Method of determining the dimensions of a mailpiece

A method of determining the dimensions of a mailpiece by means of a portable measuring device having a housing provided with an opening having a side reference surface along which the mailpiece is guided under a position sensor in a first pass along a first dimension of the mailpiece, after which pass a value for the first dimension of the mailpiece is determined by a processing unit and is communicated to a franking system to which the portable measuring device is connected, and in a second pass along a second dimension of the mailpiece, after which pass a value for the second dimension of the mailpiece is determined by the processing unit and is communicated to the franking system.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of mail handling and it relates more particularly to a method of determining the dimensions of a mailpiece that is to be franked in a franking system.

PRIOR ART

It is well known that determining the franking amount, i.e. the amount of postage, for a mailpiece depends on various parameters such as, in particular, the address of the recipient, the class of mail, the service requested, and the weight and the dimensions of the mailpiece. The address, class, and service can be input on the keyboard of the franking system, and the weight can be obtained using automatic scales that are internal or external to the franking system. The dimensions of the mailpiece are also often determined automatically at a feed module of the franking system.

Unfortunately, since such automatic determination is relatively costly and is therefore only justified for high franking volumes, it is unsuitable for bottom-of-range franking systems designed for performing in the range a few tens of franking operations to a few hundred franking operations per day, and in which the franking machine or “postage meter” is often fed in manual mode.

OBJECT AND DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is thus to remedy the above-mentioned drawbacks and to enable the dimensions of a mailpiece to be determined simply. Another object of the invention is to enable such measurement to take place both for letters and for parcels.

These objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by a method of determining the dimensions of a mailpiece by means of a portable measuring device having a housing provided with an opening having a side reference surface along which said mailpiece is guided under a position sensor in a first pass along a first dimension of said mailpiece, after which pass a value for said first dimension of said mailpiece is determined by a processing unit and is communicated to a franking system to which said portable measuring device is connected, and in a second pass along a second dimension of said mailpiece, after which pass a value for said second dimension of said mailpiece is determined by said processing unit and is communicated to said franking system.

Thus, a simple portable device provided with one position sensor suffices to determine the dimensions of a parcel without using motor-driven devices. If a thickness sensor is added to it, it can also determine the dimensions of an envelope.

When the mailpiece is an envelope, during at least one of the passes of guiding said mailpiece along said side reference surface, a thickness sensor is used to measure a third dimension of said mailpiece, after which measurement a value for said third dimension of said mailpiece is determined by said processing unit and is communicated to said franking system.

Conversely, when the mailpiece is a parcel, said mailpiece is also guided along said side reference surface in a third pass along a third dimension of said mailpiece, after which pass a value for said third dimension of said mailpiece is determined by said processing unit and is communicated to said franking system.

In a particular implementation, the invention provides a method of determining the dimensions of a mailpiece by means of a portable measuring device having, mounted in a housing, a lever mounted to pivot about a hinge pin in opposition to resilient means, said lever comprising a first arm and a second arm that are interconnected via respective first ones of their ends at said hinge pin, the other end of said first arm being connected to a wheel provided with a first rotary encoder actuated by the rotation of said wheel, and the other end of said second arm being connected to a second rotary encoder actuated by the pivoting of said lever, said housing also being provided with an opening having a side reference surface for guiding said mailpiece while it is passing under said wheel, said method comprising the following steps:driving said wheel in rotation after the operator has guided said mailpiece in a first pass along said side reference surface, said mailpiece being passed under said wheel along a first dimension of said mailpiece;generating pulses at said first rotary encoder, corresponding to said first dimension of said mailpiece;using a processing unit to determine a value for said first dimension of said mailpiece, and communicating said value to a franking system to which said portable device is connected;driving said wheel in rotation after the operator has guided said mailpiece in a second pass along said side reference surface, said mailpiece being passed under said wheel along a second dimension of said mailpiece;generating pulses at said first rotary encoder, corresponding to said second dimension of said mailpiece; andusing a processing unit to determine a value for said second dimension of said mailpiece, and communicating said value to said franking system.

When the mailpiece is a parcel, the method of the invention further comprises the following steps:driving said wheel in rotation after the operator has guided said mailpiece in a third pass along said side reference surface, said mailpiece being passed under said wheel along a third dimension of said mailpiece;generating pulses at said first rotary encoder, corresponding to said third dimension of said mailpiece; andusing a processing unit to determine a value for said third dimension of said mailpiece, and communicating said value to said franking system.

Conversely, when the mailpiece is an envelope, the method of the invention further comprises a step of pivoting said lever to a position that is substantially constant and that corresponds to a third dimension of said mailpiece; a step of generating pulses at said second rotary encoder corresponding to said third dimension of said mailpiece; and a step of using said processing unit to determine a value for said third dimension of said mailpiece and of communicating said value to said franking system.

Preferably, said dimensional values are displayed on a user interface incorporated into at least one of the elements constituted by said franking system and by said portable measuring device.

Advantageously, said portable measuring device is connected to said franking system via a wireless link.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED IMPLEMENTATIONS

The portable measuring device for implementing the method of the invention can, with its simple and entirely non-motor-driven means, either determine the length, the width, and the thickness of an envelope, provided that the thickness of said envelope does not exceed a predetermined thickness, or determine the length, the width, and the height of a parcel.

FIGS. 1 and 2show an embodiment of such a device that makes it possible to determine the dimensions of an envelope in accordance with the invention.

The device10is in the general shape of a rectangular block or of a cubic block, and a rectangular opening or slot12passes through it. The height of said opening corresponds to a maximum allowable height (typically 25 mm) for passing the envelope to be measured, and said opening is provided with a side reference surface12A making it possible to guide the envelopes while they are passing through. The device can be placed beside the franking system but it is more advantageously mounted in fixed manner on a side wall of said system (see, for example,FIGS. 3A and 4). It is made up of two separable portions, namely a housing14that is Γ-shaped, and a conveyor deck16over which the user causes the envelope that is to be measured to move twice, once in its length direction, and another time in its width direction. The housing is removably fastened to said deck via its vertical portion, e.g. by means of a rail18, a control button20actuating studs22A,22B passing through said rail making it possible, as is known, by the user pressing on said button, to release said housing from the deck. The housing advantageously has a carrying handle24for enabling it to be used on parcels.

As shown in the section view ofFIG. 2, double detection means are provided in the opening12for the purpose of determining firstly the length and the width of the envelope and secondly the thickness thereof, while said envelope is being guided by the user along the side reference surface12A. More particularly, a wheel26actuated by the movement of the envelope with which it is put into contact is provided with a first rotary encoder28having marking28A that goes past a first sensor28B, and is mounted at a free end of a pivotally mounted lever30that acts in opposition to resilient return means32secured to the housing14. Said lever30that has one end connected to the wheel28preferably comprises two arms forming an L-shape or a V-shape, and its other end is connected to a second rotary encoder34having marking34A that goes past a second sensor34B with which it co-operates.

It should be noted that, in order to avoid jamming thin envelopes, the return force exerted on the pivotally mounted lever30by the resilient means32must be as small as possible while being sufficient to guarantee that the wheel is26is put in motion rapidly by the envelope.

In co-operation with a processing unit36connected to the accounting means of the franking system, the first sensor is suitable for delivering a value for the length or the width of the envelope, while the second sensor is suitable for delivering a value for the thickness of said envelope.

For this purpose, under the action of the wheel26, the lever30pivots about a hinge pin38disposed, for example, at the intersection between the two arms of the L-shape or V-shape that form between them an angle advantageously lying in the range 30° to 90°. Said pin is mounted in the housing14transversely relative to the direction in which the envelopes move. The second rotary encoder34is advantageously in the form of a ring segment that extends through an angle of about 30°, and that bears the marking34A that is itself constituted merely by slots or openings disposed in a circular arc configuration. The second sensor34B is advantageously formed of a light emitter/receiver assembly (e.g. using light-emitting diode (LED) technology) secured to the housing14and that, each time a mark goes past, delivers a signal for the processing unit36. Thus, at the processing unit, the number of openings or slots seen by the sensor is counted, and the thickness of the envelope is deduced from that counted number. Similarly, the size of the envelope (length or width) is obtained by the number of marks28A going past the first sensor28B (conventionally constituted by a light emitter/receiver assembly, e.g. using LED technology) between two halts of the first rotary encoder28while the user advances an envelop on the conveyor deck until said envelope is no longer engaged with the wheel26. Once determined, these dimensions are transmitted via a link cable40to the franking system.

Operation of the device is described below with reference toFIGS. 3A to 3C. In the initial state, the wheel26that has the first rotary encoder28is at a halt. When the user passes the envelope through the slot12of the housing for the first time (in the length direction as shown inFIG. 3A), said envelop causes the wheel26to move in rotation at a substantially constant advance speed until it is no longer in engagement (i.e. over its entire length), and causes the lever30to pivot to a substantially constant position corresponding to the thickness of said envelope. These movements of the wheel and of the lever generate pulses at the first and second sensors, corresponding respectively to the length and to the thickness of the envelope, the values of which length and thickness are then determined by the processing unit36before being sent to the franking system. Once it has received said values, the franking system, via its user interface, optionally displays them and invites the user to pass the envelope through the device again, this time in its width direction (seeFIG. 3B) in order to obtain a measurement of this other dimension of the envelope. Naturally, this new pass is also accompanied by a new measurement of the thickness that can either be taken into account by the processing unit (in which case, a mean value can be computed) or else ignored by said processing unit. As above, once the value for the width has been determined by the processing unit, it is sent to the franking system for, if necessary, display and validation by the user who is then authorized, via the user interface, to proceed with the franking of the envelope (FIG. 3C).

It should be noted that, in order for the measurements of the length and of the width to be relatively precise, it is necessary for the wheel to turn only while it is in engagement with the envelope, and this presupposes that the wheel is not mounted free on its pin, but rather than it is snug-fitting thereon.

FIG. 4shows the use of the portable measuring device for measuring the dimensions of a parcel or packet. In this configuration, the housing14is separated from the conveyor deck16and is then connected to the franking system only via its link cable40. This separation, achieved by acting on the control button20, is indicated automatically to the processing unit26which then informs the franking system via the link40, and said separation causes the pivotally mounted lever30to be locked in a predetermined position by acting on a stud42that then extends from the housing14and passes through said lever. The user can then move the housing successively over the three faces of the parcel so as to acquire the three dimensions that are then, as above, forwarded to the franking system by the processing unit36. Between each input, the dimensional value determined by the first rotary encoder28is displayed on the user interface of the franking system, and, once all three values have been determined, the user is authorized to frank a label that is then stuck to the parcel.

It should be noted that although the portable measuring device is described as being connected to the franking system via a link40that is of the wired type, it is also possible for said link to be of the wireless type, e.g. of the WiFi type. It is also possible for said link to be omitted and for the device then to have a display (not shown) connected directly to the processing unit36and on which the various dimensions of the mailpiece as measured by the rotary encoders28,34can appear, those values then being input manually by the user on the user interface of the franking system.

It should also be noted that although the portable measuring device is described with reference to rotary encoders, any other type of sensor can naturally be envisaged.

FIG. 5is a perspective view from below of such a portable measuring device that has an optical position encoder50, which encoder is disposed in the housing14above the guide path of the mailpiece and can advantageously replace the assembly comprising the wheel and the first rotary encoder. The portable measuring device also has a thickness sensor52that can also advantageously replace the assembly comprising the lever and the second rotary encoder so that the method of the invention consists in guiding the mailpiece along a side reference surface under said position sensor in a first pass along a first dimension of said mailpiece, after which pass a value for the first dimension of the mailpiece is determined by the processing unit to which the position sensor is connected and is communicated to a franking system to which the portable measuring device is connected, and in a second pass along a second dimension of the mailpiece, after which pass a value for the second dimension of the mailpiece is determined by the processing unit and is also communicated to the franking system.

Then, if the mailpiece is an envelope, then, during at least one of the passes of guiding the mailpiece along the side reference surface, the thickness sensor is used to measure a third dimension of the mailpiece, after which measuring step, a value for the third dimension of the mailpiece is determined by the processing unit to which the thickness sensor is connected, and that value is communicated to the franking system.

Conversely, if the mailpiece is a parcel, the mailpiece is then guided along the side reference surface in a third pass along a third dimension of the mailpiece, after which pass a value for the third dimension of the mailpiece is determined by the processing unit and is communicated to the franking system.