Method and arrangement for controlling a dynamic scale
AssigneeFrancotyp-Postalia GmbH
InventorsUwe Huebler, Christoph Kunde
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method and arrangement for controlling a dynamic scale, the conveying speed of a conveyor belt for items of mail in the dynamic operating mode is independent of the format of the pieces of mail. During dynamic weighing, a controller of the scale deactivates the normal speed regulation for a DC motor and an unregulated pulsed voltage is applied to the DC motor. By an interaction of the motor with a tensioning device for a defined setting of the conveyor belt tension and due to a vibration-damped structure of the conveying arrangement of the scale, the conveying speed changes dependent on the weight of the piece of mail in a measuring time range.
Claims28
A method for controlling a dynamic scale for processing mixed postal items having respectively different formats, said dynamic scale having a motor-driven conveyor for moving a postal item, in a dynamic operating mode, in succession with continuous movement through an entry region of the scale, a weighing pan, and a discharge region of the scale, said method comprising the steps of:
- in said dynamic operating mode, supplying a piece of mall, having a weight, to said entry region of the scale at a predetermined regulated conveying speed which is independent of the format of the piece of mail, and conveying said piece of mail through said entry region of the scale to said weighing pan;
- deactivating regulation of the conveying speed during a measuring time range while said postal item is conveyed without a stoppage through said weighing pan, so that said conveying speed is dependent on said weight of said item and with no controlled reduction of said conveying speed, and obtaining a weight measurement of said postal item, for allowing said weight measurement to be obtained in said dynamic operating mode with said postal item moving at a speed other than said predetermined regulated conveying speed;
- and
- after said measuring time span, re-activating regulation of the conveying speed and moving said postal item at said predetermined regulated conveying speed from said weighing pan through said discharge region of said scale.
A dynamic scale comprising:
- a conveyor arrangement for conveying postal items, each having weight, having a conveyor belt driven by a motor;
- a scale housing having an entry region for postal items and a discharge region for postal items;
- a weighing pan connected to a weighing cell, said weighing pan being disposed between said entry region and said discharge region and said conveyor arrangement, in a dynamic operating mode, conveying a postal item with continuous movement without a stoppage in succession through said entry region, said weighing pan and said discharge region;
- and
- a controller for operating said motor for moving said belt at a predetermined, regulated conveying speed when a postal item enters said entry region, and for deactivating regulation of said conveying speed while said postal item is moving through said weighing pan, so that said conveying speed is dependent on said weight of said item and with no controlled reduction of said conveying speed, during a measuring time span during which a weight measurement of said postal item is made, for allowing said weight measurement to be made in said dynamic mode with said postal item moving at a speed other than said predetermined, regulated conveying speed, and, after said measuring time span, for re-activating regulation of said conveying speed for moving said postal item on said belt through said discharge region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.