Object sorting system capable of arranging objects in stacks into sorting receptacles

Abstract

The invention relates to an object sorting installation (1) for objects (2) comprising a sorting conveyor (4) designed to convey objects in series along a certain conveying direction (D1), sorting outlets (5) distributed in series along the conveying direction under the sorting conveyor, and a central unit (6) parameterized to control the sorting conveyor in order to sort the objects according to a certain sorting order in the appropriate sorting outlets based on a certain sorting instruction associated with each object. Each sorting outlet comprises a housing (7) designed to house a sorting receptacle in a first loading position (PC1) in which the sorting receptacle is able to receive objects by gravity from the sorting conveyor. Figure to be published: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: Installation for sorting objects capable of ordering the objects in piles in sorting receptacles Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of sorting postal items such as mail, small imported packages and other small parcels or packages. Prior art

[0002] Existing postal item sorting machines are not designed to automatically sort heterogeneous items in the order of the postman's delivery round. While many steps of the sorting process are performed automatically by machine, such as the step of sorting items by sorting destination into sorting receptacles, several steps of the sorting process are still performed manually by Operators, such as the step of sorting items in the bin according to the order of the postman's delivery round. This comes from the difficulty of maintaining the ordering of items according to the order of the delivery round when sorting them into sorting receptacles, a difficulty increased by the great heterogeneity of the items to be sorted (e.g., letters, large format mail, small import packages).

[0003] Generally, installations for sorting heterogeneous objects are equipped with large sorting receptacles, each associated with a sorting destination, in which the objects are sorted in bulk.

[0004] The sorting receptacles are then manually transported to manual sorting stations in the locker in which the objects are manually sorted by Operators according to the order of the postman's distribution round.

[0005] Sorting in the locker is therefore tedious and not very ergonomic for operators. Summary of the invention

[0006] The invention therefore aims to remedy the aforementioned problems.

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to an object sorting installation comprising a sorting conveyor designed to convey objects in series in a certain conveying direction, sorting outlets distributed in series in the conveying direction under the sorting conveyor and a central unit configured to control the sorting conveyor in order to sort the objects according to a certain sorting order in the appropriate sorting outlets according to a certain sorting indication associated with each object, each sorting outlet comprising a housing designed to house a sorting receptacle in a first loading position in which the sorting receptacle is capable of receiving by gravity the objects from the sorting conveyor, characterized in that when the sorting receptacle is in the first loading position, the bottom of the sorting receptacle extends in a oblique plane inclined around a first horizontal and longitudinal axis relative to the conveying direction and a second horizontal and transverse axis to the first axis so that the inclined bottom has a low point.

[0008] The idea behind the invention consists of stacking the objects in an inclined sorting receptacle so as to reference the objects in a corner of the sorting receptacle and consequently to maintain the stacking order of the objects.

[0009] By maintaining the stacking order, the sorting order is in fact maintained, for example the order of the postman's delivery round. Sorting in the locker is thus greatly facilitated for the Operators.

[0010] The sorting installation according to the invention may also have the following particularities:

[0011] - the oblique plane is inclined around the second axis upstream in the direction of conveyance;

[0012] - each housing comprises a first sorting receptacle support which extends into said oblique plane and which is designed to position a receptacle in the first loading position;

[0013] - the first sorting receptacle support comprises stops designed to guide inserting a sorting receptacle and for retaining the sorting receptacle in the first loading position;

[0014] - each housing includes a second sorting receptacle support which extends in a horizontal plane and which is designed to position a sorting receptacle in a second loading position in which the bottom of the sorting receptacle extends in the horizontal plane;

[0015] - the central unit is configured to sort objects having the same indication of sorting in at least two different sorting outlets, one of said two sorting outlets being equipped with a sorting receptacle arranged on said first storage medium and the other of said two sorting outlets being equipped with a sorting receptacle arranged on said second storage medium, the central unit being configured to control the sorting of the objects in one or the other of said two sorting outlets according to a certain thickness value of each object, so that if the thickness value is less than a certain threshold value, the central unit controls the sorting of the object in the sorting receptacle on the first medium and if the thickness value is greater than said threshold value, the central unit controls the sorting of the object in a sorting receptacle on the second medium;

[0016] - the sorting conveyor comprises an object alignment device designed to align the objects on the sorting conveyor in the conveying direction in alignment in the conveying direction with the low point of the bottom of the sorting receptacle in the first loading position;

[0017] - gravity conveyors which each extend in a certain direction transfer from a housing of a sorting outlet, each gravity conveyor comprising an end proximal to the housing representing a high point of the gravity conveyor and a distal end representing a low point of the gravity conveyor and in that the gravity conveyors are designed to temporarily store sorting receptacles one behind the other from the distal end;

[0018] - each gravity conveyor is inclined in the same oblique plane as the plane oblique from the bottom of the sorting receptacle when it is in the first loading position;

[0019] - manual sorting stations are distributed along the sorting conveyor, each conveyor gravity extending between a dwelling and a manual sorting station;

[0020] - each manual sorting station includes a turning assistance device of a sorting receptacle loaded with objects, said turning aid device comprising a base and a stop extending upwards from the base, said stop being designed to create a pivot point for the sorting receptacle and allow it to tilt 180° around the stop from a first position in which the sorting receptacle has its opening upwards and a second position in which the sorting receptacle has its opening downwards;

[0021] - the sole extends in an oblique plane inclined around two horizontal axes transverse to each other;

[0022] - the sole comprises a projection designed to prevent the sorting receptacle from coming to the contact with the sole when in second position. Description of the drawings

[0023] 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:

[0024] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] is a schematic representation of an object sorting installation according to the invention;

[0025] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a schematic representation of a plurality of sorting outlets of the sorting installation according to the invention;

[0026] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a schematic representation of two gravity conveyors each extending from a sorting outlet of the sorting conveyor to a turning assistance device according to the invention;

[0027] [Fig.4a] [Fig.4a] is a schematic representation of the assistance device turning according to the invention without sorting receptacle;

[0028] [Fig.4b] [Fig.4b] is a schematic representation of the assistance device turning according to the invention with a sorting receptacle in second position. Detailed description of the invention

[0029] The sorting installation 1 for objects 2 according to the invention is particularly well suited to sorting heterogeneous postal objects 2 in sorting receptacles 3 while respecting a certain predetermined sorting order.

[0030] By heterogeneous postal objects 2 we mean any type of objects of varied size, weight and shape which can be processed in postal and / or logistics centers, such as mail, small imported packages and other small parcels or packages.

[0031] By sorting receptacle 3, we mean any type of container for objects 2 usually sorted in postal and / or logistics centers comprising a bottom wall and side walls.

[0032] The sorting installation 1 according to the invention will typically comprise a sorting conveyor 4 designed to convey objects 2 in series in a certain conveying direction DI and sorting outlets 5 distributed in series in the conveying direction DI under the sorting conveyor 4. The sorting conveyor 4 will comprise, for example, a succession of belt trays or flaps 4a distributed in series in the conveying direction DI designed to convey the objects 2 flat in the conveying direction DI and sort them in the appropriate sorting outlets 5 by simply pivoting downwards in the conveying direction DI of the flap 4a on which the object 2 to be sorted is conveyed and / or by pivoting upwards in the direction opposite to the conveying direction DI of the following flap 4a in the conveying direction DI.

[0033] The sorting installation 1 will further comprise a central unit 6 configured to control the sorting conveyor 4 in order to sort the objects 2 according to a certain sorting order in the appropriate sorting outlets 5 according to a certain sorting instruction associated with each object 2. The objects 2 being conveyed in series, it is understood that the sorting order of the objects 2 is preserved during their sorting in the sorting outlets 5. The sorting order may be constructed as the objects are processed in the sorting installation. More particularly, the central unit may recover a numbering printed on each object as well as the ordering of these objects on the sorting conveyor before sorting at the sorting outlet.

[0034] Each sorting outlet 5 will comprise a housing 7 designed to house a sorting receptacle 3 in a first loading position PCI in which the sorting receptacle 3 is capable of receiving by gravity the objects 2 from the sorting conveyor 4. Also, when the sorting receptacle 3 is in the first loading position PCI, the bottom 3a of the sorting receptacle 3 extends in an oblique plane PO1 inclined around a first axis A1 horizontal and longitudinal relative to the conveying direction DI and around a second axis A2 horizontal and transverse to the first axis so that the inclined bottom has a low point PB. The objects 2 sorted in the sorting outlet 5 are therefore stacked on top of each other in a corner of the sorting receptacle 3, forming the low point PB, maintaining the sorting order of the objects 2 at the sorting outlet 5. Without restricting the scope of the invention, the oblique plane PO1 may for example be inclined around the second axis A2 upstream in the conveying direction D1. This configuration makes it possible to improve the stacking of the objects 2 on top of each other. Indeed, the idea here is to force the objects 2 to strike the downstream side wall of the sorting receptacle 3 in the conveying direction D1 so that the speed of fall of the object 2 in the sorting receptacle 3 is mainly due to the force of gravity and not to the conveying speed. The objects 2 will therefore naturally tend to fall flat in the corner of the sorting receptacle 3 forming the low point PB.The angle of inclination of the oblique plane PO1 may also be determined as a function of at least one of the following characteristics: the conveying speed, the height or depth of the sorting receptacle 3 and the length of the sorting receptacle 3 in the conveying direction DL.

[0035] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the positioning of the sorting receptacle 3 in the first loading position, each housing 7 may comprise a first support 7a for the sorting receptacle 3 which extends in said oblique plane PO1. The first support 7a for the sorting receptacle 3 may for example be equipped with stops 7a' designed to guide the insertion of a sorting receptacle 3 and to retain the sorting receptacle 3 in the first loading position PCI. The housing comprises an additional space under the sorting conveyor for storing an empty sorting receptacle flat next to the sorting receptacle in the first loading position. This empty sorting receptacle can be quickly inserted in place of the other sorting receptacle when the latter reaches an adequate loading level of objects.

[0036] Without restricting the scope of the invention, each housing 7 may also comprise a second support 7b for sorting receptacle 3 which extends in a horizontal plane Ph and which will be designed to position a sorting receptacle 3 in a second loading position PC2 in which the bottom 3a of the sorting receptacle 3 extends in the horizontal plane Ph. With the second support 7b oriented in the horizontal plane Ph, it is possible to position flat a sorting receptacle 3 having a large storage volume of objects 2 under the sorting outlet so as to store bulky objects 2, without worrying about the sorting order. However, the larger the volume of the sorting receptacle 3, the more difficult it is to stack the objects 2 in the sorting order.It will therefore be possible to provide that the first support 7a of the sorting receptacle 3 has a certain first storage capacity of objects 2 while the second support 7b of the sorting receptacle 3 has a certain second storage capacity of objects 2, the second storage capacity being greater than the first storage capacity. The sorting outlet 5 associated with a sorting destination will therefore be able to. advantageously sorting thin objects 2, called “stackable objects” in the first capacity sorting receptacles, and storing thick objects in bulk, called “non-stackable objects” in the second capacity sorting receptacles.

[0037] The central unit may be configured to sort objects having the same sorting indication in at least two different sorting outlets, here for example two different sorting outlets. It will be understood that one of the two sorting outlets will be equipped with a sorting receptacle arranged on the first storage medium while the other sorting outlet will be equipped with a sorting receptacle arranged on the second storage medium. It will also be possible to provide a first capacity receptacle on the first medium and a second capacity receptacle on the second sorting receptacle medium. The central unit 6 will thus be configured to control the sorting of the objects in one or other of said two sorting outlets according to a certain thickness value of each object.Thus, if the thickness value is less than a certain threshold value, the central unit will order the sorting of the object in the sorting receptacle on the first support while if the thickness value is greater than said threshold value, the central unit will order the sorting of the object in a sorting receptacle on the second support. For example, the threshold value is set at 50 mm thick, but can be completely modified according to the thickness spectrum of the objects to be sorted, the height or depth of the sorting receptacles 3 and the conveying speed. The non-stackable objects 2 are thus sorted in bulk in the sorting receptacles 3 of second capacity while the stackable objects are sorted in a pile in the sorting receptacles 3 of first capacity while respecting the predetermined sorting order.

[0038] The sorting conveyor 4 may also be equipped with an object alignment device 8 so as to align the objects 2 on the sorting conveyor 4 in the conveying direction DI in alignment in the conveying direction with the low point PB of the bottom 3a of the sorting receptacle 3 in the first loading position PCI. The aim here is to optimize the stacking of the objects 2 in the sorting receptacles 3 by aligning the objects 2 on the sorting conveyor 4 with the low point PB. More particularly, the edge of the objects 2 may be aligned with the side wall 3b of the sorting receptacle 3 extending in the conveying direction D1, a wall which participates in the formation of the low point PB. With this configuration, in addition to being aligned with the low point PB, the objects 2 are also oriented to align an edge of the object 2 with said side wall 3b of the sorting receptacle 3.

[0039] The sorting installation 1 according to the invention may also be equipped with gravity conveyors 9 each extending in a certain transfer direction D2 from a housing 7 of a sorting outlet 5. Each gravity conveyor 9 will comprise a proximal end 9a to the housing 7 representing a high point of the gravity conveyor 9 and a distal end 9b representing a low point of the conveyor gravity 9. The gravity conveyors 9 here allow the sorting receptacles 3 loaded with objects 2 to be conveyed, by gravity and therefore without motorization, from the housings 7 to a zone for manual recovery of the sorting receptacles 3. The distal end 9b can thus be terminated by a stop 9' in order to retain the sorting receptacles 3 on the gravity conveyor 9 and temporarily store them one behind the other while naturally maintaining them in the order of evacuation from the distal end 9b. In this configuration, the sorting receptacles 3 are distributed one behind the other in the transfer direction D2, each loaded with a stack of objects 2 sorted according to the sorting order, so that the object 2 at the bottom of the stack of a sorting receptacle 3 follows the object 2 according to the sorting order at the top of the stack of the sorting receptacle 3 downstream with respect to the transfer direction D2 on the gravity conveyor 9.It is therefore understood that the sorting receptacles 3 can be stored temporarily while maintaining the sorting order of the objects 2. Each gravity conveyor 9 may also be inclined in said oblique plane PO1 so as to maintain the same inclination of the bottom 3a of the sorting receptacle 3 when it is in the first loading position PCI. This configuration of the gravity conveyor will in particular make it possible to keep the objects 2 in a pile in each sorting receptacle 3 conveyed on the gravity conveyor 9.

[0040] The sorting installation 1 may also be equipped with manual sorting stations 10 distributed along the sorting conveyor 4. Each gravity conveyor 9 will in this case extend from a housing 7 to a manual sorting station 10. That is to say that its distal end 9b will be in direct proximity to the manual sorting station 10. More particularly, each manual sorting station 10 may comprise a device 11 for assisting the turning of a sorting receptacle 3 loaded with objects 2 designed to facilitate the turning of the stack of objects 2 of the sorting receptacle 3 and in order to present the first object 2 according to the sorting order at the top of the stack. The turning assistance device 11 according to the invention will therefore comprise a base 11a and a stop 11b extending upwards from the base 11a.The stop is designed to create a pivot point for the sorting receptacle 3 and allow it to tilt 180° around the stop 11b, between a first position in which the sorting receptacle 3 has its opening upwards and a second position in which the sorting receptacle 3 has its opening downwards. The turning assistance device 11 according to the invention therefore makes it possible to help the Operator O to manually turn over a sorting receptacle 3 loaded with objects 2. The turning assistance device may be ideally placed at the distal end 9b of the gravity conveyor 9 so that the handling of the sorting receptacle 3 by an Operator O is limited to a minimum. More particularly, the base 11a of the turning assistance device 11 may extend in an oblique plane PO2 inclined around two horizontal axes Ahl, Ah2 transverse.Thanks to the inclination of the sole 11a, the objects 2 stacked in the sorting receptacle 3 in first position. will maintain the sorting order. Without restricting the scope of the invention, the base 11a may also include a projection 11a' designed to prevent the sorting receptacle 3 from coming into contact with the base 11a when it is in the second position. This makes it possible to create space for the Operator O, between the sorting receptacle 3 and the base 11a, to place a hand against the stack of objects 2 in the sorting receptacle 3 in the second position, to prevent the sorting receptacle 3 from coming into contact with the base 11a when the Operator O removes his hand from the stack of objects 2 and finally to facilitate the extraction of the sorting receptacle 3 once emptied of its objects 2. The turning assistance device 11 will also have side walls 11c which extend upwards from the base 11a so as to keep the objects 2 stored flat in a stack on the base 11a.

[0041] Thus, thanks to the use of a turning aid device 11 according to the invention, the Operator O can easily maintain the stack of objects 2 in sorted order and thus present the first object 2 in sorted order at the top of the stack.

[0042] The invention also extends to a method for sorting objects 2 using a sorting installation 1 according to the invention. The sorting method according to the invention therefore comprises steps carried out automatically by machine and steps carried out manually by Operators O. An example of carrying out the method according to the invention is described below.

[0043] The objects 2 to be sorted are inserted onto the sorting conveyor 4 flat and in series in the conveying direction DI. The objects are then each conveyed onto the flaps 4a of the sorting conveyor 4 at conveying speed and aligned on the low point PB.

[0044] The objects 2 are then sorted into the appropriate sorting outlets 5 under the control of the central unit 6 according to the predetermined sorting order and a certain sorting indication associated with each object 2. The central unit 6 also takes into account the thickness of the objects in order to sort them either into a sorting receptacle 3 of first capacity if the object 2 has a thickness less than the threshold value or into a sorting receptacle 3 of second capacity if the object 2 has a thickness greater than the threshold value. Once the sorting receptacles 3 are loaded with objects 2, an indicator, audible and / or visual, indicates to the Operator O that the sorting receptacle 3 must be transferred to the gravity conveyor 9. The Operator O thus recovers the sorting receptacle 3 loaded with objects to place it on the gravity conveyor 9 and insert an empty sorting receptacle in its place.The sorting receptacle 3 loaded with objects thus slides until it comes into abutment with the distal end 9b of the gravity conveyor 9 or another sorting receptacle 3 loaded with objects 3. The Operator O then transfers the sorting receptacle 3 furthest downstream on the gravity conveyor 9 onto the turning aid device 11 and pivots the sorting receptacle 3 by 180° while resting on the stop 11b. Throughout the operation of turning the sorting receptacle 3, the Operator O holds the stack of objects in the sorting receptacle with his hand. Once the receptacle . sorting receptacle 3 in contact with the projection 1 of the turning aid device 11, Operator O withdraws his hand, removes the sorting receptacle 3 so that the stack of objects 2 is accessible for manual sorting in the sorting station, with object 2 first in the sorting order at the top of the stack. Operator O then sorts the objects 2 one after the other, always starting from object 2 at the top of the stack.

Claims

Claims

1. Sorting installation (1) for objects (2) comprising a sorting conveyor (4) designed to convey objects in series in a certain conveying direction (D1), sorting outlets (5) distributed in series in the conveying direction under the sorting conveyor and a central unit (6) configured to control the sorting conveyor in order to sort the objects according to a certain sorting order in the appropriate sorting outlets according to a certain sorting instruction associated with each object, each sorting outlet comprising a housing (7) designed to house a sorting receptacle in a first loading position (PCI) in which the sorting receptacle is able to receive by gravity the objects from the sorting conveyor, characterized in that when the sorting receptacle is in the first loading position,the bottom of the sorting receptacle extends in an oblique plane (PO1) inclined around a first axis (Al) horizontal and longitudinal relative to the conveying direction and a second axis (A2) horizontal and transverse to the first axis so that the inclined bottom has a low point (PB).,

2. Sorting installation according to claim, characterized in that the oblique plane is inclined around the second axis upstream in the conveying direction.

3. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each housing comprises a first sorting receptacle support (7a) which extends in said oblique plane and which is designed to position a receptacle in the first loading position.

4. Sorting installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the first sorting receptacle support comprises stops (7a') designed to guide the insertion of a sorting receptacle and to retain the sorting receptacle in the first loading position.

5. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each housing comprises a second sorting receptacle support (7b) which extends in a horizontal plane (Ph) and which is designed to position a sorting receptacle in a second loading position (PC2) in which the bottom of the sorting receptacle extends in said horizontal plane.

6. Sorting installation according to claim 5, characterized in that the first sorting receptacle support is designed to receive a sorting receptacle of a certain first object storage capacity and the second sorting receptacle support is designed to receive a sorting receptacle of a certain second object storage capacity, said second storage capacity being greater than the first storage capacity.

7. Sorting installation according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the central unit is configured to sort objects having the same sorting indication in at least two different sorting outlets, one of said two sorting outlets being equipped with a sorting receptacle arranged on said first storage medium and the other of said two sorting outlets being equipped with a sorting receptacle arranged on said second storage medium, the central unit being configured to control the sorting of the objects in one or the other of said two sorting outlets according to a certain thickness value of each object, so that if the thickness value is less than a certain threshold value, the central unit controls the sorting of the object in the sorting receptacle on the first medium and if the thickness value is greater than said threshold value, the central unit controls the sorting of the object in a sorting receptacle on the second medium.

8. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sorting conveyor comprises an object alignment device (8) designed to align the objects on the sorting conveyor in the conveying direction in alignment in the conveying direction with the low point of the bottom of the sorting receptacle in the first loading position.

9. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises gravity conveyors (9) each extending in a certain transfer direction (D2) from a housing of a sorting outlet, each gravity conveyor comprising a proximal end (9a) to the housing representing a high point of the gravity conveyor and a distal end (9b) representing a low point of the gravity conveyor and in that the gravity conveyors are designed to temporarily store sorting receptacles one behind the other from the distal end.

10. Sorting installation according to claim 9, characterized in that each gravity conveyor is inclined in the same oblique plane as the oblique plane (PO1) of the bottom of the sorting receptacle when it is in the first loading position.

11. Sorting installation according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that it comprises manual sorting stations (10) distributed along the sorting conveyor and in that each gravity conveyor extends between a housing and a manual sorting station.

12. Sorting installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each manual sorting station comprises a device (11) for assisting the turning of a sorting receptacle loaded with objects, said turning aid device comprising a base (11a) and a stop (11b) extending upwards from the base, said stop being designed to create a pivot point for the sorting receptacle and allow it to tilt 180° around the stop from a first position in which the sorting receptacle has its opening upwards and a second position in which the sorting receptacle has its opening downwards.

13. Sorting installation according to claim 12, characterized in that the sole extends in an oblique plane (PO2) inclined around two horizontal axes (Ahl, Ah2) transverse to each other.

14. Sorting installation according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the base comprises a projection (11a') designed to prevent the sorting receptacle from coming into contact with the base when it is in the second position.