System for sorting commercial articles and method therefor

• US 6,680,452 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chiyuki Takizawa
• Original Assignee: At
• Inventors: Takizawa, Chiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, JOSEPH C
• Application Number:
  US10/145,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20020134711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 209/583, 209/584, 209/933, 209/592, 209/645, 209/546, 209/656, 198/370.01, 198/370.02
• US Class Current: 209/583
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/04 Indication location means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/5104 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/933 Accumulation receiving separated items

Abstract

An article sorting system is provided. The system comprises a plurality of inflow lines to convey trays each containing articles to be sorted, a first conveyor to convey the trays introduced from the plurality of inflow lines, a plurality of second conveyors branching off from the first conveyor, a plurality of sorting racks each placed opposite to the second conveyer, each sorting rack having a plurality of slots leading to containers into which articles are placed from the trays according to sorting categories by sorters, a plurality of first delivery conveyors each placed opposite to the sorting rack, each first delivery conveyor conveying the containers pushed thereon from the sorting rack, and a second delivery conveyor to convey the containers from the plurality of first delivery conveyors to a shipment area.

Claims

1. An article sorting system comprising:

a plurality of inflow lines to convey trays each containing articles to be sorted;

a first conveyor to convey the trays introduced from the plurality of inflow lines;

a plurality of second conveyors branching off from the first conveyor;

a plurality of sorting racks each placed opposite to the second conveyor, each sorting rack having a plurality of slots leading to containers into which articles are placed from the trays according to sorting categories by sorters;

a plurality of first delivery conveyors each placed opposite to the sorting rack, each first delivery conveyor conveying the containers pushed thereon from the sorting rack;

a second delivery conveyor to convey the containers from the plurality of first delivery conveyors to a shipment area;

a reading means to read identification information of a tray conveyed by the first conveyor;

a sorter to guide a tray conveyed through the first conveyor to one of the plurality of second conveyors;

a memory means to store an article information table connecting the identification information of a tray with information of the articles contained in that tray, and an arrangement pattern of the slots of each of the plurality of sorting racks; and

control means to determine an appropriate second conveyor for a tray and control the sorter to guide the tray to the second conveyor, after having referred to the identification information of the tray read by the reading means, and the article information table and the arrangement patterns of the slots stored in the memory means;

wherein the sorting rack comprises a plurality of blocks each assigned to each of the sorters; and

an arrangement pattern of the slots of respective blocks are determined based on inflow information regarding the kinds and numbers of articles scheduled to inflow provided in advance such that sorting work at each of the blocks will be averaged.

2. An article sorting system as described in claim 1 wherein a part of the plurality of second conveyors, sorting racks and first sorting conveyors will serve as a back-up line to support the sorting work.

3. An article sorting system as described in claim 2 wherein the control means monitors the number of trays still containing articles in active second conveyors, and whenever the control means finds the number of such trays exceeds a specified number at a certain active second conveyor, the control means controls the sorter to guide trays otherwise directed to the active second conveyor to the back-up line.

4. An article sorting system as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a display means provided to each site of the plurality of inflow lines;

wherein the control means monitors the kind and number of articles for which sorting has been completed based on sorting end information, and instructs the display means to display the kind and number of the articles for which sorting has been completed.

5. An article sorting system as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a third conveyor provided separately from the first and second conveyors such that empty containers are introduced therethrough to the sorting rack; and

a display means provided to the site of the third conveyor at which the third conveyor receives empty containers;

wherein the control means monitors the number of empty containers placed in the sorting rack, and instructs the display means to display addresses to receive empty containers, and the number of empty containers to be supplied.

6. An article sorting system as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a buffer line inserted between the plurality of inflow lines and the first conveyor so that the buffer line serves as a place to temporarily store trays;

wherein the entry of trays from the buffer line to the first conveyor is controlled so that sorting at the second conveyors proceeds without interruption.

7. An article sorting system comprising:

a first conveyor to convey trays each containing articles to be sorted;

a plurality of sorting lines each containing a second conveyor branching off from the first conveyor, and a sorting rack having a plurality of slots leading to containers into which articles are placed according to sorting categories and placed opposite to the second conveyor;

a sorter to guide a tray conveyed through the first conveyor to one of the plurality of sorting lines;

a reading means to read identification information of a tray conveyed by the first conveyor;

a memory means to store an article information table connecting the identification information of a tray with information of the articles contained in that tray, and an arrangement pattern of the slots of each of the plurality of sorting lines;

a sorter control means to determine an appropriate sorting line for a tray and control the sorter to guide the tray to the sorting line, after having referred to the identification information of the tray read by the reading means, and the article information table and the arrangement patterns of slots stored in the memory means;

a weight measuring means to measure the weight of a tray conveyed by the first conveyor; and

an entry detection means provided to each of the plurality of slots to detect the entry of an article through each slot into a container wherein the control means determines by calculation the weight of a unit article contained in a tray based on the weight of the tray determined by weight measuring means;

determines by calculation the weight of articles placed in the slots of a sorting rack based on the weight of a unit article and the detection result of the entry detection means; and

when the control means finds the weight of articles reaches a specified value, the control means determines that the containers are completely filled with articles thrown through the slots; and

wherein the sorting rack comprises a plurality of blocks each assigned to the sorter; and

the arrangement pattern of the slots of respective blocks are determined based on inflow information regarding the kinds and numbers of articles scheduled to inflow provided in advance such that sorting work at each of the blocks will be averaged.

8. An article sorting system as described in claim 7 wherein the memory means stores an article master table describing the information of articles to be sorted, and the control means writes the weight of an unit article into the article master table in conjunction with the information of the unit article.

9. An article sorting system comprising:

a plurality of inflow lines, said inflow lines introducing articles to be sorted to the sorting system;

a first conveyor, said first conveyor conveying articles introduced by said inflow lines;

a plurality of second conveyors, said second conveyors branching off from said first conveyor to a plurality of sorting racks;

a plurality of slots in each said sorting rack, each of said slots being receivable of articles;

human sorters, said human sorters transferring articles from said second conveyors to said slots;

a direction indicator associated with a group of said slots, said direction indicator being controlled by a control means, said direction indicator providing visual direction signals to said human sorters to indicate a general direction from said direction indicator to a particular slot of one of said slots an article is to be sorted to; and

entry indicators controlled by said control means, said entry indicators being associated with individual said slots, said entry indicators providing visual location signals, to said human sorters, to a particular said slot where a particular article is to be sorted to.

10. An article sorting system according to claim 9, further comprising:

identification labels on said articles; and

a sorting error detection means, said sorting error detection means detecting a mis-sorting of an article to an incorrect slot by optical reading of said identification label on a said article as said article is sorted to a said slot.

11. An article sorting system according to claim 10, further comprising:

an alarm, said alarm being activated when a sorting error is detected by said sorting error detection means.

12. An article sorting system according to claim 9, further comprising:

an identification label reading means situated to read identification labels affixed to said articles as said articles are introduced to the sorting system.

13. An article sorting system according to claim 9, further comprising:

pre-affixed identification labels, said pre-affixed identification labels being affixed to said articles prior to their entry to the sorting system; and

sorting system-affixed identification labels, said sorting system-affixed identification labels being affixed to articles after their entry to the sorting system, said sorting system-affixed identification labels being affixed to one or more of said articles if said articles are missing a pre-affixed identification label, require additional labeling or if said pre-affixed label of a said article is defective or damaged.

14. An article sorting system according to claim 9, further comprising:

inflow containers, said inflow containers each for grouping and holding one or more articles introduced to the sorting system; and

outflow containers, said outflow containers each for grouping and holding one or more articles after being sorted.

15. An article sorting system according to claim 14, further comprising:

an outflow distribution system for distributing said outflow containers to one or more outflow output locations where said articles are received from the sorting system.

16. An article sorting system according to claim 9, further comprising:

one or more slot number indicators associated with each said direction indicator, said slot indicators signaling a particular slot to which an article is to be sorted.

17. An article sorting system according to claim 9, wherein said entry indicator displays a quantity number of articles to be sorted to a particular said slot.