JP2009280359A - Sorting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sorting device for sorting a plurality of loads and efficiently and safely sorting various kinds of loads. <P>SOLUTION: The sorting device 100 for sorting the loads conveyed on a conveying path, to the right and left with respect to a conveying direction comprises a plurality of belts 101 arranged in the conveying direction to form the conveying path so that the upper faces moving in the conveying direction with the loads placed thereon are movable in a lateral direction independently of the other belts 101, and shoes 102 arranged on the plurality of belts 101 respectively and moved in the lateral direction synchronously with the lateral movement of the upper faces of the belts 101 directly under them. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sorting device that sorts packages by sending packages transported by a transport path to a branch path.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a sorting device that sorts a plurality of packages conveyed by a conveyance path such as a roller conveyor according to the type or delivery destination of each package.

  For example, a sorting apparatus that sorts packages for each delivery destination is required to reliably sort a large number of various types of packages for each delivery destination.

  In view of this, even when the number of delivery destinations is large, a technique regarding a sorting device that sorts packages in a reliable and easy manner is also disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional sorting apparatus.

  A sorting apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 6 includes a conveyor 204 that conveys a tray 205 on which articles are placed, a sorter 206 that sends the tray 205 to a work conveyor 210, and an automatic warehouse unit 212.

  The automatic warehouse unit 212 has a plurality of collection boxes 222 provided for each delivery destination, and each collection box 222 is transported from the rack 214 to the work station 221 as necessary.

  Further, when an article is input from the work conveyor 210 to the collection box 222 at the work station 221, the collection box 222 is re-entered into the rack 214 by the picking conveyor 218.

  Note that which articles should be put into which collection box 222 is managed by a barcode or the like attached to the tray 205.

  Since the conventional sorting apparatus 200 has such a configuration, even when the number of sorting destinations increases, that is, when it is necessary to handle a large number of collection boxes 222, these collection boxes are used. It is not necessary to arrange all 222 along the conveyance path, and a plurality of articles can be sorted for each delivery destination.

  There is also a sorting device having a configuration for surely sending out a package on a conveyance path to a branch path according to a delivery destination.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a conventional sorting apparatus including a shoe that pushes a load on a conveyance path to a branch path.

  The sorting apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 7 includes a plurality of slats 301 that form a conveyance path, and the slats 301 move in the X-axis direction, whereby the load is conveyed in the X-axis direction.

  Further, the sorting apparatus 300 includes a shoe 302 for each slat 301 that moves in the left-right direction (the direction parallel to the Y axis in FIG. 7) with respect to the transport direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the shoe 302 is connected to the pin 302b by a connecting member 302a. When a force in a direction parallel to the Y axis is applied to the pin 302b, the shoe 302 moves in the direction of the force. That is, the shoe 302 moves leftward or rightward with respect to the transport direction.

  The sorting apparatus 300 having such a configuration is called, for example, a slide shoe sorter, and as shown in FIG. 7, one or more shoes 302 move to the right with respect to the transport direction at a position corresponding to the branch path 350. As a result, the load placed on the right side of the one or more shoes 302 is sent out to the branch path 350 while sliding on the one or more slats 301.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, even when the branch path 350 is extended in a direction oblique to the conveyance direction, the movement distances of the plurality of shoes 302 can be made different. It is easy to turn the luggage diagonally according to the extending direction.
Japanese Patent No. 3586640

  The conventional sorting apparatus 300 has a structure in which a shoe 302 is slid on a slat 301 to push out a load.

  For this reason, when a relatively thin load such as a sealed letter or a relatively soft load such as clothing is pushed out, the load may be sandwiched between the shoe 302 and the slat 301 or may be deformed.

  That is, the conventional sorting apparatus 300 is not suitable for sorting such types of luggage. For this reason, when the types of packages described above are included in the group of packages to be sorted, these need to be sorted manually, for example.

  Of course, there is no problem if you do not handle this kind of luggage. However, in recent years, it has been required to sort a large number of packages of various types and sizes in a short time. For this reason, it is not practical to ignore the presence of a load having a thin or soft characteristic that is generally present in many cases.

  Therefore, there is also a sorting device that is employed when handling a type of luggage that tends to be pinched such as thin or soft.

  FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a conventional sorting device that tilts a tray and sends out a load in the left-right direction. FIG. 8B shows a conventional configuration in which the belt is driven to send the load in the left-right direction. It is a figure which shows the structure outline | summary of a sorting apparatus.

  A conventional sorting apparatus 400 shown in FIG. 8A is called, for example, a tilt tray sorter, and a plurality of packages are conveyed by a plurality of trays 401 arranged in the conveyance direction. In addition, the luggage placed on the tray 401 is stored in the collection box 402 when the tray 401 is tilted.

  A conventional sorting apparatus 500 shown in FIG. 8B is called, for example, a cross belt sorter, and a plurality of belts 501 whose upper surfaces can move in the left-right direction with respect to the transport direction are arranged in the transport direction. .

  One piece of luggage can be placed on each of the belts 501. Further, when the loop belt 501 is rotated by a motor at the position of the collection box 502, the upper surface of the belt 501 moves leftward or rightward, and the load placed on the upper surface is collected. Housed in box 502.

  As described above, the conventional sorting device 400 shown in FIG. 8A employs a structure for sorting the packages using the weight of the baggage, and the conventional sorting device 500 shown in FIG. The structure which sorts a load using the frictional force with 501 is adopted.

  Therefore, even if thin and soft packages are included in the plurality of packages to be sorted, there is no problem of trapping the packages during sorting, and each package can be sorted safely.

  However, in the conventional sorting apparatus 400, a plurality of packages to be sorted are placed one by one for each tray 401, and in the conventional sorting apparatus 500, a plurality of packages to be sorted are placed one by one for each belt 501. Is done.

  That is, the sorting device 400 and the sorting device 500 cannot handle a larger package than the tray 401 or the belt 501. In addition, the number of trays 401 or belts 501 is a limitation, and it is difficult to improve the number of sorting per unit time.

  In addition, in a cross belt sorter such as the sorting device 500, there is a case where a lightweight load cannot be slipped and sorted.

  Furthermore, unlike the sorter 300 called the slide shoe sorter shown in FIG. 7, it is difficult to send out the cargo in an oblique direction with respect to the transport direction.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a sorting device that sorts a plurality of packages in consideration of the above-described conventional problems, and efficiently and safely sorts various types of packages.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the sorting device according to the present invention is a sorting device that sorts the packages transported by the transport path into the left and right with respect to the transport direction, and is arranged side by side in the transport direction. A belt that forms a conveyance path, the belt moving in the conveyance direction, and an upper surface on which the load is placed can move in the left and right directions independently of other belts, and a plurality of the belts And a shoe that is arranged on each of them and moves in the left-right direction in synchronization with the movement in the left-right direction of the upper surface of the belt immediately below.

  According to this configuration, the shoe moves in synchronization with the movement in the left-right direction of the upper surface of the belt, which is the load placement surface. That is, unlike a conventional sorting apparatus 300 called a slide shoe sorter that employs a structure for pushing out a load by a shoe, the load is not sandwiched between the shoe and the load placement surface.

  Further, a plurality of such a set of belts and shoes are provided, and the synchronized movement of the belt upper surface and the shoe in each group is independent of these movements in the other groups. Therefore, various sizes of luggage can be sorted by adjusting the number of pairs of belts and shoes operated in the left-right direction.

  Furthermore, by adjusting the belt upper surface and the movement distance of the shoe in the adjacent plural groups, it is possible to send out the load in a manner corresponding to various branching directions.

  Therefore, the present invention can provide a sorting device that can efficiently and safely sort various types of packages.

  In addition, the shoe may be fixed to the upper surface of the belt so that the shoe moves in the left-right direction in synchronization with the movement of the upper surface of the belt in the left-right direction.

  This reliably prevents the load from being caught between the upper surface of the belt and the shoe. Further, since the movement of the shoe is realized only by driving the movement of the upper surface of the belt in the left and right directions, the efficiency of the entire sorting operation is improved.

  Further, a pin fixed to the belt and standing downward from the belt and a position for sorting the load are provided, and the upper surface of the belt is moved to the left and right by moving the pin in the left and right direction. A moving mechanism for moving in the direction may be provided.

  The moving mechanism includes a guide member extending in a direction not parallel to the transport direction, and the pin slides relative to the guide member as the belt moves in the transport direction. Accordingly, it may be moved leftward or rightward with respect to the transport direction.

  Thereby, for example, a motor for rotationally driving each belt is unnecessary. Further, by simply providing a guide member under the conveyance path constituted by a plurality of belts, the safe luggage can be pushed out from the conveyance path by the shoe.

  In addition, since a driving mechanism such as a motor and a gear is not required for each belt, the production cost of the sorting device can be suppressed. For example, it is realistic to shorten the width of each belt in the conveying direction and to provide more belts.

  Thereby, for example, the range of the size of the luggage that can be handled by the sorting device is further expanded.

  Furthermore, the present invention can be realized as a package sorting method including characteristic operation steps in the sorting apparatus of the present invention. Further, it can be realized as a control program for causing the sorting device to execute each of these steps.

  According to the sorting apparatus of the present invention, various types of packages can be sorted safely and efficiently.

  Specifically, the sorting apparatus according to the present invention can safely and reliably sort relatively thin or soft luggage, which is not suitable for a slide shoe sorter. In addition, it is possible to reliably and efficiently sort a group of packages having various sizes of luggage, which is unsuitable for a tilt tray sorter and a cross belt sorter.

  Therefore, the sorting apparatus of the present invention can improve the efficiency of the entire work related to the sorting of packages in such a physical distribution site where it is required to sort a wide variety of packages.

  A sorting apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sorting apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting apparatus 100 includes a plurality of belts 101, a shoe 102 disposed on each of the plurality of belts 101, and a rail unit 110 provided below the plurality of belts 101.

  The plurality of belts 101 are arranged side by side in the transport direction (X-axis direction) so as to form a transport path, and the plurality of belts 101 form a transport path for luggage.

  Each belt 101 is rotatably supported by left and right pulleys 103, and moves in the transport direction by being pulled in the transport direction by a chain 120 coupled to the rotation shaft of each pulley. Thereby, the conveyance of the plurality of loads placed on the plurality of belts 101 is executed.

  Further, the upper surface, which is the surface on which the load of each belt 101 is placed, can be moved to the left and right (bidirectional parallel to the Y-axis direction) with respect to the transport direction independently of the other belts 101.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the sorting apparatus 100 includes pins 104 that are fixed to the belt 101 and stand downward from the belt 101. When the pin 104 moves leftward or rightward, the belt 101 rotates, and as a result, the upper surface of the belt 101 moves in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the pin 104.

  Further, the shoe 102 moves in the left-right direction in synchronization with the movement of the belt 101 immediately below in the left-right direction. Specifically, in this embodiment, shoe 102 is fixed to the upper surface of belt 101. As a result, the left-right movement of the upper surface of the belt 101 and the left-right movement of the shoe 102 are synchronized.

  In addition, although the raw material and each size of the belt 101 and the shoe 102 are not limited to a specific thing, for example, these are produced with resin. The width of the belt 101 in the conveyance direction is, for example, about 150 mm to 200 mm, and the width in the left-right direction is, for example, about 800 mm.

  Further, for example, as the height of the shoe 102, an appropriate value for extruding various loads that can be classified is adopted, for example, about 50 mm.

  In the present embodiment, the movement of the pin 104 in the left-right direction is realized by the branch rail 110 c and the branch unit 111 included in the rail unit 110. That is, the branch rail 110c and the branch unit 111 realize a moving mechanism in the sorting apparatus of the present invention.

  The branch rail 110c is an example of a guide member in the sorting apparatus of the present invention, and both extend from at least one of the right rail 110a and the left rail 110b parallel to the transport direction in a direction not parallel to the transport direction.

  The pins 104 that are guided by the right rail 110a or the left rail 110b and go straight are guided to the branch rail 110c by the branch unit 111. As a result, the pin 104 moves in an oblique direction with respect to the transport direction. That is, the pin 104 moves in the transport direction and moves in the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

  FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a first state of the branch unit 111 in the embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating a second state of the branch unit 111 in the embodiment.

  2A and 2B show the state of the branch unit 111 disposed on the right rail 110a, the branch unit 111 disposed on the left rail 110b performs the same operation.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, when the branch unit 111 is substantially parallel to the right rail 110a, that is, substantially parallel to the transport direction, the pin 104 goes straight without entering the branch rail 110c.

  However, as shown in FIG. 2B, the branch unit 111 swings and becomes substantially parallel to the branch rail 110c, whereby the pin 104 is guided to the branch rail 110c.

  In this case, the pin 104 slides with respect to the branch rail 110c as the belt 101 to which the pin 104 is attached moves in the transport direction. Thereby, the pin 104 moves to the left with respect to the transport direction. As a result, the upper surface of the belt 101 and the shoe 102 disposed on the upper surface move to the right with respect to the transport direction.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between the moving direction of the pin 104 and the moving direction of the shoe 102 in the embodiment.

  In FIG. 3, the direction from the front to the back of the paper is the transport direction. In this case, as shown in the upper drawing, the upper surface of the belt 101 moves to the right as the pin 104 moves to the left with respect to the conveying direction. Along with this movement, the shoe 102 also moves to the right.

  Further, as shown in the lower drawing, the upper surface of the belt 101 moves to the left as the pin 104 moves to the right with respect to the conveying direction. Along with this movement, the shoe 102 also moves to the left.

  In this way, each shoe 102 moves in the left-right direction in synchronization with the movement in the left-right direction of the upper surface of the belt 101 immediately below itself.

  In the sorting apparatus 100 having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 1, the one or more shoes 102 move in the direction (right direction) where the branch path 150 exists, thereby reliably pushing out the load to the branch path 150. be able to. In other words, the packages are reliably sorted.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the sorting apparatus 100 according to the embodiment.

  In the right part of FIG. 4, the belt 101 and the shoe 102 are indicated by dotted lines in order to clarify the arrangement position of the branch rail 110c and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the sorting apparatus 100, a branch unit 111 and a branch rail 110 c are arranged at positions corresponding to a plurality of branch paths 150, that is, positions where goods are sorted.

  The operation of each branch unit 111 is controlled by the control unit 130. The control unit 130 stores information on a plurality of packages sorted by the sorting apparatus 100, and can determine which package should be sent to which branch 150.

  Further, it is possible to communicate with a plurality of sensors (not shown) provided in the sorting apparatus 100 and grasp which package is located at which position.

  The control unit 130 controls the operation of the branch unit 111 based on information stored in advance, information obtained from the sensor as needed, instructions from the operator, and the like. Thereby, each package is sent out to the branch path 150 according to the delivery destination of the package, for example.

  The control unit 130 is realized by, for example, a computer having a central processing unit (CPU), a storage device, and an interface for inputting and outputting information.

  At the branch position A shown in FIG. 4, the branch unit 111 is inclined with respect to the right rail 110a so as to guide the pin 104 to the branch rail 110c. As a result, the pin 104 that travels straight on the right rail 110a and is in front of the branch unit 111 enters and slides on the branch rail 110c that extends from the right rail 110a toward the left rail 110b.

  Further, the pin 104 that slides with respect to the branch rail 110c gradually moves to the left (upward in FIG. 4), and the upper surface of the belt 101 corresponding to the pin 104 gradually moves to the right (downward in FIG. 4). Direction). As a result, the shoe 102 fixed to the belt 101 moves to the right.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the upper surface of the belt 101 and the shoe 102 move in this manner, thereby reliably delivering the load to the branching path 150 provided on the right side (lower side in FIG. 4) of the conveying path. be able to.

  At the branch position B, the branch unit 111 is inclined with respect to the left rail 110b so as to guide the pin 104 to the branch rail 110c. As a result, the pin 104 that travels straight on the left rail 110b and is in front of the branch unit 111 enters and slides into the branch rail 110c that extends from the left rail 110b toward the right rail 110a.

  Further, the pin 104 that slides with respect to the branch rail 110c gradually moves in the right direction (downward in FIG. 4), and the upper surface of the belt 101 corresponding to the pin 104 gradually in the left direction (upward in FIG. 4). Direction). As a result, the shoe 102 fixed to the belt 101 moves leftward.

  By moving the upper surface of the belt 101 and the shoe 102 in this way, the package is reliably sent to the branching path 150 provided on the left side (upper side in FIG. 4) of the conveying path as shown in FIG. Can do.

  As described above, the sorting apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes the plurality of belts 101 arranged in the transport direction, and the shoes 102 disposed on each belt 101.

  Further, the shoe 102 moves in synchronization with the movement of the upper surface of the belt 101 in the left-right direction. As a result, even when thin luggage and soft luggage are sorted, the luggage is not sandwiched between the upper surface of the belt 101 and the shoe 102, which is the luggage placement surface.

  Further, by adjusting the number of belts 101 and shoes 102 that are operated in the left-right direction, various sizes of luggage can be sorted.

  Further, by adjusting the respective moving distances of the upper surface of the belt 101 and the shoe 102 in a plurality of adjacent groups, the load can be pushed out in an oblique direction with respect to the transport direction. That is, the package can be sent out in a manner suitable when the branching direction is oblique with respect to the conveyance path.

  Therefore, the sorting apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment reliably and securely collects the packages even when the packages to be sorted include different types of physical properties such as size and softness. Can be sorted safely.

  In other words, a type of luggage that could not be targeted for mechanical sorting work in the past can also be targeted for sorting work.

  For this reason, for example, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the entire work relating to the sorting of packages in a physical distribution site where sorting of a large variety of packages is required.

  In the present embodiment, when the package is sent out to the branch path 150, the plurality of shoes 102 are moved to the right or left with respect to the transport direction while being arranged obliquely with respect to the transport direction.

  As a result, it is possible to send out the package without difficulty to the branching path 150 that is not perpendicular to the transport direction but goes obliquely forward.

  However, there are cases where it is desirable to push a package out of the transport path in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, for example, when a box for each delivery destination is arranged beside the transport path.

  Therefore, the plurality of shoes 102 may be moved to the right or left with respect to the transport direction in a state of being arranged in parallel with the transport direction.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration in the case where the plurality of shoes 102 are moved in a state of being arranged in parallel to the transport direction.

  Specifically, FIG. 5 shows an arrangement position of the branch rail 110c and the like when the four shoes 102 are moved in a state of being aligned in parallel with the transport direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, four branch rails 110 c that are parallel to each other are provided at intervals that match the interval between the pins 104 at the position for sorting the luggage. Further, four branch units 111 are arranged corresponding to these branch rails 110c.

  In this configuration, the branch unit 111 swings immediately before each of the four pins 104 reaches the side of each branch unit 111, so that the four pins 104 are guided to each branch rail 110c as shown in FIG. It is burned.

  As a result, the four pins 104 move to the left (upward in FIG. 5) while maintaining a state parallel to the transport direction. That is, the upper surface of each belt 101 moves to the right (down in FIG. 5), and the four shoes 102 move to the right (down in FIG. 5) while maintaining a state parallel to the conveyance direction.

  Thereby, the load placed on the right side of the four shoes 102 is pushed out in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

  As described above, by adjusting the movement distance of the upper surface of the belt 101 and the shoe 102 in the plurality of adjacent groups, the plurality of shoes 102 can be moved in a state parallel to the transport direction. Thereby, for example, a package can be sent out in a mode suitable for a case where the branching direction is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the conveyance path.

  In the present embodiment, the plurality of belts 101 are moved in the transport direction by the chain 120. However, the movement of the plurality of belts 101 in the conveyance direction may be driven by other means.

  Further, since the shoe 102 is fixed to the upper surface of the belt 101, the horizontal movement of the upper surface of the belt 101 and the horizontal movement of the shoe 102 are synchronized.

  However, the shoe 102 may not be fixed to the upper surface of the belt 101. For example, the sorting apparatus 100 may include a mechanism for moving each of the plurality of shoes 102.

  That is, if the movement of the upper surface of the belt 101 in the left-right direction and the movement of the shoe 102 in the left-right direction are synchronized, the driving sources for moving the belt 101 and the shoe 102 in the left-right direction may not be the same. .

  The belt 101 has a loop shape, and the upper surface of the belt 101 is moved left and right by moving and rotating the pin 104 attached to the lower surface of the belt 101.

  However, the belt 101 does not have to be a loop. For example, a winding mechanism for winding the belt 101 is disposed at the left end and the right end of the belt 101, and the pin 104 is attached to the back side of the upper surface of the belt 101.

  In this case, when the pin 104 moves to the right, the right winding mechanism winds the belt 101 while the left winding mechanism sends out the belt 101. When the pin 104 moves to the left, the left winding mechanism winds up the belt 101 while the right winding mechanism sends out the belt 101.

  As described above, even if the belt 101 is not in the form of a loop, the operation of the belt 101 and the shoe 102 similar to the present embodiment can be realized by using the pin 104 and the branch rail 110c in this embodiment as they are. it can.

  The sorting device of the present invention can be used as a device for sorting various types of packages. Therefore, it is useful as a sorting device or the like in a physical distribution site where sorting of a wide variety of packages is required.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure outline | summary of the sorting apparatus of embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows the 1st state of the branch unit in embodiment, (B) is a figure which shows the 2nd state of the branch unit in embodiment. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the moving direction of a pin and the moving direction of a shoe in embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure outline | summary of the sorting apparatus of embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure in the case of moving a some shoe in the state arranged in parallel with respect to the conveyance direction. It is a figure which shows the structure outline | summary of the conventional sorting apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure outline | summary of the conventional sorting apparatus provided with the shoe which pushes the load on a conveyance path to a branch path. (A) is a figure which shows the outline | summary of a structure of the conventional sorting apparatus which inclines a tray and sends out a goods in the left-right direction, (B) is a structure of the conventional sorting apparatus which drives a belt and sends out the goods in the left-right direction. It is a figure which shows an outline.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Sorting apparatus 101 Belt 102 Shoe 103 Pulley 104 Pin 110 Rail unit 110a Right rail 110b Left rail 110c Branch rail 111 Branch unit 120 Chain 130 Controller 150 Branch

Claims (4)

A sorting device for sorting left and right packages with respect to a conveyance direction,
A plurality of belts arranged side by side in the transport direction to form the transport path, and the upper surface that moves in the transport direction and on which the load is placed is independent of the other belts. A belt movable in the direction,
A sorting apparatus comprising: a shoe disposed on each of the plurality of belts and moving in the left-right direction in synchronization with the movement of the upper surface of the belt immediately below in the left-right direction. The sorting device according to claim 1, wherein the shoe moves in the left-right direction in synchronization with the movement in the left-right direction of the upper surface of the belt by being fixed to the upper surface of the belt. And a pin fixed to the belt and standing downward from the belt;
The sorting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a moving mechanism that is provided at a position for sorting the luggage and moves the upper surface of the belt in the left-right direction by moving the pin in the left-right direction. The moving mechanism has a guide member extending in a direction not parallel to the transport direction,
The sorting device according to claim 3, wherein the pin moves leftward or rightward with respect to the transport direction by sliding with respect to the guide member as the belt moves in the transport direction.

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