EP0856484B1 - Feeding device for postal items of different sizes - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates exclusively to the field of mail processing and it relates more particularly to a device for supplying a franking machine with mail items having dimensional characteristics, and in particular of length, variables.

Prior art

Conventionally, a franking machine must be adapted to receive different types of mail items such as documents, folds or envelopes with variable dimensions. For this, it includes often upstream of the insertion slot of these articles a device feed allowing in particular conveying at different speeds envelopes with flaps in the folded down or open position. These measures automatic feeder, or feeder, usually includes means for reception / stacking, selection, transport and possibly closing the mail items which must then be processed by the postage meter.

Patent EP 581 392 describes such a supply device for stacked articles, comprising a hopper part and means of transport. These means of transport drive items both forward and laterally with inclined rollers. These means of transport cooperate with this hopper part to cause a disposition of these articles coaches called "fish scales".

The use of a rear jogging system in this hopper section complicates loading the feeder with mail items. It needs also the presence in this hopper part of means of transport of articles associated with referencing and unstacking means prior to these articles.

Object and definition of the invention

The main object of the present invention is to alleviate the aforementioned drawback by proposing a device for supplying articles particularly reliable mail, intended to be placed upstream of a franking machine to facilitate the supply of mail items of variable dimensions, and not requiring rear jogging means. Another object of the invention is to allow active control of the routing of mail items in the feeder to optimize the motor drive control ensuring the transport of these articles.

These aims are achieved by a device for supplying articles of mail intended to be mounted upstream of a franking machine and comprising successively, along a transport path for these articles of mail, a first area for supplying mail items for receive a stack of mail items in different formats with a first plurality of transport rollers, a second area of selection to make an individual selection of these mail items and comprising a second plurality of transport rollers, and a third conveyor zone to convey the extracted items one by one individually from the stack of mail items and direct them to the franking machine and comprising a third plurality of rolls of transport, characterized in that it comprises a first plurality of sensors to identify different formats of mail items present in said first zone, a second plurality of sensors for detect the passage of mail items at said second and third zones, and a plurality of drive means intended for cooperate with said pluralities of transport rollers and actuated selectively according to a predetermined sequencing defined by means of control according to the state of each of said first and second pluralities of sensors.

By this specific structure, it is possible to manage in the feeding device according to the invention for mail items variable dimensions particularly reliably. Putting on / off function of each of the drive means cooperating with the different transport rollers, depending on the state of the different sensors, allows to optimize the use of motive means and consequently significantly increase the service life as well as that of the device of food as a whole. In addition, taking into account the format mail items, which the invention allows, which influences the operating cycle time is essential insofar as the postal imprint must be affixed at a standardized distance from the this mail item.

According to the invention, the first plurality of sensors allows determining a predetermined format of mail items. Of preferably, the first plurality of sensors includes a first sensor C5 format placed at the entrance of the feeding area and allowing the determination of large format mail items, a second sensor C3 format placed at the outlet of the feeding area and allowing the determination of small mail items, and a third C4 format sensor arranged in a middle zone of the zone supply and allowing the determination of mail items from medium format.

According to a preferred embodiment, each of the sensors of the first plurality of sensors C5, C4, C3 ensuring the determination of the Mail formats consist of a reflective type sensor.

According to the invention, each of the sensors of the second plurality of sensors allows the determination of the passage of an article of mail to a predetermined location. Preferably, this second plurality of sensors includes a first selection sensor C2 disposed at the output of the selection area and a second conveyor sensor C1 arranged more downstream at the level of the conveyor zone.

According to a preferred embodiment, each of the sensors of the second plurality of sensors is constituted by an opto-mechanical type sensor actuated by the passage of the front of a mail item.

Advantageously, the plurality of drive means comprises a first clutch E1 disposed at the level of the selection zone and ensuring the transport rollers of the selection area and second and third clutches E2, E3 arranged at the level of the zone feeding and ensuring the transport rollers of the feeding area. The second and third clutches provide independently first and second training respectively separate sets of transport rollers from the feed area.

These clutches are preferably controlled through a set of sprockets and belts, from a single motor drive which also drives the rollers of transport from the conveying area.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective d'un dispositif d'alimentation en articles de courrier selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus de la structure interne du dispositif de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue de profil de la structure de la figure 2, et
• la figure 4 est un organigramme explicitant le fonctionnement du dispositif d'alimentation selon l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description, given by way of non-limiting illustration, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a device for supplying mail items according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a top view of the internal structure of the device in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a side view of the structure of FIG. 2, and
• Figure 4 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the supply device according to the invention.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

The device for supplying mail items of FIG. 1 comprises a feed zone 10 essentially formed by a tray 12 and a movable side wall 14 and intended to receive a stack of articles mail with flaps folded or not and may have variable dimensions. This zone includes first means of transport comprising a plurality of rollers 16 making it possible to move the mail items downstream at a selection area 18 comprising selection means comprising a presser and a die (not shown) and a plurality of rollers 20 and from which these items are retrieved individually from the stack. Finally, second means transport comprising a plurality of rollers 22 are provided in a conveyor zone 24 at the outlet of this separation zone for transferring further downstream the mail items thus extracted one by one, by example, when the feed device is provided, to an area 26 closing of these articles. The feeding device comprises in in addition to various known means of command and control (not represented with the exception of a main drive motor 28 and a microprocessor control unit 29) necessary for its operation (especially when actuating the different rollers during the routing of mail items along a path of transport 30) and therefore need not be described in more detail.

Figures 2 and 3 show in more detail the internal structure of the feeding device according to the invention. This includes successively, in the direction of advancing a mail item along the transport path 30, three sets 100, 102, 104 of three rolls of transport 16 mounted in parallel on three axes of rotation 106, 108, 110 arranged substantially perpendicular to the transport path 30 at feeding zone level 10, four sets 180, 182, 184, 186 of three transport rollers 20 also mounted in parallel on four axes of rotation 188, 190, 192, 194 arranged perpendicular to the path transport 30 at the selection area 18, and two sets 240, 242 from three rear and front transport rollers 22 mounted on two shafts parallel 244, 246 at the level of the conveying zone 24. The sets of transport rollers for the separation zone and the conveyor zone are intended to cooperate with a selection module (represented by the reference 300 in FIG. 3) and conveyor rollers (represented by reference 310 in FIG. 3) to respectively select and transport the selected mail item, possibly to the module closing, or towards the entrance of the franking machine when the feeding device does not have such a closure module.

The different transport rollers are actuated from the motor main 28 through different training means formed of sprockets, belts and clutches. For example, the output tree of the motor 28 is connected via a first pinion 32 to the shaft 246 holding the conveyor rollers before 22; 242 and this tree is him even connected to the shaft 244 for holding the rear conveyor rollers 22; 240 by a first belt 34. A second pinion 36 also connected to the output shaft of the motor 28 drives a first transmission shaft 38 which via a second belt 40 drives a second transmission shaft 42 on which is mounted a first clutch 44 and a third pinion 46. This pinion 46 meshes with a fourth pinion 48, mounted on a third transmission shaft 50, which itself meshes with a fifth pinion 52 mounted on a fourth transmission shaft 54. These different pinions are intended to cooperate with four pinions correspondents 56, 58, 60, 62 of the axes of rotation 188, 190, 192, 194 carrying the transport rollers 20 of the selection area 18. It will be noted however that the actuation of all the rollers of the selection area (which are then driven with the rollers of the conveying zone) is possible only if the first clutch 44 is activated (also referenced E1). The pinion 62 mounted on the axis of rotation 188 closest to the area feed 10 meshes with a first intermediate pinion 64 which in turn meshes with a sixth pinion 66 mounted on a fifth shaft transmission 68 which also carries a second clutch 70 (also referenced E2). A seventh pinion 72 also mounted on this fifth shaft 68 meshes through a second intermediate pinion 74 on a pinion 76 secured to the axis 110 for holding the rollers feed 16; 104 located closest to selection area 18. This axis has another pinion 78 which in turn drives, via a third intermediate pinion 80, an eighth pinion 82 mounted on a sixth shaft 84 which also carries a third clutch 86 (also referenced E3). This sixth transmission shaft also has a ninth pinion 88 which meshes through a fourth pinion intermediate 90 on a pinion 92 secured to the pin 108 for holding the second set (or central set) of feed rollers 16; 102. This pinion 92 drives a pinion 99 for driving the axis 106 of holding the feed rollers 16; 100 located at the entrance to the area feed 10, via three other intermediate gears 94, 96, 98. It will also be noted that the second clutch E2, when it is activated, drives the rollers of the last set 104 (those arranged at the outlet of the feed area) simultaneously with those of the selection and conveying zones and that the third E3 clutch allows drive all the rollers in the feed area together with those of the other zones of the device according to the invention, when it is in turn activated.

The set 240 of transport rollers 22 of the conveyor zone located closest to the selection area 18 has a first sensor 120 (C1) to detect the presence of a mail item entering this conveyor zone 24. Similarly, one of the sets of rollers of transport 20 from selection area 18, advantageously that 186 located at closer to the exit of this area, has a second sensor 122 (C2) to detect the presence of a mail item in the selection area, preferably when leaving this area. These two sensors which are advantageously of the opto-mechanical type each comprise for example a flag or flap 124 which is actuated at the passage of a front of the article of mail and whose rotation interrupts the light path of a light emitting diode (or between two diodes) contained in a housing 126 secured to the body of the supply device.

At the level of the feeding zone 10 are arranged three other sensors to detect the format of mail items. A third sensor 128 (C3) is preferably placed at the exit of this zone supply at the third set 104 of rollers transport 16 for the detection of small format mail items (this is say up to around 160 mm). Similarly, a fourth sensor 130 (C4) is placed substantially towards the middle part of this area at the level of the second set 102 of transport rollers 16 for detecting medium format mail items (i.e. between approximately 160mm and about 240mm). Finally, the detection of large items format (i.e. beyond approximately 240 mm) is achieved by a fifth sensor 132 (C5) preferably placed at the entrance to the zone feed at the first set 100 of transport rollers 16. Of course, this number of sensors is in no way limiting: it is quite conceivable to have a number of sensors more or less important and in particular to have as many sensors as desired detect mail item formats.

The operation of the device according to the invention will be described in look at Figure 4 which is a flowchart detailing the sequencing of control of clutches according to the state of the various sensors.

After an initial step 1000 of initializing various parameters necessary for the operation of the device, it is carried out in a step 1002 when a control input readable by an operator is read and corresponding to the desired operating mode for processing mail items, automatic or manual, then the main engine 28 is started in step 1004. Determining the states of the sensors C1 to C5 is then carried out in a step 1006 and in a following step 1008 the format of the mail item is obtained according to the condition of the three supply zone sensors C5, C4, C3. In particular, if the sensors C5, C4, C3 are active, we will consider that the device is in presence of large format mail items. However, if C5 is inactive and C4 and C3 active, we will be in the presence of medium format articles. The presence of small items will be indicated by C3 only active and the absence of any article in the device by the inaction of the three sensors C5, C4, C3. At the end of this format analysis step, it is then carried out in a new step 1010 to control all of the clutches E1, E2, E3, which causes mail items to advance to the area selection 18 then according to the state of the last two sensors C2 and C1 to their successive inhibition. So when C2 becomes active, if only C3 remains active (so we are in the presence of a small article) then the clutches E2 and E3 are stopped. On the other hand, if C3 but also C4 are still active (in the case of medium format) only the E3 clutch is inhibited. Finally, if the three sensors in the feed area are still active when the mail item reaches sensor C2 in the selection area and that we are therefore in the presence of a large format article, there is no to no action at the level of the clutches which continue their action training. Likewise, when this mail item reaches the last sensor C1 of the conveying zone (it can be noted that when C1 does not does not become active after a predetermined period of time, which can mean by example a jam at the level of the selection module or the detection of presence of multiple documents, a default procedure is initiated in a step 1012) the clutches still in operation are stopped.

Unless the C5 sensor is still active in which case only the E3 clutch is first inhibited then the clutches E2 and E1 are also inhibited after a time delay of a predetermined duration (for example a duration of 70 ms for envelopes over 240 mm in length). It is then proceeded in a later step 1014 to a measurement of the length of the article of mail to allow the most accurate management of differences between articles. This measurement is carried out in a known manner by a pulse encoder placed on the motor 28. Finally, depending on the operating mode entered during step 1002, the engine is stopped in step 1016 (manual mode or return to the step of determining the state of the sensors in 1006.

With the structure of the invention, it is possible to provide a optimal control of clutches and therefore limit to minimum use of the main engine of the device to which connected these clutches. So the reliability of the feeder according to the invention is improved significantly.

Freewheels 89, 73, 47 can be arranged on the shafts of transmission 84, 68, 44 to allow easy removal of the article from mail downstream despite the sequenced stopping of clutches E3, E2, El.

In addition, the optimal clutch control allows you to manage suitably and optimize the distance between two envelopes consecutive. Electronics can also be flexibly programmed with a view to adapting the feeder to a specific machine base, in particular in terms of rates.

Claims (10)

1. A device for feeding mail items adapted to be mounted on the upstream side of a franking machine and including in succession along a transport path (30) of said mail items a first mail item feed area (10) for receiving a stack of mail items of various formats and including a first plurality of transport rollers (16), a second selector area (18) for individually selecting said mail items and including a second plurality of transport rollers (20), and a third conveyor area (24) for conveying the items extracted individually from the stack of mail items one by one and directing them to the franking machine and including a third plurality of transport rollers (22), the device being characterized in that it includes a first plurality of sensors (128, 130, 132) for identifying the various formats of the mail items present in said first area, a second plurality of sensors (120, 122) for detecting passage of the mail items through said second and third areas, and a plurality of drive means (44, 70, 86) adapted to cooperate with said pluralities of transport rollers and actuated selectively in a predetermined sequence defined by control means (29) according to the state of each of said first and second pluralities of sensors.
2. A feed device according to claim 1, characterised in that each of the sensors of said first plurality of sensors determines a predetermined mail item format.
3. A feed device according to claim 2, characterised in that said first plurality of sensors includes a first format sensor (C5) at the entry of said feed area for determining large format mail items, a second format sensor (C3) at the exit of said feed area for determining small format mail items, and a third format sensor (C4) in a middle area of said feed area for determining medium format mail items.
4. A feed device according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterised in that each of the sensors of said first plurality of sensors (C5, C4, C3) for determining mail formats is a reflective type sensor.
5. A feed device according to claim 1, characterised in that each of the sensors of said second plurality of sensors determines the passage of a mail item at a predetermined location.
6. A feed device according to claim 5, characterised in that said second plurality of sensors includes a first selector sensor (C2) at the exit of said selector area and a second conveyor sensor (C1) disposed further downstream in said conveyor area.
7. A feed device according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterised in that each of the sensors of said second plurality of sensors is an opto-mechanical type sensor actuated by the passage of the edge of a mail item.
8. A feed device according to claim 1, characterised in that said plurality of drive means includes a first clutch (E1) in said selector area and driving transportation rollers (20) of the selector area (18) and second and third clutches (E2, E3) in said feed area and driving transportation rollers (16) of the feed area (10).
9. A feed device according to claim 8, characterised in that said second and third clutches respectively and independently drive separate first and second sets (104; 100, 102) of transport rollers of the feed area (10).
10. A feed device according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that said clutches are driven via a set of cogs and belts from a single drive motor (28) which also drives the transport rollers (22) of the conveyor area (24).

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