MAIL PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH INCREASED PROCESSING SPEED

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.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0012] FIGS. 1 and 2 show top views of a standard singulator system.

[0013] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an exemplary mail singulator system having an optical sensor behind the optical panel.

[0014] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an exemplary mail singulator system having a mail stack pressing against the mail contact surface of the optical panel.

[0015] FIG. 5 shows a top view of an exemplary mail singulator system having an optical sensor behind the optical panel and the front mailpiece pressing on the optical panel,

[0016] FIG. 6 shows a top view of an exemplary mail singulator system having a gap distance from the optical sensor to the optical surface of the optical panel and wherein the gap distance is above an upper threshold limit.

[0017] FIG. 7 shows a top view of an exemplary mail singulator system having a gap distance from the optical sensor to the optical surface of the optical panel and wherein the gap distance is below a lower threshold limit,

[0018] FIG. 8 shows back view of an optical panel apparatus and a front mailpiece pressing against the optical panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the figures. The figures represent an illustration of some of the embodiments of the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. Further, the figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

[0020] As used herein, the terms comprises, comprising, includes, including, has, having or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Also, use of a or an are employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

[0021] In cases where the present specification and a document incorporated by reference include conflicting and/or inconsistent disclosure, the present specification shall control.

[0022] Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein and are illustrated in the accompanying figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention, and certain modifications, combinations and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such alternate embodiments, combinations, modifications and improvements are within the scope of the present invention,

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a standard singulator system has a loading conveyor 20 that advances a mail stack 21 comprising a plurality of mailpieces 22 toward a singulator 30. The mail in FIG. 1 is stacked 24 and overlapped 23 on the singulator due to the high pressure from the loading conveyor. As shown in FIG. 2, there is a gap between the front mailpiece 26 and the singulator due to the low speed of the loading conveyor. This will result in gaps in the mailpieces being fed along the singulator and will reduce system speed and efficiency.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an exemplary mail singulator system 10 has an optical sensor 40 behind an optical panel 50. The loading conveyor 20 advances mail towards the optical panel to be drawn away by the singulator 30. The singulator advances the mailpieces in a substantially perpendicular direction, such as within about 15 degrees, from the advancing direction of the loading conveyor, as shown by the bold arrows in FIG. 3. The mail contact surface 56 of the optical panel may be a low friction surface, as described herein, to allow the front mailpiece 26 to be easily drawn from the mail stack 21 by the singulator 30. The optical panel is a planar piece having a planar mail contact surface 56 and a planar optical surface. The optical panel has a fixed end 55 that is outside of the mail stack contact with the optical panel and an extended end 57 that extends in front of the mail stack. The mail stack presses on the optical panel to cause it to deflect or pivot from the fixed end. An optical panel 50 may pivot about a panel pivot 54. In an exemplary embodiment, a position adjustment feature 53 enables a user to change a deflection resistance of the optical panel. In an exemplary embodiment, when the optical panel 50 moves beyond a far threshold position, the controller 60 increases the speed of the loading conveyor which advances the mail stack. In an exemplary embodiment, when the optical panel 50 moves within a near threshold position, the controller 60 reduces the speed of the loading conveyor to prevent stacking and overlapping of mailpieces in the singulator. In an exemplary embodiment, the optical sensor measures a gap distance to optical surface of the optical panel, and if this gap distance is below a near threshold limit, the controller 60 will slow down or stop the loading conveyor 20 to prevent stacking and overlapping of mail in the singulator. In an exemplary embodiment, if the gap distance measured by the optical sensor to the optical surface of the optical panel is above a far threshold limit, the controller 60 will advance or increase the speed of the loading conveyor 20 to prevent low processing speeds,

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, an exemplary mail singulator system 10 has an optical sensor 40 behind the optical panel 50 and the front mailpiece is pressing on the optical panel to change a position of the optical panel. The optical sensor determines a position of the optical panel and may measure a gap distance 42 between the optical sensor and the optical panel, in an exemplary embodiment, the controller adjusts the speed of the loading conveyor 20 to provide a steady stream of mail in the singulator without stacking or overlapping of the mail,

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6, the optical panel is beyond a far threshold position as determined by the gap distance 44 to the optical panel. The optical sensor may send a signal to the controller 60 and the controller may in turn increase the speed of the loading conveyor to advance the mail stack 21 and reduce the gap distance 44. In an exemplary embodiment, the optical sensor measures the gap distance 44 and provides a signal to the controller of the gap distance and/or when the gap distance is greater than a far threshold limit or within a near threshold limit. The mail singulator system 10 may be configured to automatically adjust the speed of the loading conveyor to keep the gap distance within these far and near threshold limits. As shown in FIG. 6, the gap distance 44 from the optical sensor 40 to the optical surface 58 of the optical panel 50 is above an upper threshold limit and the controller 60 is changing the speed of the loading conveyor 20 to advance the front mailpiece 26 toward the singulator 30. The mail gap distance 42, or the distance from the front mailpiece to the singulator, is too large and mail may stop being drawn out by the singulator if the speed of the loading conveyor is not increased. A spring 52 is shown as being coupled to the optical panel to adjust the force required to deflect the optical panel. A position adjustment feature 53 may be an adjustment of the position of the spring 52, wherein the spring may be pressed closer to the optical panel, thereby pre-com pressing the spring and requiring a higher load to deflect the spring further. The optical panel 50 pivots about panel pivot 54. An optical panel may be a flexible and resilient material, such as a plastic panel or sheet and may simply have a fixed end to allow the extended end to flex and deflect from the pressure of the mail stack.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 7, an exemplary mail singulator system 10 has a gap distance 44 from the optical sensor 40 to the optical surface 58 of the optical panel 50. The optical panel is within a near threshold position, or the gap distance is below a near threshold limit, and the optical sensor 40 sends a signal to the controller 60 and the controller reduces the speed of the loading conveyor 20, or temporarily stops the conveyor to prevent stacked and overlapping mailpieces in the singulator due to high pressure from the mail stack 21.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 8, an optical panel apparatus 15 comprises an optical panel 50 and an optical sensor 40 to determine a position of the optical panel. The position of the optical panel changes due to the pressure of the mail stack and front mailpiece 28 pressing against the optical panel. The optical sensor 40 is measuring the gap distance to the optical surface 58 of the optical panel. The optical panel pivots about panel pivot 54. The position adjustment feature 53 comprises a torsional spring 51 that controls the resistance of the optical panel to pivot about the pivot.

[0029] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Specific embodiments, features and elements described herein may be modified, and/or combined in any suitable manner. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications, combinations and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.