Automated Mail Tray Orientation Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Automated mail trays face issues with mail products falling over when partially filled, leading to damage and inefficient sweeping, as existing systems lack effective mechanisms to maintain vertical orientation and control the position of mail contents during automated processing.
Innovation Solution
An automated mail tray system with a moveable bottom surface and adjustment features, including sensors and actuators, that detects when mail has fallen and corrects its position to vertical using alignment fingers and paddles, ensuring mail is kept upright and securely transferred without interference from tray walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the automation tray is not completely filled with mail product, then the tray can accommodate varying mail volumes, but the mail can fall over within the automation tray causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of mail orientation using sensors before the sweeping operation occurs. When mail is detected to be non-vertical, the system corrects the mail position in advance by actuating the bottom surface to tilt the tray, thereby preventing damage during the subsequent sweeping process
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to continuously monitor the orientation of mail in the tray and provides feedback to the control system. Based on this feedback, the controller determines whether mail has fallen and actuates the bottom surface accordingly to restore proper orientation, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains mail stability
2Extent of automation
If the moveable bottom surface is used to elevate mail, then automated sweeping can be performed, but mail may fall over and interfere with sweeping operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of mail orientation using sensors before the sweeping operation occurs. When mail is detected to be non-vertical, the system corrects the mail position in advance by actuating the bottom surface to tilt the tray, thereby preventing damage during the subsequent sweeping process
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies a counter-action by tilting the tray in the opposite direction of the fallen mail to prevent the harmful effect of mail interference during sweeping. The bottom surface actuation creates a compensating force that counteracts the gravitational effect causing mail to fall
3Reliability
If sensors and actuators are added to detect and correct mail position, then mail orientation can be maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing moveable bottom surface mechanism to perform dual functions: both elevating the mail for automated handling and tilting the tray to correct mail orientation. This self-service approach allows the system to maintain mail position control without adding separate complex adjustment mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
Presently disclosed embodiments are directed to a system and method for controlling/adjusting a position of mail product or other contents in an automated mail tray. Specifically, the disclosed embodiments utilize an automated mail tray with a ridged construction to allow automation equipment to adjust, load, and unload mail product in a structured manner. An adjustment feature, along with a moveable bottom surface of the mail tray, may be used to adjust a position of mail product in the automated mail tray into a vertical position. In some embodiments, the system may actuate the adjustment feature in response to sensor feedback that the mail product has fallen from the vertical position. Once the mail is in the vertical position, the moveable tray bottom may lift the mail product until it is elevated out of the tray for movement into other automation equipment without tray wall interference.