EP2853633B1 - Method for folding laundry - Google Patents

Method for folding laundry Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2853633B1
EP2853633B1 EP14003198.0A EP14003198A EP2853633B1 EP 2853633 B1 EP2853633 B1 EP 2853633B1 EP 14003198 A EP14003198 A EP 14003198A EP 2853633 B1 EP2853633 B1 EP 2853633B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
laundry
longitudinal
items
folding station
folding
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP14003198.0A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP2853633A2 (en
EP2853633A3 (en
Inventor
Jörg Sielmann
Christian Herzberg
Alexander Serikow
Lars Herzog
René Pleitner
Engelbert Heinz
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH and Co
Original Assignee
Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH and Co
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Publication date
Application filed by Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH and Co filed Critical Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH and Co
Publication of EP2853633A2 publication Critical patent/EP2853633A2/en
Publication of EP2853633A3 publication Critical patent/EP2853633A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2853633B1 publication Critical patent/EP2853633B1/en
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    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F89/00—Apparatus for folding textile articles with or without stapling
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B63/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged
    • B65B63/04—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for folding or winding articles, e.g. gloves or stockings

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for folding laundry items according to the preamble of claim 1.
  • the automatic folding of laundry items happens in at least one longitudinal folding station having folding machines.
  • the items of laundry are individually conveyed through the longitudinal folding station and thereby folded along.
  • the items of laundry are provided with at least one fold line extending in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal folding station.
  • the invention has for its object to provide a method for automatically folding laundry items, which allows an increased folding performance.
  • a method for achieving this object comprises the measures of claim 1.
  • the laundry items with an at least adapted to their size, especially length, transport speed through the longitudinal folding station be transported.
  • the length of the items of laundry means that direction of extent of the same which runs in the transport direction of the items of laundry through the longitudinal folding station.
  • the transport speed of the laundry items is adjusted by the longitudinal folding station, that the longitudinal folding is completed when the leading transverse edge of each garment is in the range of a discharge end of the longitudinal folding station, that is at the outlet end or just before.
  • items of laundry of any type and size, large items of laundry and small items of laundry are transported as fast as possible through the longitudinal folding station, the speed being selected so that the transport time of the items through the longitudinal folding station is sufficient for at least one longitudinal fold of each item of laundry , Larger pieces of laundry are consequently transported more slowly through the longitudinal folding station than smaller items of laundry.
  • the interruption of the further transport of larger laundry items is avoided by the Lssensfaltstation on the one hand and on the other hand ensures that with the faster transport of smaller items of laundry through the Lssensfaltstation even small laundry items after the longitudinal folding the outlet end of the longitudinal folding station at least have almost reached. Only when very large items of laundry are to be folded with a length which corresponds approximately to the length of the longitudinal folding station, must a short interruption of the further transport of the item of laundry for folding the same take place in the longitudinal folding station.
  • the transport speed of short or small items of laundry through the longitudinal folding station is preferably provided to select the transport speed of short or small items of laundry through the longitudinal folding station to be greater than for longer or larger items of laundry and / or to accelerate short or small items of laundry in the longitudinal folding station and to delay larger, especially longer, items of laundry.
  • the longitudinal folding station There is thus an individual adaptation of the transport speed of the laundry items by the longitudinal folding station.
  • larger items of laundry - unless it is not laundry, which claim the entire length of the longitudinal folding station - are folded without interrupting their onward transport and smaller pieces of laundry are transported through the longitudinal folding station with greater transport speed, so that the folding process of different sizes of laundry over extends at least a majority of the length of the longitudinal folding station. Downtimes in the longitudinal folding station and transport times of the already finished small laundry item to the outlet end of the longitudinal folding station are eliminated.
  • a preferred embodiment of the method provides that the transport speed of the items of laundry by the longitudinal folding station individually and preferably continuously adjusted at least to the length of the respective piece of laundry to be folded and adjusted accordingly.
  • the transport speed of the items of laundry in the longitudinal folding station is adapted individually to the longitudinal folding time, which is smaller for shorter items of laundry than for longer items of laundry.
  • This adjustment is made such that during the longitudinal folding time the garment has been transported across the entire longitudinal folding station, so that at the conclusion of each longitudinal fold or all longitudinal folds of the respective garment the leading (front) transverse edge of the same, both large items of laundry and small items of laundry, is located at or near the outlet end of the longitudinal folding station.
  • This procedure means that all items of laundry, regardless of their size or length, pass through the longitudinal folding station in the shortest possible time and the at least one longitudinal fold is completely completed.
  • the method is provided to adapt the feed rate of the laundry items to the longitudinal folding station to the transport speed of the laundry items by the longitudinal folding station. This ensures that in the case of small items of laundry which are transported rapidly through the longitudinal folding station, the following items of laundry are fed to the longitudinal folding station with the least possible distance from the preceding item of laundry. Conversely, in the case of large items of laundry transported slowly through the longitudinal folding station, the delivery of subsequent items of laundry to the longitudinal folding station is delayed, so that there is no overlapping or overlapping of successive items of laundry in the longitudinal folding station.
  • a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method provides, the sizes of the laundry items, so the dimensions of the laundry items in the transport direction by the Longitudinal folding station, to be determined in good time before the beginning of the longitudinal folding or the first longitudinal folding.
  • the length of the respective item of laundry preferably of the laundry item to be folded next, is determined.
  • the length determination can be done by at least one sensor. For example, it can be such a sensor which determines the time from the passage of the front transverse edge to the passage of the rear transverse edge of a respective item of laundry at the sensor. Due to the known transport speed of the laundry then the length of the same can be calculated. It is also conceivable, however, to use a position transducer, the contactless or in contact with the garment, so touching, the length of the transported past him laundry items scans.
  • Another advantageous embodiment of the method provides to transport the folded laundry items from the last folding station with different feeding speeds to different stacking points behind the last folding station. Because the juxtaposed or successively arranged stacking points inevitably have different distances to the last folding station, can be achieved by the different feeding speeds that the folded laundry items need about the same time to reach the far different from the last folding station stacking stations. In particular, when the items of laundry are transported through the longitudinal folding station with a transport speed adapted to their size, and thus the longitudinal folding duration in the items of laundry is approximately the same, it is possible to ensure that the items of laundry are unstacked in about the same time and therefore not serviced must be until pieces of laundry that need to be stacked on far away stacking sites have reached these removed stacking points.
  • the device 10 is used for automatically folding laundry items 10 and for simultaneously destacking folded laundry items 10.
  • the laundry items 10 may be of any type, preferably so-called flat linen, such as sheets, duvets, pillows, tablecloths, napkins or the like, but also Towels, including terry towels.
  • the invention also relates to devices which serve for folding and / or stacking other items of laundry, for example garments, so-called moldings.
  • the invention also relates to devices that serve only for folding laundry items 10.
  • the device has the in the Fig. 1 left side via an input table 11 with at least one circulating input conveyor belt. From the input table 11 is in each case transported to a folding, spread laundry article 10 in the transport direction 12 to a longitudinal folding station 13. In the longitudinal folding station 13, the respective laundry item 10 is folded longitudinally at least once. In the embodiment shown, two longitudinal folds take place from opposite longitudinal sides of the item of laundry 10 in succession.
  • the laundry item 10 receives two parallel, in the transport direction 12, ie longitudinally to the longitudinal folding station 13, extending fold lines on opposite sides of the direction of transport 12 extending laundry center.
  • the respective item of laundry 10 is transported into a funnelfaltstation 14 of the device shown here.
  • the respective laundry item 10 is transversely folded at least once.
  • the folded laundry item 10 is transported by a lower output conveyor 15 against the transport direction 12 of the longitudinal folding station 13 to a stacking device 16 which is located below and / or next to the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the stacking device 16 has a parallel to the longitudinal folding station 13 extending conveyor 17, which in the illustrated embodiment four in the transport direction 12 consecutive stacker, for example in the Fig. 1 shown lift trucks 18, 19, 20 and 21, are assigned.
  • the lift trucks 18 to 21 are at different distances from the output conveyor 15 of the Wienfaltstation 14, so that the delivery routes to the individual lift trucks 18 to 21 are of different lengths.
  • the shortest conveying path leads to the lift truck 18 and the longest transport path to the farthest forklift 21.
  • the conveyor 17 are assigned to each lift stacker 18 to 21 stacking plates, each having a folded laundry item 10 on the respective forklift 18, 19, 20 and 21 and deposit the stack of folded laundry items 10 already formed thereon.
  • a length measuring device 35 is provided in front of the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the length measuring device 22 may also be provided at the end of the input table 11 or at the beginning of the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the length-measuring device 35 may be a sensor that determines the length of the item of laundry 10 without contact in the transport direction 12, that is to say in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the non-contact sensor determines the time required for the respective item of laundry 10 to be transported past it. From this time in connection with the known constant speed, with which the Laundry item 10 is transported along the sensor, the length of the laundry article 10 (seen in the transport direction 12) can be calculated by calculation. But it is also a displacement sensor conceivable that unrolls on the laundry item 10 and thereby determines the path of the laundry item 10 from the front transverse edge to the rear transverse edge under contact with the laundry item 10, this way directly results in the length of the laundry item 10.
  • the longitudinal folding station 13 has a longitudinal conveyor 22 extending over the entire width and length thereof.
  • the longitudinal conveyor 22 transports the laundry item 10 in the transport direction 12 through the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the longitudinal conveyor 22 has a continuous conveyor belt passing through the entire width of the longitudinal folding station 13 or more adjacent narrow conveyor belts.
  • the laundry item 10 is spread in the unfolded state and stretched out on ( Fig. 4 ).
  • two elongated folding templates 23 are provided in the illustrated embodiment.
  • the elongate, strip-shaped folding templates 23 extend parallel to one another in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the folding templates 23 are associated with different web halves of the longitudinal conveyor 22 with a parallel spacing.
  • the folding templates 23 may be mutually variable at a distance to adapt to different sized, especially wide laundry items 10.
  • the folding templates 23 are fixedly arranged at a small distance above the longitudinal conveyor 22. Outboard portions of the laundry 10 are successively first wrapped around the one folding template 23 and then around the other folding template 23 and thereby successively two longitudinal folds to bring about a third folding of the laundry 10 based on the same width.
  • blower tubes 25, 26 are arranged along each of the opposite, parallel longitudinal edges 24 of the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the elongated, parallel to each other blowing tubes 25, 26 are arranged in the embodiment shown in a plane which is slightly above the folding templates 23 ( Fig. 5 ).
  • Each blower tube 25, 26 serves to bring about a longitudinal folding of the laundry item 10.
  • the tuyeres can produce a cylindrical jet of compressed air, but also a slightly conical one.
  • the blower tubes 25, 26 are slightly rotatable about their longitudinal axes for folding the item of laundry 10, for example, back and forth in opposite directions.
  • At least one light barrier 27 is provided above the blower tubes 25, 26.
  • a transversely to the transport direction 12 horizontally extending light barrier 27 is in the 4 to 6 symbolically represented.
  • the light barrier 27 has at least one (in the 4 to 6 right) light source 28 and one of these opposite (in the 4 to 6
  • the light barrier 27 generates - if it is uninterrupted - a horizontal sensor line 30, which in the 4 to 6 symbolized by a series of points of light.
  • the light source 28 and the reflector 29 are arranged at a short distance above the blower tubes 25, 26, so that the sensor line 30 of the light barrier 27 is at a parallel distance above a horizontal connecting line / plane between the blower tubes 25, 26.
  • This sensor line 30 represents a lower limit of one in the 4 to 6
  • the folding line 30, which is symbolized by a line grid, represents the folding area 32, the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the sensor line 30 thus divides the blowing space 32 into the upper area 31 and between the sensor line 30 and the folding templates 23 lower portion 33.
  • the height of the lower portion 33 is selected so that it is a main propagation surface of the folded and unfolded or only partially folded garment 10, that is, each finished folded garment 10 after turning the right and left edge area to the folding templates 23 occupy only the lower area 33, but not the upper area 31 and thus each finished folded laundry item 10 lies below the sensor line 30.
  • each side part of a laundry article 10 is laid around the respective folding template 23 in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal folding station 13, a single photoelectric barrier 27 extends above the plane of the blower tubes 25, 26 with a sensor line 30 extending transversely to the transport direction 12 out.
  • a plurality of distributed with more or less large distances to the length of the longitudinal folding station 13 distributed light barriers 27 with parallel, horizontal sensor lines 30 can be scanned surface contactless.
  • the device has a circuit (not shown) and / or control, to which the measured length of the laundry item 10 supplied to the respective longitudinal folding station 13 is made available.
  • the speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 of the longitudinal folding station 13 is then changed, in particular adapted, in such a way that a front transverse edge 36 of the respective laundry item 10 after completion of the longitudinal folding as close as possible to a discharge end 34 at the front transverse edge Longitudinal folding station 13 is transported.
  • the same control or circuit or a separate control or circuit receives a signal from the light barrier 27 when an edge region of the item of laundry 10 to be wrapped around the folding jets 23 by the air jets of the blower tubes 25, 26 is no longer in the upper region 31 of the blowing space 32.
  • the circuit or control for the adjustment of the transport speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 of the longitudinal folding station 13 to the length of the laundry item 10 can also be used to determine on which the different from the output conveyor 15 remote lift trucks 18 to 21 each folded piece of laundry 10 is stored.
  • the controller remembers the size of the respective item of laundry 10 or the speed with which this has been transported through the longitudinal folding station 13 and accordingly places a laundry article 10, which was transported faster through the longitudinal folding station 13, onto the rearmost forklift 21. Larger items of laundry 10 are placed on the front forklift or 18 or 19.
  • Fig. 7 differs from the embodiment described above only in that instead of the transversely to the transport direction 12 extending photocell 27 (of the embodiment of the 4 to 6 ) is provided at least one extending in the longitudinal direction of light barrier.
  • two parallel longitudinal light barriers 37, 38 are provided, in each case one light barrier 37, 38 per half of the longitudinal folding station 13. Both light barriers 37, 38 lie in a common horizontal plane slightly above the horizontal connecting plane between the blower tubes 25, 26.
  • the horizontal plane in which the light barriers 37, 38 are located between an upper portion 31 and a lower portion 33 of the blowing chamber 32, that is still above the plane of the blow tubes 25, 26 on the folding templates 23.
  • the longitudinal light barriers 37, 38 are located in a region through which the outer edge strips of the respective item of laundry 10 to be wrapped around the folding templates 23 by blowing air must be moved through. In this way, it can be reliably determined by the longitudinal light barriers 37 and 38 whether the longitudinal folding of the respective outer edge region of the item of laundry 10 has occurred at least for the most part or not.
  • length measuring device 35 is determined whether it is a small or large, especially short or long, laundry item 10.
  • the length of the laundry item 10 is known, before the first longitudinal folding process of this laundry item 10 begins in the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 is determined by the control of the longitudinal folding station 13 and the longitudinal conveyor 22 is driven accordingly.
  • large and small items of laundry 10 can be folded longitudinally twice in succession during the continuous further transport through the longitudinal folding station 13, specifically in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS FIGS. 2 and 3 first a right edge area around the right folding template 23 and then a left edge area around the left folding template 23.
  • the longitudinal folding can also with larger or longer items of laundry 10 without Interruption of the further transport of the laundry by the longitudinal folding station 13 done. Only if such a large piece of laundry 10 is to be folded in the longitudinal folding station 13, which occupies almost the entire length of the longitudinal folding station 13, the further transport of the same has to be stopped by the Leksfaltstation 13 for longitudinal folds for such a very long piece of laundry 10 short term.
  • the adaptation of the transport speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 of the longitudinal folding station 13 to the length of each longitudinally to be folded item of laundry 10 is such that at the end of the last longitudinal folding in the Lssensfaltstation 13, a front transverse edge 36 of the finished folded laundry 10 is close to the outlet end 34, namely a front transverse edge, the longitudinal folding station 13 or close to the front ends of the folding templates 23 (FIG. Fig. 2 ) is located.
  • a front transverse edge 36 of the finished folded laundry 10 is close to the outlet end 34, namely a front transverse edge, the longitudinal folding station 13 or close to the front ends of the folding templates 23 (FIG. Fig. 2 ) is located.
  • a front transverse edge 36 of the finished folded laundry 10 is close to the outlet end 34, namely a front transverse edge, the longitudinal folding station 13 or close to the front ends of the folding templates 23 (FIG. Fig. 2 ) is located.
  • a longer piece of laundry 10 Fig.
  • the method described reduces the throughput time of the laundry items 10 by the longitudinal folding station 13 to a minimum by the laundry items 10 regardless of their size, especially length, are located after the longitudinal folds immediately before the outlet end 34 of the longitudinal folding 13 and thus all laundry items 10 regardless of their Size can be transported out immediately after the last longitudinal folding operation on the outlet end 34 from the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the folded laundry items 10 targeted to the lift trucks 18 to 21 are also provided to stack the folded laundry items 10 targeted to the lift trucks 18 to 21.
  • smaller items of laundry 10 which have been transported through the longitudinal folding station 13 with a larger conveying speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 and whose dwell time in the longitudinal folding station 13 is thus shorter in comparison to larger items of laundry 10, on the output conveyor 15 of the Buchfaltstation 14 further or furthest away Stacker 21 or 20 stacked.
  • Longer laundry items 10, which are transported more slowly through the longitudinal folding station 13, however, are deposited on the closer to the output conveyor 15 horizontal stacker 18 or 19.
  • longer transport paths of folded laundry items 10 to the more distant lift trucks 20, 21 are combined with shorter throughput times by the longitudinal folding station 13.
  • the conveyor 17 which leads to the lift trucks 18 to 21, at such varying speeds that folded laundry items 10 reach the lift trucks 18 to 21 within approximately the same time.
  • the folded laundry items 10 are then transported to the rearmost lift truck 21 with the greatest transport speed and to the front lift truck 18 with the lowest conveying speed.
  • the transport speed of the conveyor 17 need not necessarily be based on the size of the folded laundry items 10; It can be adapted to the conveyor regardless of the size of the laundry items 10.
  • blowing time of the blow tubes 25, 26 is adjusted to the duration of the respective longitudinal folding. It is characterized the compressed air outlet from the blowpipes 25 and 26 ended as soon as the respective longitudinal fold is completed. This has a least dependent on the length of the laundry items 10 Blaszeitregelung result. Preferably, however, the blowing time is also determined by the width and / or the material, especially terry cloth, of the laundry items 10.
  • Blaszeitregelung is monitored whether there is still a portion of the laundry article 10 in the upper portion 31 of the blowing chamber 32.
  • the lower, preferably horizontal, plane of the upper region 31, through which the sensor line 30 passes is monitored by the at least one transverse light barrier 27 at a parallel distance above the folding templates 23 and blower tubes 25, 26. Is the lying in the lower level of the upper portion 31 sensor line 30 between the light source 28 and the reflector 29 of the light barrier 27 is interrupted ( Fig. 5 ), there is still a momentarily to be folded part of the laundry article 10 in the upper region 31 of the blast space 32. It signals the ongoing folding process, which still requires 25 or 26 emerging from the nozzles of the blowpipe compressed air jet.
  • the light barrier 27 in turn detects the completion of the folding of the left edge region of the laundry article 10 when it has left the upper region 31 of the blowing chamber 32 and is below the sensor line 30 of the light barrier 27 in the lower region 33 of the blowing chamber 32. Then the longitudinal folding process of the laundry article 10 in the longitudinal folding station 13 is completed and it is also the compressed air supply of the left blower tube 26 is interrupted.
  • the longitudinal folding of the subsequent laundry item 10 can begin with the opening of the compressed air supply of the right blower tube 25, which first places the right edge region of the laundry item 10 around the right folding template 23. Thereafter, in the manner described above, the folding of the left edge portion of the laundry article 10 by appropriate reversal of the compressed air supply of the blow tubes 25 and 26 and termination of compressed air supply both blow tubes 25, 26 after the second longitudinal folds of the left edge portion of the laundry article 10 on the previously folded right edge region thereof.
  • each blowpipe 25 is supplied by the inventive method only over such a period of time with compressed air, which corresponds to the time required for the respective longitudinal folding.
  • the method according to the invention controls the beginning of the second transverse folding following the first transverse folding.
  • the invention has been described above in connection with a device for the combined folding of laundry items 10 and the stacking of folded laundry items 10.
  • the invention is also suitable for devices that serve only for folding, in particular at least for longitudinal folding, of laundry items 10 or devices, with which folded laundry items 10 are only stored on different forklifts 18 to 21.
  • the invention is not limited to devices for combined longitudinal folding and transverse folding.
  • the invention is also suitable for devices that serve only for at least one longitudinal folding of laundry items 10.
  • the invention is not limited to devices which have four forklifts 18 to 21 according to the embodiment shown in the figures.
  • the invention is also suitable for devices with more or less than four forklifts 18 to 21.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
  • Folding Of Thin Sheet-Like Materials, Special Discharging Devices, And Others (AREA)

Description

Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren zum Falten von Wäschestücken gemäß dem Oberbegriff des Anspruchs 1.The invention relates to a method for folding laundry items according to the preamble of claim 1.

Das automatische Falten von Wäschestücken geschieht in mindestens eine Längsfaltstation aufweisenden Faltmaschinen. Die Wäschestücke werden einzeln durch die Längsfaltstation hindurchgefördert und dabei längsgefaltet. Beim Längsfalten werden die Wäschestücke mit mindestens einer in Längsrichtung der Längsfaltstation verlaufenden Faltlinie versehen.The automatic folding of laundry items happens in at least one longitudinal folding station having folding machines. The items of laundry are individually conveyed through the longitudinal folding station and thereby folded along. In the case of longitudinal folding, the items of laundry are provided with at least one fold line extending in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal folding station.

Üblicherweise werden unterschiedlich große Wäschestücke hintereinander gefaltet. Dabei werden alle Wäschestücke - gleich welcher Größe - mit der gleichen Geschwindigkeit durch die Längsfaltstation hindurchtransportiert. Diese Geschwindigkeit muss so langsam sein, dass auch für große Wäschestücke genügend Zeit zum Falten zur Verfügung steht. Das wirkt sich nachteilig auf die Faltleistung aus. Es ist deshalb schon aus der US 5 556 360 A bekannt, den Weitertransport großer Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation kurzzeitig zu unterbrechen. Das führt insbesondere bei häufig wechselnden großen und kleinen Wäschestücken zu Zeitverlusten und daher auch noch einer damit verbundene Reduzierung der Faltleistung.Usually different sized pieces of laundry are folded one behind the other. All laundry items - regardless of their size - are transported through the longitudinal folding station at the same speed. This speed must be so slow that enough time for folding is available even for large items of laundry. This has a detrimental effect on the folding performance. It is therefore already out of the US 5 556 360 A known to interrupt the further transport of large items of laundry through the longitudinal folding station for a short time. This leads in particular to frequently changing large and small items of laundry to loss of time and therefore also a related reduction in folding performance.

Der Erfindung liegt die Aufgabe zugrunde, ein Verfahren zum automatischen Falten von Wäschestücken zu schaffen, das eine erhöhte Faltleistung zulässt.The invention has for its object to provide a method for automatically folding laundry items, which allows an increased folding performance.

Ein Verfahren zur Lösung dieser Aufgabe weist die Maßnahmen des Anspruchs 1 auf. Bei diesem Verfahren ist es vorgesehen, dass die Wäschestücke mit einer zumindest an ihre Größe, insbesondere Länge, angepassten Transportgeschwindigkeit durch die Längsfaltstation transportiert werden. Mit Länge der Wäschestücke ist diejenige Erstreckungsrichtung derselben gemeint, die in Transportrichtung der Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation verläuft. Bei dieser erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrensweise entsteht gegenüber der herkömmlichen Vorgehensweise ein geringerer Zeitverlust, wenn kleine und große Wäschestücke umsortiert, also durcheinander, zu falten sind.A method for achieving this object comprises the measures of claim 1. In this method, it is provided that the laundry items with an at least adapted to their size, especially length, transport speed through the longitudinal folding station be transported. The length of the items of laundry means that direction of extent of the same which runs in the transport direction of the items of laundry through the longitudinal folding station. With this procedure according to the invention, compared with the conventional procedure, less time is lost when small and large items of laundry are resorted, that is to say, when they are to be folded.

Bevorzugt wird die Transportgeschwindigkeit der Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation so eingestellt, dass die Längsfaltung abgeschlossen ist, wenn die vorauseilende Querkante des jeweiligen Wäschestücks sich im Bereich eines Auslaufendes der Längsfaltstation befindet, das heißt am Auslaufende oder kurz davor liegt. Auf diese Weise werden Wäschestücke jeglicher Art und Größe, und zwar große Wäschestücke und kleine Wäschestücke, so schnell wie möglich durch die Längsfaltstation transportiert, wobei die Geschwindigkeit so ausgewählt wird, dass die Transportdauer der Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation zum vollständigen mindestens einmaligen Längsfalten jedes Wäschestücks ausreicht. Größere Wäschestücke werden demzufolge langsamer durch die Längsfaltstation transportiert als kleinere Wäschestücke.Preferably, the transport speed of the laundry items is adjusted by the longitudinal folding station, that the longitudinal folding is completed when the leading transverse edge of each garment is in the range of a discharge end of the longitudinal folding station, that is at the outlet end or just before. In this way, items of laundry of any type and size, large items of laundry and small items of laundry, are transported as fast as possible through the longitudinal folding station, the speed being selected so that the transport time of the items through the longitudinal folding station is sufficient for at least one longitudinal fold of each item of laundry , Larger pieces of laundry are consequently transported more slowly through the longitudinal folding station than smaller items of laundry.

Durch die Anpassung der Transportgeschwindigkeit der Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation wird zum einen die Unterbrechung des Weitertransports größerer Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation vermieden und zum anderen wird erreicht, dass mit dem schnelleren Transport kleinerer Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation auch kleine Wäschestücke nach erfolgter Längsfaltung das Auslaufende der Längsfaltstation mindestens annähernd erreicht haben. Nur wenn sehr große Wäschestücke mit einer Länge, die etwa der Länge der Längsfaltstation entspricht, zu falten sind, muss noch eine kurze Unterbrechung des Weitertransports des Wäschestücks zum Falten desselben in der Längsfaltstation erfolgen.By adjusting the transport speed of the laundry items by the Längsfaltstation the interruption of the further transport of larger laundry items is avoided by the Längsfaltstation on the one hand and on the other hand ensures that with the faster transport of smaller items of laundry through the Längsfaltstation even small laundry items after the longitudinal folding the outlet end of the longitudinal folding station at least have almost reached. Only when very large items of laundry are to be folded with a length which corresponds approximately to the length of the longitudinal folding station, must a short interruption of the further transport of the item of laundry for folding the same take place in the longitudinal folding station.

Bevorzugt ist es vorgesehen, die Transportgeschwindigkeit kurzer bzw. kleiner Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation größer zu wählen als bei längeren oder größeren Wäschestücken und/oder kurze bzw. kleine Wäschestücke in der Längsfaltstation zu beschleunigen und größere, vor allem längere, Wäschestücke zu verzögern. Es findet so eine individuelle Anpassung der Transportgeschwindigkeit der Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation statt. Hierbei können auch größere Wäschestücke - sofern es sich nicht um Wäschestücke handelt, die die gesamt Länge der Längsfaltstation beanspruchen - ohne eine Unterbrechung ihres Weitertransports gefaltet werden und kleinere Wäschestücke mit größerer Transportgeschwindigkeit durch die Längsfaltstation hindurchtransportiert werden, so dass sich der Faltvorgang unterschiedlich großer Wäschestücke über mindestens einen Großteil der Länge der Längsfaltstation erstreckt. Stillstandszeiten in der Längsfaltstation und Transportzeiten des bereits fertig gefalteten kleinen Wäschestücks zum Auslaufende der Längsfaltstation werden so eliminiert.It is preferably provided to select the transport speed of short or small items of laundry through the longitudinal folding station to be greater than for longer or larger items of laundry and / or to accelerate short or small items of laundry in the longitudinal folding station and to delay larger, especially longer, items of laundry. There is thus an individual adaptation of the transport speed of the laundry items by the longitudinal folding station. Here, larger items of laundry - unless it is not laundry, which claim the entire length of the longitudinal folding station - are folded without interrupting their onward transport and smaller pieces of laundry are transported through the longitudinal folding station with greater transport speed, so that the folding process of different sizes of laundry over extends at least a majority of the length of the longitudinal folding station. Downtimes in the longitudinal folding station and transport times of the already finished small laundry item to the outlet end of the longitudinal folding station are eliminated.

Eine bevorzugte Ausgestaltung des Verfahrens sieht es vor, dass die Transportgeschwindigkeit der Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation individuell und vorzugsweise kontinuierlich zumindest an die Länge des jeweils zu faltenden Wäschestücks angepasst und dementsprechend eingestellt wird. Vorzugsweise wird die Transportgeschwindigkeit der Wäschestücke in der Längsfaltstation individuell an die Längsfaltzeit angepasst, die bei kürzeren Wäschestücken kleiner ist als bei längeren Wäschestücken. Diese Anpassung geschieht derart, dass während der Längsfaltzeit das Wäschestück über die gesamte Längsfaltstation hinweg transportiert worden ist, so dass am Abschluss jeder Längsfaltung oder aller Längsfaltungen des jeweiligen Wäschestücks die vorauslaufende (vordere) Querkante desselben, und zwar sowohl großer Wäschestücke als auch kleiner Wäschestücke, sich an oder in der Nähe des Auslaufendes der Längsfaltstation befindet. Diese Vorgehensweise führt dazu, dass alle Wäschestücke unabhängig von Ihrer Größe bzw. Länge in kürzester Zeit die Längsfaltstation passieren und dabei die mindestens eine Längsfaltung vollständig abgeschlossen ist.A preferred embodiment of the method provides that the transport speed of the items of laundry by the longitudinal folding station individually and preferably continuously adjusted at least to the length of the respective piece of laundry to be folded and adjusted accordingly. Preferably, the transport speed of the items of laundry in the longitudinal folding station is adapted individually to the longitudinal folding time, which is smaller for shorter items of laundry than for longer items of laundry. This adjustment is made such that during the longitudinal folding time the garment has been transported across the entire longitudinal folding station, so that at the conclusion of each longitudinal fold or all longitudinal folds of the respective garment the leading (front) transverse edge of the same, both large items of laundry and small items of laundry, is located at or near the outlet end of the longitudinal folding station. This procedure means that all items of laundry, regardless of their size or length, pass through the longitudinal folding station in the shortest possible time and the at least one longitudinal fold is completely completed.

Gemäß einer vorteilhaften Weiterbildung des Verfahrens ist es vorgesehen, die Zuführgeschwindigkeit der Wäschestücke zur Längsfaltstation an die Transportgeschwindigkeit der Wäschestücke durch die Längsfaltstation anzupassen. Dadurch wird sichergestellt, dass bei rasch durch die Längsfaltstation transportierten kleinen Wäschestücken nächstfolgende Wäschestücke mit geringstmöglichem Abstand zum vorausgehenden Wäschestück der Längsfaltstation zugeführt werden. Umgekehrt wird bei langsam durch die Längsfaltstation transportierten großen Wäschestücken die Zuförderung nachfolgender Wäschestücke zur Längsfaltstation verzögert, damit es zu keinem Übereinanderlaufen oder Überlappen aufeinanderfolgender Wäschestücke in der Längsfaltstation kommt.According to an advantageous development of the method, it is provided to adapt the feed rate of the laundry items to the longitudinal folding station to the transport speed of the laundry items by the longitudinal folding station. This ensures that in the case of small items of laundry which are transported rapidly through the longitudinal folding station, the following items of laundry are fed to the longitudinal folding station with the least possible distance from the preceding item of laundry. Conversely, in the case of large items of laundry transported slowly through the longitudinal folding station, the delivery of subsequent items of laundry to the longitudinal folding station is delayed, so that there is no overlapping or overlapping of successive items of laundry in the longitudinal folding station.

Bevorzugt ist es vorgesehen, die Zuführgeschwindigkeit der Wäschestücke zur Längsfaltstation derart einzustellen, dass die Wäschestücke dicht aufeinanderfolgend in die Längsfaltstation einlaufen und/oder ein nächstes Wäschestück in die Längsfaltstation transportiert wird, sobald die Längsfaltung des vorherigen Wäschestücks abgeschlossen ist. Auf diese Weise werden Leerlaufzeiten der Längsfaltstation auf ein Minimum reduziert.It is preferably provided to set the feeding speed of the laundry items to the longitudinal folding station such that the laundry items enter the longitudinal folding station in close succession and / or a next laundry item is transported into the longitudinal folding station as soon as the longitudinal folding of the previous laundry item has been completed. In this way, idle times of the longitudinal folding station are reduced to a minimum.

Eine besonders vorteilhafte Ausgestaltung des Verfahrens sieht es vor, die Größen der Wäschestücke, also die Abmessungen der Wäschestücke in Transportrichtung durch die Längsfaltstation, rechtzeitig vor Beginn der Längsfaltung bzw. der ersten Längsfaltung zu ermitteln. Vorzugsweise wird vor der Längsfaltstation und/oder während des Transports zur Längsfaltstation die Länge des jeweiligen Wäschestücks, und zwar vorzugsweise des als nächstes zu faltenden Wäschestücks, ermittelt. Die Längenermittlung kann durch mindestens einen Sensor erfolgen. Beispielsweise kann es sich um einen solchen Sensor handeln, der die Zeitdauer vom Vorbeilaufen der vorderen Querkante bis zum Vorbeilaufen der hinteren Querkante eines jeweiligen Wäschestücks am Sensor ermittelt. Aufgrund der bekannten Transportgeschwindigkeit des Wäschestücks kann dann die Länge desselben errechnet werden. Denkbar ist es aber auch, einen Wegaufnehmer zu verwenden, der berührungslos oder in Kontakt mit dem Wäschestück, also berührend, die Länge des an ihm vorbeitransportierten Wäschestücks abtastet.A particularly advantageous embodiment of the method provides, the sizes of the laundry items, so the dimensions of the laundry items in the transport direction by the Longitudinal folding station, to be determined in good time before the beginning of the longitudinal folding or the first longitudinal folding. Preferably, before the longitudinal folding station and / or during transport to the longitudinal folding station, the length of the respective item of laundry, preferably of the laundry item to be folded next, is determined. The length determination can be done by at least one sensor. For example, it can be such a sensor which determines the time from the passage of the front transverse edge to the passage of the rear transverse edge of a respective item of laundry at the sensor. Due to the known transport speed of the laundry then the length of the same can be calculated. It is also conceivable, however, to use a position transducer, the contactless or in contact with the garment, so touching, the length of the transported past him laundry items scans.

Eine andere vorteilhafte Ausgestaltung des Verfahrens sieht es vor, die gefalteten Wäschestücke von der letzten Faltstation mit unterschiedlichen Zuführgeschwindigkeiten zu unterschiedlichen Stapelstellen hinter der letzten Faltstation zu transportieren. Weil die neben- oder hintereinander angeordneten Stapelstellen zwangsläufig unterschiedliche Abstände zur letzten Faltstation aufweisen müssen, kann durch die unterschiedlichen Zuführgeschwindigkeiten erreicht werden, dass die gefalteten Wäschestücke etwa gleiche Zeit benötigen, um die unterschiedlich weit von der letzten Faltstation entfernten Stapelstationen zu erreichen. Insbesondere dann, wenn die Wäschestücke mit einer an ihre Größe angepassten Transportgeschwindigkeit durch die Längsfaltstation transportiert werden und dadurch die Längsfaltdauer bei den Wäschestücken etwa gleich ist, kann so gewährleistet werden, dass auch das Abstapeln der Wäschestücke in einer etwa gleichen Zeit erfolgt und deshalb nicht gewartet werden muss, bis Wäschestücke, die auf weit entfernt liegenden Stapelstellen abzustapeln sind, diese entfernten Stapelstellen erreicht haben.Another advantageous embodiment of the method provides to transport the folded laundry items from the last folding station with different feeding speeds to different stacking points behind the last folding station. Because the juxtaposed or successively arranged stacking points inevitably have different distances to the last folding station, can be achieved by the different feeding speeds that the folded laundry items need about the same time to reach the far different from the last folding station stacking stations. In particular, when the items of laundry are transported through the longitudinal folding station with a transport speed adapted to their size, and thus the longitudinal folding duration in the items of laundry is approximately the same, it is possible to ensure that the items of laundry are unstacked in about the same time and therefore not serviced must be until pieces of laundry that need to be stacked on far away stacking sites have reached these removed stacking points.

Alternativ ist es denkbar, dass mit größerer Transportgeschwindigkeit durch die Längsfaltstation transportierte kleinere Wäschestücke auf von der letzten Faltstation weit entfernte Stapelstellen abgestapelt werden, während eine geringere Transportgeschwindigkeit durch die Längsfaltstation erfordernde längere Wäschestücke auf Stapelstationen abgestapelt werden, die dichter an der letzten Faltstation liegen. Dadurch kann eine Art Synchronisation der Faltzeiten mit den Stapelzeiten erfolgen, vorzugsweise in Abhängigkeit von den Abmessungen des jeweiligen Wäschestücks.Alternatively, it is conceivable that smaller items of laundry transported by the longitudinal folding station are stacked at a higher transport speed on stacking stations far away from the last folding station, while a lower transport speed through the longitudinal folding station requiring longer items of laundry is stacked on stacking stations which are closer to the last folding station. As a result, a kind of synchronization of the folding times with the stacking times can take place, preferably as a function of the dimensions of the respective item of laundry.

Bevorzugte Ausführungsbeispiele der Erfindung werden nachfolgend anhand der Zeichnung näher erläutert. In dieser zeigen:

Fig. 1
eine schematische Ansicht einer Vorrichtung zum Falten und Stapeln von Wäschestücken,
Fig. 2
eine schematische Draufsicht auf eine Längsfaltstation der Vorrichtung der Fig. 1 mit kleinen Wäschestücken,
Fig. 3
eine schematische Draufsicht auf die Längsfaltstation analog zur Fig. 2 mit einem großen Wäschestück,
Fig. 4
einen schematischen Querschnitt durch die Längsfaltstation der Vorrichtung der Fig. 1 bis 3 mit einem noch ungefalteten Wäschestück,
Fig. 5
eine Ansicht analog zur Fig. 4 beim Längsfalten eines rechten Teils des Wäschestücks,
Fig. 6
eine Ansicht analog zu den Fig. 4 und 5 nach dem Längsfalten des rechten Teils des Wäschestücks, und
Fig. 7
einen schematischen Querschnitt (analog zur Fig. 5) durch die Längsfaltstation einer Vorrichtung gemäß einem anderen Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung beim Längsfalten eines rechten Teils des Wäschestücks.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. In this show:
Fig. 1
a schematic view of an apparatus for folding and stacking of laundry,
Fig. 2
a schematic plan view of a longitudinal folding station of the device of Fig. 1 with small items of laundry,
Fig. 3
a schematic plan view of the longitudinal folding station analogous to Fig. 2 with a large piece of laundry,
Fig. 4
a schematic cross section through the longitudinal folding station of the device Fig. 1 to 3 with a still unfolded piece of laundry,
Fig. 5
a view analogous to Fig. 4 during longitudinal folding of a right part of the item of laundry,
Fig. 6
a view analogous to the Fig. 4 and 5 after the longitudinal folding of the right part of the item of laundry, and
Fig. 7
a schematic cross section (analogous to Fig. 5 ) by the longitudinal folding station of a device according to another embodiment of the invention in the longitudinal folding of a right part of the laundry article.

Die in der Figur 1 gezeigte Vorrichtung dient zum automatischen Falten von Wäschestücken 10 und zum gleichzeitigen Abstapeln gefalteter Wäschestücke 10. Bei den Wäschestücken 10 kann es sich um solche beliebiger Art handeln, bevorzugt um sogenannte Flachwäsche, wie Bettlaken, Bettdecken, Kopfkissen, Tischdecken, Servietten oder dergleichen, aber auch Handtücher, einschließlich Frotteehandtücher. Die Erfindung bezieht sich auch auf Vorrichtungen, die zum Falten und/oder Abstapeln anderer Wäschestücke, zum Beispiel Kleidungsstücke, sogenannte Formteile, dienen. Außerdem bezieht sich die Erfindung auch auf Vorrichtungen, die nur zum Falten von Wäschestücken 10 dienen.The in the FIG. 1 The device 10 is used for automatically folding laundry items 10 and for simultaneously destacking folded laundry items 10. The laundry items 10 may be of any type, preferably so-called flat linen, such as sheets, duvets, pillows, tablecloths, napkins or the like, but also Towels, including terry towels. The invention also relates to devices which serve for folding and / or stacking other items of laundry, for example garments, so-called moldings. In addition, the invention also relates to devices that serve only for folding laundry items 10.

Die Vorrichtung verfügt an der in der Fig. 1 linken Seite über einen Eingabetisch 11 mit mindestens einem umlaufenden Eingabefördergurt. Vom Eingabetisch 11 wird jeweils ein zu faltendes, ausgebreitetes Wäschestück 10 in Transportrichtung 12 zu einer Längsfaltstation 13 transportiert. In der Längsfaltstation 13 wird das jeweilige Wäschestück 10 mindestens einmal längsgefaltet. Beim gezeigten Ausführungsbeispiel finden zwei Längsfaltungen von gegenüberliegenden Längsseiten des Wäschestücks 10 nacheinander statt. Dabei erhält das Wäschestück 10 zwei parallele, in Transportrichtung 12, also längs zur Längsfaltstation 13, verlaufende Faltlinien auf gegenüberliegenden Seiten der in Transportrichtung 12 verlaufenden Wäschestückmitte.The device has the in the Fig. 1 left side via an input table 11 with at least one circulating input conveyor belt. From the input table 11 is in each case transported to a folding, spread laundry article 10 in the transport direction 12 to a longitudinal folding station 13. In the longitudinal folding station 13, the respective laundry item 10 is folded longitudinally at least once. In the embodiment shown, two longitudinal folds take place from opposite longitudinal sides of the item of laundry 10 in succession. The laundry item 10 receives two parallel, in the transport direction 12, ie longitudinally to the longitudinal folding station 13, extending fold lines on opposite sides of the direction of transport 12 extending laundry center.

Von der Längsfaltstation 13 wird das jeweilige Wäschestück 10 in eine Kreuzfaltstation 14 der hier gezeigten Vorrichtung transportiert. In der Kreuzfaltstation 14 wird das jeweilige Wäschestück 10 mindestens einmal quergefaltet. Das gefaltete Wäschestück 10 wird von einem unteren Ausgabeförderer 15 gegen die Transportrichtung 12 der Längsfaltstation 13 zu einer Stapeleinrichtung 16 transportiert, die sich unter und/oder neben der Längsfaltstation 13 befindet.From the longitudinal folding station 13, the respective item of laundry 10 is transported into a Kreuzfaltstation 14 of the device shown here. In the Kreuzfaltstation 14, the respective laundry item 10 is transversely folded at least once. The folded laundry item 10 is transported by a lower output conveyor 15 against the transport direction 12 of the longitudinal folding station 13 to a stacking device 16 which is located below and / or next to the longitudinal folding station 13.

Die Stapeleinrichtung 16 verfügt über einen parallel zur Längsfaltstation 13 verlaufenden Förderer 17, dem im gezeigten Ausführungsbeispiel vier in Transportrichtung 12 aufeinanderfolgende Stapler, zum Beispiel in der Fig. 1 gezeigte Hubstapler 18, 19, 20 und 21, zugeordnet sind. Die Hubstapler 18 bis 21 sind unterschiedlich weit vom Ausgabeförderer 15 der Kreuzfaltstation 14 entfernt, so dass die Förderwege zu den einzelnen Hubstaplern 18 bis 21 unterschiedlich lang sind. Der kürzeste Förderweg führt zum Hubstapler 18 und der längste Förderweg zum am weitesten entfernten Hubstapler 21. Dem Förderer 17 sind an jedem Hubstapler 18 bis 21 Stapelplatten zugeordnet, die jeweils ein gefaltetes Wäschestück 10 auf dem betreffenden Hubstapler 18, 19, 20 und 21 bzw. dem darauf bereits gebildeten Stapel gefalteter Wäschestücke 10 ablegen.The stacking device 16 has a parallel to the longitudinal folding station 13 extending conveyor 17, which in the illustrated embodiment four in the transport direction 12 consecutive stacker, for example in the Fig. 1 shown lift trucks 18, 19, 20 and 21, are assigned. The lift trucks 18 to 21 are at different distances from the output conveyor 15 of the Kreuzfaltstation 14, so that the delivery routes to the individual lift trucks 18 to 21 are of different lengths. The shortest conveying path leads to the lift truck 18 and the longest transport path to the farthest forklift 21. The conveyor 17 are assigned to each lift stacker 18 to 21 stacking plates, each having a folded laundry item 10 on the respective forklift 18, 19, 20 and 21 and deposit the stack of folded laundry items 10 already formed thereon.

Bei der hier gezeigten Vorrichtung ist vor der Längsfaltstation 13 eine Längenmesseinrichtung 35 vorgesehen. Die Längenmesseinrichtung 22 kann auch am Ende des Eingabetisches 11 oder am Anfang der Längsfaltstation 13 vorgesehen sein. Bei der Längenmesseinrichtung 35 kann es sich um einen berührungslos die Länge des Wäschestücks 10 in Transportrichtung 12, also in Längsrichtung der Längsfaltstation 13, ermittelnden Sensor handeln. Der berührungslos arbeitende Sensor ermittelt die Zeit, die das jeweilige Wäschestück 10 benötigt, um an ihm vorbeitransportiert zu werden. Aus dieser Zeit im Zusammenhang mit der bekannten konstanten Geschwindigkeit, womit das Wäschestück 10 am Sensor entlangtransportiert wird, kann rechnerisch die Länge des Wäschestücks 10 (in Transportrichtung 12 gesehen) ermittelt werden. Es ist aber auch ein Wegsensor denkbar, der auf dem Wäschestück 10 abrollt und dabei den Weg des Wäschestücks 10 von der vorderen Querkante zur hinteren Querkante unter Anlage am Wäschestück 10 ermittelt, wobei dieser Weg direkt die Länge des Wäschestücks 10 ergibt.In the apparatus shown here, a length measuring device 35 is provided in front of the longitudinal folding station 13. The length measuring device 22 may also be provided at the end of the input table 11 or at the beginning of the longitudinal folding station 13. The length-measuring device 35 may be a sensor that determines the length of the item of laundry 10 without contact in the transport direction 12, that is to say in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal folding station 13. The non-contact sensor determines the time required for the respective item of laundry 10 to be transported past it. From this time in connection with the known constant speed, with which the Laundry item 10 is transported along the sensor, the length of the laundry article 10 (seen in the transport direction 12) can be calculated by calculation. But it is also a displacement sensor conceivable that unrolls on the laundry item 10 and thereby determines the path of the laundry item 10 from the front transverse edge to the rear transverse edge under contact with the laundry item 10, this way directly results in the length of the laundry item 10.

Die Längsfaltstation 13 verfügt über einen über die gesamte Breite und Länge derselben durchgehenden Längsförderer 22. Der Längsförderer 22 transportiert das Wäschestück 10 in Transportrichtung 12 durch die Längsfaltstation 13. Der Längsförderer 22 verfügt über einen über die gesamte Breite der Längsfaltstation 13 durchgehenden umlaufenden Fördergurt oder mehrere nebeneinanderliegende schmale Fördergurte. Auf dem mindestens einen Fördergurt des Längsförderers 22 liegt das Wäschestück 10 im noch ungefalteten Zustand ausgebreitet und ausgestreckt auf (Fig. 4).The longitudinal folding station 13 has a longitudinal conveyor 22 extending over the entire width and length thereof. The longitudinal conveyor 22 transports the laundry item 10 in the transport direction 12 through the longitudinal folding station 13. The longitudinal conveyor 22 has a continuous conveyor belt passing through the entire width of the longitudinal folding station 13 or more adjacent narrow conveyor belts. On the at least one conveyor belt of the longitudinal conveyor 22, the laundry item 10 is spread in the unfolded state and stretched out on ( Fig. 4 ).

Mit geringem Abstand über dem Obertrum des mindestens einen umlaufenden Gurts des Längsförderers 22 sind im gezeigten Ausführungsbeispiel zwei längliche Faltschablonen 23 vorgesehen. Die länglichen, streifenförmigen Faltschablonen 23 erstrecken sich parallel zueinander in Längsrichtung der Längsfaltstation 13. Im gezeigten Ausführungsbeispiel sind die Faltschablonen 23 mit parallelem Abstand zueinander unterschiedlichen Bahnhälften des Längsförderers 22 zugeordnet. Die Faltschablonen 23 können in einem Abstand zueinander veränderbar sein zur Anpassung an unterschiedlich große, vor allem breite Wäschestücke 10. Davon abgesehen sind die Faltschablonen 23 feststehend mit geringem Abstand über dem Längsförderer 22 angeordnet. Außenliegende Teilbereiche des Wäschestücks 10 werden nacheinander zuerst um die eine Faltschablone 23 und dann um die andere Faltschablone 23 herumgelegt und dadurch nacheinander zwei Längsfaltungen zur Herbeiführung einer Drittelfaltung des Wäschestücks 10 bezogen auf die Breite desselben durchgeführt.At a short distance above the upper run of the at least one circumferential belt of the longitudinal conveyor 22, two elongated folding templates 23 are provided in the illustrated embodiment. The elongate, strip-shaped folding templates 23 extend parallel to one another in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal folding station 13. In the embodiment shown, the folding templates 23 are associated with different web halves of the longitudinal conveyor 22 with a parallel spacing. The folding templates 23 may be mutually variable at a distance to adapt to different sized, especially wide laundry items 10. Apart from that, the folding templates 23 are fixedly arranged at a small distance above the longitudinal conveyor 22. Outboard portions of the laundry 10 are successively first wrapped around the one folding template 23 and then around the other folding template 23 and thereby successively two longitudinal folds to bring about a third folding of the laundry 10 based on the same width.

Das Längsfalten des Wäschestücks 10 erfolgt in der hier gezeigten Längsfaltstation 13 pneumatisch mit Druckluft. Dazu sind entlang eines jeden der gegenüberliegenden, parallelen Längsränder 24 der Längsfaltstation 13 Blasrohre 25, 26 angeordnet. Die länglichen, parallel zueinander verlaufenden Blasrohre 25, 26 sind im gezeigten Ausführungsbeispiel in einer Ebene angeordnet, die etwas oberhalb der Faltschablonen 23 liegt (Fig. 5). Jedes Blasrohr 25, 26 dient zur Herbeiführung einer Längsfaltung des Wäschestücks 10. Vorzugsweise sind die gleich ausgebildeten Blasrohre 25, 26 an ihrer zur Mitte der Längsfaltstation 13 weisenden Seite mit jeweils mindestens einer Reihe von Blasdüsen versehen, aus denen Druckluftstrahlen austreten. Die Blasdüsen können einen zylindrischen Druckluftstrahl erzeugen, aber auch einen leicht kegelförmigen. Denkbar ist es auch, dass die Blasrohre 25, 26 um ihre Längsachsen zum Falten des Wäschestücks 10 etwas verdrehbar sind, beispielsweise in entgegengesetzten Richtungen hin- und herdrehbar.The longitudinal folding of the laundry article 10 takes place pneumatically in the longitudinal folding station 13 shown here with compressed air. For this purpose, blower tubes 25, 26 are arranged along each of the opposite, parallel longitudinal edges 24 of the longitudinal folding station 13. The elongated, parallel to each other blowing tubes 25, 26 are arranged in the embodiment shown in a plane which is slightly above the folding templates 23 ( Fig. 5 ). Each blower tube 25, 26 serves to bring about a longitudinal folding of the laundry item 10. Preferably, the same design blow tubes 25, 26 at its side facing the center of the longitudinal folding station 13 side, each with at least one row of Provided blowing nozzles, from which compressed air jets emerge. The tuyeres can produce a cylindrical jet of compressed air, but also a slightly conical one. It is also conceivable that the blower tubes 25, 26 are slightly rotatable about their longitudinal axes for folding the item of laundry 10, for example, back and forth in opposite directions.

Über den Blasrohren 25, 26 ist mindestens eine Lichtschranke 27 vorgesehen. Eine quer zur Transportrichtung 12 horizontal verlaufende Lichtschranke 27 ist in den Fig. 4 bis 6 symbolisch dargestellt. Die Lichtschranke 27 verfügt über mindestens eine (in den Fig. 4 bis 6 rechte) Lichtquelle 28 und einen dieser gegenüberliegenden (in den Fig. 4 bis 6 über dem linken Blasrohr 26 angeordneten) Reflektor 29. Die Lichtschranke 27 erzeugt - wenn sie ununterbrochen ist - eine horizontale Sensorlinie 30, die in den Fig. 4 bis 6 durch eine Reihe Lichtpunkte symbolisiert ist. Die Lichtquelle 28 und der Reflektor 29 sind mit geringem Abstand über den Blasrohren 25, 26 angeordnet, so dass die Sensorlinie 30 der Lichtschranke 27 mit parallelem Abstand über einer horizontalen Verbindungslinie/-ebene zwischen den Blasrohren 25, 26 liegt. Diese Sensorlinie 30 stellt eine untere Begrenzung eines in den Fig. 4 bis 6 durch ein Liniengitter symbolisierten oberen Bereichs 31 eines über den Faltschablonen 23 sich befindenden Faltraums, nämlich einem Blasraum 32, der Längsfaltstation 13 dar. Die Sensorlinie 30 unterteilt somit den Blasraum 32 in den oberen Bereich 31 und einen zwischen der Sensorlinie 30 und den Faltschablonen 23 liegenden unteren Bereich 33. Die Höhe des unteren Bereichs 33 ist so gewählt, dass in ihm sich eine Hauptausbreitungsfläche des gefalteten und auch ungefalteten oder nur teilweise gefalteten Wäschestücks 10 liegt, das heißt, jedes fertig gefaltete Wäschestück 10 nach dem Umlegen des rechten und linken Randbereichs um die Faltschablonen 23 nur den unteren Bereich 33 einnimmt, aber nicht den oberen Bereich 31 und dadurch jedes fertig gefaltete Wäschestück 10 unterhalb der Sensorlinie 30 liegt.At least one light barrier 27 is provided above the blower tubes 25, 26. A transversely to the transport direction 12 horizontally extending light barrier 27 is in the 4 to 6 symbolically represented. The light barrier 27 has at least one (in the 4 to 6 right) light source 28 and one of these opposite (in the 4 to 6 The light barrier 27 generates - if it is uninterrupted - a horizontal sensor line 30, which in the 4 to 6 symbolized by a series of points of light. The light source 28 and the reflector 29 are arranged at a short distance above the blower tubes 25, 26, so that the sensor line 30 of the light barrier 27 is at a parallel distance above a horizontal connecting line / plane between the blower tubes 25, 26. This sensor line 30 represents a lower limit of one in the 4 to 6 The folding line 30, which is symbolized by a line grid, represents the folding area 32, the longitudinal folding station 13. The sensor line 30 thus divides the blowing space 32 into the upper area 31 and between the sensor line 30 and the folding templates 23 lower portion 33. The height of the lower portion 33 is selected so that it is a main propagation surface of the folded and unfolded or only partially folded garment 10, that is, each finished folded garment 10 after turning the right and left edge area to the folding templates 23 occupy only the lower area 33, but not the upper area 31 and thus each finished folded laundry item 10 lies below the sensor line 30.

Da aufgrund der länglichen Blasrohre 25, 26 jedes Seitenteil eines Wäschestücks 10 in Längsrichtung der Längsfaltstation 13 gesehen gleichmäßig um die jeweilige Faltschablone 23 herumgelegt wird, reicht eine einzige Lichtschranke 27 mit einer quer zur Transportrichtung 12 verlaufenden Sensorlinie 30 oberhalb der Ebene der Blasrohre 25, 26 aus. Es ist aber auch denkbar, mehrere mit mehr oder weniger großen Abständen verteilt auf die Länge der Längsfaltstation 13 verteilte Lichtschranken 27 mit parallelen, horizontalen Sensorlinien 30 vorzusehen. Dann kann die untere Ebene des oberen Bereichs 31 des Blasraums 32 flächenmäßig berührungslos abgetastet werden.Since, due to the elongated blower tubes 25, 26, each side part of a laundry article 10 is laid around the respective folding template 23 in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal folding station 13, a single photoelectric barrier 27 extends above the plane of the blower tubes 25, 26 with a sensor line 30 extending transversely to the transport direction 12 out. However, it is also conceivable to provide a plurality of distributed with more or less large distances to the length of the longitudinal folding station 13 distributed light barriers 27 with parallel, horizontal sensor lines 30. Then, the lower level of the upper portion 31 of the blowing chamber 32 can be scanned surface contactless.

Denkbar ist es auch, durch bildgebende Verfahren, beispielsweise Kameras, den gesamten oberen Bereich 31 des Blasraums 32 dreidimensional zu überwachen.It is also conceivable to monitor the entire upper area 31 of the blowing space 32 three-dimensionally by means of imaging methods, for example cameras.

Die Vorrichtung verfügt über eine nicht gezeigte Schaltung und/oder Steuerung, der die gemessene Länge des jeweils der Längsfaltstation 13 zugeführten Wäschestücks 10 zur Verfügung gestellt wird. Anhand der Länge des jeweiligen Wäschestücks 10 wird dann die Geschwindigkeit des Längsförderers 22 der Längsfaltstation 13 verändert, insbesondere angepasst, und zwar derart, dass eine vordere Querkante 36 des jeweiligen Wäschestücks 10 nach Beendigung der Längsfaltung möglichst dicht an ein Auslaufende 34 an der vorderen Querkante der Längsfaltstation 13 herantransportiert ist.The device has a circuit (not shown) and / or control, to which the measured length of the laundry item 10 supplied to the respective longitudinal folding station 13 is made available. On the basis of the length of the respective item of laundry 10, the speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 of the longitudinal folding station 13 is then changed, in particular adapted, in such a way that a front transverse edge 36 of the respective laundry item 10 after completion of the longitudinal folding as close as possible to a discharge end 34 at the front transverse edge Longitudinal folding station 13 is transported.

Die selbe Steuerung oder Schaltung oder eine separate Steuerung oder Schaltung erhält von der Lichtschranke 27 ein Signal, wenn sich ein um die Faltschablonen 23 von den Luftstrahlen der Blasrohre 25, 26 herumzulegender Randbereich des Wäschestücks 10 nicht mehr im oberen Bereich 31 des Blasraums 32 befindet.The same control or circuit or a separate control or circuit receives a signal from the light barrier 27 when an edge region of the item of laundry 10 to be wrapped around the folding jets 23 by the air jets of the blower tubes 25, 26 is no longer in the upper region 31 of the blowing space 32.

Die Schaltung oder Steuerung für die Anpassung der Transportgeschwindigkeit des Längsförderers 22 der Längsfaltstation 13 an die Länge des Wäschestücks 10 kann auch zur Bestimmung herangezogen werden, auf welchen der unterschiedlich weit vom Ausgabeförderer 15 entfernt liegende Hubstapler 18 bis 21 das jeweils gefaltete Wäschestück 10 abgelegt wird. Die Steuerung merkt sich die Größe des jeweiligen Wäschestücks 10 bzw. die Geschwindigkeit, womit dieses durch die Längsfaltstation 13 hindurch transportiert worden ist und legt dementsprechend ein Wäschestück 10, was schneller durch die Längsfaltstation 13 transportiert wurde, auf den hintersten Hubstapler 21 ab. Größere Wäschestücke 10 werden auf den oder die vorderen Hubstapler 18 oder 19 abgelegt.The circuit or control for the adjustment of the transport speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 of the longitudinal folding station 13 to the length of the laundry item 10 can also be used to determine on which the different from the output conveyor 15 remote lift trucks 18 to 21 each folded piece of laundry 10 is stored. The controller remembers the size of the respective item of laundry 10 or the speed with which this has been transported through the longitudinal folding station 13 and accordingly places a laundry article 10, which was transported faster through the longitudinal folding station 13, onto the rearmost forklift 21. Larger items of laundry 10 are placed on the front forklift or 18 or 19.

Das Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 7 unterscheidet sich von dem zuvor beschriebenen Ausführungsbeispiel nur dadurch, dass statt der quer zur Transportrichtung 12 verlaufenden Lichtschranke 27 (des Ausführungsbeispiels der Fig. 4 bis 6) mindestens eine in Längsrichtung verlaufende Lichtschranke vorgesehen ist. Im Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 7 sind zwei parallele längsgerichtete Lichtschranken 37, 38 vorgesehen, und zwar jeweils eine Lichtschranke 37, 38 pro Hälfte der Längsfaltstation 13. Beide Lichtschranken 37, 38 liegen in einer gemeinsamen horizontalen Ebene etwas über der horizontalen Verbindungsebene zwischen den Blasrohren 25, 26. Die horizontale Ebene, in der die Lichtschranken 37, 38 liegen, befindet sich zwischen einem oberen Bereich 31 und einem unteren Bereich 33 des Blasraums 32, also noch über der Ebene der Blasrohre 25, 26 über den Faltschablonen 23. Der Abstand der beiden Lichtschranken 37, 38 ist größer als der Abstand der äußeren Längskanten der Faltschablonen 23. Dadurch befinden sich die längsgerichteten Lichtschranken 37, 38 in einem Bereich, durch den die um die Faltschablonen 23 durch Blasluft herumzulegenden äußeren Randstreifen des jeweiligen Wäschestücks 10 hindurchbewegt werden müssen. Auf diese Weise kann von den längsgerichteten Lichtschranken 37 und 38 zuverlässig ermittelt werden, ob die Längsfaltung des jeweiligen äußeren Randbereichs des Wäschestücks 10 zumindest größtenteils erfolgt ist oder nicht.The embodiment of Fig. 7 differs from the embodiment described above only in that instead of the transversely to the transport direction 12 extending photocell 27 (of the embodiment of the 4 to 6 ) is provided at least one extending in the longitudinal direction of light barrier. In the embodiment of Fig. 7 two parallel longitudinal light barriers 37, 38 are provided, in each case one light barrier 37, 38 per half of the longitudinal folding station 13. Both light barriers 37, 38 lie in a common horizontal plane slightly above the horizontal connecting plane between the blower tubes 25, 26. The horizontal plane , in which the light barriers 37, 38 are located between an upper portion 31 and a lower portion 33 of the blowing chamber 32, that is still above the plane of the blow tubes 25, 26 on the folding templates 23. The distance between the two light barriers 37, 38 greater than As a result, the longitudinal light barriers 37, 38 are located in a region through which the outer edge strips of the respective item of laundry 10 to be wrapped around the folding templates 23 by blowing air must be moved through. In this way, it can be reliably determined by the longitudinal light barriers 37 and 38 whether the longitudinal folding of the respective outer edge region of the item of laundry 10 has occurred at least for the most part or not.

Nachfolgend wird die Verfahrensweise der zuvor beschriebenen Vorrichtung zum Falten und Abstapeln von Wäschestücken 10 im Zusammenhang mit dem Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 1 bis 6 näher beschrieben:

  • Das Längsfalten der Wäschestücke 10 erfolgt in Abhängigkeit von zumindest der Größe, vorzugsweise Länge und/oder Breite, derselben mit unterschiedlichen Transportgeschwindigkeiten des jeweiligen Wäschestücks 10 in Transportrichtung 12 durch die Längsfaltstation 13. Die Geschwindigkeit des Längsförderers 22 in der Längsfaltstation 13 wird dabei an die Größe und gegebenenfalls das Material des jeweils zu faltenden Wäschestücks 10 angepasst. Insbesondere werden kurze Wäschestücke 10, das sind solche, deren Längen in Transportrichtung 12 bzw. Längsrichtung der Längsfaltstation 13 gesehen verhältnismäßig klein sind, schneller durch die Längsfaltstation 13 transportiert als längere Wäschestücke 10. Es werden mit anderen Worten kurze Wäschestücke 10 in der Längsfaltstation 13 vom Längsförderer 22 beschleunigt und längere Wäschestücke 10 verzögert durch entsprechendes Abbremsen des Längsförderers 22 der Längsfaltstation 13.
Hereinafter, the procedure of the previously described apparatus for folding and stacking of laundry 10 in connection with the embodiment of Fig. 1 to 6 described in more detail:
  • The longitudinal folding of the items of laundry 10 takes place as a function of at least the size, preferably length and / or width, of the same with different transport speeds of the respective item of laundry 10 in the transport direction 12 by the longitudinal folding station 13. The speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 in the longitudinal folding station 13 is thereby to the size and optionally adapted to the material of the respective laundry article 10 to be folded. In particular, short laundry items 10, which are those whose lengths seen in the transport direction 12 and longitudinal direction of the longitudinal folding 13 are relatively small, transported faster by the longitudinal folding station 13 than longer pieces of laundry 10 There are in other words short laundry items 10 in the longitudinal folding 13 of Longitudinal conveyor 22 accelerates and longer laundry items 10 delayed by corresponding deceleration of the longitudinal conveyor 22 of the longitudinal folding station thirteenth

Durch die am Anfang oder vor der Längsfaltstation 13 angeordnete Längenmesseinrichtung 35 wird ermittelt, ob es sich um ein kleines oder großes, insbesondere kurzes oder langes, Wäschestück 10 handelt. Die Länge des Wäschestücks 10 ist dadurch bekannt, bevor der erste Längsfaltvorgang dieses Wäschestück 10 in der Längsfaltstation 13 beginnt. Anhand der vorher festgestellten Größe bzw. Länge des Wäschestücks 10 wird über die Steuerung der Längsfaltstation 13 die Geschwindigkeit des Längsförderers 22 bestimmt und der Längsförderer 22 entsprechend angetrieben. Dadurch können große und kleine Wäschestücke 10 während des kontinuierlichen Weitertransports durch die Längsfaltstation 13 zweimal nacheinander längsgefaltet werden, und zwar in den Ausführungsbeispielen der Fig. 2 und 3 zunächst ein rechter Randbereich um die rechte Faltschablone 23 und dann ein linker Randbereich um die linke Faltschablone 23. Die Längsfaltung kann auch bei größeren bzw. längeren Wäschestücken 10 ohne Unterbrechung des Weitertransport des Wäschestücks durch die Längsfaltstation 13 erfolgen. Nur wenn ein so großes Wäschestück 10 in der Längsfaltstation 13 gefaltet werden soll, das nahezu die gesamte Länge der Längsfaltstation 13 einnimmt, muss für ein solches sehr langes Wäschestück 10 der Weitertransport desselben durch die Längsfaltstation 13 zum Längsfalten kurzfristig gestoppt werden.By arranged at the beginning or in front of the longitudinal folding station 13 length measuring device 35 is determined whether it is a small or large, especially short or long, laundry item 10. The length of the laundry item 10 is known, before the first longitudinal folding process of this laundry item 10 begins in the longitudinal folding station 13. Based on the previously determined size or length of the laundry item 10, the speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 is determined by the control of the longitudinal folding station 13 and the longitudinal conveyor 22 is driven accordingly. As a result, large and small items of laundry 10 can be folded longitudinally twice in succession during the continuous further transport through the longitudinal folding station 13, specifically in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS FIGS. 2 and 3 first a right edge area around the right folding template 23 and then a left edge area around the left folding template 23. The longitudinal folding can also with larger or longer items of laundry 10 without Interruption of the further transport of the laundry by the longitudinal folding station 13 done. Only if such a large piece of laundry 10 is to be folded in the longitudinal folding station 13, which occupies almost the entire length of the longitudinal folding station 13, the further transport of the same has to be stopped by the Längsfaltstation 13 for longitudinal folds for such a very long piece of laundry 10 short term.

Die Anpassung der Transportgeschwindigkeit des Längsförderers 22 der Längsfaltstation 13 an die Länge des jeweils längs zu faltenden Wäschestücks 10 erfolgt derart, dass am Schluss des letzten Längsfaltvorgangs in der Längsfaltstation 13 eine vordere Querkante 36 des fertig gefalteten Wäschestücks 10 sich dicht am Auslaufende 34, nämlich einer vorderen Querkante, der Längsfaltstation 13 oder dicht an den vorderen Enden der Faltschablonen 23 (Fig. 2) befindet. Folgt auf mindestens ein kurzes Wäschestück 10 (Fig. 2) ein längeres Wäschestück 10 (Fig. 3), dann wird die Geschwindigkeit des Längsförderers 22 so weit reduziert, dass die vordere Querkante 36 des längeren Wäschestücks 10 sich beim Abschluss der Längsfaltung in der Längsfaltstation 13 am vorderen Auslaufende 34 derselben oder nahe des vordereren Auslaufendes 34 und/oder den vorderen Enden der Faltschablonen 23 befindet.The adaptation of the transport speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 of the longitudinal folding station 13 to the length of each longitudinally to be folded item of laundry 10 is such that at the end of the last longitudinal folding in the Längsfaltstation 13, a front transverse edge 36 of the finished folded laundry 10 is close to the outlet end 34, namely a front transverse edge, the longitudinal folding station 13 or close to the front ends of the folding templates 23 (FIG. Fig. 2 ) is located. Follow at least one short piece of laundry 10 ( Fig. 2 ) a longer piece of laundry 10 ( Fig. 3 ), then the speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 is reduced so that the front transverse edge 36 of the longer garment 10 at the completion of longitudinal folding in the Längsfaltstation 13 at the front outlet end 34 thereof or near the front outlet end 34 and / or the front ends of the Faltschablonen 23 is located.

Mit der vorstehend beschriebenen Vorgehensweise wird erreicht, dass unterschiedlich große Wäschestücke 10 (abgesehen von extra großen Wäschestücken 10, die etwa der Länge der Längsfaltstation 13 entsprechen) bei ununterbrochenem, kontinuierlichen Weitertransport durch die Längsfaltstation 13 längsgefaltet werden können. Außerdem wird erreicht, dass durch die in Abhängigkeit von der von der Längenmesseinrichtung 35 vorher ermittelten Länge der Wäschestücke 10 erfolgenden Anpassung der Transportgeschwindigkeit des Längsförderers 22 sowohl kurze als auch lange Wäschestücke 10 nach Beendigung der Längsfaltung in der Längsfaltstation 13 mit ihrer vorderen Querkante 36 sich am Auslaufende 34 oder nahe dem Auslaufende 34 der Längsfaltstation 13 und/oder an den Enden der Faltschablonen 23 befinden.With the procedure described above it is achieved that differently sized items of laundry 10 (apart from extra large items of laundry 10, which correspond approximately to the length of the longitudinal folding station 13) can be folded longitudinally in uninterrupted further transport through the longitudinal folding station 13. In addition, it is achieved that both short and long items of laundry 10 after completion of longitudinal folding in the longitudinal folding station 13 with its front transverse edge 36 on the basis of the previously determined by the length measuring device 35 length of the laundry items 10 adaptation of the transport speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 on Expiring 34 or near the outlet end 34 of the longitudinal folding station 13 and / or at the ends of the folding templates 23 are located.

Das beschriebene Verfahren reduziert die Durchlaufzeit der Wäschestücke 10 durch die Längsfaltstation 13 auf ein Minimum, indem die Wäschestücke 10 unabhängig von ihrer Größe, insbesondere Länge, sich nach dem Längsfalten unmittelbar vor dem Auslaufende 34 der Längsfaltstation 13 befinden und somit alle Wäschestücke 10 unabhängig von ihrer Größe nach Beendigung des letzten Längsfaltvorgangs sofort über das Auslaufende 34 aus der Längsfaltstation 13 heraustransportiert werden können.The method described reduces the throughput time of the laundry items 10 by the longitudinal folding station 13 to a minimum by the laundry items 10 regardless of their size, especially length, are located after the longitudinal folds immediately before the outlet end 34 of the longitudinal folding 13 and thus all laundry items 10 regardless of their Size can be transported out immediately after the last longitudinal folding operation on the outlet end 34 from the longitudinal folding station 13.

Bevorzugt ist es auch vorgesehen, die gefalteten Wäschestücke 10 gezielt auf die Hubstapler 18 bis 21 abzustapeln. Dazu werden kleinere Wäschestücke 10, die mit größerer Fördergeschwindigkeit des Längsförderers 22 durch die Längsfaltstation 13 hindurchtransportiert worden sind und deren Verweilzeit in der Längsfaltstation 13 somit im Vergleich zu größeren Wäschestücken 10 kürzer ist, auf vom Ausgabeförderer 15 der Kreuzfaltstation 14 weiter oder am weitesten entfernt liegenden Hubstaplern 21 oder 20 abgestapelt. Längere Wäschestücke 10, die langsamer durch die Längsfaltstation 13 hindurchtransportiert werden, werden hingegen auf den dichter am Ausgabeförderer 15 liegenden Hubstaplern 18 oder 19 abgelegt. Es werden so längere Transportwege gefalteter Wäschestücke 10 zu den weiter hinten liegenden Hubstaplern 20, 21 kombiniert mit kürzeren Durchlaufzeiten durch die Längsfaltstation 13. Demgegenüber werden längere Faltzeiten in der Längsfaltstation 13 erfordernde größere Wäschestücke 10 auf kürzere Zuführwege erfordernde vordere Hubstaplern 18 bzw. 19 abgelegt. Auf diese Weise wird erreicht, dass der Durchlauf größerer und kleinerer Wäschestücke 10 durch die Längsfaltstation 13 und die Stapeleinrichtung 16 nahezu gleiche Zeiten beansprucht.Preferably, it is also provided to stack the folded laundry items 10 targeted to the lift trucks 18 to 21. For this purpose, smaller items of laundry 10, which have been transported through the longitudinal folding station 13 with a larger conveying speed of the longitudinal conveyor 22 and whose dwell time in the longitudinal folding station 13 is thus shorter in comparison to larger items of laundry 10, on the output conveyor 15 of the Kreuzfaltstation 14 further or furthest away Stacker 21 or 20 stacked. Longer laundry items 10, which are transported more slowly through the longitudinal folding station 13, however, are deposited on the closer to the output conveyor 15 horizontal stacker 18 or 19. Thus, longer transport paths of folded laundry items 10 to the more distant lift trucks 20, 21 are combined with shorter throughput times by the longitudinal folding station 13. In contrast, longer folding times in the longitudinal folding station 13 requiring larger laundry items 10 on shorter feed paths requiring front lift trucks 18 and 19 are stored. In this way it is achieved that the passage of larger and smaller items of laundry 10 claimed by the longitudinal folding station 13 and the stacking device 16 almost the same times.

Alternativ ist es auch denkbar, den zu den Hubstaplern 18 bis 21 führenden Förderer 17 mit derart wechselnden Geschwindigkeiten anzutreiben, dass gefaltete Wäschestücke 10 innerhalb etwa gleicher Zeit zu den Hubstaplern 18 bis 21 gelangen. Die gefalteten Wäschestücke 10 werden dann zum hintersten Hubstapler 21 mit größter Transportgeschwindigkeit transportiert und zum vorderen Hubstapler 18 mit geringster Fördergeschwindigkeit. Dabei braucht sich die Transportgeschwindigkeit des Förderers 17 nicht unbedingt an der Größe der gefalteten Wäschestücke 10 zu orientieren; sie kann unabhängig von der Größe der Wäschestücke 10 an den Förderweg angepasst werden.Alternatively, it is also conceivable to drive the conveyor 17, which leads to the lift trucks 18 to 21, at such varying speeds that folded laundry items 10 reach the lift trucks 18 to 21 within approximately the same time. The folded laundry items 10 are then transported to the rearmost lift truck 21 with the greatest transport speed and to the front lift truck 18 with the lowest conveying speed. In this case, the transport speed of the conveyor 17 need not necessarily be based on the size of the folded laundry items 10; It can be adapted to the conveyor regardless of the size of the laundry items 10.

Es ist verfahrensmäßig weiterhin vorgesehen, die Blasdauer der Blasrohre 25, 26 an die Dauer der jeweiligen Längsfaltung anzupassen. Es wird dadurch der Druckluftaustritt aus den Blasrohren 25 bzw. 26 beendet, sobald die jeweilige Längsfaltung abgeschlossen ist. Das hat eine mindestens von der Länge der Wäschestücke 10 abhängige Blaszeitregelung zur Folge. Vorzugsweise bestimmt sich die Blaszeit aber auch nach der Breite und/oder dem Material, vor allem bei Frottee, der Wäschestücke 10.It is procedurally further provided to adjust the blowing time of the blow tubes 25, 26 to the duration of the respective longitudinal folding. It is characterized the compressed air outlet from the blowpipes 25 and 26 ended as soon as the respective longitudinal fold is completed. This has a least dependent on the length of the laundry items 10 Blaszeitregelung result. Preferably, however, the blowing time is also determined by the width and / or the material, especially terry cloth, of the laundry items 10.

Zum Zwecke der Blaszeitregelung wird überwacht, ob sich noch ein Teil des Wäschestücks 10 im oberen Bereich 31 des Blasraums 32 befindet. Dazu wird die sich mit parallelem Abstand über den Faltschablonen 23 und Blasrohren 25, 26 befindende untere, vorzugsweise horizontale, Ebene des oberen Bereichs 31, durch die die Sensorlinie 30 verläuft, durch die mindestens eine quergerichtete Lichtschranke 27 überwacht. Ist die in der unteren Ebene des oberen Bereichs 31 liegende Sensorlinie 30 zwischen der Lichtquelle 28 und dem Reflektor 29 der Lichtschranke 27 unterbrochen (Fig. 5), befindet sich noch ein momentan längs zu faltender Teil des Wäschestücks 10 im oberen Bereich 31 des Blasraums 32. Es signalisiert den noch laufenden Faltvorgang, der noch aus den Düsen des Blasrohrs 25 oder 26 austretende Druckluftstrahl erfordert. Sobald ein erster (rechter) Randbereich des Wäschestücks 10, der von den Druckluftstrahlen aus dem in der Fig. 6 rechten Blasrohr 25 um die rechte Faltschablone 23 herumgelegt ist, den oberen Bereich 31 verlassen hat und dadurch die Sensorlinie 30 freigegeben ist, wird der Luftaustritt aus dem rechten Blasrohr 25 unterbrochen und es kann das Umfalten des zweiten (in der Fig. 6 linken) Randbereichs des Wäschestücks 10 um die linke Faltschablone 23 beginnen, indem nun die Druckluftversorgung des linken Blasrohrs 26 freigegeben wird. Von den aus dem linken Blasrohr 26 austretenden Luftdruckstrahl wird dann der linke Randbereich des Wäschestücks 10 um die linke Faltschablone 23 herum auf den vorher gefalteten rechten Randbereich des Wäschestücks 10 gelegt bzw. umgeklappt. Die Lichtschranke 27 detektiert wiederum den Abschluss des Faltens des linken Randbereichs des Wäschestücks 10, wenn dieser den oberen Bereich 31 des Blasraums 32 verlassen hat und sich unter der Sensorlinie 30 der Lichtschranke 27 im unteren Bereich 33 des Blasraums 32 befindet. Dann ist der Längfaltvorgang des Wäschestücks 10 in der Längsfaltstation 13 abgeschlossen und es wird auch die Druckluftversorgung des linken Blasrohrs 26 unterbrochen.For the purpose of Blaszeitregelung is monitored whether there is still a portion of the laundry article 10 in the upper portion 31 of the blowing chamber 32. For this purpose, the lower, preferably horizontal, plane of the upper region 31, through which the sensor line 30 passes, is monitored by the at least one transverse light barrier 27 at a parallel distance above the folding templates 23 and blower tubes 25, 26. Is the lying in the lower level of the upper portion 31 sensor line 30 between the light source 28 and the reflector 29 of the light barrier 27 is interrupted ( Fig. 5 ), there is still a momentarily to be folded part of the laundry article 10 in the upper region 31 of the blast space 32. It signals the ongoing folding process, which still requires 25 or 26 emerging from the nozzles of the blowpipe compressed air jet. Once a first (right) edge portion of the laundry article 10, which from the compressed air jets from in the Fig. 6 right blower tube 25 is placed around the right folding template 23, has left the upper portion 31 and thereby the sensor line 30 is released, the air outlet from the right blowpipe 25 is interrupted and it can fold the second (in the Fig. 6 left) edge region of the laundry article 10 to start the left folding template 23 by now the compressed air supply of the left blower tube 26 is released. Of the air pressure jet emerging from the left-hand blower tube 26, the left-hand edge region of the laundry article 10 is then placed or folded around the left-hand folding template 23 onto the previously folded right-hand edge region of the laundry article 10. The light barrier 27 in turn detects the completion of the folding of the left edge region of the laundry article 10 when it has left the upper region 31 of the blowing chamber 32 and is below the sensor line 30 of the light barrier 27 in the lower region 33 of the blowing chamber 32. Then the longitudinal folding process of the laundry article 10 in the longitudinal folding station 13 is completed and it is also the compressed air supply of the left blower tube 26 is interrupted.

Nach dem Längsfalten eines Wäschestücks 10 kann das Längsfalten des nachfolgenden Wäschestücks 10 beginnen mit dem Öffnen der Druckluftversorgung des rechten Blasrohrs 25, das zuerst den rechten Randbereich des Wäschestücks 10 um die rechte Faltschablone 23 herumlegt. Danach erfolgt in der zuvor beschriebenen Weise das Falten des linken Randbereichs des Wäschestücks 10 durch entsprechende Umsteuerung der Druckluftversorgung der Blasrohre 25 und 26 und Beendigung der Druckluftversorgung beider Blasrohre 25, 26 nach dem zweiten Längsfalten des linken Randbereichs des Wäschestücks 10 auf dem zuvor gefalteten rechten Randbereich desselben.After the longitudinal folding of a laundry item 10, the longitudinal folding of the subsequent laundry item 10 can begin with the opening of the compressed air supply of the right blower tube 25, which first places the right edge region of the laundry item 10 around the right folding template 23. Thereafter, in the manner described above, the folding of the left edge portion of the laundry article 10 by appropriate reversal of the compressed air supply of the blow tubes 25 and 26 and termination of compressed air supply both blow tubes 25, 26 after the second longitudinal folds of the left edge portion of the laundry article 10 on the previously folded right edge region thereof.

Durch die Überwachung des oberen Bereichs 31 des Blasraums 32 auf das Vorhandensein oder Nichtvorhandensein eines Teils des Wäschestücks 10 kann die Dauer des Luftaustritts aus jedem der Blasrohre 25, 26 individuell gesteuert werden. So wird das eine Blasrohr 25 noch solange mit Druckluft versorgt, wie dieses Blasrohr 25 braucht, um die erste Längsfaltung des betreffenden Teils des Wäschestücks 10 durchzuführen. Mit der Beendigung der Druckluftzufuhr zum Blasrohr 25 für die erste Längsfaltung wird gleichzeitig oder geringfügig später die Druckluftzufuhr zum anderen Blasrohr 26 für die zweite Längsfaltung des anderen Teils des Wäschestücks 10 freigegeben, also ein automatischer Wechsel der Druckluftversorgung des einen oder anderen Blasrohrs 25 bzw. 26 vorgenommen. Mit anderen Worten wird jedes Blasrohr 25, 26 durch das erfindungsgemäße Verfahren nur über eine solche Zeitdauer mit Druckluft versorgt, die der für die jeweilige Längsfaltung benötigten Zeit entspricht. Außerdem wird durch das erfindungsgemäße Verfahren der Beginn der im Anschluss an die erste Querfaltung erfolgenden zweiten Querfaltung gesteuert.By monitoring the upper portion 31 of the blow room 32 for the presence or absence of a portion of the laundry article 10, the duration of the air discharge from each of the blow tubes 25, 26 can be individually controlled. Thus, a blowpipe 25 is still supplied with compressed air as long as this blowpipe 25 needs to perform the first longitudinal folding of the relevant part of the laundry item 10. With the completion of the compressed air supply to the blow pipe 25 for the first longitudinal folding is simultaneously or slightly later the compressed air supply to the other blowpipe 26 for the second longitudinal folding of the other part of the laundry item 10 is released, so an automatic change of the compressed air supply of one or the other blowpipe 25 or 26 made. In other words, each blowpipe 25, 26 is supplied by the inventive method only over such a period of time with compressed air, which corresponds to the time required for the respective longitudinal folding. In addition, the method according to the invention controls the beginning of the second transverse folding following the first transverse folding.

Das Längsfalten von Wäschestücken 10 erfolgt nach dem Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 7 prinzipiell nach dem gleichen zuvor im Zusammenhang mit dem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel (Fig. 4 bis 6) beschriebenen Verfahren. Nur wird hier die untere horizontale Ebene des oberen Bereichs 31 des Blasraums 32 von zwei in Transportrichtung 12 längsgerichtet verlaufenden Lichtschranken 37, 38 überwacht.The longitudinal folding of laundry items 10 takes place according to the embodiment of Fig. 7 in principle after the same previously in connection with the first embodiment ( 4 to 6 ). Only here is the lower horizontal plane of the upper region 31 of the blowing chamber 32 monitored by two longitudinally extending in the transport direction 12 light barriers 37, 38.

Die Erfindung ist vorstehend im Zusammenhang mit einer Vorrichtung zum kombinierten Falten von Wäschestücken 10 und Abstapeln gefalteter Wäschestücke 10 beschrieben. Die Erfindung eignet sich auch für Vorrichtungen, die nur zum Falten, insbesondere mindestens zum Längsfalten, von Wäschestücken 10 dienen oder Vorrichtungen, womit gefaltete Wäschestücke 10 lediglich auf verschiedenen Hubstaplern 18 bis 21 abgelegt werden.The invention has been described above in connection with a device for the combined folding of laundry items 10 and the stacking of folded laundry items 10. The invention is also suitable for devices that serve only for folding, in particular at least for longitudinal folding, of laundry items 10 or devices, with which folded laundry items 10 are only stored on different forklifts 18 to 21.

Die Erfindung ist auch nicht beschränkt auf Vorrichtungen zum kombinierten Längsfalten und Querfalten. Die Erfindung eignet sich auch für Vorrichtungen, die nur zum mindestens einmaligen Längsfalten von Wäschestücken 10 dienen. Die Erfindung ist auch nicht beschränkt auf Vorrichtungen, die gemäß dem in den Figuren gezeigten Ausführungsbeispiel vier Hubstapler 18 bis 21 aufweisen. Die Erfindung eignet sich auch für Vorrichtungen mit mehr oder weniger als vier Hubstaplern 18 bis 21.The invention is not limited to devices for combined longitudinal folding and transverse folding. The invention is also suitable for devices that serve only for at least one longitudinal folding of laundry items 10. The invention is not limited to devices which have four forklifts 18 to 21 according to the embodiment shown in the figures. The invention is also suitable for devices with more or less than four forklifts 18 to 21.

Bezugszeichenliste:LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1010 Wäschestücklaundry 3636 vordere Querkantefront transverse edge 1111 Eingabetischinput table 3737 Lichtschrankephotocell 1212 Transportrichtungtransport direction 3838 Lichtschrankephotocell 1313 LängsfaltstationLängsfaltstation 1414 KreuzfaltstationKreuzfaltstation 1515 Ausgabefördereroutput conveyor 1616 Stapeleinrichtungstacker 1717 Fördererpromoter 1818 Hubstaplerlift trucks 1919 Hubstaplerlift trucks 2020 Hubstaplerlift trucks 2121 Hubstaplerlift trucks 2222 Längsfördererlongitudinal conveyor 2323 Faltschablonefolding template 2424 Längsrandlongitudinal edge 2525 Blasrohrblowpipe 2626 Blasrohrblowpipe 2727 Lichtschrankephotocell 2828 Lichtquellelight source 2929 Reflektorreflector 3030 Sensorliniesensor line 3131 oberer Bereichupper area 3232 Blasraumblow chamber 3333 unterer Bereichlower area 3434 Auslaufendeexpiring 3535 LängenmesseinrichtungLength measuring device

Claims (10)

  1. Method of mechanically folding items of laundry (10) and/or stacking items of laundry (10), wherein the items of laundry (10) are transported through at least one longitudinal-folding station (13), the items of laundry (10) are folded longitudinally at least once in the longitudinal-folding station (13) and preferably the folded items of laundry (10) are stacked at a plurality of stacking locations, characterized in that the items of laundry (10) are transported through the longitudinal-folding station (13) at a transporting speed adapted to their size, wherein the transporting speed is adjusted such that relatively small items of laundry (10) are transported through the longitudinal-folding station (13) more quickly than larger items of laundry (10).
  2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that relatively small, in particular relatively short, items of laundry (10) are accelerated in the longitudinal-folding station (13) and larger, in particular longer, items of laundry (10) are slowed down in the longitudinal-folding station (13), such that the at least one longitudinal-folding operation has been completed when a leading front transverse edge (36) of the items of laundry (10), said front transverse edge running transversely to the direction (12) in which the items of laundry (10) are transported through the longitudinal-folding station (13), is located in the region of an outlet end (34) of the longitudinal-folding station (13).
  3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that items of laundry (10) of which the length corresponds more or less to the maximum longitudinal-folding length in the longitudinal-folding station (13) are transported through the longitudinal-folding station (13) until the at least one longitudinal-folding operation is stopped.
  4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed at which the items of laundry (10) are transported through the longitudinal-folding station (13) is adapted individually to the size, preferably length, of the respective item of laundry (10) and adjusted accordingly, preferably in dependence on the size and/or length of the respective item of laundry (10) in relation to the length of the longitudinal-folding station (13) and/or the amount of time required for the at least one longitudinal-folding operation of the respective item of laundry (10) in the longitudinal-folding station (13).
  5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed at which items of laundry (10) are supplied to the longitudinal-folding station (13) is adapted to the speed at which the respective item of laundry (10) is transported through the longitudinal-folding station (13).
  6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed at which the items of laundry (10) are supplied to the longitudinal-folding station (13) is adjusted such that the items of laundry (10) run into the longitudinal-folding station (13) directly one after the other and/or the next item of laundry (10) runs into the longitudinal-folding station (13) as soon as all the longitudinal-folding operations of the preceding item of laundry (10) have been completed.
  7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by determination of the dimensions, preferably lengths, of the items of laundry (10) in the transporting direction (12) through the longitudinal-folding station (13), preferably upstream of the longitudinal-folding station (13) and/or during transportation to the longitudinal-folding station (13).
  8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the folded items of laundry (10) are transported from the final folding station to the individual stacking locations at different supply speeds.
  9. Method according to Claim 8, characterized in that the items of laundry (10) are transported at a greater supply speed to the stacking locations which are further remote from the final folding station than to the stacking locations which are closer to the final folding station.
  10. Method according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that relatively short items of laundry (10)? which are transported at a relatively great transporting speed through the longitudinal-folding station (13) and/or items of laundry (10) requiring relatively short amounts of folding time are stacked on at least one stacking location which is relatively remote from the final folding station.
EP14003198.0A 2013-09-27 2014-09-16 Method for folding laundry Active EP2853633B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102013016075 2013-09-27
DE201310020912 DE102013020912A1 (en) 2013-09-27 2013-12-12 Method for folding laundry items

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EP2853633A2 EP2853633A2 (en) 2015-04-01
EP2853633A3 EP2853633A3 (en) 2015-08-19
EP2853633B1 true EP2853633B1 (en) 2017-02-01

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EP14003198.0A Active EP2853633B1 (en) 2013-09-27 2014-09-16 Method for folding laundry

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WO2017191637A1 (en) * 2016-05-05 2017-11-09 Foldimate Inc. Compact domestic article folding machine with an improved driving mechanism
CN108797071A (en) * 2018-06-21 2018-11-13 金华优地工业设计有限公司 A kind of full-automatic clothes folding machine

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GB1066933A (en) * 1964-03-27 1967-04-26 Chicago Dryer Co Improvements in and relating to article folding apparatus
DE2228284A1 (en) * 1972-06-09 1974-02-14 Robert L Sjostrom DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FOLDING SHEETS
US4093205A (en) * 1976-09-30 1978-06-06 Chicago Dryer Company French folder construction
DE2750792C3 (en) * 1977-11-14 1981-09-03 Albert-Frankenthal Ag, 6710 Frankenthal Folder
DE3419146C2 (en) * 1983-06-06 1986-11-13 Herbert Kannegiesser Gmbh + Co, 4973 Vlotho Device for multiple cross and lengthwise folding of laundry items
DE3640373A1 (en) * 1986-11-26 1988-06-09 Winkler Duennebier Kg Masch METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRODUCING FOLDED PAPERS AND THE LIKE
US5556360A (en) * 1991-03-27 1996-09-17 Chicago Dryer Company High production folder construction
US5921908A (en) * 1997-05-30 1999-07-13 Orman B.V. Folding device and method for folding flat pieces of laundry in longitudinal direction
DE10241448A1 (en) * 2002-09-06 2004-03-18 Bahmüller Maschinenbau und Präzisionswerkzeug GmbH Folding machine with increased throughput
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Publication number Publication date
EP2853633A2 (en) 2015-04-01
US9347172B2 (en) 2016-05-24
EP2853633A3 (en) 2015-08-19
DE102013020912A1 (en) 2015-04-23
US20150094195A1 (en) 2015-04-02

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