U.S. patent application number 11/947295 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-05 for selector device for selecting envelope flaps with a view to moistening them.
This patent application is currently assigned to NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES. Invention is credited to Emmanuel Bernard.
Application Number | 20080127617 11/947295 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38303714 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080127617 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bernard; Emmanuel |
June 5, 2008 |
SELECTOR DEVICE FOR SELECTING ENVELOPE FLAPS WITH A VIEW TO
MOISTENING THEM
Abstract
A device for separating flaps in a feeder of a mail handling
machine, said device comprising blower means disposed under a
conveyor table for conveying the mail items through the feeder,
which blower means generate a flow of air directed towards the
inside of the flap, and said conveyor table for conveying the mail
items is spaced apart from a referencing wall by a distance D equal
to at least the largest width of flap to be stuck down by a
moistener device of the feeder, and over a length L equal to at
least the largest length of flap to be stuck down by said moistener
device.
Inventors: |
Bernard; Emmanuel; (Sannois,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES
BAGNEUX
FR
|
Family ID: |
38303714 |
Appl. No.: |
11/947295 |
Filed: |
November 29, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/492 ;
53/381.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B43M 5/042 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/492 ;
53/381.7 |
International
Class: |
B65B 43/26 20060101
B65B043/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 30, 2006 |
FR |
0655219 |
Claims
1. A method of separating flaps in a feeder of a mail handling
machine, in which method the flap of an envelope is separated from
the body of the envelope by totally releasing the flap from the
body of the envelope and by pressing the flap released in this way
against a vertical referencing wall of the feeder by means of a
flow of air directed towards the inside of the flap.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said total release of the
flap is obtained by making provision for a conveyor table for
conveying the mail items through the feeder to be spaced apart from
said referencing wall by a distance D equal to at least the largest
width of flap to be stuck down by a moistener device of the feeder,
and over a length L equal to at least the largest length of flap to
be stuck down by said moistener device.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said distance D lies in
the range 50 mm to 100 mm.
4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said length L lies in the
range 230 mm to 334 mm.
5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said flow of air is
generated by blower means disposed under said conveyor table for
conveying the mail items.
6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said vertical referencing
wall is provided with a stationary deflector for co-operating with
a moistener body having a complementary shape to fold the flap in
from a vertical position obtained by said blower means to an
inclined position suitable for enabling said flap to be moistened
by said moistener device.
7. A device for separating flaps in a feeder of a mail handling
machine, said device comprising blower means disposed under a
conveyor table for conveying the mail items through the feeder,
which blower means generate a flow of air directed towards the
inside of the flap, and said conveyor table for conveying the mail
items is spaced apart from a referencing wall by a distance D equal
to at least the largest width of flap to be stuck down by a
moistener device of the feeder, and over a length L equal to at
least the largest length of flap to be stuck down by said moistener
device.
8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said blower means
comprise at least one turbine for blowing ambient air through an
air dispenser duct, an outlet opening of said duct having a
flattened profile that is substantially triangular and that is
adapted to delivering a glancing flow of air under the body of the
envelope.
9. A device according to claim 7, wherein said vertical referencing
wall is provided with a stationary deflector for co-operating with
a moistener body having a complementary shape to fold the flap in
from a vertical position obtained by said blower means to an
inclined position suitable for enabling said flap to be moistened
by said moistener device.
10. A feeder module for feeding mail items into a mail handling
machine, which feeder includes an envelope flap separator device
according to claim 7.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates exclusively to the field of
mail handling, and it relates more particularly to a selector
device for selecting envelope flaps that is incorporated in a
feeder module for feeding mail items into a mail handling
machine.
PRIOR ART
[0002] French Patent Application No. 2 833 885, filed in the
Applicant's name, discloses a device for moistening envelope flaps
that is designed to be incorporated into a feeder module for
feeding envelopes into a franking machine or "postage meter", and
that includes a separator for separating the flap of the envelope
from the body of the envelope, and suction means disposed
immediately in front of the separator so as to co-operate with a
presser finger to press the envelope towards said suction means and
to detach the flap from the body of the envelope, and thus to make
it easier for it to pass under the separator.
[0003] That device is generally satisfactory for all types of
envelope. However, after a very large number of envelopes have
passed through it, a certain amount of slackening occurs in the
pressure exerted by the presser finger. In particular, when a
previously closed envelope has its flap improperly stuck down and
partially open, the front of said flap behaves like an open flap
and is inserted under the separator until it encounters the start
of a stuck-down zone that blocks its progress and thus causes a jam
in the feeder module.
[0004] A solution for avoiding such jamming is given by French
Patent Application No. 2 850 323, also filed in the Applicant's
name, and that discloses a separator in which the active separation
zone is formed by a flexible portion that has a peripheral edge
disposed at the level of the envelope conveyor table. With that
configuration, closed envelopes whose envelopes are improperly
stuck down are handled without jamming or tearing and without any
action from an operator, and the envelopes to be closed (envelopes
having folded-down flaps, or "nested" envelopes having open flaps)
whose flaps are separated from their bodies always remain properly
guided under the separator. Unfortunately, when the envelope feed
rate is high, e.g. higher than 15,000 envelopes per hour, the
flexibility of the end of the separator is not, however, sufficient
to avoid certain jams.
[0005] Another solution is given by French Patent Application No.
06 50338, filed in the Applicant's name, and that discloses a
separator whose active separation zone is formed by a sharp cutting
portion. With that other separator configuration, the closed
envelopes whose flaps are improperly stuck-down are also handled
without jamming, and the other envelopes continue to be properly
guided as before. Unfortunately, the envelopes whose flaps have
been cut open can often be re-closed correctly over only the short
portions of their lengths that were not previously stuck down.
OBJECT AND DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the present invention is thus to provide a
selector device for selecting envelope flaps for a feeder of a mail
handling machine that avoids any jamming resulting from improperly
closed envelopes, and that guarantees that all of the envelopes are
closed correctly. Another object of the invention is to provide a
device that makes it possible to feed envelopes at a very high
handling rate.
[0007] These objects are achieved by a device for separating flaps
in a feeder of a mail handling machine, said device comprising
blower means disposed under a conveyor table for conveying the mail
items through the feeder, which blower means generate a flow of air
directed towards the inside of the flap, and said conveyor table
for conveying the mail items is spaced apart from a referencing
wall by a distance D equal to at least the largest width of flap to
be stuck down by a moistener device of the feeder, and over a
length L equal to at least the largest length of flap to be stuck
down by said moistener device.
[0008] Thus, by totally releasing the flap from the body of the
envelope and by pressing the flap released in this way against the
vertical referencing wall, the causes of jamming and of creasing of
the flaps are reduced. In addition, it is no longer necessary to
sort the mail items on the basis of whether or not they should be
moistened.
[0009] Preferably, said blower means comprise at least one turbine
for blowing ambient air through an air dispenser duct, an outlet
opening of said duct having a flattened profile that is
substantially triangular and that is adapted to delivering a
glancing flow of air under the body of the envelope.
[0010] Advantageously, said vertical referencing wall is provided
with a stationary deflector for co-operating with a moistener body
having a complementary shape to fold the flap in from a vertical
position obtained by said blower means to an inclined position
suitable for enabling said flap to be moistened by said moistener
device.
[0011] The invention also provides a feeder module for feeding mail
items into a mail handling machine, which feeder includes an
envelope flap separator device as defined above.
[0012] The invention also provides a method of separating flaps in
a feeder of a mail handling machine, in which method the flap of an
envelope is separated from the body of the envelope by totally
releasing the flap from the body of the envelope and by pressing
the flap released in this way against a vertical referencing wall
of the feeder by means of a flow of air directed towards the inside
of the flap.
[0013] Preferably, said total release of the flap is obtained by
making provision for a conveyor table for conveying the mail items
through the feeder to be spaced apart from said referencing wall by
a distance D equal to at least the largest width of flap to be
stuck down by a moistener device of the feeder, and over a length L
equal to at least the largest length of flap to be stuck down by
said moistener device. Said distance D may lie in the range 50 mm
to 100 mm, and said length L may lie in the range 230 mm to 334
mm.
[0014] Advantageously, said flow of air is generated by blower
means disposed under said conveyor table for conveying the mail
items.
[0015] In a particular implementation, said vertical referencing
wall is provided with a stationary deflector for co-operating with
a moistener body having a complementary shape to fold the flap in
from a vertical position obtained by said blower means to an
inclined position suitable for enabling said flap to be moistened
by said moistener device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The characteristics and advantages of the present invention
appear more clearly from the following description given by way of
non-limiting indication and with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a view from above of a feeder including a flap
separator device of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is an end view showing the blower and fold-in means
implemented in the flap separator device of FIG. 1; and
[0019] FIG. 3 is a view on the plane III-III of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view from above of a mail item
feeder module designed to be disposed at the inlet of a mail
handling machine. Such a module can naturally also be incorporated
directly into said machine.
[0021] The mail items 10 that can be handled by the module are of
all types (handling in "mixed mail" mode), in particular envelopes
having flaps open at 90.degree. (also referred to as "nested"
envelopes), envelopes having folded-down flaps that are to be
closed, or indeed envelopes having closed flaps. But the mail items
can also be mere documents (e.g. A4-format documents), business
cards or calling cards, postcards, labels, or inserts of various
formats and thicknesses and on which a postal imprint is then
printed directly.
[0022] Conventionally, a feeder module comprises four work zones in
succession from upstream to downstream: a reception and storage
zone 12 for receiving mail items and for storing them in a stack;
an extraction and selection zone for extracting and selecting the
mail items one-by-one, only the last row 14 of the bottom selector
rollers of this zone being shown; a flap separation zone 16 for
separating the flap 10A of the envelope from the body 10B of the
envelope; and a moistening zone 18 for moistening the flap once
said flap 10A has been separated from the body 10B of the envelope.
The moistening is, for example, performed by means of a bank of
moistener jets, or of a brush 18A whose end rests on the surface of
a reservoir of water 18B disposed under a conveyor table 20 for
conveying the mail items through the feeder module. A flap is then
moistened as it passes between the brush and the reservoir, and the
closed envelopes must naturally not be moistened on going over the
brushes carried by the body of the moistener 18C whose top surface
is aligned with the conveyor table.
[0023] Drive means, conventionally constituted by rollers 22 that
emerge through the conveyor table 20, make it possible to convey
the envelopes during the stages of separating and of moistening the
envelope flaps, and then to convey them to the next module of the
mail handling machine, which module is, in principle, the franking
module (not shown). In general, the inlet rollers of the franking
module act as means for closing the previously moistened envelopes,
unless the feeder module has, at its outlet, its own closure
means.
[0024] In accordance with the invention, the flap separation zone
is not provided with a separator element, the envelope flaps being
separated merely by a flow of air directed towards the inside of
the flaps, coming from blower means 24 disposed under the conveyor
table, and that causes only the flaps of envelopes that have flaps
that are folded down but not yet stuck down to be folded out at
90.degree. against a referencing wall, the flaps of nested
envelopes already being open at 90.degree. (and in place in a
groove extending along said referencing wall). Said flow of air has
no effect on envelopes that are already closed, which envelopes are
directed above the moistening zone, regardless of whether they are
closed fully or partially, i.e. over only a fraction of the length
of the envelope, e.g. over 2/3 of the said length.
[0025] In order to enable the flap to be folded out at 90.degree.,
said flap must not be engaged with drive rollers, and in particular
must no longer be in contact with the selector rollers 14. Also, it
must be no longer resting on the conveyor table 20. That is why, in
accordance with the invention, the selection zone must have a
length L that is at least equal to the length of an envelope of the
DL international format (including a margin of 10 millimeters
(mm)), i.e. about 230 mm, and preferably lying in the range 230 mm
to 334 mm, the upper dimension of the range corresponding to an
envelope of C4 format, including a margin of 10 mm, and the
conveyor table 20 is spaced apart from the referencing wall by a
distance D at least equal to the largest width of a flap
corresponding to a triangular flap of a large-format envelope, i.e.
about 100 mm and preferably lying in the range 50 mm to 100 mm. It
can be understand that these dimensions are essentially a function
of the type of envelopes handled by the machine.
[0026] As shown more precisely in FIG. 2, the blower means are
advantageously constituted by two individual turbines or fans 26,
28 serving, under the action of a control unit (not shown), to blow
ambient air separately into two air dispenser ducts 30, 32. The
outlet opening 30A, 32A of each duct has a flattened profile that
is substantially triangular and that is suitable for delivering a
glancing flow of air under the body of the envelope that is
directed towards the inside of the flap. The two outlet openings
are offset vertically, the duct that is closer to the moistening
zone being disposed slightly lower for reasons of compactness.
[0027] The feeder whose flap separation zone is modified in
accordance with the invention operates as follows. The envelopes
extracted one-by-one from the stack, regardless of whether or not
they are open or closed, are then, as they advance into the
separation zone 16, subjected to the blower means 24 that cause the
flap of each of the non-stuck-down envelopes to open at 90.degree.
and that cause said flap to be pressed against the referencing wall
26. Once completely open, a shaped-profile stationary deflector 34
that is shaped in the form of a delta wing that is fastened to or
that forms a portion of said referencing wall makes it possible, in
co-operation with the bottom face of the body 18C of the moistener
that has a complementary profile, to guide the flaps of these
envelopes and of the nested envelopes and to fold them in
progressively from the positions at 90.degree. in which they then
find themselves, to a terminal position close to 30.degree.
enabling them to pass under the moist brush of the moistener and
thus to be moistened under the best possible conditions (see FIG.
3). It should be noted that, with an envelope having its flap
improperly closed, the flow of air is not sufficient to detach the
flap which remains stuck to the body of the envelope, which then
passes above the body of the moistener in the same way as a closed
envelope does, without causing any jamming.
[0028] It should be noted that although the above-described blower
means are constituted by two independent turbines, it is naturally
possible to imagine using a single turbine only, provided that that
turbine generates a flow of air that is sufficiently wide to fold
out the flaps of the envelopes at 90.degree. and to keep them open
at 90.degree..
* * * * *