EP3290578A1 - Method and device for sorting laundry items, preferably laundry items to be cleaned - Google Patents

Abstract

The automatic sorting of laundry items (10) requires the knowledge of all sorting criteria. It is endeavored to read these from attached to the laundry items (10) data carriers. It is problematic if laundry items (10) lack the media or are not readable, because they have, for example, damage. The invention makes it possible to derive sorting criteria, which can not be obtained in another way, from at least one pictorial image of an imaging device, for example a 3D camera (26). Such sorting criteria that can not be derived from the image or the image of the 3D camera (26) are derived from additional information that can be obtained in various ways. It is thus also possible to automatically or at least largely automatically sort items of laundry (10) without data carriers or with damaged data carriers.

Description

The invention relates to a method for sorting items of laundry, preferably to be cleaned items of laundry, according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for sorting items of laundry, preferably to be cleaned items of laundry, according to the preamble of claim 11.

The sorting of laundry items to be washed, in particular, to be cleaned, is usually based on a plurality of sorting criteria. For example, the shape, size, type, color, texture and / or weight of the laundry items are sorting criteria. The sorting can be carried out in relation to individual or even several sorting criteria, for example after washing programs.

So far to be washed or otherwise to be cleaned items of laundry, so used and / or dirty laundry (dirty laundry), sorted manually. This is laborious and error-prone, but also physically exhausting and unhygienic.

It is already known to sort the laundry items automatically. This can be done using data carriers assigned to the individual items of laundry, for example RFID chips. But it is not always laundry items to sort with data carriers. Therefore, a mixed operation is usually done. It also happens that disk because they for example, are damaged, can not be read. Such items of laundry must then be sorted manually.

The invention is based on the object of providing a method and a device for at least largely automated sorting of items of laundry or for sorting items of laundry in mixing operation, in particular items to be washed or otherwise to be cleaned.

A method for achieving this object comprises the measures of claim 1. Accordingly, at least one imaging device is provided which generates at least a few items of laundry in each case a preferably three-dimensional image. The image is preferably an image. Preferably, at least one additional piece of information is added to the recording, which supplements the information of the shot or the image produced by the at least one imaging device in order to obtain all the sorting criteria required for automatic sorting.

The additional information is preferably one which does not emerge from the image or the image produced by the at least one imaging device, but which is characteristic for the laundry item concerned with the image or the image.

The authoritative sorting criteria are known from the preferably three-dimensional and / or color image originating from the at least one imaging device or the image together with the at least one additional information so that the sorting can take place automatically in the region of the sorting station.

An advantageous further development possibility of the method provides that the respective recording with the at least one associated additional information is stored in a database. From this database, additional information belonging to later recordings can be retrieved without having to recalculate it. The method thus makes possible a self-learning effect which, after a certain amount of learning time, enables a fully automatic sorting of all or at least a large part of subsequent items of laundry.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the method not only the recordings are stored in the database, but optionally also in addition to the recordings taken criteria. For example, the recordings can be broken down into the criteria. The criteria may include, but are not limited to, the color, volume, type of fabric and / or weight of laundry items. It is conceivable to store the criteria together with the respective recording of the database. It may also suffice to save only the criteria derived from the recordings such as by decomposing the same in the database. The database preferably also stores other criteria, for example those in which subsequent weighing, scanning of the data carriers, or manually by operators has been obtained, for example, during the after-sorting of the laundry items.

Preferably, it is provided to compare a respective later recording and / or the criteria derived therefrom from subsequent items of laundry with recordings, criteria or the like of earlier items of laundry stored in the database. If, in this comparison, a principal agreement or approximation with an older recording stored in the database and / or criteria stored in the database is determined, the at least one additional criterion assigned to the older recording and / or the older criteria and also stored in the database can be used automatically assigned to the item of laundry in question without the at least one additional criterion having to be determined and stored again in the database.

Another possibility of development of the method provides that of such items of laundry, which are provided with at least one data carrier, preferably in the identification station, the data are read from the data carrier of the respective item of laundry. From such laundry then no recording or no image needs to be generated and there is no additional information required or retrieve from the database. Dates containing laundry items can then be sorted directly and preferably without a detour past the at least one imaging device directly and only on the basis of the at least one data carrier, such as a chip, read sorting criteria.

It is particularly advantageous to produce from the items of laundry, which are identified in the identification station, that they have no or no readable data carrier, with the at least one imaging device a picture or recording, if necessary, at least one additional information is added. It then only need such items of laundry on the at least one imaging device over to be transported, which have no disk or their disk is not readable. As a result, a fully automatic sorting of the laundry with minimal effort, in particular minimal time required, possible.

Furthermore, it is preferably possible to divert only those items of laundry which have no data carrier or whose data carrier can not be read out in the identification station and / or in front of the sorting station. This is preferably done on another section of the transport system in which items of laundry without data carriers or unreadable data carriers are deliberately removed and transported through the other section of the transport system.

An alternative possibility of the automated sorting of laundry items without a data carrier or with a non-readable data carrier provides to transfer these items of laundry into, for example, a storage section of the transport system. This is especially true if at least one additional information to the image taken by at least one imaging device or other recording or the at least one derived criterion is required. This can preferably take place in the region of the memory section representing a bypass of the transport system or another storage station. Preferably, the at least one additional criterion is assigned manually in the region of the storage station or the storage path of the transport system of the receptacle, the image or the at least one automatically determined criterion of the relevant item of laundry.

However, it is also conceivable to provide a branch line of the transport system, at which an image or another recording is generated by the at least one imaging device.

An apparatus for solving the above-mentioned problem has the features of claim 11. In this device, it is provided to assign the identification station at least one imaging device. At least a majority of the sorting criteria for sorting the items of laundry can be determined directly or indirectly automatically by the at least one imaging device.

Preferably, at least one additional station is provided, with which at least one additional information can be detected, so that with this in conjunction with the image generated by the imaging device or an image and / or at least one of them derived criterion all sorting criteria exist, so that the sorting can be done automatically.

According to a preferred embodiment of the device, at least one secondary and / or storage section is provided, which is preferably part of the transport system. The at least one secondary and / or storage path is assigned at least one detection station. The respective detection station can be a weighing device and, alternatively or additionally, a detection station, preferably an input station or identification station, in which an operator can manually enter the additional information that is preferably visually detected by an operator. The at least one auxiliary and / or storage section leads to an equalization of the sorting process by the laundry items can be transported from the identification station to the sorting station in a multi-track manner in practice. For example, the items of laundry may be parked in the storage line where the detection station for manual input of additional information is located, without hampering the transport of other items of laundry that do not require manually input additional information to and through the sorting station. This increases the sorting performance.

It is also conceivable to provide a database for the images or images and / or criteria derived therefrom of the at least one imaging device. Preferably, the database also contains the at least one additional information to be entered or determined at the at least one detection station. Preferably, the respective additional information of a piece of laundry is stored together with the recording or the image and / or the at least one criterion derived therefrom of the same item of laundry in the database. As a result, the database contains all the information belonging to the particular item of laundry, with which all sorting criteria of the respective item of laundry can be retrieved from the database in order to be able to sort this automatically in the sorting station.

If a customer database is maintained in a laundry, which shows which items of laundry are currently at the customer, the current data of the customer database can be used to assign customer supplied information, for example a specific color and / or one, to delivered used items of laundry of the respective customer certain kind. For example, if a customer only cleans yellow tablecloths in the laundry, the criteria color and type of laundry can be taken over from the customer database, without these still being supplied by the laundry items delivered must be derived. The data in the customer database can also be used for a plausibility check. Thus, for example, an error during data readout or when determining criteria, for example if the items of laundry are heavily soiled and at least partially changed the color, be corrected automatically. This contributes to the rapid and improved determination of the exact sorting of the required criteria.

A further advantageous embodiment of the device provides an evaluation device, with which a recording of a particular item of laundry currently generated by the imaging device and / or the at least one criterion taken from the recording with an earlier recording and / or at least stored in the memory or a database a criterion is comparable. If a match is established with a recording, an image or a criterion stored in the evaluation device, the at least one associated additional information can be assigned to the item of laundry still to be sorted without the respective additional information having to be re-recorded.

It is also conceivable that the database does not show all the additional information of a piece of laundry present in the database, that is to say that it is not possible to completely match the items of laundry 10. Then, however, the recognized criteria and / or additional information can serve to give the operator, who has to determine the manually missing additional information, a preselection, which makes it easier for the operator to determine the missing additional information.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Draufsicht auf eine Vorrichtung gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung, und

Fig. 2

ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung in einer schematischen Draufsicht analog zur Fig. 1.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. The figures of the drawing show:

Fig. 1

a schematic plan view of a device according to a first embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 2

A second embodiment of the invention in a schematic plan view analogous to Fig. 1 ,

The devices shown schematically serve to sort to be washed or otherwise to be cleaned laundry, so-called dirty laundry, in commercial laundries. In the drawings, for simplicity of illustration only some items of laundry 10 shown symbolically, in each case only one item of laundry 10 in the individual stations.

The device of Fig. 1 has a transport system 11, of which the Fig. 1 only one conveyor line 12 shows. The conveyor line 12 of the transport system 11 has a rail with it or in it by a rotating conveyor track movable carriage. A plurality of identical carriages follows each other with preferably the same, small distance. The distances are selected so that laundry items 10 are slightly spaced below adjacent carriages so that they do not touch or overlap one another. At each carriage, a transport bracket can be detachably attached. However, it is also conceivable to provide the carriages with at least one clamp, into each of which a laundry item 10 is bracketed in a preferably spread out condition.

The respective transport bracket can have a transponder, for example an RFID transponder. The data read from the data carrier of the item of laundry 10 are then added electronically to the transponder of the transport bracket, that is to say hereby married as it were. In the further course of sorting or determination of missing criteria and / or additional information then only the data from the transponder of the transport bracket need to be read, which is easier than reading the data on the disk of the respective laundry, which will be hidden in the further course of the transport system can.

The Fig. 1 As an example, this shows a possible course of the conveying path 12. This therefore has a continuous main route 13, a branch line 14 branching off from it and a longer storage path 15. The branch line 14 branches off from the main route 13 in the region of a switch 16 and is in the region of a second switch 17 again returned to the main line 13. The storage section 15 branches off at a third switch 18 from the branch line 14 and is returned at the end to a fourth switch 19 back to the main line 13. The storage section 15 has a significantly greater length compared to the branch line 14. In particular, the storage path 15 may be longer than in the Fig. 1 represented, for example, by a meandering course. As a result, the storage section 15 serves as a buffer store, in which laundry items 10 can accumulate before they are introduced again into the main route 13.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment of the conveying path 12 and / or its course. The conveyor line 12 may rather have any other configurations, in particular adapted to the needs in the respective laundry. It is also conceivable that the conveyor line 12 has only one main line 13, only one main line 13 and one branch line 14 or only one main line 13 and one memory line 15. In addition, a plurality of secondary lines 14 and / or memory sections 15 may be provided.

The laundry items 10 are transported in the transport direction 20 by the transport system 11. The transport direction 20 can therefore also be referred to as a sorting direction. Related to the Fig. 1 On the left side, the items to be sorted 10 are supplied and on the right side of the sorting process ends with a targeted throwing or depositing the laundry items 10 according to their sorting criteria in a sorting station 21. Alternatively or additionally, the items of laundry 10 sorted buffered sorted in memory lanes and / or cached.

The sorting station 21 is in the Fig. 1 only schematically indicated by arranged on one side next to the end of the main line 13 compartments 22 are purely exemplary in the Fig. 1 six approximately equal sized compartments 22 are shown. However, this sorting station 21 can have a larger or smaller number of compartments 22. Also, the compartments 22 may be disposed on both sides of the end of the main line 13. The compartments 22 may be formed, for example, by laundry trolleys, laundry sacks or other containers for accommodating a larger number of items of laundry 10 fulfilling the same sorting criteria.

Before the sorting station 21 are located in the apparatus shown the Fig. 1 several identification stations or an identification station 23 with different identification devices.

At the beginning of the conveyor line 12, namely the main line 13 thereof, the identification station 23 has at least one preferably non-contact data reader 24. The data reader 24 serves to read out the data required for the automatic sorting of the items of laundry 10 from a data carrier of such items of laundry 10, which have a data carrier. Alternatively, two data readers 24 may be provided to read data from data carriers of the laundry items 10 and / or the laundry items 10 carrying transport bracket.

For items of laundry 10, which do not have a data carrier or their data carrier from the data reader 24 is not readable, the identification station 23 further identification devices, which in the Fig. 1 associated branch line 14 and the memory section 15 are assigned.

The branch line 14 are assigned in the illustrated embodiment, two identification devices, namely a balance 25 and a preferably designed as a 3D camera 26 imaging device. The 3D camera 26 is designed to produce a three-dimensional image or three-dimensional image of the respective laundry item 10 transported past it. Preferably, each is a colored three-dimensional image or image. The scale 25 carries a short section 27 of the branch line 14. This section 27 is separated from the conveyor rail of the branch line 14, so that from the balance 25, the weight of each located in the section 27 laundry article 10 with the weight of the section 27 can be determined. The separation of the track section 27 from the branch line 14 is carried out so that the movable carriage on the conveyor rail pass substantially seamlessly on the track section 27 and can be transported from this back to the branch line 14.

In the illustrated embodiment of the Fig. 1 is the 3D camera 26 seen in the transport direction 20 behind the scale 25. The 3D camera 26 can also be provided in front of the scale 25. It is also conceivable to provide only one 3D camera 26, that is to say no balance 25 or only one balance 25.

The storage section 15 are provided in the illustrated embodiment, two consecutive, preferably identically designed manual identification stations for additional information required for sorting the laundry items 10. The additional information is preferably sorting criteria that can not be determined or derived from the criteria of the respective recording of the 3D camera 26 and / or the weight determined by the balance 25.

Each manual identification station has an input panel 28, such as a keyboard associated with an operator 19. When in the Fig. 1 The device shown manual identification stations are placed one behind the other at the end of the memory section 15. The manual identification stations can also located at other locations of the storage section 15. It is also conceivable to provide only one or more than two manual identification stations on the memory section 15. The respective identification station can also be provided decentrally at another location. Pictures of the items of laundry 10 are then transferred to the at least one decentralized identification station.

The length of the storage section 15 is selected so that a plurality of garments hanging from carriages are simultaneously accommodated thereon, whereby the storage section 15 serves as a buffer. This buffer is required because the manual input of at least one additional information per item of laundry 10 requires more time than the automatic detection of the sorting criteria by the data reader 24, the scale 25 and / or the 3D camera 26. To avoid jamming in front of the respective identification station also split and / or multi-lane memory links 15 or circulation memory can be provided.

If only such items of laundry 10 are to be sorted, whose sorting criteria are readable either by the data reader 24 or - in the case of missing or non-readable data carriers on the items of laundry 10 - can be determined solely by the 3D camera 26 and / or the scale 25, the device does not need a manual Input station, so no input panel 28 and usually then also have no memory line 15. Then, no operator 29 is required for sorting, so that such a device allows fully automatic sorting of the laundry items 10, including laundry items 10, which have no disk or their disk is not readable.

• Das Verfahren zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass im Bereich der Identifikationsstation 23 von der 3D-Kamera 26 bzw. einer sonstigen bildgebenden Einrichtung eine Aufnahme bzw. ein Bild vom jeweiligen unter dem Transportsystem 11 hängenden Wäschestück 10 erzeugt und daraus Kriterien zum Sortieren abgeleitet werden. Sofern von der Aufnahme bzw. dem Bild und/oder den davon stammenden Kriterien noch nicht alle zum Sortieren benötigten Sortierkriterien des Wäschestücks 10 ableitbar sind, wird vorzugsweise in der Identifikationsstation 23 den sich aus der Aufnahme bzw. dem Bild abgeleiteten Informationen, insbesondere Sortierkriterien, mindestens eine Zusatzinformation mit dem mindestens einen fehlenden Sortierkriterium hinzugefügt und/oder fehlende Informationen aus einer Datenbank mit Daten von Wäschestücken 10 eines Kundenbestands abgeglichen und/oder ergänzt. Bei der Zusatzinformation kann es sich um das von der Waage 25 aufgenommene Gewicht des betreffenden Wäschestücks 10 handeln. Falls das Gewicht allein ausreicht, kann das jeweilige Wäschestücks anhand der automatisch aufgenommenen Sortierkriterien sortiert werden durch Trennung vom Transportsystem 11, nämlich der Hauptstrecke 13, am entsprechenden Fach 22 der Sortierstation 21.

In the following, the method according to the invention will be described on the basis of the device described above according to FIG Fig. 1 described:

• The method is characterized in that generated in the area of the identification station 23 of the 3D camera 26 or other imaging device, a recording or a picture of the respective hanging under the transport system 11 laundry item 10 and derived therefrom criteria for sorting. If not all sorting criteria of the item of laundry 10 required for sorting are derivable from the photograph or the image and / or the criteria derived therefrom, the information derived from the photograph or the image, in particular sorting criteria, is preferably at least in the identification station Added additional information with the at least one missing sorting criterion and / or missing information from a database matched and / or supplemented with data from laundry items 10 of a customer inventory. The additional information may be the weight of the item of laundry 10 received by the balance 25. If the weight alone is sufficient, the respective item of laundry can be sorted by means of the automatically recorded sorting criteria by separation from the transport system 11, namely the main line 13, at the corresponding compartment 22 of the sorting station 21.

If the laundry items 10 are provided with a data carrier, which generally contains all the sorting criteria required for automatic sorting, these are at least one data reader 24 at the beginning of the main line 13 of the transport system 11 without contact from the disk on the laundry 10 and / or a disk of the Wash items 10 carrying transport bracket read. The data is then transferred to a controller of the transport system 11, which controls the transport system 11 in such a way that the laundry item 10 in question positions the compartment 22 of the sorting station 21 corresponding to the sorting criteria determined by the data reader 24. There is thus a fully automatic sorting of laundry items 10 with a data carrier whose data can be read out by the data reader 24.

For items of laundry 10, which have no disk or no readable disk, that is detected by the data reader 24 at the beginning of the main line 13. Then, the switch 16 is operated by the controller of the device at the beginning of the branch line 14 so that the carriage with the relevant, hanging thereon laundry 10 is directed to the branch line 14 of the transport system 11. During further transport of this item of laundry 10 along the branch line 14, the laundry item 10 is first weighed by the balance 25 and then created by the 3D camera 26, a three-dimensional and preferably colored shot or an image of the spread and hanging on the transport system 11 garment 10. The image or the image, preferably its data, are transmitted by the 3D camera 26 as well as the weight of the item of laundry 10 previously determined by the balance 25 to the controller of the device.

The recordings or the recording data or image data of the 3D camera 26 contain at least the contours or the contour, ie the shape, of the item of laundry 10, but preferably also the color, the surface structure, the surface curvature and / or the topography of the item of laundry 10. In this case, the weight of the item of laundry picked up by the balance 25 can represent additional information.

If, from the data or criteria, the recording or the image of the item of laundry 10 produced by the 3D camera 26, if appropriate together with the additional information of the weight of the item 10 taken up by the balance 25, results in all the sorting criteria serving for the automatic sorting of the item 10 or From this can be determined, for example, by a computer associated with the control of the device, the item of laundry 10 is discharged directly from the branch line 14 in the area of the switch 17 and thereby transferred to the main line 13, from where the laundry item 10 transported to the sorting station 21 and There is automatically sorted by delivery to the provided for the sorting criteria of the relevant item of laundry 10 compartment 22. If necessary, all sorting criteria are subjected to a plausibility check and / or query before being dispensed.

If only the 3D camera 26 is associated with the branch line 14, but no scale 25, the items of laundry 10 are immediately transported back from the branch line 14 to the main line 13 after the production of a picture, in particular a three-dimensional picture, when the picture is taken from the picture derivable data, in particular three-dimensional data, of the respective item of laundry 10 contain all the required sorting criteria or can be derived therefrom optionally mathematically.

If, for a piece of laundry 10 without a data memory or a non-readable data memory from the recording of the 3D camera 26 and possibly also determined by the balance 25 weight of the laundry item 10 not all sorting criteria required for proper sorting are derivable, at least one additional information manually added by the 3D camera 26 and optionally added to the weight determined by the scale 25, so as to obtain all the sorting criteria required for sorting. Also, the at least one manually generated additional information reaches the control of the device and is stored here as well as the image data of the recording of the respective item of laundry 10 and optionally the weight of the item of laundry 10 in the database.

The at least one additional criterion is entered manually by the operator in the embodiment shown two operators 29 in the respectively associated with her input panel 28. This takes place along the storage path 15. Because the manual entry of at least one additional information takes more time than the automatic detection of the sorting criteria of the 3D camera 26 and / or the scale 25, the storage path 15 formed longer than, for example, the branch line 14. Thus, the memory section 14 serves as a buffer.

After the at least one additional information has been entered manually by the operators 29 in the input panel 28, they are in the control or the database of the device the previously recorded image or recording and optionally the weight of the same garment 10 assigned and together herewith in the Database saved. There are then all the sort criteria for the laundry items on the storage section 15 in the controller, especially in the same data store, stored so that subsequently the laundry items are transported back from the storage section 15 to the main line 13 and driven along the main line 13 through the sorting station 21 where the respective item of laundry 10 is sorted according to the sorting criterion or sorting criteria of the at least one manually entered additional information by dispensing into such a compartment 22 of the sorting station 21, which corresponds to the sorting criteria of the respective item of laundry 10.

The control of the device includes a program for comparing the criteria stored in the database, which are derived from the recorded images or images that have been taken from previously sorted laundry items 10 and possibly also the stored weight of the laundry article 10. In this comparison With the criteria of the recordings stored in the database, it is ascertained whether at least some stored criteria of earlier recordings or pictures coincide with criteria of the currently produced record of the subsequent item of laundry 10. This match does not necessarily have to be exact, it can be within certain specified tolerance ranges. This also applies to the weight, if the determination of the same is provided. Preferably, the criteria determined manually at the respective identification station are also added or stored in the database to the data record of the respective item of laundry 10, and then the sorting is then carried out.

If a match is found when comparing an earlier record stored in the database with a current record, the at least one additional piece of information, in particular manually acquired additional information stored in the data store, in particular assigned to it, is the current record of the still assigned to sorting laundry 10. The at least one additional information then does not need to the currently to be sorted laundry item 10 to be determined more. This piece of laundry 10 then no longer needs to go through the storage section 14. It can rather be introduced directly from the branch line 14 back into the main line 13 and thereby this piece of laundry 10 are sorted automatically in the sorting station 21.

If it is determined in the comparison described above that no recording is stored in the data storage, which corresponds to the currently newly recorded a still to be sorted laundry item 10, this is the storage section 15 is supplied to manually determined at least one additional information of this garment 10 and as a new record is stored in the data memory together with the illustration of this item of laundry 10.

The above-described method of comparing existing images in the database with currently recorded images of items to be sorted 10 leads to a kind of "self-learning process". The consequence is that with increasing number of images stored in the database with the at least one associated additional information, also subsequent items of laundry are automatically sortable, the images of which are not yet all sorting criteria can be removed.

The method and the device have been described above in connection with the 3D camera 26 for generating three-dimensional images. The 3D camera 26 is preferably one which produces three-dimensional color images or a three-dimensional color image, whereby the 3D camera 26 also supplies the color of the item of laundry in question as a sorting criterion. Instead of a 3D camera, it is also possible to use a plurality of 2D cameras which only produce two-dimensional images, wherein a three-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image is generated by the corresponding evaluation electronics from the two-dimensional images of a plurality of two-dimensional cameras. This image or image is preferably a color image in that at least one of the 2D cameras is designed as a color camera (RGB).

The respective carriage or its hook, its clip or the transport hanger hanging thereon is or is associated with an identification feature, for example an address or an individual number. At this, the control of the transport system 11 is oriented when transporting the laundry items 10 through the transport system 11 and the positioning at certain points of the transport system 11, In particular, when transported through the identification station 23 and the sorting station 21. Preferably, the address or numbering of a laundry 10 carrying carriage or any other component of the control of the determined sorting criteria, in particular the image of the respective laundry item 10, the associated weight and / or at least one associated additional information, assigned, so that it is always known at which point of the conveyor line 12 is a piece of laundry 10 with certain sorting criteria. After that, the automatic sorting of the respective item of laundry 10 can then take place by delivery to the relevant compartment 22.

Alternatively, it is conceivable to store the sorting criteria derived from the reception of each item of laundry 10 and the at least one additional information and optionally the weight of this item of laundry 10 on or in this carrying carriage or another component of the transport system 11 and read it out in the sorting station 21. If it is determined in this reading that a particular item of laundry 10 has sorting criteria that match the sorting criteria associated with a particular bin 22, the garment 10 is automatically fed to the bin 22 of the sorting station 21.

The Fig. 2 shows the second embodiment of the device according to the invention, which preferably also serves to carry out the method according to the invention. This device has a transport system 30, which, like the transport system 11 of the device Fig. 1 is trained. The course of the conveyor line 31 of the transport system 30 differs from the conveyor line 12 of the embodiment of Fig. 1 , The conveyor line 31 of the Fig. 2 has a continuous main line 32 and three partially parallel juxtaposed branches 33, 34 and 35. The number of secondary lines 33 to 35 may also be larger or smaller. The first branch line 33 branches off in the region of a switch 36 from the main line 32. One end of the branch line 33 is returned to the main line 32 at a second switch 37. The second branch line 34 branches off at a switch 38 from the first branch line 33. At a switch 39, the branch line 34 is returned to the main line 32. Finally, the third branch line 35 branches off the branch line 34 at a switch 40. The branch line 35 is returned to a switch 41 back to the main line 32. The branch lines 33 to 35 have a greater length than necessary. As a result, the secondary lines 33 to 35, in particular the longer secondary lines 32 and 33, can serve as storage for a larger number of items of laundry 10 still to be sorted.

The items of laundry 10 are also transported along the conveying path 31 of the transport system 30 in the transport direction 20. The transport direction 20 corresponds to the sorting direction of the laundry items 10.

A sorting station 42 at the end of the main line 32 of the transport system 30 is also in the Fig. 2 shown only schematically. Symbolically, ten approximately the same compartments 43 of the sorting station 42 are shown in FIG. 10. These are distributed on both sides of the end of the main line 32. However, the sorting station 42 can also have a larger or smaller number of compartments 43 or be configured differently.

Seen in the direction of transport 20 are also in the device of Fig. 2 several identification stations in front of the sorting station 42.

At the beginning of the conveyor line 31, namely the main corner 32 of the same is an identification station, which is designed as a non-contact data reader 44. The data reader 44 has the same function and operates the same as that previously used in connection with the embodiment of Fig. 1 described data reader 24th

For items of laundry 10 which have no data carrier or the data carrier from the data reader 44 is not readable, further identification stations are provided with different identification means, which in the apparatus of the Fig. 2 the secondary lines 33, 34 and 35 are assigned.

It is the embodiment of the Fig. 2 around as a 3D camera 45 and a scale 36 formed identification stations or identification devices, which are associated with the branch line 33. The 3D camera 45 is preferably designed as a three-dimensional color camera. As seen in the transport direction 20, the balance 46 follows the 3D camera 45 at a small distance.

The 3D camera 45 and the balance 46 are in the embodiment of Fig. 2 designed as well as in the embodiment of Fig. 1 , It is therefore related to the Fig. 1 description of the 3D camera 26 and the scale 25.

Behind the 3D camera 45 and the balance 46 is the switch 38, the laundry items 10 can conduct from the first branch line 33 to the second branch line 34. Characterized in that the balance 46 and the 3D camera 45 are arranged in front of this switch 38, run on both all laundry items 10 along, to be transported along the secondary lines 33, 34 and 35 further.

The second branch line 34 are assigned in the illustrated embodiment, two more consecutive identification stations, which are manual identification stations 47 and 48. Each manual identification station 47 and 48 is designed as a workstation for an operator 49. The identification stations 47 and 48 each have an input panel, such as a keyboard, optionally a screen. At the input panel, the respective operator 49 can enter by hand any additional information that she has manually acquired, which may preferably be at least one manually determined sorting criterion. It is conceivable to provide at the manual identification stations 47 and 48 a camera which generates an image of the respective item of laundry 10 at the identification station 47 or 48 and transfers this to a screen at another location, for example in an office space. The respective operator 49 can then decentrally enter any sort criterion determined manually on the basis of the image shown on the monitor into the keyboard of the input panel. As a result, the operators 49 need not be directly on the transport system 30; they can determine far away from the transport system 30 in an example soundproof environment or a soundproof room, the respective additional information as an additional sorting criterion and enter in their input panel.

The laundry items 10 that have passed the manual identification stations 47 and 48, when all additional information could be entered at the manual identification stations 47 and 48, pass through the second branch line 34 and at the end thereof from the switch 39 to the main line 32 guided, and in front of the sorting station 42nd

Such items of laundry 10, of which at the manual identification stations 47 and 48 not all additional information or sorting criteria could be determined, are directed to the switch 40 on the third branch line 35. At the third branch line 35, a further manual identification station 50 is provided with an operator 49 in the illustrated embodiment. The manual identification station 50 has an input panel 51. The manually determined by the operator 49 additional information from the currently located at the manual identification station 50 laundry item 10 are then entered by the operator in the input panel 51. The operator 49 at the manual identification station 50 determines additional information that could not be determined by the operator 49 at the manual identification stations 47 and 48, for example because they are more complex and therefore require an operator 49 with more experience. Therefore, the last manual identification station 50 may also be referred to as an expert station 50.

All additional information ascertained by the operators 49 at the manual identification stations 47, 48 and 50 is, in particular, additional sorting criteria which are also stored in the database, together with such information and / or criteria previously provided by the data reader 44, the 3D camera 45 and / or the balance 46 are automatically determined and also stored in the database for the relevant item of laundry 10.

The inventive method runs with in the Fig. 2 illustrated and previously described device in principle as well as in the in the Fig. 1 illustrated device. Accordingly, the description of the method according to the invention in connection with the device of Fig. 1 to the full extent.

The method and the device described above provide that all or at least some items of laundry 10 have data carriers with sorting criteria. The invention is also suitable for automatic sorting of laundry items 10 without media. Then a preferably three-dimensional and in particular also colored image is generated for all laundry items 10, from which criteria are obtained which represent at least a majority of the sorting criteria and possibly missing sorting criteria by, for example, manual input of at least one additional information from which the or the missing sorting criteria can be derived filed with the associated figure in the database.

After the database contains a sufficient number of data records with criteria and additional information originating from images or images, it may be sufficient for the automatic sorting of subsequent items of laundry 10 or even without data carriers to only produce images of the items of laundry 10 by means of an imaging device and from these criteria derive to sort the laundry items to the Additional laundry items belonging additional information to refer to the database, without having to manually determine them again, for example.

The criteria derived from the recordings or pictures of the 3D cameras 26, 45 of the currently recorded item of laundry are compared with criteria of previous items of laundry 10 stored in the database. If recorded criteria of a item of laundry 10 coincide with the criteria of a item of laundry already stored in the database , At least approximately match by the criteria are the newly recorded criteria within a determinable tolerance of the stored to a piece of laundry 10 criteria, this indicates an identical or similar garment 10 out. Then, the further sorting criteria or additional criteria stored for this laundry item 10 which belong to the comparable item of laundry 10 found in the database can be taken from the database. As a result, the additional criteria or additional sorting criteria need not otherwise be used to sort the items of laundry 10, in particular not to be determined at the manual identification stations 47, 48 and / or 50. The larger the amount of data present in the database, the greater the probability that a match with a piece of laundry 10 already stored in the database will be detected. As the amount of data increases, therefore, fewer and fewer additional criteria and additional sorting criteria need to be determined; in particular, the manual determination of criteria that are not automatically detectable decreases over time as a result of the constantly increasing amount of data in the database. <B> LIST OF REFERENCES: </ b> 10 laundry 36 switch 11 transport system 37 switch 12 conveyor line 38 switch 13 main line 39 switch 14 Nebenstrecke 40 switch 15 storage line 41 switch 16 switch 42 sorting station 17 switch 43 subject 18 switch 44 data reader 19 switch 45 3D camera 20 transport direction 46 Libra 21 sorting station 47 manual identification station 22 subject 48 manual identification station 23 identification station 49 operator 24 data reader 50 manual identification station 25 Libra 51 input panel 26 3D camera 27 stretch 28 input panel 29 operator 30 transport system 31 conveyor line 32 main line 33 Nebenstrecke 34 Nebenstrecke 35 Nebenstrecke

Claims (14)

Method for sorting laundry items (10), preferably laundry items (10) to be cleaned, wherein the items of laundry (10) can be transported from at least one transport system (11) to at least one identification station (23) and then fed to a sorting station (21) and into the same be sorted, characterized in that in the region of or each identification station (23) of at least one imaging device of at least some laundry items (10) each record is generated, the recording at least one additional information is added and the recording with the at least one additional information the sorting criteria for sorting the respective item of laundry (10) in the sorting station (21) are derived. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one additional information is obtained manually and / or by weighing the respective item of laundry (10). A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the respective recording is a three-dimensional recording and / or a color photograph. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective recording with its associated at least one additional information in a database is stored and / or the later recorded by the at least one imaging device recordings of subsequent laundry items (10) are compared with recordings in the database and at least in principle agreement of a later recorded recording with one of the existing recordings in the database that at least one associated with this existing recording in the database stored additional criterion of the respective later recording. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data of the respective data carrier are read out from laundry items (10) provided with at least one data carrier in the identification station (23). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that of the items of laundry (10) which are identified in the identification station (23) as having no data carrier or readable data carrier, a recording is made by the at least one imaging device and preferably at least one additional information is added to this recording. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that such items of laundry (10), which have no data carrier or readable data carrier, in the identification station (23) and / or before the sorting station (21) in at least one other section of the transport system (11 ) and / or discharged. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that such items of laundry (10), which have no data carrier or no readable data carrier, in a buffer station, in particular at least one memory section (15), and / or secondary line (14) of the transport system (11) be transferred. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one additional criterion of the item of laundry (10) is determined manually and / or automatically in the at least one storage section (15) and / or the branch line (14) and the thus obtained at least one additional criterion Assignment of the relevant item of laundry is assigned. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that criteria for the sorting of the item of laundry (10) are derived from the reception of the respective item of laundry (10), preferably by automatically dismantling the item by, for example, an image evaluation and / or the criteria in a database are stored. Device for sorting items of laundry (10), preferably laundry items (10) to be cleaned, with an identification station (23), a sorting station (21) and a transport system (11) for transporting the items of laundry (10) hanging on the transport system (11) through the Identification station (23) and the sorting station (21), characterized in that the identification station (23) is assigned at least one imaging device and at least one additional station for detecting at least one additional information to the recording of the respective laundry item (10) generated by the imaging device is provided , Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized by at least one storage path (15), which is preferably part of the transport system (11), wherein the or each storage section (15) is associated with at least one detection station. Apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized by a database for the images or images produced by the at least one imaging device and the additional information obtained at the at least one detection station, preferably in the database belonging to each recording at least one additional information together with the respective recording are stored, for example, in a common record. Device according to one of Claims 11 to 13, characterized by an evaluation device, preferably an evaluation device linked to the database, for comparing a recording currently generated by the imaging device and / or at least one criterion derived therefrom with recordings and / or criteria in the database.

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