Parcel sorting facility with sorting exits equipped with chutes

Abstract

The invention relates to a parcel sorting installation (1) for parcels (2) comprising a sorting conveyor (3) for parcels designed to convey the parcels sequentially in a certain conveying direction (D1) and sorting outlets (4) distributed under the sorting conveyor, each comprising a sorting receptacle (7) in a loading position in which parcels can be unloaded by gravity from the sorting conveyor according to certain sorting information. Each sorting outlet of the sorting installation according to the invention includes a chute (8) extending in the opposite direction to the conveying direction under the sorting conveyor so as to guide the fall of a parcel into a sorting receptacle. Figure to be published: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: Title of the invention

[0001] Parcel sorting installation with sorting outlets equipped with chutes Technical field

[0002] The invention is in the field of parcel sorting and relates more particularly to a sorting installation comprising a parcel sorting conveyor designed to convey parcels in series in a certain conveying direction and sorting outlets distributed under the sorting conveyor designed to receive each a sorting receptacle in a loading position in which parcels can be unloaded by gravity from the sorting conveyor according to certain sorting information. Previous technique

[0003] Many parcel sorting facilities today use sorting conveyors capable of conveying and sorting parcels at very high speed.

[0004] Among these sorting installations, some include sorting outlets arranged under the sorting conveyor, each equipped with a sorting receptacle into which the packages sorted from the sorting conveyor fall by gravity.

[0005] For this purpose, the parcel sorting conveyors extend between 2 and 4 meters in height from the ground with sorting receptacles which are located at an ergonomic height to facilitate handling by operators, generally at a height of 1 meter.

[0006] The drop height of the packages into the sorting receptacles is therefore significant and regularly causes the packages to deteriorate when they come into contact with the sorting receptacle.

[0007] In order to preserve the integrity of the packages, document FR3112703 describes the use of sorting receptacles with elastic bottoms to cushion the fall of the packages.

[0008] However, this type of solution is dedicated to sorting receptacles with a large base compared to the size of the packages.

[0009] These receptacles are therefore bulky and consequently occupy a significant amount of space when not in the loading position under the sorting outlets. Indeed, the empty receptacles are temporarily stored near the sorting outlets, which greatly increases the footprint of the sorting installation. Summary of the invention

[0010] The objective of the invention is therefore to solve the aforementioned problems.

[0011] To this end, the invention relates to a parcel sorting installation comprising a parcel sorting conveyor designed to convey parcels in series according to a certain conveying direction and sorting outlets distributed under the sorting conveyor each comprising a sorting receptacle in a loading position in which packages can be unloaded by gravity from the sorting conveyor according to certain sorting information, characterized in that at least one sorting outlet comprises a slide (8) which extends in the opposite direction to the conveying direction under the sorting conveyor so as to guide the fall of a package into a sorting receptacle.

[0012] The idea behind the invention is to use slides oriented in the opposite direction to the conveying direction so as to slow down as quickly as possible the packages released under the sorting conveyor while controlling the fall of the packages into the sorting receptacles.

[0013] More specifically, the orientation in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the slide makes it possible on the one hand to quickly stop the horizontal component of the speed of the packages given by the sorting conveyor and on the other hand to slow down the vertical component of the speed of the package brought by gravity.

[0014] With this type of sorting outlet, the integrity of the packages is preserved and the footprint is kept under the sorting conveyor. This solution also allows the use of standard sorting receptacles in the field of package sorting, which are easy to handle and store.

[0015] The sorting installation according to the invention may also have the following features:

[0016] - each slide extends from an upstream end of the slide towards a downstream end of slide, each sorting outlet equipped with a slide includes an upright that extends vertically upwards to the downstream end of the slide, and several uprights are spaced apart in the conveying direction so that two adjacent uprights form a passageway for a sorting receptacle in the loading position;

[0017] - each upright comprises a face oriented downstream in the direction of conveying and one face oriented upstream in the conveying direction, each upright face oriented downstream in the conveying direction includes a shock absorber designed to cushion the shock of a package exiting the chute before its insertion into a sorting receptacle in the loading position;

[0018] - the shock absorber is a foam plate;

[0019] - the sorting outlets are equipped with inverted V-shaped deflectors under the sorting conveyor, each deflector being arranged astride two adjacent sorting outlets so that each sorting outlet benefits from a first part of the deflector oriented substantially upstream in the conveying direction and a second part of the deflector oriented substantially downstream in the conveying direction;

[0020] - each slide extends in line with an upstream part of a deflector;

[0021] - each slide is flexible so as to cushion the fall of the packages before fall into the sorting receptacles;

[0022] - a conveyor of empty receptacles extends in the conveying direction under the passageways delimited by the sorting exit uprights;

[0023] - each slide has two sides which extend lengthwise between the upstream end and the downstream end, and at least one of the two sides includes a fairing designed to prevent packages from falling laterally from the slide;

[0024] - the sorting conveyor is a loop conveyor equipped with pivoting flap buckets between a raised position capable of holding a package in the bucket during its conveying in the conveying direction and a lowered position in which the flap comes flush with the deflectors and capable of dropping a package by gravity into a suitable sorting outlet. Brief presentation of the drawings

[0025] The present invention will be better understood and other advantages will become apparent upon reading the detailed description of an embodiment taken by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] - [Fig. 1] [Fig. 1] illustrates in a very schematic way a sorting installation according to the invention;

[0027] - [Fig.2] [Fig.2] illustrates in a very schematic way a portion of the sorting conveyor with sorting outlets according to the invention in profile view substantially in the direction of the conveying direction;

[0028] - [Fig.3] [Fig.3] illustrates in a very schematic way a part of the sorting conveyor with sorting outlets according to the invention with a profile view substantially in the opposite direction to the conveying direction;

[0029] - [Fig.4] [Fig.4] illustrates in a very schematic way a part of the sorting conveyor with sorting outlets with fairing according to the invention. Description of a method of implementation

[0030] The invention relates to a sorting installation 1 for parcels 2, as shown in [Fig.1], intended to equip a sorting center or a logistics platform.

[0031] By package 2, we mean all types of objects such as packages, letters, PPIs (for "Small International Packages", carrying sorting information.

[0032] The sorting installation 1 for parcels 2 according to the invention includes in particular a sorting conveyor 3 for parcels 2 designed to convey the parcels 2 in series along a certain conveying direction DI and sorting outlets 4 arranged under the sorting conveyor 3.

[0033] The sorting conveyor 3 may, for example, be in the form of a loop conveyor equipped with buckets 5, each equipped with a flap 6 pivoting between a raised position so as to hold a package 2 in the bucket 5 during its conveying in the conveying direction DI and a lowered position in which the flap 6 is pivoted downwards to drop a package 2 by gravity into a suitable sorting outlet 4.

[0034] Each sorting outlet 4 is here designed to store a sorting receptacle 7 in a loading position in which packages 2 can be unloaded by gravity from the sorting conveyor 3 according to certain sorting information.

[0035] At least one sorting outlet 4 according to the invention includes a slide 8 which extends in the opposite direction to the conveying direction DI under the sorting conveyor 3 so as to guide the fall of a package 2 into a sorting receptacle 7.

[0036] Each slide 8 extends from an upstream end 8A of the slide to a downstream end 8B of the slide 8 which is lower than the upstream end 8A of the slide.

[0037] The slides 8 according to the invention may be flexible so as to cushion the fall of the packages 2 before falling into the sorting receptacles 7.

[0038] By flexible, we mean a slide 8 made of flexible or supple material, such as for example fabric, rubber, a flexible plastic or of rigid material but equipped with a spring.

[0039] Also, in order to prevent packages 2 from falling down the sides of the slides 8, especially if the slides 8 are flexible, a fairing 9 may be provided on at least one side of the slide 8 which extends lengthwise between the upstream end 8A and the downstream end 8B of the slide 8.

[0040] Furthermore, without restricting the scope of the invention, each sorting outlet 4 may include an upright 10 which extends vertically upwards to the downstream end 8B of the slide 8.

[0041] The uprights 10 thus serve as a frame for fixing the downstream end 8B of the slides 8.

[0042] The slides 8 may also, for example, have a different length depending on the more or less distant upright 9 on which the downstream end 8B is fixed, and this without modifying the ground footprint of the sorting installation 1. The degree of slope thus obtained makes it possible to play with the speed of fall of the packages 2 into the sorting receptacles 7.

[0043] The uprights 10 may also be spaced apart from each other in the conveying direction DI so that two adjacent uprights 10 form a passage space ES for a sorting receptacle 7 in the loading position.

[0044] More specifically, each upright 10 may include a first face 10A oriented upstream in the conveying direction and a second face 10B oriented downstream in the conveying direction DI.

[0045] Each second face 10B of the upright is oriented downstream in the direction of DI conveyor can also be equipped with a shock absorber 11 designed to cushion the shock of a package 2 exiting the chute 8 before its insertion into a sorting receptacle 7 in the loading position.

[0046] More specifically, when a package 2 falls on a slide 8, the package 2 hits the shock absorber 10 of the second face 10B oriented downstream in the conveying direction of the adjacent upright 10 upstream in the conveying direction DI allowing the fall velocity component of the package 2 on the slide 8 to be stopped. The package 2 then falls by gravity into the sorting receptacle 7 from a height reduced to its maximum.

[0047] For example, shock absorbers 11 may be provided in the form of foam plates or springs.

[0048] More specifically, the sorting outlets 7 may be equipped with inverted V-shaped deflectors 12 under the sorting conveyor 3.

[0049] Each deflector 12 is arranged here straddling two adjacent sorting outlets 4 so that each sorting outlet 4 benefits from a first part 12A of deflector oriented substantially upstream in the conveying direction DI and a second part 12B of deflector oriented substantially downstream in the conveying direction Dl.

[0050] Without restricting the scope of the invention, each deflector 12a may comprise only the deflector part 12A oriented substantially upstream in the conveying direction Dl without the deflector part 12B.

[0051] The first part 12A of the deflector can thus serve as a frame for fixing the upstream end 8A of the slides 8.

[0052] A fairing 13 may also be provided along at least one side of the deflectors 12 in continuity with the fairing 9 of the slide 8 to prevent the ejection of packages 2 when they fall from the sorting conveyor 3.

[0053] In the case of using buckets 5 with pivoting flap 6, each flap 6 in the package unloading position 2, i.e. lowered, will be sufficiently spaced from a deflector 12 so as to limit the cases of jamming.

[0054] Thus, each slide 8 can advantageously extend in line with the upstream part of a deflector 12.

[0055] Similarly, the sorting installation 1 according to the invention may also include a conveyor 14 of empty sorting receptacles 7 which extends in the conveying direction Dl under the passage spaces ES delimited by the uprights 10 of the sorting outlets 4.

Claims

Claims

1. Sorting installation (1) for parcels (2) comprising a sorting conveyor (3) for parcels designed to convey the parcels in series in a certain conveying direction (Dl) and sorting outlets (4) distributed under the sorting conveyor designed to each receive a sorting receptacle (7) in a loading position in which the parcels can be unloaded by gravity from the sorting conveyor according to certain sorting information, characterized in that at least one sorting outlet comprises a slide (8) which extends in the opposite direction to the conveying direction under the sorting conveyor so as to guide the fall of a parcel into a sorting receptacle.

2. Parcel sorting installation according to claim 1, characterized in that each chute extends from an upstream end (8A) of the chute to a downstream end (8B) of the chute, in that each sorting outlet equipped with a chute comprises an upright (10) which extends vertically upwards to the downstream end of the chute, and in that several uprights are spaced from each other in the conveying direction so that two adjacent uprights form a passage space (ES) for a sorting receptacle in the loading position.

3. Parcel sorting installation according to claim 2, characterized in that each upright comprises a first face (10A) facing upstream in the conveying direction and a second face (10B) facing downstream in the conveying direction, and in that each upright face facing downstream in the conveying direction comprises a shock absorber (11) designed to absorb the shock of a parcel leaving the chute before its insertion into a sorting receptacle in the loading position.

4. Parcel sorting installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the shock absorber is a foam plate.

5. Parcel sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sorting outlets are equipped with deflectors (12) in the shape of an inverted V under the sorting conveyor, each deflector being arranged astride two adjacent sorting outlets so that each sorting outlet benefits from a first deflector part (12A) oriented substantially upstream in the conveying direction and a second deflector part (12B) oriented sen- possibly downstream in the conveying direction.

6. Parcel sorting installation according to claim 5, characterized in that each slide extends in the extension of an upstream part of a deflector.

7. Parcel sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each slide is flexible so as to cushion the fall of the parcels before falling into the sorting receptacles.

8. Parcel sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a conveyor (14) of empty receptacles which extends in the conveying direction under the passage spaces delimited by the uprights of the sorting outlets.

9. A parcel sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each chute has two sides which extend lengthwise between the upstream end and the downstream end, and in that at least one of the two sides comprises a fairing (9) designed to prevent the parcels from falling laterally from the chute.

10. Parcel sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sorting conveyor is a loop conveyor equipped with buckets (5) with flaps (6) pivoting between a raised position capable of holding a parcel in the bucket during its conveying in the conveying direction and a lowered position in which the flap comes flush with the deflectors and capable of dropping a parcel by gravity into an appropriate sorting outlet.

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