EP3441150A1 - Sorting installation with an unloading device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a sorting system (2), comprising a support tray (8) for receiving a stack of mail (12) on the support tray (8) on their narrow sides standing programs (4). The sorting system (2) comprises an unloading device (14) which comprises a support plane (16) and a container receptacle (18) for receiving a mail item container (20). The support tray (8) opens into the support plane (16) and further into the container receptacle (18). The support plane (16) is disposed at the same level or slightly below the support tray (8) and equal or more inclined than the support tray (8). The mail container (20) is positioned by the container receptacle (18) so that a container surface of the mail container (20) at the same height or slightly below the support plane (16) and the container surface is equal or more inclined than the support plane (16). The sorting system (2) is designed such that the mail item stack (12) can be moved along the unloading direction (10) from the support tray (8) via the support plane (16) into the mail item container (20). Thus, the items (4) of the stack of mail are then in the mail container (20) on their broadsides.

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of sorting machines for flat items.

In sorting systems, in particular postal sorting systems, flat items such as letters and / or large letters are processed. Typically, the items are separated at a separating device (material input) from a stack in which the items are upright, transported by a conveyor system of the sorting and fed to several sorting outputs the respective stacking compartments the mail sorting system. In a stacking tray, the mailpieces each form a stack of mail standing upright on a support tray of the stack. The programs of the mail stack are typically arranged approximately vertically standing on their edges. Side-by-side stacking compartments form a specialized section.

After a sort pass at the end of a departure sort, the shipment stacks are unloaded from the stackers and loaded into shipment containers to be transported in those shipment containers to a destination sorting center. When considering the unloading of consignment stacks in consignment containers, differentiation must be made according to the consignment spectrum, because the consignment spectrum to be unloaded has an influence on the suitable solutions. If it is a sorting process, in which the order of the shipments of the mail stack in the stacking compartment plays a role, such as in the sequence sorting, when unloading the shipments in a mailing container must also be ensured that this order is maintained. Even after the end of a sequence sorting, it is necessary to shipments in To load containers so that the deliverer can take the shipments in these containers on the delivery route. It is important for the deliverer that he can read the address of the next-to-be-sent program easily and well, so he knows which is the next stop on his delivery route.

Pure letter packs, which only include items from smaller formats such as typical standard letters to letters in C5 or even B5 format with 2-level sorters, can be unloaded relatively easily into customer containers. In order to unload these consignment piles of letters, an extract is located below the lower tray under each stacking tray. On this can stand a container. Similarly, below the stacking subjects receptacles, such as a trolley, be arranged for containers. These recordings or the respective extract are drawn out for unloading a stacking tray with a container thereon, so that the container is in the area in front of the stacking tray. Placing a container in front of the stacking tray is done so that the container top edge is at least below the support tray for the stack of mail in the stacker. For unloading the stacking tray into the container, the operator grasps the stack of mail in the stacking tray at its beginning and at its end with two hands and quickly guides or pushes it out of the stacking tray so that it then falls down into the container as a whole Stack is thus partially performed by the operator. However, the solutions described are only solutions for consignment of letters that are both in the stacker, as well as in the container, so the programs are with their lower edges on the bottom of the container, and not for consignment, which wholly or partially Large letters exist.

The standing orientation of the stack of mail items in the container is above all typical and suitable for pure letter stacks, because mailing stacks of this size can be received in a stable position by a container having a length corresponding to the stack length. The container must then be as wide as the longest consignment and as high as the highest consignment, in order to be able to stack it on each other in the filled state. Because letters are not that high, or because there are no such large differences in height, the containers can easily be made high enough. This is especially true for postal companies that only include standard letters to the letter format and already process C5 formats in another shipment stream. In this case, the space efficiency in a container is very high. In addition, these pure letter stacks have due to their shipment format and a length of typically about 200 mm to max. about 450 mm no great weight. Since the customer containers used for this purpose are typically made rather low (because they do not have to record high shipments), the drop height of the mail stack is low and the handling for a skilled operator relatively easy.

Shipment stacks, which consist wholly or partly of large letters, however, can be discharged from the stacking tray directly into customer containers only with difficulty or not at all according to this principle. The customer containers are typically higher, so have higher side walls to accommodate the high shipments can also. Thus, the drop height of the stack of mail increases. The stack of mail would fall lower or would have to be led down longer, so that he stays together as a whole, and thus the stacking order is maintained. In addition, thereby also the hands of the operating force must dive into the customer container, what on Reason of rapid movement can lead to unpleasant shocks to the backs of the hands on the inner top edges of the customer's container or even to injuries. In the case of consignment batches comprising large letters, the considerably heavier weight of the individual consignments and thus of the entire consignment stack and the consequent greater impact of the downward movement are also aggravated. A mailing stack of large letters can be heavier by a factor of 3 to 4 than a letter stack of the same length. This is accompanied by an increasing load on the operating force, because the force required to guide the stack of packages during lowering also increases and the risk of injuries or at least unpleasant shocks increases. It would therefore be necessary to avoid having to lift the stack or partial stacks for unloading.

For larger shipment formats, so in stacks of mail, which consist wholly or partly of large letters, it is common practice that the consignment stacks are in the containers. In particular, if it is not just about flat broadcasts in the paper envelope, but as usual with large letters to open magazines or plastic wrapped and / or labile shipments, a standing handling of the mail stack as described in letter stacks above by properties such as instability of Consignments and inhomogeneity of the consignment pile even more difficult or impossible. With the increase in these criteria, which are detrimental to the type of discharge described above for letter stacks, the number of errors (breakup of the stack, shipments falling to the ground, the order of shipments in the stack is lost, etc.) increases. Therefore, and also because of the above-described properties of a mail stack of large letters, there is a horizontal orientation of the mail batch in the containers. A lying orientation of the stack of mail in the containers is also useful for larger program formats, because then the container does not have to be as high as the highest shipment to be able to be stacked on each other in the filled state. In the case of horizontal orientation, the container then only has to be as long as the longest and as wide as the highest consignment. The length of the stack that can be accommodated thus corresponds in principle to the height of the container. Here as well, depending on the sorting process, as described above, the order of the consignments during unloading into the container must often be retained.

It makes sense and common practice for all postal companies that in the case of lying consignment stacks, the consignments always lie in the container in such a way that their addresses point upwards, ie can be read directly. This is essential, in particular, for a shipment stack sorted in sequence, so that the delivery agent can always read the address of the next item to be delivered, that is to say the address of the topmost item in the stack. For consignment stacks of large letters, a customer container, for example on a trolley or on a container extract, is positioned in the area in front of the stacking compartment to be unloaded for the unloading of a stacking compartment. Then the operator picks up a partial stack of the stack in the stacking tray, lifts it up and carries in quasi a very short distance to the container. There he tilts it from the vertical to the horizontal orientation and places it so that the items are in the container. To empty a full stack tray, this process must be repeated several times, because the entire stack of mail in the stacking tray is difficult to reach for lifting and is too heavy to lift.

Alternatively, shipment stacks in sub-stacks from the stacked compartments can be reloaded to single-storey mobile buffers, so-called mail transport tools, also referred to as intermediate storage means (ISMs). These are positioned for reloading from a stacker tray directly in front of the stacking tray in question. These can also be used only as temporary storage and the consignment stacks can then be reloaded into containers in another step in a further step by the ISMs. This procedure is used today when the programs in the stacking compartments are oriented so that the addresses of the items standing in the stacking compartment point to the operator. When tilting the sub-stack from the vertical to the horizontal orientation, this tilting must then be such that the addresses of the items in the container point upwards so that the address of the topmost item can be read without having to turn them over each time. However, the described procedure also does not solve the present problem of direct unloading from the stacking compartments into containers and thus does not constitute a solution corresponding to the requirements.

If - as also described above - a stack of mail in sub-stacks unloaded in the containers, and the part stacks are rotated as described here, thereby changing the order of the shipments in the mail stack, the sequence is thus destroyed (this problem is independent of the orientation of the address pages the shipments). On the other hand, it is not possible or only with unreasonable force feasible to completely unload the entire, large letters stack of mail in the manner described above for single letters comprehensive mail stack in a container. Therefore, the criteria "address shows in lying pile up" and "compliance with the order of shipment" must be considered there is no suitable solution.

Regardless of whether a shipment stack for a further sorting pass has to be brought back to the material input or otherwise stored or further processed, it is very advantageous if a mail stack can be efficiently unloaded from the stacking tray into a container while maintaining its order. An adequate solution to the problem is not yet known.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of efficiently unloading a stack of mail items standing on a support tray while maintaining its sequence in a container. This object is achieved by the solutions described in the independent claims.

The solution according to the invention provides for a sorting system for flat items, for example large letters, comprising a support tray for receiving a delivery stack arranged along a discharge direction from a plurality of items standing on their narrow sides on the support tray, characterized by an unloading device comprising a support plane and a container holder , The container receptacle is configured to receive a mail item container. The support tray opens in the discharge direction in the support plane, the support plane is disposed at the same level or slightly below the support tray and equal or more inclined than the support tray. The support plane opens into the container receptacle in the unloading direction, wherein the container receptacle is configured so that a container surface of the receptacle is arranged in an upper position of the container receptacle at the same height or slightly below the support plane and the container surface is equal or more inclined than the support plane. And the support tray and the support plane are configured so that the stack of mail along the discharge direction of the support tray on the support plane into the arranged on the container receiving receptacle, which is open at its top, is movable.

A sorting system is to be understood as meaning a device which can receive a stack of mail in such a way that the mailpieces can stand on their narrow sides on the support tray. The sorting system can, but does not have to, be designed to bring or arrange the consignments of the consignment pile in a specific sequence. For example, the sorting system can be configured as a mail sorting system. A consignment within the meaning of the invention is to be understood as meaning, in particular, a mail item, preferably narrow mail items such as letters, large letters and / or further mail items such as open magazines or plastic and / or unstable mail items, but the term mail item is also intended to include other flat items. For example, books or magazines that are designed to be placed in a stack standing on their narrow sides.

The term container surface includes all side surfaces and the one bottom / bottom surface of the mail container. By moving the stack of mail is to be understood that this is moved as a whole or sequentially in several stages of the support tray in the mail item.

As a result of the solution according to the invention, the fast, simple and safe direct unloading of stacked consignment stacks, which consist wholly or partly of large letters, is made possible by stacking compartments in customer containers. The described solution can provide a significant competitive advantage be achieved, because efficient unloading is of great importance (sorting outgoing goods, last pass of the sorting of the sequence, etc.). A stack of mail can be unloaded manually with the sorting system according to the invention while maintaining the order of shipment directly into the mail container (typically customer container). The unloading process is quick, easy and safe with little effort for the operator and without having to lift the stack of mail.

In order to move the stack of mail with low friction losses sliding over the support tray and / or the support plane, according to a further embodiment, the support tray and / or the support plane may have a smooth surface. Due to the smooth surface occurs during sliding movement of the mail stack along the discharge only a small coefficient of friction, so that an operator has to spend only a small amount of force to move the stack of mail. In the case of an inclined support plane, the movement of a stack of mail once placed on the support plane may no longer be actively supported manually; the once initiated movement of the mail stack can then take place solely, ie without manual assistance by the operator, or at least partially via gravity. Thus, even heavy consignment stacks can be moved without ergonomically overloading the operator.

According to one embodiment, the support tray and / or the support plane may comprise a conveying means conveying along the unloading direction, for example a roller conveyor. As a result, the stack of mail can be moved particularly easily along the unloading direction, even with heavy shipments. The funding can be used for active and / or passive promotion be designed. With active promotion, the funding can be driven by a drive means, with passive promotion, the funding can be moved through the stack of mail, for example by the wheels of the roller conveyor just rotate and thus reduce the movement of the mail stack braking friction.

In order to obtain an optimal movement of the stack of mail, comprising both an optimal transfer from the support tray to the support plane, as well as an optimal moving on the support plane itself, according to one embodiment, a support plane angle enclosed by the support tray and the support plane angle values of 13 ° to 23 ° include. These angle values achieve a particularly good compromise between easy movement of the stack of mail by tilting the support plane and thus low effort and not too fast movement of the mail stack, in still a cohesion of the mail stack, even without or with at least only a small guide is achieved.

According to another embodiment, in the upper position, a container receiving angle enclosed by the support tray and the container surface of the mail container may comprise angular values of 23 ° to 33 °. This results in a difference in inclination, in which the stack of mail can be transferred without or at least with only a small guide into the mail container.

So that the mail container after its filling can easily be transferred to an ordinary standing position, from which the mail container can be easily removed from the container receptacle, the sorting system according to one embodiment may comprise a pivoting device which is configured may be to pivot the container receptacle with a pivoting movement from the upper position to a lower position.

According to a further embodiment, the pivoting device may be configured to stably lock the container receptacle in the upper position and / or in the lower position and to release this locking again.

According to one embodiment, the swiveling device can be configured to detect that the mail item has been moved in into the mail item received by the container receptacle and, in response to being moved in, swivels the container holder together with mail item container from the upper position to the lower position. The container receptacle, including the mail container, pivots from the upper to the lower position as a result of the impact of moving in the mail item stack and through the mass of the mail item stack immediately after the impact of the mail item stack. As a result, the entire process of transferring the stack of mail and pivoting the filled mailer container from the upper to the lower position becomes even faster and easier to carry out.
According to a further embodiment, the pivoting device may comprise a length-adjustable lifting rod and / or a damping device, for example comprising a gas pressure spring which is designed to dampen pivoting into the lower position and / or to store and reuse energy of the pivoting movement. Thus, the pivoting device can be designed as technically simple as possible sensitive, energetically optimal and robust for the kinematics and kinetics of the pivoting movement with the forces acting thereby.
According to one embodiment, the support tray of a Stacking compartment may be included and the sorting system may comprise a plurality of stacking compartments arranged along a specialist section and may comprise a guiding device arranged along this compartment along which the unloading device may be displaceable. As a result, an unloading device can be used in a straightforward manner for a plurality of support trays of the stacking compartments of the specialized section, so that the degree of utilization of a discharging device is increased. Unloading devices may, but need not be present more than once. The guide device ensures in a simple manner a local flexibility of the unloading device while still being easy to position. Two or more unloading devices can also run in the guiding device, so that one or the other can be used as required, or two operators can work simultaneously without the unloading devices being permanently assigned to certain stacking compartments.

According to a further embodiment, the sorting system can be configured to lock the unloading device in front of each of the stacking compartments. Thus, by means of an adapted embodiment of the unloading device and the sorting system, an unloading-optimal and at the same time stable positioning of the unloading device in front of each of the stacking compartments of the sorting system can be achieved.

According to a further embodiment, the container receptacle can be configured for receiving a mail item container so that the container surface of the mail item container into which the support level opens is a side surface and / or a bottom surface. This means that the upper side of the mail container is oriented towards the support plane and / or starting from an orientation of the upper side to the support plane by 90 ° in the Clockwise can be rotated. This makes it possible to transfer the stack of mail from the support plane into the mail container such that this mail stack subsequently lies in the mail container (the container surface is a side surface / the bottom of the mail container lies on the container receiving base) Consignment container lies on the container receiving side).

In order that the mail item can be received in a variety of ways from the container receptacle, the container receptacle may comprise a container receiving bottom and a container receiving side and / or a gripping device for receiving the mail item container. On a container receiving bottom and container receiving side comprehensive container receiving the mailing container can be easily turned off and swung back and forth without further active attachment between the top and bottom position. The gripping device allows additional stabilization or, taken by itself, a stable pick-up by establishing a stable, detachable connection between the mail container and container receptacle. At the same time, the gripping device can enable a weight-moderately lightweight design of the container receptacle. According to a further embodiment, the sorting system can be configured to orient an address side of the mail items of the mail item stack opposite to the unloading direction. As a result, the address of the uppermost consignment of a consignment stack moved into the consignment container and lying in the consignment container is visible and thus easily readable.

According to one embodiment, the sorting system can be at least one further support level, which is between the first support level and the container receptacle is arranged. The further support plane can be arranged at the same height or slightly below the first support plane and be the same or more inclined than the first support plane. The container receptacle can be configured to position the mail item in the upper position of the container receptacle so that the container surface of the mail item can be at the same level or slightly below the other support level and equal or more inclined than the other support level. And the further support plane can be designed so that the stack of mail along the discharge direction of the support tray on the support plane and further on the further support plane into the arranged on the container receiving mail container is movable. Thus, a simple and ergonomic access to the stack of mail for an operator is made possible if the first support level does not provide sufficient space for this purpose. In addition, by introducing additional support levels of the overall overcome angular difference of the mail stack even with small differences in pitch of the individual mutually colliding support levels done so that the stack of mail is controlled moves, so for example does not break apart.

The solution according to the invention can be further improved by various configurations which are advantageous in each case and, if not stated otherwise, can be combined with one another as desired. These embodiments and the advantages associated with them will be discussed below.

Figur 1

seitlich eine Sortieranlage mit einem Sendungsstapel auf der Stützablage und Behälteraufnahme in oberer Position;

Figur 2

die Sortieranlage von Figur 1 mit dem Sendungsstapel auf der Stützebene;

Figur 3

die Sortieranlage von Figur 1 mit dem Sendungsstapel im Sendungsbehälter, die Behälteraufnahme weiter in der oberen Position;

Figur 4

die Sortieranlage der Figuren 1 bis 3 wie in Figur 3, allerdings mit der Behälteraufnahme in unterer Position;

Figur 5

die Sortieranlage der Figuren 1 bis 4 wie in Figur 4, allerdings ohne Sendungsbehälter;

Figur 6

die Sortieranlage der Figuren 1 bis 5 wie in Figur 5, allerdings mit leerem Sendungsbehälter;

Figur 7

ausschnittsweise eine konstruktive Ausführungsform einer Sortiervorrichtung umfassend eine Fachstrecke mit Stapelfächern mit einer vor dem mittleren Stapelfach angeordneten Entladevorrichtung mit einer Behälteraufnahme in unterer Position ohne Sendungsbehälter;

Figuren 8 bis 11

sequentiell die Entladung eines Sendungsstapels von dem mittleren Stapelfach in einen Sendungsbehälter;

Figuren 12 bis 16

in vereinfachter Darstellung Ausführungsformen von Sortieranlagen.

Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures, for example. Showing:

FIG. 1

laterally a sorting system with a stack of mail on the support tray and container receptacle in upper position;

FIG. 2

the sorting system of FIG. 1 with the stack of mail on the support plane;

FIG. 3

the sorting system of FIG. 1 with the mailing stack in the mailing container, the container pickup further in the upper position;

FIG. 4

the sorting system of FIGS. 1 to 3 as in FIG. 3 , but with the container receptacle in the lower position;

FIG. 5

the sorting system of FIGS. 1 to 4 as in FIG. 4 , but without consignment container;

FIG. 6

the sorting system of FIGS. 1 to 5 as in FIG. 5 , but with empty consignment container;

FIG. 7

a detail of a constructive embodiment of a sorting device comprising a specialized section with stacking compartments with an arranged in front of the middle stacking compartment unloading device with a container receptacle in the lower position without mail container;

FIGS. 8 to 11

sequentially unloading a stack of mail from the middle stacking tray into a mailing container;

FIGS. 12 to 16

in a simplified representation embodiments of sorting.

FIG. 1 shows a lateral view of a mail sorting system 2 for flat mail 2 as large letters, but can in principle represent a general sorting system 2. The stacking tray 6 comprises a support tray 8 provided for receiving a stack of mail items 12, on which a mailing stack 12 of mailpieces 4 standing on their narrow sides is arranged, which is supported by a separating knife 22 (stacking support, paddle). The sorting plant 2 comprises an unloading device 14, which includes a support tray 16 and a container receptacle 18. An arrow indicates a horizontal component of a discharge direction 10 of the sorting installation 2. The end loading device 14 further comprises a pivoting device 24, here designed as a lifting rod 30, with which the container receptacle 18 about an axis of rotation 32 from an upper position (FIG. FIGS. 1 . 2 . 3 ), in a lower position ( FIGS. 4 . 5 . 6 ), to pan. The mail sorting plant 2 also has further stacking compartments 6, not shown here, along a specialized section 38, along which the unloading device 14 can be moved guided on a guide device 34. In FIG. 1 However, the unloading device 14 is firmly and optimally locked positioned in front of the stacking tray 6 shown.

Disposed on the container receptacle 18 is a mail item container 20 which is open on its upper side 20a and which is oriented for receiving the mail item stack 12 in such a way that its opening 20a points in the direction of the mail item stack 12 in a first approximation. The mail container 20 comprises a container bottom, container sides and an open container top 20a and is adapted to the stack of mail 12 so as to receive the mail stack 12 lying on the container bottom, so that the lowermost shipment 4 of the mail stack 12 rests on its flat side on the container bottom. In general, the container receptacle 18 is configured to receive the mail item container 20 such that a container surface of the mail item container 20 is arranged at the same height or slightly below the support level 16. In one embodiment of the mail container 20 comprising container receiving base 18b and container receiving side 18s as in FIG. 1 For example, the shipping container 20 may rest with its bottom on the container receiving base 18b and / or on the container receiving side 18s. In figure 1 the bottom of the mail container 20 rests on the container receiving base 18b. A mail item container 20 is used which can receive at least the largest mail item format present in the mail item stack 12 over its entire inner height. If the mail item 20 is dimensioned something even larger than necessary to accommodate the stack of mail 12 and thus there is still sufficient air between the mailing edges to the side surfaces of the mail item 20, moving in the mail item stack 12 is possible uncomplicated. The stack of mail 12 can then dive directly into the mail item 20 without collision when unloading in the unloading direction 10, even at maximum sizes, without having to move the stack of mail 12 into the mail container 20 in order to make a custom job. This embodiment is the basis for an ergonomic discharge with minimal effort, because the operator must when moving the stack of mail from the support tray 8 in the mail container 20, the mail item 12 neither actively rotate nor tilt. Essentially, the mailing stack 12 retains its orientation with respect to the operator's active action. Easier and more direct the kinematics of the unloading process can not be designed. The container receptacle 18 directly on the support plane 16 ensures always correct positioning of the mail container 20.

Based on FIGS. 1 to 6 a discharge process of the support tray 8 is illustrated successively. The mailing stack 12, which is initially standing upright on the support tray 8, is transferred in its entirety into a mailing stack 12 in the mailing container 20. Seen from the support tray 8 in the unloading direction 10 of the mail stack 12 is an input on the support plane 16 at the same height or slightly below the output of the support tray 8 of the stacking tray 6. The output the support plane 16 is at or slightly above the inner edge of the lower side surface of the mail container 20. The lower side surface of the mail container 20 lies on the container receiving side 18s and the bottom of the mail container 20 rests on the container receiving base 18b. The container receiving side 18s is located in the upper position at the same level or slightly below the support plane 16. The arrangement corresponds to that of a cascade with partially inclined steps: the support tray 8 opens into the support plane 16 and further into the container receiving side 18s and the slope increases as in FIG FIG. 1 shown from the support tray 8 via the support plane 16 to the container side surface 18s to. The support plane 16 is located between the support tray 8 of the stacking tray 6 and the mail container 20 and the container receptacle 18th

It is possible, according to further embodiments, to insert further support levels 16 'between the illustrated support plane 16 and the container receiving side 18s, but then the container receptacle 18 would have to be displaced further to the left and down accordingly. Then the further support plane 16 'would be at the same height or slightly below the first support plane 16 and equal or more inclined than the first support plane 16. The container receiving side 18s would be in the upper position at the same level or slightly below the other support plane 16' and arranged equal or more inclined than the further support plane 16 '. And the further support plane 16 'would be designed as the first support plane 18 so that the stack of mail 12 in total and in a sweeping manner along the unloading direction 10 of the support tray 8 on the support plane 16 and further on the further support plane 16' in the arranged on the container receptacle 18 Shipment container 20 is movable. A sequential unloading of individual Partial stack of the stack of mail 12 in sub-stacks is also possible. If the container receptacle 18 has not already lowered by the first part of stack down, a not too large part of the stack can be easily recharged and tilted by hand from the vertical to the horizontal orientation. This arrangement is similar to a cascade with inclined steps. If the sorting installation 2 comprises a plurality of further support levels 16 'with an inclination which is always increasing in the discharge direction 10, it is possible to arrange the mail item container 20 in a normal standing position. A pivoting of the filled mail container 20 or a pivoting device 24 is then no longer necessary.

The support plane 16 between the stacking tray 6 and mailing container 20 allows ergonomic access for an operator to the stacking tray 6. In addition, the ergonomic guidance of the mail item stack 12 is made possible directly in the direction of the mail item container 20, and a striking of the guide hand on the mail item container 20 located in the unloading direction 10 is avoided. The support plane 16 also represents a kind of acceleration section. Once the mailing stack 12 is in motion, it no longer needs the guide hand located in the unloading direction 10 for guiding, so that it can be pulled away before dipping the mailing stack 12 into the mailing container 20.

If the mailing container 20 were positioned with its opening facing the stacking tray 6 directly in front of the stacking tray 6 (ie directly on the support plane 16), the operator would have to twist and bend to guide the mailing stack 12. The guide hand located in the unloading direction 10 would hit the mail container 20. If the mail container 20 with its pointing in the direction of stacking tray 6 opening 20a Positioned directly in front of the stacking tray 6, a particularly large force would have to be expended for the acceleration, because there is no adequate route for the acceleration available.

The support tray 8 of the stacking tray 6 and / or the support plane 16 are designed so that the stack of mail 12 can be moved or moved on this in the unloading direction 10 with little effort. This allows an ergonomic design of the unloading process. For this purpose, the support tray 8 and / or the support plane has a very smooth surface, for example a metal surface on which the mailings 4 slide with only little effort and / or an additional conveying means 36, for example a model with roller tracks. Thus, the support plane 16 acts due to their design in the manner of a transport chute. The support plane 16 and the container side surface of the mail container 20, which rest on the container receiving side surface 18s, act as a slide surface. A rapid, manual movement requires little support of manual movement and is particularly easy to carry out when movement of the mail stack 12 along the discharge direction 10, a low coefficient of friction occurs. This is significant in particular for heavy consignment stacks 12 and for a transmission spectrum with high coefficients of friction, such as, for example, wrapped in plastic film broadcasts, since otherwise a great deal of effort for moving the consignment stack 12 must be expended. If the stack of mail 12 is not moved quickly in one go, the stack of mail 12 may lose its cohesion and individual shipments may slip or tilt.

In order to move the mailing stack 12 into the mailing container 20, the severing knife 20 is removed and an operator grips the stack of mail 12 in the stacking tray with both hands (one at the beginning and one at the end of the stack of mail 12) and shifts it with a light swing on the support plane 16 in the mail container 20. Before the in Move or When the unloading direction 10 of the hand touches the mail container 20, it is removed from the mail stack 12. With the other hand, the mailing stack 12 is moved further in the direction of mail container 20. Due to the momentum of the stack of mail items 12, this latter, even without a leading second hand, reliably reaches its position in the mail item container 20.

Due to the planar design of the support tray 8, the support plane 16 and the container receiving side 18s or the cascade or waterfall-like design of the bearing surfaces of the mail stack 12 viewed in the unloading direction 10, there are only height jumps only downwards. In this way it is prevented that there are interference contours at which the lower delivery edges in the mail item stack 12 might get stuck during the movement. This allows a still safe and trouble-free unloading process directly into the mail container 20. A small gap between the support tray 8, support level 16 and mail container 20 may still exist, due to the support forces of the mail stack 12 and the horizontal speed component when moving the stack of mail 12 is a falling into individual items 4 reliably prevented in the gap.

According to one embodiment, the support plane 16 is stronger than the support tray 8 and the container receiving side 18s or the container surface resting thereon (in FIG FIG. 1 a side surface) of the mail container 20 is inclined equal to or more than the support plane 16. The support tray 8 essentially forms a horizontal plane, but is not the exact Horizontal arrangement, but that the support plane 16 has a slope equal to or greater than the support tray 8 and the container surface or container receiving side surface 18s as large or larger slope than the support plane 16. For large letters, angle values of 13 ° to 23 ° for a support plane angle 26 enclosed by the support tray 8 and the support plane 16 and angle values of 23 ° to 33 ° for one enclosed by the support tray 8 and the container surface or container receiving side 18s have proven favorable Container receiving angle 28. The support plane 16 is thus inclined slightly sloping and has seen between the stacking tray 6 and the mail container 20 in the unloading direction 10 of the mail stack 12 has a length in the order of 150 mm - 250 mm. Due to the gradient, these values make it possible to move the stack of mail items 12 with little effort and, at the same time, the mailing stack 12 is not accelerated too much, so that a break-up of the mailing stack 12 is prevented. The specified angles and lengths can be adjusted in accordance with the program spectrum to be unloaded, the dimension, in particular the length of the mailing stack 12 to be transferred and the container or customer container used. There is no fixed limit, from which the direct unloading into a mail container 20 is no longer possible, so the angle values can also be larger or smaller. Even a horizontal arrangement of all levels is possible.

FIG. 2 shows the sorting system of FIG. 1 with the mailing stack 12 on the support plane 16.

FIG. 3 now shows how the stack of mail 12 is in the mail container 20, ie the items 4 are in the mail container 20 and do not stand as on the support tray 8 on their lower edges. The container receptacle 18 is further in the upper position. To remove the mail container 20, the container receptacle 18 is pivoted with a pivoting device 24 about its axis of rotation 32 in a lower position. The axis of rotation 32 is located in the unloading direction 10 of the stack of mail 12 seen in the region at the end of the support plane 16 below the same. However, it is also a different kind of pivotal movement possible to bring the container receptacle 18 in the lower position. So far, the pivoting device 24 has been locked in the upper position. Now, the lock is released and the length-adjustable and rotatably mounted at its two ends lifting rod is shortened. The possible adjustment directions of the designed as a lifting rod 30 pivoting device 24 are indicated by an arrow. According to a further embodiment, the pivoting device 24 is designed such that the container receptacle 18 pivots into the lower position by the impact and by the mass of the mail item stack 12 directly after the impact of the mail item stack 12 on the container bottom. This prevents shipments 4 of the mailing stack 12 from slipping down to the right before swiveling down the container receptacle 18 and thus the mail item stack 12 does not assume a stable position in the mail item container 20. This problem exists in particular for very large consignment stacks 12. For this purpose, the swiveling device 24 comprises a length-adjustable lifting rod 30 and a damping device which is designed as a gas pressure spring (comprising spring and damper). This detects the impact of the impact of the mail stack 12 in the mail container 20 and pivots the container receptacle 18 in response to this detection immediately after the impact from the upper to the lower position. Only with very small or light consignment stacks the impact of the impact is too low and the pivoting device 24 is manually controlled to move the container receptacle 18 to the lower position.

FIG. 4 now shows the sorting system 2 of FIGS. 1 to 3 as in FIG. 3 , but with the container receptacle 18 in the lower position. The container receptacle 18 is pivoted together with the mail item 20 in the lower position, that it comes to rest so that the container receiving base 18b is arranged horizontally in a first approximation and the mail container 20 is oriented upright. The container receiving angle 28 is changed by pivoting to the lower position and is about 90 ° in the lower position. The pivoting device 24 is now locked in the lower position.

The mail container 20 can now be easily removed from the container receptacle 18 ( FIG. 5 ) and the container receptacle 18 are equipped with a new mail container 20 ( FIG. 6 ). The container receptacle 18 is designed so that the container has little or no need to be lifted to remove it from this. The small rise on the container receiving base 18b prevents slippage of the mail container 20 and thus serves to stabilize it, but hardly obstructs its removal.

The mechanism of the pivoting device 24 is designed according to one embodiment, for example, supported by a spring and / or a damper with a suitable kinematics that the container receptacle 18 remains stable with the mail item 20 before releasing the lock in the lower position. If, in addition, the mass of the pivotable part of the unloading device 14, ie, in the first instance, the container receptacle 18, but also the empty mail container 20 itself, is as low as possible, for example by using lightweight materials, the kinematics in interaction with the spring and / or the damper (by a damping device includes) are designed to be as sensitive and optimal. Only by opening the locking and / or overcoming a dead center of the kinematics, the container receptacle 18 pivots again in the direction of the upper position or even to the upper position, so that again the situation as in FIG. 1 (but without mail stack 12) is produced. The mechanism of the pivoting device 24 is also designed and / or locked so that the container receptacle 18 together with an empty mail container 20 remains stable in the upper position. Only by loading the mail container 20 with a mail stack 12 with a certain minimum weight and / or by opening the lock pivots the container receptacle 18 together with the mail container 12 in the lower position. The pivoting movements are damped by the mechanism, in particular the pivoting movement in the lower position. According to one embodiment, during the pivoting movement to the lower position, energy is stored which can be used to pivot the container receptacle 18 together with the empty mail container 20 from the lower position back to the upper position or at least to support this movement.

According to one embodiment, the sorting system 2 is designed such that the mail item container 20 is received in such a way that its opening 20a points upwards in a first approximation, that is to say in comparison with FIG FIG. 1 rotated by 90 ° counterclockwise. Support plane angles 26 and container acceptance angles 28 may then be different angle values than those in FIGS FIG. 1 assume. The container receptacle 18 is for this purpose moved downward, so that the opening 20a of the Container at the same height or slightly below the support plane 16 is arranged. Then a stack of mail 12 can be moved out of the stacking tray 6 over the support plane 16 away over the mail container 20 that the mail stack 12 falls down on the lower edges of the broadcasts and comes to rest in the container standing. A standing on the support tray 6 arranged stack of mail 12 is then also standing in the mail container 20 standing.

FIG. 7 shows in fragments a constructive embodiment of a sorting system 2 with a plurality along a specialized section 38 in series juxtaposed stacking compartments 6, for the sake of clarity, only three stacking compartments 6a, 6b, 6c are shown. A discharge of the middle stacking tray 6b is based on the FIGS. 7 to 11 Illustrated in the style of a flip book. The sorting system 2 comprises an unloading device 14, which can be moved along the specialized section 38 and thus guided substantially transversely to the unloading direction 10 on a guide device 34 in the displacement direction. The unloading device 14 comprises a support plane 16, a container receptacle 18 and a pivoting device 24 and is arranged in front of the middle stacking compartment 6b and firmly locked. The container receptacle 18 is in the lower position and can receive a mail item container 20 in box form ( FIG. 8 ). With the pivoting device 24, the container receptacle 18 in the lower position ( FIGS. 7 . 8th . 11 ) or upper position ( Figures 9 . 10 ), for adjusting a lifting rod 30 is used, which pivots the container receptacle 18 by changing the length about its axis of rotation 32. The container receptacle 18 as a pivotable part of the unloading device 18 is designed with minimized mass, which is as small as possible with respect to the mass of the mail container 20 together with the mail stack 12. This is in the present embodiment by a strive-like and thus minimizing material design (neither container receiving bottom 18b, still container receiving side surface 18s are continuous surfaces) achieved.

In the stacking tray 6b, a mailing stack 12 is arranged standing on a support tray 8b of the stacking tray 8b. In the bottom of the support rests 8a, 8b, 8c and in the support plane 16 of the unloading device 14 are integrated transport rollers as conveying means 36 in order to move the stack of mail with very little effort. The transport rollers are driven by gravity conveyance by movement of the mail stack 12. But it is also possible to use actively driven conveyor 36.

FIG. 9 shows the unloading device 18 in the upper position, the mailing stack 12 is still in the stacking tray 6b. Following this, the stack of mail items 12 is ejected in its entirety in the unloading direction 10 via the support tray 16 (FIG. FIG. 10 ) is moved in the unloading direction 10 in the mail container 20 into and after filling the container receptacle 18 together with the mail container 20 is pivoted back into the lower position ( FIG. 11 ), from which the mail container 20 is easily removed. If the items in the stacking tray 6b are oriented so that the items 4 with their address side point in the direction of the sorting unit 2, ie opposite to the unloading direction 10, the item stack 12 is oriented after unloading into the item container 20 in such a way that the address pages of the items 4 move towards show above, and thus the addresses of the programs 4 are easily read from the outside. The address of the topmost mail item 4 of the mail item 12 is readable by an operator ( FIG. 11 ). This orientation is common practice among postal companies.

If a further stacking tray 6 'is subsequently to be unloaded, the unloading device 14 is moved guided on the guide device 34 on the specialized section 38 and arrested in the displacement device in front of the further stacking tray 6'. With a minimized mass of the unloading device, the unloading device 14 can be moved along the guide device 34 with very little effort. The controlled guidance of the unloading device 14 along the specialized section 38 ensures that it is always correctly positioned with respect to the further stacking compartment 6 ', apart from the positioning in its direction of displacement. One and the same unloading device 14 can be used for unloading a plurality of stacking compartments 6. By guiding the unloading device 14 along the specialized section 38, it is also possible to absorb the not inconsiderable shock caused by the dynamic unloading process (a 350 mm long stack of large letters weighs 20 kg) via the unloading device 14, again via the guiding device 34 into the frame of the sorting system 2 deduce. The guide on the specialist track 38 also offers the possibility of being able to use the unloading device 14 to move a mail container 20 arranged along it along the specialist track 38 to a desired location at which the mail container 20 is reloaded onto a conveyor track or onto a trolley can.

In this way, an always correct positioning of the mail item 20 is ensured before the stacking tray 6 to be unloaded, even if the unloading device 14 is moved along the specialized section 38. The unloading device 14 is therefore an integral functional unit. If there was a separate from the support plane 16 container receptacle 18 for the mail container 20, the container receptacle 18 and the support plane 16 would have to be moved for the discharge of a next stacking tray 6 '. The container receptacle 18 for the mail item container 20 also makes it possible to pivot the mail item container 20 onto the container receptacle 18 after loading, so that the container bottom is horizontal in a first approximation. As a result, the mail item stack 12 in the mail item container 20 is stabilized. Also, a maximum degree of filling is made possible, because the top 4 programs can no longer so easily slip out of the mail container 20 due to gravity and the removal of the mail container 20 or a displacement of the mail container 20 is simplified.

In the postal sector, the sorting system 2 according to the invention is an elementary building block for the extension of the transmission spectrum on the basis of letter technology with vertical transport in the direction of flat transmission spectrum with mixed broadcasts (large / small, thick / thin, envelopes / plastics / magazines, etc.). with the result of a fast, easy and secure direct unloading possibility of consignment stacks 12, which consist wholly or partly of large letters, in customer containers in order to realize a functionally secure and customer-oriented sorting and logistics process with special consideration of ergonomics within a system concept, without individual To have to lift shipments 4 or the entire stack of mail 12 in the discharge. The unloading of the stack of mail 12 is particularly fast and reliable directly in the mail container 20 of the customer and requires only a small amount of force. The unloading takes place purely manually with special consideration of the ergonomics. The solution according to the invention is in particular for heavy and unwieldy consignment stacks 12, which consist entirely or partially of large letters, which are arranged standing in the stacking tray 6 and should lie in the mail container 20 suitable. When unloading the order of the shipments 4 in the mailing stack 12 is maintained. The inventive solution, a significant competitive advantage can be achieved, because the unloading directly into a shipping container 20 has in sorting (especially in mail sorting) great importance (especially for the departure sorting and the last pass the Gangfolgesortierung).

The FIGS. 12 to 14 show in reduced form embodiments of sorting systems 2, each comprising a support tray 8, which is arranged in mail sorting typically within a stacking tray 6 and disposed in an upper position unloading device 14. The unloading devices 14 each comprise a support plane 16 and a container receptacle 18 which a consignment container 20 absorbs. The support tray 8 opens in the unloading direction 10 in the support plane 16 and the support plane 16 opens in unloading direction 10 in the container receiving side surface 18s or in the mail container 20. A arranged on the support tray 8 mail stack 12 can thus be moved in the unloading direction 10 and from the mail container 20th being opened at its top 20a. According to a further embodiment, the container receptacle 18 itself is configured as a mail item container 20. The sorting system 2 is configured to move a mailing stack 12 from the support tray 8 via the support plane 16 into the mail item container 20, guided manually and / or automatically. This may, for example, by smooth surfaces and / or included by the support tray 8 and / or the support plane 16, integrated into the ground Conveyor 34 can be achieved.

In FIG. 12 the support tray 8, the support plane 16 and the lower side surface of the mail container 20 are horizontally oriented and arranged substantially on one plane. By arranged between the support tray 8 and the container receptacle 18 support level 16 an ergonomic access to the mail item 12, not shown here for an operator is possible. The container receptacle 18 includes a container receiving bottom 18b and a container receiving side 18s.

The sorting system 2 of FIG. 13 corresponds to that of FIG. 12 however, the support plane 16 and the container receiving side surface 18s are inclined and substantially form a common inclined plane. The support plane angle 26 and the container receiving angle 28 are therefore identical, as well as the inclination of the support plane 16 and the container receiving side surface 18s and the lower side surface of the mail container 20.The sorting system 2 of FIG. 14 corresponds to that of FIG. 13 However, the container receiving side surface 18s and the lower side surface of the mail container 20 is inclined more than the support plane 16. The container receiving angle 28 is therefore greater than the support plane angle 26th

The sorting 2 of the FIG. 15 corresponds in its arrangement of support tray 8, support plane 16 and the adjoining the support plane container surface of those of FIG. 14 However, the container receptacle 18 is designed as a simple gripping device. The opening 20a of the mail container 20 is oriented in the direction of the support plane 16. The container surface of the mail container 20, in the upper position of the container receptacle 18 at the same height or slightly below the support plane 16 is arranged and slightly more inclined than the support plane 16 is a side surface of the mail item 20. The mail container 20 is stable, so that it receives no large area support from the container receptacle 18. The gripping device stably receives the mail item container 20 in some form and may include one or more gripper arms for this purpose. The gripping device for receiving a stable mail container 20 is adapted to the configuration of the mail item 20: if the mail item container has handles, its reception can take place via the container receiving base, or the gripping device can be configured into any other surface or recess of the mail item container 20 intervene. The gripping device is thus brought into a reversible engagement with the mail container 20. According to a further embodiment, the gripping device is also configured for receiving a standing on the ground mail container (ie not in the lower position) and for parking a (filled) mail container from the lower and / or upper position back to the ground.

FIG. 16 shows the sorting system of FIG. 15 However, the container receptacle 18 receives the mail container 20 so that the opening 20a of the mail container 20 in comparison to FIG. 15 rotated 90 ° clockwise. The container surface of the mail container 20, which is arranged in the upper position of the container receptacle 18 on below the support plane 16 and slightly inclined more than the support plane 16, is the bottom surface of the mail container 20. A standing on the support tray 8 on the narrow sides of the mailings 4 Shipment stack 12 is transferred to the mail item container 20 in such a way that a transferred mail item stack 12 is in the mail item container 20 (and does not lie as in FIG FIG. 15 ).

Claims (15)

Sorting system (2) for flat mailings (4), for example large letters, comprising a support tray (8) for receiving a mailing stack (12) arranged along a discharge direction (10) comprising a plurality of mail items (4) on their narrow sides on the support tray (4) characterized by an unloading device (14) comprising a support plane (16) and a container receptacle (18), wherein a) the container receptacle (18) for receiving a mail item container (20) is configured; b) the support tray (8) opens in the discharge direction (10) in the support plane (16), the support plane (16) at the same height or slightly below the support tray (8) and equal or more inclined than the support tray (8); c) the support plane (16) in the discharge direction (10) into the container receptacle (18) opens, wherein the container receptacle (18) is configured such that a container surface of the mail container (20) in an upper position of the container receptacle (18) at the same height or slightly below the support plane (16) and the container surface is equal or more inclined than the support plane (16); and d) the support tray (8) and the support plane (16) are configured so that the mail stack (12) along the unloading direction (10) from the support tray (8) via the support plane (16) into the on the container receptacle (18). arranged mailing container (20) which is open at its upper side (20a) is movable. Sorting system (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that
the support tray (8) and / or the support plane (16) have a smooth surface. Sorting plant (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the support tray (8) and / or the support plane (16) comprises a conveying means (36) conveying along the unloading direction (10), for example a roller conveyor. Sorting plant (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
a support plane angle (26) enclosed by the support shelf (8) and the support plane (16) comprises angle values of 13 ° to 23 °. Sorting plant (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
in the upper position, a container receiving angle (28) enclosed by the support tray (8) and the container surface of the mail container (20) comprises angular values of 23 ° to 33 °. Sorting plant (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the sorting system (2) comprises a pivoting device (24) configured to pivot the container receptacle (18) in a pivoting movement from the upper position to a lower position. Sorting plant (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that
the pivoting device (24) is configured to lock the container receptacle (18) stably in the upper position and / or in the lower position and to release this locking again. Sorting plant (2) according to one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that
the swiveling device (24) is designed to detect that the mail item (12) has been moved in into the mail item receptacle (20) picked up by the container receptacle (18) and, in response to the picking in, moving the container receptacle (18) together with the mail item container (20) to swing the upper position to the lower position. Sorting plant (2) according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that
the pivoting device (24) comprises a length-adjustable lifting rod (30) and / or a damping device comprising, for example, a gas spring configured to dampen pivoting to the lower position and / or to store and reuse energy of the pivoting movement. Sorting plant (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the support tray (8) is encompassed by a stacking compartment (6) and the sorting installation (2) has a plurality of stacking compartments (6) arranged along a compartment section (38) and a guide device (34) arranged along this compartment section (38) along which the Discharge device (14) is displaceable. Sorting plant (2) according to claim 10, characterized in that
the sorting system (2) is designed to lock the unloading device (14) in front of each of the stacking compartments (6). Sorting plant (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the container receptacle (18) is configured to receive a mail item container (20) such that the container surface of the mail item container (20) into which the support plane (16) opens is a side surface and / or a bottom surface. Sorting plant (2) according to claim 12, characterized in that
the container receptacle (18) comprises a container receiving base (18b) and a container receiving side (18s) and / or a gripping device for receiving the mail container (20). Sorting plant (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the sorting system (2) is configured to orient an address side of the mail items (4) of the mail item stack (12) counter to the unloading direction (10). Sorting system (2) according to one of the preceding claims, additionally comprising
at least one further support plane (16 ') disposed between the first support plane (16) and the container receptacle (18), wherein - The further support plane (16 ') at the same height or slightly below the first support plane (16) and is equal to or more inclined than the first support plane (16); - The container receptacle (18) is configured to position the mail item (20) in the upper position of the container receptacle (18) so that the container surface of the mail container (20) at the same level or slightly below the other support plane (16 ') and arranged equal or more inclined than the further support plane (16 '); and - The further support plane (16 ') is designed so that the Mailing stack (12) along the discharge direction (10) of the support tray (8) on the support plane (16) and further on the further support plane (16 ') into the on the container receptacle (18) arranged mail container (20) is movable.

Images