Abstract:
Presently disclosed embodiments are directed to a process and mechanism for reducing human error and manual labor used to sweep pockets on a mail sorting machine. Specifically, the disclosed embodiments utilize a sliding drawer holding a receiving container that can mate in a flush arrangement with an output pocket of a mail sorting machine. Thus, sweeping of mail product from the output pocket to the receiving container can be accomplished in one motion that empties the entire output pocket into the receiving container. This sweeping may be performed by an operator without any errors caused by sweeping to an incorrect receiving container or issues caused by dropping sorted mail product and picking it back up in a different order.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/020,112, entitled “A Method and Mechanism to Automate Mail Sweeping,” filed Jul. 2, 2014, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to mail handling and processing systems for mail and related articles and, more particularly, to systems and methods for transporting articles of mail from sortation output pockets into a receiving container designed for the purpose of moving items to a feed mechanism or to dispatch and shipping. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Mail received at a post office or other location is sorted or otherwise processed so that it can be directed to a desired location. To accomplish this function, sortation machines with output pockets are used to sort various mail product. Typically, the product that arrives in the output pockets of a sortation machine is removed manually and placed in movable containers, trays, or other containing devices so that it can be moved through additional sortation processes or dispatched to arrive at its intended destination. As an example, letters sorted on a Delivery Bar Code Sorter (DBCS) arrive in letter trays. An operator manually moves the letters from the trays onto a feeder load ledge to begin the sort process. Once sorted to the sorter pockets of the DBCS, an operator removes the letters from the output pockets, a handful at a time, and places them in a labeled letter tray so they can be transported to the next processing step. In addition to being manually intensive, this process is prone to operator error. For example, an operator may accidently drop a handful of mail or place the mail in the wrong tray, thereby losing an intended order of the mail or sending it to the wrong location. A portable bridge is sometimes used to bridge the distance between individual output pockets and corresponding trays, but this type of bridge is cumbersome and takes time to transport from one set of output pockets/trays to another. 
         [0004]    Therefore, it is now recognized that a need exists for an efficient and simple to operate mechanism that would eliminate the errors that naturally occur through operators manually removing items from sorter output pockets and placing those items in containing devices for processing or delivery. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In accordance with the above, presently disclosed embodiments are directed to a set of moveable drawers that map one to one with the output pockets of a sorter, thereby reducing or eliminating the possibility of an operator placing the contents of the output pocket into an incorrect receiving container. These drawers, when extended, come into close proximity with a floor of the sorter pocket so that no gap (or only a very small gap) is present between the output pocket and drawer. The receiving container resides in the drawer and is positioned to receive the contents of the output pocket when the drawer is extended to the open position. From this position, the entire contents of the output pocket may be moved into the receiving container with one physical movement of sliding the contents from the pocket to the container. Thus, an operator does not have to physically pick up the items a handful at a time. This operation may be performed when the sorter output pocket is full as indicated by the sorter, thus reducing the number of times the operator has to perform the sweeping operation. Once the receiving container is filled, the drawer may be slid into the closed position and the operator may depress a “container full” button. This may prompt the system to move the full receiving container to a different location and deposit an empty receiving container into the corresponding drawer so that the process can be repeated. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic top view of a mail sortation and transportation system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a schematic top view of a drawer holding a receiving container, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of the drawer holding the receiving container of  FIG. 2 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a receiving container that may be held in the drawer of  FIG. 2 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a schematic side view of a series of drawers and a corresponding section of a Delivery Bar Code Sorter (DBCS), with the drawers in a closed position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a schematic side view of an operator placing mail from the DBCS of  FIG. 5  into an open drawer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a schematic side view of the open drawer mapping to a corresponding output pocket of the DBCS of  FIG. 6 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a schematic side view of an open drawer that is angled to allow sweeping of mail from a DBCS to the receiving container of  FIG. 4 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0014]      FIGS. 9A-9C  are schematic views of a drawer that can be angled to allow sweeping of mail from a sorter to the receiving container of  FIG. 4 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Turning now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a mail sortation and transportation system  10  used to sort mail product and deliver the product to a desired destination. As shown, the mail sortation and transportation system  10  may include a sorter  12 , a drawer system  14 , a tray storage and movement system  16 , and a tray to feeder path  18 . The illustrated drawer system  14  is oriented substantially parallel to the sorter  12 , and between the sorter  12  and the drawer system  14  is an aisle space  20  wide enough to accommodate a human operator. 
         [0016]    The sorter  12  may be a Delivery Bar Code Sorter (DBCS) in some embodiments. The sorter  12  may receive mail product and sort the mail according to bar codes that indicate where the mail should be delivered. The sorter  12  then stores the sorted mail in output pockets. These output pockets may be arranged in columns and/or rows to form a wall  22  of output pockets adjacent the aisle space  20 . 
         [0017]    The drawer system  14  includes rows and columns of drawers  24  that are mounted in a storage rack. These drawers  24  may each hold a receiving container used to collect sorted mail. The drawers  24  are designed to be extended from the drawer system  14  toward the sorter output pockets. Each drawer  24  is located across the aisle space  20  from a corresponding one of the output pockets. As illustrated, one or more of the drawers  24  may be extended from the drawer system  14  into close proximity with a corresponding sorter output pocket. In some embodiments, the drawer  24  may be extended into a flush engagement with the output pocket, while in other embodiments the drawer  24  may be extended to a position leaving a gap between the drawer  24  and the output pocket of the sorter  12  but positioned such that mail can be swept from the output pocket to the drawer  24 . From this position, an operator can easily transfer mail product from the output pocket to the correct receiving container, as described in detail below. 
         [0018]    It should be noted that the disclosed drawer system  14  may be configurable for use with a variety of different types of sorters  12 . For example, the drawer system  14  may be configured for use with a sorter  12  that has  48 ,  206 , or any other desirable number of output pockets. The sorter  12  may include these output pockets assembled in one, two, three, four, five, six, or more tiers stacked one over the other, depending on the height of the individual pockets and the height an operator is expected to reach to perform a sweeping operation. The drawer system  14  may be designed to match the configuration of the sorter  12  with which the drawer system  14  will be used, having the same number and configuration of drawers  24  as the sorter has output pockets. In other embodiments, the drawer system  14  may be adjustable to match the particular sorter configuration by adding or subtracting modules  26  of the drawer system. 
         [0019]    In general, the output pockets of a given sorter  12  are standardized, so that they are approximately the same size and shape for uniform mail collection and sweeping. Similarly, the drawer system  14  may include standardized sizes of drawers  24  that match the corresponding output pockets. In other embodiments, the drawer system  14  may include drawers  24  that are configurable to match any desirable size of sorter output pockets. 
         [0020]    The tray storage and movement system  16  is disposed adjacent the drawer system  14  and may be used to store receiving containers. For example, the tray storage and movement system  16  may include racks upon which to store receiving containers that have been filled with mail product from the drawer system  14  or empty receiving containers to be provided to the drawer system  14 . 
         [0021]    The tray storage and movement system  16  may include a storage rack having more slots for holding receiving containers than the number of drawers  24  in the drawer system  14 , thus enabling the tray storage and movement system  16  to store the filled or empty receiving containers away from the drawers  24 . 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, the receiving containers may be transported between the tray storage and movement system  16  and the drawer system  14  manually by an operator. In other embodiments, however, the tray storage and movement system  16  may be designed to automatically move a filled receiving container from a given drawer  24  and to replace it with an empty receiving container. To that end, the tray storage and movement system  16  may utilize roller conveyors, elevators, robots, and other types of automated transportation devices. The tray storage and movement system  16  may be fully automated to read tagged receiving containers and to use that information to present filled receiving containers in a desired order for a second pass through the sorter  12  or for dispatch. 
         [0023]    The tray to feeder path  18  is a conveyor that moves receiving containers filled with mail product to an upstream location (e.g., feeder)  28  of the sorter  12 . From this upstream location  28  of the sorter  12 , the mail product is sorted into the output pockets of the sorter  12 . The tray to feeder path  18  may provide receiving containers holding new unsorted mail to the sorter. In some embodiments, the tray to feeder path  18  may also provide receiving containers holding mail that has already been sorted by the sorter  12  and subsequently swept into the drawer system  14  and tray storage and movement system  16 . In this case, the tray to feeder path  18  may be controlled to transport the sorted mail back to the upstream location  28  of the sorter  12  so that the sorter  12  can perform a second pass on sorting the mail product, or to transport the sorted mail to a dispatch location. As illustrated, the tray to feeder path  18  may be elevated above the drawer system  14  so that the tray storage and movement system  16  is able to automatically move filled receiving containers of mail from the drawer system  14  onto the tray to feeder path  18 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a more detailed view of the drawer  24  holding a receiving container  50 . The drawer  24  may include a slide mechanism  52  for moving the drawer  24  in and out of the drawer system. The extension of the drawer  24  on such slide mechanisms  52  allows the drawer  24  to be manually extended across the aisle and into contact or close proximity with a corresponding output pocket of the sorter such that mail can be swept into the container  50  in the drawer  24 . 
         [0025]    The rack of the drawer system may include a pair of rails or other feature upon which the slide mechanisms  52  of the drawer  24  can slide as the drawer  24  is opened and closed. 
         [0026]    As illustrated, the drawer  24  may hold the receiving container  50  designed to receive and hold mail product that comes off the sorter. Specifically, the receiving container  50  is disposed in the drawer  24  so that mail product exiting the corresponding sorter output pocket can be placed into the receiving container  50  for easy transportation to a particular destination. The drawers  24  are part of the drawer system, but the receiving containers  50  can be placed into and removed from the drawers  24  as desired. Thus, the drawer  24  facilitates a movement of the sorted mail product from the output pocket to the receiving container  50  without the drawer  24  being permanently affixed to the output pocket or to the receiving container  50 . 
         [0027]    To facilitate placement and removal of the receiving containers  50 , the drawers  24  may be equipped with rollers  54 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 . This allows the receiving container  50  to be rolled into and out of the drawer  24  from a back side  56  (not facing the sorter) of the drawer  24 , as illustrated by arrows in  FIG. 6 . This access allows other automated or manual operations to either insert or remove a receiving container  50  through the back side  56  of the drawer  24 . It should be noted that, when the drawer  24  is in an open position, the same access may be allowed from the front of the drawer system so that receiving containers  50  can be inserted or removed from the drawer  24 . 
         [0028]    The drawer system may be adapted for use with different types of receiving containers  50 . For example, the drawers  24  are designed to hold standardized receiving containers  50  that are currently in use with various postal services. In addition, the drawer system may be used with new types of receiving containers  50 , such as the automated bin  70  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The automated bin  70  is a receiving container  50  sized similar to the receiving containers  50  of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , but having an adjustable floor portion  72  that may be selectively actuated from a flat horizontal plane to a tilted plane. When in the tilted position (as shown), the adjustable floor  72  may more easily accommodate the mail product being swept into the receiving container  50 . In some embodiments, the receiving container  50  may be designed to interact with the drawer such that the drawer opening triggers the adjustable floor  72  of the receiving container  50  to tilt upward by a certain degree. Subsequently, as the drawer is closed the trigger may be automatically released to lower the floor  72  back to a plane that is horizontal with respect to the drawer. 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of the sorter  12  (e.g., DBCS) and the drawer system  14  with all the drawers  24  in the closed position. Again, the sorter  12  and drawer system  14  are arranged on either side of an aisle space  20  wide enough to accommodate a person between the drawer system  14  and the sorter  12 . The drawers  24  are arranged such that there is a one to one mapping across the aisle  20  with the corresponding output pockets  90  of the sorter  12 . This enables a more accurate and efficient sweeping operation than would be available using a portable bridge placed between one set of pockets/receiving containers at a time. 
         [0030]    As illustrated, certain rows  92  of the output pockets  90 , such as the upper one or two rows, may be tilted relative to a horizontal plane. This may enable an operator to more easily reach and sweep the main product from these output pockets  90  into the corresponding drawer  24 . At times, an operator may use a stepping stool  94  to reach these upper output pockets  92  of the sorter  12 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  illustrates an operator  110  using the drawer system  14  of  FIG. 5  to sweep sorted mail  112  from one of the sorter output pockets  90  to the appropriate receiving container  50  in an extended drawer  24 . The drawer  24  may be opened manually by the operator  110  or automatically by the drawer system  14  in response to the operator  110  pressing a button. When the drawer  24  is opened, as shown, a leading edge of a handle  114  of the drawer  24  may come into direct contact with a lower edge  116  of the output pocket  90 . In some embodiments, the drawer  24  may be extended into close proximity with the output pocket  90  such that the mail cannot fall through a gap between the output pocket  90  and the extended drawer  24  when the mail is swept from one to the other. To that end, the drawer  24  may be extended such that any gap between the extended drawer  24  and the output pocket  90  is less than approximately one inch. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the handle  114  of the drawer  24  may be customized for each application to allow for a smooth transition from the edge of the output pocket  90  to the receiving container  50  being used. For example, the drawer  24  may feature a customizable handle  114  with an edge that can be brought into alignment with the output pocket  90 , as shown, while also interfacing with the receiving container  50 . In other embodiments, the receiving container  50  may feature an edge designed to extend out over the handle  114  of the drawer  24  to interface more directly with the corresponding output pocket  90 . The receiving container  50  may be held in place by the drawer  24  to provide a smooth transition of the mail. Once in this position, the contents of the output pocket  90  can be easily slid down or over into the receiving container  50 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the smooth transition between the receiving container  50  and the output pocket  90  allows the operator  110  to sweep the mail from an entirely filled output pocket  90  into the receiving container  50  using a single sweeping motion. The operator  110  may utilize one or more paddles  118  to sweep the mail from the output pocket  90  into the appropriate receiving container  50 . Additional paddles  118  may be used to shield the sorter  12  from feeding additional sorted mail into the output pocket  90  during the sweeping operation. 
         [0033]    Upon completion of the sweeping operation, the drawer  24  is pushed back into its closed position. The operator  110  may then push a “full container” button  120  next to the particular drawer  24 , in order to alert the rest of the mail sortation and transportation system  10  that a full receiving container  50  is available. In response to receiving the “full container” indication, the tray storage and movement system may remove the full receiving container  50  from the back  56  of the drawer  24 , transport the full receiving container  50  to another location for storage or further processing, and place an empty receiving container  50  into the drawer  24  so the process can be repeated. As noted above, these tasks of removing and replacing the receiving container  50  may be automated or performed manually by an operator. 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  illustrates another embodiment of the drawer system  14  that may be used in conjunction with the sorter  12 . In this embodiment, the drawers  24  each map one to one with a corresponding output pocket  90 . However, one or more of the drawers  24  may extend outward from the rack at an angle  130  relative to the horizontal plane  132 , in order to bring the receiving containers  50  (bin  70 ) described above in reference to  FIG. 4  toward the corresponding output pocket  90 . As noted above, these receiving container bins  70  may include a floor  72  that tilts in response to the drawer  24  being extended out from the drawer system  14 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 8 , the two tilted drawers  24  may be angled such that the tilted floor  72  of each of the receiving containers  50  comes into alignment with the corresponding output pocket  90  when the drawers  24  are extended outward. This may enable a relatively smooth transition of mail from the output pocket  90  to the elevated floor  72  of the receiving container bin  70  during sweeping operations. 
         [0035]    Although  FIG. 8  illustrates one method for presenting the receiving container bin  70  of  FIG. 4  in alignment with the corresponding output pocket  90 , other techniques may be used. For example, it may be desirable that the drawers  24 , when in the closed position, be level with a horizontal plane  132  so that the receiving container  50  disposed thereon remains level. This enables relatively easy extraction of the receiving container  50  from the drawer  24  and may prevent the mail from sliding around in the receiving container  50  when the receiving container  50  is not full. In addition, keeping the drawer  24  level and square with the enclosing rack (i.e., drawer system  14 ) when in the closed position allows efficient stacking of drawers  24  in racks or arrays. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 9A-9C  illustrate an embodiment of a drawer that can remain level with respect to a horizontal plane when in the closed position and is able to accommodate the receiving container bin having an adjustable floor as described above. The illustrated drawer  24  is able to drop down, when opened, with a mechanism to allow the adjustable floor of the receiving bin to be brought substantially into alignment with the output pocket to allow efficient sweeping of the mail from the output pocket to the receiving bin. 
         [0037]      FIG. 9A  illustrates the drawer  24  in a closed position. As mentioned above, in this position the drawer  24  when closed is level and square to the retaining rack. As illustrated in  FIGS. 9B and 9C , the drawer  24  may include a stationary floor portion  150  that remains level and square to the retaining rack regardless of whether the drawer  24  is open or closed. In addition, the drawer  24  may include a moveable portion  152  that can drop down relative to the stationary floor portion  150 . This moveable portion  152  of the drawer  24  may be positioned underneath the sides of the receiving bin disposed in the drawer  24 . The stationary portion  150  of the drawer  24  is disposed beneath the adjustable floor (e.g.,  72  of  FIG. 4 ) of the receiving bin (e.g.,  70  of  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0038]    When the drawer  24  is opened, as illustrated in  FIG. 9B , the stationary floor  150  remains level even as it moves in and out of the rack along with the rest of the drawer  24 . However, the moveable portion  152  of the drawer  24  can drop down until it reaches a limit of a built in stop  154 . In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the moveable portion  152  rotates about a hinge  156  until it touches a stop mechanism  154  configured to stop the moveable portion  152  at a desired position. As the moveable portion  152  drops, the side walls of the receiving bin may drop as well. This allows the stationary floor  150  of the drawer  24  to effectively push up the internal adjustable floor of the receiving bin by letting down the side walls of the receiving container. In this manner, the drawer illustrated in  FIGS. 9A-9C  may bring the adjustable floor  72  of the receiving bin  70  of  FIG. 4  to a position proximate and level with the corresponding output pocket  90  while maintaining the drawer  24  in a horizontally level position when closed.