The invention relates in general to a system for processing postal items, especially to a device for sorting flat postal items according to a definable sequence of delivery points assigned to recipient addresses.
Postal distribution centers sort millions of postal items each day in order to prepare them for delivery to individual recipient addresses. The term “postal item” includes letters, magazines and newspapers, deliveries of books and other flat items. Before a mailman begins the delivery for example a postal processing system sorts the postal items in a postal distribution center. One of the mailman's tasks is to sort the mail items in the order in which they will be delivered, in order to achieve an efficient delivery.
A postal processing system is highly automated in order to deal with the number of postal items to be delivered each day. The postal processing system can contain a system which processes the postal items and packs them in accordance with delivery points and puts this volume into a delivery round sequence (also referred to as a DPP system, with DPP standing for Delivery Point Packaging). As well as other functions, processing includes separating the postal items, reading their receive addresses, grouping and delivery round sorting in accordance with their recipient addresses. Such postal processing systems are designed to generally operate efficiently and reliably, but to avoid imposing disproportionate stress on the postal items when doing so, so that postal items are not damaged are only slightly damaged.
There is a known solution (EP 820 818 910 A1) for sorting postal items into a specific order which employs intermediate storage consisting of pockets or similar elements each of which accommodates one item and can output this on a control command into the actual output bin. In this case all postal items to be sorted are accommodated in a random order in the pockets of the intermediate store. Then the postal items are taken out of the pockets of the intermediate store and transferred into the bins so that they are in their order of delivery in the latter. A separate bin is provided for each postal item. The sorting is undertaken with two passes of the intermediate store pockets, one pass for filling the pockets, a further pass for emptying the pockets.
However this requires a large number of bins, with each having to be equipped with a control mechanism, which brings about the transfer of the postal item from the correct pocket of the intermediate store.
Also known was a corresponding solution in which a number of postal items can be sorted into the bins in each case. The items are output from the containers into the bins in a number of passes, with the order of the postal items in each bin corresponding to the sequence of addresses of the delivery points assigned to postal items in the respective bin (DE 199 43 362 AI).
A device is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,573,748 in which postal items are emptied from fixed pockets onto an output conveyor device subdivided into sections, and a device is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,268 A in which the postal items are emptied from circulating pockets into containers and thus into sections of a conveyor.
A process description is known from WO 2005/025763 A1 for delivery round sorting with a sorting system with intermediate storage. In this case a volume of postal items which can be greater than the storage capacity of the intermediate store is efficiently processed.
The object of the invention is to create a device for sorting flat postal items according to a definable sequence of the delivery points assigned to the recipient addresses, in which the postal items are sorted efficiently and with increased throughput. This is undertaken by the postal items only being separated and read once and brought by means of circulating intermediate stores in the defined sequence, with the effort for removing the postal items being reduced and other postal items or streams of postal items able to be additionally inserted.
In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, below a contiguous part of the intermediate store referred to as a covering area is located an output conveyor device moving at a relative speed to the former to accept the postal items from the intermediate store for onwards transport of the postal items to a piling device. The transport speed of the output conveyor device is matched to the transport speed of the intermediate store in such a way that each section of the output conveyor device during its movement along the covering area has passed each storage location at least once, and with the postal items being emptied from the storage locations of the intermediate store corresponding to the read recipient addresses onto the output conveyor device such that they leave the output conveyor device into the piling device in the defined sequence of delivery addresses. To this end the device has at least one output.
So that the postal items lie safely on each other or next to each other, it is advantageous to divide the output conveyor device for example into sections with bars, to use a sectional conveyor or individual supports (tablets, trays) for this purpose.
To enable non-constant input streams of postal items without deterioration in the sorting performance as well as separation streams with constant gaps between the postal items to be processed, a buffer storage device is advantageously arranged between the read device or devices and the intermediate store for accepting the read postal items. The read postal items are each able to be loaded in the loading station for the buffer store into the buffer pockets, which output the postal items in at least one output in a controlled manner to empty storage locations of the sorting intermediate store and which in a further advantageous embodiment are able to be coupled to a surrounding endless conveyor means and are able to be decoupled from this means. On transfer the buffer pockets of the buffer device are coupled to the conveyor means and the transferring buffer store runs positioned in the same direction at the same speed to the storage location to be loaded.
It is also advantageous for the intermediate store and the output conveyor device to circulate in different directions so that the speed of the output conveyor device can be kept relatively low.
To merge the postal items from the intermediate store with further postal items/streams of postal items, equipment for loading with further postal items to be distributed to the respective recipient addresses is advantageously arranged on the sections assigned to the recipient addresses above the parts of the output conveyor device lying outside the coverage area.
To ensure that the postal items are only directed onto the output part up to a maximum intended height, sensors for measuring the thicknesses of the postal items are provided. If the total height of the postal items assigned to a delivery point exceeds a limit value the adjoining areas can also be loaded if required with postal items of the same delivery point.
For optimum utilization of the output conveyor device, a number of postal items of different but adjoining delivery points can also be loaded into one section of the output conveyor device.
In this case the volumes of postal items must lie above each other in the defined sequence of delivery points in the sections of the output conveyor device.
So that the covered area is as large as possible in relation to the footprint, it is advantageous to arrange the output conveyor device under a part of the intermediate store in a U-shape.
It is also advantageous for the intermediate store and/or the buffer store to have at least one loading or unloading station outside the coverage area for additional removal of postal items from the storage points in accordance with specific sorting criteria. This makes it possible, in addition to sorting, also to separate postal items according to specific criteria.
To keep the footprint of the device a small as possible it is advantageous to route the part of the intermediate store extending beyond the coverage area and not located below the unloading station of the buffer store into an additional level which is located above the level of the buffer store or below the level of the output conveyor device, with the postal items being able to circulate at both levels in the same direction.
In this case it is especially advantageous for the height-surmounting diversion of the intermediate store to be undertaken within the buffer store.
In addition to a first device, a second device for sorting is provided which is rotated in relation to the first device by 180 degrees around the vertical axis with which the part of the intermediate store not located above the output conveyor device is located in the other level opposite the corresponding part of the first device for ordering. Thus the two devices can be inserted nested into one another by which the footprint required is almost halved in relation to a separate setup.
To save the mailperson manual labor it is advantageous to provide a device for positioning between output conveyor device and piling device in which the contiguous postal items are packaged for a delivery point into bags or plastic sleeves in each case before being piled or are provided with banderoles or with small flags.
The invention will be explained below in greater detail in an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing. The figures show:
a-
a-
a-
The functional block for sorting unaddressed postal items ADS for example sorts advertising items which are delivered by different large customers directly to the postal distribution center. The advertising items of a large customer can for example be delivered on pallets. The functional block ADS sorts the promotional items into batches with each batch to be sorted containing the promotional items of different large customers. At the end of the processing a plurality of an promotional items of large customer A and a plurality of commercial items of large customer B are separated for each postal round for example and have been inserted in accordance with the recipient addresses into the further sorting process.
The functional block for flat item sorting FS sorts large flat letters in accordance with the sequence of their delivery. This includes reading of the recipient addresses, loading the flat items into an ordering device and the actual sorting process. At the end of the processing the large flats have been sorted for each mailperson in the round sequence in accordance with their recipient addresses and merged with the unaddressed postal items for each delivery point.
The letter sorting LS sorts smaller letters likewise according to the sequence of their delivery. Also included as part of this processing are the reading of the recipient addresses or of an identification code applied in previous processing processes, the loading into a device for ordering and the actual sorting process. At the end of the processing the letters are put into the round order for each mailperson in accordance with their recipient address and merged together with the unaddressed postal items as well as with the large flat mail items for each delivery point.
The package sorting PS function block packages the assorted postal items per delivery point, for example with a plastic film sleeve. Each volume of postal items of a delivery point sorted in this way is distributed to the respective mailperson in the delivery round sequence of their delivery route.
The sorting of each type of delivery item imposes different demands on the system, in respect of throughput for example. Characteristic of the system illustrated in
The flat item sorting FS functional block is described in greater detail in
If a number of separation devices 1 are provided for reasons of throughput, the postal items 4 are transported from each separation device 1 via a separate loading station 1 into the buffer pockets 3.
The buffering capability allows both a non-constant input stream from the separation devices 1 and also an output stream which is not synchronous to the input stream and/or not constant to be further processed. In addition the processing of a separation streams with a constant gap between the postal items is possible. The buffer pockets 3 can be opened downwards in a controlled manner, in order to output the postal items 4 to empty storage locations, for example pockets 6 of a further intermediate store circulating below. In this case the pockets 6 have a fixed connection to the circulating conveyor device.
The intermediate store 5 has a plurality of storage locations into which the postal items 4 can be transferred. The storage locations can be embodied as pockets 6, sorting bins or other support elements of this type. The storage locations are referred to below as pockets 6 without restricting the area of protection. The storage locations can be loaded and unloaded. The intermediate store and the buffer pockets 3 circulate in the same direction.
The postal items 4 are ordered in the agreed sequence to the delivery points by the postal items 4 falling in a controlled manner through the bottom of the pockets 6 downwards on an output conveyor device 7 circulating in the opposite direction to the intermediate store 5 with its upper tower divided into at least logical sections.
In this case the output conveyor device 7 is arranged in a plan view in a V shape below the intermediate store, i.e. the intermediate store 5 is longer than the output conveyor device 7.
The transport speeds are matched to each other such that each section 8 of the output conveyor device 7 during its movement along the covering area with the intermediate store 5 has passed each pocket 6 of the intermediate store 5 once. A number of postal items 4 can be loaded in a section 8 up to a maximum total height, at which a safe transport and a safe piling behavior (s. h.) is guaranteed.
The output conveyor device 7 can also be preloaded with postal items from further sorting or input devices for all or for specific recipients.
At the end of the output conveyor device 7 is a piling device for accepting the piled postal items 4 in the defined sequence into containers 9. Between output conveyor device 7 and piling device there can also be arranged a device for portioning, in which the associated postal items of a delivery point are backed into bags or plastic sleeves before being piled or provided with banderoles or small flags. In accordance with the position of the container 9 the postal items 4 can be piled into the holder 9 in a vertical or a horizontal position. The postal items 4 are loaded onto the output conveyor device 7 so that they leave it in a corresponding sequence. If postal items 4 of different but adjacent delivery points are loaded into a section 8, they must lie above each other in a defined sequence of the delivery points, but can then no longer be packaged for each delivery point.
A simple example is presented to explain the sequence in
The postal items 4 located in the intermediate store 5 (
First of all the purple postal item is deposited into a section of the output conveyor device 7 (
In
To accommodate the ordering device in the smallest possible area, the intermediate store 5 can pass through two levels.
The part of the intermediate store 5 not covering the output conveyor device 7 is able to be folded around a horizontal axis above or below the covering part: The intermediate store 5 the basically is in the shape of a figure of eight lying on its side, which is folded in its node and is surrounded by the buffer storage device 2 there. The actuators for opening the pockets 6 of the intermediate store 5 can be arranged in fixed locations with constant synchronization between intermediate store 5 and output conveyor device 7. A folding can also be performed horizontally.
To keep the system as compact as possible, in accordance with
If a second individual system B for sorting is rotated by 180° around its vertical axis and its part of the intermediate store 5 not covering the output conveyor device 7 folded in the opposite manner, the two systems A and B, as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment of the device shown in
The joining section 5c is embodied in an exemplary embodiment in the form of a vertical transition. This transition can be a space curve in an exemplary embodiment, on which the pockets 6 of the intermediate store 5 move, in order to move between the upper part 5a and the lower part 5b. An exemplary embodiment of a space curve is shown in
It goes without saying that in another exemplary embodiment the output conveyor devices 7 can also be arranged alongside one another. The intermediate store 5 in this case also has parts which in each case extend over a part of an output conveyor device 7. The parts of the intermediate store 5 are likewise connected to each other by a joining section in this embodiment.
Regardless of the way in which the output conveyor devices 7 are arranged, i.e. alongside each other or one above the other, the exemplary embodiment generally allows an increased throughput. The exemplary embodiment also enables the speed of the output conveyor devices 7 to be reduced however, for example in proportion to the number of output conveyor devices 7. The throughput of each output conveyor device 7 can thus be adapted to the maximum throughput of a subsequent packaging or piling device, for example by means of a combination of increased throughput and speed reduction.
In this exemplary embodiment too there is an area of the intermediate store 5 which does not overlap with the output conveyor device below it.
For intermediate store-based sorter systems with mobile sorter pockets as part of the output conveyor device the performance can be increased by using a number of output conveyor devices. One aspect of the present application relates to a reduced-length transition of the intermediate store from one level to another necessary for this purpose. In this way two output conveyor devices can be arranged one above the other instead of next to each other, which results in a reduced footprint.
The capability of the sorting system which can be achieved depends on the degree of overlap between the intermediate store and the output conveyor device. The degree of overlap is reduced by the length of the rerouting, from which its importance for the capability of the system is derived.
The possible use of a helical line results in a longer path length depending on the deflection point of the means of pulling on the support element (e.g. pocket). It is also more difficult to manufacture.
The proposed reduced-length transition consists of a series of three flat curves, typically at 90°, and a subsequent rotation of the support elements. In an exemplary embodiment the support elements are pockets. The incoming and outgoing path course are parallel in this case. The first flat curve is around a vertical axis, followed by a flat curve around a horizontal axis. The subsequent vertical movement of the pockets is used for adapting the course of the path to the height to be surmounted. This is followed by a flat curve around a horizontal axis which is perpendicular to the first curve. The transition is completed by a rotation of the pocket by 90° around its direction of movement.
There is only a slight relative displacement between the item in the pocket and the pocket walls, if the item has already been stored in the pocket close to the inside of the pocket. Otherwise the item is aligned in relation to the inner side wall. A change of the side wall in the interim in relation to which the item wants to align does not occur during the entire transition.
The measures described for the level transition, consisting of a series of flat curves and a final rotation of the pocket, makes the following advantages possible:
The vertical transition of the intermediate store is shown in more detail in
The start direction for subsequent explanation is to be the arrow 134. Initially the pockets undergo a second 90° rotation 114 around their direction of movement, which is followed by a sixth 90° curve 116 around a horizontal axis in the level parallel to level 102. The pockets then overcome the difference in height between the two horizontal levels along the level 104 and come in the horizontal level 102 through a seventh 90° curve 118. This is followed by an eighth 90° curve 120, after which the pockets continue in direction 136. Establishing the same distance of the two path routings from each other as in the upper level can be achieved by a subsequent combination of a flat right and a left curve. In accordance with this arrangement the following advantages are produced.
The arrangement described also advantageously allows the use of a ring-type buffer store 122, see
a-11c show the overhead view of different exemplary embodiments. Whereas
a-
a-13f illustrate a further aspect of the system shown in
Previously no intermediate store-based sorting system has been known for flats which sorts letters in a separate subsystem.
The output conveyor devices 7 not only serve to combine the postal items from the intermediate store 5 but also to combine them with letters. To this end sorting pockets for letters are arranged above the intermediate store 5 and this is done so that an output conveyor device 7 moves along below the sorting pockets. Each sorting compartment is assigned a delivery point in this case.
A loading device fills the sorting pockets for letters independently and separately from the intermediate store 5. The number of sorting pockets is selected in this case so that the second or last pass of a multi-stage sorting process can be transferred to the device shown in
After all letters for the sorting pockets are transferred to these, the sorting pockets are emptied by their contents being transferred to the output conveyor device 7 moving underneath them.
a-13f show a schematic DPP system with two vertically arranged output conveyor devices. This DPP system is based as described above on an intermediate store 5. In the embodiment shown the DPP system has a group of sorting pockets at each of the two levels. An output conveyor device is located below the sorting pockets in each case.
The described method of a correspondingly adapted subsystem for processing of letters offers advantages such as achieving a high performance since the processing device for flats is bypassed for letter processing.
a-13f illustrate a further aspects of the system shown in
Two groups of sorting bins are thus used in the exemplary embodiment shown. In
a-13f in this case each show two alternately arranged sets of sorting bins, which are referred to here for descriptive purposes as red (R) and blue (B). Each set of sorting bins here contains 30 sorting bins, labeled as R1-R30 or B1-B30 respectively. For clarification the sets are arranged above the output conveyor device 7, which moves from left to right. The arrangement of the letter containers should in this case occurs in the direction of the letter transport in decreasing order (here decreasing from the left (R30, B30) to the right (R1, B1)). Higher numbers of sorting bins are assigned in this case higher delivery point numbers of the groups of 30 delivery points.
a illustrates in line L1 below the output conveyor device 7 its position in which the contents of the sorting bin R30 are transferred onto the output conveyor device 7. In
d shows in line L3 that for around. 9 secs, after all red sorting bins R1-R30 have been emptied, the process of transferring the blue sorting bins B1-B30 to the output conveyor device 7 begins. The blue containers are thus in the transfer state, until all blue sorting bins B1-B30 are emptied (line L4). In accordance with
f-13g illustrate in lines L5, L6 that the transfer processes of the two sets shown in
The previously described method ensures a maximum period for refilling, i.e. with the given throughput of the output conveyor device a maximum pause of the separation module. This can be kept as a safety margin to enable above-average volumes of postal items to be processed per set. The exemplary embodiment described is based on the use of only two sets of sorting bins, which are alternately filled and emptied.
The sorting bin shown includes the following features for the additional transfer to the output conveyor device. The device consists of a bin floor which can swing downwards and the sorting compartment then opens. This floor can in be driven at its pivot point by a drag lever arranged on the top of the bin and is able to be reset via a spring force. The bin floor is provided with a driven underfloor belt for active acceleration of the letter pile, supported by the gravitational force. In addition a driven roller located on the dragging lever on the top of the pile can support the acceleration of the pile. To ensure an alignment of the edge of the pile the piling compartment can be correspondingly inclined. An edge alignment can be obtained via an additional inclination of the piling bin. The proposed solution makes possible an automatic transfer of a pile of letters to a output conveyor device located underneath the piling bin. The cinematic circumstances mean that advantageously a larger angle of the piling bin floor is produced during the pile transfer than during the piling process into the piling bin.
The proposed piling bin is described in greater detail by
The piling includes a floor 116 with an underfloor belt 118, which is driven by one or both deflection rollers. The design is the choice of the manufacturer. The axis of the one deflection roller serves in this case also as the pivot 120 of the floor 116 around which the latter can be pivoted upwards or downwards. The sorting bin 100 also consists of a front wall 124 and a rear wall 122 between which the floor is arranged. All three walls thus form the sorting bin for accommodating letters.
Below the sorting bin is a conveyor device which in the exemplary embodiment can consist of individual tablets 126 with a flats and unaddressed postal items already located on them. The conveyor device moves from left to right in accordance with the arrow 130 shown in the drawing. The sorting bin 100 is stationary, it is not moved. The number of bins depends on the construction selected. The task of the device described above is to output letters 104 from the sorting bin 100 onto the conveyor device 126 on which there can already be flats and further postal items 128 for this delivery point.
The process of merging can be seen in
For intermediate store-based sorting systems the basic problem which exists is that the number of postal items to be sorted into route order can exceed the number of usable storage units. This critical omission situation for any delivery route sorting can be resolved in accordance with invention 2005/025763 A1 by creation of sufficiently small batches with contiguous ranges of delivery points. It is characteristic for this process that an initial a separate volume of postal items which must be processed in one or more separate process steps is minimized.
A further form of application of the invention notification describes an arrangement which requires the reloading of an intermediate store with the separated volumes of postal items but does not require the items to be separated again. There is no arrangement or machine known in which the entire volume of postal items does not have to be processed again. In addition with this type of tree-sort method the knowledge of the volume distribution between the delivery points is necessary.
The proposed arrangement consists of two large mirrored machines in accordance with
To minimize the total surface requirement of this double arrangement the path of buffer store, intermediate store and output conveyor devices is mirrored symmetrically around an axis but the circulation orientations in the clockwise direction are maintained.
As shown in
Thus the volume of postal items which is not contained in the batch size to be processed by the machine with contiguous range of delivery points, can be automatically loaded without an additional separation process into the buffer store 108a of another machine 100. This volume of postal items is then further processed on this machine 100.
The volume of letters associated with this further processing process is automatically diverted from the separation device for letters of machine 102 into the letter processing system of machine 100 using an appropriate crossing unit.
The volume of unaddressed postal items associated with this further processing process is no longer separated by the corresponding device of machine 102, but by that of machine 100. For these reasons the two devices are arranged alongside each other.
The described the arrangement consisting of two logistically coupled machines has the following characteristics:
Depending on the type of the output conveyor device 7 the items are transferred into the output point either almost vertically or almost horizontally. Depending on the embodiment the transfer can be undertaken ballistically. The unaddressed pile of postal items on the output conveyor device 7 can be transferred horizontally via a control mechanism controlled by a control device into the respective output point or they are transferred into a output point below the device. If the pile of postal items is located on individual tablets or trays, the control device turns a support towards this in each case so that the pile of postal items slips down from this against the direction of movement of the support if it is above the desired output point. At the end of the processing each type of promotional postal item is allocated to a mailperson, i.e. each mailperson is for example allocated a plurality of promotional postal items of a large customer A and a plurality of promotional postal items of a large customer B.
The function of processing unaddressed postal items shown in
For unloading previously known tray conveyors for flat postal items the tray is tipped and the item falls through gravitation from the tray into a destination point.
The items to be sorted can be directed individually or as a pile to the tipping tray.
In the case of the OMP piles of postal items will be collected on a tray conveyor and then directed to an extraction unit.
The trays are inclined in the direction of conveyance so that an optimum batch image (orientation along the bound side of the postal items) is produced on ejection from a bin sorter.
Tipping trays are unsuitable for achieving a continuous emptying of the trays at a high-speed of conveyance without decisively reducing the pile quality for subsequent packaging processes. Trays which tip sideways will lead because of the undefined shaking process to considerable deterioration of the pile formation.
A solution for an active and defined removal of postal items from tipping trays is not known.
The above-mentioned problem is resolved by the following technical features:
The major advantage of the present solution is the continuous, vibration-free and directed transfer of the postal items and postal item batch from a tray conveyor to another transport system at high speed.
The exemplary embodiments described above can obviously be varied by a person skilled in the art in accordance with the actual conditions. If for example one separation device does not possess the required throughput, a number of separation devices 1 can feed the buffer pockets 3 in parallel.
The present application is a national phase application of international application no. PCT/IB2006/000960, filed on Mar. 21, 2006, which claims priority to U.S. provisional application no. 60/663,247, filed on Mar. 21, 2005, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
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PCT/IB2006/000960 | 3/21/2006 | WO | 00 | 9/18/2007 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2006/100604 | 9/28/2006 | WO | A |
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