Method of sorting flat mail items

US7683285B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Nikolaus Haselberger · Radolfzell, DE
• Eberhard Mandler · Reichenau, DE
• Andre Rompe · Ziegenrück, DE
• Holger Schererz · Rehfelde, DE
• Wolf-Stephan Wilke · Konstanz, DE
• Armin Zimmermann · Konstanz, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 8, 2009
• Grant date: Mar 23, 2010
• Expiry date: May 8, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S209/90
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A sorting device has at least one mail item buffer receptacle, a number of storage pockets for mail items arranged one after another and circulating continuously in a conveyor belt and moved past one or more loading stations. Below straight transfer sections of the conveyors fixed intermediate storage receptacles open at the top are arranged to accept one or more mail items from the loaded storage pockets to be opened under control in the transfer sections. On a transport path below the intermediate storage receptacles there are also continuously circulating mail item containers open at the top as sorting end points assigned to the destination addresses or destination address groups. In the mail item containers the mail items are unloaded downwards in a horizontal position in accordance with their read destination address through controllable opening of the relevant intermediate storage receptacle at the point, in which the mail item container assigned to the address is located in the corresponding position below the intermediate storage receptacle with mail items for this mail item container.