Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Condition responsive means controls separating means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-08-28
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Condition responsive means controls separating means
C209S547000, C209S552000, C209S584000, C209S659000, C700S224000, C700S226000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279750
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the distribution of mail items whose surfaces are provided with distribution information. The distribution is effected successively with the aid of various sorting machines, particularly through successive sorting operations for the final distribution point.
In the sorting of mail items in sorting machines (e.g. letter-sorting machines, large-item-sorting machines) a separating station is normally provided for each sorting direction. If the number of mail items to be sorted exceeds the capacity of the stacker, bin or container at the separation station, the container is automatically or manually exchanged or emptied.
In certain situations, however, it can be beneficial or even necessary to flexibly adapt the sorting plan to the number of items to be sorted and the space the items occupy.
If certain sorting directions are especially heavily frequented, it is advantageous to provide numerous sorting compartments or containers for these directions, which are emptied in such a way that the sorting compartments are emptied as infrequently as possible due to the use of fullness of capacity indicators (DE 195 28 803 A1).
If a successive sorting is to be performed, a uniform loading of the sorting compartments can reduce the number of necessary sorting compartments or sorting operations. Because mail items make two or more passes through machines during successive sorting and the sequence of the re-supply of mail items into the machines must be strictly adhered to, it is particularly desirable in terms of mail item handling for the mail-item flow from any separation station not to exceed a certain amount of space. In automatic successive sorting machines, this requirement is even compulsory because the machine must store the entire volume of items internally during and between sorting passes; the space is therefore apparently limited.
To this point, the operator's experience or quantity statistics of past daily mail-item volumes has or have been used in the generation of sorting plans.
The disadvantage of this procedure is that no dynamic adaptation to the mail-item volume that is actually present is effected.
Particularly in successive sorting, solutions have become known in which a quantity statistic is created (number of mail items per distribution point) after the recording of addresses. Based on this statistic the following sorting operations can be optimized with respect to space requirements (EP 0 533 536 B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,971). Based on the quantities of items, the optimization can only be effected imprecisely because the items have different thicknesses. For a more precise assessment of the space requirements of the mail items, EP 0 661 106 A2 and EP 0 718 049 A2 proposed to detect the item thicknesses with a suitable measuring device and use this information to optimize the later sorting operations.
A more serious disadvantage is that no sorting-plan optimization is possible in the first machine pass. In automatic successive-sorting machines, this can make sorting impossible, although a suitable structuring of the first sorting plan would make sorting possible.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problem addressed by the invention is to structure the distribution of the mail items in sorting compartments or containers in the sorting to distribution points prior to this sorting such that the items can be distributed as uniformly as possible to the sorting compartments or containers, avoiding overflow situations.
According to the invention, the object is accomplished by the measurement of the item thicknesses; the determination of the distribution points; the registration and storage of the thicknesses of items associated with the distribution points during the first reception of items; the calculation of optimized sorting plans for the sorting machines allocated to the respective distribution points taking into consideration data relating to the item thicknesses; and the corresponding sorting of the items satisfy the prerequisites for the distribution of the items relating to the object of the invention, knowledge about the present quantities of mail items and item thicknesses, relating to the distribution points, permits an optimized distribution before the first processing of these items in the sorting machines for the distribution points.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are herein disclosed.
Hence, according to the prerequisites for control technology in the sorting machines, the optimized sorting plans are transmitted during the first reception of the items. In sorting machines associated with the distribution points, the data relating to the item thicknesses and data associated with the distribution points, are transmitted.
It, is advantageous to identify each item by transmitting its thickness, distribution point and an applied ID code.
It, is advantageous to perform the calculation of the optimized sorting plans centrally, and then transmit the sorting plans to the sorting machines, which saves resources.
In a further advantageous embodiment 5, only the number of mail items and the associated, statistically-determined item thicknesses are used as data relating to the item thickness for each distribution point.
The sorting plans are advantageously optimized such that the items are distributed to the sorting compartments of the respective sorting machine as uniformly as possible without the compartments being overfilled.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5363971 (1994-11-01), Weeks et al.
patent: 4302231A1 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 69208789T2 (1996-03-01), None
patent: 19528803C1 (1997-01-01), None
patent: 0661106A2 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 0718049A2 (1996-06-01), None
patent: WO93/02810 (1993-02-01), None
Beauchaine M.
Kinberg Robert
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Venable
Walsh Donald P.
LandOfFree
Method and device for distributing mail items does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and device for distributing mail items, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and device for distributing mail items will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2468161