DE102007057497A1 - Method and apparatus for merging two streams of articles - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transporting and merging two streams of articles, in particular flat mail items. Each of the two subject streams each comprises at least two items (Ps-1, Ps-2, Ps-3, St). These two objects are each transported consecutively in a respective transport path. The one transport path opens into the other transport path. The two objects (Ps-1, Ps-2), which are transported on the inflowing transport path, are pushed over each other before reaching the junction so that they overlap - as seen in the transport direction - at least partially. In this overlapping state, the two objects (Ps-1, Ps-2) are transported to the confluence, introduced into the other transport path between the two objects (Ps-3, St-1) transported on the other transport path, and on the other transport path transported.

Description

The The invention relates to a method and a device for transporting and merging two streams of articles, in particular flat mail items.

A method with the features of the preamble of claim 1 is made WO 2006/110486 A2 known. It describes a sorting system with at least two different feeder inputs, which are connected to two different processing devices via a matrix arrangement via several transport paths, so that each material input can feed each processing unit, thus requiring a stream of flat mailpieces from to mix a substance input with another stream of flat mailings from another substance input.

At the WO 2006/110486 A2 It is more common for known methods to stop objects on the entering transport path or on the other transport path in order to allow collision-free sluice-in.

In US 6,793,063 B1 For example, a method and apparatus for mixing two streams of articles is described. Here, stacks of items are singulated, and each item is classified by automatic reading.

Of the Invention is based on the object, a method with the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a device with the features of the preamble of claim 7, wherein during of introducing a slight delay of an object, which is transported in the other transport path occurs.

The The object is achieved by a method having the features of the claim 1 and a device with the features of claim 7 solved. Advantageous embodiments are in the subclaims specified.

According to the invention transported two streams of objects. Everyone each of the two subject streams comprises at least two objects. These two items will be each transported consecutively in a respective transport path. The one transport path leads to the other transport path one.

The both objects on the entering transport path be transported before reaching the confluence so superimposed that they are - seen in the transport direction - at least partially overlap. In this overlapping state, the two objects become transported to the junction, between the two the other transport path transported objects in the introduced another transport path and on the other transport path transported.

• – zunächst der vorauslaufende der beiden Gegenstände, die schon vor dem Einschleusen auf dem anderen Transportpfad transportiert wurden,
• – dann die beiden übereindergeschobenen Gegenstände und
• – dann der nachfolgende der beiden Gegenstände, die schon vor dem Einschleusen auf dem anderen Transportpfad transportiert wurden,
• – auf dem anderen Transportpfad weitertransportiert.

After the infiltration, so

• - First, the leading of the two objects that were transported before the slipping on the other transport path,
• - then the two over-pushed objects and
• - then the subsequent of the two objects, which were already transported before the sluice on the other transport path,
• - transported on the other transport path.

By doing the two items from the entering transport path pushed together, a high packing density is achieved. In a superimposed state, these two objects take a - seen in the direction of transport - lower Extension than before collapsing. This requires the following Subject on the other transport path less or shorter be delayed to the two superimposed To infiltrate objects.

Instead of To delay the subsequent object, the infiltration instead be performed by the leading one Object on the other transport path is accelerated. In this Case needs this acceleration less thanks to the invention or shorter.

In one embodiment, the superimposing ge after moving back in is undone makes the two overlapping introduced objects again separated and then transported with a gap between them. This embodiment allows processing of the items that is not possible with overlapping items, such as reading addresses or other information attached to the items.

in the The invention is based on an embodiment shown. Showing:

1 schematically the processing means and transport paths of the embodiment;

2 an opening transport path and the read transport path.

in the Embodiment are the flat objects flat mailings, z. B. letters and / or postcards. These mailings are processed by a sorting system. The sorting system points in the embodiment, a reading device and a plurality Output transport paths to each one output bin to lead.

1 schematically shows the processing means and transport paths of the embodiment.

The Reading device reads the respective destination address with which a mailpiece is provided. Depending on the respective destination address is each mail item is transported to one of the output containers and in these discharged.

Preferably, several possible destination addresses are combined to form a destination area. All mail items for the same destination area are rejected in the same output bin. The output container may be a transportable container in which the mail items are transported away, or an output compartment from which the rejected mailpieces are removed. Preferably, the mailpieces are discharged into a dispensing container so that they are stacked into a stack so that they lie flat one above the other or edgewise in the dispensing container. One embodiment of such a method is out EP 915051 B1 known.

In order to the reading device can read the respective destination address the mail items individually on at least one camera K of the reading device be passed. This camera K generates a digital Image of the surface of each mail item on which the destination address of the mailpiece is printed.

The Mail is, however, fed in stacks of the sorting system. Therefore, the sorting system in the embodiment has several Inputs of substances ("feeder") to each substance input a singler. Each separator is in the embodiment tailored to a particular type of mail, z. B. one on the separation of large letters and one on the Separation of standard letters and postcards. Previously, one has mechanical separator the mailings dependent divided by their size.

In the example of 1 two singler Ve-1, Ve-2 are shown.

From Each substance entry leads to a merging one Transport path to a read transport path LT. On this read transport path LT are the mail items on the at least one camera K of Reading device passed. It is possible that each mail item passed by several cameras in succession is, for. B. to the mail item from different pages or from to read different perspectives.

Because the mailings come from several material inputs come to an end in the read transport path LT a plurality of transport paths.

In the example of 1 it is shown that a merging transport path eT-1 from the separator Ve-1 emanates and opens into the read transport path LT and another einmündender transport path eT-2 of separator Ve-2 leads in the read transport path LT. The first opening transport path eT-1 opens into a first stacking device SV-1, the second opening transport path eT-2 into a second stacking device SV-2.

In the read transport path LT there is a separator Ve-L, which again separates a plurality of mailpieces when they have been pushed together for the purpose of introduction into a small stack. In 1 Furthermore, it is shown in which transport direction T the mail items are transported in the read transport path LT.

from Read transport path LT in turn branches the output transport paths from. All mail for an output bin are transferred from the read transport path LT to the output transport path discharged to this output container.

In the example of 1 Four dispensers AB-1, AB-2, AB-3 and AB-4 are shown. From the read transport path LT, four output transport paths AT-1, AT-2, AT-3, and AT-4 branch to the four output bins AB-1, AB-2, AB-3, and AB-4. An ejection device AS-1 discharges those mailpieces to be sent to the output bin AB-1 from the read transport path LT into the output transport path AT-1. The corresponding lead the other three shown ejection devices AS-2, AS-3, AS-4

each Mail is preferably transported thereby on the transport paths, that they are at any time of at least one conveyor is taken. Such a conveying device comprises a Endless conveyor belt and a counter-conveying element, between which the mail item is pinched and thereby caught. The counter-conveying element is example, a rotatable stored roll or another endless conveyor belt. The Endless conveyor belt and the counter-conveying element rotate at the same speed and transport it the mail piece that is between them.

Preferably Each flat mail item is transported upright. The lower edge may be on another endless conveyor belt lie. Or the mail item is not on one during transport Pad on, but is from the conveyor belts held in the air.

According to the invention in each merging transport path a stacking device. In this stacking device run at least two consecutive and a few postal items. The stacker slides the at least two mail items on top of each other that they at least partially overlap. The least leave two overlapping mail as a first Small pile the stacking device and are transported to the point at the opening of this transport path in the read transport path opens.

• – eine erste Fördervorrichtung FV-1 mit den beiden angetriebenen Endlos-Förderbändern F7 und F8,
• – eine zweite Fördervorrichtung FV-2 mit den beiden angetriebenen Endlos-Förderbändern F5 und F6,
• eine dritte Fördervorrichtung FV-3 mit den beiden angetriebenen Endlos-Förderbändern F1 und F4 und
• – eine vierte Fördervorrichtung FV-4 mit den beiden angetriebenen Endlos-Förderbändern F2 und F3.

2 shows an example of an embodiment of such a stacking device. In this example, the following conveyors are shown:

• A first conveyor FV-1 with the two driven endless conveyor belts F7 and F8,
• A second conveyor FV-2 with the two driven endless conveyor belts F5 and F6,
• a third conveyor FV-3 with the two driven endless conveyor belts F1 and F4 and
• - A fourth conveyor FV-4 with the two driven endless conveyor belts F2 and F3.

The first conveying device FV-1 belongs to the opening transport path eT-1 of 1 , The second conveying device FV-2 is a component of the first stacking device SV-1.

The third conveyor FV-3 and the fourth conveyor FV-4 are in the read transport path LT.

In the read transport path LT is already a sequence of mail transported, preferably in the form of more small stacks, between each of which has a gap. These small stacks originate z. B. from other opening transport paths. The first Small pile is in a gap between mail items in to introduce the read transport path. In the read transport path LT Also, individual mail items are transported, z. B. because this too thick to be grouped into a small pile.

In the example of 2 In the read transport path LT, a small stack St-1 and a single mail item Ps-3 are transported in the transport direction T. The two mail items Ps-1 and Ps-2 are combined to form a small stack and to be transported between the small stack St-1 and the further mail item Ps-3. After the transfer, the mail items are to be transported in such a way that a distance occurs between the mail item Ps-3 and the small stack with the mail items Ps-1 and Ps-2 as well as between the small stack and the further small stack St-1.

With the help of a light barrier in the incoming transport path, the length of the first small stack to be inserted is determined. By means of a further light barrier, which is arranged in the reading transport path, It is determined how large a gap between two consecutive mail or other small stacks in the read transport path.

Of the first small pile is then introduced into the gap, if its length plus each a minimum distance to the last leading and the first subsequent mailing less than the gap is. Otherwise, preferably slows down the subsequent mail or other small pile transported or even temporarily stopped while the leading mail or other small pile with the same or even temporarily increased speed be transported. This will lengthen the gap, so that the first small stack can be inserted.

In the following, the work of the stacker in the entering transport path will be described in more detail with reference to FIG 2 described.

The stacking device used in 2 is shown, the conveyor belts F5 and F6 and the rollers to which these two conveyor belts F5 and F6 are guided. The opening transport path is formed, inter alia, by the conveyor belts F7 and F8. This transport path leads to a further transport path, namely the read transport path LT, which comprises the conveyor belts F1, F2, F3 and F4 and into which a small stack St-1 is transported.

In In one embodiment, the mailpieces are deflected, as they go through the stacker. The transport direction, into which they are transported is thus changed by an angle α, which is preferably between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, z. For example, he is equal to 45 degrees.

A leading mail item Ps-1 is transported by a first conveying device (endless conveyor belt and counter-conveying element) in the old transport direction, namely until the mail item Ps-1 is picked up by a second conveying device FV-2. This first conveyor FV-1 comprises in the example of 2 the conveyor belts F7 and F8. A second conveyor FV-2 comprises the conveyor belts F7 and F8. The second conveying device FV-2 deflects the mail item Ps-1 by the angle α in the new conveying direction and still transports the mail item Ps-1 so that it is no longer caught by the first conveying device FV-1 (with F7 and F8) becomes. Subsequently, the first conveying device FV-1 stops or slows down the further transport of the preceding mail item Ps-1. For this it is necessary that the mail item Ps-1 is no longer taken from the first conveyor FV-1, because otherwise they would be upset by the two conveyors FV-1 and FV-2.

The first conveyor FV-1 transports a subsequent one Mailing Ps-2 until it slanted on the stopped leading mailing Ps-1 hits. The leading mailing Ps-1 lies during the stop - seen in the old transport direction - in front of an endless conveyor belt F6 of the second conveyor FV-6. This allows the impending subsequent mailing Ps-2 not preceded by the stopped Bending mail item Ps-1 upon impact, but is redirected, because the first conveyor device the subsequent mailing continues to be transported in the old transport direction until the second Conveying the subsequent mailing taken Has.

The second conveyor summarizes the leading and the subsequent mailing. These overlap now at least partially. This is a small stack consisting of the leading mail item Ps-1 and the subsequent mail item Ps-2 formed. The stacking device transports this small stack away in the new transport direction, wherein the second conveyor FV-2 transported the small pile with Ps-1 and Ps-2.

The Mail is usually rectangular and therefore has any a - seen in the transport direction - front Edge. By means of a light barrier Li in the inflowing transport path is measured, at which time the leading edge of the leading Mailing and at what time the subsequent mailing the photocell passes. The transport speeds of the two Conveyors FV-1, FV-2 are controlled and are therefore also known. The second conveyor FV-2 transports the leading mail item so far into the new one Transport direction, that the leading edge in a defined Position is located when the trailing edge is no longer from the first Conveying device is taken. The place where the Leading edge of the subsequent mailing on the stopped leading Mailing hits, therefore, has a known and adjustable Minimum distance from the front edge of the leading mail piece. This distance is preferably as small as possible, Thus, the total length of the small pile as small as possible is.

Preferably measures the light barrier Li in the inflowing transport path also the times at which the trailing edges of the two mailings pass the photocell Li. From this information and the transport speed the first conveyor Fv-1 and the above-mentioned Distance between the leading edge of the leading mail piece Ps-1 of the impact site will be the total length of the now formed Small pile calculated.

The Conveying devices of the sorting system assets only to transport mail to a certain thickness. This maximum thickness is determined by the distance between the endless conveyor belt and the counter-conveying element and the extent to which around which this distance can be extended, determined. Also the Space for changing the transport direction of small stacks is available limits the maximum thickness. thats why in this embodiment, a maximum thickness for Small pile specified. Each small pile may not exceed be as thick as the maximum thickness.

In In one embodiment, the thickness of each mail item is measured after she has gone through the respective substance input with the separator and before she reaches the stacker. If two on each other have the following mailings two thicknesses whose thickness sum is less than or equal to the maximum thickness, then these mailings summarized in a small pile. It is possible that more than two postal items are combined when the sum their thicknesses is less than the maximum thickness. , If the sum the thicknesses of two consecutive mailings greater than the maximum thickness, these mail items are consecutively and not introduced as a small stack in the read transport path LT.

As mentioned above, the endless conveyor belts operate in a controlled manner. Therefore, their transport speeds are known. Therefore, and because the photointerrupter Li measures the position of each mail item, it is known when a mini-stack transported in the read transport path LT reaches the separator Ve-L in the read transport path LT. This separator Ve-L isolates small stacks again so that the camera can produce a digital image of each piece of mail. Since it is known at which point in time a small stack reaches the separator Ve-L, it is not necessary to determine whether items of mail overlap or individually reach this separator Ve-L. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS reference numeral importance AB-1, AB-2, ... output tray AS-1, AS-2, ... Ausschleusungsvorrichtungen AS-1, AS-2, ... Output transport paths eT-1, eT-2 opening transport routes F1, F2, ... Powered endless conveyor belts FV-1 first conveyor with the endless conveyor belts F7 and F8 FV-2 second conveyor with the endless conveyor belts F5 and F6 FV-3 third conveyor with the endless conveyor belts F1 and F4 FV-4 fourth conveyor with the endless conveyor belts F2 and F3 K Camera of the reading device Li photocell LT Read transport path Ps-1 leading mailing Ps-2 subsequent mailing Ps-3 Mail item in the read transport path LT St-1 Small pile in the read transport path LT SV-1, SV-2 stacker T Transport direction in which the mail items are transported in the read transport path LT Ve-1, Ve-2 Separator of the substance inputs Ve-L Separator in the read transport path LT

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list The documents listed by the applicant have been automated generated and is solely for better information recorded by the reader. The list is not part of the German Patent or utility model application. The DPMA takes over no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• WO 2006/110486 A2 [0002, 0003]
• - US 6793063 B1 [0004]
• EP 915051 B1 [0019]

Claims (8)

A method of transporting two streams of articles (Ps-1, Ps-2, Ps-3, St-1), each article stream each comprising at least two items, each transported consecutively in a respective transport path, the a transport path opens into the other transport path and the objects (Ps-1, Ps-2) transported on the opening transport path are brought into the other transport path and transported there, characterized in that the two objects (Ps-1, Ps-2) - Which are transported on the inflowing transport path - are pushed over before reaching the junction so that they - as seen in the transport direction - at least partially overlap, and - transported in this overlapping state to the junction, transported between the two on the other transport path Items (Ps-3, St-1) inserted in the other transport path and on the other transpo rtpfad be transported. Method according to claim 1, characterized, that the two on the entering transport path transported items (Ps-1, Ps-2) one each - seen in Transport direction - have front edge and so on top of each other be pushed that between their leading edges - seen in the transport direction - a predetermined distance occurs. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that that the leading edges of the two objects (Ps-1, Ps-2) after sliding over - seen vertically to the transport direction - one above the other. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two in overlapping Condition transported objects (Ps-1, Ps-2) after the Sluice-in to be separated again so that is between They - seen in the transport direction - a gap located. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the step, the two To push objects (Ps-1, Ps-2) over each other, the sub-steps includes that - the leading one Object (Ps-1) from an old in a new direction of transport diverted and then stopped, - of the subsequent item (Ps-2) is transported until it impinging on the stopped leading object (Ps-1), - of the subsequent article (Ps-2) also in the new transport direction is redirected and - the two deflected objects (Ps-1, Ps-2) in the overlapping position in the new one Transport direction to be transported. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the respective thickness of two items (Ps-1, Ps-2), which are merging on the Transport path to be transported, is measured and the two Objects (Ps-1, Ps-2) only one above the other be pushed if the sum of their two thicknesses is less or is equal to a predetermined thickness barrier, and otherwise be introduced into the other transport path such that there is a gap between them. Apparatus for transporting two streams of articles, the apparatus comprising a plurality of conveyors (FV-1, FV-2, FV-3, FV-4) forming an in-going transport path and another transport path into which the one transport path terminates in that (FV-1, FV-2, FV-3, FV-4) conveying devices are designed to transport on each transport path in each case an article stream with at least two objects in such a way that the conveying devices transported the on the merging transport path Spend items (Ps-1, Ps-2) in the other transport path and transport them there, characterized in that the apparatus further comprises at least one stacking device (SV-1, SV-2) configured to carry out the two objects (Ps-1, Ps-2) transported on the entering transport path Reach the junction so that the articles (Ps-1, Ps-2) overlap at least partially, as viewed in the direction of transport, and - in this overlapping state, and the device is configured to convey the two objects (Ps. 1, Ps-2) - to transport in this overlapping state to the junction of the transport path in the other transport path, between the two transported on the other transport path objects (Ps-3, St-1) in the other transport path and on the other Transport transport path weiter weiterransportieren. Transport device according to claim 7, thereby marked that the device additionally one Separator (Ve-L) has, which is arranged in the other transport path is and designed to overlap the at least two again to be separated (Ps-1, Ps-2).