Patent Application
20070084764
The invention generally relates to a sorting mechanism and method of use and, more particularly, to a system and method for sorting product into containers in one of two sort destinations from a single unloading location.
The sorting of mail is a very complex, time-consuming task. In general, the sorting of mail is processed through many stages and depths of sortation. The depth of sort ranges from course-sortation or 3-digit Zip Code (Zone Improvement Program code (USPS™) to Carrier-Walk or Delivery-Route Sequence. Automation exists today that sorts the entire letter mail steam to the Delivery-Route Sequence depth.
These sorting/sequencing processes can either be manual or automated, but automatically sequencing the letter-mail stream has saved the USPS millions of dollars annually. To automatically Delivery-Route Sequence a given mail steam the mail must first be processed to a depth-of-sort just above the Delivery-Route Sequence in a “first-pass” operation. During the first-pass operation the mail pieces all become a known set of data. Finally, the same mail is processed in a “second-pass” where it can be systematically placed in Delivery-Route Sequence.
The degree of automation depends on the mail sorting facility, the type of mail being sorted such as parcels, flats, letters and the like. A host of other factors may also contribute to the automation of the mail sorting, from budgetary concerns to modernization initiatives to access to appropriate technologies to a host of other factors.
In general, however, most modern facilities have taken major steps towards automation by the implementation of a number of technologies. These technologies include, amongst others, letter sorters and sequencers, parcel sorters, advanced container conveyors, flat (magazine-sized mail) sorters and the like. As a result of these developments, postal and other types of handling facilities have become quite automated over the years, considerably reducing overhead costs.
Although known automated systems have provided many benefits, there are still improvements that can be made in order to minimize costs and maximize efficiencies. For example, no flats automation has been developed that can sequence the flat-mail stream and provide the savings realized by letter-sequencing automation.
Flat mail represents about 25 percent of total mail volume and generates billions annually in USPS revenues. Last year, approximately 25 billion flats were not presorted for carrier delivery and were therefore more costly to process as they required additional sorting. The USPS Flat Strategy identifies initiatives to drive down the $4 billion annual cost associated with letter carriers spending nearly three hours daily sorting mail prior to making their rounds. Despite its name, flat mail varies greatly in size and shape, and is sorted on various machines or presorted by mailers to carrier routes.
Current flats-sorting/sequencing systems that have been considered for wide use in the USPS are limited in their sorting speed by their backbone configuration, such that it is physically impossible to process mail at sufficient backbone speeds to accomplish a second-pass before the daily dispatch time. With some systems the inability to achieve the dispatch time criteria is driven by futile attempts to incorporate existing sorting systems to accomplish first-pass and accomplish second-pass flats sequencing with new high-speed systems coupled to the existing systems. With other sequencing systems the inability to achieve the dispatch time criteria is mainly due to the significant changes in backbone direction and elevation over a short space.
In one known flats-sequencing system configuration, the sorter backbone is forced to make significant directional changes in a relatively small space, changing direction of travel by 180 degrees and changing elevation by nearly four feet. These significant directional changes result in the flat having to be transported at slower speeds in order to ensure that the flat remains within the flat-flat mail packet holders on the backbone during transport. A more direct race-track style backbone would remove the significant directional changes, but also double the machine footprint for the same number of dedicated sort destinations.
Another weakness of all flats-sorting/sequencing systems that have been considered for use in the USPS is that they deliver the flat into a dedicated flat mail container directly from their packet holders. Thus, the sort destination is unavailable while a full mail container is being exchanged for an empty mail container and the dedicated single-use sort destination is unavailable for this segment of the processing run.
Additionally, in known system configurations, flat mail containers or trays are loaded from a single side of the backbone. In one configuration, the empty containers are staged at a container staging area. At the coordination of a control system, the empty container is transported to a sort location, at which time the product is sorted into the container. Once the container is filled, the container is then transported away from the sort location so that another container can be placed in its stead. However, it may take upwards of two or more minutes to make such “swap” thus decreasing the sort destination availability and overall throughput of the system.
In one solution to the above problem, sorters have been designed to have an empty container staging area at one side of the backbone and a sorting area directly under the packet holders so that full mail trays exit the opposite side and can be exchanged in less time. Although this configuration can increase throughput, the overall machine footprint is increased thus utilizing a large amount of valuable floor space.
The invention is designed to overcome one or more of the above material handling problems, while it simultaneously doubles the available sort destinations.
In a first aspect of the invention, an apparatus comprises a bi-directional conveying system configured to transport product to either end thereof. A transport system has a first sort destination area and a second sort destination area positioned proximate the first end of the bi-directional sort mechanism and the second end of the bi-directional sort mechanism, respectively. Each of the first sort destination area and the second sort destination area are configured to receive product from the bi-directional sort mechanism.
In another aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a modular bi-directional transporting assembly configured to move product in either of two directions via a cross movement transport. A container handling system is positioned adjacent sides of the modular bi-directional transporting assembly and is configured to move containers toward and away from the modular bi-directional transporting assembly. The container handling system includes an upper tier comprising a first upper conveying system positioned at a first side of the modular bi-directional transporting assembly and a second upper conveying system positioned at a second side of the modular bi-directional transporting assembly. The lower tier comprises a first lower conveying system positioned below the first upper conveying system and a second lower conveying system positioned below the second upper conveying system.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a system for sorting mail includes a sorting system configured in a loop. The sorting system includes at least one feeder having equipment to obtain mail information and a backbone having a plurality of packet holders. The packet holders receive mail inducted from the at least one feeder. A bi-directional sort mechanism is located at each of the unloading locations. The bi-directional sort mechanism is configured to move the mail in either of two directions into a final sort destination. The bi-directional sort mechanism includes a transporting mechanism having a first end and a second end.
The sortation system also includes an upper tiered conveying system and a lower tier conveying system. A mechanism interconnects a transportation path of the upper tiered conveying system and the lower tier conveying system. A controller coordinates movement, based on the mail information, of:
In yet another aspect of the invention, a system comprises a bi-directional sort mechanism having an unload area decoupled from at least one sort destination area. The unload area is configured to remain available to receive product regardless of the availability for processing the product to at least one sort destination area.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for sorting mail into a container on a first side of an assembly or a second side of the assembly. The method includes, with no order being implied:
In further embodiment, the method includes:
The invention is directed to a system and method for sorting and/or sequencing product in one of two sort destination areas using a single unload location. The product may be, for example, flats, parcels and other mail items (i.e., letters), for future delivery or warehousing or the like. The invention significantly reduces machine costs by allowing a single machine to sort flats and mail pieces or other disparate products, in embodiments, at two sort locations (sort destination areas) served by a single unload location. Other applications such as warehousing and storage applications are also contemplated for use with the invention.
In one aspect of the invention, the system reduces the use of valuable flooring space, while increasing the throughput of a sorter backbone. The invention further enables sorting in a continuous loop; that is, the bi-directional sort mechanism of the invention allows the system, e.g., sorter backbone, to operate in one continuous loop. The continuous loop provides for more gradual changes in direction and elevation, thus allowing the backbone to operate at higher speeds. Additionally, the invention reduces the sorter height, in embodiments, between one and three feet, and requires less length, e.g., in one embodiment, 60 feet less length, than a comparable sorting backbone manufactured by competitors. The system of the invention additionally decreases overall machine size and improves operator safety.
Referring now to
The backbone 110 includes a packet holder 115, capable of holding, transporting and then releasing product to the transport 105. The backbone 110 and the packet holder 115 are well known in the field of integrated sorting and sequencing system such as those manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation.
On each side of the bi-directional sort mechanism 100 is a container supply and takeaway system, e.g., conveying system 120, which is designed primarily to bring empty containers to either side of the bi-directional sort mechanism 100. The secondary purpose of the supply and takeaway system 120 is to take away full containers or swap containers at a predetermined time or upon certain events, e.g., fill tray condition. It should be understood that the container supply and takeaway system 120 may take a variety of different forms including, for example, a two-tiered system, a carousel system, an elevator system or any container (e.g., material) handling system capable of meeting the objectives stated herein.
In the example, of
Still referring to
In one embodiment, the upper level 1201 may include a ramp, chute or other mechanism 1221 which is designed to assist in transporting the containers from the upper level 1201 to the lower level 1202. The mechanism 1221 is also designed to allow the container to be positioned adjacent or proximate to a lip 105a of the transport 105, as it is positioned onto the lower level 1202. In the embodiment of
The upper level 1201 includes an empty container supply area 124 and an empty container staging area 126. The empty container supply area 124 ensures that a container will always be ready to replace the container that was previously in the empty container staging area 126. Between the upper level 1201, and the lower level 1202 a container 128 is shown transitioning between an empty container staging area 126 and the sort destination area 130. Once the container has transitioned from the empty container staging area 126 to a sort destination area 130, the container can be filled.
Unlike previous systems where the unload location was unavailable while empty containers were transitioned into position, the present invention allows continuous processing, e.g., stacking, of the product at the unload location 117 during container swap, i.e., until the replacement container 128 has been positioned at the sort destination 130. Additionally, using the present invention, the unload location 117 always remains available regardless of whether a container is ready for filling. So, during the swapping of containers, using the present invention, it is now possible to continue unloading product from the packet holders thus increasing the overall throughput of the system. Moreover, as should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the present invention removes one of the key bottlenecks of flat sortation, e.g., the unavailability of the sort destination.
Once the container is filled or ready to be moved from the sort destination area 130, depending on the parameters of the system, the container will be moved to a filled container staging area 132. The filled container staging area 132 provides a buffer between the sort destination area 130 and a filled container takeaway area 134 The filled container takeaway area 134 can be a separate conveying system, working independent, but in coordination with, the remaining transports of the lower level 1202.
In the example of
In
Still referring to
In one illustration, a first tilting conveyor system 1401 is shown connected to a first upper level and a first lower level; whereas, a second tilting conveyor system 1402 is shown connected to a second upper level and a second lower level. The container is positioned adjacent or proximate to a lip 105a of the transport system 105, as it is positioned on the upper level 1201.
Each upper level 1201 includes an empty container supply area 124 an empty container staging area 126 and a sort destination area 130, the latter area being where the container can be filled. The sort destination area 130 is positioned at a height to allow a container to be positioned slightly below or at a lip 105a of the transport system 105. After product from the bi-irectional sort mechanism 100 fills the container at the sort destination area 130, the container is transported to the lower level 1202 for transport away from the sort destination areas 130. A filled container 131 is shown as it transitions from the sort destination 130 to the filled tray staging area 132.
Referring now to both
The gradual change in elevation will allow increased transporting speeds which, in turn, will permit a two pass sequencing (two pass sort) of the product in the time allotted by the United States Postal Service (USPS). In one embodiment, the speed of the backbone is only limited by the amount of product that can be physically unloaded from the packet holder. In one example, using four zones with 90 sort locations per zone, the speed of the system has the ability to process upwards of 52 thousand pieces of product per hour, which is a significant increase over known systems. Of course, this speed can increase with additional sorting zones.
In
The upper levels 1201 and lower levels 1202 are placed on each side of the backbone 110. For reasons of illustration and explanation, the upper level 1201 is removed on the inner portion of the loop in order to show the lower level 1202; however, it should be understood by those of skill in the art that the view of
In implementation, product will be fed into each of the feeders FA FB, FC and FD. In one embodiment, product information will be obtained from the product, either by bar code scanners or optical reader scanners. The product information may also be manually obtained. In any of these situations, the product information will be provided to the controller “C”, via a network or other type of communication path, which will reconcile the information for future sorting and/or sequencing, in a well-known manner.
The product will then be inducted onto the backbone 110 and more specifically within a packet holder 115 or the like. The packet holder 115 will then transport the product to a specific unload location, where the product will be unloaded onto the bi-directional sort mechanism 100. It should be noted that, in this top view, most details of the bi-directional sort mechanism 100 are obstructed by the packet holders traveling at a higher elevation. By instruction of the controller, the bi-directional sort mechanism 100 will transport the product to one of two sort destination areas 130, depending on the product information.
In the first pass, the product can be unloaded into any of the sort destination areas associated with the rows “A/B” or “C/D”; however, in one embodiment, product may not initially be unloaded to a closest sort destination area with respect to the injecting feeder. For example, during first pass, a product that is fed from Feeder FA and which is to be unloaded into a sort destination area along row “C/D” may first travel the entire loop prior to being unloaded to a location along row “C/D”, i.e., the row closest to the feeder FA. This will provide a latency time of travel in order for the controller “C” to reconcile the product information with that of the unload location.
Once the product is unloaded from the packet holder, the controller “C” will instruct the bi-directional sort mechanism 100 to transport the product to one of two sort destination areas 130. The controller “C” will also control the movement of the trays throughout transport system 120, with the assistance of sensors, encoders, or container handling subsystem controllers.
In second pass, in one embodiment, the feeders FA, FB will be associated with sort destination areas along respective row “A/B” and feeders FC, FD will be associated with sort destination areas along row “C/D”. As way of illustration, a product that is inducted through feeder FA will be unloaded to a sort destination area along row “A”. Again, once the product is unloaded from the packet holder, the controller “C” will instruct the bi-directional sort mechanism to transport the product to one of two sort destination areas, along either side of the backbone.
Referring to
At step 408, when a container becomes full, it is transported away from the bi-directional sort mechanism. Another container, in the empty container supply area, will then be moved to the sort destination area 130, where the container will be filled with product. By using both the empty tray staging area and full tray staging area, the tray transition time is thus significantly reduced. Additionally, during this swap of containers, the unload location remains available for continuous product processing regardless of whether a container is ready for filling. Accordingly, it is possible to continue unloading product from the packet holders thus increasing the overall throughput of the system. The entire process can continue until all of the products are sorted and/or sequenced.
While the invention has been described in terms of embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
