EP1686540B1 - Mechanical device for measuring the width of a mail article - Google Patents

Description

Field of the art

The present invention relates to the field of mail processing. In particular, it relates to a mechanical device for measuring the width of an article of mail transported through a franking system.

Prior art

We already know, for example, by the document US 6006210 (Pitney Bowes) a mail processing machine with a possibility of dimensional pricing and in which is made a true measurement of the width of the mail piece via diode strips. This apparently simple solution is, however, extremely expensive in practice because it involves the use of several bars or a single large length.

We still know by the U.S. Patent 6,169,978 (Siemens) a sophisticated system for determining the dimensions of the transported article in order to assign to it a precise amount of postage.

Object and definition of the invention

The present invention thus aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and to allow the measurement of the width L of a mail piece for franking purposes, without the need to resort to expensive technical devices using systems optical to perform this measurement. An object of the invention is also to achieve this measurement on the fly, that is to say during the transport of the mail item through the franking system and without stopping it.

These objects are achieved according to the invention by means of a mechanical device for measuring the width L of a mail article in a mail processing machine in which the mail items are moved along a distance. transport path for mail items, parallel to a reference wall,
characterized in that it comprises a device for detecting a front of a mail piece, a downstream lever arranged across said transport path of the mail items by making a determined angle with respect to said reference wall a device for detecting the movement of said downstream lever at the passage of said front of the mail piece, a device for determining a distance of movement of said front of the mail item between said front edge detection device. a mail piece and an activation point with said downstream lever determined by said displacement detecting device of said upstream lever and a computing device for calculating said width L of the mail piece from said moving distance.

Thus, it is possible with this simple fully mechanical structure to measure the width of a mail piece with great accuracy and without interrupting the transport of this article.

According to an alternative embodiment, it further comprises an upstream lever disposed across said transport path of the mailpieces at a given angle with respect to said reference wall and a device for detecting the movement of said upstream lever to passing said front of the mail article, said device for determining a moving distance of said front of the mail article further determining a moving distance of said front of the mail article between said device detecting a front of a mailpiece and an activation point with said upstream lever determined by said motion detecting device of said upstream lever.

This advantageous arrangement allows a measurement of width even if the mail item is not tapped against the reference wall, the displacement must however be parallel to the reference wall.

Advantageously, said device for determining a displacement distance of said front of the mail item comprises a counter whose start is controlled by said device for detecting a front of a mail item and whose stop is commanded. by the one or more devices for detecting the movement of the one or more levers.

Preferably, each lever is hinged to a shaft mounted integral at both ends of a frame of the mail processing machine.

Advantageously, each articulated lever preferably has a generally gooseneck shape with a first end portion, advantageously triangular, intended to pass through an opening of a receiving tray of the mail processing machine and a second end portion. opposed to the first relative to an axis of rotation of said common shaft, intended to receive a first end of at least one elastic element whose other end is secured to a support bar mounted in the frame parallel to said common shaft .

Preferably, said second end portion further comprises a first movable element intended to cooperate with a second fixed element integral with the frame of the mail processing machine to form said device for detecting movement of the lever.

The present invention also relates to any mail processing machine comprising a mechanical device for measuring the theft of the width L of a mail item as mentioned above.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une machine de traitement de courrier intégrant un dispositif de mesure de la largeur d'un article de courrier selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de détail de la figure 1 ;
• les figures 3 et 4 sont des vues de dessus schématiques du dispositif de la figure 1 selon deux modes de réalisation différents ;
• la figure 5 est un schéma-bloc montrant les éléments principaux d'un exemple de circuit de traitement pouvant être incorporé dans le dispositif selon l'invention ; et
• la figure 6 est un organigramme montrant un exemple de diverses étapes mises en oeuvre pour la mesure au vol de la largeur d'un article de courrier selon l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, given by way of example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail processing machine incorporating a device for measuring the width of a mail piece according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a detail view of the figure 1 ;
• the Figures 3 and 4 are schematic top views of the device of the figure 1 according to two different embodiments;
• the figure 5 is a block diagram showing the main elements of an exemplary processing circuit that can be incorporated in the device according to the invention; and
• the figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of various steps implemented for measuring the theft of the width of a mailpiece according to the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The pricing of mail items is based on criteria of weight and size of the mail items (thickness, length of the envelope, width of the envelope). It is either to verify that the dimensions of the envelope are greater than thresholds, or to verify that the ratio between the length and the width of the envelope is between two limits (examples: 1.3 <R < 2.5 for USA, R <square root of 2 for Germany).

To automatically allocate the tariff adapted to each mail item in a non-homogeneous batch, it is available, upstream of the franking module of a mail processing machine, usually at the level of its feed module also called feeder, a device that measures the weight and dimensions of each envelope, and transmits this information to a fare calculator. The weight measurement can also be carried out separately by means of an independent weighing module arranged in the transport path of the envelopes, for example between the feeder and the franking module.

The Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a mail processing machine incorporating a mechanical device for measuring the width L of a mail article according to the invention. It conventionally comprises from upstream to downstream (depending on the direction of movement of mailpieces through the machine): a feed module 10 provided with a receiving plate 12 on which are placed in a compact stack homogeneous or not (Depending on whether the articles are of the same size or not) mailpieces to be franked, drive rollers 14 for moving these mailpieces downstream and jogging means (advantageously lateral 16 and / or rear) mail items against a reference wall (also called fold-guide 18); a selection module (of which only the lower rollers 20 are shown) to extract one by one, from below the stack, the mailpieces to be franked while impelling them a speed V of generally constant displacement; and a franking module 22 for printing a postal imprint on the selected mail article.

According to the invention, this machine further comprises a mechanical device 24 for measuring the width of each mail item, advantageously arranged at the output of the selection module, and comprising in a preferred embodiment a single pivoting lever 26 arranged across transport path of the mail items at an angle e with respect to the reference wall 18. The angle e is an acute angle (0 <e <90 °) formed by the lever towards the wall in the opposite direction moving mail items, preferably between 50 and 80 ° for congestion issues without this range is in no way limiting.

This lever is articulated on a shaft 28 mounted integral at both ends of the frame of the mail processing machine, preferably the receiving tray of the feed module. It may have a generally gooseneck shape and has a first preferably triangular end portion 26A intended to pass through an opening 12A of the receiving plate 12 and a second end portion 26B, opposite to the first relative to the axis of rotation on the shaft 28, intended to receive a first end of at least one elastic element 32 whose other end is secured to a support bar 34 fixedly mounted in the frame parallel to the common shaft. This elastic element, a spring for example, is adjusted so as not to hinder the movement of the mail items 36 through the machine and thus to allow the lever 26 to both fade under the weight of an article of the article. mail when it reaches its level and return to its original position once this passage made. The state of the lever, whether displaced or not, is determined by a device for detecting its displacement, for example a fork switch 38 comprising a mobile part secured to the lever for cooperating with a fixed part secured to the chassis of the mail processing machine.

The figure 3 schematically shows in top view the arrangement of the lever 26 with respect to a mail article 36 for this preferred embodiment of the invention wherein the mail items are pressed against the referencing wall 18.

If we call d the distance fixed by construction between a sensor 40 for detecting the front of the article of mail and the lever 26 at the referencing wall 18, and the angle θ is previously known because also fixed by construction, it can be shown that knowledge of the only movement of the mail item from the sensor 40 to the lever 26 is sufficient to determine the width L of this mail item.

soit encore $$\mathrm{L}\mathrm{=}\mathrm{tan\theta }\mathrm{*}\left(\mathrm{d}-\mathrm{\Delta x}\right)$$

Indeed, Δx is the projected distance on the reference wall between this sensor and the point of activation of the lever, we simply obtain the following equality: $$\mathrm{tan\theta }=\mathrm{The}/\left(\mathrm{d}-\mathrm{Dx}\right)$$

is still $$\mathrm{The}\mathrm{=}\mathrm{tan\theta }\mathrm{*}\left(\mathrm{d}-\mathrm{Dx}\right)$$

Thus, for example by placing an encoder (not shown) on the drive system of the mailpieces whose activation will be ensured by the activation of the sensor 40 and the stoppage by the activation of the contactor 38, it is easy to obtain the distance Δx from which we will deduce the width L of a mail article. Note that with this configuration, the accuracy of the width value depends only on the encoder pitch.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the figure 4 . In this other mode, the mailpieces 36 move parallel to the reference wall 18, however without being pressed against it, and the mechanical device 24 for measuring the width of each mailpiece comprises both and successively ( relative to the direction of movement of the mailpieces) a pivoting upstream lever 26A disposed across the transport path of the mailpieces at an angle α relative to the referencing wall 18 and a pivoting downstream lever 26B disposed in across the path of transporting mail items by making an angle β with respect to the reference wall 18. The angle α is an acute angle (0 <α <90 °) formed from the lever towards the wall in the direction of movement of the articles. mail, typically between 50 and 80 ° for congestion issues without this range is in no way limiting, and the angle β is an acute angle (0 <β <90 °) formed from the lever to the wall in the opposite direction of movement of mail items, typically between 50 and 80 ° for congestion issues without this range is in no way limiting.

As in the previous embodiment, these levers are each articulated on a shaft mounted integral at both ends of the chassis of the mail processing machine.

If we call d1 the distance fixed by construction between the sensor 40 of detection of the front of the article of mail and the upstream lever 26A at the referencing wall 18, and the angle α being previously known because fixed also by construction, one can as before from the following equality: $$\tan \mathrm{\alpha }=\mathrm{The}1/\left(\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{x}1-\mathrm{d}1\right)$$

Δx1 being the projected distance on the referencing wall between the sensor 40 and the activation point of the upstream lever 26A, determining the distance L1 between the referencing wall and the left edge of the mailpiece, or : $$\mathrm{The}1=\tan \mathrm{\alpha }*\left(\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{x}1-\mathrm{d}1\right)$$

Similarly, if d2 is the distance fixed by construction between the front detection sensor 40 of the mail article and the downstream lever 26B at the reference wall 18, and the angle β being previously known. because fixed also by construction, one can as before from the following equality: $$\tan \mathrm{\beta }=\mathrm{The}2/\left(\mathrm{d}2-\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{x}2\right)$$

Δx2 being the distance projected on the referencing wall between the sensor 40 and the activation point of the downstream lever 26B, determining the distance L2 between the referencing wall and the right edge of the mailpiece, or : $$\mathrm{The}2=\tan \mathrm{\beta }*\left(\mathrm{d}2-\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{x}2\right)$$

Hence the width L of the mail item: $$\mathrm{The}=\mathrm{The}2-\mathrm{The}1=\tan \mathrm{\beta }*\left(\mathrm{d}2-\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{x}2\right)-\tan \mathrm{\alpha }*\left(\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{x}1-\mathrm{d}1\right)$$

Thus, by placing an encoder (not shown) on the drive system of mail items whose triggering will be ensured by the activation of the sensor 40 and the two successive coding readings by the activation of a first contactor (38A ) then a second contactor (38B) respectively associated with the upstream lever 26A and the downstream lever 26B, we can easily obtain the distances Δx1 and Δx2 from which we will deduce the width L of a mail item. Note that with this configuration, the accuracy of the width value also depends on the encoder pitch.

We will describe with reference to figure 5 an example of a processing circuit that can be implemented in the context of the first embodiment of the mechanical measuring device according to the invention. The skilled person will easily adapt this circuit to the second embodiment.

It comprises first of all the device 40 for detecting the front of a mail article disposed on the transport path of the mail items upstream of the lever 26 (with respect to the direction of movement of the mail items). Here, activation means the state of the detection device when a mail item passes in its vicinity and, for example, in the case of a mechanical contactor, comes into contact with its contact end.

The activation of this sensor 40 triggers the start of a count of pulses by a counter 42 whose stopping is caused by the opening of the contactor 38 following the activation of the lever 26. The number of pulses between the starting the counter and stopping it gives a displacement distance Δx of the mail item from which a computing device 44, advantageously microprocessor-connected output of the counter allows among other things to calculate the width L according to the previous equalities of the mail article.

An example of data processing implemented in the aforementioned circuit will be explained with reference to the flowchart of the figure 6 .

A test 100 examines whether the sensor 40 is activated. If it is not the case, there is a return to the input of this test 100. If the sensor is activated, it proceeds to the step 102 of triggering the counter 42. When a test 104 detects the activation of the lever 26 by opening the contactor 38, we go to step 106 of stopping the counter and then to step 108 of determining the value L of the mail item by means of the computing device 44. A step 110 ensures a reset of the process with possible resetting of the counter 42.

It will be noted that in the aforementioned examples the values Δx, Δx1, Δx2 are obtained from an encoder advantageously arranged on the drive means of the mail items, the counter 42 ensuring a count of steps of this encoder. However, it is equally conceivable to obtain these values from a time counter whose triggering of the counting would be ensured by the sensor 40 and the stopping of the counting by the opening of the contactor 38 following the activation of the lever 26. The number of pulses between the start of the counter and its stop will give a duration t of movement of the mail item that associated with the known speed V of moving the mail items along the transport path will give the value Δx and as before the width L of this article, the accuracy on the width no longer then dependent on the encoder pitch.

Claims (9)

1. A mechanical device for measuring the width L of a mail item on the fly in a mail handling machine in which mail items (36) are caused to move along a mail item conveyor path, parallel to a reference wall (18);
   said mechanical device being characterized in that it comprises a device (40) for detecting a leading edge of a mail item, a downstream lever (26; 26B) disposed across said mail item conveyor path and forming a determined angle (θ; β) relative to said reference wall, a device (38) for detecting said downstream lever moving as said leading edge of the mail item goes past, a device (42) for determining a movement distance (Δx; Δx2) over which said leading edge of the mail item moves between said device for detecting a leading edge of a mail item and a point of activation at which said leading edge activates said downstream lever, which point of activation is determined by said device for detecting said downstream lever moving, and a computation device (44) for computing said width L of the mail item on the basis of said movement distance.
2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an upstream lever (26A) disposed across said mail item conveyor path and forming a determined angle (α) relative to said reference wall, a device (38) for detecting said upstream lever moving as said leading edge of the mail item goes past, said device for determining a movement distance over which said leading edge of the mail item moves also determining a movement distance (Δx1) over which said leading edge of the mail item moves between said device for detecting a leading edge of a mail item and a point of activation at which said leading edge activates said upstream lever, which point of activation is determined by said device for detecting said upstream lever moving.
3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said device for determining a movement distance over which said leading edge of the mail item moves comprises a counter (42) which is caused to start counting by said device for detecting a leading edge of a mail item and which is caused to stop counting by said detection device(s) for detecting said lever(s) moving.
4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each lever (26; 26A, 26B) is hinged to a shaft (28) secured at both of its ends to a frame of the mail handling machine.
5. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that each hinged lever is advantageously swan-necked in general shape, with an advantageously triangular first end portion (26A) designed to pass through an opening (12A) in a deck (12) of the mail handling machine, and a second end portion (26B) that is opposite to the first end portion about the pivot axis of said common shaft, and that is designed to receive a first end of at least one resilient element (32) whose other end is secured to a support bar (34) mounted transversely in the frame.
6. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that said second end portion further has a moving first element designed to co-operate with a stationary second element secured to the frame of the mail-handling machine so as to form said device for detecting the lever (26; 26A, 26B) moving.
7. A method of measuring the width L of a mail item on the fly in a mail handling machine in which mail items are caused to travel along a mail item conveyor path, parallel to a reference wall (18);
   said method being characterized in that it consists firstly in detecting a leading edge of a mail item at a device (40) for detecting a leading edge of a mail item, in that it consists secondly in detecting the presence of said leading edge of the mail item at a downstream lever (26; 26B) disposed across said mail item conveyor path and forming a determined angle (θ; β) relative to said reference wall, in that it further consists in determining a movement distance between said device for detecting a leading edge of a mail item and a point of activation at which said leading edge activates said downstream lever, which point of activation is delivered by a device (38) for detecting said downstream lever moving as said leading edge of the mail item goes past, and in that it further consists in computing the width L of the mail item on the basis of said movement distance.
8. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that it further consists in detecting the presence of said leading edge of a mail item at an upstream lever (26A) disposed across said mail item conveyor path and forming a determined angle (α) relative to said reference wall, in that it further consists in determining a movement distance between said device for detecting a leading edge of a mail item and a point of activation at which said leading edge activates said upstream lever, which point of activation is delivered by a device (38A) for detecting said upstream lever moving as said leading edge of the mail item goes past.
9. A mail handling machine including a mechanical device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 for measuring the width L of a mail item on the fly.

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