JPH0632787B2 - Mail processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a mail processing apparatus, and particularly when the mail is jammed in the apparatus and does not operate during operation, the recovery is expedited and the operation stop time is reduced. The present invention relates to a postal processing device.

(Prior Art) A conventional mail processing apparatus processes mail in the order of sorting, arranging, imprinting, sorting, etc. according to its function, and these are collectively controlled. However, postal items are often of different sizes, and can become jammed mechanically during processing. In this case, stop all operations closer to the entrance than the jammed part of the mail,
If it is closer to the outlet, it is transported to the sorting machine and treated as an error, and then the operation is stopped.

Therefore, even though it has a function that operates normally except for the jammed part of the mail, all the functions stop due to the common use of the drive system for each function,
In the part where the process is being executed before the stop, the process needs to be repeated from the beginning. In addition, human resources are temporarily required for removal of postal matters near the entrance, etc. even during restoration.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) A problem of the conventional technique to be solved by the present invention is that, when the mail is mechanically clogged as described above, all the functions are stopped and the mail is recovered. This requires manual labor for the removal work, and requires double processing of postal items that were being processed before the stop even after restoration.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mail processing apparatus that solves the above-mentioned drawbacks.

(Means for Solving the Problem) The postal matter processing apparatus of the present invention receives a postal matter and receives the postal matter having a thickness exceeding a predetermined thickness and the postal matter having a predetermined height at the time of transfer. Exclude and level out the mail items within this size one by one, and output to the first mail processing unit, and the transfer direction of the mail items output from the mail supply unit. Detects the length, transfer interval, and slanted conveyance, sends out the postal items within the predetermined size range to the second postal matter processing unit, and at the same time detects the postal items outside the predetermined size range. A first mail processing unit that returns to the mail supply unit through a transfer route and operates independently of the second and third mail processing units, and the mail output from the first mail processing unit Of postage stamps that have been determined to have stamps Outputs to the mail processing unit via the normal transfer route, outputs postal items judged not to have stamps to the third mail processing unit via the reverse transfer route, and operates independently of the first and third mail items. The second postal matter processing unit and the postage stamps of the postal matter supplied from the second postal matter processing unit through the normal transfer route or the reverse transfer route are detected, and the postal items judged to have the postage are sorted out. A third mail processing unit that operates independently of the first and second mail processing units, and outputs the mail that is determined to have no stamps to the mail supply unit through a transfer route. A sorting machine for sorting the mail according to a postal code, each processing unit, in the first processing unit, a mail detected to be out of a predetermined size range,
In the third processing unit, if there is a postal item judged to be stamp-free and if any one of the processing units has an abnormality, it remains in the processing unit on the input port side of the processing unit in which the abnormality has occurred. An exclusion route is provided for excluding a mail item to a transfer route for returning the mail item to the mail supply unit.

(Example) Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating an example. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the present invention.

The outline of the present invention will be described below.

First, the part for processing mail is divided into several processing parts or modules, and these are driven independently of each other.

By providing an exclusion route in each processing unit or module, the mail removed from the sorter or detector for each processing unit and the mail in the processing unit on the input side when each processing unit stops Are supplied to the exclusion route, and are joined from the receiving side through the thickness sorter into the passage for supplying the postal matter to be processed. Further, when one of the processing units, that is, one of the modules, is stopped, the postal matter in the processing unit on the outlet side of the processing unit continues to be processed and is output to the classifier.

By adopting this method, even if the mail is clogged in one processing unit and the operation is stopped, the mail in the processing unit on the receiving side will be supplied to the exclusion route and the thickness from the receiving port will be increased. The mail is merged with the mail receiving part to be supplied through the sorter, and the mail is arranged in the arranging and supplying part.

Further, the postal matter on the delivery side of the stopped processing section continues to be processed as described above and is output to the sorting machine, and the rejected postal matter is supplied to the postal matter receiving section which supplies the postal matter through the rejection route. Return. In parallel with this, postal processing is performed to remove the postal matter from the processing section that has stopped and to recover it. Therefore, the range of work required for the personnel is limited to the module, so that it can be considerably reduced as compared with the conventional technique, and therefore the recovery time is extremely short.

Here, the configuration and operation of one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, this embodiment shows a mail supply unit 1, a first mail processing unit 2, a second mail processing unit 3, and a third mail processing unit. 4 and a sorting machine 5.

The postal matter supply unit 1 includes a postal matter input unit 11, a postal matter transfer unit 12, a thickness sorter 13, a chute 14 for excess thickness postal matter, height sorters 16A and 16B, and a height. Shoots 17A and 17B for excess mail and leveling section 1
8 and an assortment supply unit 19.

The postal matter received in the postal matter input section 11 from the input postal matter route 100 is supplied to the rotary drum-shaped thickness sorter 13 through the postal matter transfer section 12, and from the thickness sorting gap 15 of the thickness sorter 13. The postal items having a predetermined thickness range are supplied to the postal item receiving unit 103. Mail items outside the specified thickness range are fed to the chute 14 for over-thick mail items and are rejected from the mail processing device.

The height of the postal matter supplied to the transfer route 102 is 16
After passing below A. 16B, the postal items within the height range designated in advance are supplied to the leveling unit 18, and the postal items are leveled out one by one, and the sorting supply unit 19 first It is supplied to the mail processing unit 2. On the other hand, if the postal items are out of the specified height range, the chute 17 for the postal height excess postal items is used.
It is supplied to A.17B and removed from the mail processing equipment.

The first mail processing unit 2 is provided with a length detector 21 and an exclusion route 29, detects the length of the mail to be transferred, the interval between the mails, and the oblique transfer of the mails, and is designated in advance. The postal items determined to be out of the range of the above dimensions are supplied to the second postal matter processing unit 3. The postal items determined to be out of the predetermined size range (for example, an abnormally long postal item is often sent in two passes) are supplied to the transfer route 102 through the exclusion route 29 to receive the postal items. It reaches the part 103 and is processed again.

The second mail processing unit 3 includes a aligner 31 and a stamp detector 3
2 and an exclusion route 39. When the postal matter is fed to the postage stamp detector 32, the leveling device 31 aligns the postal matter, and also detects the length of the postal matter and the interval between the postal items, so that the postal matter is within a predetermined size range. Only the postal items determined to be sent to the stamp detector 32. Further, the postal items determined to be out of the predetermined size range are supplied to the transfer route 102 through the exclusion route 39, reach the postal item receiving unit 103, and are processed again. The postage stamp is detected by the postage stamp detector 32, and when it is determined that the postage stamp is present, the postal matter is supplied to the normal transfer route 42 of the third postal matter processing unit 4, and it is determined that the postage stamp is not present. Then, the postal matter is supplied to the reverse transfer route 41 of the third postal matter processing unit 4.

The third mail processing unit 4 includes an inversion transfer route 41, a normal transfer route 42, a leveling device 43, a stamp detector 45,
The exclusion route 49 is provided. Second mail processing unit 3
If the postal items are judged to have stamps, the normal transfer route 42
A postal item passing through the stamp is judged to have no postage stamp, and the postal item is passed through the reverse transfer route 41 to detect the postage stamp at the opposite end by reversing it. The postage stamp is detected, and the postal item determined to have the postage is supplied to the sorting machine 5 through the output postal matter route 101. Further, the postal items whose stamps are not detected are supplied to the transfer route 102 through the exclusion route 49, reach the postal item receiving portion 103, and are processed again. Further, similarly to the aligner 31, the length and interval of the mail pieces are also detected, and the mail pieces determined to be outside the predetermined size range are supplied to the transfer route 102 through the exclusion route 49. .

Therefore, when the postal matter is clogged in any of the processing units or modules and no longer operates, the module on the side of the output postal matter route 101 as seen from the module continues to operate and sorts all the postal items into the sorting machine 5 or Supply to the transfer route 102 and stop the operation. In the module on the side of the mail receiving unit, all the mail is supplied to the transfer route 102 and collected in the arranging and supplying unit 19. On the other hand, the supply from the thickness sorter 13 to the mail receiving unit 103 is stopped. Therefore, at the time of restoration, it is sufficient to restore only the inoperable module.

(Effects of the Invention) As described in detail above, the present invention divides into several processing units, that is, modules and drives each module independently, and when an exclusion route is provided in each module Since it is possible to eliminate the postal matter, there is an effect that when the postal matter is clogged in any module and the module does not operate, its recovery is expedited and the operation stop time becomes extremely short.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the present invention. 1 ... Postal supply section, 2 ... First mail processing section, 3 ...
… Second mail processing unit, 4 …… Third mail processing unit, 5
…… Sorting machine.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A mail piece within a range of this size is excluded by rejecting a mail piece that receives a mail piece and exceeds a predetermined thickness and a mail piece that exceeds a predetermined height at the time of transfer. A postal matter supply unit for leveling one by one and outputting to the first postal matter processing unit, and detecting the length in the transfer direction, the transfer interval, and the oblique conveyance of the postal matter output from the postal matter supply unit. , Sending the mail within the predetermined size range to the second mail processing unit, and returning the mail outside the predetermined size range to the mail supply unit through the transfer route,
A first mail processing unit that operates independently of the second and third mail processing units, and a postage stamp output from the first mail processing unit is detected, and it is determined that there is a stamp. The postal matter is output to the third postal matter processing unit through the normal transfer route, and the postal item that is determined to have no stamp is output to the third postal matter processing unit through the reverse transfer route. A second postal matter processing section that operates independently of the postal matter, and performs stamp detection of the postal matter supplied from the second postal matter processing section through a normal transfer route or a reverse transfer route,
The postal items judged to have stamps are output to the sorting machine, and the postal items judged not to have stamps are returned to the mail item supply section through the transfer route, independently of the first and second mail item processing sections. And a sorting machine that sorts the mail according to a zip code, and each processing unit is outside the predetermined size range in the first processing unit. Detected postal items, postal items determined by the third processing unit to be free of stamps, and
When an abnormality occurs in one of the processing units, an exclusion route is provided to eliminate the postal matter remaining in the processing unit on the input port side of the processing unit in which the abnormality has occurred to the transfer route for returning to the postal matter supply unit. The postal matter processing apparatus, wherein the postal matter returned to the postal matter supply section in each of the postal matter processing sections is output again to the arrangement and supply section through the transfer route.