Method and apparatuses for feeding items of laundry to a laundry machine, such as in particular a mangle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304740-B2
Application number	US-202217689074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2022
Priority date	Mar 11, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

Laundry items are spread out and deposited on a feed conveyor which inserts the laundry item into a mangle. The front edge of the laundry item is stretched by a spreading device, wherein spreading clamps are moved apart on the basis of a measured length of the front edge. Until now, the front edge length item has been measured at the spreading device, which increases the duration of the spreading operation. The invention measures the front edge length upstream of the spreading device when the laundry item is still hanging in two loading clamps of a loading station. So that the front edge length can be contactlessly determined from the lowest point of the sag of the front edge, the distance between the loading clamps is a greater distance than previously. As a result, a V-like sag is formed, the lowest point of which can be contactlessly determined.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for feeding items of laundry ( 10 ) to a laundry machine, with opposite corners ( 17 ) of a front edge ( 18 ), running transversely with respect to the feeding direction ( 11 ), of a respective item of laundry ( 10 ) being suspended in two loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) from which the item of laundry ( 10 ) is transferred to spreading clamps, which are movable transversely with respect to the feeding direction ( 11 ), of a spreading device or is taken over by the spreading clamps, the spreading clamps are moved apart in order to spread out the item of laundry ( 10 ) by stretching the front edge ( 18 ) of same, and the spread-out item of laundry ( 10 ) is deposited by the spreading clamps on a depositing strip or on a feed conveyor ( 12 ) which transports the spread-out item of laundry ( 10 ) to another laundry machine, wherein the two loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) holding the opposite corners ( 17 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ) are at such a large or relatively large distance (A) from one another or can be brought to such a distance (A) from one another that, when the item of laundry ( 10 ) is hanging down from the two loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ), a V-like sag ( 22 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) forms, an at least approximately lowest point ( 25 ) of the V-like sag ( 22 ) is contactlessly determined and the length of the sagging front edge ( 18 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) is derived therefrom, wherein at the distance (A) between the loading clamps ( 15 ) that exists when the sag ( 22 ) is measured, the item of laundry is transferred to the spreading clamps or is taken over by the spreading clamps from the loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lowest point ( 25 ) of the sag ( 22 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) hanging down from the loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) is contactlessly measured.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lowest point ( 25 ) of the sag ( 22 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) hanging down from the loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) is measured by at least one measuring device ( 23 ) carrying out contactless measurements.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distance of the determined lowest point ( 25 ) or of the at least approximately lowest point ( 25 ) of the V-like sag ( 22 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) from an imaginary straight connecting line ( 26 ) through the adjacent loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) respectively holding one of the opposite corners ( 17 ) of the V-like sagging front edge ( 18 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ) is determined and, from this, taking into account the known relatively large or increased distance between the two loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ), the length of the front edge ( 18 ) is determined.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein opposite corners ( 17 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ) are suspended in the loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) by at least one operator ( 16 ; 36 ) or automatically by means of a handling device.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distance (A) between the loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) holding the opposite corners ( 17 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ) is smaller during the loading or receiving of the corners ( 17 ) than during the contactless determination of the V-like sag ( 22 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) or of the at least approximately lowest point ( 25 ) of the V-like sag ( 22 ).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein opposite corners ( 17 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ) are suspended in two loading clamps ( 15 ) of a pair of loading clamps ( 14 ) or in two loading clamps ( 27 , 28 , 29 ) of a group of at least three loading clamps ( 27 , 28 , 29 ).

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein it is determined in which loading clamp ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) a corner ( 17 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) is suspended.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein it is determined by a sensor or feeler in which loading clamp ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) a corner ( 17 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) is suspended.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the laundry machine is a mangle.

11. An apparatus for feeding items of laundry ( 10 ) to a laundry machine, having at least one loading station ( 13 ) having at least two loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ), a spreading device which has spreading clamps movable transversely with respect to a feeding direction ( 11 ), and at least one feed conveyor ( 12 ) transporting the items of laundry ( 10 ) in the feeding direction ( 11 ) to another laundry treatment device, wherein the two loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ) of the or each loading station ( 13 ) are at such a large distance from one another or can be brought to such a distance that, when the respective item of laundry ( 10 ) is hanging by opposite corners ( 17 ) of a front edge ( 18 ) on the loading clamps ( 15 ; 27 , 28 , 29 ), a V-like sag ( 22 ) of the front edge ( 18 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) arises, and at least one contactless measuring device ( 23 ) is provided by means of which a lowest point ( 25 ) or at least approximately the lowest point ( 25 ) of the V-like sag ( 22 ) can be determined, wherein loading clamps ( 15 ) holding the opposite corners ( 17 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ) and being at a fixed distance (A) are assigned to a double clamp ( 19 ) or form such a double clamp.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the loading clamps ( 15 ), holding the opposite corners ( 17 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ), of the or each loading station ( 13 ) are at a fixed distance.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the loading clamps ( 15 ), holding the opposite corners ( 17 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ), of the or each loading station ( 13 ) are at a fixed distance which is 350 mm to 600 mm or 400 mm to 500 mm.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein loading clamps ( 15 ), holding the opposite corners ( 17 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ), of the or each loading station ( 13 ) are at a variable distance from one another.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , wherein loading clamps ( 15 ), holding the two opposite corners ( 17 ) of the respective item of laundry ( 10 ), of the or each loading station ( 13 ) are at a variable distance from one another which is smaller than 350 mm and is at maximum up to 600 mm.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each loading station ( 13 ) has a group with at least three loading clamps ( 27 , 28 , 29 ).

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the loading clamps ( 15 ) of the respective group are arranged on a multiple clamp or form such a multiple clamp.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the respective multiple clamp has two outer loading clamps ( 27 , 28 ) and at least one inner loading clamp ( 29 ) arranged in between, wherein the outer loading clamps ( 27 , 28 ) are assigned at an invariable distance from one another in a fixed position to the multiple clamp, and the at least one inner loading clamp ( 29 ) is assigned to the multiple clamp at variable distances with respect to the outer loading clamps ( 27 , 28 ).

19. The

Assignees

• Kannegiesser H Gmbh Co

Inventors

• Bringewatt Wilhelm
• Heinz Engelbert

Classifications

• D06F95/00

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

• D06F45/16

  Details · CPC title

• B65G2203/0283

  Position of the load carrier · CPC title

• B65G2203/0225

  Orientation of the article · CPC title

• B65G43/08

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title