EP2080721B1 - Device for automatically jogging mail articles - Google Patents

Description

Field of the art

The present invention relates exclusively to the field of mail processing and more particularly relates to document feeders.

Prior art

The power modules (or power supplies) of mail processing machines are well known. In addition to selection and document picking rollers arranged downstream of a receiving platform for mail items, these feeders all include on this receiving platform a system for ensuring proper positioning of these mail items for their input. by selection and picking rolls. This positioning is most often done by the side of the mail item, as shown in the patent EP-A-1088,600 filed in the name of the Applicant and discloses a mail processing assembly whose power module includes a lateral jogging device for pressing the mail items against a reference wall. This lateral jogging device slides in a transverse groove perpendicular to the running direction of the mail items and the reference wall of these articles. It is therefore the operator who must each time proceed to the positioning of mail items against this referencing wall, that is to say to push the jogging device against these mail items to ensure maintenance . However, the operator can not be constantly available in front of the feeder to perform this operation. As a result, the mailpieces are most often seized at an angle, resulting in jams and oblique postage which results in a rejection of the mail item by postal sorting systems intended to receive it.

Object and definition of the invention

The present invention therefore provides a jigging device for document feeder of a mail processing machine which allows a suitable jogging of small and large mail items, without requiring the constant presence of an operator near the machine . An object of the invention is also to achieve this positioning quickly and without significantly increasing the current sizing of the feeders.

These objects are achieved by a jogging device for a mail processing machine feeder, having a movable lateral jogging stop, under the action of a driving motor, along a guide rail arranged perpendicular to a referencing wall, characterized in that said lateral jogging abutment comprises at least a first sensor fixed at its base whose unmasking controls the displacement of said lateral jogging stop towards said referencing wall and the masking controls the stopping this displacement and a second sensor fixed at its top whose masking controls the displacement of said lateral jogging stop from said referencing wall and unmasking the stop of this displacement.

Thus, provided that the mail items are sorted according to their formats, larger or smaller, the largest sizes being placed below, jogging of an entire stack can be performed automatically without the presence of an operator. It will then suffice to simply put the first folds of the next stack on the jogging stop to automatically start the treatment without its presence is then necessary.

In a particular embodiment, said lateral jogging stop may further comprise a pressure sensor disposed on its inner edge and intended to control an additional displacement of said lateral jogging stop as a function of the pressure exerted by said inner edge on said mailpieces.

In a particular embodiment, said platform may further comprise an envelope presence sensor disposed near said referencing wall and passing through said platform, in order to detect the presence of at least one mailpiece on said platform.

Preferably, said lateral jogging abutment is mounted at the head end of a spar whose other foot end receives a T-shaped carriage which can slide in two rails, respectively shaped in shape ], facing each other and forming together said guide rail.

Advantageously, said carriage which can move between two end stops is secured to a belt moving between two pulleys, one being mounted idly on an axis integral with the frame of the receiving module and the other being driven by said drive motor.

Preferably, said first end stop is arranged such that said lateral jogging stop is positioned slightly below the minimum acceptable size and said second end stop is arranged such that said jogging stop is positioned slightly beyond the maximum allowable format.

In a particular embodiment, the jogging device may further comprise a position sensor for defining a reference zero position of said drive motor having a fixed portion is fixed to said guide rail and a movable portion is integral with said carriage. Said zero reference position corresponds to a position of said lateral jogging stop aligned with the outer edge of said platform.

The present invention also relates to a mail processing machine feeder comprising such a jogging device.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 représente en perspective externe un plateau de réception des articles de courrier muni d'un dispositif de taquage selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 représente en perspective ouverte le plateau de réception de la figure 1 muni du dispositif de taquage selon l'invention,
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe au niveau du dispositif de taquage du plateau de réception de la figure 1, et
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe selon le plan IV-IV de la figure 3.

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

• the figure 1 represents in external perspective a receiving tray for mailpieces provided with a jogging device according to the invention,
• the figure 2 represents in open perspective the reception tray of the figure 1 equipped with the jogging device according to the invention,
• the figure 3 is a sectional view at the jogging device of the receiving plate of the figure 1 , and
• the figure 4 is a sectional view along plane IV-IV of the figure 3 .

detailed description

The figure 1 illustrates in perspective a module for receiving mail items from a document feeder of a mail processing machine. As is known, this module 10 is arranged upstream of a selection module comprising selection and setting rolls of these mail items (see for example the aforementioned French patent). It conventionally comprises a platform 12 on which the mailpieces are stacked, a referencing wall 14 which closes one side of the platform and which defines a running direction for the mailpieces, and a lateral jogging device for jogging. the stack of mail articles thus formed against this reference wall.

As illustrated, this lateral jogging device comprises a lateral jogging abutment 16 movable in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the mail items. Indeed, this lateral jogging abutment 16 mounted at the end of a spar 18 can be moved along a guide rail 20 mounted in the platform 12, between a first position (the closest to the placing wall). in reference and illustrated to the figure 2 ) corresponding to a minimum format acceptable by the mail processing machine, namely the format called "business card" (140 mm x 90 mm), and a second position (furthest from the referencing wall and illustrated at the figure 1 ) corresponding to a maximum acceptable format, namely C4 format "landscape" (325 mm x 230 mm).

According to the invention, and as show more specifically the Figures 2 to 4 , the lateral jogging device is motorized to provide automatic adjustment of the positioning of the lateral jogging stopper 16 depending on the width of the mailpiece disposed on the platform. More particularly, this lateral abutment is mounted at the head end of the spar 18 whose other foot end receives a T-shaped carriage 22 which can slide in two rails, respectively shaped [20A and shaped] 20B, facing each other and forming together the guide rail 20. This rail is held in position under the platform 12 for example by two brackets 24A, 24B fixed on the front face of this platform by screws advantageously without heads 26. The carriage can move between two end stops 28A, 28B under the action of a belt 30 secured to this carriage by a pin 32 passing through it and which is wound around two pulleys 34, 36 between which it moves and arranged they also under the platform on two opposite sides thereof, one 34 being mounted idly on an axis 38 secured to the frame of the receiving module and the other 36 driven by a drive motor advantage The first end stop 28A substantially corresponds to a positioning of the lateral jogging stop slightly below the minimum allowable format and the second limit stop 28B. substantially corresponds to a positioning of the lateral jogging stop slightly beyond the maximum permissible format.

Arranged between the two limit stops 28A, 28B on the path of movement of the carriage, a first sensor 44 having a fixed portion 44A is fixed to one 20B of the two rails and a movable portion 44B is integral with the carriage 22, allows you to set a zero position for the motor Preferably, this reference position corresponds to a position of the jogging abutment aligned with the outer edge of the platform. This sensor is advantageously capacitive type.

The lateral jogging abutment further comprises two position sensors fixed for one 46 at its base at the junction with the spar 18 and for the other 48 at the top of this abutment. This abutment may also comprise a pressure sensor 50 disposed on an inner edge 16A of this abutment to refine the jogging control, for example by controlling an additional displacement (in practice a recoil) of this lateral jogging stop of a few tenths millimeters after reaching a maximum allowable threshold pressure. In addition, an envelope presence sensor 52 may also be mounted on the platform at the end of the guide rail. Each of these sensors, including the zero sensor, and the limit stops are of course connected to the control circuit 42 of which they constitute one of the inputs, this control circuit having as its sole output the drive motor (for reasons of clarity of the drawings, the links between these elements are however not shown).

The operation of the jogging device according to the invention is as follows. To ensure proper operation of the device, the operator must first have the envelopes of a postage stamp pyramid, that is to say with the largest envelopes below, then those of medium width finally, the smaller ones. Then, it will start the device, which will have the effect of causing the displacement of the lateral jogging stop towards its initial position at the edge of the platform, if it is not there already.

The operator can then deposit the batch of envelopes on the platform (for the sake of clarification, it is assumed that for this first batch the largest envelopes do not exceed the width of the platform), which has the effect of to mask the presence sensor 52 and to control the displacement of the lateral jogging stop towards the placing wall reference to reach the edge of the larger envelopes and thus mask in turn the first sensor 46. When the pressure sensor 50 is present, it is the latter by acting on the edge of the envelopes that will define precisely the moment stopping the displacement of the lateral jogging stop.

The envelopes are then extracted one by one from the first envelope of the batch, that is to say the one located at the bottom of the stack, on the platform. When the largest envelopes have all been extracted, the first sensor 46 is unmasked triggering the displacement of the lateral jogging stop towards the referencing wall until reaching the edge of the envelopes of medium size and thus hide again this first sensor. The displacement of the lateral jogging abutment is then stopped with possible taking into account of the action on the pressure sensor 50. As previously, the medium-sized envelopes are then extracted one by one until the last which will cause a unmasking of the first sensor and a new displacement of the lateral jogging stop. This displacement will end when the stop will reach the edge of the smallest envelopes and cause the last masking of the first sensor 46. These small envelopes will then be extracted in turn until the last envelope of the batch , extracting the last envelope by unmasking the first sensor, causing a last displacement of the lateral jogging stop against the end stop 28A.

The module is now ready to process a new batch of envelopes. For this, the operator who has previously taken care to prepare this batch pyramid, will deposit one or more of the largest envelopes forming this lot on the platform, as shown in the figure 3 , that is to say with this or these envelopes resting partly on the end of the lateral jogging abutment 16. This deposit, by masking the second sensor 48 will cause a rearward displacement of the lateral jogging stop ( a away from the referencing wall) until this or these envelopes fall flat on the platform, the unmasking of the second sensor causing a stop movement, possibly under the control of the pressure sensor 50. The operator can then deposit from this moment on this or these envelopes the rest of the stack whose treatment will then be performed as before.

Thus, with the invention, it is possible to obtain an almost automatic processing of mail items, the intervention of the operator being reduced to the supply of the receiving module by successive stacks of mail items organized by pyramidal way.

Note that if the invention as described above requires at least the use of four sensors, two sensors at the lateral jogging stop, a zero sensor at the guide rail and a presence sensor envelope on the platform, however, it is possible to achieve the same functionality with only two sensors of the lateral jogging stop, subject to a slightly different jogging device operation. Thus, the rest position of the lateral jogging abutment must no longer be fixed at the edge of the platform but, on the contrary, as close as possible to the referencing wall, more precisely in contact against the end-of-travel stop 28A which, must be recalled, is disposed below the minimum format of the envelopes to be treated.

In this rest position, the two sensors 46 and 48 are unmasked but, the drive motor 40 being in abutment, there can be a displacement of the lateral jogging abutment 16 towards the reference wall.

On the other hand, the deposition of a first stack of envelopes on the platform, by masking the second sensor 48, will this time cause a displacement no longer forwards but towards the rear of the lateral jogging stop (thus a distance referencing wall) until this battery (or the first casings of the battery) falls flat on the platform, the unmasking of the second sensor then causing an automatic stop of this displacement. The treatment of this stack will then be performed as before with successive advances of the lateral jogging stop, the lateral jogging stop ending its stroke in its rest position against the end stop 28A when all the envelopes of the stack have have been extracted.

Of course, as in the initial embodiment, the addition of a pressure sensor 50 may make it possible to ensure a more precise jogging of the stack of envelopes by further displacement of the lateral jogging stop. It will be noted that this pressure sensor may alternatively be disposed at the level of the referencing wall at the right of this lateral jogging stop.

Claims (9)

1. A jogging device for a feeder of a mail handling machine, comprising a side jogging abutment (16) mounted to move, under the action of a drive motor (40), along a guide rail (20) that is disposed perpendicularly to a referencing wall (14), characterized in that said side jogging abutment is provided with at least: a first sensor (46) that is fastened to its base and that, when unmasked, causes said side jogging abutment to move towards said referencing wall, and, when masked, causes this movement to stop; and a second sensor (48) that is fastened to the top of said side jogging abutment and that, when masked, causes said side jogging abutment to move away from said referencing wall, and, when unmasked, causes this movement to stop.
2. A jogging device according to claim 1, characterized in that said side jogging abutment is further provided with a pressure sensor (50) disposed on its inside edge (16A) and designed to cause said side jogging abutment to move to an additional extent as a function of the pressure exerted by said inside edge on said mailpieces.
3. A jogging device according to claim 1, characterized in that said platform is further provided with an envelope presence sensor (52) disposed in the vicinity of said referencing wall and passing through said platform, in order to detect the presence of at least one mailpiece on said platform.
4. A jogging device according to claim 1, characterized in that said side jogging abutment is mounted at an end of a bar (18) that forms the head end of the bar, and the other end of the bar, i.e. its end forming its foot, receives a T-shaped carriage (22) that is mounted to slide in two slide channels that are respectively [-shaped (20A) and ]-shaped (20B), that face each other, and that, together, form said guide rail.
5. A jogging device according to claim 4, characterized in that said carriage, which is mounted to move between two end-of-stroke abutments (28A, 28B), is secured to a belt (30) moving between two pulleys (34, 36), one of which (34) is mounted to rotate freely on axle (38) secured to the structure of the mailpiece-receiving module, and the other of which (36) is driven by said drive motor.
6. A jogging device according to claim 5, characterized in that said first end-of-stroke abutment is disposed in a manner such that said side jogging abutment (28A) is positioned a little way inside the minimum allowable format, and said second end-of-stroke abutment (28B) is disposed in a manner such that said side jogging abutment is positioned a little way outside the maximum allowable format.
7. A jogging device according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises a position sensor (44) for defining a reference zero position for said drive motor, a stationary portion (44A) of which sensor is fastened to said guide rail and a moving portion (44B) of which sensor is secured to said carriage.
8. A jogging device according to claim 7, characterized in that said reference zero position corresponds to said side jogging abutment being in a position in which it is aligned on the outside edge of said platform.
9. A feeder for a mail-handling machine, comprising a jogging device according to claims 1 to 8.

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