System and method for delivery point packaging
First Claim
1. A method of using a mail sorting machine to provide a transportable container containing mail that is arranged in delivery point order and separated by delivery point, wherein the mail sorting machine is capable of routing each piece of mail input therein to one of a plurality of temporary storage compartments, and wherein the transportable container includes a plurality of compartments, with each compartment of the transportable container being associated with only one of the plurality of temporary storage compartments, the method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of mail pieces, wherein each mail piece in said plurality of mail pieces is addressed to a delivery point on a mail carrier'"'"'s route;
associating, during a mail sorting process, each one of the plurality of temporary storage compartments with only one delivery point on the mail carrier'"'"'s route such that during the mail sorting process no two temporary storage compartments of the plurality are associated with the same delivery point;
for each mail piece in the plurality of mail pieces, determining the delivery point to which the mail piece is addressed and storing the mail piece in the temporary storage compartment associated with the determined delivery point; and
for each said temporary storage compartment, removing the mail pieces stored in said temporary storage compartment by transferring said mail pieces to the compartment of the transportable container with which said temporary storage compartment is associated.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The mail sorting systems and methods of the invention can be used to provide a mail carrier with a batch of mail that is arranged in delivery point order and separated by delivery point. Advantageously, the systems and methods employ an expandable, transportable container having a number of expandable compartments. Each expandable compartment holds the mail for a single delivery point.
27 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of using a mail sorting machine to provide a transportable container containing mail that is arranged in delivery point order and separated by delivery point, wherein the mail sorting machine is capable of routing each piece of mail input therein to one of a plurality of temporary storage compartments, and wherein the transportable container includes a plurality of compartments, with each compartment of the transportable container being associated with only one of the plurality of temporary storage compartments, the method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of mail pieces, wherein each mail piece in said plurality of mail pieces is addressed to a delivery point on a mail carrier'"'"'s route;
associating, during a mail sorting process, each one of the plurality of temporary storage compartments with only one delivery point on the mail carrier'"'"'s route such that during the mail sorting process no two temporary storage compartments of the plurality are associated with the same delivery point;
for each mail piece in the plurality of mail pieces, determining the delivery point to which the mail piece is addressed and storing the mail piece in the temporary storage compartment associated with the determined delivery point; and
for each said temporary storage compartment, removing the mail pieces stored in said temporary storage compartment by transferring said mail pieces to the compartment of the transportable container with which said temporary storage compartment is associated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for delivering mail, comprising:
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using a mail sorting machine to create N batches of mail, wherein each one of the N batches of mail needs to be delivered to a different delivery point, wherein N is greater than 1;
providing a temporary storage unit comprising N temporary storage compartments, wherein each one of the N batches of mail is temporarily stored in one of the N temporary storage compartments, and wherein no two of the N batches of mail are stored in the same temporary storage compartment;
providing a transportable container having N or more compartments;
for each batch of mail stored in one of said temporary storage compartments, automatically removing the batch of mail from the temporary storage compartment and placing the batch of mail into a compartment of the transportable container such that no two of the N batches of mail are placed into the same compartment of the transportable container; and
storing each of the N batches of mail in a temporary storage compartment prior to automatically placing the batches into the compartments of the transportable container, wherein no two of the N batches of mail are stored in the same temporary storage compartment;
providing the transportable container to a mail carrier, wherein the mail carrier carries the transportable container while delivering mail to delivery points on a mail route. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A mail sorting system, comprising:
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a mail sorter that sorts mail;
a plurality of temporary storage compartments, each of said plurality of temporary storage compartments being able to receive and store mail that has been sorted by the mail sorter; and
a transportable, expandable container, the transportable, expandable container comprising a plurality of expandable compartments, wherein each said expandable compartment is associated with one of the plurality of temporary storage compartments such that no two of said expandable compartments is associated with the same temporary storage compartment. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of using a mail sorting machine to provide a transportable container containing mail that is arranged in delivery point order and separated by delivery point, wherein the mail sorting machine is capable of routing each piece of mail input therein to one of a plurality of temporary storage compartments, and wherein the transportable container includes a plurality of compartments, with each compartment of the transportable container being associated with one of the plurality of temporary storage compartments, the method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of mail pieces, wherein each mail piece in said plurality of mail pieces is addressed to a delivery point on a mail carrier'"'"'s route;
associating each one of the plurality of temporary storage compartments with a delivery point on the mail carrier'"'"'s route such that no two temporary storage compartments of the plurality are associated with the same delivery point;
for each mail piece in the plurality of mail pieces, determining the delivery point to which the mail piece is addressed and storing the mail piece in the temporary storage compartment associated with the determined delivery point;
for each said temporary storage compartment, transferring the mail pieces stored in said temporary storage compartment to the compartment of the transportable container with which said temporary, storage compartment is associated; and
positioning the transportable container underneath the plurality of temporary storage compartments prior to transferring the mail from the temporary storage compartments to the transportable container. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A mail sorting system, comprising:
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a mail sorter that sorts mail;
a plurality of temporary storage compartments, each of said plurality of temporary storage compartments being able to receive and store mail that has been sorted by the mail sorter; and
a transportable, expandable container, the transportable, expandable container comprising a plurality of expandable compartments, wherein each said expandable compartment is associated with one of the plurality of temporary storage compartments such that no two of said expandable compartments is associated with the same temporary storage compartment, and an opening of each said expandable compartment is positioned underneath one of the temporary storage compartments. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification