Method and device for controlling an arrangement to distribute articles to be sorted to physical target locations
AssigneeGrapha-Holding AG
InventorsJean-Claude Oppliger, Samuel Kaspar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An arrangement is provided for distributing articles to be sorted to physical target locations. The articles to be sorted are delivered to a number of receiving elements that move along a conveying path past the physical target locations. The receiving elements are controlled so that the physical target locations are assigned dynamically and in dependence on the operating sequence for the sorting operations to the logical sorting targets, which optimizes the capacity of the arrangement and the operating sequence.
Claims14
A method for controlling an arrangement to distribute articles to be sorted to physical target locations, comprising:
- feeding articles to be sorted to respective ones of a plurality of receiving elements, each article containing an information set having a reference content corresponding to one address;
- transporting the articles to be sorted in the receiving elements along a conveying path past physical target locations;
- detecting the respective information sets provided on the individual articles to be sorted;
- assigning a logical target location to each article to be sorted in a predetermined dependence on the detected information set;
- determining flow rate values during an operating sequence for the articles assigned to the logical target locations;
- determining the physical target location to which each article assigned a logical target location is to be delivered in dependence on the flow-rate values;
- delivering and selectively releasing the articles from the receiving elements to a respective one of the determined physical target locations.
A control device for an arrangement designed to distribute articles to be sorted to physical target locations comprising:
- a plurality of receiving elements;
- a feeder for feeding articles to be sorted to respective ones of the plurality of receiving elements, each article containing an information set having a reference content corresponding to one address;
- a plurality of physical target locations;
- means for conveying the receiving elements along a conveying path past the physical target locations;
- the receiving elements each including a first device that can be activated to release the article to be sorted from the receiving element to a selected physical target location while the receiving element is transported past the physical location;
- a second device for detecting the information sets on the articles to be sorted;
- a control device for activating the first device in dependence on the detected information sets for a selective release of the articles to be sorted to the physical target locations, the control device comprising:
- a third device for assigning logical target locations to the articles to be sorted in accordance with a predetermined dependence on the detected information sets;
- a fourth device for determining flow rate values for the articles to be sorted which are assigned to the logical target locations;
- and
- a fifth device for determining the physical target locations to which the articles to be sorted are delivered in dependence on the determined flow-rate values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.