EP0812628A2 - Automatisiertes Fördersystem - Google Patents

Automatisiertes Fördersystem Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0812628A2
EP0812628A2 EP97304165A EP97304165A EP0812628A2 EP 0812628 A2 EP0812628 A2 EP 0812628A2 EP 97304165 A EP97304165 A EP 97304165A EP 97304165 A EP97304165 A EP 97304165A EP 0812628 A2 EP0812628 A2 EP 0812628A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
mail
carrier
processing
stations
station
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Withdrawn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
EP97304165A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0812628A3 (de
Inventor
Simon Peter Tansey
Owen Edward Holland
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.)
Post Office
Original Assignee
Post Office
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 Post Office filed Critical Post Office
Publication of EP0812628A2 publication Critical patent/EP0812628A2/de
Publication of EP0812628A3 publication Critical patent/EP0812628A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • B07C1/00—Measures preceding sorting according to destination

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an automated portering system, primarily though not exclusively intended for use in a mail processing centre such as a sorting office.
  • sorting offices are now highly automated, and include a large number of processing stations, at which mail items are subjected to various processes.
  • the mail items are divided according to desired class of service; franked, to cancel the postage stamps; oriented for OCR reading; analysed to determine whether OCR reading is possible; and various other steps.
  • the mail items are commonly moved manually from one processing station to the next.
  • items are manually loaded onto a wheeled device, manually moved to the appropriate next processing station, and manually unloaded for processing by that station.
  • the conventional AGVs are expensive, which means that, for reasons of costeffectiveness, there must be relatively few of them, which means that, even when processing of a batch of mail has been completed by a processing station, there must often be a delay before the next AGV becomes available.
  • the second class of proposal for automated systems includes tracked vehicles or conveyors.
  • mail processing is not ideally suited to such a solution, because the process is relatively non-linear.
  • a mail item is not simply moved from one processing station to the next, in a predetermined way; rather, its path depends upon the result of its processing at the different stations.
  • a processing station which determines whether items are suitable for machine reading must distinguish between those items which are suitable, and those which are not, and send the two different categories of mail item to different subsequent stations.
  • mail items which are in different service categories will follow different routes. This means that it is extremely difficult to organise an appropriate tracked system.
  • the present invention therefore relates to a system in which there are a relatively large number of independently movable vehicles, and to the vehicles themselves.
  • a mail processing centre comprising a plurality of mail processing stations, the mail processing stations defining a plurality of possible routes therebetween, each route having associated therewith at least one mail carrier which is capable of independent and unconstrained movement between two mail processing stations.
  • an automated mail carrier comprising:
  • Figure 1 is a simplified schematic representation of a part of a mail processing centre.
  • Figure 1 shows a centre having six mail processing stations, but it will be appreciated that these represent only a fraction of the number of stations required for complete processing.
  • Mail items are sent first to station 2, at which the required class of service is determined. If it is determined that, for example a standard service is required, items may be sent to processing station 4, at which they are temporarily stored. On the other hand, items which require a premium service may be sent immediately to station 6. Items may be retrieved from the store 4, and sent to station 6, as mail flows allow.
  • station 6 a determination is made as to whether a destination address on a mail item is readable by machine. If so, an item is sent to station 8 for machine reading. If not, it is sent to station 10, where a human operator reads a destination address, or a part thereof, and enters it into a computer system. Mail items from stations 8 and 10 are then sent to station 12 for sorting.
  • Figure 1 represents only some of the processing functions required in an automated mail processing centre. However, it serves to illustrate the way in which items do not follow a predetermined route through the centre, but instead follow a route which is determined by the results of earlier processing stages.
  • the mail processing stations 2-12 define a large number of routes, over which mail items must be carried.
  • mail items must be carried over routes between stations 2 and 4, stations 2 and 6, stations 4 and 6, stations 6 and 8, stations 6 and 10, stations 8 and 12, and stations 10 and 12.
  • mail items must also be carried to station 2, and away from station 12.
  • each of these routes has associated therewith at least one, and probably more, mail carrier.
  • each mail carrier will be dedicated to a particular route for an extended time period, although in some cases it may be desirable for two routes to share a carrier, for example if there are only low mail flows on a particular route. More complex routes might go from one station, via a second, to a third, or might be circular. Routes may overlap over a part of their length.
  • each route has at least two dedicated carriers. These carriers can then be programmed such that, as soon as a loaded carrier leaves a station to travel to the next station, an unloaded carrier arrives. This allows the most efficient handling of the mail items.
  • each station may be provided with means for supplying a control signal which summons an unloaded carrier to the station.
  • the carriers are capable of independent movement, i.e. they do not need to be towed, and are generally unconstrained, i.e. they are not physically constrained to run on rails or other tracks, but are controlled such that they navigate from a desired starting point to a desired destination.
  • the carriers therefore simply run on the unmodified floor of the centre.
  • FIG. 2 shows one of the carriers used to transport mail between the different stations.
  • the carrier 20 has a base unit 30, and a removable shelving unit 40.
  • the base unit is wheeled, and internally has an electric motor, and rechargeable batteries.
  • a handrail 31 is provided on the upper surface of the base unit 30, and the unit also has a control panel 32 which may for example be located on the handrail.
  • the control panel provides means for an operator to control the carrier, and also includes means for indicating to an operator the current status of the carrier.
  • the control panel includes means for disengaging the automatic control of the carrier, and separate means for disengaging the drive unit of the carrier, allowing an operator to use the handrail to position the carrier exactly as required. This is important because it allows the operator to position the carrier exactly as required, which is of assistance during loading and unloading operations. This function may also be available by means of a foot-operated switch on the base part 30 of the carrier.
  • an automatic indication as to the length of time for which the carrier is scheduled to be stationary at a particular mail processing station may take the form of a continuously downcounting display, or may simply be an indication that, for example, the carrier is in its last minute at a station.
  • one of the advantages of the present invention compared with previous automated portering systems, is that mail can be transferred in relatively small batches, without requiring long waiting times.
  • the system might, for example, be controlled such that a carrier leaves a processing station at least every five minutes.
  • the control panel preferably gives a visual indication to the operator as to the length of loading time which remains available, either continuously or as the time period nears its end. Means are also preferably provided to give an audible indication as to when the loading time is about to end.
  • the shelving unit 14 includes four shelves 41, 42, 43 and 44, arranged for convenient loading and unloading by an operator.
  • the arrangement of these shelves may advantageously be somewhat similar to the arrangement of shelves in a conventional manually operated carrier. Any convenient arrangement may be used.
  • FIG 3 is a schematic illustration of the control system 60 which is located in the base unit 30 of the carrier 20.
  • the control system 60 includes a motor controller 61, which causes the carrier 20 to move by controlling its motor.
  • the carrier 20 is also provided with a plurality of sensors 62, some of which are intended to allow the carrier to sense its position, for example by reference to preplaced markers, such as a magnetic underfloor grid, or optical markers such as tape guide paths located on the floor. Other sensors may be used to avoid collisions with movable obstacles, or moving obstacles such as other carriers or people. These sensors may simply stop the carrier when an impact is detected, or may slow it down when an obstacle is within a certain range.
  • the control system 60 also includes a radio transceiver 63 for receiving control signals from other carriers and from a central controller, and for transmitting signals.
  • the different carriers, and the central system controller, together will radio transceivers which may be located at the different processing stations, together form a wireless LAN, which allows control of some or all functions of the carrier.
  • a transceiver may also be located at, for example, a maintenance station to allow interrogation of the carrier for the purposes of diagnosis.
  • An alternative control system uses infrared control signals between the carrier and control points which may, for example, be located at the processing stations and connected to the central controller.
  • the shelving unit 40 is demountable from the base part 30 of the carrier 20, and may be replaced by other types of mail carrying device, depending upon the type of mail items which it is intended to carry at a particular time.
  • the base unit 30 of the carrier may be provided with a tray rack system 70, as shown in Figure 4, for carrying bundled letters and non-standard items such as small packets.
  • the base unit 30 may be provided with an automatic levelling tray 80 for non-standard items. The intention is that a user of the carriers should keep a supply of base units and a supply of interchangeable units 40, 70, 80, which may be used as desired on the base units.

Landscapes

  • Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
EP97304165A 1996-06-14 1997-06-13 Automatisiertes Fördersystem Withdrawn EP0812628A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9612536 1996-06-14
GB9612536A GB2314171A (en) 1996-06-14 1996-06-14 Automated portering system

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0812628A2 true EP0812628A2 (de) 1997-12-17
EP0812628A3 EP0812628A3 (de) 1999-05-06

Family

ID=10795344

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97304165A Withdrawn EP0812628A3 (de) 1996-06-14 1997-06-13 Automatisiertes Fördersystem

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0812628A3 (de)
GB (1) GB2314171A (de)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4020918A (en) * 1975-12-31 1977-05-03 Lear Siegler, Inc. Manually operable automatically controlled vehicle with power steering
US4379497A (en) * 1980-09-02 1983-04-12 Bell & Howell, Company Vehicle collision avoidance system
GB2129161A (en) * 1982-10-14 1984-05-10 Industry The Secretary Of Stat Automatic control of vehicles
EP0176158A1 (de) * 1984-09-28 1986-04-02 ALFA LANCIA INDUSTRIALE S.p.A. System für die Steuerung von palettentragenden Wagen
US4802096A (en) * 1987-05-14 1989-01-31 Bell & Howell Company Controlled direction non-contact detection system for automatic guided vehicles
EP0618523A1 (de) * 1993-04-02 1994-10-05 Shinko Electric Co. Ltd. Methode und Steuervorrichtung für ein Transportverwaltungssystem mit fahrerlosen Fahrzeugen

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4020918A (en) * 1975-12-31 1977-05-03 Lear Siegler, Inc. Manually operable automatically controlled vehicle with power steering
US4379497A (en) * 1980-09-02 1983-04-12 Bell & Howell, Company Vehicle collision avoidance system
GB2129161A (en) * 1982-10-14 1984-05-10 Industry The Secretary Of Stat Automatic control of vehicles
EP0176158A1 (de) * 1984-09-28 1986-04-02 ALFA LANCIA INDUSTRIALE S.p.A. System für die Steuerung von palettentragenden Wagen
US4802096A (en) * 1987-05-14 1989-01-31 Bell & Howell Company Controlled direction non-contact detection system for automatic guided vehicles
EP0618523A1 (de) * 1993-04-02 1994-10-05 Shinko Electric Co. Ltd. Methode und Steuervorrichtung für ein Transportverwaltungssystem mit fahrerlosen Fahrzeugen

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9612536D0 (en) 1996-08-14
GB2314171A (en) 1997-12-17
EP0812628A3 (de) 1999-05-06

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