EP2364943A2 - Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Sortieren eines sequentiellen Flusses von Postgegenständen nach einem vorbestimmten Kriterium und Verpacken der sortierten Postgegenstände - Google Patents

Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Sortieren eines sequentiellen Flusses von Postgegenständen nach einem vorbestimmten Kriterium und Verpacken der sortierten Postgegenstände Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2364943A2
EP2364943A2 EP11158002A EP11158002A EP2364943A2 EP 2364943 A2 EP2364943 A2 EP 2364943A2 EP 11158002 A EP11158002 A EP 11158002A EP 11158002 A EP11158002 A EP 11158002A EP 2364943 A2 EP2364943 A2 EP 2364943A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
postal items
stack
wrapping
postal
reader
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP11158002A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2364943A3 (de
Inventor
Ilario Bolis
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SETEFI SpA
Original Assignee
SETEFI SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SETEFI SpA filed Critical SETEFI SpA
Publication of EP2364943A2 publication Critical patent/EP2364943A2/de
Publication of EP2364943A3 publication Critical patent/EP2364943A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C3/00—Sorting according to destination
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H31/00—Pile receivers
    • B65H31/30—Arrangements for removing completed piles
    • B65H31/3081—Arrangements for removing completed piles by acting on edge of the pile for moving it along a surface, e.g. by pushing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H39/00—Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs
    • B65H39/02—Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H39/00—Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs
    • B65H39/10—Associating articles from a single source, to form, e.g. a writing-pad
    • B65H39/115—Associating articles from a single source, to form, e.g. a writing-pad in juxtaposed carriers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
    • B65H2301/43—Gathering; Associating; Assembling
    • B65H2301/431—Features with regard to the collection, nature, sequence and/or the making thereof
    • B65H2301/4311—Making personalised books or mail packets according to personal, geographic or demographic data
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
    • B65H2301/43—Gathering; Associating; Assembling
    • B65H2301/438—Finishing
    • B65H2301/4382—Binding or attaching processes
    • B65H2301/43824—Binding or attaching processes involving wrapping, banding or strapping
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2553/00—Sensing or detecting means
    • B65H2553/40—Sensing or detecting means using optical, e.g. photographic, elements
    • B65H2553/41—Photoelectric detectors
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2553/00—Sensing or detecting means
    • B65H2553/40—Sensing or detecting means using optical, e.g. photographic, elements
    • B65H2553/43—Bar code reader
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
    • B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
    • B65H2701/18—Form of handled article or web
    • B65H2701/182—Piled package
    • B65H2701/1829—Bound, bundled or stapled stacks or packages
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
    • B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
    • B65H2701/19—Specific article or web
    • B65H2701/1916—Envelopes and articles of mail

Definitions

  • the apparatus and process as disclosed below are particularly used in systems for manufacturing credit and debit cards (hereinafter referred to for simplicity as “cards”) and inserting them into envelopes, and afford "on line” production, envelope packaging, sorting and wrapping up of envelopes according to their destination.
  • Apparatus are known, which manufacture credit and debit cards and join them by adhesive to covering letters, that are later folded and put into envelopes.
  • the card-containing envelopes must be manually sorted and inserted into separate bags, each for a different bank branch, with the corresponding shipping documents.
  • the bags are sent to the bank branches by forwarding agents.
  • credit and debit card production shall comply with safety standards that require tracking of the material flowing into and out of each processing step.
  • the card-containing envelopes shall be first entered into a list (to check the correctness of the previous process) and only later can be sorted for mailing to bank branches.
  • the object of the apparatus and process described blow is to obviate at least some of prior art problems and particularly those set out hereinbefore.
  • numeral 1 generally designates an apparatus for receiving a sequential flow of postal items 2 sorted according to a predetermined criterion, typically the addressee.
  • the sequential flow of postal items 2 is a flow of postal envelopes containing credit cards or debit cards.
  • the apparatus 1 is also adapted to sort the postal items 2 according to the addressee and to separately wrap up the postal items 2 so sorted.
  • the apparatus 1 comprises a reader 11 for reading information printed on each postal item 2, such as a Data Matrix code reader, which reads information through the window of the envelopes 2.
  • the information read by the Data Matrix code reader 11 comprises: the destination of the postal item and the number of postal items 2 having the same address.
  • the postal items 2 may come from a feeder (where envelopes are manually or automatically loaded), or from an upstream system comprising: a device for making a credit or debit card, a device for preparing a covering letter for each card, a device for joining the card to the covering letter and a device for folding the covering letter and putting it into an envelope and for sealing the postal envelope.
  • a feeder where envelopes are manually or automatically loaded
  • an upstream system comprising: a device for making a credit or debit card, a device for preparing a covering letter for each card, a device for joining the card to the covering letter and a device for folding the covering letter and putting it into an envelope and for sealing the postal envelope.
  • a collection station 4 - located downstream from the Data Matrix code reader 11 - is provided, where the postal items 2 addressed to the same addressee are piled up.
  • a device 6 for wrapping up the postal items 2 previously accumulated in the collection station 4 are wrapped up in a transparent cover 7.
  • the device 6 for wrapping up postal items is a device that wraps the postal items 2 in a heat-shrinkable film 61.
  • the transparent cover 7 is made up of a centerfold heat shrink film 61, which is heated in a tunnel kiln (not shown), and the postal items are moved in the wrapping device 6 by a conveyor belt.
  • the collection station 4 is adapted to collect said postal items 2 (postal envelopes in this example) in a stack 21.
  • the postal items are moved between said collection station 4 and the wrapping device 6 by means of a chain conveyor 3, driven by a motor 33, which has pushing teeth 32 at least as high as the maximum height of the stacks 21 piled up in the collection station 4.
  • a device 63 is provided for checking that each stack 21 of postal items that has been previously wrapped up comes out of the wrapping device 6.
  • the device 63 for checking that the wrapped items 7 have actually come out comprises at least one reflection light barrier-type photoelectric sensor, which operates with the help of prismatic reflectors.
  • a printer 8a is also provided for printing the addressee of each transparent cover 7.
  • means 9 are further provided for laying an element 91 on the top of the stack 21 to increase the stiffness of the stack.
  • the stack 21 may lack the required stiffness and this may cause problems, e.g. during the next wrapping step.
  • the elements 91 are cardboard stiffeners which are substantially similar in height and width to the envelopes 2 and have a thickness ranging from 1 to 3 mm.
  • the cardboard stiffeners 91 are loaded into a feeder 92, and are individually taken out therefrom by a sheet separator (not shown) and carried to the top of the stack 21 in the load station 4 by means of a belt conveyor 94.
  • the address of the addressee of the stack 21 is printed on a film material 81 - typically a paper sheet - which is laid on the top of the stack 21 (where a cardboard stiffener 91 may have been previously laid).
  • a transfer station 41 for the stack 21 may be provided downstream from the collection station 4.
  • the transfer station 41 receives a sheet 81 printed by a printer 8 that prints the address of the addressee of the stack 21 of envelopes 2.
  • the sheet 81 is carried to the top of the stack 21 by means of a rotating roller 51, which is designed to support the sheet 81, and flexible guides 52, such as synthetic bristles, which prevent the sheet 81 from being overturned as it moves to the top of the stack 21.
  • An intermediate transfer station 42 for the stack 21 is provided between the collection station 4 and the transfer station 41.
  • the conveyor belt 11 successively moves the stacks 21 from the collection station 4 to the intermediate transfer station 41, to the transfer station 42 and to the wrapping device 6.
  • the second intermediate transfer station 42 receives a sheet 82 with information printed thereon about the contents of the stack 21 of postal items 2.
  • the summary sheet 82 is printed by a printer 8b other than the printer 8a that is used to print the addressee of the stack 21 of envelopes 2.
  • the sheet 82 is carried to the top of the stack 21 by a device identical to the one described with reference to the sheet 81.
  • the conveyor chain with its pushing teeth 32 successively carries the stack 21 from the collection station 4 to the intermediate transfer station 42, to the transfer station 41 and to the entry of the wrapping device 6.
  • the pushing teeth 32 project out of a longitudinal slit formed in a horizontal plane.
  • a reader 64 (such as a barcode reader) is provided downstream from the wrapping device 6, which can read, through the transparent cover 7, a code on the same sheet 81 that carries the address of the stack 21.
  • a conveyor 311, 312 is also provided downstream from the wrapping device 6, which comprises diverting means 312 for diverting the path of the covers 7 containing the stacks of envelopes 2 according to the information read or not read by the barcode reader 64.
  • the conveyor 311, 312 comprises two straight conveyors in series, and the second straight conveyor 312 has a tilting feature.
  • the covers 7 that come from the first conveyor 311 may move on to the second conveyor or fall downwards into a basket.
  • a computer 111 is further provided, which controls and adjusts the various members of the apparatus and coordinates their operation.
  • the above apparatus is particularly advantageous in on-line combination with a system for making credit or debit cards and putting them into envelopes, as it allows dramatic reduction of total processing times, while avoiding the need of product tracking at the end of each processing step.
  • a process may be implemented for sorting a sequential flow of postal items 2 according to their destination and wrapping up the postal items 2 so sorted which comprises the steps of:
  • the sorted postal items 2 are paper envelopes, particularly DL window envelopes (11 x 22 cm).
  • the envelopes 2 are piled up into a stack 21 and the cover 7 is formed by wrapping the stack 21 in a heat-shrinkable film 61, particularly a transparent shrink film.
  • an element 91 - typically a cardboard stiffener - is added at the top of the stack 21 to increase its stiffness.
  • a sheet 82 with information about the contents of the stack 21, and a sheet 81 with the address of the addressee of the stack 21 printed thereon are successively laid on the stack 21.
  • the above apparatus and process are particularly used for credit and debit card mailing.
  • each envelope 2 contains a credit (or debit) card and the addressee of each stack 21 of envelopes is a bank branch.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
EP11158002.3A 2010-03-12 2011-03-14 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Sortieren eines sequentiellen Flusses von Postgegenständen nach einem vorbestimmten Kriterium und Verpacken der sortierten Postgegenstände Withdrawn EP2364943A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT000401A ITMI20100401A1 (it) 2010-03-12 2010-03-12 Apparato e metodo per suddividere un flusso sequenziale di oggetti postali in base ad un criterio predefinito e per confezionare gli oggetti postali così suddivisi

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2364943A2 true EP2364943A2 (de) 2011-09-14
EP2364943A3 EP2364943A3 (de) 2013-07-31

Family

ID=42988159

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP11158002.3A Withdrawn EP2364943A3 (de) 2010-03-12 2011-03-14 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Sortieren eines sequentiellen Flusses von Postgegenständen nach einem vorbestimmten Kriterium und Verpacken der sortierten Postgegenstände

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2364943A3 (de)
IT (1) ITMI20100401A1 (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN108820816A (zh) * 2018-06-25 2018-11-16 杭州康奋威科技股份有限公司 一种垂直交叉带分拣机及其分拣方法

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3577866A (en) * 1969-10-13 1971-05-11 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Packaging apparatus and package
US5414974A (en) * 1993-08-17 1995-05-16 Moore Business Forms, Inc. Automated document handling system
US7216012B2 (en) * 2003-04-14 2007-05-08 First Data Corporation Auction systems and methods for selecting inserts for direct mailings

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN108820816A (zh) * 2018-06-25 2018-11-16 杭州康奋威科技股份有限公司 一种垂直交叉带分拣机及其分拣方法
CN108820816B (zh) * 2018-06-25 2023-11-21 杭州康奋威科技股份有限公司 一种垂直交叉带分拣机及其分拣方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITMI20100401A1 (it) 2011-09-13
EP2364943A3 (de) 2013-07-31

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