EP2199237A1 - Improved mail feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a receiving plate traversed by motorized transportation units e.g. motorized rollers. A stack of mail articles are rest on the plate. A commanding and controlling circuit actuates the transportation units at a determined driving speed to permit extraction of the mail articles towards the downstream. A control process controls the transportation units in which driving speed of the transportation units varies according to the weight of the stack of mail articles rest on the plate.

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the specific field of mail processing. It is particularly aimed at an improved device for supplying mail items for franking machines with or without a differential weighing module.

Prior art

Differential weigh modules intended to be implemented with franking machines are well known. These devices that provide on-the-fly weighing comprise a weighing platform (forming receiving tray) incorporating a load sensor and on which a stack of mail items is based. To perform a weighing, the operator removes each mail item one by one and the difference in weight measured by the balance before and after the withdrawal of an article is transmitted to the franking machine which then determines the franking value during This item is transferred from the weighing module to the franking machine.

He is also known by the patent FR2872612 filed in the name of the applicant, an automatic feed device for mail items incorporating such a differential weighing module and thus allowing continuous weighing and therefore a supply of mail items at particularly high rates. This device gives overall satisfaction. The inventors, however, found that the effort exerted on the mail items could vary considerably from one item of mail to the other and in particular between the first and the last mail items of the stack and that it resulted either from double passes is an unnecessary energy expenditure to overcome the weight of the pile.

This disadvantage is also present in more conventional feeding devices where mail items are weighed in an external weighing device.

Object and definition of the invention

The invention proposes to overcome this disadvantage with an improved device for supplying mailpieces with or without a differential weighing module and in which the force exerted on each of the mail items is adapted to the weight of the stack. mail items throughout its treatment, so as to deliver a constant feed rate. An object of the invention is also to maintain this constancy in the effort whatever the environment to which the feed device is subjected.

These objects are achieved in a mailpiece supply device comprising a receiving plate traversed by motorized transport members and on which a stack of mail items and a control and control circuit for actuating said gearing members motorized transport at a determined drive speed to enable a one-to-one extraction downstream of said mail items, by a control method of said motorized transport members in which the driving speed of said motorized transport members varies in weight function of said stack of mail items resting on said receiving tray.

Thus, with this method implemented in an improved feeding device, the driving speed of the motorized transport members is constantly adapted to the weight of the stack of mail items and the double passages can thus be avoided.

According to the embodiment envisaged, said weight of said stack of mailpieces can be obtained from a weighing device external to the feed device and then communicated to said feed circuit. command and control or from a load cell carrying said receiving plate and said motorized transport members and connected to said control and control circuit.

Preferably, said variation in speed is linear, the driving speed of said motorized transport members being maximum when said pile of mail items is heavier and then decreasing as said stack of mail items decreases.

Advantageously, said driving speed of said motorized transport members also varies with the humidity rate recorded in the feed device by a hygrometry sensor. Preferably, said speed variation is linear, the driving speed of said motorized transport members increasing when said humidity increases and vice versa.

The invention also relates to a device for supplying mailpieces comprising a receiving plate traversed by motorized transport members and on which a stack of mailpieces and a control and control circuit for actuating said motorized transport at a determined driving speed in order to allow a one-to-one extraction downstream of said mail items, characterized in that said control and control circuit is adapted to vary said driving speed of said gearing members. motorized transport according to the weight of said stack of mail items resting on said receiving tray.

According to the embodiment envisaged, said weight of said stack of mailpieces can be obtained from a weighing device external to the feed device and then communicated to said control and control circuit or by a control cell. weighing carrying said receiving tray and said motorized transport members and delivering a weighing signal proportional to the weight of said stack of mail items.

The supply device may furthermore comprise a hygrometry sensor for supplying to said control and control circuit a value of the humidity level recorded in said supply device and said control and control circuit is adapted for furthermore varying said driving speed of said motorized transport members according to said measured humidity value.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 représente une vue en perspective d'un exemple de réalisation d'un alimenteur de machine de traitement de courrier selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 représente une vue en perspective d'un exemple de réalisation d'un alimenteur de machine de traitement de courrier selon l'invention intégrant un module de pesée différentielle, et
• la figure 3 est un organigramme illustrant le procédé de commande des organes de transport motorisés des alimenteurs des figures 1 et 2.

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 represents a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a mail processing machine feeder according to the invention,
• the figure 2 represents a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a mail processing machine feeder according to the invention integrating a differential weighing module, and
• the figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the method of controlling the motorized transport members of the feeders of figures 1 and 2 .

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

The figure 1 illustrates a first exemplary embodiment of a mail item supply module 10 to which the method of the invention can be applied and which is intended to be placed, as is known, at the entrance of a franking module mail items (the franking machine itself not shown).

This feed device conventionally comprises a receiving plate 12 traversed by motorized transport members 14, these members being able to be constituted by motorized rollers, motorized rollers or motorized conveyor belts and on which the mail item stack to be franked, these members allowing the transport and ejection of the mail items to the franking module disposed downstream. The receiving tray includes of course at least one longitudinal referencing wall 16 and a transverse wall 18 for positioning the mail items.

The motorized transport members are conventionally actuated at a driving speed determined by a common drive motor 20, advantageously of the electric DC type, as a function of control and control means 22, preferably with a microprocessor and associated software. . It should be noted that these control and control means are not necessarily integrated in the power supply device but can be constituted simply by the processing means of the franking module to which the power supply module is commonly connected by an electrical connection.

The figure 2 illustrates another example of a mail item supply module incorporating a differential weighing module so as to form a single device intended to be once again placed at the entrance of the franking module mail items.

This feeder also comprises the receiving tray 12 on which the mail item stack rests and is traversed by the motorized transport members 14 intended for transporting and ejecting mail items to the mail module. postage once the weighing has been done. The receiving tray integrates the longitudinal referencing wall 16 and the transverse wall 18 to precisely position the mailpieces for weighing them according to the known process of differential weighing by means of a weighing cell 24 (typically such as load cells such as strain gauges) disposed under the receiving tray 12 which it carries and the motorized transport members.

The motorized transport members are conventionally actuated at a drive speed determined by the common drive motor 20, advantageously of the DC electric type, as a function of control and control means 22, preferably with a microprocessor and associated software. , which also handle the weight data provided by a weighing signal of the load cell. It will be noted, as before, that these control control means are not necessarily integrated in the supply device but can be constituted simply by the processing means of the franking module to which the power supply module is connected by a link electric.

As it is known, the weighing module may also comprise format detection means (not shown) connected to the control and control means and making it possible to supply data relating to the length and the width of this article of mail, that is, the format of the mail item. Indeed, in some states such as the United States, Germany or Great Britain, the format of a mail item, as well as its weight, is a component used in calculating the amount of postage. It should be noted, however, that these format detection means can just as easily be placed directly in the franking module.

According to the invention, the control and control circuit 22 is adapted to vary the driving speed of the motorized transport members 14 as a function of the weight of the stack of mail items resting on the receiving tray 12. weight of the stack of mail items can be obtained in the case of the feeding device of the figure 1 from a device (not shown) weighing externally to this feeder which will then communicate the weight value reported to the control and control circuit 22. But, this weight of the stack of mail items can also be delivered directly by the device when it includes, as shown by the feeding device of the figure 2 , an integrated weighing cell 24 carrying the receiving plate 12 and motorized transport members and thus delivering a weighing signal proportional to the weight of this stack of mail items.

In an advantageous variant, the feed device that it integrates or not a load cell may further comprise a hygrometry sensor 26 for delivering to the control and control circuit 22 a value of the moisture content recorded in the feeding device to allow this control and control circuit to vary the driving speed of the motorized transport members 14 according to the measured value of the moisture content. Indeed, when the humidity is high (for example greater than 80%), the friction coefficients of the mail items, with each other, with the receiving tray or with the motorized transport devices with which they are in contact. The increase in the contact speed is necessary, which necessitates a corresponding increase in the drive speed of these components to ensure a good separation of mail items and to maintain a constant extraction rate.

The method implemented in the aforementioned feed devices is now explained with regard to the flowchart of the figure 3 .

In a first step 100, the weight of the stack of mail items loaded onto the receiving tray of the improved feed device of the invention is acquired, this acquisition being able to result from the differential weighing process itself. to the feed device itself or a communication of a weight value obtained by an external weighing device connected to the franking module to which the feeder itself is connected. Optionally, this acquisition step may also include an acquisition of the humidity level in the device by the hygrometry sensor 26.

The weight thus obtained corresponding to the weight of the stack of mail items is then stored in the control and control circuit, in a step 102 and in a following step 104, the drive speed of the motorized members is fixed by the treatment and control circuit according to this weight and the humidity rate possibly recorded, the maximum speed corresponding to the heavier stack (and therefore generally the highest) allowed by the receiving tray.

Once this driving speed has been determined, the mailpiece at the bottom of the stack can then be extracted in a step 106 and, depending on the feed device used, a step 108 is transferred to this mail item to a dynamic scale that will calculate the weight (for a standard feeder) or, in a parallel step 110, the acquisition and calculation of the weight of the mail item extracted by difference between the weight the stack of mail items previously stored and that of the new pile once the article extracted (for a feeder incorporating a load cell). In a next step 112, the weight of the mail item is then transmitted to the control and control circuit to update the weight of the stack and adjust if necessary, in a next step 114, the driving speed of the goods. transport organs. Finally, it can be done back to step 106 to extract a new mail item and resume the aforementioned process of calculating the weight of the new stack and adjusting the drive speed of the transport members.

Thus, the knowledge at any time of the weight of the stack of mail items makes it possible to adjust in real time the drive speed of the transport members and thus to take into account the mass of this stack which influences the necessary efforts. to these organs to extract mail items one after the other. It will also be noted that, if it has been A single moisture reading is reported when initially acquiring the weight of the stack of mail items, it is of course possible to consider that this reading be done more frequently.

Claims (10)

In a mailpiece supply device comprising a receiving plate (12) traversed by motorized transport members (14) and on which a stack of mail items and a control and control circuit (22) to actuate said motorized transport members at a determined drive speed to allow a one-to-one downstream extraction of said mail items, a method of controlling said motorized transport members in which the driving speed of said drive members; motorized transport varies according to the weight of said stack of mail items resting on said receiving tray. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said weight of said stack of mail items is obtained from a weighing device external to the feeder and subsequently communicated to said control and control circuit. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said weight of said stack of mail items is obtained from a weighing cell (24) carrying said receiving tray and said powered transport members and connected to said control circuit and control. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said variation is linear, the driving speed of said motorized transport members being maximum when said stack of mail items is heavier and decreasing thereafter as said stack of mail items decreases. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said driving speed of said motorized transport members further varies with the humidity measured in the supply device by a hygrometry sensor (26). Method according to claim 5, characterized in that said speed variation is linear, the driving speed of said motorized transport means increasing when said humidity increases and vice versa. Device for supplying mail items comprising a receiving tray (12) traversed by motorized transport members (14) and on which a stack of mail items and a control and control circuit (22) for actuating said motorized transport members at a driving speed determined to enable one-to-one extraction downstream of said mail items, characterized in that said control and control circuit is adapted to vary said driving speed said motorized transport members according to the weight of said stack of mail items resting on said receiving tray. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said weight of said stack of mail items is obtained from a weighing device external to the feed device and subsequently communicated to said control and control circuit. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said receiving plate and said motorized transport members are carried by a weighing cell (24) delivering a weighing signal proportional to the weight of said stack of mail items. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that it further comprises a hygrometry sensor (26) for delivering to said control and control circuit a value of the humidity level recorded in said device Food and in that said command and control circuit is adapted to additionally vary said drive speed of said motorized transport elements in accordance with said humidity value measured.

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