System and method for adjusting contents of an automation tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144037-B2
Application number	US-201715426864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Presently disclosed embodiments are directed to a system and method for controlling/adjusting a position of mail product or other contents in an automated mail tray. Specifically, the disclosed embodiments utilize an automated mail tray with a ridged construction to allow automation equipment to adjust, load, and unload mail product in a structured manner. An adjustment feature, along with a moveable bottom surface of the mail tray, may be used to adjust a position of mail product in the automated mail tray into a vertical position. In some embodiments, the system may actuate the adjustment feature in response to sensor feedback that the mail product has fallen from the vertical position. Once the mail is in the vertical position, the moveable tray bottom may lift the mail product until it is elevated out of the tray for movement into other automation equipment without tray wall interference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an automated mail tray comprising four side walls and a bottom surface that is moveable relative to the four side walls, wherein the bottom surface comprises slots formed therein; and
an adjustment mechanism disposed beneath the automated mail tray and comprising alignment fingers configured to be disposed through the slots in the bottom surface to adjust a position of contents in the automated mail tray.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor positioned proximate the automated mail tray to detect a position of the contents in the automated mail tray and/or a position of the bottom surface of the automated mail tray.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising one or more openings formed through the automated mail tray, wherein the at least one sensor is an optical sensor positioned to take measurements through the one or more openings.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more openings are formed through one or more of the four sides walls of the automated mail tray.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more openings are formed through the bottom surface.

6. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and to the adjustment feature, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the contents of the automated mail tray have fallen from a vertical position and to output a control signal for actuating the adjustment feature to adjust the contents back to the vertical position.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to an actuator for moving the bottom surface of the automated mail tray, wherein the controller is configured to output a control signal to the actuator for moving the bottom surface to adjust the contents back to the vertical position.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface is moveable in a vertical direction relative to the four side walls while remaining substantially perpendicular to the four side walls.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the automated mail tray comprises a pivot slot, wherein one end of the bottom surface is disposed in the pivot slot to enable movement of the bottom surface into a position that is not substantially perpendicular to the four side walls.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the alignment fingers of the adjustment feature are profiled to form a ramp.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of paddles disposed above the automated mail tray and comprising alignment fingers configured to be swept through the alignment fingers of the adjustment feature to move the contents out of the automated mail tray.

12. A method, comprising:
receiving mail contents into an automated mail tray comprising four side walls and a bottom surface that is moveable relative to the four side walls;
actuating an adjustment mechanism by moving the adjustment mechanism relative to the bottom surface of the automated mail tray; and
moving the contents in the automated mail tray into a vertical position via the adjustment mechanism.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises alignment fingers, and wherein actuating the adjustment mechanism comprises rotating the alignment fingers through slots in the bottom surface of the automated mail tray.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising moving the bottom surface of the automated mail tray relative to the four side walls into a position that is at or above an upper level of the four side walls and perpendicular to the four side walls.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
sensing a position of the contents in the automated mail tray; and
actuating the adjustment mechanism via a control signal in response to determining that the contents are not in the vertical position.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising sensing a position of the bottom surface of the automated mail tray.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising actuating the bottom surface of the automated mail tray to move the bottom surface with respect to a horizontal plane in response to determining that the contents are not in the vertical position.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein actuating the bottom surface of the automated mail tray comprises rotating the bottom surface of the automated mail tray relative to the side walls of the automated mail tray.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein actuating the bottom surface of the automated mail tray comprises rotating the entire automated mail tray relative to the horizontal plane.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
moving the automated mail tray relative to the adjustment mechanism, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a set of alignment fingers formed into a ramp structure, such that the alignment fingers extend through slots in a bottom surface of the automated mail tray;
moving the side walls of the automated mail tray relative to the bottom surface of the mail tray; and
sweeping the contents out of the automated mail tray via paddles comprising alignment fingers positioned in spaces between the alignment fingers of the adjustment mechanism.

Assignees

• Toshiba Int Corp

Inventors

• Hanson Bruce H
• Gavenas Jeffrey Anthony

Classifications

• B07C3/008 Primary

  Means for collecting objects, e.g. containers for sorted mail items (pile receivers in general B65H31/00) · CPC title

• B65H31/30

  Arrangements for removing completed piles (bands, chains, or like moving receivers B65H31/28) · CPC title

• B65G65/005

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• B65H2701/1916

  Envelopes and articles of mail · CPC title

• B65H2301/422542

  emptying or unloading processes · CPC title