Intelligent Labeling and Automatic Sorting Apparatus

An intelligent labeling and automatic sorting apparatus, comprising:

• A conveying device (300) for transporting parcels to be labeled, wherein the conveying device includes but is not limited to belt conveyors, roller conveyors, cross-belt conveyors, chain conveyors, pallet conveyors, air cushion conveyors, and other transportation methods, and is capable of automatically adjusting the conveying speed and direction based on the parcel size, weight, and transportation requirements to match the labeling and sorting operations;
• A height detection device, comprising at least one or a combination of vision sensors, laser rangefinders, or ultrasonic sensors, configured to measure the height of parcels;
• Measurement light curtains (308, 309) disposed on both sides of the conveying device (300) for detecting the height information of the parcels and transmitting the height information to the control system (302) in real-time;
• A second vision sensor (311), disposed above the conveying device (300), for detecting the angle, lateral position, and height of the parcel on the conveying device (300);
• and serving as an auxiliary height detection device. When the measurement light curtains (308, 309) fail to obtain accurate height data or require verification, the control system (302) verifies and corrects the height data using the measurements from the second vision sensor (311);
• Second distance sensors (318, 319), installed on both sides of the conveying device (300), configured to detect the lateral position of the parcels and transmit the data to the control system (302) in real-time, improving the accuracy of parcel position measurement when combined with the second vision sensor (311);
• A first vision sensor (106), installed on the mounting plate (100), configured to detect the content of the attached label and compare it with preset data to identify the courier company associated with the shipping label and control the sorting machine (400) accordingly;
• A scanning device, comprising a first barcode scanner (310) disposed on the conveying device (300) and a second barcode scanner (103) mounted on the mounting plate (100) and capable of moving along the Z-axis (225, 226), for scanning the barcode or QR code on the parcel and transmitting the scanning results to the control system (302) or an external information management system, which generates and sends a printing instruction to the printing module (111) to print the corresponding label;
• A printing module (111), installed on the mounting plate (100), for printing labels based on scanning information from the scanning device;
• A rewinder motor (118), operating synchronously with the printing module (111) to recover label backing paper in real-time during printing;
• A label anti-stick plate (114), located below the label outlet of the printing module (111) for holding labels;
• A pressing mechanism (116), installed on the mounting plate (100), for affixing printed labels to the parcels;
• A first distance sensor (117), configured to detect height variations on the parcel surface in real-time;
• X-axis (214) and Z-axis (225, 226) lifting and movement devices, configured to adjust the position of the mounting plate (100) so that the pressing mechanism (116), second barcode scanner (103), first vision sensor (106), and printing module (111) mounted on the mounting plate (100) move synchronously to adapt to parcels of different sizes and positions;
• A rotating mechanism (208, 209), configured to drive the entire mounting plate (100) to rotate, thereby adjusting the angle of the second barcode scanner (103), first vision sensor (106), and printing module (111) to accommodate parcels placed in different orientations;
• The rotating mechanism (208, 209) includes but is not limited to slewing bearings, servo motor drives, pneumatic swing cylinders, or rack-and-pinion transmission mechanisms to achieve the angular adjustment of the mounting plate (100);
• A wheel sorting machine (400), with the number of sorting machines adjustable according to actual requirements, each of which sorts parcels into corresponding chutes (401, 402, 403) based on the detection results from the first vision sensor (106);
• A control system (302), configured to receive information from various sensors and coordinate the operation of the above mechanisms;
• A programmable human-machine interface (304), configured to adjust labeling modes, set labeling parameters (including label position, labeling speed, and labeling type), and configure sorting rules (including mapping different sorting chutes to specific courier companies or destinations), thereby enhancing system flexibility and adaptability.