JP2003145055A - Paper sheet sorting method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper sheet sorting method in which a discrimination code attached to the paper sheet is constituted with a machine code corresponding to a sorting rack of respective stage or line and an address code corresponding to an address, and the paper sheet to which the corresponding machine code is attached is charged into the respective sorting rack and is sorted to a small rack corresponding to the address code in the sorting rack. SOLUTION: This paper sheet sorting method is constituted in such a manner that the address is divided in accordance with the number of charging parts, the machine codes for discriminating respective divided groups are determined, the discrimination codes attached to envelopes are constituted with the address codes corresponding to the address and the machine codes and the envelopes to which the discrimination codes are attached are accumulated by every machine codes, are charged from the charging parts 2 corresponding to the machine codes and are sorted. Therefore, the sorter is preferably composed of only the charging parts 2 of envelopes and the sorting racks 3. The sorter is constituted in such a manner that the sorting racks 3 consisting of the small racks 4 are disposed in a plurality of stages or in a plurality of lines, the charging parts 2 are disposed on the respective sorting racks 3 and the envelopes accumulated by every machine codes are charged from the charging parts 2 corresponding to the machine codes. Therefore, operator can selects the sorting racks of the respective stage and the respective line and, as a result, an elevator device or a horizontal transfer device is unnecessitated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for sorting thin articles, such as postcards, envelopes, thin packages, etc., by attaching an identification code for each destination and sorting the thin articles according to the identification code. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the case of postcards, envelopes, thin-packed articles such as thin-packed articles with destinations, it is necessary to sort the thin-sheets according to their destinations. As a destination, an identification code determined for each region or store is attached to thin items, and this identification code is automatically read by a bar code reader or OCR reader, or the operator visually reads the identification code. Generally, a device is used in which thin objects are sorted by destination by key input or voice input. As this type of apparatus, there is a sorting apparatus described in JP-A No. 11-222315. The sorting apparatus 1 corresponds to each stage of the loading section 2 and the elevator section 7 for transferring an envelope (not shown), which is an example of a thin article, which is loaded by an operator to the elevator section 7, as shown in FIG. Each of the guide conveyors 8 is provided with a sorting shelf 3 connected to each of the guide conveyors 8 and an input unit 2c for inputting an identification code attached to an envelope. The sorting shelf 3
Has a small shelf 4 corresponding to the destination attached to the envelope, and this small shelf 4 is provided with a conveyor unit (not shown) for transferring thin articles. This conveyor part also serves as an opening / closing lid that opens and closes by the operation of an actuator (not shown),
The opening / closing is controlled by a control unit (not shown) described later. Further, the sorting device 1 has a control unit for designating the small shelves 4 corresponding to the identification codes inputted for the respective envelopes, and further, this control unit has the small shelves 4 designated by the respective envelopes.
Elevator section 7, guide conveyor 8,
It is configured to drive the conveyor section and the actuator.

In this sorting apparatus 1, when the operator visually reads the identification code attached to the envelope and inputs it through the input section 2c, the small shelf 4 corresponding to the destination is designated and stored for each envelope. It Therefore, the elevator section 7, the guide conveyor 8 and the conveyor section of each small shelf 4 operate according to the location of the small shelf 4 designated for each envelope, and each envelope immediately before the specified small shelf 4 is designated. Transferred to shelf 4. When each envelope reaches the immediately preceding shelving 4, the actuator of the succeeding shelving 4 is activated, the conveyor section is opened upward, and the envelope is stored in the designated shelving 4. When it is confirmed that the envelope is stored, the actuator returns and the conveyor unit returns horizontally, and the next envelope can be prepared.

[0004]

However, in this sorting apparatus 1, the identification code of the envelope does not correspond to the sorting shelves 3 of each stage but corresponds to the small shelves 4 of the sorting shelves 3 of all stages. Therefore, when sorting the envelopes, the elevator section 7 must be provided between the loading section 2 and the sorting shelf 3, not only the apparatus becomes expensive, but also the sorting time is the moving time to each stage of the elevator section 7. Therefore, there is a problem in that the amount of work for sorting is limited to the capacity of the elevator section 7, and so on. Moreover, in order to increase the amount of sorting work to the full capacity of the elevator unit 7, it is necessary to prevent the envelope loading from overlapping the work of the other party even if the number of workers in the input unit is increased, and it is commensurate with the increased number. There are problems such as not being able to obtain the required amount of work. Further, if a plurality of input parts are provided in the sorting device 1, an attached device for determining from which input part the input envelope has been input is required, and the device becomes expensive. Has occurred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and an identification code attached to a thin article such as an envelope is a machine code corresponding to a sorting shelf in each stage or each row and a destination code corresponding to a destination. Let's provide a method for sorting thin items by putting thin items with corresponding machine codes into each sorting shelf and sorting into small shelves corresponding to the destination code in the sorting shelf. It is what

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] An input section for inputting an identification code, a loading section for loading a thin article with the identification code, and a conveyor section for transferring the thin article loaded from the loading section. In a thin article sorting device configured to transfer and sort thin articles to a small shelf corresponding to the identification code input from the input section, and a sorting shelf including a plurality of small shelves having an opening / closing lid. Divide the destination according to the number of input parts,
The machine code that identifies each division group is decided, and the identification code attached to the thin object is assumed to be composed of the destination code and the machine code corresponding to the destination, and the thin object with this identification code is the machine code. It is configured such that the collected thin products are loaded and sorted from the loading unit corresponding to the machine code.

[0007] Further, a plurality of sorting shelves are provided, and an input section is provided in each step, while a thin article is provided with an identification code having a machine code corresponding to the input section of each step and a destination code corresponding to the destination. Alternatively, each thin product may be loaded from the loading section corresponding to the machine code and sorted into the small shelves corresponding to the destination code in the sorting shelf connected to the loading section.

Further, the sorting shelves may be one stage and a plurality of rows may be provided.

Furthermore, a destination display section may be provided on the shelves and the display of the destination display section may be switched from the input section.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIGS. 1 and 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a thin article sorting device for sorting envelopes 6 as an example of thin articles according to their destinations, and a plurality of stages having a loading conveyor section 2a for transporting the envelopes 6 loaded by an operator. 2 and a plurality of stages of sorting shelves 3 provided horizontally corresponding to the stages 2 and horizontally extending in a row. The input section 2 is provided with an input section (not shown) having a numeric keypad for inputting an identification code, which will be described later, and a mounting table 2b on which the accumulated envelopes 6 are mounted.

The sorting shelf 3 has a small shelf 4 corresponding to the destination code, and the small shelf 4 has an envelope 6 as shown in FIG.
A conveyor unit 5 having a belt 5a for transporting is also provided as an opening / closing lid. Further, a destination display section 4a is provided on the small shelf 4, and the display can be switched by a display switching command signal from the input section.

The conveyor section 5 of the small shelf 4 includes a servo motor 5b fixed to the small shelf 4, a driving roller (not shown) driven by the servo motor 5b, and a driven roller (not shown). A conveyor frame 5c for holding both rollers and an actuator (not shown) for rotating the conveyor frame 5c with respect to the small shelf 4 are provided. The conveyor frame 5c is always held in a horizontal posture to close the upper surface of the small shelf 4, and when the actuator is operated, the conveyor frame 5c is rotated upward by a predetermined angle around the drive roller so that the upper surface of the small shelf 4 is opened. Is configured.

Further, the thin article sorting apparatus 1 is provided with a control unit (not shown) for designating the small shelves 4 corresponding to the identification codes input from the input unit for each envelope 6. The control unit waits for a passage detection signal of a passage sensor (not shown) installed on the small shelf 4, and the identification code attached to the envelope 6 detected by the passage sensor is adjacent to the small shelf 40 at the rear.
Is designated, the servo motor 5b is driven without operating the actuator of the small shelf 40 to transfer the envelope 6 to the further small shelf 400. Further, when the identification code of the envelope 6 detected by the passage sensor designates the adjacent small shelf 40 at the rear, the control unit stops the servomotor of the small shelf 40 and then operates the actuator. The conveyor frame 5c is rotated upward about the drive roller by a predetermined angle. The actuator of the conveyor unit 5 provided on the front row of the shelves 41 is configured to be similarly controlled by a passage detection signal from a passage sensor (not shown) provided at the end of the loading unit 2. .

The envelope 6 has, in addition to the destination code corresponding to the destination, an identification code having a machine code for identifying the division group of the destination divided according to the number of the input sections 2 of the thin-material sorting apparatus 1. Is attached, the envelopes 6 collected from each store after being sorted by machine code at the first sorting stage of each store are inserted into each envelope 6 corresponding to the machine code. It is configured to be input from 2.

If a display changeover switch (not shown) is provided in the input section, a display changeover command signal of the display changeover switch is set when a subdivision code other than the machine code and the destination code is set in the identification code. Thus, the display of the destination display portion 4a of all the small shelves 4 can be switched to the display corresponding to the subdivision code, and the envelopes 6 stored in the small shelves 4 can be sorted by the subdivision code according to the destination code. Further, in the present embodiment, the input section is provided in each of the input sections 2, but one input section is provided with an input section selection switch (not shown) so that one person can work. Good.

In the above-mentioned thin material sorting apparatus, the destinations are divided in advance according to the number of the input sections 2, the machine code is determined so as to identify the divided group, and the destinations are classified according to the machine code. A small shelf 4 connected to the input unit 2 corresponding to the machine code is set. In this state,
As shown in FIG. 3, the envelope 6 that the sender wishes to send at each store
An identification code composed of a destination code corresponding to a predetermined destination and the machine code A is attached to. The envelopes 6 are sorted according to the machine codes (A, B, C, D) and placed in the primary sorting boxes 9 arranged in each store. This primary sorting box 9 is delivered from each store to the thin article sorting apparatus 1. Thereafter, the envelopes 6 sorted according to the machine code (A) are accumulated on the mounting table 2b near the loading section 2 corresponding to the machine code A, and the envelopes 6 are loaded one by one from the loading section 2. . At this time, the operator visually reads only the destination code and inputs it through the ten keys of the input section. By repeating this work in sequence, the shelves 4 corresponding to the destination code of the envelope 6 are designated,
This is stored for each envelope 6. During this time, when the passage sensor provided on the small shelf 4 detects the envelope 6 as shown in FIG. 1, it is judged whether the designated small shelf of the envelope 6 is the adjacent small shelf 40 at the rear side, and the envelope 6 When the designated small shelf is not the small shelf 40 adjacent to the rear, the servo motor 5b of the small shelf 40 adjacent to the rear is driven. Therefore, the belt 5a of the conveyor unit 5 of the small shelf 40 rotates, and the envelope 6 is transferred to the subsequent small shelf 400.

On the other hand, when the passage sensor detects the envelope 6, when the designated small shelf of the envelope 6 is the adjacent small shelf 40 at the rear, the servomotor 5b of the adjacent small shelf 40 at the rear stops and the belt 5a stops. At the same time, the actuator operates to rotate the conveyor frame 5c upward by a predetermined angle around the drive roller to open the upper surface of the small shelf 40, and the envelope 6 is stored in the small shelf 40 designated according to the destination code. To be done. When the storage of the envelope 6 is confirmed, the actuator is moved back, and the conveyor unit 5 is returned to the horizontal posture accordingly, and the envelope 6 to be transferred next can be prepared.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the thin product is divided according to the number of input parts, the machine code for identifying each divided group is determined, and the identification code attached to the thin product is determined. It shall consist of a destination code corresponding to the destination and a machine code.The thin products with this identification code are accumulated for each machine code, and the accumulated thin products are placed in the input section corresponding to the machine code. Since it is configured to be loaded and sorted from above, there is an advantage that the sorting device is only required to insert the thin articles and the sorting shelf, and the device can be manufactured at low cost. Further, the present invention provides a plurality of sorting shelves consisting of small shelves or a plurality of rows, and provides a loading section for loading thin articles on each sorting shelf, while providing the destination code and the machine code corresponding to the loading section on the thin articles. Since the envelopes that are attached to each machine code are loaded from the loading section corresponding to the machine code, the operator can select the sorting shelves for each stage and each row, and the elevator device Alternatively, not only the horizontal transfer device is not required, but the sorting time is not restricted by the time other than the loading time of thin objects, and the number of sorting workers can be increased by increasing the number of workers. There are advantages such as being able to flexibly and smoothly perform sorting work. Further, according to the present invention, since the input section is provided for each sorting shelf of each stage or each column, even if the worker is arranged for each stage or each column, each worker is related to the work of other workers. It is possible to work independently without needing to remember which throwing unit the thin material was thrown in from, and it is not necessary to add a special device, and the cost of the device can be reduced. There are advantages. Further, according to the present invention, if the identification code is attached with other detailed codes in addition to the machine code and the destination code, the envelopes by the destination code can be further finely sorted by changing the display of the destination display section of the small shelf. There are advantages such as being able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall view of a thin product sorting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a small shelf according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a method for sorting thin products according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an overall view of a sorting device showing an example of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Thin object sorter 2 Input section 2a Input conveyor section 2b mounting table 2c Input section 3 sorting shelves 4,40,41,400 small shelves 4a Address display section 5 Conveyor section 5a belt 5b Servo motor 5c conveyor frame 6 envelopes 7 Elevator section 8 Guide conveyor section 9 Primary sorting box

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An input section capable of inputting an identification code, a loading section for loading a thin article with the identification code, and a conveyor section for transferring the thin article loaded from the loading section as an opening / closing lid. In the thin article sorting device configured to transfer and sort thin articles from the input section to the small shelf corresponding to the input identification code, the destination is the input section. The machine code is divided according to the number of items, and the machine code for identifying each divided group is decided in advance.The identification code attached to the thin object shall consist of the destination code and machine code corresponding to the destination. A method for sorting thin products, characterized in that the attached thin products are collected for each machine code, and the stacked thin products are put into a sorting section corresponding to the machine code and sorted. 2. An input section capable of inputting an identification code, a loading section for loading a thin article with the identification code, and a conveyor section for transferring a thin article loaded from the loading section as an opening / closing lid. In the thin article sorting apparatus configured to transfer and sort thin articles to a small shelf corresponding to the identification code input from the input section, a plurality of sorting shelves are provided. In addition to providing each stage with a loading unit, each thin product is attached with an identification code having a machine code corresponding to each loading unit and a destination code corresponding to a destination. A thin material sorting method characterized by loading from a loading section corresponding to a code and sorting into a small shelf corresponding to a destination code in a sorting shelf connected to the loading section. 3. A sorting shelf is provided as a single stage, which is provided in a plurality of rows, and each row is provided with an input section, and at the same time, a machine code attached to a thin article is made to correspond to an input section of each row. The thin material sorting method according to claim 2, which is characterized in that. 4. The thin article sorter according to claim 2, wherein the shelves have a destination display unit, and the display of the destination display unit is switched by a display switching command signal from the input unit. Method.