Method for sorting mailpieces

• US 6,283,304 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Mangiameli, Cindy, Mallozzi, Joseph D., Gottlieb, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan N.
• Application Number:
  US09/396,835
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 270/58.09, 270/58.11, 270/58.14, 209/603, 209/900, 700/219, 700/220, 700/223, 700/224, 700/226, 700/227
• US Class Current: 209/603
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/008 Means for collecting objects, e.g. containers for sorted mail items pile receivers in general B65H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method of sorting mailpieces which requires less stopping of the sorting process for bin emptying. The present invention is directed to a mailpiece sorting method which indicates when a bin is partially full to the level of a partially full sensor so that an operator can empty that bin. Additionally, a bin-full calculation is performed for determining if redirection of the mailpieces to an alternate bin is necessary should the operator not empty the bin as directed. If a bin is partially full to the level of the sensor, the process performs an addition of thicknesses of all of the mailpieces which are in the mailpiece delivery system, but not yet delivered to the bin to determine whether those mailpieces would fill the bin. If the bin would be full, it is determined whether an alternate bin is available and, if so, the mailpieces are routed to the alternate bin. If an alternate bin is not available, the sorting system is shut down and the full bin(s) is(are) emptied.

Claims

1. A method of sorting mailpieces comprising the steps of:

a) delivering mailpieces to a plurality of bins;

b) determining that an individual bin from step (a) is partially full of mailpieces to a predetermined amount;

c) determining the individual thicknesses of the mailpieces assigned to the individual bin but not yet delivered to the predetermined partially full bin;

d) adding the individual thicknesses of the mailpieces assigned to the individual bin but not yet delivered to the predetermined partially full bin amount to obtain a calculated fullness amount;

e) continuing delivering the mailpieces to the bin if the calculated fullness amount is less than a predetermined bin-full amount; and

f) delivering the mailpieces to an alternate bin if the calculated fullness amount is greater than the predetermined bin-full amount.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein in step (d) an arithmetic calculation is performed to compensate for reduction in thicknesses of the mailpieces caused by processing.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the predetermined partially full amount is about 60 percent of the bin height.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the predetermined bin-full amount is about 100 percent of the bin height.

5. A method of sorting mailpieces comprising the steps of:

a) delivering mailpieces to a plurality of bins;

b) determining that an individual bin is partially full of mailpieces to a predetermined bin amount;

c) determining the remaining capacity of the bin;

d) determining the individual thicknesses of the mailpieces assigned to the individual bin but not yet delivered to the predetermined partially full bin;

e) calculating the total thickness of the individual mailpieces assigned to the bin but not yet delivered to determine if the thickness is equal to the remaining capacity of the bin;

f) continuing delivering the mailpieces to the bin if the calculated value is less than a remaining capacity of the bin; and

g) delivering the mailpieces to an alternate bin if the calculated value if greater than the remaining capacity of the bin.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the step of calculating to compensate for reduction in thicknesses of the mailpieces caused by processing.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the predetermined amount for partially full bin is about 60 percent of the bin height.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the remaining capacity of the bin is about 40 percent of the bin height.

9. A method of sorting mailpieces comprising the steps of:

a) measuring the thickness of a first mailpiece to be sorted;

b) storing the thickness of the first mailpiece in a first memory device;

c) delivering the first mailpiece into a bin;

d) storing the thickness of the first mailpiece in a second memory device;

e) removing the thickness of the first mailpiece from the first memory device;

f) sensing whether the bin is partially full;

g) measuring the thickness of a second mailpiece to be sorted;

h) determining that the second mailpiece should be delivered to the bin;

i) storing the thickness of the second mailpiece in the first memory device;

j) adding the thickness of the second mailpiece to a partially full bin value to obtain a calculated bin-full value when it is sensed that the bin is partially full; and

k) determining whether the calculated bin-full value would fill the bin.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

l) routing the second mailpiece to an alternate bin if in step (k) it is determined that the bin would not be full if the second mailpiece were delivered to the bin.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

l) routing the second mailpiece to the bin if in step (k) it is determined that the bin would not be full if the second mailpiece were delivered to the bin.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein in step (j) an arithmetic calculation is performed to compensate for reduction in thicknesses of the mailpieces caused by processing.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the partially full bin value is about 60 percent of the bin height.

14. The method claimed in claim 9 wherein the bin-full value is about 100 percent of the bin height.