Parcel sorting facility having a multifunctional feed conveyor

Abstract

The invention relates to a facility (1) for sorting parcels (2), comprising a looped sorting conveyor (3) on which sorting receptacles (5) moving at a certain conveying speed (V1) are distributed in series. The facility comprises at least one feed conveyor (6) designed to insert the parcels one by one into the receptacles of the sorting conveyor, each sorting receptacle being designed to convey and discharge a parcel into an appropriate sorting outlet (4) determined on the basis of a particular sorting plan. The facility also comprises a central unit (7) designed to control the acceleration of the feed conveyor from a speed of zero (V0), allowing a parcel to be received, to a particular insertion speed allowing the parcel to be injected onto the sorting conveyor.

Description

Parcel sorting installation equipped with a multi-function feed conveyor

[0001] The invention is in the field of sorting parcels or packages.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to a parcel sorting installation equipped with a multi-function feed conveyor.

[0003] The growing volume of International Small Packets, known as ISPs, increases the need to equip sorting facilities with sorting conveyors capable of efficiently sorting all types of parcels, such as cardboard parcels or polybags, at high speed.

[0004] This type of sorting installation, as described in document FR3092016, typically comprises a loop sorting conveyor on which sorting buckets are distributed in series into which the parcels are injected. The buckets move in a certain conveying direction to then sort the parcels into appropriate sorting outlets.

[0005] This type of sorting installation also includes a parcel entry line made up of numerous pieces of equipment such as a parcel feed conveyor provided in parallel with the sorting conveyor to insert the parcels one by one into the buckets of the sorting conveyor transversely to the conveying direction, as well as other conveyors upstream of the feed conveyor relative to the conveying direction and on which sensors make it possible to dynamically identify the characteristics of the parcels to be sorted before inserting them onto the feed conveyor.

[0006] Package characteristics include all types of characteristics such as the dimensions and positioning of the package on the conveyors, the shape of the package, the weight of the package, the presence of a distribution address and even the identification from the distribution address of the sorting outlet in which the package is to be sorted.

[0007] However, the time taken to transport packages in the input line and also on the sorting conveyor is costly, especially when certain "unsortable" packages take up transport time instead of other "sortable" packages.

[0008] There is also a need to reduce the footprint of this type of sorting facility without reducing the sorting rate or the efficiency of detecting package characteristics.

[0009] The invention therefore aims to remedy the aforementioned problems by proposing a parcel sorting installation that is more compact and more efficient in detecting the characteristics of the parcels.

[0010] To this end, the subject of the invention is a parcel sorting installation comprising a loop sorting conveyor on which are distributed in series sorting receptacles moving at a certain conveying speed, and at least one feed conveyor designed to insert the parcels one by one into the receptacles of the sorting conveyor, each sorting receptacle being designed to convey and evacuate a parcel into an appropriate sorting outlet determined from a certain sorting plan, characterized in that it comprises a central unit designed to control the acceleration of the feed conveyor, from a zero speed allowing the reception of a parcel to a certain insertion speed allowing the injection of said parcel onto the sorting conveyor,in that it comprises at least one sensor designed to cyclically generate digital data representative of at least one certain real characteristic of said package when the feed conveyor is at zero speed and in that the central unit comprises in memory digital data representative of at least one certain pre-requisite characteristic of the package necessary to authorize the injection of said package onto the sorting conveyor and in that the central unit is configured to control the acceleration of the feed conveyor when said at least one real characteristic of said package is in conformity with said at least one pre-requisite characteristic, or, to control the sending of an identification signal in the environment of the feed conveyor when said at least one real characteristic of said package is not in conformity with said at least one pre-requisite characteristic.,

[0011] The idea behind the invention is to insert the packages directly onto the sorting conveyor and only when the packages are suitable for sorting.

[0012] The advantage here is to prohibit the use of the sorting conveyor for non-sortable parcels (such as "out-of-size" parcels, without a destination address, etc.) in order to reduce the risks of jamming and rejection and to prioritize conveying time for sortable parcels.

[0013] To this end, the invention proposes using at least one feed conveyor controlled by a central unit to, on the one hand, carry out static measurements of the parcels to be inserted onto the sorting conveyor, making it possible to increase the detection performance and reduce costs compared to dynamic detection, and on the other hand to allow injection of the parcels directly into the receptacles of the sorting conveyor which are used to evacuate the parcels into the appropriate sorting outlets.

[0014] The invention thus makes it possible to reduce the entire package entry line usually used to a single multi-function conveyor.

[0015] The feed conveyor according to the invention also uses automated detection and calculation means capable of providing simple and rapid information to an Operator or a robot carrying out the placement and any handling of the package on the feed conveyor.

[0016] The decision to inject a package onto the sorting conveyor is necessarily taken by the central unit, which limits human errors.

[0017] The sorting installation according to the invention may also have the following particular features:

[0018] - said at least one prerequisite characteristic is chosen from at least one of the following characteristics: a package dimension included in a certain range of values, a certain shape of the package,

[0019] a certain positioning of the package on the feed conveyor relative to the receptacle into which it is to be inserted, a weight of the package within a certain range of values ​​and the presence of a distribution address on the package;

[0020] - if there is a distribution address on the parcel, the central unit is configured to read the distribution address of the parcel and to determine in return, using said sorting plan, the sorting outlet in which the parcel must be sorted;

[0021] - said at least one sensor is a scale forming an upstream part of the feed conveyor, and in that the digital data generated are weight data of the package to be inserted;

[0022] - said at least one sensor is a camera arranged above the feed conveyor and in that the digital data generated by the camera are digital images;

[0023] - said camera has a field of vision comprising said upstream portion of the feed conveyor;

[0024] - the identification signal is displayed on a display screen;

[0025] - the identification signal is specific to each of said at least one prerequisite characteristic;

[0026] - each receptacle is a bucket with a tilting bottom between a raised position in which the horizontal bottom is flush with the feed conveyor to allow a package to be injected into the bucket by sliding and a lowered position in which the bottom is tilted downwards;

[0027] - the feed conveyor comprises a first conveying zone and a second conveying zone which extends the first conveying zone and which feeds the sorting conveyor, said central unit being configured to accelerate the first zone from zero speed to an intermediate speed and to accelerate the second zone from the intermediate speed to the insertion speed, the acceleration of each of the two zones being managed independently of each other by the central unit.

[0028] Summary description of the drawings

[0029] The present invention will be better understood and other advantages will appear on reading the detailed description of the invention taken as a non-limiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:

[0030] This is a schematic representation of a sorting installation according to the invention;

[0031] This is a schematic representation of a package feed conveyor according to the invention;

[0032] This is a diagram showing the steps in the process of injecting a package onto the sorting conveyor with a feed conveyor according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0033] The sorting installation 1 for parcels 2 according to the invention, also called a sorter, shown in the is particularly well suited to sorting heterogeneous parcels, and in particular PPI (small international packet) type parcels typical of e-commerce, at high throughput while having a reduced footprint.

[0034] Sorting installation 1 includes in particular a sorting conveyor 3 in a loop and sorting outlets 4 distributed under sorting conveyor 3.

[0035] The sorting conveyor 3 is equipped with receptacles 5 for parcels 2 designed to convey the parcels 2 in a certain conveying direction D1 and at a certain conveying speed V1 which is substantially constant, but also to sort the parcels 2 in the sorting outlets 4 according to a predetermined sorting plan.

[0036] The receptacles 5 for parcels 2 are, for example, in the form of buckets equipped with an evacuation hatch allowing the parcels 2 to be evacuated under the sorting conveyor 3 by gravity into the sorting outlets 4.

[0037] The receptacles 5 for parcels 2 may also be in the form of tilting trays or equipped with a motorized belt designed to eject the parcels 2 to the side of the sorting conveyor 3 into the sorting outlets 4.

[0038] The sorting installation 1 also comprises at least one conveyor 6 for feeding packages 2, as shown in, designed to allow the injection at a longitudinal speed parallel to the conveying direction equal to the conveying speed V1 of each package 2 directly into an empty receptacle 5 of the sorting conveyor 3. The conveyor 6 therefore accelerates the packages to the speed V1 / cosα where α denotes the insertion angle.

[0039] Each bucket will for example have a tilting bottom between a raised position in which the horizontal bottom is flush with the feed conveyor 6 to allow the injection of a package 2 into the bucket by sliding and a lowered position in which the bottom is tilted downwards allowing the package to be conveyed safely in the conveying direction D1 and unloaded by gravity.

[0040] The feed conveyor 6 makes it possible, in the example shown in the, to independently manage two speed-up zones: a zone 6-a where the package is placed at a standstill and inspected then speeded up to an intermediate speed and a zone 6-b which accelerates the package from the intermediate speed to an insertion speed Vi, here equal to V1 / cosα and maintains this speed until its complete transfer into the receptacle. The conveyor 6 can operate using two belts in series, several belts in series-parallel or even a ball, roller or motorized roller belt comprising independent speed-up zones.

[0041] By way of non-limiting example, each feed conveyor 6 extends to the sorting conveyor 3 according to the insertion angle α between 45° and 60°, to allow injection of the packages 2 substantially transversely to the conveying direction D1, by simple sliding or by driving the motorized belts.

[0042] The sorting installation 1 according to the invention also comprises a central unit 7 designed to control the acceleration of the feed conveyor 6, from a zero speed V0 allowing the reception of a package, to the insertion speed Vi allowing the injection of said package 2 onto the sorting conveyor 3.

[0043] The central unit 7 will also be able to control the acceleration of the two zones 6-a and 6-b separately to allow, for example, a progressive injection of the packages from zero speed V0 to intermediate speed and from intermediate speed to insertion speed Vi.

[0044] The central unit 7 will also be able to control the early return to V0 of zone 6-a while zone 6-b maintains the insertion speed Vi, so that zone 6-a allows the depositing of a package and the acquisition of the characteristics at a standstill while zone 6-b injects the package onto the sorting conveyor 3.

[0045] The sorting installation 1 also comprises at least one sensor 8, 9 designed to cyclically generate digital data representative of at least one certain real characteristic of said package 2 when the feed conveyor 6 is at zero speed V0, and more particularly the zone 6-a of the feed conveyor.

[0046] The actual characteristics correspond for example to a dimension of package 2, a certain positioning of package 2 on the feed conveyor 6 relative to the receptacle 5 in which it must be inserted, a certain shape of the package, a weight of package 2 or even the presence of a distribution address on package 2.

[0047] The sorting installation 1 can thus comprise, in association with each feed conveyor 6, a scale type sensor 8 forming an upstream part of the feed conveyor 6. The scale 8 is then designed to generate, statically, digital data representative of the weight of the package 2 to be inserted.

[0048] The sorting installation 1 may also include a camera-type sensor 9 arranged above the feed conveyor. The camera 9 will then be designed to generate digital data, statically, in the form of digital images.

[0049] The field of vision of the camera 9 will preferably, but not necessarily, extend over the upstream part of the feed conveyor 6 formed by the scale 8.

[0050] Also, in order to be able to make a decision as to the acceleration of the feed conveyor 6 for the injection of a package 2, the central unit 7 includes in memory digital data representative of at least one certain pre-requisite characteristic of the package necessary to authorize the injection of the package 2 onto the sorting conveyor 3.

[0051] In the example presented, the prerequisite characteristics correspond to a package dimension included in a certain range of values, a positioning of the package 2 on the feed conveyor 6 relative to the receptacle 5 in which it must be inserted, a certain shape of the package, a weight of the package 2 included in a certain range of values, for example between 5g and 5kg, the presence of a distribution address on the package.

[0052] The central unit according to the invention is therefore configured to control the acceleration of the feed conveyor 6 when said at least one real characteristic of said package 2 conforms to said at least one pre-requisite characteristic.

[0053] In addition, the central unit 7 can also be configured to, in the presence of a distribution address identified on the parcel 2 to be inserted, read the distribution address of the parcel and to determine in return, using said sorting plan, the sorting outlet 4 in which the parcel 2 must be sorted.

[0054] The central unit 7 will also be configured to command the sending of a digital identification signal 10 representative of a package that cannot be injected onto the sorting conveyor when said at least one real characteristic of said package 2 does not conform to said at least one pre-requisite characteristic.

[0055] Without restricting the scope of the invention, the identification signal 10 may for example be specific to each of said at least one prerequisite characteristic.

[0056] The digital identification signal 10 may be transformed into a visual, audible or any other type of signal so as to be identifiable by an Operator 11.

[0057] The identification signal 10 can also be sent to a parcel handling robot for completely autonomous management of the injection of parcels 2 onto the sorting conveyor 3.

[0058] The identification signal 10 may for example be displayed on a display screen 12 installed in the direct environment of the feed conveyor 6 to be seen by an Operator 11 or in the form of an LED arranged directly on the feed conveyor 6.

[0059] The signal will indicate, for example, that package 2 is too heavy, incorrectly oriented, too large, or that there is no delivery address or an invalid delivery address.

[0060] By way of non-limiting example, the procedure for injecting a package 2 onto the sorting conveyor 3 as shown in is as follows:

[0061] During a step 100, the sensors 8, 9 cyclically carry out measurements on the supply conveyor 6 which is stopped, and more particularly on the zone 6-a of the supply conveyor 6.

[0062] An Operator 11 retrieves a package 2 from a bulk 13 of packages 2 to place it on the upstream part of the feed conveyor 6.

[0063] The central unit 7 recovers the digital data from all the sensors 8, 9 of the feed conveyor 6 and compares the actual characteristics of the package 2 with the pre-required characteristics at a step 200.

[0064] If all the actual measured characteristics comply with the pre-required characteristics, the central unit 7 determines the available target receptacle and controls the acceleration of the zone 6-b of the feed conveyor 6 during a step 300, to allow the injection of the package into a receptacle 5 of the sorting conveyor 3, while controlling the stopping of the zone 6-a of the feed conveyor 6.

[0065] The Operator then retrieves another package 2 from bulk 13 of package 2 and places it in turn on zone 6-a of the feed conveyor 6 for further detection by the sensors and further processing by the central unit 7.

[0066] In the case where at least one of the actual characteristics does not comply with the pre-required characteristics, the central unit 7 does not control the acceleration of the feed conveyor 6 but sends an identification signal 10 during a step 400, which is displayed on a display screen 12 located in the direct environment of the feed conveyor 6 to the Operator 11.

[0067] The identification signal 10 therefore allows the Operator 11 to carry out the following tasks during a step 410: Evacuate the parcel 2, into a rejection container 14 if the parcel 2 is too heavy or too light; Evacuate the parcel 2, if the parcel 2 is too large or too small; Reposition the parcel 2, if the parcel 2 is not positioned so as to allow its injection into the receptacle 5 in which it must be sorted; Return the parcel 2, if the destination address is not visible on the top face of the parcel 2.

[0068] Once the Operator 11 has performed one of these four tasks, the central unit 7 recovers, during a step 420, new digital data measured cyclically by the sensors 8, 9 to control or not the acceleration of the feed conveyor 6.

[0069] The operation is then repeated until package 2 is injected into a receptacle 5 or evacuated by Operator 11 into the rejection container 14.

[0070] A new package 2 recovered from the bulk 13 of packages is then placed by the Operator 11 on the zone 6-a of the supply conveyor 6 at a standstill for its injection onto the sorting conveyor 3 and so on.

Claims

Sorting installation (1) for parcels (2) comprising a sorting conveyor (3) in a loop on which are distributed in series sorting receptacles (5) moving at a certain conveying speed (V1), and at least one feed conveyor (6) designed to insert the parcels one by one into the receptacles of the sorting conveyor, each sorting receptacle being designed to convey and evacuate a parcel into an appropriate sorting outlet (4) determined from a certain sorting plan, characterized in that it comprises a central unit (7) designed to control the acceleration of the feed conveyor, from a zero speed (V0) allowing the reception of a parcel to a certain insertion speed allowing the injection of said parcel onto the sorting conveyor, in that it comprises at least one sensor (8,9) designed to cyclically generate digital data representative of at least one certain real characteristic of said package when the feed conveyor is at zero speed and in that the central unit comprises in memory digital data representative of at least one certain pre-requisite characteristic of the package necessary to authorize the injection of said package onto the sorting conveyor and in that the central unit is configured to control the acceleration of the feed conveyor when said at least one real characteristic of said package is in conformity with said at least one pre-requisite characteristic, or, to control the sending of a digital identification signal (10) representative of a package which cannot be injected onto the sorting conveyor when said at least one real characteristic of said package is not in conformity with said at least one pre-requisite characteristic., Sorting installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one prerequisite characteristic is chosen from at least one of the following characteristics:- a package dimension included in a certain range of values,- a certain shape of the package,- a certain positioning of the package on the feed conveyor relative to the receptacle in which it must be inserted,- a weight of the package included in a certain range of values,- the presence of a distribution address on the package. Sorting installation according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the presence of a distribution address on the package, the central unit is configured to read the distribution address of the package and to determine in return, using said sorting plan, the sorting outlet in which the package must be sorted. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one sensor is a scale (8) forming an upstream part of the feed conveyor, and in that the digital data generated are weight data of the package to be inserted. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one sensor is a camera (9) arranged above the feed conveyor and in that the digital data generated by the camera are digital images. Sorting installation according to claims 4 and 5, characterized in that said camera has a field of vision comprising said upstream part of the feed conveyor. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification signal is displayed on a display screen (12). Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification signal is specific to each of said at least one prerequisite characteristic. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each receptacle is a bucket with a tilting bottom between a raised position in which the horizontal bottom is flush with the feed conveyor to allow the injection of a package into the bucket by sliding and a lowered position in which the bottom of the bucket is tilted downwards. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feed conveyor comprises a first conveying zone (6-a) and a second conveying zone (6-b) which extends the first conveying zone and which feeds the sorting conveyor, said central unit being configured to accelerate the first zone from zero speed to an intermediate speed and to accelerate the second zone from the intermediate speed to the insertion speed, the acceleration of each of the two zones being managed independently of each other by the central unit.

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