EP3464705A1

EP3464705A1 - Method for feeding pieces of laundry to a laundry subsequent handling apparatus and device

Info

Publication number: EP3464705A1
Application number: EP17721330.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wilhelm Bringewatt; Jürgen Sielermann; Engelbert Heinz
Original assignee: Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH and Co
Priority date: 2016-05-31
Filing date: 2017-05-04
Publication date: 2019-04-10
Also published as: US20190345664A1; DE102016012274A1; JP2019520104A; WO2017207083A1; CN109154126B; US11339526B2; CN109154126A

Abstract

The isolating and feeding of pieces of laundry (20) to a feed conveyor (21) requires gripping, transfer and alignment processes. In known devices and methods, said processes cannot be reliably automated. The invention relates to the isolating of pieces of laundry from a pile of laundry by an imaging apparatus. An additional imaging apparatus serves for the aligned uptake of a front edge region of the piece of laundry onto the feed conveyor. Furthermore, the gripping of corners or also edges, in particular the alignment thereof, can be detected by an imaging apparatus. Based on the positions and edge profiles of the pieces of laundry determined by the imaging apparatuses, the gripping and aligning thereof can be controlled or regulated. A reliable, fully automatic isolating of pieces of laundry and/or fully automatic, targeted feeding of pieces of laundry to a folding machine or other laundry subsequent handling apparatus is thus ensured.

Description

Method for feeding items of laundry to a laundry treatment device and device

description

The invention relates to a method for feeding items of laundry to a laundry treatment device, in particular a defect or a folding machine, according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to devices according to the preambles of claims 11, 13 and 16.

A Wäscheweiterbehandlungseinrichtung, such as a defect or a folding machine to be supplied laundry items are usually removed from a laundry pile. For this, the laundry items must first be singled. Subsequently, the separated items of laundry are fed to a feed conveyor of the laundry further treatment device or before the Wäscheweiterbehandlungseinrichtung. For example, this is done by transversely applying a front edge strip of the respective laundry on the feed conveyor.

Various methods and devices for separating laundry items and / or for supplying laundry items to a laundry processor are known. As problematic in these, the determination of the most favorable location for gripping the laundry items for separation and for supplying the same has proven to be a laundry treatment machine. Predominantly, the known methods and devices allow only a partial automation of the separation and / or the supply of the laundry items. The invention has for its object to provide a method and devices that allow a reliable fully automatic separation and / or feeding laundry to a laundry treatment facility. A method for solving the problem comprises the measures of claim 1. Accordingly, it is intended to control the gripping preferably of a single item of laundry from the laundry pile by at least one imaging device and further with at least one imaging device, the Einklammern a part of an edge of the separated laundry piece and the aligned mounting and / or storing this garment on to support the infeed conveyor. As a result, essential processes for supplying items of laundry to a laundry further treatment device can be reliably automated. It is preferably provided to make the laundry edges and a gripper for gripping preferably a single item of laundry from the laundry pile triaxially movable relative to each other. For this purpose, it is provided that the laundry heap along an axis and the gripper along two axes can be moved. These three axes are preferably all intersecting vertically, so that they are perpendicular to each other. As a result, relative movements between the gripper and the laundry heap on X, Y and Z axes of a three-dimensional coordinate system or three-dimensional space are possible. The gripper can be moved to any desired position of the laundry pile by its own method along two axes perpendicular to each other and by moving the laundry pile along a third axis perpendicular to the two axes of the gripper, preferably to the location of the separation device associated imaging device has been determined as a particularly advantageous for grabbing.

The imaging equipment passes the required data from that location to a controller, which then controls the drives for all three axes of the conveyor belt-carrying conveyor and the gripper. The imaging device can for this purpose pass on coordinates to the control or a recorded image, preferably a three-dimensional image, from which the Control determines the travels of the individual axes and controls the gripper and the conveyor accordingly.

According to an advantageous development of the method, it is provided to supply the at least one piece of laundry which has been pulled out of the laundry pile to a secondary separating device. In the case of several laundry items taken at the same time, these items of laundry taken at the same time are separated in the post-separating device. Preferably, this is done in such a way that a rearmost point, in particular a rearmost corner, of the items of laundry taken at the same time is detected. This rearmost point belongs to a single piece of laundry, which is then fixed at this rearmost point in the Nachunterzelungseinrichtung, so that the other gripped laundry remain unfixed and preferably fall out of the Nachzerzelungseinrichtung, for example, back to the laundry pile. This ensures that in the event of any subsequent separation required, in fact, only a single item of laundry remains and this can then be fixed at a defined location, in particular at any desired corner. This point or corner then forms a favorable condition for the further supply of the separated item of laundry for Wäscheweiterbehandlungs- device.

Another advantageous development possibility of the method provides it, the scattered laundry items at two spaced locations, for example, diagonally opposite corners to stretch. As a result, forms a free hanging corner of the stretched laundry. This corner is detected by at least one imaging device. In particular, the position of the freely suspended corner of the laundry item stretched at spaced locations can also be reliably determined by the image-setting device.

In particular, it is provided to detect from the at least one imaging device also an edge of the item of laundry or at least one outgoing from the free hanging corner part of the edge of the garment, in particular with respect to the alignment of at least a portion of this edge and possibly also the length of the edge. The image recorded by the at least one imaging device and / or the image data can be used for the specific approach and / or alignment of at least one clamp to or at the relevant corner and / or an edge originating from the corner or at least a part thereof. The clip can thus be controlled exactly automatically in dependence on the data recorded and supplied by the imaging device, in particular image data. It is conceivable that the clip holds the detected edge of the garment at two spaced locations. The clip then holds a stretched portion of the edge of the garment, preferably a portion of an edge extending from the previously detected free hanging corner of the garment. By holding this part of the edge of the garment at two spaced locations, a stretched portion of the edge of the garment forms between these locations. The clip then holds almost a portion of the edge of the garment in a stretched condition. As a result, a reliably targeted further treatment of the item of laundry, in particular a transfer of the laundry item to another clip or a mounting or depositing on at least one conveyor, for example a feed conveyor, guaranteed. The other clip may then grip the portion of the respective edge of the garment between the two locations so that the subsequent clip also retains a stretched portion of an edge of the garment, preferably a straight line portion of the garment edge. As a result, an extended edge region of the item of laundry can form under the clip, wherein the part of the edge of the item of laundry which is stretched and / or held in a straight line by the other clip defines one side and / or the length of the marginal strip. According to another development possibility of the method, it is provided that, with the part of an edge being held stretched by the clip, the item of laundry is deposited and / or drawn onto the same from the side transversely to the feed and transport direction of the feed conveyor. Preferably, the edge strip is placed on the front of the feed conveyor. there a leading edge of the laundry article, that is, the edge that runs transversely to the transport direction of the feed conveyor, reaches the feed conveyor.

A preferred embodiment of the method provides to monitor by at least one device the winding of the garment, preferably of the edge emanating from the leading edge thereof, with respect to the orthogonal orientation to the transport direction of the feed conveyor. Preferably, the angle of the leading edge of the item of laundry to the transport direction of the feed conveyor or another conveyor is detected by at least one imaging device or a line sensor device or a device designed in the manner of a light strip. As a result, deviations from the desired right angle course of the front edge of the item of laundry to the feed direction can be detected by the respective device. Any angular deviation detected by the device can be used to control an alignment device. The alignment device brings about the exact transverse alignment of the laundry item relative to the feed conveyor on the basis of the data determined by the device or even an image. The alignment device corrects deviations in the direction of the front edge of the item of laundry when it is being fed to the feed conveyor such that after the front edge strip of the item of laundry has been deposited on the infeed conveyor, the front edge of the item of laundry is perpendicular to the feed and transport direction of the infeed conveyor. Thus, the method provides, depending on the information determined by the at least one device prior to depositing the item of laundry onto the delivery conveyor, in particular image information, to deposit the item of laundry exactly transversely directed onto the delivery conveyor.

An apparatus for solving the above-mentioned problem has the features of claim 11. Accordingly, it is provided that at least one imaging device is assigned to the singulating device and a conveyor for transporting the laundry pile with the laundry items to the singling device. The separating device has a gripper for gripping preferably a single item of laundry from the laundry pile, which is preferably perpendicular to two at least two extending axes is movable. The conveyor forms a third, in turn perpendicular to the two axes of the gripper axis on which the conveyor of the laundry pile is movable. As a result, spatial, three-dimensional, relative movements between the gripper and the laundry piling are possible, wherein the gripper itself only needs to be movable biaxially in a plane, preferably an upright plane, which is cut perpendicularly by the conveying direction of the conveyor. The conveyor, which has to transport the laundry pile anyway along an axis in the transport direction, takes over the third dimension of the three-dimensional relative movement between the gripper and the laundry pile. This simplifies the device.

One possibility of further development of the device is to assign the separating device a Nachunterzelungseinrichtung. The Nachzerzelungseinrichtung used for subsequent separation of several simultaneously grabbed by the gripper of the singler laundry. In this case, the Nachzerzelungseinrichtung one of the simultaneously seized laundry is retained while the other laundry items are dropped.

Another device for the solution of the above-mentioned object, which may also be a preferred embodiment of the device described above, has the features of claim 13. This device is designed for stretching the laundry article held at two spaced and / or opposite locations, for example corners. This results in a free hanging corner of the garment, which is limited by two, emanating from opposite sides of this corner edges of the garment. In this device, it is further provided to detect by at least one imaging device, the free-hanging corner of the laundry held at two spaced locations and alternatively or simultaneously detect at least one of this free hanging corner outgoing edge image. This can be a targeted gripping the garment at the emanating from the free hanging corner edge, in particular a part of the edge adjoining the corner, for targeted further handling of the item of laundry, in particular for precisely aligned feeding and / or removal of the item of laundry onto the delivery conveyor.

Preferably, the free edge of the item of laundry detected by the at least one imaging device is detected by at least one clip, which is controlled by the at least one imaging device and moved towards the relevant edge. The alignment of the double clamp is preferably carried out by being pivotable and / or rotatable, in particular as a function of the orientation of the item of laundry to be grasped by the at least one imaging device. In this way, the desired edge of the item of laundry can be gripped in a positionally accurate and / or aligned with the course of the edge reliably by the clip.

The clamp for gripping the free edge of a region thereof detected by the at least one imaging device is preferably designed as a double clamp with two adjacent clamp mouths. In a particularly advantageous trained device the Klammermäuler the double clamp are apart and can be moved together if necessary. After moving apart of the two Klammermäuler is fixed by the double clamp between the Klammermäulern a defined, preferably extended part of the free edge of the garment and held aligned in particular for the acquisition of a subsequent clip.

Another device for the solution of the above-mentioned object, which may also be a preferred development of one or both of the devices described above, has the features of claim 16. In this device, a clip is provided which holds an extended part of an edge of the garment. This is preferably a lateral edge of the item of laundry which adjoins a corner of the front edge of the item of laundry. From the clip this is held stretched, adjacent to the front edge of the laundry piece part of a lateral edge of the laundry article transverse to the conveying direction of the feed conveyor via a conveyor, which may possibly be the feed conveyor, pulled away. This results in a transverse raising or depositing a laterally held edge strip with leading leading edge of the laundry on the feed conveyor or at least one this upstream or upstream separate conveyor.

A preferred development of the device provides at least one imaging device that monitors the alignment of the item of laundry, in particular the front edge strip of the same, to the feed conveyor. In particular, the at least one device monitors the angle of the leading edge of the item of laundry or of the front edge strip thereof to the transport direction of the delivery conveyor. This angle should be 90 °. In the event of deviations from this, an alignment device is provided which is controlled in dependence on information of the at least one device such that deviations from the rectangular course of the front edge of the laundry article relative to the transport direction or longitudinal axis of the supply conveyor are compensated for and thereby eliminated.

Preferably, the alignment device is provided with a steering roller or a steering roller, which presses from above against the already mounted on the feed conveyor part of the edge strip of the laundry article and then rolls on it. Between the castor or steering roller and lying under the laundry supply conveyor thereby the laundry is quasi clamped. By a corresponding change in direction of the steering roller or the steering roller, in particular about a transverse to the axis of rotation of the roller or roller directional axis pivoting, the direction of the front edge strip can be corrected if necessary. The control of the steering roller or the steering roller takes place in dependence on the recorded by the at least one device direction of the front edge strip of the laundry item during or before placing on the feed conveyor. In this way, the at least one device with the aligning means ensures that the item of laundry, in particular the front edge strip thereof, can reach the feed conveyor with the leading edge aligned exactly at right angles to the conveying direction or longitudinal center axis of the feed conveyor, by feeding the front Edge strip of the laundry to the feed conveyor, the leading edge of the laundry as exactly as possible at 90 ° to the transport direction or longitudinal center axis of the feed conveyor. Preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. In this show:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device (without cover), Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 2 without

Housing frame,

3 is a detail III of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a Nachunterzelungseinrichtung,

5 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the Nachunterzelungseinrichtung of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 shows a detail VI of FIG. 5,

7 is a detail of FIG. 5,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a part of the device in

Area of stretch of a laundry at diagonally opposite corners,

9 is a perspective view of the device analogous to FIG. 2 during the stapling of a free-hanging corner region of the laundry item located in the state of FIG. 8, FIG.

10 is a perspective view of a double clamp of FIG. 9 in its initial position, 11 shows the double clamp in an illustration of FIG. 10 when the clamp mouths are moved apart, FIG.

12 shows the double clamp in a representation analogous to FIG. 11 with clamp mouths pivoted by 90 ° to the side, FIG.

13 shows a perspective view of the device analogous to FIG. 2 with the laundry item held in the double clamp, FIG. 14 shows a detail XIV from FIG. 13 for transferring a part of the laundry

Wash piece from the double clamp to a mounting bracket, and

15 is a perspective view of the device in the region of

Feeding conveyor with the same piece of laundry.

The figures show a device according to the invention, which serves for singulating and feeding a piece of laundry 20 shown in some figures to a feed conveyor 21 in front of a not shown laundry treating device, such as a folding machine, or a defect. The laundry item 20 is preferably so-called flat linen, especially napkins, towels, tablecloths, bed sheets, duvet covers or pillowcases. However, the device is also suitable for separating and feeding other items of laundry to a laundry after-treatment device. The feed conveyor 21 may be part of the device, but also the laundry after treatment device.

The device comprises a housing, of which only one frame 22 is shown in FIG. 1, but not the outer cover carried by the frame 22. For the sake of clarity, the frame 22 is not shown in Figs. 2, 9 and 13.

In the bottom region of the device is a preferably horizontal conveyor, which is designed as a belt conveyor 23 in the embodiment shown. The belt conveyor 23 is used for transporting a clothes pile, not shown in the figures, from a plurality of laundry items 20 to one Singulation device 24 of the device. For this purpose, the belt conveyor 23 can be driven in such a way that a top run of the laundry pile moves in the direction of transport 25 to the singling device 24. The separating device 24 has a gripper 26, which ideally picks a single item of laundry 20 out of the laundry pile. The gripper 26 is on a linear axes, preferably a shuttle cylinder 27, up and down. In addition, the gripper 26 is movable transversely to the movement path of the shuttle cylinder carrying it and also transversely to the transport direction 25 of the belt conveyor 23 or about a arranged at its upper end, parallel to the transport direction 25 axis of rotation. Thereby, the gripper 26 can be moved on two axes in a plane which is perpendicular to the transport direction 25 of the belt conveyor 23. The transport direction 25 is thus the surface normal to the vertical plane running transversely to the belt conveyor 23 in which the gripper 26 can be moved up and down by the shuttle cylinder 27 and the gripper 26 is pivotable or laterally movable. As a result, the gripper 26 is biaxially movable. The third axis corresponds to the transport direction 25 of the belt conveyor 23. In this way, spatial, three-dimensional and three-axis relative movements between the gripper 26 and the laundry heap on the belt conveyor 23 are possible, wherein an axis of this spatial movement of the corresponding drive of the belt conveyor 23 in or against the transport direction 25 is formed. At a suitable location of the singulator 24 is associated with the belt conveyor 23 at least one imaging device. This can be a plurality of two-dimensional cameras arranged at different locations or even a single three-dimensional camera. The at least one camera is not shown in the figures. It must be ensured that the respective imaging device can detect the laundry heap on the belt conveyor 23 so as to detect a favorable or most favorable location of the laundry pile for the gripper 26, at which the gripper 26 best grasps a single laundry article 20 if possible and pull out of the laundry pile. This determined by the imaging device body is sent to a control of Singulation device 24 and the drive of the belt conveyor 23 transmitted, which then drives the gripper 26 purposefully to the determined or determined by the imaging device most favorable position for gripping a single piece of laundry. This is done by an optionally biaxial method of the gripper 26 of the singler 24 and optionally uniaxial process of the laundry by a corresponding drive of the belt conveyor 23rd

The piece of laundry 20 grasped by the gripper 26 at the position determined by the imaging device is pulled upwards out of the laundry pile by raising the gripper 26 from the shuttle cylinder 27. The laundry item 20 grasped by the gripper 26 at an arbitrary position is then transferred to a bracket 28 (Fig. 3). Preferably, the gripper 26 moves the held position of the laundry item 20 through the opened bracket 28. As soon as the gripper 26 has passed the opened clamp 28 with the gripped position, the clamp 28 is closed, thereby grasping the laundry item 20 at a location close to, in particular adjacent to, the location gripped by the gripper 26. The gripper 26 is then opened and the laundry item of the staple 28 by a linear drive, preferably another shuttle cylinder 29, on a horizontal or slightly inclined to the horizontal path opposite to the transport direction 25 of the belt conveyor 23 moves. As a result, the item of laundry passes into an inlet region of a post-separating device 30. The secondary separating device 30 serves to separate possibly several, preferably two, laundry items 20 which are gripped by the gripper 26 at the same time. 4 and 5 has two separate belt drives 31, 32. An upper run 33 of the belt drive 31 begins in front of the belt drive 32. The upper run 33 of the belt drive 31 runs initially horizontally and then directed obliquely downwards. From the shuttle 28 transported in the direction of Nachunterzelungseinrichtung 30 bracket 28, the laundry item 20 is dropped onto preferably the horizontal front part of the upper run 33 of the belt drive 31. The laundry article 20 is then transported by the belt drive 31 in the direction of the belt drive 32. The belt drive 32 has a Trumabschnitt 34, the adjacent to the obliquely downward portion of the upper run 33 of the belt drive 31 extends and is slightly shorter than this obliquely downward part of the upper run 33 of the belt drive 31st This results in a gap 35 between the overlapping belt sections of the belt drives 31 and 32. This gap 35 can, as shown in FIG. 5, continuously decrease slightly in the direction of passage of the laundry article 20 by the secondary separation device 30. Both belt drives 31 and 32 are driven in such a way that their sections delimiting the gap 35 likewise run in the direction of passage 36, preferably at the same speed.

In the case of a plurality of laundry items 20 taken at the same time, a rearmost corner 37 of a laundry article 20 forms at least in the gap 35 between the belt drives 31 and 32 at the latest. The rearmost corner of the at least one simultaneously grabbed laundry item 20 is covered by this rearmost corner 37. The rearmost corner 37 of one of the simultaneously grabbed laundry items 20 is detected by a sensor and other detection means in the gap 35, just before the rear corner 37 of a single item of laundry 20 has passed through the two lower idler drums 38 of the belt drives 31 and 32 limited rear end of the gap , In this situation detected by the sensor or the like, both belt drives 31 and 32 are stopped. The back corner 37 of a single item of laundry 20 is then clamped at the end of the nip 35 between the idler pulleys 38, which may also be drive drums. If several items of laundry 20 should be taken at the same time, which preceded the rear corner 37 of a piece of laundry 20 in the passage direction 36 of the Nachunterzelungseinrichtung 30, this would be a piece of laundry 20 or possibly several laundry items 20 is not clamped at the rear end of the gap 35, so that they the gap 35 complete and fall behind the Nachunterzelungseinrichtung 30 fall. This at least one item of laundry 20 thus passes back to the lower belt conveyor 23, which is still located behind the separating device 30, with the laundry pile of still separated items of laundry 20 and is thus returned to the separating device 24 again.

Behind and next to the gap 35 at the end of Nachunterzelungseinrichtung 30, a sensor is provided, preferably an elongated sensor bar or a Light grille 39. This light grid 39 detects the position of the laundry item 20, in particular the same held at the end of the gap 35 between the deflection drums 38 rear corner 37 thereof. The light grid 39 controls a transversely to the transport direction 25 of the belt conveyor 23 movable linear drive, in the illustrated embodiment, a shuttle cylinder 40 which carries a transverse gripping clamp 41. The cross-clamp 41 has two jaws, which are profiled at their mutually facing clamping surfaces which come to rest on opposite sides of the corner 37. Preferably, a jaw is provided with a projection. The other jaw has a recess corresponding to the projection (FIG. 1). This creates a kind of wedge in the clamp mouth of the cross clamp 41. This kinks the held corner 37, whereby a relative to the clamp mouth of the Quernreifklammer 41 projecting tip of the corner 37 similar to an ear sets up. This facilitates the subsequent gripping process.

After the transverse gripping clip 41 has grasped this rear corner 37, the transverse gripping clip 41 is pulled laterally out of the post-separating device 30 by its shuttle cylinder 40 transversely to the transport direction 25 of the belt conveyor 23. In this case, the outer corner of the rear corner 37 of the laundry article 20 held between the deflection drums 38 of the belt drives 31 and 32 comes out of the region of the post-separating device 30, whereby the laundry article 20 is separated therefrom.

The garment 20 held with the corner 37 in the cross-grip chamber 41 is transferred to the clip 42 after lateral withdrawal from the post-singulator 30. The clip 42 engages the outer corner of the back corner 37 of the garment 20 laterally from the cross-strapping clip 41 has been pulled out of the gap 35 of the Nachunterzelungseinrichtung 30 (Fig. 7).

The bracket 42 holding the rear corner 37 of the item of laundry 20 is moved along the direction of travel of a slightly rising linear axis, in the embodiment shown again a shuttle cylinder 43, parallel but opposite to the transport direction 25 of the belt conveyor 23 in the direction of the supply conveyor 21. This is a hanging down part of the laundry 20 pulled by a arranged below the shuttle cylinder 43 clamping device 44.

The tensioning device 44 can be formed from two parallel rollers or rollers, between which the downwardly hanging part of the laundry article 20 is pulled through by the shuttle cylinder 43. The two rollers or rollers are pliers-like together and apart moved. As a result, each roller is mounted on a pivot arm which can be pivoted by a corresponding drive, for example a pneumatic cylinder, with the respective roller. The rollers or rollers are independent of each other by their own cylinder in opposite directions together and moved apart. When the rollers are moved apart, that is to say a quasi-opened pair of rollers, the item of laundry can be moved through the open pair of rollers by means of the clamp 42 of the shuttle cylinder 43 which holds one area, in particular a corner, of the item of laundry 20. Thereafter, the rollers are moved together, so that the remaining part of the laundry article 20 can be pulled through the rollers of the roller pair moved together. In order to facilitate this pulling through the rear part of the laundry item 20 by the pair of rollers together, it may be provided to drive at least one of the rollers in rotation. This is done at a speed which is synchronized with the speed at which the shuttle cylinder 43 pulls the rear part of the laundry item 20 through the pair of rollers. As a result, the laundry item 20 when pulling the rear part of the same by the retracted roles of the pair of rollers is not or not appreciably loaded on train. It is also conceivable that the drive speed of the driven roller of the roller pair is set so that the pair of rollers the back of the piece of laundry 20 holds something back so that it remains taut. Alternatively, it may be provided to first drive the one roller of the roller pair at such a speed that no tensile force is exerted on the laundry article 20 when moving the rear part thereof through the roller pair and then when the shuttle 42 moved from the staple 42 its final position has achieved to reverse the direction of rotation of the driven roller in the short term, so as to exert the desired tension on the held between the pair of rollers of the tensioning device 44 and the bracket 42 laundry 20. The tensioning device 44 is associated with at least one sensor which detects a rear end of the laundry article 20. This is one of the corner 37 held diagonally opposite the corner 45 or another location of the laundry article 20. This corner 45 is caught by the tensioning device 44 and clamped by the same at the corner 45. By a further method of the clip 42 by means of the shuttle cylinder 43, a small piece of laundry 20 is stretched in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 between the diagonally opposite corners 37 and 45. A diagonal of the laundry item 20 then stretched taut between the bracket 42 and the tensioning device 44. Due to the stretched diagonal of the laundry item 20 forms below a lower corner 46 from. This forms, together with the diagonally opposite corners 37 and 45 of the laundry item 20, a triangle whose lowest point is the corner 46. Between the corners 46 and 37 there is an edge 47 and between the corners 46 and 45 an edge 48 of the laundry 20. The edge 47 is more inclined than the edge 48. As a rule, the edge 47 extends almost vertically and the edge 48 inclined only slightly to the vertical, and starting from the tensioning device 44 in the direction of the lower corner 46 directed slightly downward. Depending on the length / width ratio of the item of laundry 20, this edge 48 can extend horizontally or slightly rising to the lower corner 46.

For larger items of laundry 20, the clip 42 would have to be moved relatively far, which means a longer travel path and would require a longer shuttle cylinder 43. Therefore, it is provided with larger laundry items 20, not to clamp between diagonally opposite corners 37 and 45, but between the held by the tensioning device 44 corner 45 and a spaced-apart from this point of the laundry article. In this case, a triangle is formed, the lowest point of the corner 46 of the laundry item 20 is.

In addition to the shuttle cylinder 43, there is a second parallel linear drive, preferably a further shuttle cylinder 49, with a clip 50 which can be moved back and forth by the latter. By gripping this corner, the corner 37 of the laundry item 20 is separated from the clamp 42 of the shuttle cylinder 43 accepted. As a result, the clip 42 on the shuttle cylinder 43 becomes free to take over the corner 37 of a next item of laundry 20 from the postdisciner 30. The item of laundry 20 then continues between the tensioner in a triangular configuration with diagonally elongated corners 45 and 37 and free hanging corner 46 44 and now the bracket 50 held for detecting a projecting from the free-hanging corner 46 portion of the lower edge 48 of the laundry item 20 (Ed. 8). Approximately below the clamp 50 is a double clamp 51 with two mutually spaced by a short shuttle cylinder 63 variable, preferably the same trained Klammermäulern 52. The double clamp 51 is at least one imaging device, at least a two-dimensional camera, preferably a three-dimensional camera assigned , This at least one imaging device is used to detect the lower corner 46 and preferably at least part of the lower edge 48 of the item of laundry 20 emanating therefrom. The at least one imaging device preferably detects the position of the corner 46 and the direction of the edge 48 starting therefrom.

The image data of the corner 46 and the edge 48 detected by the at least one imaging device are transmitted to a controller. This then aligns the rotatable by a rotary drive 65 about a rotational axis transverse to the travel axis of the short shuttle cylinder 63 double clamp 51 parallel to the edge 48. Subsequently, the double clamp 51 with the open staple mouths 52 pointing upwards is moved up by the controller on the basis of the data taken by the at least one imaging device to an end region of the lower edge 48 of the laundry item 20 starting from the lower corner 46 (FIG. 9). The double clamp 51 is also rotated so that it is aligned parallel to the lower edge 48 of the laundry article 20 and preferably have the open ends of the Klammermäuler 52 up to the lower edge 48. The two clamp mouths 52 are still moved together as far as possible so that they have a smallest possible distance from one another (FIG. 10). The two Klammermäuler 52 of the double clamp 51 then take in the retracted position (Fig. 10) emanating from the lower corner 46 of the laundry item 20 end portion of the edge 48. The two Klammermäuler 52 are designed so that the close to the lower corner 46 located outer staple mouth 52 of the double clamp 51 emanating from the corner 46 End region of the edge 48 is clamped close to the corner 46. The inner, second clamp mouth 52 lying on the side of the outer, first clamp mouth 52 directed away from the corner 46 clamps the end region of the edge 48 of the laundry item 20 with a lower clamping force. As a result, the second, movable clamp jaw 52 of the double clamp 51 can slide along it from the short shuttle cylinder 63 parallel to the edge 48 until the clamp mouths 52 have reached the maximum distance (FIG. 11). Then, the second inner jaw 52 is further closed, as far as the fixed outer, first jaw mouth 52 at the corner 46. As a result, a narrow portion of the lower edge 48 of the laundry item 20 of the two Klammermäulern 52 of the double clamp 51 and held in this state, so that a nearly straight part of the edge 48 is located between the apart Klammernmäulern 52 in the double clamp 51.

Subsequently, by means of a rotary drive 64, both clamp mouths 52 in the double clamp 51 are pivoted synchronously by 90 ° about an axis of rotation lying on the longitudinal axis of the short shuttle cylinder 63, specifically in the clockwise direction in relation to the illustration in FIGS. Then, depending on the portion of the edge 48 stretched between the staple mouths 52, the garment 20 freely slopes down from the tips of the staple mouths 52. As a result of the stretched between the Klammermäulern 52 held part of the edge 48 of the laundry article 20 forms under the tips of the Klammermäuler 52 an edge strip 53 of the laundry article 20 from. Because the outer, fixed feed conveyor 21 facing staple mouth 52 of the double clamp 51 holds the garment 20 close to its corner 46, which is perpendicular down from hanging down this edge 47 of the garment 20 in the illustrated embodiment, the leading edge 54 thereof.

After the edge strip 53 of the laundry held by the double clamp 51 has formed piece 20, the double clamp 51 is rotated by its rotary drive 65 so, in particular turned back, that between the Klammermäulern 52 stretched held part of the edge 48 of the laundry item 20 extends horizontally. The laundry item 20 is now ready for lateral mounting on the feed conveyor 1 1. Finally, the laundry item 20 with the edge strip 53 and in the conveying direction or feed direction 58 of the feed conveyor 21 leading leading edge 54 mounted transversely on the feed conveyor 21. For this purpose, the beginning of the feed conveyor 21 is associated with a Aufziehklammer 56 which can be moved back and forth across the same from a shuttle cylinder 55 or other linear drive (FIGS. 13 and 14). The mounting bracket 56 is also formed as a double clamp with two spaced, same Klammermäulern 57. The distance between the outer sides of the two Klammermäuler 57 is slightly smaller than the clear distance between the disassembled for taking over the laundry item 20 Klammernmäulern 52 of the double clamp 51. In this way, the Klammermäuler 57 of Aufziehklammer 56 between the Klammermäuler 52 of the double clamp 51 drive while the between the Klammermäulern 52 of the double clamp 51 held stretched part of the edge 48 of the laundry piece 20 take over and keep this stretched out. The laundry item 20, which is pulled up onto the feed conveyor 21 transversely to the feed direction 58, arrives at the front end region of the feed conveyor 21, with the leading edge 54 leading in the feed direction 58, onto the upper run of the adjacent narrow conveyor belts of the feed conveyor 21.

The feed conveyor 21 is associated with an alignment. This serves to monitor the front edge strip 53 of the item of laundry 20, in particular the front edge 54, when loading the item of laundry 20 onto the infeed conveyor 21 and if necessary to control and correct it so that the front edge 54 of the item of laundry 20 is rectangular at least at the end of the assembly process to the feed direction 58 of the feed conveyor 21, namely its longitudinal central axis extends.

The alignment device has at least one device for detecting the course of at least part of an edge of an edge of the Laundry article 20, for example, a light or sensor strip, a plurality of two-dimensional cameras or a three-dimensional camera, a controller and a steering roller 59 or at least one alignment tape. The at least one device determines the transverse orientation of the edge strip 53 of the laundry article 20 on the feed conveyor 21 at least the course of the entire or only part of the leading edge 54 of the edge strip 53 by non-contact optical scanning or even figuratively. In particular, the device determines whether deviations of the front edge 54 from the perpendicular course to the feed direction 58 are given and how large they are. Accordingly, the steering roller 59 is controlled by the controller according to the values taken by the device, such as image data. For this purpose, the steering roller 59 is controlled to rotate about a vertical axis of rotation. In addition, the guide roller 59 is supported from above on the transverse to the feed conveyor 21 aufziehenden edge strip 53 of the laundry article 20, so that between the guide roller 59 and the feed conveyor 21 located point of the laundry article 20 between the guide roller 59 and the upper run of the feed conveyor quasi-pinched.

When the edge strip 53 of the item of laundry 20 is transversely directed onto the supply conveyor 21, the guide roller 59 normally aligns so that its horizontal axis of rotation 60 runs parallel to the feed direction 58 of the supply conveyor 21. In this case, the vertical axis of rotation is initially freely rotatable about its vertical axis of rotation, as long as no alignment of the front edge 54 of the item of laundry 20 when mounting on the feed conveyor 21 is required. Only when the at least one device detects a deviation of the front edge 54 of the laundry item 20 from the rectangular mounting on the feed conveyor 21, a predetermined by the control rotation of the steering roller 59 is about its vertical axis of rotation, with a slight twisting may already be sufficient. As a result, the orientation of the leading edge 54 of the marginal strip 53 of the garment 20 to the feed direction 58 of the feed conveyor 21 is corrected. This correction is controlled or regulated such that deviations from the desired right-angled course of the front edge 54 of the item of laundry 20 to the feed direction 58 of the supply conveyor 21 are compensated or compensated in dependence on the data taken by the at least one device. It is also an alternative alignment device, not shown in the figures conceivable in which instead of the steering roller 59 at least a narrow, circumferentially drivable alignment belt is provided. When the edge strip 53 of the item of laundry 20 is pulled onto the delivery conveyor 21, the edge strip 53 is pulled transversely across the upper run of the at least one alignment band. As a result of the orientation of the edge strip, in particular its free edge, or the leading edge 54 of the item of laundry 20 to the feed direction 58 of the feed conveyor 21, as determined by the device described above, at least one alignment strip is driven by the control, in particular the upper run in the feed direction 58 or against the feeding direction is driven while the laundry item 20, especially the edge strip 53 with the front edge 54 of the laundry item 20 aligned at right angles to the feed direction 58.

After the aligned tightening of the edge strip 53 of the laundry article 20 on the feed conveyor 21 a preferably over the entire working width of the feed conveyor 21 continuous pinch roller 61 is moved against a front deflecting end 62 of the feed conveyor 21, whereby the laundry item 20 between the front deflecting 62 of the feed conveyor 21 and the pinch roller 61 is held. This prevents that with the front narrow edge strip 23 mounted on the feed conveyor 21 laundry item 20 due to insufficient friction on the belts of the feed conveyor 21 from slipping down from the same. After a sufficiently large portion of the laundry article 20 has reached the feed conveyor 21, the pressure roller 61 is returned to its initial position for mounting a subsequent laundry article 20 (FIG. 15).

It is also conceivable not to directly raise the edge strip 53 of the respective item of laundry 20 onto the delivery conveyor 21. Instead, the edge strip 53 can be pulled along at least one, preferably transverse, over an initial portion of the feed conveyor 21 Aufziehförderer. Preferably, an upper strand of a circumferentially drivable conveyor belt of the Aufziehförderers be acted upon with negative pressure for sucking parts of the edge strip 53 of the laundry article 20. The edge strip 23 is in previously described manner mounted perpendicular to the feed direction 58 of the feed conveyor 21 aligned with the Aufziehförderer and temporarily fixed by vacuum on the upper run thereof. The edge strip 43 is then deposited on the feed conveyor 21 at right angles by transverse movement of the pick-up conveyor in the feed direction 58 of the feed conveyor 21.

The method described above in connection with the explanation of the device is characterized by the fact that essential operations in singulating and feeding laundry items 20 to a feed conveyor 21, which transports the laundry items 20 to a defect, a folding machine or other laundry treating device, of at least one accompanied by an imaging device or an equivalent device, in particular observed.

Each imaging device associated with a separating device 24 determines the laundry article 20 which can be pulled out most advantageously from the laundry pile and also the point at which the gripper 26 of the singling device 24 can best grasp the laundry article 20 to be separated next and pull it out individually from the laundry pile.

At least one further imaging device can detect the position of the free-hanging corner 46 of the garment 20 held out at diagonally opposite corners 37 and 45 and at least the edge 48 of the garment 20 adjacent the free-hanging corner 46 in position and orientation. The image data taken by the at least one imaging device is transmitted to a controller and evaluated by the controller so that the Klammermäuler 52 of the double clamp 51 are aligned parallel to the edge 48 and the garment 20 can be taken at this edge 48 near the corner 46.

Further imaging devices can be provided at other locations of the device, for example, where other locations, in particular corners, of the item of laundry 20 are to be determined and / or transfer operations of Laundry article 20, preferably to a clip or from one clip to the other, take place.

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LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

20 laundry 51 double clamp

21 feed conveyor 52 clamp mouth

22 frame 53 edge trim

23 Belt conveyor 54 leading edge

24 Separating device 55 Shuttle cylinder

25 Transport direction 56 Mounting clamp

26 gripper 57 clamp mouth

27 Shuttle cylinder 58 Feed direction

28 clamp 59 swivel castor

29 Shuttle cylinder 60 axis of rotation

30 post-separation61 pressure roller

device 62 deflecting

31 belt drive 63 short shuttle cylinder

32 Belt drive 64 rotary drive

33 Upper strand 65 Rotary drive

34 Trum section

35 gap

36 passage direction

37 rear corner

38 tail pulley

39 light grid

40 shuttle cylinders

41 cross clamp

42 clip

43 shuttle cylinder

44 clamping device

45 corner

46 lower corner

47 edge

48 edge

49 shuttle cylinders

50 clip

Claims

Patent claims

1. A method for feeding items of laundry (20) to a laundry processing device, in particular a mangle or a folding machine, wherein at least one individual item of laundry (20) is pulled out of a pile of laundry and the item of laundry (20) is aligned with at least part of an edge on a feed conveyor (21) which is pulled up or put down in front of the laundry processing machine, characterized in that at least one imaging device determines the most favorable location for gripping an item of laundry (20) and at this point the item of laundry (20) is grabbed and pulled out of the pile of laundry, that at least part of an edge (48) of the item of laundry (20) is clamped with the support of at least one imaging device and this part of the edge (48) of the item of laundry (20) is raised aligned with the feed conveyor (21) with the support of at least one imaging device or is filed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a gripper (26) for gripping at least one item of laundry (20) from the laundry pile and the laundry pile are movable relative to one another at least in three axes, in that the laundry pile is moved along one axis and the gripper (26) is longitudinal at least two axes can be moved.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one item of laundry (20) pulled out of the laundry pile is fed to a post-separation device (30), preferably in the post-separation device with several items of laundry pulled out of the laundry pile by the gripper (26) at the same time (20) a rearmost point, preferably a corner, of an individual item of laundry (20) is detected and seized.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the isolated item of laundry (20) is stretched, preferably stretched at opposite corners (37, 45) to form a free, hanging corner (46) of the item of laundry.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the freely hanging corner (46) of the item of laundry (20) and / or an edge (48) of the item of laundry (20) extending from it is or are detected by the imaging device and for determined edge (48) a clamp, preferably a double clamp (51), is aligned and / or moved in order to grip the item of laundry (20) on this edge (48).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clip, in particular double clip (51), is aligned with the course, preferably direction, of the edge (48) of the item of laundry (20) determined by the imaging device before it Item of laundry (20) grips this edge (48), preferably a portion thereof.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the edge (48) of the item of laundry (20) is held by the clamp, in particular double clamp (51), at two spaced locations, preferably in such a way that between the two adjacent locations Clamp, preferably double clamp (51), keeps the captured part of the edge (48) of the item of laundry (20) stretched and / or a point of the part of the edge (48) held by the clamp, in particular double clamp (51), a corner or a Corner area of the item of laundry (20).

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the item of laundry (20) is placed or pulled up transversely onto the feed conveyor (21) and/or before or before the item of laundry (20) is put on or placed onto the feed conveyor (21 ) the distance between the two points at which the clamp, preferably double clamp (51), holds the edge (48) of the item of laundry (20) is increased.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that with the part of the edge (48) held by the clamp, in particular double clamp (51), on which the item of laundry (20) is positioned from one side transversely to the feed direction (58) and / or transport direction of the feed conveyor (21) is placed or pulled onto the same and preferably a front edge strip (53) of the item of laundry (20), the width of which is the part of the edge (48) held by the clamp, in particular double clamp (51). ) of the item of laundry (20) is placed at the front on the feed conveyor (21).

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one device, preferably an imaging device, a light strip or a sensor strip, pulls up the item of laundry (20), preferably the front edge strip (53) of the same, with respect to a rectangular course of the edge strip (53), preferably a free front edge (54) of the item of laundry (20) delimiting this edge, to the feed direction (58) of the feed conveyor (21) is detected and, based on the information obtained, an alignment device to support and / or bring about the right-angle Placing or putting on the item of laundry (20), in particular its front edge strip (53), onto the feed conveyor (21) is controlled.

11. Device for separating items of laundry (20) to be fed to a laundry processing device, preferably a mangle or a folding machine, with a conveyor for transporting a pile of laundry of several items of laundry (20) to a separating device (24) and at least one following the separating device (24). Clamp for pulling preferably an edge strip (53) of the item of laundry (20) extending from a front edge (54) of the isolated item of laundry (20) onto a feed conveyor (21) of or in front of the laundry processing device, characterized in that the conveyor and the conveyor assigned to it Separating device (24) is assigned at least one imaging device, wherein a gripper (26) of the separating device (24) designed to grip a piece of laundry (20) from the pile of laundry can be moved on two axes and can be moved on a third axis by the conveyor of the pile of laundry.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the separating device (24) is followed by a post-separating device (30) for the subsequent separating of possibly several items of laundry (20) gripped at the same time by the gripper (26) of the separating device (24).

13. Device for feeding items of laundry (20) to a laundry processing device, preferably a mangle or a folding machine, with clamps for pulling at least one edge strip (53) of the item of laundry (20) extending from a front edge (54) of an item of laundry (20) onto a Feed conveyor (21) of the laundry further treatment device, in particular according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the item of laundry (20) can be stretched out at two spaced locations by one clamp each to form a freely hanging corner (46) of the item of laundry (20) and at least one imaging device for determining at least the position of the freely hanging corner (46) of the item of laundry (20) is provided.

14. Device according to one or more of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the item of laundry (20) can be grasped by a clamp on an edge (48) delimited on one side by the free corner (46) and / or the clamp is controlled by the Information recorded by the at least one imaging device grips this edge (48) of the item of laundry (20) or at least part of the edge (48).

15. Device according to one or more of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the clamp is pivotable and / or the clamp is designed as a double clamp (51) with two adjacent clamp mouths (52), preferably the clamp mouths (57) of the double clamp ( 51) can be moved apart and together.

16. Device for feeding items of laundry (20) to a laundry processing device, preferably a mangle or a folding machine, with a clamp for pulling at least one edge strip (53) of the item of laundry (20) onto at least one conveyor of or in front of the Laundry further treatment device, in particular according to one or more of claims 11 or 15, characterized in that a clip holding part of a side edge (48) of the edge strip (53) of the item of laundry (20) is provided and this clip is from one side of the at least one conveyor transverse to the feed direction (58) of the laundry item (20) to the laundry processing device over the at least one conveyor and / or can be pulled onto the at least one conveyor.

17. Device according to one or more of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that at least one device monitors the lifting of the item of laundry (20), in particular the front edge strip (53) thereof, onto the at least one conveyor, preferably by observing the angle of one Front edge (54) of the item of laundry (20) or the front edge strip (53) of the item of laundry (20) to the feed direction (58) of the at least one conveyor and for possible correction of the angle, an alignment device controlled by information from the at least one device is provided, preferably the alignment device has a controllable steering roller (61), steering roller and/or at least one alignment belt which is supported on the front edge strip (53) of the item of laundry (20) lying on the at least one conveyor.

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