EP0728536A1 - Dispositif et procédé de traitement d'envois postaux pourvus d'adresses d'expédition - Google Patents

Dispositif et procédé de traitement d'envois postaux pourvus d'adresses d'expédition Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0728536A1
EP0728536A1 EP96810087A EP96810087A EP0728536A1 EP 0728536 A1 EP0728536 A1 EP 0728536A1 EP 96810087 A EP96810087 A EP 96810087A EP 96810087 A EP96810087 A EP 96810087A EP 0728536 A1 EP0728536 A1 EP 0728536A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
shipping
cells
evaluation
addresses
transport route
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP96810087A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Jean-Claude Oppliger
Thomas Zimmermann
Beat Fritsche
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Grapha Holding AG
Original Assignee
Grapha Holding AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Grapha Holding AG filed Critical Grapha Holding AG
Publication of EP0728536A1 publication Critical patent/EP0728536A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C3/00—Sorting according to destination
    • B07C3/02—Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/30—Orientation, displacement, position of the handled material
    • B65H2301/33—Modifying, selecting, changing orientation
    • B65H2301/333—Inverting
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S209/00—Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
    • Y10S209/90—Sorting flat-type mail
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S209/00—Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
    • Y10S209/909—Item holding feed magazine insertable in sorting apparatus

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device for processing shipping items (12) provided with shipping addresses, in particular letters and mailing bags, with a device for transporting the shipping items along a transport route, a device for automatically reading the shipping addresses and a device for automatically evaluating the read shipping addresses, and a device corresponding procedure.
  • Devices of this type are used, for example, in post offices in connection with the sorting of letters by destination and delivery district.
  • the letter addresses of the individual letters are automatically marked with a Read camera.
  • the destinations and delivery areas for the letters are determined in the evaluation device on the basis of the read letter addresses. Based on this evaluation, the letters can be automatically transported to collection containers for the individual destinations and delivery districts and dropped into them.
  • the object of this invention is to provide a device and a method of the type described in the introduction with which high operational reliability and high operational performance can be ensured at the same time.
  • this object is achieved in that a buffer with a number of cells is arranged in the transport path downstream of the reading device, into each of which a shipping item from the transport path can be entered selectively and from which the shipping items in each case in response to a first removal signal Transport route are traceable, and a device is provided for the assignment between each cell and the package stored therein, by means of which, depending on the evaluation of the shipping address in the evaluation device, the removal signal for the cell assigned to the relevant package can be generated.
  • the arrangement according to the invention of the intermediate storage device having the cells allows removal and onward transport of the shipping items on the transport route, regardless of the sequence in which the shipping items are placed in the cells.
  • the time provided for evaluating the shipping address in question can be adapted to the evaluation time required by the evaluation device independently of the treatment of other shipping pieces.
  • packages with a quickly evaluable shipping address can be transported after a short dwell in the buffer, while packages whose shipping addresses require a longer evaluation time can be allowed a longer dwell in the buffer.
  • an increase in the operating performance can be achieved with the device according to the invention, because the arrangement and control of the buffer store according to the invention enables a processing sequence in which the slowest link, ie. H. the worst shipping address, the operating speed, d. H. the number of packages that can be processed per unit of time.
  • the assignment between the cells and the shipping items stored therein is recorded with the control device.
  • the clear assignment of the shipping items to the clearly identifiable cells takes place before the evaluation of the relevant shipping addresses has been completed. This enables a high operational reliability of the device according to the invention to be ensured, because the state in which no clear assignment is already possible for the individual packages ends with the storage in the cells of the buffer.
  • the device allows the execution of a method for processing shipping items provided with shipping addresses, in which the shipping items are transported along a transport route and the shipping addresses are automatically read and evaluated.
  • the arrangement of the buffer store according to the invention allows the speed and reliability of such methods to be increased by selectively depositing the shipping items into the cells of the buffer store arranged in the transport route after reading their shipping address and selectively removing them depending on the evaluation of their shipping addresses and returning them to the transport route become.
  • the shipping address of one or more of the shipping items cannot be evaluated. This can be the case with handwritten letter addresses, for example.
  • Such packages must be removed from normal fully automatic processing and fed to manual processing or, if there is a possibility that the shipping addresses in question were not read correctly with the automatic reading device, fed back to the reading device.
  • the mailpieces can expediently be removed from the buffer store in response to a second removal signal that can be generated by the detection device and can be derived from the transport route if an automatic evaluation of the read shipping addresses of the relevant mailpieces cannot be carried out.
  • the packages derived from the transport route can then be processed by hand or fed back to the device according to the invention. Furthermore, the processing of the derived packages is also considered to be determined by appropriate personnel and then to re-feed the packages after manual input of appropriate evaluation information to the device, for example at a location located in the transport path downstream of the intermediate store.
  • a further increase in the operational safety of the device according to the invention can be achieved if the detection device can be operated to control the entry of the shipping items into the cells. This avoids double occupancy of the cells.
  • each storage cell can have a wall area that can be shifted between a storage position and a removal position for the packages. This can prevent unintentional removal of the packages and increase the operational reliability of the device.
  • a particularly simple construction of the device according to the invention is achieved if a drive device is provided, by means of which each cell can be set in a predetermined position relative to the transport path. This enables the packages to be deposited in the cells with a stationary transfer device, in that the individual cells are moved into a constant transfer position determined by the predetermined relative position.
  • the first removal signals for the cells already to be given when it is determined that the shipping addresses of the shipping items stored therein can in principle be evaluated automatically. Particularly reliable operation is achieved, however, if release signals can be generated with the evaluation device for the packages stored in the buffer, if there is an evaluation result for the shipping address of the relevant package, and the first removal signal can be generated in response to the release signal for returning the relevant package to the Transport route.
  • the cells are expediently drivable endlessly, because all that is required is a simple drive motor that can only be operated in one drive direction.
  • a particularly space-saving design results if the endless rotation of the cells follows a circular path with a rotation axis.
  • the depositing of the mailpieces can be effected by a simple movement in a direction radial with respect to the circumferential axis.
  • Such a device can be constructed in a particularly space-saving and structurally simple manner if a cell wall serves to delimit two adjacent cells.
  • a jamming of the packages between the end areas of the cell walls of a cell facing the axis of rotation can be prevented if they start from an outer surface of a circular cylinder with a diameter specified by the maximum thickness for processing of packages, the cylinder axis of which coincides with the axis of rotation.
  • the device according to the invention with cell walls arranged in axial planes of the circumferential axis can be implemented in a structurally simple manner if the dimensions of the individual cells are the same.
  • the buffer is advantageously constructed in such a way that all the angles enclosed between adjacent cell walls are the same.
  • a particularly simple removal of the shipping items from the individual cells of the intermediate store using gravity is made possible if the axis of rotation runs essentially in the direction of gravity and the displaceable wall area of the cells is arranged on the cell bottom.
  • the problems of devices of the type described at the outset which are solved with this invention are primarily due to the fact that the evaluation of the shipping addresses is very time-consuming.
  • the shipping items have a device arranged in the transport path downstream of the reading device for applying a coding representing the result of the analysis, for example in the form of a bar code are feedable.
  • the mail items are expediently fed to the device for applying the coding in response to the removal signal from the buffer store.
  • 10 letters 12 are withdrawn from a stack of upright letters 12 in a feeder and thereby introduced into a transport path, on which they first read the address 17 in the direction indicated by the arrow 17 in the detection area of a Camera 18 are transferred.
  • a suction device 12 arranged on an endlessly rotating conveyor belt 14 is used to pull off the individual letters 12.
  • the suction device 12 is connected to a pump, not shown, for generating a negative pressure required to pull off the individual letters.
  • the endlessly revolving conveyor belt 14 is guided around two substantially perpendicular rollers, as a result of which the withdrawn letters 12 are transferred into the detection area of the camera 18 while maintaining their orientation.
  • the letters are transferred on their further transport path from a transfer device designed in the form of an endlessly rotating conveyor belt 20 to a transfer position for individual cells Z of a buffer store 30 and are stored therein.
  • the intermediate store 30 is designed as a storage wheel running around a circumferential axis 32 running in the direction of gravity.
  • the individual cells Z are in axial planes the circumferential axis 32 lying cell walls 36.
  • Each of the cell walls 36 serves simultaneously as a boundary for two adjacent cells Z.
  • the storage wheel 30 has a regular structure in which all the angles enclosed between adjacent cell walls 36 are the same.
  • the cell walls 36 start from an outer surface 38 of a circular cylinder with a predetermined diameter, the cylinder axis of which coincides with the circumferential axis 32. This ensures that a minimum distance is maintained between the radially inner end regions of adjacent cell walls 36, which is greater than the maximum thickness of the letters 12 to be processed, thereby clamping the letters 12 deposited in the cells Z between the radially inner end regions of the Cell walls 36 can be prevented.
  • the letters 12 individually deposited in the cells are carried along with the storage wheel 30 rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow 34 and can be opened by opening removal flaps (not shown) arranged at the bottom of the individual cells on an endless rotating conveyor belt 40 which continues the transport path be dropped.
  • the endlessly rotating conveyor belt 40 is shown offset in the drawing in relation to the storage wheel 30.
  • the conveyor belt 40 is located below the storage wheel 30 in such a way that the letters 12 ejected from its cells hit the conveyor belt 40 in the correct position.
  • the letters 12 are conveyed into the printing area of an ink jet printer 42.
  • a bar code representing the result of an evaluation of the letter addresses read by the camera 18 can be printed on the letters 12 in an evaluation device 100 connected downstream of the camera 18.
  • the letters 12 are then taken over by a further endless conveyor belt 44 of the transport path and transferred to a vertical conveyor 46.
  • the letters 12 are inserted individually into pockets 48 of an endlessly rotating conveyor 50, a letter being inserted into each of the pockets 48.
  • the transporter 50 With the transporter 50, the letters 12 stored in the pockets 48 are transported to collection containers (not shown) arranged according to delivery districts and, depending on the result of the evaluation of the letter address read by the camera 18, are thrown into one of the collection containers.
  • the camera 18 applies the image signals representing the read letter addresses to the evaluation device 100.
  • the letter in question is assigned to a specific delivery district on the basis of the read letter address. A certain time is required for this evaluation, which depends on the legibility of the letter address.
  • the letters 12 are held in one of the cells Z of the storage wheel 30.
  • a signal path 104 the association between the individual cells Z and the letters 12 stored therein, determined by the respective rotational position of the storage wheel 30 when each letter is handed over, is detected by a detection device 102.
  • the detection device 102 controls the conveyor belt 20 via the signal paths 106 and 108 so that there is no double occupancy of the cells Z.
  • the evaluation device 100 applies a release signal for the letter in question to the detection device 102 via the signal path 105.
  • the detection device 102 outputs a first removal signal generated for the relevant storage cell Z and applied to the storage wheel 30 via the signal path 104 as soon as the relevant cell Z is above the conveyor belt 40.
  • the removal flap arranged on the bottom of the cell Z in question is opened and the letter 12 stored therein is thrown onto the conveyor belt 40.
  • the evaluation device 100 also applies a signal representing the result of the evaluation of the relevant letter address via the signal path 105 to the detection device 102.
  • a control signal representing this result is applied to the inkjet printer 42 and the conveyor 50 via the signal paths 110 and 112. This makes it possible to print the relevant letter 12 with a bar code representing the result of the evaluation and to transport the letter 12 to the collecting container specified by the letter address.
  • a signal representing this result for the relevant letter 12 is applied to the detection device 102 via the signal path 105.
  • a second removal signal for the cell Z in question is generated in the detection device 102 as soon as it is above a collection point for letters 12, the addresses of which cannot be automatically evaluated.
  • the removal flap arranged on the bottom of the cell in question is opened and the letter 12 in question is conveyed to the collection point, as indicated by arrow 114.
  • the letters collected at the collection point can either be returned to the automatic device or to manual processing. After assigning such letters to the Corresponding delivery districts by appropriate personnel and inputting appropriate information into the detection device 102, the letters can be fed to the conveyor belt 40 and reintegrated into the automatic processing process.
  • the illustrated design of the buffer as a storage wheel 30 with fan-shaped cells Z is extremely compact, so that the described acceleration of the processing operation can be achieved with a device that takes up little space. This space requirement is further reduced in the device shown in the drawing, because the conveyor belts 20, 40 and 44 are formed as conveyor walls, to which the letters for transport are merely based.

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  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
  • Character Discrimination (AREA)
  • Conveying Record Carriers (AREA)
EP96810087A 1995-02-21 1996-02-14 Dispositif et procédé de traitement d'envois postaux pourvus d'adresses d'expédition Withdrawn EP0728536A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH499/95 1995-02-21
CH49995 1995-02-21

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0728536A1 true EP0728536A1 (fr) 1996-08-28

Family

ID=4188410

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96810087A Withdrawn EP0728536A1 (fr) 1995-02-21 1996-02-14 Dispositif et procédé de traitement d'envois postaux pourvus d'adresses d'expédition

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US5845785A (fr)
EP (1) EP0728536A1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH08243502A (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013067982A2 (fr) * 2011-11-11 2013-05-16 Böwe Systec Gmbh Dispositif et procédé d'appariement de cartes et de supports de cartes, de manipulation de cartes et/ou de tri de cartes, ainsi que magasin de cartes
CN113353527A (zh) * 2021-08-09 2021-09-07 江苏高科物流科技股份有限公司 物品分拣装置及智能立体仓库
CN115138579A (zh) * 2022-06-28 2022-10-04 苏州启航电子有限公司 Ai视觉检测设备

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1063184B1 (fr) * 1999-06-21 2003-11-05 Grapha-Holding Ag Dispositif pour l'entreposage temporaire de paquets
US6814211B2 (en) * 2001-07-12 2004-11-09 Satake Usa, Inc. Slide for sorting machine
US7138596B2 (en) * 2001-08-01 2006-11-21 Pippin James M Apparatus and method for mail sorting
US7180879B2 (en) * 2001-08-17 2007-02-20 Ragulan Sinnarajah Method and apparatus for call setup latency reduction
US20060018996A1 (en) * 2004-07-09 2006-01-26 Pollock Paul W Automatic discovery of a storage configuration method and apparatus
CN110104039B (zh) * 2019-05-31 2020-01-24 河南中医药大学 图书分类运输车

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3519145A (en) * 1968-01-19 1970-07-07 Control Data Corp Sorting apparatus
EP0575032A2 (fr) * 1992-06-19 1993-12-22 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Dispositif de manipulation de feuilles de papier
US5324025A (en) * 1992-09-18 1994-06-28 Chadwick Charles M Physical delay buffer for paper items

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE258895C (fr) *
FR1445452A (fr) * 1961-01-05 1966-07-15 Siemens Ag Dispositif pour mettre en réserve des lettres, des cartes, et autres missives
JPS5948308A (ja) * 1982-09-13 1984-03-19 Daifuku Co Ltd 回転棚の呼出方法
JPS60147887A (ja) * 1984-01-12 1985-08-03 Toshiba Corp 郵便物区分装置
NL8403680A (nl) * 1984-12-04 1986-07-01 Nederlanden Staat Sorteermachine voor brievenpost en voorzien van een aantal onder besturing draaibare lokettencarrousels.
FR2587240B1 (fr) * 1985-09-18 1989-05-05 Hotchkiss Brandt Sogeme Installation d'indexation d'objets plats, notamment de courrier postal

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3519145A (en) * 1968-01-19 1970-07-07 Control Data Corp Sorting apparatus
EP0575032A2 (fr) * 1992-06-19 1993-12-22 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Dispositif de manipulation de feuilles de papier
US5324025A (en) * 1992-09-18 1994-06-28 Chadwick Charles M Physical delay buffer for paper items

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013067982A2 (fr) * 2011-11-11 2013-05-16 Böwe Systec Gmbh Dispositif et procédé d'appariement de cartes et de supports de cartes, de manipulation de cartes et/ou de tri de cartes, ainsi que magasin de cartes
WO2013067982A3 (fr) * 2011-11-11 2013-08-01 Böwe Systec Gmbh Dispositif et procédé d'appariement de cartes et de supports de cartes, de manipulation de cartes et/ou de tri de cartes, ainsi que magasin de cartes
CN113353527A (zh) * 2021-08-09 2021-09-07 江苏高科物流科技股份有限公司 物品分拣装置及智能立体仓库
CN113353527B (zh) * 2021-08-09 2021-10-01 江苏高科物流科技股份有限公司 物品分拣装置及智能立体仓库
CN115138579A (zh) * 2022-06-28 2022-10-04 苏州启航电子有限公司 Ai视觉检测设备

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US5845785A (en) 1998-12-08
JPH08243502A (ja) 1996-09-24

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