DK171210B1

DK171210B1 - Sorting plant and sorting unit therefor

Info

Publication number: DK171210B1
Application number: DK119392A
Authority: DK
Inventors: Mogens Erup Larsen
Original assignee: Dansk Vaskeri Teknik As
Priority date: 1992-09-25
Filing date: 1992-09-25
Publication date: 1996-07-29
Also published as: DE69318918T2; EP0589821B1; DK119392D0; ATE166931T1; ES2120488T3; DE69318918D1; DK119392A; EP0589821A1

Abstract

A sorting apparatus for laundry comprises a feeding conveyor (A), a reading conveyor (B), an intermediate conveyor (C) and a sorting section (D) with a number of sorting units (1) each incorporating an inclined conveyor (2). Items of laundry are individually conveyed from position E and distributed to a number of destinations (5). Between each conveyor (2) there is arranged a sorting unit (1) comprising at least one moveable or pivotable plate. At the end of the sorting apparatus there is arranged an additional sorting shaft (6). Each item carries an electronic transponder which is read by the antenna (21) by the reading conveyor (B). The reading is entered in the control unit of the apparatus which controls the sorting by applying information from encoders (23, 23', 23'') and photo cell arrangements (24, 24', 24'') by the individual conveyors. <IMAGE>

Description

DK 171210 B1DK 171210 B1

Teknikkens standpunktThe prior art

Opfindelsen angår et anlæg til sortering af vasketøj og lignende emner, og som nærmere angivet i krav l's indled-5 ning.The invention relates to a plant for sorting laundry and similar items, and as further specified in the preamble of claim 1.

Der kendes en række forskellige anlæg til sortering af vasketøj, både til sortering af vasketøjet før og efter vask.There are a number of different systems for sorting laundry, both for sorting the laundry before and after washing.

Ved storvaskerier for f.eks. hospitalstøj, såsom kitler og 10 lignende, er tøjet ofte forsynet med et identifikationsmærke, f.eks. en elektronisk transponder, der er permanent monteret i tøjet, og derfor kan anvendes til styring af sorteringsprocesser m.v., både før og efter tøjet er vasket.For large laundries for example. hospital clothing such as robes and the like, the clothing is often provided with an identification mark, e.g. an electronic transponder that is permanently mounted in the clothing and can therefore be used to control sorting processes, etc., both before and after the laundry is washed.

1515

Et kendt sorteringsanlæg anvender trykluft i forbindelse med sorteringen af tøjet, idet trykluften anvendes til at skubbe tøjet af transportøren ved destinationsvalg. Dette system er uheldigt ved sortering af tøj forud for vask, 20 fordi urenheder og lignende fra tøjet hvirvles op. Desuden støjer sådanne sorteringssystemer kraftigt.A known sorting system uses compressed air in connection with the sorting of the clothes, the compressed air being used to push the clothes by the conveyor at destination selection. This system is unfortunate in sorting clothes prior to washing, 20 because impurities and the like from the clothes are swirled up. Moreover, such sorting systems are strongly noisy.

Et andet kendt anlæg er baseret på, at enkeltvis fremførte tøjemner på et transportbånd overføres til én af to desti-25 nationer ved at flytte eller forskyde transportøren. Dette giver et forholdsvis langsomt anlæg med ringe kapacitet, fordi det tager forholdsvis lang tid at flytte transportøren, eller den ene ende heraf, på grund af dens vægt.Another known facility is based on the fact that individually conveyed clothing items on a conveyor belt are transferred to one of two destinations by moving or displacing the conveyor. This provides a relatively slow system with low capacity because it takes a relatively long time to move the conveyor, or one end thereof, because of its weight.

30 Fra USA patent nr. 4.195.498 kendes et sorteringsanlæg for vasketøj bestående af transportbånd samt tværgående sorteringsenheder, der transporterer tøjet fra båndet til destinationsstedet. De tværgående sorteringsenheder fjerner tøjet ved hjælp af løbebånd.30 US Patent No. 4,195,498 discloses a conveyor sorting system comprising conveyor belts as well as transverse sorting units which transport the garment from the belt to the destination. The transverse sorting units remove the garments using treadmills.

Ulempen ved dette system er, at når to efter hinanden pla- 35 DK 171210 B1 2 cerede tøjstykker forlader et transportbånd for at gå til hver sin destination, enten til det næste transportbånd eller bliver lagt ned på løbebåndet, er det vanskeligt at foretage en indstilling, der så at sige dirigerer tøjstyk-5 kerne i luften og sørger for, at det ene tøjstykke ender på transportbåndet og det andet på løbebåndet. Systemet er således ikke så fleksibelt som Ønskeligt og sikrer ikke, at det er muligt at dirigere tøjstykkerne efter ønske, uanset disses indbyrdes beliggenhed på transportbåndet og uanset 10 dettes hastighed, hvortil kommer, at systemet er langsomt opererende.The disadvantage of this system is that when two consecutive pieces of clothing leave a conveyor belt to go to each destination, either to the next conveyor belt or be dropped onto the treadmill, it is difficult to make an adjustment. which, so to speak, directs the garment core into the air and ensures that one garment ends on the conveyor belt and the other on the treadmill. Thus, the system is not as flexible as desirable and does not ensure that it is possible to direct the pieces of clothing as desired, regardless of their mutual location on the conveyor belt and regardless of its speed, in addition to the slow running of the system.

Desforuden er systemet pladskrævende som følge af sorteringsenhedernes tværgående bevægelser samt opsamlingsste-15 dets beliggenhed i relation hertil.In addition, the system is space consuming due to the transverse movements of the sorting units and the location of the collection site in relation thereto.

Fordele ved opfindelsenAdvantages of the invention

Sorteringsanlægget ifølge opfindelsen og med de i krav l's 20 kendetegnende del angivne træk har den fordel, at omstillingen af sorteringsenhederne efter et destinationsvalg sker meget hurtigt og under ringe energiforbrug, fordi kun få mekaniske dele skal omstilles. Det er således muligt at dirigere tøjstykkerne hen til rette destinationssted, mens 25 de endnu befinder sig i sorteringsenheden, dvs. så at sige i luften. Dette gør systemet særdeles fleksiblet og muliggør en entydig og pålidelig styring af tøjstykkernes placering . 1 2 3 4 5 6The sorting system according to the invention and with the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1 has the advantage that the switching of the sorting units according to a destination choice takes place very quickly and under low energy consumption, because only a few mechanical parts have to be switched. Thus, it is possible to direct the pieces of clothing to the right destination while still in the sorting unit, ie. so to speak in the air. This makes the system extremely flexible and enables a clear and reliable control of the location of the pieces of clothing. 1 2 3 4 5 6

Derudover sikrer sorteringsenhedernes beliggenhed i mellem 2 rummene mellem transportbåndene samt sorteringsenhedens 3 vertikale, styrende bevægelse, at anlægget er lidet plads 4 krævende, idet opsamlingsstederne kan placeres under syste 5 met. Desuden bevæges tøjemnerne i hovedsagen blot fremad i 6 en rolig, men hurtig bevægelse, så der ikke sker en unødig ophvirvlen af eventuelle urenheder fra tøjet under sorte- DK 171210 B1 3 ringen.In addition, the location of the sorting units in between the 2 spaces between the conveyor belts and the vertical, controlling movement of the sorting unit 3 ensures that the plant has little space 4 demanding, as the collection points can be placed under the system 5. In addition, the items of clothing in the main proceedings are only moved forward in a quiet but rapid movement, so that no unnecessary buildup of any impurities from the clothing occurs during the black ring.

Ved en passende kombination af hver sorteringstransportørs stigning og hastighed, opnår man, at emnerne forlader den 5 ene transportør efter en kurve (en kasteparabel), der netop tillader emnerne at overvinde afstanden til næste transportør og lande på starten heraf. Ved ønsket sortering til en destination nedad opnås dette ved, at sorteringsenhedens plade eller plader omstilles, hvorved kurven afskæres, og 10 pladen eller pladerne virker som ledeplader for den ændrede tøjretning. Ledepladerne bevirker sammen med transportørens fortsatte bevægelse, at emnerne trækkes nedad ved klemvirkning mellem transportøren og ledepladerne.By appropriately combining the rise and speed of each sorting conveyor, the items are obtained leaving the 5 single conveyor following a curve (a throwing parable) which precisely allows the items to overcome the distance to the next conveyor and land at the start thereof. When the desired sorting to a destination downwards is achieved, this is done by changing the plate or plates of the sorting unit, thereby cutting off the basket and the plate or plates acting as guides for the changed direction of clothing. The baffles, together with the conveyor's continued movement, cause the items to be pulled down by clamping action between the conveyor and baffles.

15 Ved at udforme anlægget ifølge opfindelsen som angivet i krav 2's kendetegnende del, fås et anlæg, der med meget stor sikkerhed sorterer emnerne, så de når den rigtige destination. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16By designing the system according to the invention as set forth in the characterizing part of claim 2, a system is obtained which sorts the items with great certainty to reach the correct destination. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Ved at udforme anlægget ifølge opfindelsen som angivet i 2 krav 3's kendetegnende del, får man et sorteringsanlæg, der 3 kan forløbe i samme niveau over en større strækning, og for 4 hver transportør, som tilføjes, fås mulighed for et yderli 5 gere destinationsvalg.By designing the system according to the invention as set forth in the characteristic part of 2 claim 3, one obtains a sorting system which can run 3 at the same level over a larger stretch, and for 4 each conveyor added, an additional 5 destination choices are allowed.

6 76 7

Ved at udforme anlægget ifølge opfindelsen som angivet i 8 krav 4's eller krav 5's kendetegnende del, fås en enkel og 9 driftsikker konstruktion, der har et meget lavt energifor 10 brug, og som kan sortere tøjet næsten støjfrit.By designing the system according to the invention as set forth in the characterizing part of claim 8 or claim 5, a simple and 9 reliable construction is obtained which has a very low energy consumption 10 and which can sort the clothes almost noise-free.

11 1211 12

Ved at udforme anlægget ifølge opfindelsen som angivet i 13 krav 6's, 7's eller 8's kendetegnende del, fås fordelagtige 14 mekaniske konstruktioner med stor driftsikkerhed og indret 15 tet således, at hurtig og sikker sortering kan opnås. Skul- 16 le det alligevel ske, at et emne er så forurenet eller vådt, at det klæber til transportøren, vil det i de fleste DK 171210 B1 4 tilfælde alligevel blive sorteret korrekt. Anlægget er således særdeles velegnet til at sortere både tørt og vådt tøj .By designing the system according to the invention as defined in the characterizing part of 13 claims 6, 7 or 8, advantageous 14 mechanical structures with high reliability are obtained and arranged so that quick and safe sorting can be achieved. Should it nevertheless happen that a workpiece is so contaminated or wet that it adheres to the conveyor, in most DK 171210 B1 4 cases it will nevertheless be properly sorted. The system is thus very suitable for sorting both dry and wet clothes.

5 Hvert emne vil sædvanligvis være forsynet med et identifi kationsmærke, f.eks. en transponder, som aftastes. De herved aftastede data indgår i styringen af sorteringsanlægget, der er indrettet således, at positionen og udstrækningen af hvert emne er registreret og indgår i styringen.Each item will usually be provided with an identification mark, e.g. a transponder which is sensed. The data thus scanned is included in the control of the sorting system, which is arranged so that the position and extent of each item is registered and included in the control.

1010

Opfindelsen angår også en selvstændig sorteringsenhed til brug i sorteringsanlæg, og som angivet i krav 9's kendetegnende del. Med sådanne sorteringsenheder og et antal transportbånd kan man opbygge et sorteringsanlæg. En række for- 15 skellige transportører eller transportbånd vil kunne anvendes, blot de kan fremføre tøjemnerne med tilstrækkelig hastighed. Med sorteringsenheden ifølge opfindelsen kan man således opbygge et sorteringsanlæg af enhver størrelse, og således dække næsten ethvert sorteringsbehov for vasketøj 20 og lignende emner, der placeres enkeltvis og fritliggende på en transportør.The invention also relates to an independent sorting unit for use in sorting plants, and as stated in the characterizing part of claim 9. With such sorting units and a number of conveyor belts, a sorting system can be built. A variety of different conveyors or conveyor belts can be used, provided that they can convey the items at sufficient speed. Thus, with the sorting unit according to the invention, a sorting system of any size can be constructed, and thus cover almost any sorting need for laundry 20 and similar items placed individually and freely on a conveyor.

Tegningen 25 Opfindelsen forklares herefter nærmere i forbindelse med en foretrukken udførelsesform for opfindelsen, idet fig. 1 viser et komplet sorteringsanlæg for vasketøj, 30 fig. 2 viser i større målestok selve sorteringsafsnittet ifølge opfindelsen med tre sorteringsbånd og tre sorteringsenheder, og 1 35 3 viser en sorteringsenhed i endnu større målestok.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be explained in more detail in connection with a preferred embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 shows a complete laundry sorting system; FIG. 2 shows on a larger scale the sorting section according to the invention with three sorting bands and three sorting units, and 1 3 shows a sorting unit on an even larger scale.

DK 171210 B1 5DK 171210 B1 5

Beskrivelse af udførelseseksemplet På fig. 1 ses et sorteringsanlæg for vasketøj omfattende et fødebånd A, et læsebånd B, et mellembånd C og et sorte-5 ringsafsnit D, som har tre sorteringsbånd 2 og tre sorte ringsenheder 1 monteret på en fælles langsgående bæreprofil 17, som bæres af et antal søjler 19 stående på et underlag 20, f.eks. et gulv.Description of the embodiment In FIG. 1 shows a laundry sorting system comprising a feeding belt A, a reading belt B, a middle belt C and a sorting section D, which has three sorting bands 2 and three black ring units 1 mounted on a common longitudinal carrier profile 17 carried by a number of columns 19 standing on a substrate 20, e.g. a floor.

10 Anlægget er indrettet til sortering af vasketøj, der enkeltvis og med afstand anbringes på fødebåndet A ved position E. Vasketøjet anbringes således manuelt eller mekanisk på fødebåndet og med en afstand på mindst 50-60 cm mellem hvert tøjstykke.The system is arranged for sorting laundry which is placed individually and at a distance on the feed belt A at position E. Thus, the laundry is placed manually or mechanically on the feed belt and with a distance of at least 50-60 cm between each piece of clothing.

1515

Vasketøjet sorteres på anlægget ved, at tøjemner enkeltvis overføres fra fødebåndet A til læsebåndet B, hvor en antenne 21 er placeret under båndet for aflæsning af transponde-re anbragt i eller på tøjet. For at sikre passende tæt kon-20 takt mellem hver transponder og antennen 21, er der over båndet anbragt en ledeplade 22, der hindrer, at tøjet eller dele heraf kan passere antennen i for stor afstand. Herefter overføres emnerne til mellembåndet C, hvorfra det viderebringes til sorteringsafsnittet D, og sorteres ud i 25 destinationerne 5.The laundry is sorted at the facility by transferring clothing items individually from the feed belt A to the reading belt B, where an antenna 21 is placed under the belt for reading transponders located in or on the clothing. In order to ensure suitable close contact between each transponder and the antenna 21, a guide plate 22 is placed over the band which prevents the clothing or parts thereof from passing over the antenna too far. The items are then transferred to the intermediate belt C, from which it is passed to the sorting section D and sorted out in the destinations 5.

Hele sorteringsprocessen styres af et elektronisk styreanlæg, der omfatter en programmerbar enhed, f.eks. en PLC, som modtager en række data fra sorteringsanlægget. Båndet A 30 omfatter en omdrejningstæller 23, og båndet B omfatter ligeledes en omdrejningstæller 23', hvilke omdrejningstællere er såkaldte encodere, og hvert sorteringsbånd 2 i sorteringsafsnittet D har ligeledes en omdrejningstæller 23' ' i form af en encoder.The entire sorting process is controlled by an electronic control system comprising a programmable device, e.g. a PLC which receives a number of data from the sorting plant. The band A 30 comprises a speed counter 23 and the band B also comprises a speed counter 23 ', which are so-called encoders, and each sorting band 2 in the sorting section D also has a speed counter 23' 'in the form of an encoder.

Ved overgangen mellem fødebåndet A og læsebåndet B, kort 35 DK 171210 B1 6 før antennen 21, er anbragt en fotocelle, der dels registrerer, at et tøjemne er på vej, og derfor trigger antennen 21, så den er klar til af tastning af transponderen i tøjet. Samtidig hermed udmåler fotocelle-arrangementet 24 5 tøjemnets længde i transportretningen. Ved slutningen af lagerbåndet C er ligeledes anbragt et fotocelle-arrangement 24', og på hvert bånd 2 er ligeledes anbragt et fotocellearrangement 24' ', hvilke fotocelle-arrangementer anvendes til efterjustering af sorteringsanlægget, hvis et tøjemnes 10 position er blevet forskudt, f.eks. på grund af slip eller komprimering, således at sorteringsanlæggets styrekredsløb altid har korrekte oplysninger om de enkelte tøjemner på båndet, dvs. hvor de befinder sig, samt hvor stor deres øjeblikkelige udstrækning på båndet er.At the transition between the feed band A and the reading band B, shortly before the antenna 21, a photocell is placed which partly detects that a clothing item is on its way and therefore triggers the antenna 21 so that it is ready for testing of the transponder. in the clothes. At the same time, the photocell arrangement 24 measures the length of the garment in the direction of transport. At the end of the storage band C is also provided a photocell arrangement 24 ', and on each band 2 is also a photocell arrangement 24' ', which photocell arrangements are used for adjusting the sorting system if the position of a clothes item 10 has been displaced, f. eg. due to slip or compression, so that the sorting system's control circuit always has correct information about the individual clothing items on the belt, ie. where they are, as well as their immediate extent on the tape.

1515

Som det fremgår af fig. 2, vil de enkeltvis fremførte emner i sorteringsafsnittet D overføres ved den højeste ende af hvert af de skråtstillede bånd 2 til en sorteringsenhed 1, der enten lader tøjet falde ud gennem en nedadvendende 20 skakt for en sorteringsdestination 5, eller overfører emnet til næste transportør. Transportbåndene 2 er endeløse bånd af plast eller gummi, og bevæges med forholdsvis stor hastighed, f.eks. af størrelsesordenen 1 m pr. sekund, i fremføringsretningen, der er markeret med en pil på hvert bånd.As shown in FIG. 2, the individually conveyed items in the sorting section D are transferred at the highest end of each of the inclined bands 2 to a sorting unit 1 which either drops the clothing through a downwardly extending shaft for a sorting destination 5, or transfers the item to the next conveyor. The conveyor belts 2 are endless belts of plastic or rubber and are moved at a relatively high speed, e.g. of the order of 1 m per per second, in the direction of advance marked by an arrow on each band.

25 Sorteringsenheden 1' s funktion forklares senere under henvisning til fig. 3. Ved sorteringsanlæggets afslutning er anbragt en yderligere skakt 6, således at der ved afslutningen af sidste sorteringsbånd 2 er to sorteringsdestinationer 5.The operation of the sorting unit 1 is explained later with reference to FIG. 3. At the end of the sorting plant an additional shaft 6 is arranged so that at the end of the last sorting belt 2 there are two sorting destinations 5.

3030

Alle de emner, der bliver anbragt på sorteringsanlægget ved positionen E vil således elektronisk kunne udsorteres til de med 5 viste destinationer. Tre sorteringsbånd med tre sorteringsenheder kan således bringe emnerne ud i fire for-35 skellige destinationer.All the items placed on the sorting plant at position E will thus be able to be sorted electronically to the destinations indicated by 5. Thus, three sorting tapes with three sorting units can bring the items out in four different destinations.

DK 171210 B1 7DK 171210 B1 7

Det vil være klart for en fagmand på området, at sorteringsanlæg af denne udformning vil kunne udvides til meget store anlæg, idet der tilføjes en yderligere sorteringsdestination hver gang anlægget tilføres et sorteringsbånd 2 5 og en sorteringsenhed 1. Det fremgår ligeledes af fig. 1 og 2 og forklaringen hertil, at sorteringsafsnittet kan forløbe i samme niveau, så langt som man ønsker det, fordi de enkelte sorteringsbånd 2 forløber skråt opad i fremføringsretningen som vist på tegningen.It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that sorting systems of this design can be expanded to very large systems, with an additional sorting destination being added each time the system is supplied with a sorting belt 25 and a sorting unit 1. It is also apparent from FIG. 1 and 2 and the explanation therefor that the sorting section can proceed at the same level as far as desired, because the individual sorting belts 2 extend obliquely upwards in the feed direction as shown in the drawing.

1010

Sorteringsenheden 1' s funktion forklares herefter nærmere under henvisning til tegningens fig. 3, der viser en sorteringsenhed i større målestok anbragt mellem to båndender 2. Hvert sorteringsbånd 2 omfatter en endeløs båndtransportør 15 16, som er motordreven, og som i hver ende forløber omkring en rulle eller valse 15.The function of the sorting unit 1 is then explained in more detail with reference to the drawing of FIG. 3, showing a larger-scale sorting unit disposed between two belt ends 2. Each sorting belt 2 comprises an endless belt conveyor 15 16 which is motor driven and which at each end extends about a roller or roller 15.

Hver sorteringsenhed 1, som er anbragt umiddelbart mellem to båndender 2, omfatter i den viste udførelsesform to be-20 vægelige plader 7, 8. Pladerne er monteret drejeligt omkring i det væsentlige vandrette akser 13, 14, og kan ma nøvreres af arbejdscylindre 10, fortrinsvis trykluftcylindre. Pladerne 7, 8 er vist i to positioner, én position fuldt optrukken, og én position med stiplet streg, og mær-25 ket 7' og 8 ' .Each sorting unit 1 disposed immediately between two belt ends 2 comprises in the illustrated embodiment two movable plates 7, 8. The plates are rotatably mounted about substantially horizontal axes 13, 14, and can be actuated by working cylinders 10, preferably compressed air cylinders. The plates 7, 8 are shown in two positions, one position fully drawn, and one position with dashed line, and marking 7 'and 8'.

Når pladerne 7, 8 er i den med fuldt optrukken streg viste position vil tøjemnerne, på grund af båndet 16's hastighed, forløbe i en bue vist med pilene 4 i form af et kast fra ét 30 bånd til det næste. Sorteringsenheden har hertil en åbning 18, således at tøjet frit kan føres fra én transportør og ned på den næste som vist med pilene 4. Den ene af pladerne, nemlig pladen 7, der forløber umiddelbart fra den ene båndende og skråt nedad i fremføringsretningen til den 35 næste båndende, har en kant eller bukning 11, således at eventuelle tøjemner, som på grund af fugt eller snavs klæ- DK 171210 B1 8 ber til båndet 16, alligevel vil blive overført til båndet på den næste transportør. Omstillingen af pladerne 7, 8 til positionen 7', 8' medfører, at et tøjemne ikke kan overføres til næste bånd, fordi pladerne 7', 8' spærrer herfor, 5 og emnet vil således ramme pladerne 7' eller 8' og herefter falde lodret ned gennem skakten 3 til positionen 5, som antydet med de stiplede pile 9.When the plates 7, 8 are in the fully drawn line position, the clothing items, due to the speed of the belt 16, will proceed in an arc shown by the arrows 4 in the form of a throw from one 30 belt to the next. The sorting unit has for this an opening 18, so that the clothes can be freely moved from one conveyor down to the next as shown by arrows 4. One of the plates, namely the plate 7, which extends immediately from the one bonding and inclined downwards in the feeding direction to the The next belt end, has an edge or bend 11, so that any clothing items that stick to the belt 16 due to moisture or dirt will nevertheless be transferred to the belt on the next conveyor. The switching of the plates 7, 8 to the position 7 ', 8' means that an article of clothing cannot be transferred to the next belt because the plates 7 ', 8' lock against it, 5 and the blank will thus hit the plates 7 'or 8' and then fall vertically down through the shaft 3 to the position 5, as indicated by the dashed arrows 9.

Den ene ende af arbejdscylinderne 10 er fastgjort til sor-10 teringsenheden l's ramme eller lignende, f.eks. den vandretliggende fundamentdel 12, på en sådan måde, at de kan drejes i ophængningen. Der anvendes fortrinsvis trykluftcylindre som arbejdescylindre, idet disse kan omstilles på få sekunder, fortrinsvis på 0,2-0,3 sekunder, således at der 15 selv med den førnævnte store båndhastighed på transportørerne 2 kan foretages en omstilling af pladerne 7, 8 mellem hvert tøjstykke, hvis dette er nødvendigt. Under skakten 3 ved destinationen 5 kan der være anbragt en sæk, en transportvogn eller lignende for opsamling af sorteret tøj.One end of the working cylinders 10 is attached to the frame or the like of the sorting unit 1, e.g. the horizontal foundation portion 12, in such a way that they can be rotated in the suspension. Preferably, compressed air cylinders are used as working cylinders, these being adjustable in a few seconds, preferably in 0.2-0.3 seconds, so that even with the aforementioned high belt speed of the conveyors 2, the plates 7, 8 can be switched between each piece of clothing, if necessary. Under the shaft 3 at the destination 5 a sack, a transport wagon or the like may be arranged for collecting sorted clothing.

2020

Claims

1. Laundry sorting facility (D) for laundry and similar items, which are individually conveyed on one of a plurality of conveyors (2) arranged in series one after the other, and from here are delivered to a number of destinations (5), each conveyor (2 ) has an increase and a velocity in the feed direction as well as a sorting unit (1) positioned at each conveyor at the end where the blanks leave it, characterized by the blanks leaving the conveyor in an arc at one end thereof as a result of the advance speed and pitch, and each sorting unit comprises at least one movable or tiltable plate (7, 8) for destination selection, the plate or plates being arranged to block the arc along which the article leaves the conveyor where the individual sorting unit is located. the gap between a carrier and the optionally subsequent one.

Sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that each sorting unit comprises two plates (7, 8), each of which can be positioned in one of two positions.

Sorting system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each conveyor (2) is arranged obliquely upwards in the direction of conveyance, so that the articles leave the conveyor following a curve which allows the articles to overcome the distance between the conveyor and the subsequent conveyor via a sorting unit (1). 30

Sorting system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each plate (7, 8) is arranged to be tilted about a substantially horizontal axis (13, 14) maneuvered by a drive mechanism, preferably a working cylinder ( 10). DK 171210 B1 10

Sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the sorting destinations at each sorting unit (1) is constituted by the start of the next conveyor.

Sorting system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that all conveyors are identical and consist of an endless motor-driven belt (16) extending over a roller or roller (15) at each end, and that all sorting units (1) is also the same, wherein each 10 conveyor comprises a revolution counter (23 '') as well as at least one photocell arrangement (24 '').

Sorting system according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that one of the plates (7) is arranged such that in one of its positions it extends in an inclined downward and forward direction from one conveyor to the next. .

Sorting system according to any one of claims 20 to 7, characterized in that each sorting unit (1) comprises a downwardly extending shaft (3) and the last sorting unit in the row comprises an additional shaft (6) arranged therein. otherwise the next carrier should start. 25

Sorting unit for use in a sorting plant according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that each sorting unit is an independent unit comprising at least one plate (7, 8) which can be positioned in one of 30 two positions maneuvered by a drive mechanism, preferably a working cylinder (10), the unit comprising a downwardly extending shaft (3), and an aperture (18), wherein the shaft and aperture indicate sorting destinations where at least one of the plates (7, 8) is arranged to be able to block the opening (18) in its one position.