FI3978149T3 - Device for sorting parcels with system for permutation of containers in vertical rotation in sorting output - Google Patents

Description

Device for sorting parcels with system for permutation of containers in vertical rotation in sorting output

Description Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a device for sorting parcels, comprising a sorting conveyor, sorting outlets distributed along said conveyor and a control unit which is capable of — controlling the sorting conveyor for sorting the parcels in the sorting outlets on the basis of a certain piece of sorting information.

Prior art — [0002] Today, logistics platforms are equipped with automated parcel sorting systems so as to process parcels from numerous supply sources and distribute them to a large number of recipients.

[0003] WO2018/115608, US8919529, US2019/329296 and EP3623061 describe in this regard an automated device for sorting parcels comprising a conveyor on which parcels to — be sorted are conveyed and under which sorting outlets are distributed.

[0004] In this context, a control unit controls the sorting conveyor to sort the parcels in the sorting outlets according to a certain piece of sorting information, in this case their destination address.

[0005] The current increase in the volume of purchases via e-commerce of small import — packages, known as SIPs, reguires the number of sorting passes and the throughput speed of the conveyors to be increased, with the risk of damaging the parcels.

[0006] At the same time, increasing the number of physical destinations in a single sorting plan reguires the number of sorting outlets and therefore the footprint of the installation to be increased.

[0007] Also, the number of sorting outlets will be higher and more handling means will have to be implemented to recover the parcels.

Disclosure of the invention

[0008] The present invention relates to a sorting device that contributes to solving the problems set out above.

[0009] For this purpose, the invention relates to a device for sorting parcels, comprising a sorting conveyor, sorting outlets distributed along said conveyor and a control unit which is capable of controlling the sorting conveyor for sorting the parcels in the sorting outlets on the basis of a certain piece of sorting information, each sorting outlet being arranged to store a plurality of sorting receptacles each associated with a piece of parcel sorting information in the memory of the control unit, characterized in that the device also comprises, at each sorting outlet, a device for permuting receptacles comprising a shaft which 1s rotatable about a first horizontal axis of rotation, the shaft being provided with supports which are each designed to store and vertically rotate about the first axis of rotation a receptacle for parcels, and in that the control unit controls the permutation device for immobilizing a receptacle of which the piece of parcel sorting information associated in the memory of the control unit corresponds to the piece of information regarding sorting the current parcel to be sorted, in a filling position in which the receptacle is positioned under the sorting outlet for receiving a parcel.

[0010] The device for sorting parcels according to the invention may advantageously have the following features: - the shaft comprises a plurality of arms which extend from the first axis of rotation and each arm comprises one of said supports freely rotatably mounted about a second horizontal axis of rotation which is offset relative to the first axis of rotation, each support being mounted in horizontal equilibrium relative to the offset axis of rotation; - the permutation device comprises a mechanical horizontal synchronization system which is designed to synchronize all the supports in horizontal equilibrium during their vertical rotation about the first axis of rotation; - the mechanical horizontal synchronization system comprises a frame on which the shaft is rotatably mounted about the first axis of rotation, a reference pinion secured to the frame and sharing the first axis of rotation with the shaft, a synchronization pinion secured to the support and freely rotatably mounted at the end of each arm about the second axis of rotation, and mechanical connections rotatably connecting the synchronization pinions to the reference pinion in a synchronized manner; - said mechanical connections comprise a chain or toothed belt synchronization connection which connects in series all the synchronization pinions and a chain or toothed belt reference connection which connects the reference pinion to a single synchronization pinion; - said mechanical connections comprise chain or toothed belt reference connections which connect each synchronization pinion independently to the synchronization pinion; - the supports are in the form of nacelles having a bottom wall which is designed to support a receptacle, two side walls and two openings in the front face and the rear face which are designed to allow a receptacle to be unloaded by sliding; - the permutation device comprises a receptacle position detection system which is capable of determining which receptacle of the sorting outlet is in the filling position, the control unit comprising in the memory the scheduling of the receptacles at each sorting outlet and, in response to the detection of said detection system, controls the rotation of the permutation device for placing in the filling position the receptacle of which the parcel sorting information corresponds to the piece of information regarding sorting the current parcel to be sorted; - the permutation device comprises a system for detecting the filling level of the receptacle in the filling position, and in response to a certain threshold of the filling level of the receptacle being exceeded, the control unit controls the movement of the receptacle into a discharged position arranged to present the receptacle at an ergonomic height; - each sorting outlet is provided with a filling hopper which extends downwards from the conveyor toward a receptacle in the filling position.

[0011] In this context, the basic idea of the invention is to have a number of logical or potential sorting outlets that is greater than the number of physical sorting outlets. For this purpose, each physical sorting outlet of the sorting device is equipped with a plurality of receptacles each associated with different sorting information.

[0012] A system for permutation of receptacles is also provided for rotating the receptacles of the sorting outlet and positioning a single one in the filling position under the appropriate sorting outlet.

[0013] It will be appreciated, for example, that for a physical sorting outlet comprising four receptacles each associated with a different piece of parcel sorting information there will be three more logical outlets than for a simple physical sorting outlet provided with a single receptacle.

[0014] Thus, the sorting device according to the invention will be able to serve as many logical outlets as there are receptacles assigned to the physical sorting outlet, while still having a footprint eguivalent to that of a conventional sorting device.

[0015] The invention consists, on the one hand, in reducing the footprint by proposing a system for permuting trays with vertical rotation and, on the other hand, in keeping the receptacles horizontal during their vertical rotation using a mechanical horizontal synchronization system.

[0016] The receptacles are thus constantly kept horizontal, in spite of the random distribution of the load flow of the parcels in the receptacles. — Brief description of the drawings

[0017] The present invention will be better understood and other advantages will become apparent upon reading the detailed description of embodiments given by way of non- limiting examples and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which: [Fig.1] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a sorting device according to the invention; [Fig.2] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the left side face of a permutation device according to the invention; [Fig.3] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the right side face of a permutation device according to a first embodiment of the invention; [Fig.4] Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of the right side face of a permutation device according to a second embodiment of the invention. Detailed description

[0018] Fig. 1 shows a sorting device 1 for parcels 2 according to the invention, designed to equip a sorting center such as a logistics center for receiving and redistributing parcels 2.

[0019] The device 1 for sorting parcels 2 according to the invention comprises a sorting conveyor 3, hereby way of example a loop conveyor that moves along a certain conveying direction D1, and sorting outlets 4 distributed along the sorting conveyor 3.

[0020] The sorting conveyor 3 comprises pivoting plates 5 capable of pivoting to let the parcels 2 fall into the appropriate sorting outlets 4 under gravity.

[0021] Fach sorting outlet 4 is equipped with a plurality of receptacles 6 for parcels 2, the number of which may vary depending on the information regarding sorting parcels to be 5 sorted, such as, by way of example, the number of destination addresses for parcels 2 to be sorted, the size of the parcels, the weight of the parcels, the mention of a customs declaration on the parcels, etc.

[0022] The receptacles 6 are for example in the form of upwardly open trays, as shown in

Fig. 2 to 4. = [0023] This type of receptacle 6 is particularly well suited to bulk filling with small-size parcels 2, known as SIPs.

[0024] The receptacles 6 are each associated with parcel sorting information 2 in the memory of a control unit 7 of the sorting device 1.

[0025] The control unit 7, as shown in Fig. 1, also comprises in the memory a sorting plan — for the parcels 2 to be sorted, which is defined on the basis of the distribution of all the receptacles 6 and sorting outlets 4 within the sorting device 1 and the sorting information of all the parcels 2 to be sorted.

[0026] A device 8 for permuting the receptacles 6, which is shown in all of Fig. 1 to 4, is also provided at each sorting outlet 4 and comprises a shaft 8a that can rotate about a first horizontal axis of rotation Al.

[0027] The shaft 8a 1s here provided with supports 9 each designed to store a receptacle 6 for parcels 2 and to drive it in vertical rotation about the first axis of rotation Al. The supports 9 are for example in the form of nacelles with a bottom wall PF which 1s designed to support a receptacle, two side walls PL and two openings in the front face and the rear face which are designed to allow a receptacle to be unloaded by sliding. The shaft 8a is also designed to move clockwise or counterclockwise, as is shown by the arrow RI in Fig. 1 to 4, and, after each rotation, to immobilize a receptacle 6, in a filling position in which the receptacle 6 is arranged under the sorting outlet 4 to receive a parcel 2, and another receptacle in a discharge position, in which said other receptacle 6, shown in Fig. 2, is arranged at the arm level of an operator so as to be discharged manually or automatically by a shuttle robot.

[0028] The shaft 8a also includes a plurality of arms 8b extending from the first axis of rotation.

[0029] Here, each support 9 is freely rotatably mounted at one end of an arm 8b about a second horizontal axis of rotation A2 which is offset relative to the first axis of rotation A1, each support 9 being mounted in horizontal eguilibrium relative to the second, offset axis of rotation A2.

[0030] The permutation device 8 also comprises a mechanical horizontal synchronization system 10 which is designed to synchronize all the supports 9 in horizontal eguilibrium during their vertical rotation about the first axis of rotation A1.

[0031] More particularly, the mechanical horizontal synchronization system 10 comprises here, by way of example, a frame 11 on which the shaft 8a is rotatably mounted about the — first axis of rotation Al, a reference pinion 12 secured to the frame and sharing the first axis of rotation with the shaft 8a, a synchronization pinion 13 secured to the support 9 and freely rotatably mounted at the end of each arm 8b about the second axis of rotation A2, and mechanical connections 14 rotatably connecting the synchronization pinions 13 to the reference pinion 12 in a synchronized manner. — [0032] In a first embodiment, shown in Fig. 2 and 3, the mechanical connections 14 are in the form of a chain or toothed belt synchronization connection 14a which connects in series all the synchronization pinions 13 and a reference chain or toothed belt connection 14b which connects the reference pinion to a single synchronization pinion.

[0033] In a second embodiment, shown in Fig. 4, the mechanical connections 14 are only in the form of chain or toothed belt reference connections 14b which connect each synchronization pinion 13 independently to the reference pinion 12.

[0034] The control unit 7 is parameterized to control the permutation device 8 on the basis of the information regarding sorting the parcels 2 to be sorted and of the sorting plan.

[0035] Thus, the unit 7 controls the permutation device 8 in order to place in the filling — position a receptacle 6 of which the piece of parcel 2 sorting information associated with it corresponds to the piece of information regarding sorting a current parcel 2 to be sorted into the sorting outlet 4.

[0036] Advantageously, the permutation device 8 here has a structure in the form of a barrel, which is clearly visible in Fig. 1 to 4.

[0037] It will therefore be appreciated that the increase in the number of receptacles per physical outlet increases the number of logical outlets, thereby promoting the reduction in the number of sorting passes on the sorting conveyor 3.

[0038] Also, to facilitate the transfer of the parcels 2 into the receptacles 6, each sorting outlet 4 is equipped with a filling hopper 15 that extends downward from the sorting conveyor 3 toward a receptacle 6 in the filling position.

[0039] Advantageously, a fairing, here represented in part by the frame 11, could be provided around the permutation device to protect the operators during the recovery of a receptacle loaded with parcels in the discharge position.

[0040] In this case, an opening will be provided in the fairing at arm level so that the operator can easily retrieve the receptacle loaded with parcels.

[0041] As is shown in Fig. 1, a receptacle 6 position detection system 16 may also be fitted to the permutation device 8 in order to determine which receptacle 6 is in the filling position.

[0042] In this case, the control unit 7 comprises in the memory the scheduling of the receptacles 6 at each sorting outlet 4 and, in response to the detection of said position detection system 16, controls the rotation R1 of the permutation device 8 for placing in the — filling position the receptacle 6 of which the piece of parcel sorting information corresponds to the piece of information regarding sorting the current parcel 2 to be sorted.

[0043] The sorting device 1 according to the invention may also comprise a system for detecting the filling level 17 of the receptacle 6 when it is in the filling position.

[0044] Thus, in response to a certain threshold of the filling level of the receptacle 6 being exceeded, the control unit 7 controls the movement of the receptacle 6 into the discharge position.

[0045] The shaft is driven in rotation R1 using a servo stepper motor 18 and a toothed belt.

[0046] Thus, when the sorting device 1 according to the invention is used to sort a current parcel 2, the control unit 7 first interrogates the position detection system 16 of the receptacle 6.

[0047] If it is the receptacle 6 of which the parcel 2 sorting information corresponds to that of the parcel 2 to be sorted, the parcel 2 is discharged into the receptacle 6.

[0048] If the parcel 2 sorting information does not correspond, the permutation system 8 moves the receptacles 6 in rotation RI to position in the filling position the receptacle 6 — having the corresponding parcel 2 sorting information.

[0049] If the permutation device 8 does not have time to position the correct receptacle 6 promptly, the parcel 2 is recirculated on the sorting conveyor 3.

[0050] Once the parcel 2 has been ejected, the control unit 7 then interrogates the system for detecting the filling level 17 of the receptacle 6.

[0051] If the receptacle 6 that is to receive the parcel 2 is full, the control unit 7 prohibits any discharge of parcels 2 into this receptacle 6 and controls the permutation device 8 to position the receptacle 6 in the discharge position and to allow it to be discharged manually or automatically and replaced with an empty receptacle 6.

[0052] Once the full receptacle 6 has been replaced with an empty one, the control unit 7 controls the rotation of the receptacles 6 to place the appropriate receptacle 6 in the filling position and allow the discharge of the parcel 2.