JPS5834874B2 - mail receiving device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a mail receiving device, and particularly to a mail receiving device, which is capable of weighing, calculating fees, and handling for all types of mail such as ordinary mail, registered mail, and express mail.
Everything from receiving and receiving money to stamping stamps instead of stamps (described in detail later) is completely automated, and for registered mail, necessary items such as acceptance date, recipient, and sender are automatically entered on the receipt slip. It generally relates to a mail receiving device for both registered and registered mail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Accepting mail at a post office counter is a very complicated job, especially accepting registered mail, and requires a lot of effort.

That is, in the registered mail acceptance business, the weight of the mail is first measured, it is determined whether it is a regular size or a non-standard size, and the postage fee is calculated.

At this time, registered mail charges (in some cases simple registered mail) and express mail charges will be added in the case of express mail.

Money will be paid and received based on this calculated postage fee, and if change is available, change will be paid.

Then, affix the required amount of stamps to the mail.

Next, stamp the registered mail acceptance number on the front of the mail.

In addition, sandwich a piece of carbon paper between two receipt slips and fill in the required information such as the recipient's and sender's addresses, names, acceptance number, weight of the mail, and postage charges, as well as the name of the receiving post office, acceptance date and time. Create a registered mail receipt by affixing a receipt stamp stamped with .

Hand one of the receipts to the sender and keep the other one.

Finally, a postmark stamp is placed on the stamp affixed to the mail.

To summarize the above operations, (1) Weighing mail and calculating charges, (2) Giving and receiving postage, (3) Attaching stamps,
(4) Seal of underwriting number, (5) Creation of receipt, ((5)
- Fill in the address, name and acceptance number of the A recipient and sender;
(5) - Fill in the weight of the B-mail item, enter the postage fee, name of the receiving post office, date and time of acceptance), (6) Issue a receipt, (7) Keep a copy of the receipt, (8) Apply a postmark stamp. At least 8 steps are required.

Incidentally, as the quantity of mail has increased in recent years, the number of registered mail has also tended to increase.

In particular, the demand for registered mail is increasing because its purpose is to confirm delivery.

However, the work at post office counters is not only limited to accepting registered mail, but also includes receiving regular mail, express mail, parcel mail, and selling stamps, making the work extremely complicated and profitable. The current situation is that it requires a great deal of effort.

On the other hand, from the perspective of postal service users, it goes without saying that the value of registered mail would greatly increase if registered mail could be accepted at night.

However, with the current counter operations, it is impossible to request night-time acceptance.

There is a strong need for automation in the acceptance of registered mail.

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a mail receiving device that can be fully automated for all types of mail such as registered mail, ordinary mail, and express mail.
In addition, the purpose is to reduce the labor of post office counter workers, improve work efficiency, and save labor, and to allow users to use the system at all times.

The characteristic configuration of the present invention for achieving this object includes a weighing mechanism that measures the weight of the posted mail, and a postage rate based on a signal from the weighing mechanism and a signal representing the type of mail. a calculation mechanism that calculates the amount of postage, a money transfer mechanism that transfers and receives the required postage based on a signal from the calculation mechanism, and a sorting mechanism that sorts the mail based on the signal that indicates the type of mail. a copying mechanism for copying the side of the registered mail item sorted by the sorting mechanism onto a receipt slip; a recording mechanism with nine receptacles for recording the acceptance date on the receipt slip; and a stamp alternative symbol assigning mechanism that assigns a symbol meaning.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 show the appearance of a mail receiving device according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device viewed from the front, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device viewed from the front.

In Figure 1, reference numerals 12, 13, and 15 are mail input slots, and registered regular-sized mail is input through input slot 12, and regular-size mail is input through input slot 13. ) are respectively deposited into the main body 11 of the apparatus from the input port 15.

Of course, these input ports 12° 13.15 are marked with registered mail standard size, regular standard size, and non-standard size.

Reference numerals 5, 6, 7, and 8 are operation buttons for specifying the type of postal mail item, and constitute an input mechanism for inputting a signal representing the type of mail item; 5 is an operation button for registered mail format;
Reference numeral 6 denotes an operation button for normal fixed forms, 7 an operation button for registered mail non-standard forms, and 8 an operation button for normal non-standard forms.

When mail is deposited into any one of the input slots 12°, 13, and 15, and the operation button corresponding to the mail is pressed, a signal representing the mail is input, and the weighing mechanism described later is used to input the mail. Once the weight of the mail item is weighed, the postage can be calculated by the controller and the postage based on the weight and type can be displayed on the required postage amount display panel 14.

Next, when a coin is inserted into the coin insertion slot 16, the amount of the inserted coin is displayed on the coin insertion amount display board 17.

If the input amount is greater than the required amount, the difference is sent to the change payout port 18.

When the input amount reaches the required amount, internal mechanisms (described later) of the main body 11 start operating.

If the mailed item is registered mail, a receipt is sent to the receipt output port 19 after a certain period of time (about 5 to 10 seconds).

Reference numeral 20 denotes a power cord for driving the internal mechanisms, which is unnecessary if the device has a built-in battery.

After all the operations have been completed, the mail is discharged from the mail discharge ports 2L22 and 23, as shown in FIG. 2, and is stored in a predetermined container (not shown).

21 is a discharge port for registered regular mail, 22 is a discharge port for registered non-standard mail, 23 is a regular mail discharge port (regardless of regular or non-standard size), and 27 is a registered regular mail that is being discharged. .

Of course, a container may be provided within the device main body 11, but the entire device becomes large-sized.

A mailing status display panel 24 is also provided on the front side of the main body 11.

This display panel 24 displays the quantity of registered mail, ordinary regular mail, and non-standard mail that have been posted, and the remaining number of receipt slips to be described later.

Reference numerals 25 and 26 are doors that are opened and closed during maintenance and inspection of internal mechanisms.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a registered mail receipt created by the mail receiving device according to the present invention.

As shown in this figure, the receipt includes the recipient's address, name a.
, sender's address, name b, acceptance date stamp C1 mail type d
, weight e, acceptance number f, h, postage g, and other necessary information is copied or stamped.

Next, while referring to the block diagram shown in FIG.
We will explain the various mechanisms built into the.

Mail pieces posted through the input ports 12, 13, or 15 are first sent to the weighing mechanism 37.

When one of the operating buttons 5, 6, 7, and 8 is pressed, the weighing mechanism 37 starts operating and sends a signal based on the weight of the mail to the controller 39.

The controller 39 calculates the postage of the mail item based on this signal and the signal representing the type of mail inputted by the operation button, and sends a signal to the display panel 14 to display the required postage amount. let

When a coin is inserted through the input slot 16, the coin transfer mechanism 38 sends a signal corresponding to the inserted amount to the controller 39 and the display panel 17.

The display panel 17 displays the amount of coins inserted based on this signal.

The controller 39 compares the required postage amount and the inserted coin amount based on the calculated postage amount and the signal from the coin exchange mechanism 38, and determines whether the inserted coin amount is equal to or larger than the required postage amount. If so, a start signal is generated.

This start signal is sent to at least a sorting mechanism, which will be described later, and this sorting mechanism starts operating.

In this embodiment, when the sorting mechanism operates and the mail is being conveyed, the other mechanisms sequentially detect the conveyed mail and carry out sequential control in which the operations are performed in sequence. It has become.

The sorting mechanism sorts the mailed items into the acceptance number stamping mechanism 3 based on a signal representing the type of mail sent from the push button or a signal representing the type of mail sent via the controller 39.
1 or the stamp substitute stamp mechanism 40.

If the operation button 5 or 7 is pressed, the mail is sent to the receipt number stamping mechanism 31 because it is a registered mail.

If the operation button 6 or 8 is pressed, the mail is sent to the stamp substitute stamp mechanism 40 because it is regular mail.

Further, if the amount of coins inserted is larger than the required amount of postage, the controller 39 sends a signal to the coin exchange mechanism 38, and causes the difference in change to be paid out.

In this embodiment, only when coins exceeding the required amount are inserted, a start signal is issued as described above or change is refunded, and only when the amount inserted is insufficient or there are no coins. If the mail is not inserted, these operations will not be performed, and the mail will remain in the weighing mechanism 37 and may become jammed.

Of course, there would be no problem if the staff were constantly monitoring and detecting mistakes made by mailers, but if a coin is not inserted even after a certain period of time after the required fee is displayed, a buzzer will sound. It may also be configured to activate an alarm device such as, for example, to call a staff member.

The weighing mechanism 37 and the coin transfer mechanism 38 can be achieved by known means, and the controller 39 calculates the required postage as described above and controls the display thereof, as well as controls the amount of money inserted. It is sufficient to have a function that determines that the postage amount has been reached and generates a start signal, or a function that includes a function that controls other mechanisms as described later. It can be constructed using a normal control circuit such as a comparison circuit or a logic circuit.

When a registered mail item is sent to the acceptance number stamping mechanism 31, the acceptance number stamping mechanism 31 stamps an acceptance number h (see FIG. 3) in the margin on the surface of the mail item.

In this case, by guiding the mail with a guide or the like and aligning the upper left corner (see below), the 0 receipt number can be set.
Normally, you can affix your stamp in the blank space where the addressee etc. are not written.

Furthermore, even if the stamps are stamped on multiple addresses, etc., identification will not become impossible at all, and there is no problem since the acceptance number will also be stamped on the receipt slip, as will be described later.

The mail with the acceptance number written is then transferred to the mail holding mechanism 32.
sent to.

The mail is securely held by the holding mechanism 32, and both the front and back sides thereof are reduced and copied onto a predetermined portion of the receipt slip 34 by the copying mechanism 33.

Typically, the recipient's address and name are written on the front of the mail, and the sender's address and name are written on the back.

Further, an acceptance number is stamped on the surface of the mail piece by the stamp mechanism 31.

Therefore, if both the front and back sides of the mail item are reduced and copied on the receipt slip 34, the recipient's address, name a, sender's address, name b, and acceptance number will be entered as shown in FIG.

The reduction rate is, for example, approximately A to A, and reduced copying with this degree of reduction rate is possible.

This reduced copy is made for two receipt slips.

Some mail items have the recipient's and sender's addresses and names written on the front of the item, but this does not cause any problems.

The two receipt slips in which both the front and back sides of the mail item have been reduced in size are sent to the receipt date stamp recording mechanism 35.

This stamping mechanism 35 stamps or prints the acceptance date stamp C1, type d of the mail, weight e, acceptance number f, postage g, etc. shown in FIG.

The underwriting date stamp includes the underwriting date, underwriting time (or time zone), underwriting post office name, etc.

The underwriting date and underwriting time can be changed automatically by incorporating an electronic clock or the like.

The type of mail is regular or express.

The acceptance number is the same as the acceptance number stamped on the mail piece based on the signal from the acceptance number stamping mechanism 31.

Therefore, the underwriting numbers f and h will be written in two places on the receipt slip, but given the fact that the underwriting numbers have been reduced, reliability is ensured by the underwriting number f.

The type d, weight e, and postage g can also be printed based on signals from the controller 39.

If there is no problem in omitting it, the apparatus can be simplified by omitting it.

In this way, two receipts 29 are created by printing or stamping the necessary information.

One of these is sent out from the receipt outlet 19.

The other one is kept in a designated storage case as a copy at the post office.

On the other hand, the registered mail is sent from the holding mechanism 32 to the stamp substitute stamp mechanism 36.

This stamp substitute stamp mechanism 36 has a message such as "Payment by Fee" written in the upper left margin of the surface of the mail item (the place where stamps are usually pasted).
A mark containing characters such as "Charge payment information" (Charge payment information symbol) or a stamp substitute for a stamp (hereinafter referred to as "stamp substitute stamp") are affixed.

In this case, by guiding the postal item with a guide or the like and aligning the upper left corner (see below), the stamp will be affixed to the upper left corner of the postal item, which is the margin where a stamp would normally be affixed. can do.

This makes it clear that the postage has indeed been paid for the mailed item.

In the case of a stamp substitute for a stamp, the postage is also stamped, so the configuration is such that the postage is stamped upon receiving a signal representing the postage from the controller 39.

As described above, the registered mail item stamped with the acceptance number and stamp substitute is discharged from the mail discharge port 21 or 22.

The regular mail is sent directly from the weighing mechanism 37 to the stamp substitute stamp mechanism 40, stamped with a stamp substitute like the registered mail, and discharged from the discharge port 23.

This concludes the general explanation of each mechanism, but it may be useful to compare the operation of each mechanism with the aforementioned acceptance of registered mail at a post office counter.

The function of the weighing mechanism 37 corresponds to the above-mentioned (1) weighing of mail and calculation of charges, and the function of the coin exchange mechanism 38 corresponds to the above-mentioned (2).
) Corresponds to the exchange of postage.

The underwriting number stamping mechanism 31 substitutes for stamping the underwriting number in (4) above, and the copying mechanism 33 performs (5) in the above (5) creation of a receipt.
5) -A Substituting the address, name, and receipt number of the recipient and sender, the stamp mechanism 35 stamps the receipt date, etc., and stamps (5) -B The weight of the mail, the postage fee, etc. in (5) Creation of receipt. Filling in the form, the name of the receiving post office, and the date and time of acceptance are substituted.

Furthermore, the stamp substitute stamp mechanism 36 substitutes the seal of the stamp (3) and the postmark stamp (8), and
6) Issuance of a receipt and (7) storage of a copy of the receipt are replaced by a sending mechanism which will be detailed later.

Therefore, the complicated task of receiving registered mail is completely automated by the present invention.

Furthermore, even for regular mail items, everything from weighing the mail, calculating postage fees, sending and receiving money, and affixing stamps to replace stamps is completely automated.

Next, the various mechanisms described above will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

In FIG. 6, the mail items posted through the registered regular mail slot 12 and the regular regular mail slot 13 are stacked on both sides of the receiver 41, respectively.

This pedestal 41 is fixed to the operating shaft 42 of the weighing machine 43, so when the mail is placed on the pedestal 41, the operating shaft 42
is lowered and weighed according to the weight of the mail.

If the postal item is registered mail, after the measurement is completed, the fixed shaft 4
A release lever 44 pivotally supported by the mailbox 5 rotates, and when pushed by the tip of the release lever 44, the mail on the receiver 41 is released onto the endless belt 60.

If the mail item is of regular size, the fixed shaft 5 is
A release lever 54 pivotally supported by the release lever 54 rotates, and the product is released into the transport path 58 by the release lever 54 .

Mail posted from the non-standard size mail slot 15 is placed in the receiver 4.
It is loaded on 6.

The pedestal 46 is also fixed to the operating shaft 42 of the weighing machine 43,
Mail is weighed.

After the weighing is completed, in the case of registered mail, the ejection pin 47 slides on the guide 49 by the rotation of the ejection lever 48,
Mail is discharged onto the belt 60 from above the receiver 46.

In the case of ordinary mail, the ejecting pin 56 slides on the guide 49 by the rotation of the ejecting lever 57, and ejects the mail from above the receiver 46 into the transport path 59.

One end of the release lever 48 is pivotally supported by a fixed shaft 50,
The rotational movement is achieved by the reciprocating movement of a rack gear 52 that meshes with a pinion gear 51 fixed to the release lever 48.

The rack gear 52 is driven by a reciprocating motor 53.

The release lever 57 is similarly driven by the reciprocating motor 53.

The release levers 44,54 are also rotatably driven by a similar mechanism, but are not shown to avoid complexity.

These release levers 44, 54, 48, 57, release pin 4
7, 56, a guide 49, a reciprocating motor 53, etc., constitute a sorting mechanism.

Since this sorting mechanism is designed to start operating in response to a start signal from the controller 39, it does not operate when there is insufficient postage, and the mail that has been posted is simply weighed. , 59, etc., and therefore other mechanisms do not operate because they do not detect that the mail has been sent.

Which of the release levers 44, 54, 4B, and 57 rotates depends on the type of mail that has been posted.
It is controlled by a controller 39 or operation buttons 5, 6, 7, 8.

Then, in the case of registered mail, the mail is discharged onto the belt 60, and in the case of regular mail, it is discharged to either of the transportation paths 5B and 59.

Similarly, the coin transfer mechanism 38 is arranged within the space 61 in FIG. 5, but is not shown.

Now, the registered mail released onto the belt 60 is
0 is sent in the direction of the arrow.

When the leading edge of the mail is detected by the photoelectric detector 62,
The belt 60 stops its conveying operation.

At this position, the acceptance number board g6 is urged downward and the acceptance number is stamped at a predetermined position on the mail piece.

In this case, the mail can be positioned by providing a suitable guide for aligning the upper left corner as seen from the surface of the mail, and the location where the acceptance number should be stamped can be determined.

Note that if the mail is mailed upside down or inserted from the bottom side instead of the top side, this embodiment detects the front and back sides and the top and bottom sides, and then turns it inside out or upside down based on the detection results. Since there is no mechanism to do this, problems may occur.
It is necessary to instruct mailers to ensure that mail items are placed face up and from the top end, by means of a cautionary note or the like.

Reference numeral 63 denotes a fixed stand, which serves to securely support the mail item when stamping the acceptance number.

The downward biasing of the acceptance number board 66 is performed by a drive mechanism 64, and the operation of sequentially changing the acceptance number each time a mail is conveyed is performed by a controller 65.

The postal item stamped with the acceptance number is conveyed again by the belt 60 and dropped into the two transparent holding plates 67.6B.

Then, it is received by the support plate 69 and stands still.

When a mail piece is inserted into the transparent clamping plates 67, 68, the clamping plates 67, 68 move from both sides toward the mail piece, and
Hold the mail tightly.

Both the front and back sides of the mail item are reduced and copied onto the receipt slip at this position.

That is, since the clamping plates 67 and 68 are transparent, when both sides of the clamping plate 67.6B are scanned with the scanning lamps 87 and 8B, the reflected light images from both sides of the mail piece are reflected by mirrors 72 and 73 and lenses 74 and 75. , reflector 76,77, reflector 78,79
are respectively reduced to a predetermined size and guided, and recorded on the circumferential side of the magnetic drum 80 for copying.

This reduction rate may be different for the front and back sides of the mail item, or may be the same.

A commonly used copying mechanism is shown.

A toner adhesion mechanism 81 applies toner to the recorded image on the magnetic drum 80.

82 is a demagnetizer, and 83 is a cleaning brush.

On the other hand, receipt slips are stored in the receipt slip storage case 84 and sent out in synchronization with the rotation of the magnetic drum 80.

Then, by being held between the rollers 85, 86 and the magnetic drum 80 and coming into contact with the side surface of the magnetic drum 80, the recorded image on the magnetic drum 80 is copied onto the receipt slip.

The receipt, which is a reduced copy of both the front and back sides of the mail item, is sent to roller 8.
9.90, 91.92, 93, and 94, the next underwriting date, etc. is sent to the stamping mechanism.

The photoelectric detector 95 detects that the receipt has been sent to the rollers 91 and 92, and prepares the acceptance date stamping mechanism 35 to start operating.

When the receipt slip is sent to just below the acceptance date dial 98, the photoelectric detectors 96 and 97 detect it and stop the receipt slip conveyance operation.

Then, the drive mechanism 99 operates to urge the underwriting date dial 98 downward and stamping the underwriting date C (see FIG. 3) at a predetermined position on the receipt.

In this case, since the receipt is of a standard format and its size is determined in advance, it is easy to stamp it in a predetermined position.

100 is the same fixed base as 63. Although the specific mechanism is not shown, at this position, type d, weight e, underwriting fragrance number f
, postage g, etc. are printed on the receipt.

These prints are performed based on signals from the controller 39 and signals sent from the controller 65.

In this way, a receipt 29 as shown in FIG. 3 is created.

As described above, two receipts 29 are created for each registered mail item posted.

And one receipt is roller 102°103,...
, 109, 110, etc., and is sent to the receipt outlet 19 and issued to the mailer.

The other receipt is roller 102. .... 105.1
11.112. . . , 115, etc., and is sent to the storage case 116 and becomes a copy at the post office.

At this point, the photoelectric detector 101 sorts out the two receipts and
This is an operation for sorting in different directions.

When the first receipt is conveyed and detected by the photoelectric detector 101, a suction nozzle (not shown) provided near the roller 106 is activated to suck this receipt upward.

Therefore, the first receipt is for rollers 106 and 107.
etc., and transported upward.

When the second receipt is detected by the photoelectric detector 101, the suction nozzle does not operate, and this receipt is transferred to the roller 1.
11, 112, etc., to the storage case 116.

At this time, if a separate suction nozzle is provided near the roller 111 to suck the second receipt and send it toward the storage case 116, reliability will be further improved.

By the way, registered mail items for which reduction copying has been completed are held on the holding plate 67.
．． 68 is released, and at the same time, the support plate 69 is rotated downward about the fixed shaft 70, so that the guide plate 71
and falls between the endless belts 117 and 118 below.

Then, the mail hits the contact plate 120 and comes to rest.

A photoelectric detector 119 detects that a mail piece has been sent between belts 117 and 118.

The mail is sent to the stamp substitute stamp mechanism 36 by the belts 117, 118.

Similarly, the release of the postal object from being held by the holding plates 67 and 68 and the start of rotation of the support plate 69 can be performed based on the output of the photoelectric detector 95, for example.

Details of the stamp substitute stamp mechanism 36 as an example of a stamp substitute symbol applying mechanism are shown in FIG.

This mechanism is provided with two parallel belts 125 and 126 for conveying mail items, each having a different conveyance distance.

The belt 125 is for sending regular-sized registered mail to the outlet 21, and the belt 126 is for sending non-standard-sized registered mail to the outlet 22.

The mail sent between the belts 117 and 118 is transferred to the belts 125 and 12 according to the type of mail, whether regular or non-standard, based on a signal sent from the controller 39 or a pushbutton.
6.

When the photoelectric detector 119 detects the mail, the belt 117 moves in the direction of the arrow to sandwich the mail between the belt 118 and the belt 118.

Movement of the belt 117 is performed by a solenoid 121.

Specifically, for example, a driven roller that moves to the left as shown by the arrow when the solenoid 121 operates is arranged below the guide plate 71, and by moving this driven roller to the left as shown by the arrow, the belt 117 is moved. This operation is performed by a mechanism in which the portion on the left side moves in the direction of the arrow and comes into close contact with the belt 118, or by other various mechanisms.

Next, the belts 118 and 117 rotate while holding the mail item, and if the mail item is a regular size, it is conveyed to just above the belt 125, the grip is released, and the mail item falls onto the belt 125.

The mail is guided by the guide plate 124 and transferred to the belt 125.
It drops to an appropriate position and stands still.

If the mail is of a non-standard size, the belts 117 and 118 transport the mail to just above the belt 126 and drop it onto the belt 126.

The bells N17 and 118 are rotationally driven by a motor 123 via a reduction gear 122.

In addition, you can use the operation button 5 to determine whether registered mail is a standard or non-standard size.
, 7 or a signal from the controller 39 to control the motor 123.

Registered mail items sent on belt 125 are transferred to belt 1.
25 and reaches below the stamp substitute stamp 128.

Since the photoelectric detector 129 detects the mail at this position,
The conveying operation of the belt 125 is stopped.

Then, the stamp 128 is urged downward by the drive mechanism 127, and the stamp substitute stamp is pushed out to a predetermined position on the mail piece.

In this case, the mail can be positioned and stamped at a predetermined position by guiding the mail by a suitable guide mechanism and aligning the upper left corner of the mail.

Thereafter, the mail is conveyed again by the belt 125 and sent to the discharge port 21.

In exactly the same way, the non-registered mail sent on the belt 126 is detected by the photoelectric detector 133 when it reaches just below the stamp 132.
is detected, and the belt 126 is stopped.

The stamp 132 is urged downward by the drive mechanism 131 to imprint the stamp substitute stamp, and conveyance is started again and sent to the discharge port 22.

130 and 134 are fixed stands.

Now, the regular mail items discharged to the transportation paths 5B and 59 are sent to the stamp substitute stamp mechanism 40.

That is, it is transported onto the belt 136 and further transported onto the belt 1
36.

When the postal item reaches below the stamp substitute stamp 137, it is detected by the photoelectric detector 139.

Therefore, as in the case of registered mail, the drive mechanism 13
8 urges the stamp 137 downward, and the stamp substitute stamp is stamped at a predetermined position on the regular mail item.

This mail is further conveyed by the belt 136 and discharged to the discharge port 23.

In this embodiment, the valley mechanism detects the mail items being conveyed using photoelectric detectors and performs operations in sequence, and the controller 39 calculates and displays the required postage charges, and controls the input amount. It is configured to perform only the minimum necessary control, such as determining that the amount of postage is sufficient for the required fee and generating a start signal, and sending signals representing postage, etc., to other mechanisms. However, the controller 39
It is also possible to configure the system so that all mechanisms are controlled in an integrated sequence.

In the above explanation, stamp substitute stamps are affixed separately for registered mail and regular mail, and registered mail is further divided into regular and non-standard mail, and each is sent to a separate outlet. When simplifying mail, there is no problem even if you do not select registered mail, regular mail, regular mail, and non-standard mail.

In the above embodiment, if the mail is an express mail item,
Although the case of simple registered mail is not described in detail, it will be easily understood that the above-mentioned valley mechanism can be applied to these mails by simply making some changes or additions.

In other words, for express mail items, for example, "
An operating button for "express delivery" may be provided, and a circuit for adding the express delivery fee based on a signal from this operating button, a mechanism for printing the word "express delivery" on mail items, etc. may be added.

Further, an input port and a discharge port for express mail items may be provided separately.

A similarly easily applicable mechanism can be designed for simple registered mail.

In addition, many variations of the above embodiment can be cited.

For example, if a coin discriminating mechanism is installed in addition to the coin transfer mechanism, money can also be transferred using paper.

In the illustrated embodiment, a photoelectric detector is used to detect the mail, but other detectors (for example, microswitches that operate with slight force) may also be used.

Since the present invention is as described above, it is possible to automate the receiving work of all mail such as registered mail, express registered mail, simple registered mail, and ordinary mail.

Therefore, if installed at a post office counter, it will free workers from the work of creating receipts for registered mail and accepting other mail, reduce worker fatigue, and greatly contribute to improving office efficiency. Will.

Additionally, if installed outside the post office, it would be possible to receive registered mail at night, which would be extremely convenient for users.

Overall, the device according to the present invention satisfies the needs of the industry and users, and there is no doubt that it will greatly contribute to the automation of postal services.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the device provided by the present invention, and FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the external appearance of the device, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a receipt, and FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the device. The block diagrams shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are configuration diagrams showing the configuration of the apparatus in detail. 11... Main body, 12, 13, 15...
Mail slot, 14... Required postage amount display board, 16... Coin slot, 5, 6, 7, 8...
...Operation buttons, 17...Coin input amount display panel, 18...Change payout port, 19...Receipt ejection port, 20...Power supply Code, 21°22
．． 23... Mail outlet, 27... Mail, 24... Posting status display panel, 25, 26.
...Door, 29...Receipt, 31...
... Acceptance number stamping mechanism, 32 ... Mail holding mechanism, 33 ... Copying mechanism, 34 ... Receipt slip original paper, 35 ... Acceptance date, etc. Stamping mechanism, 36°40... Stamp substitute stamp mechanism, 37...
...Measuring mechanism, 38...Coin transfer mechanism, 39,
65...controller, 41, 46...cradle, 42...operation axis, 43...weighing machine,
44,54,57,4B・・・Release lever 45
, 55, 50, 70...Fixed shaft, 47°56.
...Ejection pin, 49...Guide, 51
...Pinion gear, 52...Rack gear, 53...Reciprocating motor, 58, 59...
・Transport route, 62,95,96°97.101,119,
129,133,139...Photoelectric detector, 60
,117,118,125°126.136...
・Belt, 61...Space, 63°100.13
0,134,140...Fixed stand, 64°99.
127,131.138... Drive mechanism, 66.
...Acceptance number board, 67.68...Holding plate, 69...Support plate, 71,124...
Information board, 72, 73° 76.77.78, 79...
...Reflector, 74,75...Lens, 87,8
B...Scanning lamp, 80...Magnetic drum, 81...Toner adhesion mechanism, 82...
・Demagnetizer, 83...Cleaning brush, 84...
... Receipt slip storage case, 98 ... Underwriting date dial, 85° 86.89, 90, 91.92, 93, 9
4,102゜103,..., 115...Roller, 116...Storage case, 120...
・Plate, 121... Solenoid, 122...
...Reducer, 123...Motor, 128゜1
32.137・・・Stamp replacement stamp.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A weighing mechanism that measures the weight of posted mail, a money transfer mechanism that accepts deposited money and dispenses change, an input mechanism that provides a signal indicating the type of mail, and the weighing mechanism. The postage is calculated and displayed based on the signal from the input mechanism and the signal representing the type of mail from the input mechanism, and the amount input into the money transfer mechanism is compared with the postage. a controller that determines that there is no shortage and generates a start signal;
a sorting mechanism that operates in response to the start signal and sorts mail based on a signal representing the type of mail; a copying mechanism that copies the side of the registered mail sorted by the sorting mechanism onto a receipt slip; an acceptance date recording mechanism that records the acceptance date on the receipt slip; a postage paid symbol or stamp alternative symbol assigning mechanism that assigns a symbol indicating that postage has been paid or a stamp alternative symbol to the mail; and the sorting mechanism. a first conveyance mechanism that conveys the sorted registered mail items from the sorting mechanism via the copying mechanism to the fee-paid symbol or stamp alternative symbol assigning mechanism; and a second conveyance mechanism that conveys the receipt from the fee paid symbol or stamp substitute symbol assigning mechanism, and produces two receipt slips with the same contents through the copying mechanism and acceptance date recording mechanism, one of which is stored. Tomo I
This mail receiving device is characterized in that the other mail is discharged from the discharge port and delivered to the mailer.