JPS6114878B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

This invention provides an automatic postal letter stacking device that roughly sorts postal letters by area and stacks them in a letter stacking room, and further divides the letters collected by area into fine sections by destination and stacks them in the letter stacking room. Regarding the method. Generally, at post offices, mailed letters are sorted by three-digit postal code using a sorting machine or manually, and then accumulated in a letter sorting box. However, since there are approximately 900 combinations of 3-digit postal codes, approximately 900 letter collection boxes are required for each postal code, resulting in an extremely large number of letter storage boxes. A problem arises in that the box becomes a letter sorting box. Therefore, a method has recently been adopted in which approximately 900 types of postal letters are sorted and accumulated in letter accumulation rooms for each destination using a letter sorting box consisting of approximately 150 letter accumulation rooms. This classification method will be explained with reference to FIG. In the figure, a indicates a letter sorting box having approximately 150 letter accumulating chambers b, and a sorting machine c is attached to the side of the letter sorting box a. The data shown in FIG. 2 is input to this sorting machine c. In other words, the data shown in Figure 2 shows the quantity N of postal letters on the vertical axis and the destination of each postal letter by postal code Z on the horizontal axis, and graphs the distribution of the quantity of postal letters by each destination. This is calculated using the past actual average. Then, based on this data information, we first statistically analyze each postal letter from each area, such as Tokyo,
Osaka prefecture, Tohoku region, Hokkaido, etc. are roughly sorted by sorter c, and then each letter collection room b
Accumulate in... Then, the letters grouped by each area are taken out for each area,
The packets are passed through the sorting machine c again to be subdivided by destination, that is, by postal code. Among these subdivided postal letters, based on the above data information, postal letters whose destinations are expected to be more than 9 are accumulated in one letter collection room b for each postal code, and Postal letters whose destinations are expected to be 9 or less (below the collection limit) are collected and accumulated as a whole in one letter accumulation room b. Thereafter, the group of letters accumulated by each postal code and the group of letters that have been aggregated are taken out and grouped by each destination. It is a general belief that this bundle is to be bundled only if the number of letters is greater than nine, and groups of letters that are less than nine are not to be bundled independently. By repeating these subdivisions, postal letters having about 900 types of postal codes are sorted by destination into about 150 letter collection rooms b. However, since the postal letters that are subdivided are accumulated in the letter collection room b established for each destination based on the expected number of letters based on statistical data information, the letters are sorted by day of the week, month, or day. The statistical data does not take into account the fluctuations in the number of postal letters by destination, which increase or decrease depending on the country. For this reason, the number of letters with the addressee accumulated in each letter accumulation room b... should be the specified number (more than 9 letters), but the number is less than the specified number, and the letters are collected independently. This may cause problems such as not being able to bundle letters and having to perform the matching process with the group of letters that have been collected, or if the number of letters that are not specified in the group that is supposed to be made up of letters with addresses less than the specified number is A group of letters with more addresses than the number of sheets may be accumulated,
This creates a problem in that the group of letters must be classified again. This invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and its purpose is to store the number of processed postal letters for each address in a storage unit during rough classification of postal letters, and to store the processed information in the stored processing information. Basically, during subdivision, postal letters for destinations where the number of processed letters is less than a predetermined number are accumulated in the same letter accumulation room, and the letters are always accumulated in each letter accumulation room according to the number of processed postal letters for each destination. The purpose of this invention is to provide a sorting method for an automatic postal letter stacking device that makes it possible to do this. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In the figure, 1 is the letter sorting box of the automatic collection device, and inside this box there are approximately 150 letter collection chambers 2...
...is arranged. Also, this letter classification box 1
A sorting machine 3 is installed on the side of the
It is composed of an optical reading device 4, a sorting device 5, a letter conveyance mechanism 6, and a storage section 7, which are respectively arranged inside. Next, the block diagram shown in FIG. 4 will be explained. In the figure, reference numeral 8 denotes a postal letter, which consists of, for example, a postcard as shown in FIG. 5, and three frames 9 are written at the top of the postcard. And this frame 9
A postal code consisting of a three-digit number is entered in ....... Further, 3 is the above-mentioned sorting machine, and 1 is a letter sorting box. Furthermore, 7 in the figure is the storage section mentioned above. Further, in the figure, numerals 4, 5, and 6 are the above-mentioned optical reading device, sorting device, and letter conveying device. Next, the operation of the automatic stacking apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, with a specific example. Table 1 below shows postal codes from 100 to 120, for example, from 130 to the Tokyo area.
The first two digits of the postal code represent postal letters 8 for each area, such as numbers up to 150 heading towards Osaka, numbers 160 to 170 heading towards Tohoku, and so on. This destination-specific number group data has already been input into the storage section 7. In addition, Table 2 shown below also shows postal codes 100, 110, and 120 in the Tokyo area in Table 1.
It represents the number of mailed letters 8 that are divided into digits and accumulated for each postal code, that is, for each destination.

【table】

【table】

[Table] After adding such specific examples, first, the postal code of each postal letter 8 is read by the optical reading device 4. 100 to 120 depending on the first two digits of this postal code.
The serial numbers are read separately for each region, such as 130s to 150s, 160s to 170s, and the lower one digit number is counted and stored in the storage unit 7 along with the upper two digits, and the postal code is stored in the storage unit 7. All other numbers are entered. Thereafter, the postal letters 8 that have been read for each direction are sorted by the sorting device 5 into regions such as Tokyo, Osaka, Tohoku, etc. according to the group of first two digits. The letters are further stacked in each direction in each letter accumulation chamber 2 by the letter conveyor 6. This is the coarse classification. Then, all the letter groups sorted and accumulated for each area are taken out from the individual letter accumulation rooms 2 for each area, and are applied to the sorting machine 3 again for each individual letter group for each area.
Then, each postal code is read again by the optical reading device 4, and based on this information, the sorting device 5 further sorts the postal letters 8 by each postal code. And sorted postal letter 8...
In this case, the number of postal letters 8 stored for each address in the storage unit 7 at the time of coarse sorting is greater than 9.The number of postal letters 8 to be processed is greater than 9 at the time of coarse sorting. are allocated and accumulated in each letter accumulation room 2, and nine or less postal letters 8 are collected and accumulated in one letter accumulation room 2 as a whole. In other words, in Table 2, one letter collection room 2 is allocated to postal codes "100", "101", etc., which have a number of letters greater than 9, and one letter collection room 2 is allocated to them, and the number "108" which has a number of letters less than 9 is assigned to each postal code "100", "101", etc. ” and “109”, these (“108”
and "109" letters) are accumulated in one letter accumulation room 2. In other words, if you apply the group of letters numbered 100 to 120 in the Tokyo area to sorter 3,
100, 101, 103, 110, 111, 112, ……
120, 121, 122, etc., and the number of letters received by each postal code is roughly divided into 100, 101, etc.
The number is 80, 102 is 70, 108 is 7, 109 is 4, 110 is 90, 119 is 110, 120 is
The number of letters for each postal code is entered in the storage unit 7, such as 30, . ... are accumulated in the letter accumulation room 2 of each destination set according to the number of letters. At this time, for postal codes 108 and 109, which have a number of letters that is less than the specified number, that is, the number of letters that cannot be sorted independently, the storage section 7 automatically sets the letter accumulation room 2 as the collective letter accumulation room, The letters are collected and collected in this collection room. This is a subdivision. Thereafter, the letters in the Tokyo area are taken out from the letter collection room 2 for each destination and the grouped letter collection room, and are individually bundled. Once the sorting for the Tokyo area is completed, the approximately 900 types of postal letters 8 are accumulated into 150 letters by sequentially subdividing and grouping them for Osaka, Tohoku, and so on. The letters are sorted and accumulated in a letter sorting box 1 equipped with a chamber 2. In this way, when the postal letters 8 are roughly sorted by area, the number of postal letters 8 for each destination is counted and stored in the storage unit 7, and the address is determined based on this number information. Postal letters subdivided by area 8...
. . . are collected in the letter collection room 2 for each address, which is set according to the number of letters. Therefore, the postal letters 8 for each address according to the day of the week, month, day, etc.
Regardless of the increase or decrease in ......, postal letters 8...... with many destinations are accumulated in the letter collection room 2...... set according to the number of letters, and postal letters with few destinations... 8..., that is, 9 or less postal letters 8...... are collected together with the same small number of postal letters 8 with the same address in the collective letter accumulation room 2... set according to the number of letters. be done. Therefore, postal letters can always be reliably accumulated in each letter accumulation room 2 according to the number of postal letters 8...... for each address, and the letters can be accumulated in each letter accumulation room 2... If a letter collection room 2 with 9 or fewer addresses is formed independently, or if the number of postal letters 8 with the same address in the collective letter collection room 2 exceeds the collection limit. Compared to the conventional system, the operations on the groups of letters sorted and accumulated in the letter accumulating chamber 2 can be made extremely easy and labor-saving can be achieved. As explained above, according to the present invention, the number of processed postal letters for each address is stored in the storage unit at the time of rough classification of postal letters, and based on this stored processing information, fine classification is performed. Since the number of postal letters to which the number of processed letters is less than a predetermined number is accumulated in the same letter collection room, it is possible to collect letters to a large number of addresses without being affected by the increase or decrease in the number of postal letters to the destinations depending on Sunday, month, or day. Postal letters from different destinations are accumulated in a letter accumulation room set according to the number of letters processed, and letters from a small number of destinations that do not reach the collection limit are accumulated in a grouped letter accumulation room set according to the number of letters processed. They are collected together with postal letters from fellow recipients. Therefore, postal letters can always be reliably accumulated in each letter accumulation room according to the number of postal letters processed for each address, and the letter accumulation rooms for addresses below the collection limit can be stored independently within the letter accumulation room. This eliminates the possibility of postal letters with the same address being accumulated in the collective letter accumulation room in excess of the collection limit, making it extremely easy to operate on groups of letters in the letter accumulation room, and saving labor. can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a conventional automatic stacking device, Fig. 2 is a line diagram showing statistical data input into the device to set a letter stacking room in which postal letters are stacked, and Fig. 3 is a diagram according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a postal letter. 2... Letter collection room, 7... Memory section, 8... Postal letters.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In the case where postal letters are first roughly sorted and accumulated in a letter accumulation room, and then the coarsely sorted letters are further divided into pieces according to destination and accumulated in the letter accumulation room,
When the above-mentioned postal letters are roughly sorted, the number of processed postal letters for each address is stored in the storage unit, and based on the number of processed letters stored in this storage unit, the number of processed letters is less than a predetermined number during fine sorting. A sorting method for an automatic postal letter stacking device, characterized in that the postal letters are stacked in the same letter stacking chamber.