EP3556479A1 - Vorrichtung und verfahren zur verteilreihenfolgesortierung - Google Patents

Vorrichtung und verfahren zur verteilreihenfolgesortierung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3556479A1
EP3556479A1 EP18167747.7A EP18167747A EP3556479A1 EP 3556479 A1 EP3556479 A1 EP 3556479A1 EP 18167747 A EP18167747 A EP 18167747A EP 3556479 A1 EP3556479 A1 EP 3556479A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sorting
mail
feeders
delivery point
mail articles
Prior art date
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Granted
Application number
EP18167747.7A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP3556479B1 (de
Inventor
Peter Berdelle-Hilge
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Koerber Supply Chain Logistics GmbH
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Siemens AG
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Publication of EP3556479A1 publication Critical patent/EP3556479A1/de
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C1/00—Measures preceding sorting according to destination
    • B07C1/02—Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C3/00—Sorting according to destination
    • B07C3/02—Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a device and method for delivery point sorting.
  • the present invention relates to a device and a method for the production of a delivery point sequence which corresponds to the sequence of the mailboxes on the route of a mail carrier. Delivery point sorting establishes such a sequence.
  • a series of delivery point sorting methods for letters have been disclosed in the art which are based on the use of the RADIX method with two sorting passes using a feeder.
  • This method involves sorting mail with a delivery point sequence (delivery address code on the mail articles) by performing a first sorting pass to mail articles and a second sort pass to mail articles, where mail articles are supplied to the first sorting assembly, which identifies a sequence digit/variable; the mail articles are then conveyed to the second sorting assembly which identifies a further sequence digit/variable, and the mail articles are sorted in delivery point sequence.
  • the required number of sorting end points can be reduced, but at the same time, this increases the sorting period and/or correspondingly reduces the sorting throughput rate.
  • Mail is typically received in distribution centers or warehouses from two sources. Local mail which is to be delivered within the local area or to other distribution centers and out-of-area mail received from other distribution centers are the two sources. Mail which is to be delivered locally needs to ultimately be sorted to delivery point sequence, also known as carrier walk sequence. As in, the mail is sorted and arranged in the same order which the mail carrier travels while delivering mail articles. Delivery Bar Code Sequenced (DBCS) machines, which require two or more passes of the mail through the same sequence, are capable of achieving delivery point sequence for letter mail.
  • DBCS Delivery Bar Code Sequenced
  • the mail is passed through a letter sorting machine two times.
  • the first pass arranges the mail into groupings of addresses from the rather random order which the mail arrives.
  • the number of output bins of the sorting machine determines the number of address sequences used.
  • a sorting matrix will provide places to hold the mail in a sorted order.
  • the sorting matrix has a grouping of slots; each slot represents an address (or addresses) on the carrier's route.
  • a sorting matrix with a larger number of slots allows for a bigger mail carrier route (or more individual smaller mail carrier routes) to be processed at a time.
  • each address's mail would be sorted into a separate individual bin.
  • a letter sorting machine can process mail for more addresses then sorting bins by using grouping slots.
  • a first address' mail would go into the first bin, the second address' mail into the second bin, and so on until the tenth address' mail goes into the tenth bin. Then an eleventh address' mail would be placed into the first bin, the twelfth into the second bin and so on until the twentieth address' mail goes into the tenth bin.
  • the result would be bin 1 holding address' 1, 11, 21, 31 etc, bin 2 holding address' 2, 22, 32, etc.
  • first sorting pass After a first sorting pass, mail is usually moved from the letter sorting machine and loaded onto carts for storage and readied for a second pass. The first-pass sorted mail, while maintaining its order, will then be loaded for a second pass. The mail sorted into the first bin will be loaded first for the second pass and so on. This sequence must be maintained.
  • the mail from the first-pass' bin 1 is sorted with address 1 being sorted into bin 1, address 11 being sorted into bin 2, address 21 being sorted into bin 3, and so on until address 91 is sorted into bin 10.
  • the mail from the first-pass' bin 2 is sorted with address 2 being sorted into bin 1, address 12 into bin 2, address 22 into bin 3, and so on until address 92 Is sorted into bin 10.
  • bin 1 will contain the sequence of addresses 1-10
  • bin 2 will contain the sequence of addresses 11-20
  • bin 2 will contain the sequence of addresses 21-30, and so on. So at the conclusion of the second pass, the mail is in mail carrier route sequence.
  • the number of sorting passes could be increased in order to reduce the number of endpoints; however this would reduce the throughput rate of the machines.
  • the invention utilizes three sorting passes and two feeders for reducing sorting end points without sacrificing throughput rate. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are indicated in the respective dependent claims. It should be noted that the features presented individually in the dependent claims can be combined in any technologically meaningful way and define additional embodiments of the invention. Moreover the features indicated in the claims are specified and explained in greater detail in the description, wherein further preferred embodiments of the invention are described.
  • the delivery point sorting device comprising:
  • a significant reduction in the number of sorting end points is achieved with the three sorting passes. This reduces the space, footprint, and cost requirement needed for the sorting device. It allows for a relatively high filling level of the containers at the end of the sorting passes, and a relatively short final emptying process of the system after the feeder of the last item of mail. Since the number of not-full containers before the final emptying process of the system is lower corresponding to the reduction in the sorting end points. There is also the added advantage of compensating, or even over-compensating, the additional time requirement for the third sorting pass by using a second feeder.
  • the delivery point sorting device further comprises a storage module (GCM or gap correction module) configured to store an item of mail for a specific time in a stationary state, where the storage module is arranged upstream of the merge module in a flow direction of the streams of mail articles.
  • GCM gap correction module
  • the converging apparatus is configured for simultaneous convergence of the streams of mail articles from the at least two feeders.
  • the converging apparatus is configured for non-simultaneous convergence of the streams of mail articles.
  • the additional time requirement of the three sorting passes is completely compensated when virtual machines are not used and simultaneous converging is used, since in the first two sorting passes two feeders can be used, and only one feeder can be used in the time critical third sorting pass.
  • the merge module is an active merge module, i.e. it merges two streams at the same time.
  • the delivery point sorting device further comprises at least two virtual machines, each with half of the number of said sorting endpoints.
  • the merge module is a passive merge module, i.e. it handles only one stream at the same time.
  • the method for delivery point sorting comprising:
  • a significant reduction in the number of sorting end points is achieved with the three sorting passes. This reduces the area and cost requirement needed for the sorting device. It allows for a relatively high filling level of the containers at the end of the sorting passes, and a relatively short final emptying process of the system after the last item of mail is fed. Since the number of non-full containers before the final emptying process of the system is lower corresponding to the reduction in the sorting end points. There is also the added advantage of compensating the additional time requirement for the third sorting pass by using a second feeder.
  • the method for delivery point sorting further comprises, storing or delaying the mail articles in a storage module for a specific time in a stationary state between passes, where said storage module is arranged upstream of a merge module in a flow direction of said streams of mail articles.
  • the method for delivery point sorting further comprises simultaneously converging the stream of mail articles from the at least two feeders.
  • the method further comprises converging the stream of mail articles non-simultaneously.
  • the method for delivery point sorting further comprises, after the first sorting pass, dividing a volume of the mail articles from the first sorting pass into respectively equal parts between the two feeders at each sorting end point.
  • the method for delivery point sorting where after the second sorting pass, only one of the at least two feeders processes mail articles.
  • the method for delivery point sorting which further comprises providing two virtual machines each with half of the sorting endpoints.
  • the method further comprises preventing simultaneous converging of the stream of mail articles from the at least two feeders, and using one of the at least two feeders during a first sorting pass to serve both virtual machines.
  • the exemplary embodiments of the present application relate to a letter sorting system with four levels 101, 102, 103, 104 which are arranged one above the other with sorting end points, known as a stacker wall.
  • An elevator 14 distributes the streams of mail articles from the two feeders 1, 2 among the four levels using divert modules 15.
  • the elevator 14 is arranged downstream of the feeders 1, 2.
  • a storage module 18 is used in the two partial streams upstream of the merge module 16, which storage module 18 can store an item of mail for a specific time in a stationary state (GCM or gap correction module).
  • the present invention can be configured with or without the use of virtual machines, which are subdivisions of the sorting device into two component-machines.
  • the virtual machines are generally of the same size and are independent of one another.
  • the device When no virtual machines are used, the device must permit simultaneous convergence of the streams of mail articles from the feeders. When virtual machines are used, the device must not permit simultaneous convergence of the stream of mail articles if only one feeder is used in the first sorting pass; one feeder serves both virtual machines in this embodiment.
  • Figs. 1 and 2 show an exemplary embodiment representing a general arrangement with a device for the simultaneous convergence of two streams of items of mail from the feeders.
  • This embodiment allows for, arrangements without the use of virtual machines to be implemented, in the same way as the arrangement with virtual machines in which just one feeder serves all four levels of the stacker wall in the first sorting pass:
  • Fig. 1 shows the function of the convergence device is shown for simultaneous convergence; where the device has two feeders. Each of the two feeders feed mail articles into each of the four shown levels of the stacker wall.
  • the crossing functionality 3 is shown in the crossing streams of feeders 1 and 2.
  • Fig. 2 shows a convergence device according to the present invention for simultaneous convergence in the first, second, and third sorting passes where the device has two feeders.
  • the two lines from the feeders flow through the divert module, through the GCM, through the active merge module 16, finally into the stacker wall matrix.
  • the crossing of the streams is realized in the convergence apparatus 13 having an elevator module 14 with divert module 15, and merge modules 16.
  • the device for converging two streams of mail articles from the two feeders becomes necessary if the latter are to be loaded by the same conveyor device or devices at the sorting end points. This is the case generally in letter sorting machines such as in the Delivery Point Barcode Sorter (DBCS) but not generally in large-format letter sorting machines such as the Open Mail Handling System (OMS) with its two separate pocket rings.
  • DBCS Delivery Point Barcode Sorter
  • OMS Open Mail Handling System
  • the converging device must permit simultaneous convergence of the stream of items of mail of the two streams of items of mail from the feeders.
  • the volume of the items of mail from the first sorting pass must be divided into respectively equal parts between the two feeders in each sorting end point. Since this is generally not precisely possible owing to the container delivery unit to the feeders, when the volume of items of mail of one sorting end point are separated from the first sorting pass, generally one of the two feeders must wait for the other until it has finished its portion. As a result, this brings about a reduction in the overall throughput rate.
  • the three-stage sorting process means that unless virtual machines are formed the use of two feeders can take place only in the first and second sorting passes, while in the third sorting pass only one of the two feeders can be appropriately used. This is due to the fact that the sequence of the items of mail of the volume of the items of mail to be separated from the second sorting pass must not be changed in specific regions at each sorting end point. Accordingly, different volume portions cannot be separated at the same time.
  • the overall throughput rate over the entire delivery point sequencing process is as a result correspondingly reduced in the generally time-critical sorting passes after the first sorting pass, but is just as high as in a system with just one feeder and two sorting passes.
  • the converging device When two (or more) virtual machines are formed, the converging device must permit no simultaneous convergence of the stream of items of mail precisely if only one feeder is used (only) in the first sorting pass, which feeder then serves both virtual machines.
  • the overall throughput rate is therefore also reduced over the entire delivery point sequencing process, but the reduction relates to the generally not too time-critical first sorting pass, but is also precisely just as high here as in a system with just one feeder and two sorting passes.
  • Figs. 3-6 show the further exemplary embodiment of a device according to the present invention, where a simultaneous convergence of the two streams of items of mail from the feeders is not necessary.
  • Fig. 3 shows the function of the convergence device without simultaneous convergence in the case of two feeders.
  • Fig. 4 shows the convergence device without simultaneous convergence necessary for the first, second, and third sorting passes in the case of two feeders.
  • the two lines from the feeder flow through the divert module, through the passive merge module, finally into the stacker wall matrix.
  • Fig. 5 shows the convergence device without simultaneous convergence during the first sorting pass in the case of two feeders.
  • the two lines from the feeder flow through the divert module, through the passive merge module, finally into the stacker wall with the two virtual machines.
  • Fig. 6 shows the convergence device without simultaneous convergence during the second and third sorting passes in the case of two feeders.

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EP18167747.7A 2018-04-17 2018-04-17 Vorrichtung und verfahren zur verteilreihenfolgesortierung Active EP3556479B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP18167747.7A EP3556479B1 (de) 2018-04-17 2018-04-17 Vorrichtung und verfahren zur verteilreihenfolgesortierung

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EP18167747.7A EP3556479B1 (de) 2018-04-17 2018-04-17 Vorrichtung und verfahren zur verteilreihenfolgesortierung

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EP3556479A1 true EP3556479A1 (de) 2019-10-23
EP3556479B1 EP3556479B1 (de) 2024-07-31

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112893150A (zh) * 2019-11-19 2021-06-04 顺丰科技有限公司 物品分拣方法、装置、控制设备及存储介质

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005075116A1 (en) * 2004-02-09 2005-08-18 Siemens Ag System and method for sorting postal articles using flatbed sorter
US20050247606A1 (en) * 2004-05-10 2005-11-10 Redford Dale E Multi-machine mail sorting system

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005075116A1 (en) * 2004-02-09 2005-08-18 Siemens Ag System and method for sorting postal articles using flatbed sorter
US20050247606A1 (en) * 2004-05-10 2005-11-10 Redford Dale E Multi-machine mail sorting system

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112893150A (zh) * 2019-11-19 2021-06-04 顺丰科技有限公司 物品分拣方法、装置、控制设备及存储介质
CN112893150B (zh) * 2019-11-19 2023-03-31 顺丰科技有限公司 物品分拣方法、装置、控制设备及存储介质

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