Mail processing system and method with increased processing speed

• US 10,384,896 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tritek Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tritek Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Malatesta, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Gokhale, Prasad V
• Application Number:
  US15/765,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20180297082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/025 Devices for the temporary stacking of objects provided with a stacking and destacking device (interstack device)
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/04 Forming a stream from a bulk; Controlling the stream, e.g. spacing the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/10 Sorting according to size or flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/20 arranged side by side, e.g. for conveyance of flat articles in vertical position
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/025 with controlled positively-acting mechanical devices for advancing the pile to present the articles to the separating device
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/2691 Arrangement of successive belts forming a transport path
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/22 Distance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/10 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/42 Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1916 Envelopes and articles of mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/045 for separating substantially vertically stacked articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/124 Suction bands or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/5246 Driven retainers, i.e. the motion thereof being provided by a dedicated drive
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/023 between a pair of belts forming a transport nip
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/062 between rollers or balls
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/02 by feelers or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/04 responsive to absence of articles, e.g. exhaustion of pile B65H7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/14 by photoelectric feelers or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/20 : Controlling associated apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/22 : by selection of a specific region containing or referencing a pattern; Locating or processing of specific regions to guide the detection or recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 : Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 : Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/424 : Postal images, e.g. labels or addresses on parcels or postal envelopes

Abstract

A mail singulator system determines a position of an optical panel to automatically adjust a loading conveyor speed to prevent stacked and overlapped mailpieces in the singulator and large gaps between mailpieces. The optical panel is configured between the front mailpiece of a mail stack on the loading conveyor and the optical sensor. The optical panel changes position with the pressure exerted by the mail stack and provides signals to the controller to adjust the conveyor speed. An optical sensor may detect a far threshold position or limit distance to increase the speed of the conveyor and may detect a near threshold position of limit distance to reduce the speed of the conveyor. The optical panel may have a low friction surface to allow the mail to slide into the conveyor and an optical surface to allow reliable optical sensor detection of the optical panel position.

Claims

1. A mail singulator system comprising:

a) a loading conveyor configured to advance a mail stack comprising a plurality of mailpieces having a front mailpiece;

b) a controller;

c) an optical panel apparatus comprising;

i) an optical panel;

ii) a mail contact surface;

iii) a planar optical surface that is a fixed color and sheen to allow reliable position determination by an optical sensor; and

iv) a position adjustment feature that adjusts an amount of force required to change a gap distance between the optical panel and said optical sensor;

said force exerted on the optical panel by a front mailpiece;

wherein the optical panel is a flexible sheet of material;

d) said optical sensor that determines a position of the optical panel with respect to the optical sensor;

wherein the optical panel is configured between the front mailpiece and the optical sensor;

wherein the controller changes a loading conveyor speed based on the position of the optical panel.

2. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein when the optical panel moves beyond a far threshold position from the optical sensor the controller increases the loading conveyor speed.

3. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein when the optical panel moves within a near threshold position from the optical sensor the controller reduces the loading conveyor speed.

4. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor detects a gap distance to the optical panel and wherein the controller increases the speed of the loading conveyor when the gap distance exceeds a far threshold limit.

5. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor detects a gap distance to the optical panel and wherein the controller decreases the speed of the loading conveyor when the gap distance is below a near threshold limit.

6. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor detects a gap distance to the optical panel and wherein the controller stops the loading conveyor when the gap distance is below a near threshold limit.

7. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the optical panel is a flexible material that flexes to change the gap distance.

8. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the optical panel is a sheet of plastic.

9. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the position adjustment feature comprises a spring.

10. The mail singulator system of claim 9, wherein the spring has a length axis extending substantially perpendicularly from the optical panel surface.

11. The mail singulator system of claim 9, wherein the spring of the optical panel apparatus is a torsional spring and the optical panel pivots about said torsional spring to keep the optical pane in contact with the front mailpiece.

12. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the optical panel extends over only a portion of the front mailpiece.

13. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the mail contact surface of the optical panel is a low friction material, having a coefficient of friction of no more than 0.3 with respect to contact with paper.

14. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the optical surface of the optical panel is a non-reflective material.

15. The mail singulator system of claim 1, wherein the singulator comprises a belt to advance the front mailpiece from the mail stack.

16. The mail singulator system of claim 15, wherein the belt of the singulator is configured substantially perpendicular to the loading conveyor.

17. A method of controlling a mail singulator system comprising the steps of:

a) providing a mail singulator system comprising;

i) a loading conveyor configured to advance a mail stack comprising a plurality of mailpieces having a front mailpiece;

ii) a controller;

iii) an optical panel apparatus comprising;

1) an optical panel;

2) a mail contact surface;

3) a planar optical surface that is a fixed color and sheen to allow reliable position determination by an optical sensor; and

4) a position adjustment feature that adjusts an amount of force required to change a gap distance between the optical panel and said optical sensor;

said force exerted on the optical panel by a front mailpiece;

iv) said optical sensor that determines a position of the optical panel with respect to the optical sensor;

wherein the optical panel is configured between the front mailpiece and the optical sensor; and

wherein the optical panel is a flexible sheet of material;

b) advancing said loading conveyor with said mail stack to advance a front mailpiece toward the optical panel;

c) automatically changing with the controller the loading conveyor speed based on the position of the optical panel.

18. The method of controlling a mail singulator system of claim 17, wherein when the optical panel moves beyond a far threshold position from the optical sensor the controller increases the loading conveyor speed.

19. The method of controlling a mail singulator system of claim 17, wherein when the optical panel moves within a near threshold position from the optical sensor the controller reduces the loading conveyor speed.