EP1726371B1 - Process and machine for sorting postal items with sequencing of containers on a band conveyor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method of sorting mail items in a postal sorting machine with an automatic handling system of bins controlled to bring empty bins into sorting outlets of the machine and to transfer bins from the sorting outlets on an evacuation conveyor, as well as the postal sorting machine.

The method according to the invention is more particularly intended for the preparation of factor rounds in several passes. Typically, a sorting machine for preparing factor rounds comprises one or more rows of sorting outlets juxtaposed and / or superimposed.

To prepare a tour of the factor, it is necessary that the full bins during or after a sorting pass are taken from the sorting outlets in a specific relative order to be represented in this order at the input of the machine for perform a new sort pass. In this case, we speak of a so-called "sequencing" operation.

The replacement of a full bin by an empty bin in a sorting outlet and the removal of the full bin of the machine with its representation at the entrance of the machine can be done manually. In this case, it is not possible in practice to manage several trays by sorting out during a sorting pass.

The patent document US-2004/0016623 describes an automatic bin handling system that allows to transfer a full or partially filled bin from a sorting outlet to a bin evacuation conveyor and that allows to replace in each sorting outlet the bin that has been transferred by a bin empty standby, for example on a conveyor of empty trays, facing this sorting outlet. With this system, it is possible to manage several bins per sorting outlet during a sorting pass, but this implies that the conveyor of full bins is composed of a set of independent conveyors assigned respectively to sorting outlets so as to organize the sequencing of the full bins as they are replaced by empty bins.

The document US-2003/01141226 describes a sequencing system of bins full of mail that is intended to receive a stream of bins from a sorting machine and reorder them in a certain order so that they can be represented at the entrance of the machine for a pass next sorting of shipments. This sequencing system is complicated and expensive.

The object of the invention is to propose a method of sorting postal items for the preparation of postman's rounds in a postal sorting machine with a bin handling system and a bins evacuation conveyor which may be a simple design, for example a conventional belt conveyor, for the evacuation in an ordered sequence of the full tanks.

• on organise un plan de tri selon lequel on affecte des premières destinations logiques successives de tri à des premières sorties de tri, on affecte des secondes destinations logiques successives de tri à des secondes sorties de tri et on réserve des troisièmes sorties de tri qui sont associées aux secondes sorties de tri, les secondes et troisièmes sorties de tri étant intercalées alternativement entre les premières sorties de tri ;
• pendant une passe de tri, si un bac est plein dans une première sortie de tri, on commande le système de manutention automatique pour transférer le bac plein sur le convoyeur mis à l'arrêt et pour amener un bac vide dans cette première sortie de tri tandis que si un bac est plein dans une seconde sortie de tri on affecte dans le plan de tri la destination logique correspondant à cette seconde sortie de tri à la troisième sortie de tri munie d'un bac vide qui est associée à ladite seconde sortie de tri ;
• à l'issue de la passe de tri, on fait avancer le convoyeur et on commande le système de manutention de bacs pour transférer sur le convoyeur tous les bacs présents dans les premières sorties de tri, puis on fait avancer le convoyeur pour évacuer tous les bacs présents sur le convoyeur, puis on arrête le convoyeur et on commande le système de manutention de bacs pour transférer sur le convoyeur tous les bacs présents dans les secondes et troisièmes sorties de tri.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a method for sorting postal items in a postal sorting machine with an automatic handling system for sorting outlets that are ordered to bring empty bins into sorting outlets of the machine. and for transferring bins from the sorting outlets on an evacuation conveyor, characterized in that it consists of the following steps:

• a sorting plan is arranged according to which first successive logical destinations for sorting are assigned to first sorting outlets, second successive logical sorting destinations are assigned to second sorting outputs, and third sorting outputs are allocated which are associated with sorting. at the second sorting outlets, the second and third sorting outlets being interspersed alternately between the first sorting outlets;
• during a sorting pass, if a bin is full in a first sorting outlet, the automatic handling system is commanded to transfer the full bin on the conveyor set to stop and to bring an empty bin into this first sorting outlet whereas if a bin is full in a second sorting outlet, the sorting destination corresponding to this second sorting outlet is assigned in the sorting plane to the third sorting outlet provided with an empty bin which is associated with said second sorting outlet. sorting;
• at the end of the sorting pass, the conveyor is advanced and the container handling system is controlled to transfer all the bins present in the first sorting outlets to the conveyor, then the conveyor is advanced to evacuate all the containers. bins present on the conveyor, then the conveyor is stopped and the bin handling system is controlled to transfer on the conveyor all the bins present in the second and third sorting outlets.

The invention also relates to a postal sorting machine according to claim 4.

The idea underlying the invention is therefore based on a particular organization of the assignment of the logical destinations of the sorting plan with respect to the sorting outlets and a particular order of the container handling system and the conveyor. In the process according to the invention, there are generally the first sorting outlets which receive two bins, one of which overflow bin while the second and third sorting outlets receive only one bin, a bin of a third sorting outlet serving as an overflow bin for a second sorting outlet associated therewith. With the method according to the invention, at the end of a sorting pass, all the bins transferred from the sorting outlets succeed one another on the conveyor according to an ordered sequence of the successive logical destinations for sorting the sorting plan. The method according to the invention can be easily implemented on existing sorting machines. The method according to the invention is applicable to sorting machines with several rows of parallel or superimposed sorting outlets.

In a simple embodiment of the method according to the invention where only two bins are used per sorting outlet, one out of every two sorting outlets of the machine is a first sorting outlet, one out of four sorting outlets is a second output of Sorting and sorting out of four is a third sort output.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows and on examining the figures which accompany it. This description is given as an indicative and non-limiting example of the invention.

The figure 1 is a highly schematic top view of a bucket carousel postal sorting machine arranged to implement the method according to the invention.

The figure 2 is a block diagram showing the different steps of the method of sorting postal items according to the invention.

The Figures 3A to 3G illustrate very schematically the movement of the bins in the sorting machine with the method according to the invention.

On the figure 1 a postal sorting machine 1 has been represented in a very simplified manner with a device for storing the items (magazine) and unstacking item 2 which puts in series the postal items arranged in stack at the input of the machine to present them one by one on singing in a device 3 automatic address recognition OCR.

At the exit of the device 3, the current shipment is loaded into a bucket of a carousel 6 with buckets. The cups of the carousel 6 circulate over a plurality of sorting outlets 5 of the machine to distribute the items in storage bins provided in these sorting outlets. Storage bins are removable bins that are compatible with a bin handling system.

On the figure 1 , there is shown a sorting machine which comprises two juxtaposed rows of sorting outlets 5, but it is understood that the invention applies to sorting machines with more than two rows of juxtaposed sorting outlets or with rows of superimposed sorting outlets.

On the figure 1 also, in the sorting machine 1, there is shown an empty bin conveyor 7 and a solid bin discharge conveyor 8 which extend in a longitudinal direction adjacently along the rows of sorting outlets 5.

We see on the figure 1 that the conveyor 7 and the conveyor 8 are arranged on either side of a row of sorting outlets so that a simple system (not shown on the figure 1 ) automatic handling of bins fitted to each sorting outlet can be controlled to move an empty tray of the conveyor 7 in the sorting outlet in question (which faces the empty container) and a bin full of this sorting outlet on the conveyor 8. The conveyor of full bins 8 is commonly called "Full Tray Conveyor" or "FTC" and according to the invention it may be a simple motorized conveyor belt.

According to the method of the invention, a sorting plan is arranged according to which first successive logical sorting destinations are assigned to first sorting outlets, successive second logical sorting destinations are assigned to second sorting outlets and third sorting outlets. Sort outputs are reserved and associated respectively with the second sort outputs. Furthermore, the second and third sorting outlets are interposed between the first sorting outlets on a row of sorting outlets of the machine, that is to say along the discharge conveyor of the bins 8.

It is therefore understood that with the method according to the invention, the consecutive sorting outlets on a row of sorting outlets do not correspond to the consecutive logical destinations of the sorting plan.

In the example case illustrated in the figures, during a sorting pass the first sorting outlets are intended to receive two bins while the second and third sorting outlets are intended to receive a single tray. Each third output along the row of sorting outlets is associated with the second sorting output that precedes it.

More particularly, in an example of a simple implementation of the method according to the invention with a management of two trays by first sorting outlet, there is on a row of sorting outlets, an out of two sorting outlets which is a first exit, a sort out of four which is a second output and a sort out of four which is a third output sorting. More particularly, if the sorting outputs on a row of sorting outlets of the machine are numbered in increasing order from 1 to N, it is considered that the sorting outputs having an odd number (S1, S3, S5, S7 on the figure 3A ) constitute the first sorting outputs and the sorting outputs having an even number (S2, S4, S6, S8 on the figure 3A ) constitute the second (S2, S6) and third (S4, S8) sorting outputs. We see on the figure 3A how the second and third sorting outlets are inserted between the first sorting outlets.

At the start of a sorting pass, each first output (here the outputs having an odd number) is provided with an empty container in place in the compartment of the sorting outlet and another empty container disposed on the conveyor 7 for example facing this sorting output is waiting to be transferred into the compartment of said sorting outlet (see figure 3A where the bins are represented very schematically by rectangles). The second and third sorting outlets are provided with a single empty container in place in the compartment of the sorting outlet.

• les premières destinations logiques consécutives du plan de tri (par exemple 2/3 des destinations logiques dans l'ordre du plan de tri) sont affectées aux sorties de tri impaires consécutives (par exemple sur 50% des sorties de tri), en commençant par la sortie de tri impaire qui est la plus proche du point d'évacuation des envois en sortie de la machine ;
• les autres destinations logiques consécutives (1/3 des dernières destinations logiques du plan de tri dans l'ordre du plan de tri) sont affectées aux premières sorties de tri paires consécutives à raison d'une sortie de tri paire sur quatre (25% des sorties de tri) en commençant par la première sortie de tri paire la plus proche du point d'évacuation des envois en sortie de la machine ;
• les autres sorties de tri paires (25% des sorties de tri) servent chacune de sortie de tri de réserve en cas de débordement d'un bac dans la sortie de tri paire qui la précède directement le long de la rangée de sorties de tri.

At the beginning of a sorting process for a preparation of a factor tour in two sorting passes, for example, for the first sorting pass, the logical destinations are assigned to the sorting outlets in the following way:

• the first consecutive logical destinations of the sorting plan (for example 2/3 of the logical destinations in the order of the sorting plan) are assigned to the consecutive odd sorting outlets (for example on 50% of the sorting outlets), starting with the odd sort output which is closest to the point of evacuation of the shipments at the output of the machine;
• the other consecutive logical destinations (1/3 of the last logical destinations of the sorting plan in the order of the sorting plan) are assigned to the first consecutive pair sorting outlets due to a sort out of four out of four (25% of sorting outlets) starting with the first nearest sorting outlet to the point of evacuation of the outgoing items of the machine;
• the other even sorting outputs (25% of the sorting outlets) each serve as a reserve sorting outlet in the event of an overflow of a bin into the even sorting outlet directly preceding it along the row of sorting outlets.

The process according to the invention illustrated by the flowchart on the figure 2 .

In the device 3, in step 14, a current mail is parceled out of the magazine and the OCR reads the address of the sending to determine a logical sorting destination and therefore an associated sorting output according to the sorting plan as indicated higher, following which the sending is directed by the bucket conveyor to the tray of this sorting outlet. The conveyor of bins 8 is at a standstill.

Meanwhile, in step 16 it is determined whether the bin of this sorting outlet is full including the storage of the current shipment. The control of the level of filling of the tray can for example be done on the basis of a control of the accumulation of the thicknesses of the items which are stored in the bin of the sorting outlet, this control of the accumulation of thickness which can itself be launched from device 3.

If in step 16, the bin of this sorting outlet is not full and if the current mail is not the last mail to be sorted (step 18), the process starts again in step 14 for a new mail. current shipment.

If now in step 16, it is detected that the tray of the sorting outlet is full, it is checked in step 20 if the sorting outlet is a first sorting outlet, in the example an odd sorting output. If in step 20, the sorting outlet is an odd output, the tray handling system of this sorting outlet is controlled in step 22 to transfer the full bin of the sorting outlet to the full tray conveyor. 8 after receiving the current shipment in the tray and is controlled in step 24 the tray handling system for loading in this sorting outlet an empty tray which is disposed on the conveyor of empty trays 7 (in the example in front of this odd sort output). During this tray replacement operation, the tray conveyor 8 remains at a standstill.

Then, in step 18, it is checked whether the current send is the last send to be sorted and if not, the process starts again at step 14 for a new current send.

Now if in step 20, the sorting output to which the current mailpiece is directed is a second sorting output, in the example an even sorting output, in step 26 it is carried out in the sorting plane 28 a sorting output assignment change by assigning a third sorting output (that which is associated with the second overflow sorting output) to the logical destination corresponding to the address of the current item, this third sorting output being a tri-pair output reserve provided with an empty tray.

Subsequent shipments assigned to the same logical destination as the current shipment will therefore also be directed to this alternate pair sort output according to the modified sorting plan.

The process then proceeds to step 18 where it is checked whether the current mail is the last mail to be sorted and if not, the process continues in step 14.

If now in step 18, it is detected that the current shipment is the last shipment to be sorted, that is the sorting pass is completed, the process continues with a process of evacuation of the bins to the output of the machine.

At this stage of the process, full bins from the odd sort outlets are already disposed on the full bins conveyor 8 which was stopped during the entire sorting process.

In step 30, the conveyor 8 is commanded to advance it over a distance substantially equal to the width of a sorting outlet so that the full containers disposed on the conveyor during the sorting process are opposite the pairs of sort outputs which frees spaces in front of the odd sort outputs.

In step 32, the bin handling system of the odd sorting outlets is controlled to transfer the bins arranged in these odd sorting outlets on the conveyor 8.

At this stage of the process, the conveyor 8 has bins that succeed one another in an ordered sequence of the first logical destinations of the sorting plan.

In step 34, the conveyor 8 is commanded to advance these bins to the bins evacuation place where they are all removed (step 36) according to their chronological order of arrival at the place of evacuation.

In step 38, the conveyor 8 is now stopped.

In step 40, the system for handling the bins of the even outlets is used to transfer the full or partially full bins arranged in these pair sorting outlets on the conveyor 8. These bins still succeed each other on the conveyor 8 in an ordered sequence latest logical destinations of the sorting plan.

At step 42, the conveyor 8 is now commanded to advance the bins to the bins evacuation site where they are all removed (step 44) according to their chronological order of arrival at the place of evacuation.

The bins taken in sequence at the place of evacuation can now be represented in the machine's input order for a new sorting pass.

The Figures 3A to 3G illustrate, in a simplified example, the movement of the bins in the sorting machine 1 at different stages of the process according to the invention.

On the Figures 3A to 3G for the sake of clarity, there is shown an example of mail sorting with only six logical destinations numbered from 1 to 6.

Trays identified by 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, etc. have been represented whose algebraic number corresponds to a logical destination. The sorting outputs are also indicated in these figures by the references S1 to S8, in the example there are therefore eight sorting outlets.

In the example, the sorting outlet S1 constitutes the sorting outlet closest to the place of evacuation of the items at the output of the machine.

We see on the figure 3A that the odd sorting outlets are each provided with two bins including a reserve tank bearing the reference B and a tray already disposed in the sorting outlet bearing the reference A.

For example, the sorting output S1 is provided with the bins 1A and 1B and is assigned to the logical destination numbered 1.

So we represented on the figure 3A the sorting machine with empty bins positioned in all odd and even sorting outlets and also empty bins placed on the conveyor 7 opposite the odd sorting outlets. It can be seen that the first consecutive logical destinations 1,2,3,4 are assigned to the consecutive odd sort outputs S1, S3, S5, S7 and that the subsequent consecutive logical destinations 5,6 are assigned to the consecutive pair sorting outputs S2. S6 because of a tri-pair output out of two.

The other sort outputs S4 and S8 without destination assignment serve as a reserve for the pair sort outputs S4 and S8 in case of overflow of the bins in the outputs S4 and S8. At the beginning of a sorting pass, there is no ferry on the conveyor 8.

The figure 3B represents the state of the sorting machine before step 30. The bins 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A of the odd sorting outlets S1, S3, S5 and S7 are full and have been transferred to the bins conveyor 8 which is stopped. Otherwise, the empty trays 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B have been transferred (step 24) from the conveyor 7 to the odd sorting outlets S1, S3, S5, S7. The bins 5A, 6A full and the bins 5B, 6B partially full are still in their respective sorting outlets S2, S6, S4, S8.

On the figure 3C , the arrows 50 show the movement of the conveyor 8 of full bins 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A (step 30) of the width of a sorting outlet so as to leave space on the conveyor of full bins 8 opposite odd sort outputs S1, S3, S5, S7.

On the 3D figure , the full bins 1A to 4A have been moved (step 30) and the arrows 51 indicate the movement (step 32) of the bins 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B from the odd sorting outlets on the full tray conveyor 8.

On the figure 3E , the bins 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B interposed between the bins 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A and the arrow 52 indicates the movement (step 34) of the full tray conveyor 8 for the evacuation (step 36) of the bins 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B which succeed on the conveyor 8 according to the order of the logical destinations 1 to 4.

On the figure 3F the conveyor 8 is stopped (step 38) and the arrows 53 indicate the movement (step 40) of the trays 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B from the pair sorting outlets S2, S4, S6, S8 on the conveyor of full bins 8.

On the figure 3G , the arrow 54 indicates the movement of the conveyor 8 (step 42) for the evacuation of the trays 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B succeeding on the conveyor 8 according to the order of the logical destinations 5 to 6.

With the method according to the invention, the bins are sequentially sequenced with a solid tray evacuation conveyor 8 which is a simple belt conveyor, by sorting two bins by sorting outlets on 50% of the sorting outlets. of the machine.

In the foregoing, it should be considered that the sorting plan designates a table in machine memory in which are mapped logical destinations (postal address ranges) and logical / physical numbers of sorting outputs. The method according to the invention applies to a static sorting plane or to a dynamic sorting plane.

In the foregoing, it should also be understood that the empty storage tanks are not necessarily positioned opposite the first sorting outlets but can be brought to these first sorting outlets by the conveyor 7 and the automatic handling system. trays.

Claims (5)

1. A method of sorting mailpieces in a postal sorting machine (1) with an automatic tray handling system that is controlled so as to bring empty trays to sorting outlets (5) of the machine and so as to transfer trays from the sorting outlets to a removal conveyor (8), said method being characterized in that it consists in the following steps:

   organizing a sorting plan (28) in which first successive logical sorting destinations are assigned to first sorting outlets (S1, S3, S5, S7), second successive logical sorting destinations are assigned to second sorting outlets (S2, S6), and third sorting outlets (S4, S8) are reserved that are associated with the second sorting outlets, the second and third sorting outlets being interleaved between the first sorting outlets;

   during a sorting pass, if a tray is full in a first sorting outlet, controlling (22) the automatic handling system so that it transfers the full tray onto the conveyor while it is stopped and so that it brings (24) an empty tray to said first sorting outlet, while, if a tray is full in a second sorting outlet, acting (26) in the sorting plan to assign the logical destination corresponding to said second sorting outlet to a third sorting outlet provided with an empty tray that is associated with said second sorting outlet;

   after the sorting pass, causing (30) the conveyor to advance so as to open up spaces in register with the first sorting outlets, and controlling (32) the tray handling system so that it transfers to the conveyor all of the trays present in the first sorting outlets, then causing the conveyor to advance (34) so as to remove (36) all of the trays present on the conveyor, and then stopping (38) the conveyor and controlling (40) the tray handling system so as to transfer to the conveyor all of the trays present in the second and third sorting outlets.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein one in two sorting outlets of the machine is a first sorting outlet, one in four sorting outlets is a second sorting outlet, and one in four sorting outlets is a third sorting outlet.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, after a sorting pass, the conveyor is caused to advance over a distance substantially equal to the width of a sorting outlet.
4. A postal sorting machine (1) for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, said machine including:

   · sorting outlets (5) and an automatic tray handling system controlled so as to bring empty trays to the sorting outlets (5) and so as to transfer trays from the sorting outlets to a removal conveyor (8) for removing the trays;

   · means for organizing a sorting plan in which first successive logical sorting destinations are assigned to first sorting outlets (S1, S3, S5, S7), second successive logical sorting destinations are assigned to second sorting outlets (S2, S6), and third sorting outlets (S4, S8) are reserved that are associated with the second sorting outlets, the second and third sorting outlets being interleaved between the first sorting outlets;

   · means acting during a sorting pass to check whether a tray is full in a first sorting outlet, and to control the automatic handling system so that it transfers the full tray onto the conveyor while it is stopped and so that it brings an empty tray to said first sorting outlet;

   · means for checking whether a tray is full in a second sorting outlet and for acting in the sorting plan to assign the logical destination corresponding to said second sorting outlet to a third sorting outlet provided with an empty tray that is associated with said second sorting outlet; and

   · means for causing the conveyor to advance after the sorting pass so as to open up spaces in register with the first sorting outlets, and for controlling the tray handling system so that it transfers to the conveyor all of the trays present in the first sorting outlets, for then causing the conveyor to advance so as to remove all of the trays present on the conveyor, and for then stopping the conveyor and controlling the tray handling system so as to transfer to the conveyor all of the trays present in the second and third sorting outlets.
5. A postal sorting machine according to claim 4, wherein, the removal conveyor is a belt conveyor.

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