy of the storage rack 10 can be determined by means of the computing unit 28.

When the operator places the article 18b in the storage rack 10, the RFID chip 30 in the article 18b, for example a package with several small parts, is read when it is placed in the article 18b or only when the article 18b is positioned in the respective storage location 12, 14 or 16. The result of this identification is then transmitted to the computing unit 28 by the identification devices 26a, 26b or 26c. When the operator 24 places the article 18b that he is holding in his hand in the top storage location 12 in Fig. 1, this is the intended storage location for the article 18b. The identification device can then transmit a data set to the warehouse management computer 28 that identifies the article 18b and contains the storage location 12 in which the article 18b is stored. A target warehouse occupancy plan is stored in the computing unit 28 or the computing unit 28 can access a target warehouse occupancy plan that is stored in another location. In this target warehouse occupancy plan, items 18, i.e. items 18a, 18b, are assigned to storage location 12. Items 20, i.e. items 20a, 20b, are assigned to storage location 14 and items 22, i.e. items 22a, 22b, are assigned to storage location 16. The target warehouse occupancy plan can also contain the respective target number of items 18, 20, 22 in a storage location 12, 14, 16.

If the operator 24 mistakenly places the article 18b that he is holding in his hand in the storage location 14, this will be detected when the RFID chip 30 in the article 18b is read. In this case, the identification device 26b would then transmit a data set to the warehouse management computer 28 in which the article 18b is identified and in which the storage location 14 in which the article 18b is now located is included.

The computing unit 28 therefore always has information about the current storage occupancy of the storage rack 10. By means of a warehouse management software running on the computing unit 28, the computing unit 28 can make a target-actual comparison between the Target warehouse occupancy plan and the current warehouse occupancy. The result of such a target-actual comparison is then which articles are stored in storage locations that do not correspond to the target warehouse occupancy plan and, in particular, which articles are not present in the target number. Such a target-actual comparison makes it very easy to identify which articles were not stored in the warehouse shelf 10 in accordance with the target warehouse occupancy plan. Even if the articles were not stored in accordance with the target warehouse occupancy plan, the computing unit 28 still knows that and where the incorrectly stored articles are positioned on the warehouse shelf. On the one hand, the target-actual comparison between the target warehouse occupancy plan and the current warehouse occupancy can therefore be used to find an incorrectly stored article or to restore the warehouse shelf to the desired warehouse occupancy plan.

The target warehouse occupancy plan can contain not only the intended storage space for certain items, but also a planned number of items in a storage space. The target-actual comparison can therefore also provide information about which items may need to be refilled or which items are too many on the warehouse shelf.

If, for example, the operator 24 is looking for a specific article 22, i.e. one of the articles 22a, 22b, he can use a mobile display and computing device 32, for example a smartphone, to query the storage location of the articles 22, i.e. the articles 22a, 22b. During this query, the mobile display and computing unit 32 accesses information from the computing unit 28 and thereby receives the information that the articles 22a, 22b are in the storage location 16. The computing unit 28 can, for example, also transmit additional information to the effect that there are only two articles 22a, 22b left in the storage location 16. However, it is essential within the scope of the invention that the operator 24 does not have to laboriously search for a specific article in all storage locations 12, 14, 16, for example because the article being sought is stored in the wrong storage location, but can obtain the current storage location of the article from the computing unit 28 via his smartphone, and furthermore that a target-actual comparison between the current storage occupancy and the target storage occupancy plan provides information about which articles in the storage shelf 10 are arranged in the wrong storage location. If, for example, the article 22a were incorrectly stored in storage location 12, the user would also be shown storage location 12 on the mobile display and computing unit 32. In addition, within the scope of the invention, the computing unit 28 can also provide information about which storage location an incorrectly stored article must be brought to in order to comply with the target storage occupancy plan. The storage rack 10 thus combines the advantages of a storage rack for manual insertion and removal of articles, namely the quick and easy insertion and removal of articles, with the possibility of obtaining the storage location of a searched article by means of an electronic query and with the further possibility of locating incorrectly sorted articles by means of a target-actual comparison and, if necessary, also correcting

Storage space for the incorrectly sorted items. Particularly in the case of large storage racks with numerous storage spaces for manual insertion and removal, as well as when numerous workers or operators 24 use a storage rack 10, this can result in considerable time savings when searching for items. The care and maintenance of the storage rack 10 is also made much easier. A salesperson or a

The warehouse manager, who is responsible for the care and maintenance of the storage rack 10, can immediately see, based on the result of the target-actual comparison between the target storage plan and the current storage occupancy, in which storage locations incorrectly sorted items are located and he can also immediately determine which items are too many or, more importantly, which items are too few in the storage location provided for in the target storage plan. The laborious task of looking through and, if necessary, sorting the storage rack 10 can thus be eliminated and a salesperson or warehouse manager can fill the storage rack 10 correctly and completely in a very short time.

In addition to identifying the article and the storage location of an article, an identifier of the respective RFID chip or the data set assigned to the identifier can of course also be assigned further information, for example a manufacturer, an address of the manufacturer, processing information such as speed and torque and the like.

The computing unit 28 can also trigger an automatic reorder so that there are always enough articles 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b available to fill the storage shelf 10.

Fig. 2 shows a storage rack 100 according to the invention in accordance with a second embodiment. The storage rack 100 has a total of twelve storage locations 112 to 136. An article 18a is shown in the storage location 112 purely as an example. Each of the storage locations 112 to 136 is intended for other articles, for example articles 20a, 20b are stored in the storage location 114 and articles 22a, 22b in the storage location 118. For the sake of clarity, only the article 18a is shown as the only article in the storage rack 100. The article 18a and all other articles that are stored in the storage rack 100 each have an RFID chip 30 and each storage location 112 to 136 is provided with an RFID reader 126a to 126m. By means of the RFID reading devices 126a to 126m read the RFID chips 30 on the articles or on the article packaging. The RFID reading devices 126a then transmit the unique identifier of a respective RFID chip 30 to a mobile processing unit 128. In addition to the unique identifier, the respective storage location is also transmitted by each RFID reading device 126a to 126m. The mobile processing unit 128, which can also be designed as a smartphone or tablet, can then assign a data set to the unique identifier of a respective RFID chip 30. Using the storage locations additionally transmitted by the RFID reading devices 126a to 126m, the mobile processing unit 128 can thus create a current warehouse occupancy. The current warehouse occupancy contains information about which storage location the articles are in and which

number of articles is located at a respective storage location. The mobile computing unit 128 can thus carry out or create a target-actual comparison between a target warehouse occupancy plan stored in the mobile computing unit 128 and the current warehouse occupancy. The storage rack 100 is therefore managed in the same way as was already described with reference to the storage rack 10 in Fig. 1.

A mobile display and computing unit 132 is also provided in the form of another tablet or smartphone. With the mobile display and computing unit 132, an operator can, for example, determine the current storage location of a searched article 18a. When searching for an article 18, the storage location 112 would then be displayed on the mobile display and computing unit 132. In addition, it could be displayed that there is only one article 18a left in the storage location 112. The storage location of the article 18a can be displayed in data form, for example, “Storage location 112, quantity 1” is displayed. Alternatively or additionally, the storage location can also be displayed with a stylized representation of the storage shelf 100, in which the storage location 112, i.e. the storage location at the top left, is displayed in a signal color.

The storage rack 100 is provided with an electronic display device 150 at each storage location. Each electronic display device 150 has a display 152 and a signal light 154, although within the scope of the invention, only one display or only one signal light can be provided. The article that is or is to be stored at the respective storage location can be shown on the display 152. For example, in Fig. 2, the number “18” is shown on the display 152 of the storage location 112 because the storage location 112 is intended for article 18, i.e. article 18a and possibly another article 18b. The display 152 of the electronic display unit of the storage location 114 shows the number “20” because the storage location 114 is intended for article 20. The electronic display unit 150 of the storage location 118 shows the number “22” because the storage location 118 is intended for article 22. Alternatively, an image of the article or properties of the article can be shown in the display 152 of the individual storage locations, for example wood screw, 5x20 mm or the like.

The signal light 154 is intended to indicate the storage location being searched for when searching for an article. For example, if the article 18a is searched for using the smartphone 132, the storage location 112 can be indicated on the display of the smartphone 132 and in addition the signal light 154 of the storage location 112 can light up yellow, for example. This visually signals the operator 24 where the article 18a being searched for can be found in the storage shelf 100. The signal light 154 can light up green, for example, if a respective storage location is correctly occupied, i.e. when a sufficient number of articles are arranged in the respective storage location. If the minimum number of articles specified in the target warehouse occupancy plan is not reached, the signal light 154 can light up red or yellow, for example. If an operator 24 sorts an article incorrectly, for example if he places the article 18a in the storage location 132 rather than in the storage location 112, this is detected by the identification device 126k and, for example, the signal light 154 of the storage location 132 can then light up in a suitable signal color, for example red or orange. The operator 24 is thus immediately visually informed that he is about to place the article 18a in the wrong storage location. In other words, the signal lights 154 can be used to indicate at which of the storage locations deviations from the target storage occupancy plan have occurred. The deviations from the target storage occupancy plan can thus be displayed not only on the mobile computing unit 28 or on the smartphone 132, but also on the storage rack 100 itself.

For example, the storage rack 100 is located in a craft workshop. The storage rack 100 is used by several workers or fitters as well as a master craftsman, all of whom are from the

They can take items from shelf 100 that they need for the respective assembly orders. The company also has a warehouse manager who is responsible for ensuring that shelf 100 is completely and correctly filled, as well as a salesperson from the screw supplier who, for example, accepts an order from the warehouse manager and, if necessary, also ensures that storage shelf 100 is correctly filled.

As already described, if a technician cannot immediately find article 18a on the storage shelf 100, he can enter the article 18a he is looking for on his smartphone 132. The storage location 112 of the Article 18a. In addition, the signal light 154 of the storage location 112 can light up so that the fitter can quickly grab and take away Article 18a.

If article 18a is not sorted at storage location 112 according to the target storage plan, but for example at storage location 132, this is also displayed to the technician on his smartphone 132 and he can quickly remove the article 18a he is looking for without having to search for it laboriously and for a long time.

The foreman can, if necessary together with the warehouse manager, determine the number of items in the storage rack 100. In the storage rack 100 according to the invention, the mobile computing unit 128 also knows the storage location of any incorrectly sorted items. The foreman can thus determine whether there are still enough items on the rack, possibly in the wrong storage location, and then, if necessary, instruct the warehouse manager to restore the correct storage location based on the target storage location plan. The warehouse manager can also use the smartphone 132 or the mobile computing unit 128 for this purpose, which shows him the storage location of incorrectly sorted items as well as the correct storage location for these incorrectly sorted items. As explained, the correct storage location can also be indicated by means of the respective signal lights 154 at the storage locations.

The foreman can also change the target warehouse occupancy plan using the mobile computing unit 128 or the smartphone 132. For example, he can arrange very frequently used items at a convenient height and then acknowledge this changed current warehouse occupancy so that the current warehouse occupancy is then saved as a target warehouse occupancy plan. For example, the foreman has different authorization to do this than the warehouse manager, so that only the foreman can acknowledge a current warehouse occupancy so that it is saved as a target warehouse occupancy plan. The warehouse manager and the fitters, on the other hand, do not have the authorization to save a current warehouse occupancy as a target warehouse occupancy plan.

A salesperson can, either by means of the mobile computing unit 128 or also by means of the smartphone 132, identify a need for refilling in the storage shelf 100. This can be done, for example, by the fact that the smartphone 132 uses the warehouse management software running on the smartphone 132 to display which articles are too few or too many in the respective storage locations in the storage shelf 100. The salesperson can then, for example, bring the missing articles with him and immediately sort them into the storage shelf 100. The smartphone 132 can help him to do this, for example if he scans a barcode on the article packaging, display the correct storage location in the storage rack 100 and, as stated, the correct storage location for a specific article can also be displayed by the electronic display device 150 at a respective storage location, in particular by the signal light 154. The display 152 of each electronic display device 150 can, for example, also display the current storage location when inserting an article.

Display number of items. When an item is removed from the storage location, the displayed number is reduced; when an item is placed in a storage location, the current number is increased.

Depending on the authorization the seller has, the seller can also make a current warehouse occupancy the target warehouse occupancy plan by acknowledging a current warehouse occupancy. The allocation of authorizations naturally depends on the individual case.

The storage rack according to the invention as well as the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 with the storage rack 100 and the mobile computing unit 128 enables an operator to find a desired article very quickly in the storage rack 100. By means of the target-actual comparison between a current warehouse occupancy and a target warehouse occupancy plan carried out using the mobile computing unit 128, deviations from the target warehouse occupancy plan can be determined very quickly and easily and corrected if necessary. This makes the work of a warehouse manager and a salesperson considerably easier. Finally, dynamic warehouse management is also possible with the storage rack 100 according to the invention and the mobile computing unit 128. If, for example, a foreman considers a different warehouse occupancy to be more suitable, this can be implemented very easily by acknowledging a current warehouse occupancy and then saving it as a new target warehouse occupancy plan.

Claims

patent claims 1. Storage rack (10) with several storage locations (12, 14, 16) for manually inserting and removing articles (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B), characterized in that each storage location (12, 14, 16) is assigned an identification device (26A, 26B, 26C), wherein the identification device (26A, 26B, 26C) is designed and arranged in such a way that when the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) is inserted into the storage location (12, 14, 16), when the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) is removed from the storage location (12, 14, 16) and/or after positioning of the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) in the storage location (12, 14, 16) to identify the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B), further characterized by a computing unit (28), in particular a stationary or mobile computing unit, wherein the computing unit (28) is designed, in particular by means of warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, to create information on a current warehouse occupancy on the basis of information from the identification device (26A, 26B, 26C), namely at which storage location (12, 14, 16) which article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) in which quantity is stored, wherein a target warehouse occupancy plan is stored in the computing unit or the computing unit can access a stored target warehouse occupancy plan and the computing unit, in particular by means of warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, is designed to carry out a target-actual comparison between the target warehouse occupancy plan and the current warehouse occupancy. 2. Storage rack according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification device (26A, 26B, 26C) has an RFID reading device arranged at the storage location (12, 14, 16). 3. Storage rack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the identification device has a reading device arranged at the storage location for reading a code on the article. 4. Storage rack according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each storage location is assigned an electronic display device. 5. Storage rack according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification device has at least one camera arranged at the storage location for capturing at least one image of the article and an electronic image processing unit for processing the image and for identifying the article. 6. Storage rack according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the computing unit, in particular by means of the warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, is designed to adopt a current warehouse occupancy as a new target warehouse occupancy plan in the event of deviations from the target warehouse occupancy plan, wherein the adoption must be acknowledged by a user. 7. Storage rack according to claim 6, characterized in that the computing unit, in particular by means of the warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, is designed to set up different authorizations for different users for display and acknowledgement. 8. Arrangement with a storage rack according to one of the preceding claims and at least one mobile display and/or computing unit, in particular a smartphone, characterized in that the result of the target-actual comparison of the Calculation unit can be displayed on the mobile display and calculation unit. 9. Arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that in the event of deviations from the target storage plan for incorrectly sorted articles, a correct storage location corresponding to the target storage plan for these articles is displayed in the mobile display and computing unit. 10. Arrangement according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that in the event of deviations from the target warehouse occupancy plan, a current warehouse occupancy can be acknowledged as a new target warehouse occupancy plan by means of the mobile display and computing unit. 11. Arrangement according to claim 8, 9 or 10, characterized in that the computing unit, in particular by means of the warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, is designed to provide different authorizations for Display and acknowledgement. 12. Arrangement according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that an article search in the storage shelf can be carried out by means of the mobile display and calculation unit, so that the mobile display and calculation unit shows the current storage location of the product being searched for. 13. Arrangement according to claim 12, characterized in that the current storage location is shown on a display of the mobile display and computing unit and/or that each storage location is assigned a display device arranged on the storage rack, wherein the current storage location is displayed by means of the assigned display device. 14. Arrangement according to at least one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that by means of the computing unit, in particular by means of the warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, a stock level corresponding to a number of a specific article at a storage location and/or in the entire warehouse shelf can be determined, wherein in particular the mobile display and computing unit displays the current number of a specific article at a storage location and/or in the entire warehouse shelf. 15. Arrangement according to at least one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that the computing unit, in particular by means of the warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, is designed to enable dynamic warehouse management, wherein in particular when a storage location of one or more articles is changed, the target warehouse occupancy plan is automatically changed. 16. A method for managing the contents of a storage rack (10), characterized by automatically identifying an article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) manually inserted or manually removed from a storage location (12, 14, 16) of the storage rack (10) by an operator (24) by means of an identification device (26A, 26B, 26C), wherein the identification of the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) when the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) is inserted into the storage location (12, 14, 16), when the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) from the storage location (12, 14, 16) and/or after positioning the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) in the storage location (12, 14, 16), transferring a data set for the removed or inserted article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) to a computing unit (28), in particular a stationary or mobile computing unit, wherein the data set contains an identification of the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B), information as to whether the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) and contains information for identifying the storage location (12, 14, 16), and determining a current storage occupancy of the storage rack (10) by means of the computing unit (28), in particular by means of a warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, and carrying out a target-actual comparison of the storage occupancy on the basis of a Computing unit (28) stored target warehouse occupancy plan or based on a stored target warehouse occupancy plan to which the computing unit can access. 17. Method according to claim 16, characterized by adopting a current warehouse occupancy as a target warehouse occupancy plan by means of acknowledgement by a user. 18. Method according to claim 17, characterized by checking an authorization of a user before accepting the acknowledgement. 19. Method according to one of claims 16 to 18, characterized by providing Information by the computing unit (28), in particular by means of warehouse management software executed on the computing unit, on which storage location (12, 14, 16) a specific article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) is located. 20. Method according to one of claims 16 to 19, characterized by determining a refill requirement of the storage rack (10), in particular by means of warehouse management software executed on the computing unit. 21. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that when determining the replenishment requirement for at least one article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B), the number of articles (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) removed during a predefined period of time is taken into account. 22. Method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized by automatic ordering of the determined refill requirement, in particular by means of warehouse management software executed on the computing unit. 23. Method according to one of claims 16 to 22, characterized by identifying the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B) by means of querying an RFID chip (30) on or in the article (18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, 22A, 22B), by reading a code on the article or on a packaging of the article and/or by capturing at least one image of the article or the packaging of the article by at least one camera and subsequent electronic image processing of the image, in particular by means of warehouse management software executed on the computing unit.