Method for determining the shorter and/or longer edge of items of laundry and for feeding items of laundry to a laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11613842-B2
Application number	US-202016734668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2020
Priority date	Jan 11, 2019
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

A method that facilitates the automatic identification of the long edge or the short edge of the item of laundry by determining the lengths or the angles of the edge areas of the item of laundry extending from a lower corner of the item of laundry. It may be derived from the determined angles or lengths of the edge areas whether the respective edge area belongs to the long edge or to the short edge of the item of laundry. With this information, a targeted transverse or longitudinal feed of rectangular items of laundry may be carried out to a downstream inserting machine. The fully automated feeding of items of laundry to, for example, an inserting machine is carried out in a targeted way with either the long edge of the item of laundry extending transversely to the feed direction or the short edge extending transversely to the feed direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining a longer edge ( 14 ) and/or a shorter edge ( 15 ) of an item of laundry ( 10 ) having a first corner ( 23 ), a second corner ( 25 ), and respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) extending from the second corner ( 25 ), the method for use in feeding the item of laundry ( 10 ) to a laundry treatment apparatus, the method comprising:
a) hanging the item of laundry ( 10 ) in a manner whereby the second corner ( 25 ) extends freely downward and the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) extend from the second corner ( 25 );
b) recording images of the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) or respective lengths ( 39 , 40 ) of the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) by at least one image-providing device;
c) determining the respective lengths ( 39 , 40 ) of the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) extending from the second corner ( 25 ) by image analysis;
d) determining that a longer of the respective edge areas ( 26 ) belongs to the longer edge ( 14 ) and that a shorter of the respective edge areas ( 27 ) belongs to the shorter edge ( 15 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ); and
e) supplying the item of laundry ( 10 ) to the laundry treatment apparatus in a targeted way for further treatment of the item of laundry ( 10 ), with one of the longer edge ( 14 ) or the shorter edge ( 15 ) extending transversely to a feed direction ( 13 ) to the laundry treatment apparatus.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) extend from a corner point ( 28 ) of the second corner ( 25 ).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the longer edge ( 14 ) and/or the shorter edge ( 15 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) is determined from a comparison of the measurements of the respective lengths ( 39 , 40 ) of the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) extending from the second corner ( 25 ).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the images and measuring the respective lengths ( 39 , 40 ) of the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) extending from a corner point ( 28 ) of the second corner ( 25 ).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second corner ( 25 ) is diagonally opposite the first corner ( 23 ) and wherein the item of laundry ( 10 ) is hanging freely down from the first corner ( 23 ).

6. A method for determining a longer edge ( 14 ) and/or a shorter edge ( 15 ) of an item of laundry ( 10 ) having a first corner ( 23 ), a second corner ( 25 ), and respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) extending from the second corner ( 25 ), the method for use in feeding the item of laundry ( 10 ) to a laundry treatment apparatus, the method comprising:
a) hanging the item of laundry ( 10 ) in a manner whereby the second corner ( 25 ) extends freely downward and the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) extend from the second corner ( 25 );
b) recording images of the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) by at least one image-providing device;
c) analyzing the images and comparison of the respective angles ( 36 A, 37 A; 36 B, 37 B) of between the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) extending from the second corner ( 25 ) relative to at least one imaginary vertical reference line ( 38 ) or horizontal reference line ( 35 ) through a corner point ( 28 ) of the second corner ( 25 );
d) determining the longer edge ( 14 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) and/or the shorter edge ( 15 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) by image analysis of the respective angles ( 36 A, 37 A; 36 B, 37 B) between the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) extending from the second corner ( 25 ), wherein relative to a vertical reference line ( 38 ) the longer edge ( 14 ) is a respective one of the edge areas ( 26 ) that extends at a smaller angle ( 36 B) of the respective angles ( 36 B, 37 B) and the shorter edge ( 15 ) is a respective one of the edge areas ( 27 ) that extends at a larger angle ( 37 B) to of the respective angles ( 36 B, 37 B), or relative to a horizontal reference line ( 35 ) the longer edge ( 14 ) is a respective one of the edge areas ( 26 ) that extends at a larger angle ( 36 A) of the respective angles ( 36 A, 37 A) and the shorter edge ( 15 ) is a respective one of the edge areas ( 27 ) that extends at a smaller angle ( 37 A) to of the respective angles ( 36 A, 37 A); and
e) supplying the item of laundry ( 10 ) to the laundry treatment apparatus in a targeted way for further treatment of the item of laundry ( 10 ), with one of the longer edge ( 14 ) or the shorter edge ( 15 ) extending transversely to a feed direction ( 13 ) to the laundry treatment apparatus.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the second corner ( 25 ) is diagonally opposite the first corner ( 23 ) and wherein the item of laundry ( 10 ) is hanging freely down from the first corner ( 23 ).

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the respective angles ( 36 A, 37 A; 36 B, 37 B), which are considered for determining the longer edge ( 14 ) and/or the shorter edge ( 15 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ), lie between one of the respective edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) and the imaginary horizontal reference line ( 35 ).

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the edge areas ( 26 , 27 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) extend from a corner point ( 28 ) of the second corner ( 25 ).

Assignees

• Kannegiesser H Gmbh Co

Inventors

• Bringewatt Wilhelm
• Heinz Engelbert

Classifications

• B65H7/14

  by photoelectric feelers or detectors · CPC title

• D06F93/00

  Counting, sorting, or marking arrangements specially adapted for laundry purposes · CPC title

• D06F67/04 Primary

  Arrangements for feeding or spreading the linen · CPC title

• D06F95/00 Primary

  Laundry systems or arrangements of apparatus or machines; Mobile laundries  (D06F31/00 takes precedence) · CPC title