Electronic Station for Merging Postal Articles into Sorting Frame

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manual merging of non-machine-sortable postal articles with machine-sorted mailpieces is error-prone due to the need for operatives to repeatedly search for insertion positions within a stack, increasing the risk of errors and reducing efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A method utilizing an electronic assistance station with a camera and monitoring/control unit to guide operatives by displaying digital images and marker signals on a screen, allowing postal articles to be placed directly into designated slots without back-and-forth searching, and enabling the same equipment to be used for both pre-sorting and merging tasks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual merging is performed by repeatedly searching for insertion positions in the stack, then postal articles can be merged with machine-sorted mailpieces, but the risk of errors increases and efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemerging accuracyVSAvoidmerging efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

A frame with vertical slots is introduced as an intermediary structure between the postal articles and the final merged stack. The frame provides designated insertion positions that guide the operative, eliminating the need to search through the stack and reducing errors while maintaining efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The manual searching and insertion process is replaced by a systematic framework with predetermined slots. The frame structure substitutes for the operative's memory and attention, providing visual and physical guidance for correct insertion positions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the same electronic station is used for both pre-sorting and merging tasks, then equipment usage is optimized, but the device must handle multiple functions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment multi-functionalityVSAvoidstation configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The electronic station is designed to perform multiple functions: pre-sorting postal articles into the frame and merging them with the final stack. The same camera, display screen, and control unit are reused for both tasks, optimizing equipment usage while the frame structure simplifies each mode of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10259016B2Method of merging postal articles with already-sorted mailpieces on a table

Publication Date: 2019.04.16 SOLYSTIC

AI summary

A method of merging, on a table (7), postal articles (2) with mailpieces (3) that are already sorted into a certain sorting order comprises the steps of pre-sorting the postal articles (2) in a sorting frame having vertical slots by means of an electronic station for assisting with sorting in the sorting frame, and then in using said station again for assisting the operative with merging the pre-sorted postal articles with the mailpieces.