EP1661630A1 - Dispositif de traitement du papier - Google Patents

Dispositif de traitement du papier Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1661630A1
EP1661630A1 EP05751162A EP05751162A EP1661630A1 EP 1661630 A1 EP1661630 A1 EP 1661630A1 EP 05751162 A EP05751162 A EP 05751162A EP 05751162 A EP05751162 A EP 05751162A EP 1661630 A1 EP1661630 A1 EP 1661630A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
stacker
preliminary
paper
paper sheets
full
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Withdrawn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
EP05751162A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1661630A4 (fr
Inventor
Masanori Intellectual Property Division SATO
Nobuyuki Intellectual Property Division HIROSE
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.)
Toshiba Corp
Original Assignee
Toshiba Corp
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 Toshiba Corp filed Critical Toshiba Corp
Publication of EP1661630A1 publication Critical patent/EP1661630A1/fr
Publication of EP1661630A4 publication Critical patent/EP1661630A4/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H31/00—Pile receivers
    • B65H31/24—Pile receivers multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling
    • 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
    • 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
    • B07C3/10—Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination
    • 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
    • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
    • B65H2301/42—Piling, depiling, handling piles
    • B65H2301/421—Forming a pile
    • B65H2301/4214—Forming a pile of articles on edge
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2408/00—Specific machines
    • B65H2408/10—Specific machines for handling sheet(s)
    • B65H2408/11—Sorters or machines for sorting articles
    • B65H2408/111—Sorters or machines for sorting articles with stationary location in space of the bins and a diverter per bin
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2511/00—Dimensions; Position; Numbers; Identification; Occurrences
    • B65H2511/10—Size; Dimensions
    • B65H2511/15—Height, e.g. of stack
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2513/00—Dynamic entities; Timing aspects
    • B65H2513/40—Movement
    • B65H2513/42—Route, path
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
    • B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
    • B65H2701/19—Specific article or web
    • B65H2701/1916—Envelopes and articles of mail

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a paper sheet handling device which reads division information described on paper sheets to sort and accumulate the paper sheets based on the read information.
  • a mail handling sorter having a large number of stackers for sorting postal matters.
  • This sorter also has an overflow stacker (hereinafter referred to as an OVF) for accumulating postal matters which cannot be accumulated in the respective stackers.
  • OVF overflow stacker
  • the sorter When the stacker breaks during an operation of the sorter, the sorter cannot be used until the stacker has been repaired. Therefore, the postal matters distributed to the stacker incapable of accumulating the postal matters are accumulated in the OVF.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a paper sheet handling device capable of largely reducing an amount of paper sheets which cannot be accumulated as assigned and which are accumulated in an OVF and capable of improving an operation efficiency.
  • a paper sheet handling device has: a plurality of accumulating sections arranged along a conveyance direction of paper sheets; a detecting section which detects incapability to accumulate the paper sheets into the accumulating sections; preliminary accumulating sections disposed between the plurality of accumulating sections; and a control section which accumulates the paper sheets to be accumulated in the accumulating sections into the nearest preliminary accumulating section on a downstream side of the accumulating section along the conveyance direction, when the detecting section detects the incapability to accumulate the paper sheets.
  • the paper sheet handling device comprises: readout means for reading images of paper sheets; recognition means for recognizing division information constituted of a postal code or an address described in the read image read by this readout means; a sorting section having a stacker including a plurality of usual and preliminary stackers for sorting and accumulating the paper sheets based on a result of recognition of the division information by this recognition means, and a stacker display section which displays states of the paper sheets accumulated in the stacker; detection means disposed in this sorting section to detect an amount of the paper sheets accumulated in the stacker; full-state generation processing means for handling the paper sheets, when the detection means detects that the paper sheets accumulated in the usual stackers reach a predetermined amount; preliminary stacker checking means for detecting the state of the preliminary stacker; first preliminary stacker accumulation means for switching the usual stacker to the preliminary stacker to accumulate the paper sheets continuously conveyed to the usual stacker in the preliminary stacker based on a result of the full-state generation processing means, when vacancy of the
  • the paper sheet handling device of the present invention comprises: readout means for reading images of paper sheets; recognition means for recognizing division information constituted of a postal code or an address described in the read image read by this readout means; a sorting section having a stacker including a plurality of usual and preliminary stackers for sorting and accumulating the paper sheets based on a result of recognition of the division information by this recognition means, and a stacker display section which displays states of the paper sheets accumulated in the stacker; breakdown processing means for detecting breakdown of the usual stacker from conveyed states of the paper sheets accumulated by the sorting section; preliminary stacker checking means for detecting the state of the preliminary stacker; first preliminary stacker accumulation means for switching the usual stacker to the preliminary stacker to accumulate the paper sheets continuously conveyed to the usual stacker in the preliminary stacker based on a result of the breakdown processing means, when vacancy of the preliminary stacker is detected based on the judgment result of the preliminary stacker checking means; breakdown cancellation means for resetting the usual stacker, when the paper sheets sheets
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic constitution diagram of a mail handling sorter (hereinafter referred to as the OCR/VCS integrated system [OVIS]) as an embodiment of a paper sheet handling device of the present invention.
  • OVIS handles postal matters such as postcards and letters as paper sheets.
  • OVIS reads an image of the postal matter, and recognizes delivery division information (hereinafter referred to simply as division information) such as a postal code and an address included in the read image. Moreover, the recognized division information is barcode-printed on the postal matter with an ink-jet printer (hereinafter referred to simply as an IJP) to accumulate the postal matter in a stacker designated as a delivery division.
  • division information delivery division information
  • IJP ink-jet printer
  • image data read from the postal matter is transmitted to a video coding system (hereinafter referred to as a VCS), and an operator inputs the postal code based on the image data.
  • VCS video coding system
  • the barcode is printed on the postal matter with the IJP based on the postal code input during conveyance of the postal matter, and the postal matter is accumulated in a stacker corresponding to the division.
  • the OVIS has a supply section 1, a takeout section 2, a discharge accumulating section 3, a barcode readout section 4, a character recognizing section 5 (OCR), a delay conveying section 6, an IJP 7, a barcode readout section 8, a branching section 9, and a division accumulating section 10.
  • the OVIS has a plurality of VCSs 11.
  • a plurality of postal matters are set into the supply section 1 by operator's manual operation, and taken out one by one onto a conveyance path (not shown) by the takeout section 2.
  • postal matters containing foreign matters or non-standard-size postal matters are excluded to the discharge accumulating section 3.
  • barcodes applied beforehand to the postal matters which can be handled are read via the barcode readout section 4, and the character recognizing section 5 recognizes division information such as the postal codes and the addresses described on the postal matters.
  • the postal matters which have passed the character recognizing section 5 are conveyed to the delay conveying section 6.
  • the delay conveying section 6 is disposed to save a time for subjecting the postal matter whose division information cannot be read by the character recognizing section 5 to VCS operation via a plurality of VCSs 11. That is, in the VCS 11, an image of the postal matter whose division information cannot be read is displayed in a monitor, and the operator key-inputs division information such as the postal code within a certain time.
  • a special-format barcode is printed on the postal matter via the IJP 7 based on the division information acquired via the barcode readout section 4 and the character recognizing section 5, or the division information acquired by the above-described VCS operation. This barcode is verified and read via the barcode readout section 8.
  • the division of the postal matter is judged based on the division information of the postal matter, and accumulated in the stacker (described later) corresponding to the division.
  • the stacker as to a plurality of stackers of the division accumulating section 10 which are accumulation destinations of the postal matters, two stages of 152 stackers are arranged along a conveyance direction of the postal matters, and the stackers are halfway turned back to an opposite direction. It is to be noted that the stacker on the most downstream side along the conveyance direction of the postal matter is assigned as an overflow stacker (OVF).
  • OVF overflow stacker
  • the postal matter whose division has been determined is divided to one of upper and lower stages via a gate (not shown) of the branching section 9, and accumulated in the stacker designated as the division among a large number of stackers disposed in the stages.
  • the postal matter which cannot be accumulated in the designated stacker is accumulated in the OVF.
  • FIG. 2 schematically shows a structure of a main part of the division accumulating section 10.
  • two arranged upper and lower stackers 20a and the corresponding display section 20b In the division accumulating section 10, all of the stackers 20a have the same structure and function as usual or preliminary stackers as described later. Therefore, in the following description, all of the stackers 20a are denoted with the same reference numeral and described.
  • Each stacker 20a has: a gate 29 for directing, to the stacker, the postal matter conveyed along an arrow 25; a backup plate 26 for supporting the postal matter passed through the gate 29 and accumulated in the stacker so as to prevent the matter from falling; and two switches 27, 28 for detecting an amount of accumulated postal matters.
  • One switch 27 is switched when the postal matter having an amount of 75% are accumulated in the stacker, and the other switch 28 is switched when the stacker is filled (100% accumulation).
  • the display section 20b has: a full-state lamp 21 for informing that two switches 27, 28 of the corresponding stacker are switched; an LCD 22 for displaying accumulation information such as a delivery district of the postal matter accumulated in the stacker; and a paper tag issuing switch 23 for issuing a paper tag on which the accumulation information is printed.
  • a full-state lamp 21 for informing that two switches 27, 28 of the corresponding stacker are switched
  • an LCD 22 for displaying accumulation information such as a delivery district of the postal matter accumulated in the stacker
  • a paper tag issuing switch 23 for issuing a paper tag on which the accumulation information is printed.
  • Two stages of the full-state lamps 21, the LCDs 22, and the paper tag issuing switches 23 are disposed corresponding to two upper and lower stackers.
  • the paper tag issuing switch 23 is an illuminative switch which lights or blinks itself, and also functions as the paper tag lamp 23.
  • FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a control system which controls an operation of the OVIS structured as described above.
  • a control unit 30 which controls the operation of the OVIS has a takeout control unit 31 which controls operations of the supply section 1 and the takeout section 2; a foreign matter detection control unit 32 which controls an operation of the discharge accumulating section 3 to exclude the postal matter containing foreign matters and the non-standard-size postal matters; a readout section interface control unit 33 which transmits and receives information such as the postal code with respect to an external device (not shown); a printing control unit 34 which controls the IJP 7 to barcode-print the division information; a conveyance and division control unit 35 which shifts the postal matter to the designated stacker to accumulate the postal matter; and a panel control unit 36 which displays accumulation information of the postal matters and abnormality information of the OVIS via an operation panel.
  • the conveyance and division control unit 35 is connected to: a motor driving circuit 40; an encoder input circuit 41; a gate driving circuit 42; a switch control circuit 43; a lamp control circuit 44; an LCD control circuit 45; an a memory circuit 46.
  • the motor driving circuit 40 drives and controls an inverter motor to run a conveyance belt which conveys the postal matters.
  • the encoder input circuit 41 detects a driving speed of the conveyance belt via a rotary encoder.
  • the gate driving circuit 42 drives and controls a gate (not shown) of the branching section 9 and the gate 29 disposed in each stacker.
  • the switch control circuit 43 detects states of a plurality of shift sensors (not shown) arranged in the conveyance path of the postal matter, the switches 27, 28 disposed in each stacker 20a, and the paper tag issuing switch 23 in order to acquire a driving timing of each gate.
  • the lamp control circuit 44 controls lighting and blinking of the full-state lamp 21 disposed in the display section 20b of each stacker 20a, and the paper tag lamp 23.
  • the LCD control circuit 45 displays the accumulation information (postal code and address) via the LCD 22 disposed in the display section 20b of each stacker.
  • the memory circuit 46 holds a data table in which various types of information are stored.
  • FIG. 4 schematically shows an example in which some of two stages of a plurality of (40 stackers in the present embodiment) upper and lower stackers 20a assigned to a specific division designating area are assigned as the preliminary stackers.
  • the stackers assigned to the preliminary stackers are shown by slant lines.
  • the postal matters which cannot be accumulated in the usual stacker on an upstream side of each preliminary stacker are temporarily accumulated in the preliminary stacker.
  • the gate 29 of the usual stacker breaks or the stacker is filled with the accumulated postal matters
  • the postal matters cannot be accumulated in the usual stacker, and the subsequently sent postal matters are accumulated in the preliminary stacker. That is, the preliminary stacker can be disposed between the usual stackers to greatly reduce the amount of the postal matters accumulated in the OVF.
  • the tenth preliminary stacker of the stage A can accumulate the postal matters which cannot be accumulated in the first to fourth usual stackers and the sixth to ninth usual stackers.
  • the postal matters which cannot be accumulated in the first to fourth usual stackers can be accumulated in the fifth preliminary stacker of the stage A, and the postal matters which cannot be accumulated in the sixth to ninth usual stackers can be accumulated in the fifteenth or twentieth preliminary stacker of the stage A.
  • Such preliminary stacker assigning rule can be arbitrarily set, and the assigning method is predetermined for each division designating area. It is to be noted that the preliminary stacker does not have to be necessarily assigned for each division designating area, and there may be a division designating area in which any preliminary stacker is not assigned.
  • FIG. 5 shows an example of a data table which stores information on the preliminary stacker assigning rule predetermined for each different division designating area.
  • the division designating area is a postal matter delivery area such as the Kawasaki or Yokohama area, and managed by means of a pre-granted area number (hereinafter referred to as the area number) for each delivery area.
  • the data for each division designating area shown in FIG. 5 is stored in a memory (not shown) of the control unit 30. Every time the division designating area of the postal matter handled by the OVIS changes, the control unit 30 transmits the corresponding data to the conveyance and division control unit 35 to rewrite data contents of the memory circuit 46.
  • the data table has: an area 51 to store the number n of the preliminary stackers assigned to the division designating area; an area 52 prepared for each preliminary stacker; an area 53 to store the stages A and B of the preliminary stacker; and an area 54 to store a stacker number of the preliminary stacker.
  • the area number of the division designating area is m in a case where the postal matter to be delivered to the Kawasaki district is handled with the OVIS
  • the area number in a case where the postal matter to be delivered to the Yokohama district is handled is m+1 which is different from the area number m.
  • n areas are prepared as many as the preliminary stackers.
  • FIG. 6 shows an example of a data table which stores, for example, a preliminary stacker assigning rule in the Kawasaki district having the area number 5. It is to be noted that the data contents of this data table are matched with those of the preliminary stacker assigning example described with reference to FIG. 4.
  • FIG. 7 shows a data table for storing use situations of all of the preliminary stackers assigned beforehand by the division accumulating section 10.
  • This data table stores data received from the control unit 30, and data on the use situations of the preliminary stacker are stored. That is, this data table includes: an area 60 to store the total number of the preliminary stackers; an area 61 to store the number of the preliminary stackers for use, indicating the number of the preliminary stackers being used for tentative accumulation; and areas 62 assigned to all of the preliminary stackers. For example, assuming that the number of the preliminary stackers is n, and the number of the preliminary stackers for use is k, there results n ⁇ k ⁇ 0.
  • Each area 62 assigned to each preliminary stacker is constituted of: an area 621 for storing information on the preliminary stacker; and an area 622 for storing information on the usual stacker (full stacker) which designates the preliminary stacker as the temporary accumulation place.
  • the area 621 includes: an area 63 for storing the stage of the preliminary stacker; an area 64 for storing stacker No.; and an area 65 to set a use situation flag for judging whether or not the preliminary stacker is used for the tentative accumulation.
  • the use situation flag is set to "1" in a case where the preliminary stacker is already assigned for the tentative accumulation, and the flag is set to "0" in a case where the stacker is not used for the tentative accumulation.
  • the area 622 includes: an area 66 for storing the stage of the usual stacker which has designated the preliminary stacker as the temporary accumulation place; an area 67 for storing stacker No. of the usual stacker; and an area 68 to set a full-state cancellation flag for judging whether or not the full state of the usual stacker is cancelled.
  • the full-state cancellation flag is set to "1" in a case where the usual stacker is filled, and the flag is set to "0" in a case where the full state is cancelled.
  • the usual stacker filled with the postal matters has been described above as the stacker incapable of accumulating, but, for example, the usual stacker (breakdown stacker) whose gate 29 has broken can be the stacker incapable of accumulating. That is, when the above-described full stacker is considered as the breakdown stacker, handling at a breakdown generation time is possible in the same manner as in a full-state generation time. That is, the full-state cancellation flag turns to a breakdown cancellation flag. The flag is set to "1" in a case where the gate breakdown is generated. When the gate breakdown is repaired, and a state capable of accumulating is achieved, "0" is set (details will be described later).
  • FIG. 8 shows a data table to temporarily store the information on the filled usual stacker in a case where any of the usual stackers is filled during the shifting of the postal matters.
  • This data table has an area for temporarily storing full-state information. That is, the table has an area 70 for storing the stage of the filled usual stacker; and an area 71 for storing stacker No. of the usual stacker.
  • any data is not written in the area 622 present in the data table of FIG. 7.
  • the information on the usual stacker is written into the areas 66, 67, and 68. Since a timing to write the information on the filled usual stacker into the areas 70 and 71 is different from a timing to write the information into the areas 66, 67, and 68, the areas 70 and 71 to temporarily store the full-state information are required.
  • FIG. 9 shows a data table having a plurality of areas for setting a flag indicating whether or not all of the stackers are full. All of the stackers mentioned herein include the stackers assigned to the preliminary stackers. At a time when the information on the filled usual stacker is written into the data area shown in FIG. 8, a flag indicating that the usual stacker is full is set to the area for the usual stacker. That is, "1" is set to the area of the filled usual stacker, and "0" is set to the area of the usual stacker whose full state has been cancelled. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the stacker A08 is brought into the full state, and the full state is cancelled in the stackers A01 to A07.
  • FIG. 10 shows a data table for storing the shift information of each postal matter during the shifting in the division accumulating section 10.
  • This data table has: an area 75 for storing mail No. sequentially allocated to each postal matter; an area 76 to store a present code for specifying the present conveyance position of the postal matter in association with a shift sensor (not shown) through which the postal matter passes; and an area 77 for storing an accumulation place (destination) of the postal matter.
  • the area 77 has an area 78 for storing the stage of the stacker which is an accumulation destination of the postal code, and an area 79 for storing the stacker No. of the stacker.
  • the stacker No. as the accumulation destination of the postal matter is replaced with the number of the preliminary stacker (area 79). Thereafter, the postal matter is shifted to the preliminary stacker having the rewritten stacker No., the postal matter to be originally accumulated in the OVF can be accumulated in the preliminary stacker, and the postal matters to be accumulated in the OVF can be remarkably reduced.
  • FIGS. 11 and 12 show flowcharts of the handling operation
  • FIG. 13 shows a detailed flowchart of processing of step 10 of FIG. 11.
  • an operator inputs the area number m (see FIG. 5) of the division designating area matched with the postal matter to be supplied.
  • the conveyance and division control unit 35 receives, from the control unit 30, the data present in the data table having the area number m described with reference to FIG. 5, and clears the data contents of the data table described with reference to FIG. 7. Thereafter, the received data is developed into the same data table (step 1). It is to be noted that the following processing is controlled by the conveyance and division control unit 35.
  • step 2 it is checked whether or not the device is operating (step 2).
  • step 2 the processing ends.
  • step 2; YES the conveyed postal matter is shifted (step 3). That is, in a case where the device is not operating, even when the usual stacker is filled, there is not any postal matter to be conveyed next, and therefore the processing ends.
  • each postal matter is conveyed and accumulated in accordance with a detection result of the shift sensor (not shown) based on the accumulation information of each postal matter described with reference to FIG. 10.
  • the accumulation destination of each postal matter is stored in the areas 78, 79 of the data table of FIG. 10.
  • step 4 After shifting each postal matter, it is checked whether or not the postal matter is to be accumulated in each stacker (step 4). When the matter is other than an accumulation object (step 4; NO), the processing shifts to that of step 19 described later. When the matter is the accumulation object (step 4; YES), the processing shifts to full-state check processing (step 5).
  • step 5 states of the switches 27, 28 disposed in the stacker 20a are checked.
  • step 6; NO normal accumulation is performed (step 7), and the processing shifts to that of step 19.
  • step 6; YES full-state generation processing is performed.
  • the full-state information is written in the data table described with reference to FIG. 8, and a full-state generation flag is set to the area of a full-state generated stacker in the data table described with reference to FIG. 9 (step 8). Thereafter, to inform the operator that the full state is generated, the full-state lamp 21 is blinked via the display section 20b of the stacker 20a (step 9).
  • the preliminary stacker is checked to confirm the state of the preliminary stacker to accumulate the postal matters which cannot be accumulated in the full stacker (step 10).
  • This preliminary stacker check processing will be described later in detail with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. 13.
  • step 11 it is judged whether or not there exists a completely empty unused preliminary stacker or a preliminary stacker in which the postal matters are being accumulated (step 11).
  • step 11 NO
  • step 12 it is judged that there is not any stacker for tentative accumulation, and the postal matter to be accumulated in the full stacker is accumulated in the OVF (step 12).
  • the preliminary stacker is assigned to the accumulation destination to rewrite the information on the preliminary stacker (step 13).
  • the information of the LCD 22 and the paper tag issuing switch 23 of the display section 20b of the preliminary stacker is rewritten into the same information as that of the full stacker.
  • the information is already rewritten in the preliminary stacker in which the same type of postal matters are already accumulated. In this case, any processing is not performed (or the previously written information is again written).
  • the paper tag lamp 23 of the preliminary stacker is turned on. Furthermore, to inform the operator of the presence of the usual stackers (full stackers) multi-connected to the preliminary stacker, the paper tag lamps 23 of the full stackers are turned on (step 14). Moreover, the postal matters are tentatively accumulated into the multi-connected preliminary stacker (step 15).
  • step 16 it is checked whether or not the full state of the full stacker has been canceled.
  • the full-state cancellation is performed by turning on the paper tag issuing switch of the full stacker.
  • step 16; NO the accumulation processing into the preliminary stacker is continued without performing anything.
  • step 16; YES the full-state lamp 21 of the full stacker is turned off, and the paper tag lamp 23 is also turned off (step 17).
  • the full-state lamp 21 and the paper tag lamp 23 of the preliminary stacker are blinked for the operator to remove the tentatively accumulated postal matters from the preliminary stacker (step 18).
  • the only blinking of the paper tag lamp 23 is functionally sufficient, but the double blinking of the full-state lamp 21 and the paper tag lamp 23 can attract the operator's attention to remove the postal matters.
  • step 19 it is checked whether or not the postal matters have been removed from the preliminary stacker (step 19). In this case, it is checked whether or not the blinked paper tag lamp 23 has been depressed. When the paper tag lamp 23 is not depressed (step 19; NO), it is judged that the tentatively accumulated postal matters are not removed to shift to device stop check of step 22 (step 22).
  • step 10 when the blinked paper tag issuing switch 23 has been depressed (step 10; YES), it is judged that the postal matters are removed from the preliminary stacker, the paper tag lamp 23 is turned off, and the full-state lamp 21 is turned off. Moreover, the paper tag indicating the same information as that of the full stacker is issued (step 20). Furthermore, to reuse the preliminary stacker, the LCD 22 and paper tag information of the display section 20b of the preliminary stacker are cleared (step 21).
  • step 22 the device stop check (step 22) is performed.
  • the processing returns to the shift processing of the step 3, and the processing loops until the device stops (step 22; YES).
  • step 22; YES the processing ends as such.
  • step 30 first there is confirmed the number n of the preliminary stackers present in the area 60 of the data table described with reference to FIG. 7 (step 30). That is, it is checked whether or not the preliminary stacker is assigned to the division designating area of the postal matter which is the processing object. Moreover, in a case where there is no preliminary stacker (step 30; YES), since the postal matters cannot be tentatively accumulated, a flag is set which indicates that there is no preliminary stacker (step 39).
  • step 31 it is checked whether or not the preliminary stackers have already been assigned as multi-stackers for the full stacker. That is, it is checked whether or not the stage and the stacker No. stored in the areas 66 and 67 of the data table of FIG. 7 agree with those stored in the areas 70 and 71 of the data table of FIG. 8. If two pieces of information agree with each other (step 31; YES), it is judged that there is the preliminary stacker already assigned to the full stacker, and a flag is set which indicates that the same preliminary stacker exists (step 32).
  • step 31; NO in order to newly assign the preliminary stacker to the full stacker, there is checked the number of the preliminary stackers for use, stored in the area 61 of FIG. 7 (step 34).
  • step 34; YES it is judged that there is no preliminary stacker for the tentative accumulation, and a flag is set which indicates that there is no preliminary stacker (step 39).
  • step 34 In a case where none of the preliminary stackers are being used (step 34; NO), that is, there are usable preliminary stackers, it is checked whether or not there is any preliminary stacker in the same stage as that of the full stacker (step 35). When there is no preliminary stacker in the same stage (step 35; NO), it is judged that there is no preliminary stacker for the tentative accumulation, and a flag is set which indicates that there is not any preliminary stacker (step 39).
  • step 36 it is checked whether or not there is any usable preliminary stacker on the downstream side of the full stacker along the conveyance direction of the postal matters (step 36). That is, the stacker No. (full No.)'of the full stacker is compared with the stacker No. (preliminary No.) of the preliminary stacker. As a result of this comparison, in a case where the preliminary No. is smaller than the full No., it is judged that there is no preliminary stacker on the downstream side of the full stacker (step 36; NO). Since the tentative accumulation is not possible, the flag is set which indicates that there is no preliminary stacker (step 39).
  • step 36 in a case where the preliminary No. is larger than the full No., it is judged that the preliminary stacker exists on the downstream side of the full stacker in the same stage as that of the full stacker (step 36; YES), and the postal matters are accumulated in the preliminary stacker which is nearest to the full-state generation place.
  • the information stored in the areas 63 and 64 of the data table of FIG. 7 is checked, the nearest preliminary stacker on the downstream side of the full stacker is judged, and the information of the full stacker is set in the areas 66 and 67 (step 37).
  • the full-state cancellation flag (area 68) of the full stacker is set to "1"
  • the use situation flag (area 65) of the corresponding preliminary stacker is also set to "1”.
  • a flag is set which indicates that there is an empty preliminary stacker (step 38).
  • step 33 the stacker No. stored in the area 79 of the data table of FIG. 10 is rewritten (step 33). Accordingly, the tentative accumulation of the subsequently conveyed postal matters is possible.
  • an internal memory of the preliminary stacker A10 shown on the left side of each drawing indicates each area of the data table described with reference to FIG. 7.
  • FIGS. 14 to 17 show an image of a flow of processing.
  • the stacker A10 is a preliminary stacker in which the tentative accumulation of the postal matter is not assigned. Therefore, all of the areas 66 to 68 are cleared ("0" is set) in which the information on the stacker A08 (full stacker) is stored, and the area 65 is also cleared (“0" is set) which indicates the use situation of the stacker A10 (preliminary stacker). That is, in this state, the following data is stored in each area of the data table.
  • the full-state lamp 21 of the display section 20b of the stacker A08 blinks, and the LCD 22 of the display section 20b of the stacker A10 is rewritten into the same contents as those of the stacker A08.
  • "1" is set to the use situation area 65 of the stacker A10.
  • the paper tag lamp 23 of the display section 20b of each stacker is lit to display that the stackers A08 and A10 constitute the multi-stackers.
  • the paper tag information of the stacker A10 is rewritten into the same information as that of the stacker A08 beforehand to prepare for a case where the paper tag issuing switch 23 of the display section 20b of the stacker A10 is depressed. That is, in this state, the following data is stored in each area of the data table.
  • the full state of the stacker A08 when the full state of the stacker A08 is cancelled, the full-state lamp of the display section 20b of the stacker A08 turns off, and the full-state cancellation flag of the area 68 is cleared in the data table in which the information on the stacker A10 is stored. Moreover, to inform that the stackers A08 and A10 are not multi-stackers, the paper tag lamp 23 of the stacker A08 is turned off, and the paper tag lamp 23 of the stacker A10 is blinked to remove the postal matters accumulated in the stacker A10. That is, in this state, the following data is stored in each area of the data table.
  • the postal matters to be accumulated in the usual stacker are tentatively accumulated in the preliminary stacker disposed between the usual stackers. Therefore, it is possible to greatly reduce the amount of the postal matters which cannot be accumulated and which are then accumulated in the OVF, a manual operation by the operator can be reduced, and an operation efficiency can be greatly improved.
  • FIGS. 18 and 19 show flowcharts of the handling operation
  • FIG. 20 shows a detailed flowchart of processing of step 48 of FIG. 18.
  • the operator inputs the area number m (see FIG. 5) of the division designating area matched with the postal matter to be supplied.
  • the conveyance and division control unit 35 receives, from the control unit 30, the data present in the data table having the area number m described with reference to FIG. 5, and clears the data contents of the data table described with reference to FIG. 7. Thereafter, the received data is developed into the same data table (step 40). It is to be noted that the following processing is controlled by the conveyance and division control unit 35.
  • step 41 it is checked whether or not the device is operating (step 41).
  • step 41; NO the processing ends.
  • step 41; YES the conveyed postal matter is shifted (step 42). That is, in a case where the device is not operating, even when the gate 29 of the usual stacker breaks, there is not any postal matter to be conveyed next, and therefore the processing ends.
  • each postal matter is conveyed and accumulated in accordance with a detection result of the shift sensor (not shown) based on the accumulation information of each postal matter described with reference to FIG. 10.
  • the accumulation destination of each postal matter is stored in the areas 78 and 79 of the data table of FIG. 10.
  • step 43 After shifting each postal matter, it is checked whether or not the postal matter is to be accumulated in each stacker (step 43). When the matter is other than an accumulation object (step 43; NO), the processing shifts to that of step 57 described later to initialize the preliminary stacker. When the matter is the accumulation object (step 43; YES), the gate 29 of the corresponding stacker 20a is operated (step 44), and the processing shifts to an accumulating operation.
  • step 45 After switching the gate 29 in the step 44, it is checked whether or not the postal matter is conveyed by the shift sensor on the downstream side of the gate 29 (step 45). As a result of this check, unless the postal matter is detected with the shift sensor on the downstream side, it is judged that the matter is normally accumulated (step 46) in the stacker, thereby shifting to processing of step 57. On the other hand, when the postal matter is conveyed to the shift sensor on the downstream side (step 45; NO), it is judged that a gate distribution mistake is made owing to the breakdown of the gate 29, thereby setting a flag (step 47).
  • the preliminary stacker is checked to confirm the state of the preliminary stacker to accumulate the postal matters which cannot be accumulated because the gate 29 breaks (step 48).
  • This preliminary stacker check processing will be described later in detail with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. 20.
  • step 49 it is judged whether or not there exists a completely empty unused preliminary stacker or a preliminary stacker in which the postal matters are being accumulated (step 49).
  • step 49; NO it is judged that there is no stacker for the tentative accumulation, and the postal matter to be accumulated in the breakdown stacker is accumulated in the OVF (step 50).
  • step 49 when there exists the usable preliminary stacker (step 49; YES), the preliminary stacker is assigned to the accumulation destination to rewrite the information on the preliminary stacker (step 51).
  • the information of the LCD 22 and the paper tag issuing switch 23 of the display section 20b of the preliminary stacker is rewritten into the same information as that of the breakdown stacker.
  • the information is already rewritten in the preliminary stacker in which the same type of postal matters are already accumulated. In this case, any processing is not performed (or the previously written information is again written).
  • the paper tag lamp 23 of the preliminary stacker is turned on. Furthermore, to inform the operator of presence of the usual stackers (breakdown stackers) multi-connected to the preliminary stacker, the paper tag lamps 23 of the breakdown stackers are turned on (step 52). Moreover, the postal matters are tentatively accumulated into the multi-connected preliminary stacker (step 53).
  • step 54 it is checked whether or not the gate 29 of the breakdown stacker has been repaired (step 54). When the stacker is not repaired (step 54; NO), the processing shifts to that of step 57. When the stacker is repaired (step 54; YES), the paper tag lamp 23 of the breakdown stacker is turned off (step 55).
  • the gate 29 of the breakdown stacker becomes operative, the subsequently conveyed postal matter is conveyed and accumulated into the usual stacker whose breakdown has been cancelled instead of the preliminary stacker for use in the tentative accumulation. Therefore, the full-state lamp 21 and the paper tag lamp 23 of the preliminary stacker are blinked for the operator to remove the tentatively accumulated postal matters from the preliminary stacker (step 56). In this case, the only blinking of the paper tag lamp 23 is functionally sufficient, but the double blinking of the full-state lamp 21 and the paper tag lamp 23 can attract the operator's attention to remove the postal matters.
  • step 57 it is checked whether or not the postal matters have been removed from the preliminary stacker. In this case, it is checked whether or not the blinked paper tag lamp 23 has been depressed. When the paper tag lamp 23 is not depressed (step 57; NO), it is judged that the tentatively accumulated postal matters are not removed to shift to device stop check of step 60 (step 60).
  • step 57 when the blinked paper tag issuing switch 23 has been depressed (step 57; YES), it is judged that the postal matters are removed from the preliminary stacker, the full-state lamp 21 and the paper tag lamp 23 are turned off, and the paper tag indicating the same information as that of the breakdown stacker is issued (step 58). Furthermore, to reuse the preliminary stacker, the LCD 22 and paper tag information of the display section 20b of the preliminary stacker are cleared (step 59).
  • step 60 the device stop check (step 60) is performed.
  • the processing returns to the shift processing of the step 42, and the processing loops until the device stops (step 60; YES).
  • step 60; YES the processing ends as such.
  • the full stacker described with reference to FIG. 7 is replaced with the breakdown stacker, and the full-state information is replaced with the breakdown information.
  • the full-state temporary storage area described with reference to FIG. 8 is replaced with a breakdown information temporary storage area. According to this replacement, even if the unusable stacker is generated owing to the breakdown of the gate 29, processing can be performed using the preliminary stacker in the same manner as in the above-described processing in the full state.
  • the stacker check processing will be described hereinafter.
  • step 70 the number n of the preliminary stackers present in the area 60 of the data table described with reference to FIG. 7 (step 70). That is, it is checked whether or not the preliminary stacker is assigned to the division designating area of the postal matter which is the processing object. Moreover, in a case where there is not any preliminary stacker (step 70; YES), since the postal matters cannot be tentatively accumulated, a flag is set which indicates that there is not any preliminary stacker (step 79).
  • step 70 when there are preliminary stackers (step 70; NO), it is checked whether or not the preliminary stackers have already been assigned as multi-stackers for the breakdown stacker (step 71). That is, it is checked whether or not the stage and the stacker No. stored in the areas 66 and 67 of the data table of FIG. 7 agree with those stored in the areas 70 and 71 of the data table of FIG. 8. If two pieces of information agree with each other (step 71; YES), it is judged that there is the preliminary stacker already assigned to the breakdown stacker, and a flag is set which indicates that the same preliminary stacker exists (step 72).
  • step 71 in a case where any preliminary stacker is not assigned to the breakdown stacker (step 71; NO), in order to newly assign the preliminary stacker to the breakdown stacker, there is checked the number of the preliminary stackers for use, stored in the area 61 of FIG. 7 (step 74). When all of the preliminary stackers are being used (step 74; YES), it is judged that there is no preliminary stacker for the tentative accumulation, and a flag is set which indicates that there is no preliminary stacker (step 79).
  • step 74 In a case where all of the preliminary stackers are not being used (step 74; NO), that is, there are usable preliminary stackers, it is checked whether or not there is any preliminary stacker in the same stage as that of the breakdown stacker (step 75). When there is no preliminary stacker in the same stage (step 75; NO), it is judged that there is no preliminary stacker for the tentative accumulation, and a flag is set-which indicates that there is no preliminary stacker (step 79) .
  • step 76 it is checked whether or not there is any usable preliminary stacker on the downstream side of the breakdown stacker along the conveyance direction of the postal matters. That is, the stacker No. (breakdown No.) of the breakdown stacker is compared with the stacker No. (preliminary No.) of the preliminary stacker. As a result of this comparison, in a case where the preliminary No. is smaller than the breakdown No., it is judged that there is no preliminary stacker on the downstream side of the breakdown stacker (step 76; NO). Since the tentative accumulation is not possible, the flag is set which indicates that there is no preliminary stacker (step 79).
  • step 76 in a case where the preliminary No. is larger than the breakdown No., it is judged that the preliminary stacker exists on the downstream side of the breakdown stacker in the same stage as that of the breakdown stacker (step 76; YES), and the postal matters are accumulated in the preliminary stacker which is nearest to the breakdown generation place.
  • the information stored in the areas 63 and 64 of the data table of FIG. 7 is checked, the nearest preliminary stacker on the downstream side of the breakdown stacker is judged, and the information of the breakdown stacker is set in the areas 66 and 67 (step 77).
  • the breakdown cancellation flag of the breakdown stacker is set to "1"
  • the use situation flag of the preliminary stacker is also set to "1" (step 77).
  • a flag is set which indicates that there is an empty preliminary stacker (step 78).
  • step 33 the stacker No. stored in the area 79 of the data table of FIG. 10 is rewritten (step 33). Accordingly, the tentative accumulation of the subsequently conveyed postal matters is possible.
  • the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as such, and can be embodied by deforming constituting elements without departing from the scope in an implementation stage.
  • Various types of invention can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituting elements disclosed in the above-described mode for carrying out the invention. For example, several constituting elements may be deleted from all of the constituting elements described above in the mode for carrying out the invention. Furthermore, the constituting elements of different embodiments may be appropriately combined.
  • the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the present invention is applicable to a case where the postal matters cannot be accumulated in the usual stacker owing to another factor.
  • both the full stacker and the breakdown stacker are generated in some case. Even in this case, the stackers are incapable of accumulating the postal matters, and can be similarly handled using the preliminary stacker disposed between the usual stackers as described above.
  • preliminary stackers are not fixed as multi-stackers for a specific usual stacker, and they are arbitrarily and automatically multi-connected to a plurality of usual stackers, and used. Therefore, it is possible to reduce an amount of postal matters accumulated in an OVF when the usual stacker is filled or breaks. In consequence, it is possible to greatly reduce troublesome re-handlings of the postal matters accumulated in the OVF and improve operation efficiency.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
  • Pile Receivers (AREA)
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JP2004176328A JP2006000684A (ja) 2004-06-15 2004-06-15 予備スタッカを自動的に切り換える紙葉類処理装置
PCT/JP2005/010958 WO2005123279A1 (fr) 2004-06-15 2005-06-15 Dispositif de traitement du papier

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US20080061505A1 (en) * 2006-09-08 2008-03-13 Shuffle Master, Inc. Craps pass bet
JP5472240B2 (ja) * 2011-09-16 2014-04-16 コニカミノルタ株式会社 画像形成装置
JP6404693B2 (ja) * 2014-12-04 2018-10-10 株式会社東芝 配達物処理装置、および配達物処理方法

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US5740921A (en) * 1994-12-22 1998-04-21 Hitachi, Ltd. Method and apparatus for sorting sheets in a predetermined sequential order

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JPS57156073A (en) * 1981-03-20 1982-09-27 Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Device for automatically treating mail
KR100193155B1 (ko) * 1991-10-29 1999-06-15 사와무라 시코 지엽류집적기구
JPH05293446A (ja) * 1992-04-16 1993-11-09 Toshiba Corp 郵便物処理装置
JP3485134B2 (ja) * 1995-09-18 2004-01-13 株式会社ダイフク 物品仕分け設備
JP3761384B2 (ja) * 2000-03-17 2006-03-29 日立オムロンターミナルソリューションズ株式会社 紙葉類区分装置
JP2002136925A (ja) * 2000-11-01 2002-05-14 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd 紙葉類区分制御方法及び装置

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US5421464A (en) * 1993-01-28 1995-06-06 Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs-Gmbh Method for sequencing letters in mail-sorting facilities
US5740921A (en) * 1994-12-22 1998-04-21 Hitachi, Ltd. Method and apparatus for sorting sheets in a predetermined sequential order

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US20060157926A1 (en) 2006-07-20
KR20060080212A (ko) 2006-07-07
JP2006000684A (ja) 2006-01-05

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