FR2750623A1 - SORT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

A sorting unit comprises identical rectangular compartments (C1-C5) which can be arranged vertically with partitions (5) allowing the objects being sorted to be laid flat inside them, or they can be placed horizontally and divided into sections for standing the objects on their edges. Each of the compartments (C1-C5) used to construct the sorting unit has a length which is a multiple of its width. The partitions (5) have up-turned front edges to retain the objects placed into the sections, while the spacers (7) used to divide the horizontal compartments have catches (81) at the top to hold them in place. The compartments are preferably made from a synthetic material such as PVC in a dark colour.

Description

SORT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

  The present invention relates to the sorting of objects, and more particularly the sorting of flat objects of the type of

postal folds.

  Although not limited to this application, the invention was made to solve the problems encountered in postal sorting with materials

  exist that no longer meet current needs.

  These existing materials are sets consisting of a vertical grid of boxes, generally all identical, in which the folds are stacked. The most modern have a certain modularity allowing to adapt to a certain extent their volume to the particular need but, in practice, this modularity provides little that

  its cost is relatively high.

  In any post office of any importance, the sorting operations present a great variability, due in part to the uniqueness of each factor tour, and partly because they are several levels also strongly differentiated. It is first of all the general sorting of classifying the bulk in one or more passes to form batches corresponding to the rounds of the factors. Then, they intervene

  usually themselves to order their "satchel".

  A first pass called "cut" consists of a pre-sorting in a small number of batches, each batch then being treated individually during the "quilting" to arrive at a precise classification. Faced with this great variability of sorting operations and the significant increase in the volume of mail that we have known for a few years, current sorting tools, not very flexible, have become totally obsolete. As a result, there are problems of cost and space congestion due to the importance of the necessary equipment and problems.

  efficiency and discomfort for operators.

  The invention is the culmination of research

  of a global solution to these various problems, that is,

  to say of an economic solution, of reduced size, and giving each user the possibility of having a practical, effective and adapted sorting tool

at best to his particular need.

  It consists of a new sorting file system, characterized in that it comprises identical unitary bins in the form of an elongate rectangular parallelepiped, which comprise means for freely organizing a plurality of superposed shelves for use in position. upright or vertical, or to freely organize a plurality of boxes juxtaposed for use in a supine or horizontal position, to allow to form sorting conformations according to the need for which they are intended, by grouping and interior design of a plurality of standing and / or horizontal bins, which can be

juxtaposed and / or superimposed.

  The vertical arrangement of the shelves with stacking shelves will be better suited to receive large groupings of folds that will be stacked, while the horizontal arrangement will be much more advantageous for groupings of folds limited in number which can then be placed on their edge in the boxes (sorting mode in vertical), offering the possibility of significantly reducing the size of the boxes that will be their width (height in the other configuration) without loss of operational convenience for users. It will therefore be understood that the vertical mode of use of the bins will be used primarily for the general sorting, as well as for the first operation called "cutting" of the organization of the rounds of factors, while for the second operation called " "quilting" is the way in which horizontal use of the lockers will be retained. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bins have a length whose value is a multiple of that of their width, to allow combinations combining juxtapositions and superpositions of the bins, whose

  overall form remains simple, compact and rational.

  The means for organizing the interior of the lockers are advantageously subdivided into a set of shelves shelf vocation for the mode of use of the vertical lockers and a set of dividers for the horizontal mode of use. The retaining means of tablets and spacers will be simple and fast handling, so that users have all the freedom and ease of proceeding with

  management changes, even during work.

  On the other hand, tablets and inserts will be

  equipped with practical information for use.

  The characteristics and advantages described above

  above, as well as others, will become clear

  reading the following description, made in

  relationship with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rack according to the invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shelf shelf shelf in the vertically disposed rack, accompanied by a bar for holding it, the shelf being shown turned to reveal its underside, FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a means of the spacers for their maintenance in the bin horizontally disposed, and further forming an information carrier, and FIG. 4 is a front view of a sorting assembly formed on a table by superposition of three horizontal bins, and juxtaposition of this block and two

vertical lockers.

  The rack C shown in FIG. 1 is an elongate rectangle parallelepiped, completely open frontage on one of its large faces, made for example of sheet steel or of a synthetic material

  dark color such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

  Its length is three times its width, so that its standing height corresponds exactly to that of the superposition of three identical compartments arranged horizontally. In practice, for the application to postal sorting, its dimensions can be 1 m for its length, and 33 cm for its

width and depth.

  The locker C is provided with a set of accessories allowing to organize at will shelves stacked for vertical use, or

  juxtaposed boxes for horizontal use.

  The same elements could be used to form the shelves or dividing walls between juxtaposed boxes, but in practice it has been thought preferable to subdivide them into two specific games which can then be optimally adapted to their function by presenting a maximum of convenience for users, in particular for their establishment and withdrawal, which must confer immediacy on

reorganization of the locker.

  A first set includes a plurality of identical shelf shelves, such as the one shown upside down in FIG. 2, marked at 5 and which consists of a square plane to the transverse internal dimensions of the rack, which plane is bordered on its front side by a right angle return 50 intended to be oriented downwards and used for marking information. Each shelf 5 is associated with a bar 6 serving to hold it in the rack C,

  cooperating with means of it.

  In the embodiment shown, the rack means consist of simple slots 30 formed in the two longitudinal bottom corners, which are constituted by oblique sides 3 (at 45, and which, alternatively, may be rounded), intermediate between the bottom wall 1 and the elongated side walls 2. The slots 30, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the panels 3, follow each other in a spacing pitch, for example 5 cm, and they are aligned in pairs between the two sides. The slots 30 are intended to receive the rear corners of the

tablets 5.

  The shelves are carried at the front by the bar 6 which engages on each side in corresponding holes 20 formed in the walls 2, near their front edge and which, of course, are discarded

  longitudinally in a same pitch as the slots 30.

  The bar 6 has a main portion 60 of length corresponding to the internal width of the rack, extended on both sides, beyond shoulders ensuring its holding in place in the rack, by smaller diameter end portions 61, the diameter of the main portion 60 being itself slightly smaller in diameter than that of the holes 20. FIG. 2 also shows a stop 51 projecting on the underside of the shelves 5, which is behind the bar 6 to prevent them from

  slide forward when in place.

  The same means 30 and 20 on the rack C serve to set up and maintain tabs 7, Figs. 1 and 4, forming the second set of accessories of the locker to organize it in a series of juxtaposed boxes. Like the shelves 5, the spacers 7 are square plates whose rear corners fit into the slots 30. They are held at the front near their upper corner, by a latch 8 cooperating with the holes 20 and also serving as information support. As seen in FIG. 3, the latch shown is an articulated arm on the insert, near its upper front corner, whose upper side defines a boss 80 designed to engage in a hole 20. Preferably, the boss 80 flares out of its top to its base, to allow a lock without play. The free end of the arm 8 has a return 81 forming a small front panel when the insert is put in place, for receiving information. It may further comprise a means for attaching mini-documents, concerning by

example the forwarding.

  Preferably, and as shown in FIG. 1, the tabs 7 have at a certain height of their base, from their front edge, a recess whose purpose is to facilitate the deposit or withdrawal of all mail formats. In a satisfactory prototype, they were planned transparent, realized

made of synthetic material.

  Fig. 4 illustrates an example of a folder arranged on two tables T by a user, for example a factor to organize his tour. Two compartments C1 and C2 arranged vertically are juxtaposed on one of the tables T of appropriate width (for example 70 cm), forming a set of "cut", itself juxtaposed to a set of "stitching" of three lockers C3 to C5 lying horizontally and superimposed on the other table T of corresponding width (1 m). Additional bosses and recesses, not shown, may be provided on the external faces of the compartments, for

  allow mutual registration between adjacent bins.

  On the other hand, the set of lockers C1 to C5 is surmounted in front by transparent strips 9, FIG. 1, which serve as additional information carriers. They comprise a horizontal wing 90 which is screwed on the bins, and an oblique wing 91 intended to form an overhanging pan on the front of the bins. The strips 9 have a single length of 1 m, which corresponds to the length of the lockers and to triple their width. They can be supplemented by shorter bands, of length corresponding to double the width of the lockers. Otherwise, as in the arrangement of FIG. 4, two bands 9a, 9b can overlap if necessary over part of their length. Note that

  strips 9 constitute a high link between bins.

  The "cutting" assembly C1, C2 is provided with shelves 5 suitably spaced, generally at least two spacing steps (10 cm), to allow to easily form and remove the piles therefrom. P mail addressed to them. Although it has been shown a regular arrangement of shelves 5, the user has every opportunity to organize them as he sees fit, to the best of his need, knowing that in principle, the mail will be deposited stacked flat. He enters the relevant information on the

returns 50.

  The lockers C3 to C5 of the "quilting" assembly are organized in a succession of juxtaposed boxes intended to receive in principle the folds u standing on their edge (so-called vertical sorting), so that their width can be considerably reduced without loss of convenience for the user. It adjusts the width of the boxes according to the volume of mail they must receive, refittings can take place during sorting. In practice, the most commonly used width is a spacing pitch (5 cm). If an address is abnormally loaded, the width of the box can be enlarged enough to allow

mail stacked flat.

  Of course, the arrangement of FIG. 4 has only been described by way of example, but is in no way limiting. In practice, the user can organize his lockers according to his personal convenience, in U, in L, in spans, etc. A sorting file according to the invention such as that of FIG. 4, compared to conventional equipment, represents a gain in footprint and height of at least 50%, an increase in cost more importantly, and also provides maximum flexibility and ease of use. Although designed in the context of postal sorting, these qualities of the invention are likely to make it accessible and advantageous everywhere where mail-type objects require classification, especially in communities: schools, hospitals, mail order organizations etc.

Claims (8)

  1) Folder sorting system of flat objects of the type of postal folds, characterized in that it comprises identical unitary boxes (C) in the form of elongated rectangle parallelepiped, which comprise means for freely organizing a plurality superposed shelves (5) for use in a standing or vertical position, for the purpose of depositing the sorted items stacked flat, or to freely organize a plurality of boxes juxtaposed for use in a supine or horizontal position, for the purpose of depositing, for the majority of the boxes, the objects to be sorted standing on their edge, in order to allow the formation of sorting conformations according to the need for which they are intended, by grouping and interior arrangement of a plurality of bins (C) arranged upright and / or horizontal, and   can be juxtaposed and / or superimposed.   2) sorting file system according to claim 1, characterized in that the bins (C) have a length whose value is a multiple of that of their width.   3) sorting file system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bins (C) are associated sets of shelves (5) for their vertical mode of use, and tabs   (7) for their horizontal mode of use.   4) sorting file system according to claim 3, characterized in that the shelves (5) have a front return (50) to function information carrier. Sorting system system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the spacers (7) comprise a latch (8) near their upper front corner to ensure their retention in the lockers (C), which lock ( 8) has   a portion (81) forming an information carrier.   6) Sorting sorter system according to one of the   Claims 3 to 5, characterized in that   tabs (7) have at a distance from their base and from their front edge, a recess (70) to facilitate the deposit or withdrawal of all mail formats in the boxes they delimit. 7) Sorting sorter system according to one of the   Claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the   tabs (7) are transparent.   8) Sorting sorter system according to one of the   Claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the lockers   (C) comprise front and rear means cooperating with means of said shelves (5) or means of said spacers (7) to ensure their retention in place, which means lockers (C) succeed one another   longitudinally according to a spacing pitch.   9) sorting file system according to claim 8, characterized in that said means of the lockers (C) for holding the shelves (5) and the spacers (7) are slots (30) in oblique or rounded sections ( 3) forming the longitudinal bottom corners of the bins (C) and holes (20) in their elongated walls (2), near the front edge thereof. ) Sorting filing system according to one of the   Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the lockers   (C) are of a synthetic material such as   dark-colored polyvinyl chloride (PVC).   11) Sorting filing system according to one of   Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises   in addition strips (9) intended to come above the bins (C) to serve as information carriers.