Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Condition responsive means controls separating means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2001-11-27
Nguyen, Tuan N. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Condition responsive means controls separating means
C209S592000, C209S911000, C209S918000, C198S370040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323452
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to conveyor sorting systems and the automated sorting of objects, and more particularly relates to a feeding system for placing a plurality of objects on a single tray bound for the same geographic destination.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Daily, package delivery companies collect millions of packages from thousands of locations scattered over large geographical areas and transport them to sorting facilities for processing. After processing, the packages are carried to an equally large number of destinations. To meet the rigorous schedule of today's business environment while providing accurate deliveries of packages, sorting facilities are equipped with automated transfer systems whenever possible. These transfer systems must be fast, durable, easy to repair or replace, and provide gentle but accurate handling of each package. Furthermore, automatic sorting systems are often used in connection with handling product inventories, assembling ordered items for shipment, and delivering parts to locations where they are needed in manufacturing operations.
Parcel shipping companies now have sorting facilities equipped with automated sorting and transfer systems that provide significantly improved package handling compared to manual labor. Some of these known sorting systems tilt tray conveyor systems in which packages to be sorted are loaded on tilt trays. The trays are mounted on carriages that are driven in lines or trains past one or more loading stations at which packages are placed on the trays. The trays are then moved past a plurality of unloading stations each corresponding to a geographical destination. Typically, each package is loaded alone onto the first empty tilt tray as it passes the loading station and is unloaded at an unloading station corresponding with the package's geographic destination. Examples of tilt tray sorting systems are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,570,773 and 5,388,681. Other systems remove packages from trays or conveyors by pushing them off laterally or diverting them with stationary or pivoting barriers. Others use live roller beds to discharge the packages. All of these systems typically discharge one package at a time. Further examples of sorting systems may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,655,643; 5,868,239; 5,284,252; 5,441,141; PCT Publication No. WO98/08759; PCT Publication No. WO98/31614; PCT Publication No. WO98/31615; PCT Publication No. WO98/33729; and PCT Publication No. WO98/49076.
The capacity of an automated sorting system depends on the number of trays, the number of loading and unloading stations, and the speed of the equipment. During holiday seasons when package volume is high, the capacity of the sorting system can become a limiting factor in the delivery company's ability to make promised delivery deadlines. However, it may not be practical to increase the number of trays, the number of loading and unloading stations, or the speed of the system. For example, the size of the sorting facility may be limited by the available space.
The tilt trays of these known sorting systems are sized for receiving the largest of a variety of differently sized packages. Only in rare circumstances does a single package require the entire surface of a single tray. Thus, the carrying capacity of the tilt trays generally is under-utilized.
Accordingly, in order to increase the throughput rate of automated sorting systems, there is a need for a loading system for placing a plurality of objects bound for the same geographic destination on a single tray.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to increase the capacity of automated sorting systems without increasing the size or speed of the system. This object is accomplished in the present invention by providing a feeding system and method that can place a plurality of packages bound for the same geographic destination on a single tray of an automated sorting system.
Generally described, the present invention provides a feeding system for placing a plurality of objects on a conveying device of a sorting system adapted to transport and distribute a series of objects from loading stations to unloading stations, comprising a data input device; a programmable controller connected to receive from the data input device data indicating a destination and a dimension of each of the objects; a conveying device movable under the control of the programmable controller between loading and unloading stations of the sorting system; and a feeding station adjacent to a path of the conveying device, including one or more feed conveyors positioned to load the objects onto designated destination areas of the conveying device; the controller being responsive to the destination and dimension data to determine when two or more objects sharing a common destination will fit within a single designated destination area of the conveying device, and to operate the one or more feed conveyors to load the two or more objects onto the designated destination area.
In a preferred embodiment, the loading of the second of the two objects onto the designated destination area is done by a second downstream feed conveyor while continuing to move the conveying device. This approach maintains the speed of the system.
The destination data may refer to any location. For example, it may refer to a geographic location, such as a zip code area, or a location within the sorting system, such as a particular unloading station or conveyor, or a place within a shipping company's delivery system, such as a hub facility, or a transportation device, such as a tractor trailer, rail car, or local delivery vehicle.
Optionally, the controller may, responsive to destination and dimension data, determine when three objects sharing a common destination will fit within one designated destination area of the conveying device, and operate the feed conveyors to load the three objects onto the designated destination area. Preferably, the third object is loaded by a third feed conveyor.
In a preferred embodiment, the sorting system is a tilt tray sorter, and the designated destination area of the conveying device comprises a tilt tray. The measured dimension of the objects in this embodiment may be a width of each of the objects in a feed direction in which the object moves during loading, and the controller may compare the combined widths of the objects to the width of the tray to determine when two objects sharing a common destination will fit on the tray. The data input device may include sensors operative to measure the width between the leading and trailing edges of objects as they move on the feeding conveyor, and an optical scanner positioned to read destination indicia affixed to the objects. The optical scanner may be, for example, a CCD camera or a laser bar code scanner. In a less preferred embodiment, the data input device may be an interface for human input of destination and dimension data, such as a keyboard or a voice recognition device.
In the alternative, an imaging scanner can be positioned to obtain an image of the tilt tray after a first package has been loaded. The controller then can determine a first footprint of the first object on the tilt tray, and a second footprint of the second object still on its feed conveyor, and compare a combined footprint of the objects to a footprint threshold to determine when two objects sharing a common destination will fit on the tray.
In a further alternative, the data input device may include a scale connected to the programmable controller for determining the weight of each of the objects to be placed within the designated destination area, the programmable controller may compare a combined weight of the objects to an acceptable weight threshold prior to loading the second object. An example of such a scale is a plurality of load cells positioned underneath a feed conveyor.
The present invention also provides a method for placing a plurality of objects on a conveying device of a sorting system adapted to transport and
Alston & Bird LLP
Nguyen Tuan N.
United Parcel Service of America Inc.
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