EP2085339B1 - Device for selecting mail articles with double die - Google Patents

Description

Field of the art

The present invention relates to the field of mail processing and more particularly relates to a mail item selection device implemented in an automatic feeder module, or feeder, a postage meter franking machine.

Prior art

Conventionally, a franking machine must be adapted to receive different types of mail items such as documents, folds or envelopes having greater or lesser thicknesses, typically from 0.1 mm to 16 mm. For this, it often has upstream of an automatic power supply module, in particular for conveying these mail items at different speeds and usually comprising means for receiving / stacking, selecting, transporting and possibly closing these items. mail items.

The patent EP 0 856 483 issued in the name of the applicant shows an example of such an automatic feeder including a selection module adapted to the passage of mail items of different thicknesses but the quality of the selection is highly dependent on the effort applied by the single sector on the mail item. Indeed, for thin mail items, typically less than 6mm, this effort must be important to limit the number of double envelopes passing to the franking machine while it may be low for mail items stronger. thickness. However, the die being pressed against the mail piece by a compression spring to avoid these double passages that are highly detrimental because resulting in both a billing (weighing two items instead of one) of one two items of mail, a postage of the article above and a non-closing of the article underneath, mail items of great thickness, especially those windows, may be damaged or torn.

The document EP-A-0 195 348 discloses a mail item selection device for separating the mail items one by one from a stack of mail items and transporting them downstream, comprising a first die in the form of a flexible tongue followed by a second die in the form of a separator pad, both of which cooperate with a plurality of opposed selection rollers to select one by one said mail items and transport them downstream, said first die being pivotable about a first axis of rotation against a first elastic return means and said second die being pivotable about a second axis of rotation against a second elastic return means, said second axis of rotation being offset upstream relative to said first rotation axis.

Object and definition of the invention

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages resulting from the passage of duplicate envelopes by proposing a device for selecting mail items for franking machine feeder which can limit in a proportion of at most 1 in 1000 such a double passage.

These goals are achieved by a mail item selection device for separating the mail items one by one from a stack of mail items and transporting them downstream, characterized in that it comprises a first die followed by a second die cooperating with at least one opposite selection roller to select one by one said mail items and transport them downstream, said first die being pivotable about a first axis of rotation against a first elastic return means and said second die being pivotable about a second axis of rotation against a second elastic return means, said second axis of rotation being offset upstream relative to said first axis of rotation and said first and second dies include drive means for allowing, beyond a range of thickness of predetermined mail items, an automatic pivoting ue of said second die during the pivoting of said first die.

According to a preferred embodiment, said drive means comprise at least one integral support of said first die and intended to cooperate with at least one stop of said second die so that during the passage of a mail piece having a thickness of in a predetermined thickness range of mail items, a pivoting of said first die causes a pivoting of said second die.

By this specific structure, it becomes possible to automatically discard the second die for thicknesses of envelopes for which this second die has no effect (thick envelopes) or raise slightly for those where it can cause damage the most fragile envelopes (standard envelopes). The processing of all types of envelopes becomes possible and the quality of selection of fine envelopes is improved.

Advantageously, the offset of said axes of rotation is adapted so that within said predetermined thickness range of mail items, the pivoting of said first die does not cause any pivoting of said second die and for that beyond a range of thickness of predetermined mail items, the pivoting of said first die causes a withdrawal of said second die transport path mail items.

Preferably, said first die has a comb shape on each of the teeth of which is fixed an elastomeric blade or a ceramic finger.

The present invention also relates to a mailing machine feeder for mailing machines comprising the aforementioned mail article selection device.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe longitudinale d'un dispositif de sélection d'articles de courrier selon l'invention,
• la figure 1A est une variante de réalisation de la première filière,
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus du dispositif de sélection de la figure 1, et
• la figure 3 montre deux courbes de déplacement des première et seconde filières selon la hauteur des articles de courrier.

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

• the figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device for selecting mailpieces according to the invention,
• the Figure 1A is an alternative embodiment of the first die,
• the figure 2 is a top view of the selection device of the figure 1 , and
• the figure 3 shows two curves of displacement of the first and second dies according to the height of the articles of mail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

An automatic mailing material supply module conventionally comprises a feed zone consisting essentially of a tray intended to receive a pile of mail items and comprising first transport rollers for driving these mailpieces downstream. (and against a referencing wall) at a separation zone comprising a separation device in which these mail items are extracted one by one from the stack of articles. Second transport rollers are generally provided at the exit of this separation zone for conveying mail items. thus extracted downstream. Such automatic feeder is for example illustrated in the European patent cited in the preamble of the present application.

The Figures 1 and 2 show more precisely the structure of the device according to the invention for separating mail items 10 which essentially comprises a first die 12 followed by a second die 14 both cooperating with a plurality of opposed selection rollers, for example 16A, 16B, 16C, to select a mail item and a single item and transport it downstream. The first die is articulated about a first axis of rotation 18 and can pivot against a first elastic return means, for example at least one compression spring 20A, 20B, during the passage of mail items on the selection rollers and the second die is hinged about a second axis of rotation 22, offset upstream with respect to the first axis of rotation 18, and it can rotate likewise against a second means of rotation. resilient return, for example a compression spring 24, during the passage of mail items on the selection rollers. These two elastic means are each also supported on a frame portion 26 of the selection device. Note that if reference has been made by way of example to a compression spring, it is understood that a tension spring could also be suitable subject to a configuration of attachment of the spring to the different frame.

As is known, the first and second dies 12, 14 are not arranged perpendicular to the transport path of mail items but inclined downstream of about 45 °. They each have a comb shape and each of their teeth (two in the example shown) is fixed an elastomer blade 12A, 14A which has a very high coefficient of friction to ensure the best possible contact with the mailpiece .

In an embodiment variant illustrated in Figure 1A , the elastomer blade is replaced by a ceramic finger 28 which has the advantage over an elastomeric blade not to wear and not leave marks on the mail items. Indeed, the elastomer blade is very powerful but it wears relatively quickly and may damage, by crumpling or stuffing, the most fragile mail items.

According to the invention, these two dies move in a conjugated manner. More particularly, the first die has at least one support 12B intended to cooperate with at least one abutment 14B of the second die, so that, only beyond a thickness range of predetermined mail items defined by the distance e existing between the stop and its support, a displacement of the first die will cause an automatic and progressive movement of the second die. Thus, by the shift of the axes of rotation 18, 22, by the distances existing between these axes and the contact ends of the dies and by the action of the support 12B on the abutment 14B, it is possible to obtain the displacements 30, 32 respective conjugates of the first and second dies as illustrated in FIG. figure 3 so that the pivoting of the first die (curve 30) by a mail piece having a small thickness, that is to say between 0 and 2 mm, will not cause a lifting of the second die (curve 32), then that the pivoting of the first die by a mail article having a standard thickness of between 2 and 6 mm, will cause this progressive lifting of the second die and that the pivoting of the first die by a mail piece of more than 6 mm will result in a complete erasure of the second die which will no longer be in contact with the article of mail and will therefore no longer act on the selection.

The operation of the selection device according to the invention is as follows. The mail items to be treated being arranged in bulk on the tray of the feed device, for mail of small thickness, that is to say the thickness of which is less than 2 mm, most of the selection work is performed by the first die, the second die which remains subject to its return spring 22 overriding if necessary the possible double passages. For mail standard thickness, that is to say whose thickness is between 2 and 6mm, the mail article by lifting the first die will cause a gradual pivoting of the second die which will be partly raised when the article of mail reaches it, which will prevent this second die on which the compression spring 24 acts premature wear by repeated shocks with the mail item to which it is subject for these items and those of low thickness. This gradual lifting will also prevent rustling of the most fragile mail items, such as window envelopes. In addition, when the article of mail leaves the first die, its descent under the action of the first return spring 20a, 20B has no impact on the selection then made by the second die.

Thus, with the present invention, it is possible to process envelopes of different thicknesses without selecting by a specific lever a particular mode of operation (for example for envelopes larger than 6mm). In addition, the second die is no longer used in the operating mode where it does not intervene, that is to say for thick envelopes, or less for envelopes of standard thickness, its replacement can to intervene much less frequently than in the devices of the prior art, thus limiting the periods of unavailability of the franking machine.

Claims (6)

1. A mailpiece selector device for separating mailpieces one-by-one from a stack of mailpieces and for transporting them downstream, comprising a first guide (12) followed by a second guide (14), both of which guides co-operate with a plurality of opposite selector rollers (16A, 16B, 16C) to select said mailpieces one-by-one and to transport them downstream, said first guide being able to pivot about a first pivot axis (18) in opposition to first resilient return means (20A, 20B), and said second guide being able to pivot about a second pivot axis (22) in opposition to second resilient return means (24), said second pivot axis being offset upstream relative to said first pivot axis, characterized in that said first and second guides having drive means (12B, 14B) for making it possible, above a predetermined mailpiece thickness range, for said second guide to pivot automatically when said first guide pivots.
2. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 1, characterized in that said drive means comprise at least one bearing surface (12B) secured to or integral with said first guide and designed to co-operate with at least one abutment (14B) on said second guide, so that, as a mailpiece having a thickness lying in a predetermined mailpiece thickness range passes through, said first guide pivoting causes said second guide to pivot.
3. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 1, characterized in that the offset of said pivot axes is adapted so that, below said predetermined mailpiece thickness range, said first guide pivoting does not cause said second guide to pivot at all.
4. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 1, characterized in that the offset of said pivot axes is adapted so that, above a predetermined mailpiece thickness range, said first guide pivoting causes said second guide to be retracted out of the mailpiece transport path.
5. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first guide is comb-shaped, each of the teeth of the comb having an elastomer blade (12A, 14B) or a ceramic finger (28) fastened to it.
6. A mailpiece feeder for a franking machine, which feeder includes a mailpiece selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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