EP3682979A1 - Method and sorting assembly for the sorting of articles to be sorted with controllable ejection points - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a sorting system (2) for sorting sorting items (4, 4a, 4b) and to a related method, comprising: a) at least two input strands (5a, 5b), each input strand (5a, 5b) having an input device (6a, 6b) for the sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) and a component (7a, 7b) for identifying the sorting piece (4, 4a, 4b) or its destination address and a discharge device (12a, 12b); b) a merging unit ( 9) the at least two input strands (5a, 5b) to a conveyor path (10), the conveyor switches (14 to 20) and target points (24 to 30) arranged along the conveyor path (10); c) a sorting control (40) which is able to know a respective address identifier for a number of sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) and to assign a destination code for one of the destination points (24 to 30) to the address identifier and the conveyor switches (14 to 20) for one of the at least one two input devices (6a, 6b) Set piece (4, 4a, 4b) accordingly to reach the intended destination (24 to 30), whereby the sorting control (40) is further able to provide feedback for at least some of the sorting pieces (4a, 4b) to determine a capacity of at least one of the target locations (24) and to control the rejecting device (12a, 12b) arranged between the input device (6a, 6b) and the merging unit for rejecting sorting pieces (4a, 4b) so that one on one of the at least two Input devices (6a, 6b) of the abandoned sorting piece (4a, 4b) are discharged before it enters the conveying path (10) if the capacity of the destination (24) assigned to this sorting piece (4a, 4b) is at least temporarily below a predefinable limit value or temporarily In this way, the method and the system enable an improved utilization of the sorting capacity of the sorting system because Sort Pieces whose target locations are temporarily unavailable are not placed on the sorting route at all, but are removed from the sorting process immediately after they have been entered (recording the data identifying the item to be sorted).

Description

The invention relates to a method and a sorting system for sorting sorting items.

Post and parcel sorting systems, in which letters and / or large letters or parcels are processed, are sold, for example, by Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics GmbH and Solystic.

In such parcel and mail sorting systems, letters, parcels or consignments (hereinafter referred to as sorting items) are separated from a supply on a separating device (substance input), e.g. a stack, singly, transported by a conveyor system along a conveyor path and at several sorting exits, realized for example by sorting switches or cross belt sorters, the respective target locations, e.g. Stacking compartments of a mail sorting system.

The sorting items are sorted into the target locations during a sorting run. A variable target code is assigned to each target point for the sorting run by means of a sorting control in accordance with the sorting logic or in accordance with the sorting process. A variable target code is also assigned to the sorting pieces, which are then sorted according to a target location. Several destinations can also have the same destination code, for example for destinations with a known high volume of mail. This offers z. B. on if the capacity of a destination is not sufficient to accommodate all the sorting pieces for this destination code.

Even with a corresponding design of the target locations, the capacity of the target locations is exhausted after a certain number of sorting pieces and the target location must be emptied or otherwise made available again. This can be done, for example, by changing the container (empty to full), but this is always associated with a certain amount of handling. The destination is therefore temporarily not during this emptying available for additional sorting items. The time span of this temporary failure can also depend on how many operating personnel are available in the sorting system and / or whether, for example, several target locations are full at the same time due to chance and can be emptied faster and sometimes less quickly by the available personnel.
Another reason for the temporarily unavailable terminal can be a fault that has to be remedied first. Sorting pieces that are intended for such a destination are therefore guided along the sorting path and must be directed into a reject compartment at a designated destination. Such sorting items have hereby blocked a place for a sorting item that can be effectively sorted into a destination, which is why the sorting system cannot achieve its highest possible sorting capacity.

In the layout of a sorting center and for its operation, a sorting system or the entire sorting center is essentially defined by its real sorting performance (OTP), which can also fix the throughput specifications for local management. As already mentioned, a second important parameter is the number of employees required. In addition, it can also be known from medium-term statistics which sorting destinations are high-volume (HV) and which are rather weaker. However, these estimates are overlaid by the time-dependent occurrence of sorting items. For example, it may be the case that on average two destination points (end points) are sufficient for a HV sorting destination, but a temporary situation occurs that exceeds the end point performance (e.g. operator at the dock, automatic loading system) for a critical period. During the critical period, the absorption capacity or the storage capacity of the funding path equipped with the destination / end points is limited. If this storage capacity is now exhausted, the sorting pieces remain on the conveyor path and are recirculated or are excreted after passing through the conveyor path. In the former case, the sorting items do not have to be returned to the conveying path, but these recycled sorting items reduce the sorting performance. In the second case, the sorting feeder (drop point, Bullet device), which is usually only a subordinate problem, since the input performance usually exceeds the sorting performance.

The present invention is therefore based on a simple and inexpensive solution to this problem with the aim of achieving a consistently high sorting performance of the determining actual sorter.

1. a) Bereitstellen von mindestens zwei Eingabesträngen, wobei jeder Eingabestrang eine Eingabevorrichtung für die Sortierstücke und eine Komponente zur Identifizierung des Sortierstücks bzw. seiner Bestimmungsadresse und eine Ausschleusevorrichtung aufweist;
2. b) Zusammenführen der mindestens zwei Eingabestränge zu einem Förderweg, der Förderweichen und entlang des Förderwegs angeordnete Zielstellen aufweist;
3. c) Bereitstellen einer Anzahl von Sortierstücken an den mindestens zwei Eingabevorrichtungen für einen Sortierlauf;
4. d) Aufgeben der Anzahl von Sortierstücken an der Eingabevorrichtung und Sortieren der Sortierstücke durch eine die Förderweichen einstellende Sortiersteuerung gemäss einer Sortierlogik in die den Zielcodes der Sortierstücke entsprechende Zielstellen, wobei
5. e) für mindestens einen Teil der Sortierstücke eine Rückmeldung zur Feststellung eines Aufnahmevermögens von mindestens einer der Zielstellen durch die Sortiersteuerung ausgewertet wird; und
6. f) ein an einer der Eingabevorrichtungen aufgegebenes Sortierstück vor dessen Eintritt in den Förderweg ausgeschleust wird, wenn das Aufnahmevermögen der diesem Sortierstück zugeordneten Zielstelle zumindest temporär unterhalb eines vorgebbaren Grenzwerts liegt oder temporär ganz verneint wird.

With regard to the method, this object is achieved according to the invention by a method for sorting sorting items with a sorting system, the following method steps being included:

1. a) providing at least two input strands, each input strand having an input device for the sorting pieces and a component for identifying the sorting piece or its destination address and a reject device;
2. b) bringing together the at least two input strands to form a conveyor path which has conveyor switches and target points arranged along the conveyor path;
3. c) providing a number of sorting pieces on the at least two input devices for a sorting run;
4. d) abandoning the number of sorting pieces on the input device and sorting the sorting pieces by a sorting control that adjusts the conveyor switches according to a sorting logic into the target locations corresponding to the target codes of the sorting pieces, whereby
5. e) for at least some of the items to be sorted, feedback is ascertained by the sorting control in order to determine the absorption capacity of at least one of the target locations; and
6. f) a sorting piece abandoned at one of the input devices is discharged before it enters the conveying path if the capacity of the destination assigned to this sorting piece is at least temporarily below a predeterminable limit value or is temporarily completely denied.

1. a) mindestens zwei Eingabestränge, wobei jeder Eingabestrang eine Eingabevorrichtung für die Sortierstücke und eine Komponente zur Identifizierung des Sortierstücks bzw. seiner Bestimmungsadresse und eine Ausschleusevorrichtung aufweist;
2. b) eine Zusammenführungseinheit der mindestens zwei Eingabestränge zu einem Förderweg, der Förderweichen und entlang des Förderwegs angeordnete Zielstellen aufweist;
3. c) eine Sortiersteuerung, die in der Lage ist für eine Anzahl von Sortierstücken eine jeweilige Adresskennung zu kennen und der Adresskennung einen Zielcode für eine der Zielstellen zuzuordnen und die Förderweichen für ein an einer der mindestens zwei Eingabevorrichtungen aufgegebenes Sortierstück entsprechend zum Erreichen der vorgesehenen Zielstelle einzustellen, wobei die Sortiersteuerung weiter in der Lage ist, für mindestens einen Teil der Sortierstücke eine Rückmeldung zur Feststellung eines Aufnahmevermögens von mindestens einer der Zielstellen auszuwerten und die jeweils zwischen der Eingabevorrichtung und der Zusammenführungseinheit angeordnete Ausschleusevorrichtung zum Ausschleusen von Sortierstücken so zu steuern, dass ein an einer der mindestens zwei Eingabevorrichtungen aufgegebenes Sortierstück vor dessen Eintritt in den Förderweg ausgeschleust wird, wenn das Aufnahmevermögen der diesem Sortierstück zugeordneten Zielstelle zumindest temporär unterhalb eines vorgebbaren Grenzwerts liegt oder temporär ganz verneint wird.

With regard to the sorting system, this object is achieved according to the invention by a sorting system for sorting sorting items, which comprises the following components:

1. a) at least two input strands, each input strand having an input device for the sorting pieces and a component for identifying the sorting piece or its destination address and a discharge device;
2. b) a merging unit of the at least two input strands to form a conveying path which has conveying switches and target points arranged along the conveying path;
3. c) a sorting control which is able to know a respective address identifier for a number of sorting pieces and to assign a target code for one of the destination points to the address identifier and to set the conveyor switches for a sorting piece given at one of the at least two input devices in order to reach the intended destination point , wherein the sorting control system is further able to evaluate feedback for at least some of the sorting items to determine a capacity of at least one of the target locations and to control the sorting device for sorting items that is arranged between the input device and the merging unit in such a way that an on one of the at least two input devices of the given sorting piece is discharged before it enters the conveying path, if the capacity of the destination assigned to this sorting piece is at least temporarily below a predeterminable G limit value or is temporarily completely denied.

In this way, the method and the sorting system enable an improved utilization of the sorting capacity of the sorting system, because sorting items, the target locations of which are temporarily unavailable, are not placed on the actual sorting route / conveying route at all, but immediately after they have been entered (recording those identifying the sorting item Data) must be removed from the sorting process before the actual sorting process begins. This rejection later causes a new entry process at the entry point, but since the capacity of the at least two input devices is usually greater than the sorting capacity of the sorting system, this re-feed only plays a minor role in achieving the greatest possible sorting performance (OTP).

In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the feedback for determining the absorption capacity can be generated by an active operating action at a target location. For example, operating personnel can report a destination as unavailable at the push of a button. The sorting control receives this actuation signal and, in response to the non-readiness of this target point, initiates a corresponding setting of the discharge points, which leads to the fact that sorting pieces that have been abandoned for this non-ready target point are discharged before the actual sorting path is reached. Only when it is confirmed by a corresponding push of a button that the target location is now able to pick up sorting items again, are the sorting items recorded for this target location no longer being removed, but instead are conveyed as intended along the sorting route to the corresponding destination location.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the feedback can be generated by the sorting control itself, by evaluating the information about the target codes of the number of sorting items and thereby determining how many sorting items have already been placed on the input device for a specific target location, the recording status of this target location will be at least temporarily exhausted. In this way, sorting control can already be carried out in advance or dynamically to determine when a destination will temporarily no longer be receivable due to the sorting pieces provided for this destination. As an example, a number of 100 sorting pieces for a destination could be mentioned, which fill up a destination and thus make it necessary to change the container at the destination. During the time of the container change, e.g. assumed five minutes, the sorting control system sets the reject points for further sorting items in the discharge direction for this destination, which is temporarily unavailable due to the container change, so that certain sorting items for this destination point temporarily no longer reach the sorting route and thus the Do not put unnecessary strain on the sorting system.

Figur 1

in schematischer Darstellung eine Sortieranlage für die Sortierung von flachen Versandstücken zu einem ersten Sortierzeitpunkt;

Figur 2

in schematischer Darstellung die Sortieranlage gemäss Figur 1 für die Sortierung von flachen Versandstücken zu einem zweiten Sortierzeitpunkt;

Figur 3

in schematischer Darstellung die Sortieranlage gemäss Figur 1 für die Sortierung von flachen Versandstücken zu einem alternativen zweiten oder einem dritten Sortierzeitpunkt; und

Figur 4

in schematischer Darstellung die Sortieranlage gemäss Figur 1 für die Sortierung von flachen Versandstücken zu einem späteren Sortierzeitpunkt.

Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Show:

Figure 1

a schematic representation of a sorting system for sorting flat packages at a first time of sorting;

Figure 2

in a schematic representation the sorting system according to Figure 1 for the sorting of flat packages at a second sorting time;

Figure 3

in a schematic representation the sorting system according to Figure 1 for the sorting of flat packages at an alternative second or a third sorting time; and

Figure 4

in a schematic representation of the sorting system according to Figure 1 for the sorting of flat packages at a later time of sorting.

Figure 1 shows schematically a sorting system 2 for sorting flat packages 4, 4a to 4d, here for example postal packages, such as letters, newspapers, magazines and the like. The sorting system 2 described below and the sorting method carried out thereon can in principle also be used for sorting piece goods, such as small packages, parcels, pieces of luggage and the like. The sorting system 2 here has two input strands 5a, 5b, each of which has an input device 6a, 6b for the flat sorting pieces 4, 4a to 4d, with which the sorting pieces 4, 4a to 4d are fed by a height-adjustable stacking device 8 for the sorting. Identification devices 7a, 7b are linked to the input devices 6a, 6b, which can be configured, for example, as bullet-in devices or the like, which can detect data identifying the respective sorting piece, such as the address or a code representing it. Subsequently, each input line 5a, 5b each has a transfer switch 12a, 12b, with which a sorting piece can be discharged from the sorting process into the discharge container 22a, 22b before reaching a merging unit 9 for the two input strands 5a, 5b, without having been on an actual conveying path 10 provided for the sorting.

Conveyor switches 14 to 20 are arranged in this conveyor path 10, each of which is assigned a destination 24 to 30. In the present exemplary embodiment, each of the target locations 24 to 30 has an adjustable status display 32 to 38. These status displays 32 to 38 are set here by a sorting control 40 and can also be operated by the operating personnel (not shown here). The status displays 32 to 38 can alternate between a state <"0" = target location temporarily not ready for exposure> and a state <"I" = target location ready for exposure>. To the in Figure 1 At the time shown, a number of flat sorting pieces 4, which have been provided on the input device 6 in the stack, have already been sorted into the various target locations 24 to 30. The sorting control 40 controls the sorting switches 14 to 20 in accordance with the address recorded for the sorting piece in the input device in such a way that the flat sorting piece 4 reaches the destination 24 to 30 assigned to this address in accordance with a sorting logic.

Due to the simplicity of the illustration, it is assumed here that a destination 24 to 30, into which a sixth flat sorting piece has been sorted, is considered filled and must therefore be emptied. During this emptying period, the target location is then not available for further filling with sorting pieces 4.

This state is now in for the sorting system 2 in Figure 2 presented at a second later time. First of all, the sorting control 40, which has detected the sorting of the sixth sorting item into the destination 24 in the sense of counting the assignment of sorting items to this destination 24, has set the status display 32 for this destination 24 to the value "0", which is indicated by the slight hatching of the field with the "0" as well as the dashed light signal should be symbolized. The personnel now know that the destination 24 must be emptied. In the further course of the sorting, however, the two were now in Figure 1 on top of the flat sorting pieces 4a and 4b lying on a stack 8a was intended for the destination 24, but which is currently not available. Correspondingly, the sorting control 40 has now adjusted the discharge switch 12a such that these two sorting pieces 4a, 4b are discharged directly after their task before the actual sorting path 10 begins and are thus sorted into the discharge container 22a. As a result, these two sorting pieces 4a, 4b currently do not further burden the sorting capacity of the sorting system 2. Thus, for these two sorting pieces 4a, 4b there was a feedback on the absorption capacity of the destination 24 (here a negative feedback), which was evaluated by the sorting control 40, which is why the two sorting pieces 4a, 4b given on the input device 6 before they entered the actual conveying path 10 equipped with sorting switches 14 to 20 have been removed because the capacity of the destination 24 assigned to these sorting pieces 4a, 4b was at least temporarily below a predeterminable limit value or was temporarily completely denied here. However, in order to be able to use the capacity of the sorting system 2, to put it bluntly, the second input line 5b has entered here and, instead of the sorting pieces 4a and 4b, was able to place the sorting pieces 4c and 4d on the conveyor path 10, whereupon a destination 26 corresponding to the respective address or 28 have been equipped with these sorting pieces 4c and 4d. Due to the premature removal of the sorting pieces 4a and 4b, the sorting system 2 according to the invention did not result in a decrease in the sorting capacity, but rather the capacity of the sorting system 2 could be fully used.

In the present case the Figure 2 this feedback has been generated by the sorting control 40 itself by evaluating the information about the target codes of the sorting pieces 4 provided for the sorting process. In this way it could be determined, for example, that in this set of sorting pieces 4, at least after six, already at the input devices 6a and 6b for a specific one The sorting pieces 4 given to the destination 24 are at least temporarily exhausted, and thus a change of state from "I" to "0" has to take place.

Figure 3 can now show two alternatives. The first of the two alternatives is the Figure 3 show a third point in time at which the container of the target location 24 for emptying it is actually not present. The value "0" is therefore correctly displayed on the status display 32.

In the second alternative, the state of the sorting system 2 can be shown at an alternative second point in time. The container of the destination 24 has also been removed here to empty it, but the status display 32 can on the one hand be set manually by the personnel from the value "I" to the value "0" or on the other hand the container of the destination 24 itself can have a fill level monitoring which switches the status display 32 from the state "I = receptive" to the state "0 = no longer receptive" when a predetermined fill level is reached. In any case, it is reported back to the sorting control 40 that the destination 24 has temporarily no capacity; the status display 32 can indicate to the operating personnel optically and / or acoustically or also as a display on a data display device of an operating station that the container of the destination 24 is to be emptied. Consequently, the denial of the absorption capacity for the target point 24, which is reported back to the sorting control 40, has also resulted in the flat sorting pieces 4a, 4b being discharged into the discharge container 22a.

The Figure 4 now shows a snapshot of the sorting process of the sorting system 2 at an even later time. The container of the destination 24 has been emptied and replaced in this destination 24. Accordingly, the status display 32 has again changed from the "0" status to the "I" status, be it through manual intervention by the operating personnel at the status display 32 or through the detection of the presence of an empty container at the target location 24 in communication with the sorting control 40. The two rejected sorting pieces 4a and 4b were placed on top of the stack 8a or 8b again at the input device 6a or 6b and now in the sorting process consequently conveyed to the destination 24.

In this way, the method and the system enable an improved utilization of the sorting capacity of the sorting system 2, because sorting pieces 4a, 4b, the target locations 24 of which are temporarily unavailable, are not placed on the sorting route 10 at all, but immediately after the entry (recording of the data identifying the sorting piece) can be removed from the sorting process again. Although this removal causes a new input process later on one of the two or on the input devices 6a, 6b, but since the capacity of the input devices 6a, 6b is generally greater than the sorting capacity of the sorting system 2, this re-feed only plays a subordinate role in achieving the highest possible sorting performance (OTP = operational throughput).

Claims (6)

Method for sorting sorting items (4, 4a, 4b) with a sorting system (2), comprising the following method steps: a) Providing at least two input strands (5a, 5b), each input strand (5a, 5b) having an input device (6a, 6b) for the sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) and a component (7a, 7b) for identifying the sorting piece (4, 4a, 4b) or its destination address and a discharge device (12a, 12b); b) bringing together the at least two input strands (5a, 5b) to form a conveyor path (10) which has conveyor switches (14 to 20) and target points (24 to 30) arranged along the conveyor path (10); c) providing a number of sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) on the at least two input devices (6a, 6b) for a sorting run; d) placing the number of sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) on the input device (6) and sorting the sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) by a sorting control (40) adjusting the conveyor switches (14 to 20) according to a sorting logic into the destination locations (24 to 30) corresponding to the destination codes of the sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b), wherein e) for at least some of the sorting pieces (4a, 4b), a feedback for determining the absorption capacity of at least one of the target points (24) is evaluated by the sorting control (40); and f) a sorting piece (4a, 4b) given up on one of the input devices (6a, 6b) is discharged before it enters the conveying path (10) if the capacity of the destination (24) assigned to this sorting piece (4a, 4b) is at least temporarily below of a predefinable limit or is temporarily completely denied. Method according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the feedback for determining the absorption capacity is generated by an active operating action, for example on a status unit (32), at a destination (24). Method according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
the feedback from the sorting control (40) is generated by evaluating the information about the target codes of the number of sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) and thereby determining how many have already been entered on the input device (6) for a specific destination (24 ) abandoned sorting pieces (4) the intake form of this destination (24) is at least temporarily exhausted. Sorting system (2) for sorting sorting items (4, 4a, 4b), comprising: a) at least two input strands (5a, 5b), each input strand (5a, 5b) having an input device (6a, 6b) for the sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) and a component (7a, 7b) for identifying the sorting piece (4 , 4a, 4b) or its destination address and a discharge device (12a, 12b); b) a merging unit (9) of the at least two input strands (5a, 5b) to form a conveyor path (10), the conveyor switches (14 to 20) and target points (24 to 30) arranged along the conveyor path (10); c) a sorting control (40) which is able to know a respective address identifier for a number of sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) and to assign a target code for one of the destination points (24 to 30) to the address identifier and the conveyor switches (14 to 20) for a sorting piece (4, 4a, 4b) placed on one of the at least two input devices (6a, 6b) in order to reach the intended destination (24 to 30), the sorting control (40) being able to for at least some of the sorting pieces (4a, 4b), evaluate feedback to determine the absorption capacity of at least one of the target points (24) and the discharge device (12a, 12b) arranged between the input device (6a, 6b) and the merging unit for discharging To control sorting pieces (4a, 4b) in such a way that a sorting piece (4a, 4b) placed on one of the at least two input devices (6a, 6b) before it enters the conveying path (1 0) is discharged if the capacity of the destination (24) assigned to this sorting piece (4a, 4b) is at least temporarily below a predeterminable limit value or is temporarily completely denied. Sorting system (2) according to claim 4,
characterized in that
the feedback for determining the absorption capacity can be generated by an active operating action at a target point (24), for example at a status display (32) assigned to the target point (24). Sorting system (2) according to claim 4 or 5,
characterized in that
the feedback can be generated by the sorting control (40) by evaluating the information about the target codes of the number of sorting pieces (4, 4a, 4b) and thereby determining how many have already been sent to the at least two input devices (6a, 6b) for a certain destination (24) of the abandoned sorting pieces (4) the reception requirements of this destination (4) is at least temporarily exhausted.

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