Packet sorting/handling system having a platform conveyor and a gravity transfer unit

A sorting/handling system for sorting/handling parcels or packets, said sorting/handling system comprising:

• a primary conveyor suitable for conveying packets in series around a looped path;
• at least one secondary conveyor fed with packets by the primary conveyor, the secondary conveyor being a platform conveyor suitable for moving the packets placed on the platforms towards sorting outlets, said secondary conveyor having a throughput rate lower than that of the primary conveyor and being asynchronous with the primary conveyor;
• a transfer unit for transferring the packets from the primary conveyor to the secondary conveyor, which transfer unit comprises at least one chute into which the packets brought by the primary conveyor fall by gravity so as to be received at the outlet(s) of the chute(s) on at least one channel of an accumulation zone that extends in a longitudinal direction along the secondary conveyor, movable barriers being disposed over the at least one channel of the accumulation zone upstream from mechanical elements in an alignment zone that put the packets into series at a constant pitch on a reference channel and that push them transversely to said longitudinal direction;
• and
• a monitoring and control unit suitable for lowering the movable barriers to allow packets coming down the at least one chute to accumulate temporarily in the accumulation zone and for raising the movable barriers for releasing the packets from the accumulation zone in a certain sequence, and for controlling the mechanical elements in such a manner as to transfer the packets in alignment on the reference channel to free platforms of the secondary conveyor at a rate of one packet per platform.