JP2768323B2 - Paper sheet sorting method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for storing a plurality of paper sheets, in particular, mails, in a sorting box corresponding to the sorting information, based on sorting information attached to the surface of mail. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sorting so-called postal materials, which sorts sheets in the order based on the sorting information.

[0001]

2. Description of the Related Art In a mail delivery system, first, mails are classified for each predetermined destination area based on a recognition result of a zip code corresponding to a predetermined destination area added to the mail (first sorting). Work), and then perform a work (second sorting work) of rearranging the mails in the order of the delivery route when delivering a plurality of mails to the destination according to the address and the like described in the mails. I have.

In a conventional mail delivery system, for example, A
UTOMATION AND RETAIL EQUI
As disclosed in PMENT (issued in March 1992), at the stage of sorting mail items into a predetermined destination area as a first sorting operation, the sorting is automatically performed using, for example, a barcode sorter or the like. I was At present, after the mails are sorted into a predetermined destination area, the mails are manually rearranged in the delivery order. As described above, the manual mail sorting method often involves many mistakes and takes much time and effort. Therefore, there is a strong desire to automatically perform all operations (hereinafter, route assembly) until the mail is rearranged in the delivery order.

[0003] An invention relating to a paper sheet sorting apparatus for assembling such a route has already been applied for a patent by the same applicant as the present invention (Japanese Patent Application No. 307999/1994).
issue).

In this sheet sorting apparatus, a feeding mechanism is provided in each of a plurality of sorting boxes in which sheets fed from a supply unit and sorted based on sorting information are stacked. Then, the paper sheets sent from each of the sorting boxes in a tile shape by the sending mechanism are set again in the supply unit. The sheets set in the supply unit are again sent one by one, and are sorted and collected in each sorting box based on the sorting information.
The above process is repeated until the route assembly is completed.
If the sorting box in which the sorted sheets are to be stacked is full of the sheets stacked in the sorting box, the sheets are sorted and stacked in the overflow-only sorting box. You.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This Japanese Patent Application No. 06-30 is disclosed.
In the paper sheet sorting apparatus described in No. 7999, without considering the number of sheets to be stacked in each sorting box, a sheet with corresponding sorting information attached to each sorting box is provided. The sorting information is assigned so that sorting is performed.

Therefore, in the second sorting process, the number of sheets to be sorted into the first sorting box is 0, and the sheets are sorted into the second sorting box different from the first sorting box. When the number of sheets should be large, there is a problem that overflow occurs in the second sorting box even though the first sorting box is empty.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, sorting information added to paper sheets supplied one by one from a supply unit is read by a detection unit. Then, according to the read sorting information, the sheets are sorted and stacked in a sorting box corresponding to the sorting information. The sheets stacked in each sorting box are sent out again in a predetermined order so as to be set in the supply unit. Next, the sheets are sent out one by one again from the supply unit. The detection unit reads the sorting information added to the sheet again, and sorts the sheet into a sorting box assigned according to the sorting information. Here, in the present invention, 2
The number of sorting boxes assigned according to the sorting information at the time of sorting work (sorting work) after the first time is adjusted based on the sort information obtained at the time of the first sorting work, and based on the adjusted information. Paper sheets are sorted and collected.

[0008]

Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, a paper sheet sorting apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application No. 6-307999, which is necessary for explaining this embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the paper sheet sorting apparatus. Sorting information is attached to the surface of a plurality of paper sheets 1 on which route assembly is to be performed, and the plurality of paper sheets 1 are set in the supply unit 2 collectively. The classification information is, for example, a postal code or address attached to a postal matter, or a code (for example, a barcode) indicating such information. That is, it specifies the destination area of the mail and the delivery order of the mail within the destination area (hereinafter referred to as order information).

The paper sheets 1 set in the supply section 2 are transported one by one by a supply route such as a suction belt.
(Indicated by a dashed line in the figure). The sheets 1 supplied one by one from the supply unit 2 are supplied to the detection unit 6 via the switchback unit 4 and the alignment unit 5. Here, the switchback unit 4 adjusts the orientation of the paper sheets 1 when sent out from the supply unit 2 and the orientation of the paper sheets 1 when stacked in the supply unit 2. The transport direction is changed, and the aligning unit 5 adjusts the disturbance of the transport direction of the paper sheet 1 in the supply unit 2 and the switchback unit 4.

The detecting section 6 reads the sorting information attached to the surface of the conveyed paper sheet 1, and sends the sorting information to the control section 7 as a machine code. At the time of reading, the paper sheet 1 detected to be unreadable or the paper sheet 1 not to be sorted is sorted into the exclusion sorting box 8. Control unit 7
Compares the order information corresponding to the read sorting information with the contents of the sorting management table in which the correspondence between the order information and the sorting box is set, so that the sorting box 9 to which the sheets 1 are to be sorted is set. To determine. That is, the control unit 7 transmits a switching control signal to the route switching device 10 provided in the determined sorting box 9. The route switching device 10 is turned on and off by the control signal, and the sheet 1 is branched off from the transport route 3 and put into the sorting box 9. When all of the sheets 1 set in the supply unit 2 are sorted and accumulated in the sorting boxes 9 corresponding to the sorting information assigned to each, the first sorting operation is completed.

In the second sorting operation, first, the sheets 1 accumulated in each sorting box 9 by the first sorting operation are set.
Is driven to the transport route 3 by driving the delivery mechanism 11. The sent paper sheets 1 are set in the supply unit 2 again, and sent out to the transport route 3 one by one as a second sorting operation. The sent-out paper sheets 1 are sorted out again to the sorting box 9 by performing the same operation as the above-described first sorting work.
The description of the overlapping part will be omitted. When the sheets 1 that have been reset in the supply unit 2 are all sorted and collected in the respective sorting boxes, the second sorting operation is completed.

By repeating the operation described as the second sorting operation, the sorting operation can be performed any number of times in accordance with the number of sheets to be rearranged.

When the assigned sorting box 9 is already full, the sheets 1 are accumulated in the overflow box 12.

The present embodiment is characterized by a method of allocating a sorting box by the control unit, particularly, a method of allocating the sorting box in the second and subsequent sorting work.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the paper sheet sorting apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the stacking order table in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG.
Is a diagram showing a configuration of a bin assignment table in FIG. 2,
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing information stored in the memory shown in FIG. 2, and the information shows a relationship between the order information and the number of objects. Here, the number of articles is a value indicating the amount of paper sheets to be sorted into a predetermined sorting box defined by the order information. That is, the number of articles indicates the number of sheets to be stacked in the same sorting box.

The detecting section 6 reads the sorting information attached to the sheet 1 and sends a machine code as a result of the detection to the control section 7. The control unit 7 obtains order information corresponding to the transmitted machine code with reference to the accumulation order table 201 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, section box assignment table 20
2, the correspondence between the order information and the numbers of the sorting boxes into which the sheets having the order information are to be sorted is registered in advance for each sorting operation. Then, the control unit 7 determines the sorting box 9 into which the sheets read by the detecting unit 6 are to be sorted based on the obtained order information and the registered contents of the sorting box allocation table 202, and stores the information in the sorting box 9. The data is sent to the route changer 10 provided in the sorting box 9. By doing so, the sheets 1 are sorted and collected in the sorting box 9 determined by the control unit 7. The memory 203 stores the order information and the number (number of sheets) of sheets stacked in each sorting box for each sorting operation.

Next, the order information corresponding to the sorting information given to the paper sheets is set to any one of 001 to 999, and such paper sheets are assigned to ten pieces of numbers 0 to 9 in number. The operation of the present embodiment when rearranging in the order indicated by the order information using the sorting boxes will be described.

First, at the time of the first sorting work, information as shown in FIG. 4 is registered in the sorting box assignment table 202. That is, a sorting box is assigned to a sorting box to which a number equal to the first digit of the order information is assigned so as to sort sheets. Then, based on the order information obtained by referring to the stacking order table 201 and the sorting box assignment table 202, the sheets are sorted and stacked in sorting boxes assigned in advance. At the same time, the sorting unit reads the sorting information attached to the sheets by the detection unit 6 and stores the order information in the memory 203 each time the order information is obtained by referring to the stacking order table 201.

In this way, when all the sheets 1 set in the supply unit 2 are accumulated in the pre-assigned sorting box,
The first sorting operation is completed.

Next, the delivery mechanism 11 provided in each sorting box is operated to reset all the sheets in the supply unit 2, and then the second sorting operation is started.

At the time of the second sorting work, the sorting box assignment information as shown in FIG. 5A is registered in the sorting box assignment table 202 in the initial setting. That is, in the sorting box numbered equal to the tens digit of the order information,
A sorting box is assigned to sort paper sheets.
However, the 2 stored in the memory 203 shown in FIG.
Referring to the number of objects corresponding to each order information at the time of the second sorting work, the number of items whose tens place of the order information is “1” is 0, and the number of the tens place of the order information is “2”. "Is large. Therefore, the sorting box assignment table 202 shown in FIG. 5A is updated to the sorting box assignment table 202 as shown in FIG. 5B. That is, a sorting box is not assigned to a sheet having the tens digit of the order information being “1”, and a sorting box for sorting sheets having the tens digit of the order information being “2”. The sorting box assignment table 202 is updated so that two boxes are assigned.

When the sorting operation is performed in the same manner as described above using the updated new sorting box assignment table 202,
Paper sheets whose tens digit in the order information is "2" will be accumulated in the second assigned bin when one bin is full, preventing overflow. be able to.

In the third sorting operation, the sorting boxes are assigned in advance according to the hundredth digit in the stacking order.
A section box assignment table 202 is set. And
In the third sorting operation, as described above,
By adjusting the number of sorting boxes to be allocated according to the amount (number of articles) of sheets to be accumulated in each sorting box obtained by the first sorting operation, overflow can be prevented.

[0025]

As described above, the paper sheet sorting method and apparatus according to the present invention, based on the information obtained at the time of the first sorting operation, perform each of the order information at the time of the second and subsequent sorting operations. Since the number of bins to be allocated is adjusted, overflow can be prevented, and efficient route assembly can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an accumulation order table in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a sorting box assignment table in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a sorting box assignment table in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing information stored in a memory in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Paper sheet 2 Supply part 3 Transport route 4 Switchback part 5 Alignment part 6 Detecting part 7 Control part 8 Exclusion sorting box 9 Sorting box 10 Route switch 11 Sending-out mechanism 12 Overflow box 201 Stacking order table 202 Sorting box allocation table 203 memory

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A first supply unit configured to send a sheet to a first conveyance path; a detection unit configured to read sorting information attached to the sheet; a sheet unit configured to accumulate the sheet; A plurality of sorting boxes, a control unit that determines the sorting boxes on which the sheets are to be accumulated according to the sorting information read by the detection unit, and a first supply of the sheets from the sorting boxes. And a second conveying path for conveying the sheet to the sheet feeding unit, wherein the sheet sorting apparatus performs at least two or more sorting operations on a plurality of sheets arranged in the supply unit, wherein the control unit includes: Read by the detector during the first sorting operation
At the time of the second or later sorting work based on the sorting information taken
The number of the sorting boxes assigned to each sorting information
A sheet sorting apparatus characterized by adjusting . 2. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing the number of sheets to be stacked in the same sorting box. 3. A step of setting a plurality of sheets to which sorting information has been added to a supply unit, a step of sending sheets one by one from the supply unit to a first conveyance path, and A step of reading the sorting information added to the sheets sent out to the transport path by the detecting unit; and sorting the sheets into the sorting box corresponding to the sorting information according to the sorting information read by the detecting unit. Stacking, sending the sheets stacked in the sorting box to a second conveyance path, and setting the sheets sent to the second conveyance path again to the supply unit. A sheet sorting method for performing at least two or more sorting operations on a plurality of sheets set in the supply unit, the sorting information read by the detection unit during a first sorting operation Based on the second and subsequent wards A method for sorting paper sheets, comprising the step of adjusting the number of the sorting boxes assigned to each piece of sorting information at the time of minute work.