EP1294978B1 - Industrial laundry machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a machine (4) comprising a vertical mast (15), a carriage (17) mobile along said mast (17), a clamp (18) mounted on said carriage (17), means (20) for driving the carriage (17)/clamp (18) assembly along the mast, means (25, 30) for transferring the extracted articles (1) to a conveyor (5), and means for controlling the movements of the carriage (17)/clamp (18) assembly, including means (37) for detecting whether one or several articles (10) have been gripped. The invention is characterized in that the machine (4) comprises disengaging means (21) acting between said carriage (17) and said carriage driving means (20), said disengaging means (21) providing disengagement between said carriage (17) and said driving means (20) when a stress threshold exerted on the clamp (18) is exceeded, said threshold being less than the one as from which the clamp could be damaged. Industrial laundry machine, including a vertical mast, a carriage moving along the mast, a clamp mounted on the carriage, means for driving the carriage and clamp assembly along the mast, making it possible to move the assembly between a lower position in which the clamp goes up to and grips articles and an upper position in which the clamp makes it possible to extract one or more of the articles, means for transferring the articles thus extracted to a conveyor to take the articles away, and means for controlling the movements of the carriage and clamp assembly, including means for detecting a gripping of the one or more articles by the clamp, the means for detecting controlling the movement of the carriage and clamp assembly to the upper position when the means for detecting detect that the articles have been gripped, and means for disengaging acting between the carriage and the means for driving the carriage, the means for disengaging providing disengagement between the carriage and the means for driving when a stress threshold exerted on the clamp is exceeded, the threshold being lower than one from which the clamp could be damaged.

Description

The present invention relates to an industrial laundry machine capable of separating articles to be treated, such as sheets and other items of laundry, being in bulk, being more or less nested within each other.

An industrial laundry includes one or more laundry units and one or more drying / ironing / folding units thereof.

Once washed, the articles are removed in bulk from the washing unit (s) and must be separated from each other, at least in small sets, so that they can then be continuously treated by the drying / ironing / folding unit (s). .

Frequently, one or more pressing units come to a pressing of the articles between their washing and their subsequent treatment, in order to extract a significant portion of the water contained in these articles. This pressing has the effect of compacting the articles in the form of a relatively rigid slab and involving the use of a machine to perform the separation of these articles from such a slab.

• un mât vertical ;
• un chariot déplaçable le long de ce mât ;
• une pince montée sur ce chariot ;
• des moyens d'entraînement de l'ensemble chariot/pince le long du mât, permettant de déplacer cet ensemble entre une position inférieure dans laquelle la pince vient rencontrer et saisir des articles et une position supérieure dans laquelle la pince a permis d'extraire un ou plusieurs articles ;
• des moyens de transfert des articles ainsi extraits vers un transporteur d'évacuation de ces articles, et
• des moyens de commande des mouvements de l'ensemble chariot/pince, incluant des moyens de détection de la saisie d'un ou plusieurs articles par la pince, ces moyens de détection commandant, lorsqu'ils détectent que ladite saisie est réalisée, le déplacement de l'ensemble chariot/pince vers ladite position supérieure.

There is such a machine (see eg WO 99/14420), comprising:

• a vertical mast;
• a carriage movable along this mast;
• a clamp mounted on this carriage;
• means for driving the carriage / gripper assembly along the mast, for moving the assembly between a lower position in which the gripper meets and grasps articles and an upper position in which the gripper has extracted a or more articles;
• means for transferring the articles thus extracted to an evacuation conveyor of these articles, and
• means for controlling the movements of the carriage / gripper assembly, including means for detecting the gripping of one or more articles by the gripper, said detection means controlling, when they detect that said gripping is performed, the displacement from the carriage / clamp assembly to said upper position.

This machine gives overall satisfaction but has the important disadvantage of generating significant constraints on the clamp, causing successive deformations thereof, which gradually alter its effectiveness. Indeed, the clamp must plunge into the pile of articles so that the gripping of these articles can be done effectively. However, the surface of the pile of articles can be very irregular, and this pile, when it is pressed, is rather rigid. As a result, the descent movement of the carriage / clamp assembly, before the capture could take place and this movement is reversed, generates said important constraints on the clamp.

Another disadvantage of the existing machine lies in the fact that the amount of laundry gripped by the clamp is not always well controlled, and it frequently happens that the clamp captures a quantity of laundry greater than that required for a cycle of seizure / transfer of articles.

The present invention aims to remedy these two essential drawbacks.

The machine it concerns is of the aforementioned type.

According to the invention, this machine comprises disengaging means acting between said carriage and said drive means of said carriage, said disengaging means operating a disengagement between said carriage and said drive means beyond a threshold of stress exerted on the clamp, this threshold being lower than that from which damage could be caused to the clamp.

The invention thus eliminates any risk of such damage, without the need to strengthen the structure of the clamp, and therefore without weighing down the clamp. Such a weight increase the inertia of the clamp and would be detrimental to the operation of the machine, particularly the movement of the clamp necessary for the transfer of articles.

• les moyens d'entraînement comprennent un moto-réducteur ;
• la machine comprend des moyens de transmission, incluant une poulie crantée montée sur l'arbre d'entraînement du moto-réducteur, une poulie crantée de renvoi et une courroie crantée engagée autour de ces poulies ; et
• la poulie crantée montée sur l'arbre du moto-réducteur inclut lesdits moyens de débrayage, ceux-ci étant aménagés entre cette poulie crantée et cet arbre, et étant conformés de manière à assurer une liaison en rotation de cette poulie et de cet arbre lorsque cette poulie et cet arbre tournent dans le même sens et à permettre une rotation libre de cet arbre par rapport à cette poulie lorsque la poulie cesse purement et simplement de tourner ou cesse de tourner dans le même sens que cet arbre.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention,

• the drive means comprise a geared motor;
• the machine comprises transmission means, including a toothed pulley mounted on the drive shaft of the geared motor, a toothed return pulley and a toothed belt engaged around these pulleys; and
• the toothed pulley mounted on the shaft of the geared motor includes said disengaging means, the latter being arranged between this toothed pulley and this shaft, and being shaped so as to ensure a rotational connection of this pulley and of this shaft when this pulley and this shaft rotate in the same direction and to allow free rotation of the shaft relative to this pulley when the pulley simply stops turning or stops rotating in the same direction as the shaft.

During the descent or the rise of the carriage / clamp assembly, the gear motor shaft and the pulley rotate in the same direction so that this shaft drives the pulley; when the clip bears against the laundry, regardless of the configuration of the surface of the pile of laundry, the carriage, the belt and the two pulleys around which this belt is engaged are immobilized, and the shaft can continue to rotate freely relative to the pulley mounted on it, until, once the seizure of the laundry operated, the shaft of the geared motor is driven in the opposite direction to move said carriage / pulley assembly upwards.

• la pince est en deux parties, c'est-à-dire comprend deux sous-ensembles de pinçage indépendants, disposés l'un à côté de l'autre et fonctionnant de manière indépendante l'un de l'autre ;
• chaque sous-ensemble est équipé de moyens de détection propres à détecter la présence ou l'absence d'articles dans ce sous-ensemble, ainsi que de moyens de commande de l'ouverture et de la fermeture des mors de pinçage que comprend ce sous-ensemble,

les moyens de détection et les moyens de commande de ces deux sous-ensembles agissant de manière telle que, si la présence d'articles est détectée à la fois dans les deux sous-ensembles, les moyens de commande de l'un des deux sous-ensembles sont actionnés afin de réaliser l'ouverture desdits mors de pinçage de ce sous-ensemble afin de relâcher le ou les articles saisis par ce même sous-ensemble.According to another aspect of the invention,

• the clip is in two parts, i.e. includes two independent clamping subassemblies arranged next to each other and operating independently of one another;
• each subassembly is equipped with detection means capable of detecting the presence or absence of articles in this subassembly, as well as means for controlling the opening and closing of the clamping jaws which this sub-assembly comprises. -together,

the detection means and the control means of these two subsets acting in such a way that, if the presence of articles is detected both in the two subsets, the control means of one of the two subsets -sets are actuated to achieve the opening of said clamping jaws of this subassembly to release the item or articles seized by the same subset.

The clamp thus shaped allows much more precise control of the amount of laundry taken each cycle, and thus regulate the transfer of this laundry to the subsequent units of treatment.

• La figure 1 est une vue en élévation d'une installation dans laquelle cette machine se trouve ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus de cette installation ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de côté de la machine selon l'invention, à échelle agrandie, des écrans de protection que comprend cette machine étant mis en place ;
• La figure 4 en est une vue en perspective, ces écrans n'étant pas représentés, et
• La figure 5 en est une vue partielle, de côté et à échelle agrandie.

For a good understanding, the invention is again described below with reference to the attached schematic drawing representing, as a non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the machine it relates.

• Figure 1 is an elevational view of an installation in which this machine is located;
• Figure 2 is a top view of this installation;
• Figure 3 is a side view of the machine according to the invention, on an enlarged scale, shields that includes this machine being implemented;
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view, these screens not being shown, and
• Figure 5 is a partial view, side and on an enlarged scale.

Figures 1 and 2 show, in a very simplified and schematic manner, a portion of an industrial laundry. This comprises one or more units (not shown) for washing and pressing laundry, a conveyor 1 conveying heaps 2 of pressed laundry, in the form of more or less compact slabs, a conveyor 3 for routing heaps 2 at the level of the machine 4 according to the invention, three conveyors 5, 6, 7 for conveying the articles of laundry 10 treated by the machine 4, and a unit 8 for subsequent treatment of the laundry. In the example shown, this unit 8 is a so-called "engaging" machine, for extending each article flat for its passage in an ironing unit and then in a folding unit.

The purpose of the machine 4 is to extract articles 10 from the pile 2 by separating them from each other, at least in small assemblies, so that these articles 10 can then be treated continuously by the processing unit or units. subsequent.

• un mât vertical 15 formant un rail de guidage 16 ;
• un chariot 17 déplaçable le long de ce mât 15, dans ce rail 16;
• une pince 18 en deux parties 18a, 18b, montée sur ce chariot 17 ;
• un moto-réducteur 20, une poulie crantée 21 montée sur l'arbre d'entraînement de ce moto-réducteur 20, une poulie crantée 22 de renvoi et une courroie crantée 23 engagée autour de ces poulies 21, 22, à laquelle le chariot 17 est relié ;
• un bras pivotant 25 reliant la pince 18 au chariot 17, et
• des moyens de commande des mouvements de l'ensemble chariot 17/pince 18, incluant des moyens de détection de la saisie d'un ou plusieurs articles 10 par la pince 18.

The machine 4 comprises:

• a vertical mast 15 forming a guide rail 16;
• a carriage 17 movable along this mast 15, in this rail 16;
• a gripper 18 in two parts 18a, 18b, mounted on this carriage 17;
• a geared motor 20, a toothed pulley 21 mounted on the drive shaft of this geared motor 20, a toothed pulley 22 of return and a toothed belt 23 engaged around these pulleys 21, 22, to which the carriage 17 is connected;
• a pivoting arm 25 connecting the clamp 18 to the carriage 17, and
• means for controlling the movements of the carriage assembly 17 / clamp 18, including means for detecting the gripping of one or more articles 10 by the clamp 18.

The geared motor 20 forms a means for driving the carriage assembly 17 / clamp 18 along the mast 15, and the pulleys 21, 22 and the belt 23 form transmission means. These various means make it possible to move said assembly between a lower position in which the clamp 18 meets and grasps articles 10 and an upper position in which this clamp has made it possible to extract one or more articles 10.

The pulley 21 is of the type disengageable relative to the shaft which comprises it, namely the gear motor 20 shaft in this case. This pulley 21 may in particular be of the type with balls movable radially between the shaft and it, so as to ensure a rotational connection of this pulley and of this shaft when the pulley and this shaft rotate in the same direction and to allow rotation free of this shaft relative to this pulley when the pulley simply stops turning or stops rotating in the same direction as the tree.

This pulley 21 thus makes it possible to operate a disengagement between the clamp 18 and the geared motor 20 when this clamp bears against the pile of laundry, before a seizure of an article 10 by the clamp 18 could be detected. .

The arm 25 is pivotally mounted on the carriage 17 and is actuated by a jack 30 between two positions located on either side of the mast 15. In one of these positions, the clamp 18 is opposite the conveyor 3, to be able to operate the seizure of an article 10, and in the other position, opposed to the first position of plus or minus 180 °, the clamp 18 is facing the conveyor 5, to be able to deposit the seized item (s) 10 on this carrier 5.

Each clamp portion 18a comprises two movable jaws 35 actuated by a jack 36. One of the jaws 35 comprises a photoelectric cell 37 able to detect the presence of one or more articles 10 between these jaws 35.

This cell 37 is connected to a control unit, which controls the closing of the jaws 35 when the presence of one or more items 10 is detected and which triggers the movement of the carriage 17 upwards once the seizure of this or these items 10 completed.

The two clamp parts 18a are arranged next to each other and operate independently of one another. Said control unit acts in such a way that, if the presence of articles 10 is detected both in the two gripper portions 18a, the jack 36 of one of said gripper portions 18a is actuated to realize the opening the jaws 35 of this clamp portion 18a to release the item or articles grasped by the same gripper portion 18a.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the invention provides a machine having, compared to the homologous machine of the prior art, the advantage of eliminating any excessive pressure of the clamp 18 against the laundry stack 2 and therefore all risk of damage to the clamp 18 by deformation, without the need to strengthen the structure of the clamp, and therefore without damaging weight of this clamp. In addition, the clip 18 in two parts 18a makes it possible to control much more precisely the quantity of laundry taken at each cycle, and thus to regulate the transfer of this laundry to the subsequent processing units.

Claims (4)

1. Industrial laundering machine, comprising:

   - a vertical mast (15);

   - a carriage (17) movable along said mast (15);

   - a pincer (18) mounted on said carriage (17);

   - means (20) for driving the carriage (17)/pincer (18) ensemble along said mast (15), enabling said ensemble to move between a lower position in which pincer (18) locates and picks up articles (10) and an upper position in which pincer (18) is able to extract one or several articles (10);

   - means (25, 30) for transferring articles (10) thus extracted towards a conveyor (5) for removing said articles (10), and

   - means for commanding the movements of the carriage (17)/pincer (18) ensemble, including means (37) for detecting the seizure of one or several articles (10) by pincer (18), said detection means (37) commanding, after detecting said seizure, the movement of the carriage (17)/pincer (18) ensemble towards said upper position;

   - machine (4) characterised in that it comprises disconnecting means (21) acting between said carriage (17) and said driving means (20) of said carriage, said disconnecting means (21) operating a disconnection between said carriage (17) and said driving means (20) beyond a stress threshold exerted on pincer (18), with said threshold being lower than that which could damage pincer (18).
2. Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that

   - the driving means comprise a motor reducer (20);

   - machine (4) comprises transmission means, including a notched pulley (21) mounted on the transmission shaft of motor reducer (20), a countershaft notched pulley (22) and a notched belt (23) engaged around said pulleys (21, 22); and

   - notched pulley (21) mounted on the shaft of motor reducer (20) including said disconnecting means, the latter being arranged between said notched pulley (21) and said shaft, and being shaped to ensure a rotational linkage between said pulley and said shaft when said pulley and said shaft rotate in the same direction and to enable said shaft to rotate freely in relation to said pulley when the pulley purely and simply stops rotating or stops rotating in the same direction as said shaft.
3. Machine according to claim 2, characterised in that notched pulley (21) mounted on the shaft of motor reducer (20) is of the freewheel clutch type between the shaft and the pulley, so as to ensure a rotational linkage between said pulley and said shaft when said pulley and said shaft rotate in the same direction and to enable said shaft to rotate freely with respect to said pulley when the pulley purely and simply stops rotating or when it stops rotating in the same direction as said shaft.
4. Machine according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that:

   - pincer (18) is in two parts (18a), in other words it comprises two independent pincing subunits, arranged side by side and operating independently from one another;

   - each subunit (18a) being provided with its own detecting means (37) for detecting the presence or absence of articles (10) in said subunit, as well as command means for opening and closing the pincer jaws (35) that said subunit comprises,

   - detection means (37) and command means of said two subunits (18a) acting in such a way that, if the presence of articles (10) is detected at the same time in the two subunits, the command means of one of the two subunits are activated to open said pincing jaws (35) of said subunit (18a) in order to release article or articles (10) seized by said same subunit (18a).

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