Clothing classification apparatus and clothing organizing apparatus including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12305324-B2
Application number	US-202318136599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2023
Priority date	Oct 22, 2020
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A clothing classification apparatus includes: a first roller; a second roller arranged to face the first roller; a driving device rotating the first and second rollers in different directions; sensors for sensing positions of clothes in each of the upper and lower areas of the first and second rollers; and a processor configured to control the driving device so that the clothes repeatedly move between the first and second rollers a predetermined number of times when the clothes are placed on the first and second rollers, and control the driving device to change the rotational directions of the first and second rollers when it is confirmed that the clothes pass through the upper or lower area on the basis of results of the sensing by the sensors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clothing organizing apparatus comprising:
at least one grip device configured to grip and move a piece of clothing;
a clothing classification apparatus comprising a first roller and a second roller facing the first roller, the first roller and the second roller being configured to move the piece of clothing upward and downward between the first roller and the second roller;
a folding device comprising a plurality of rotatable plates configured to fold the piece of clothing;
memory storing one or more instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the clothing organizing apparatus to:
control the at least one grip device to move the piece of clothing to the clothing classification apparatus,
control the clothing classification apparatus to classify the piece of clothing moved to the clothing classification apparatus,
control the at least one grip device to move the piece of clothing classified by the clothing classification apparatus to the folding device, and
control the folding device to fold the piece of clothing placed on the folding device.

2. The clothing organizing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one grip device comprises a first grip device and a second grip device that are configured to grip different regions of the piece of clothing, and
wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the clothing organizing apparatus to, based on the first grip device gripping the piece of clothing classified by the clothing classification apparatus, control the second grip device to grip a lowermost region of the piece of clothing gripped by the first grip device.

3. The clothing organizing apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a camera configured to capture an image of the piece of clothing gripped by the first grip device and the second grip device.

4. The clothing organizing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the clothing organizing apparatus to:
identify a predetermined region of the piece of clothing gripped by at least one of the first grip device and the second grip device, based on the image captured by the camera, and
control at least one of the first grip device and the second grip device to place the predetermined region of the piece of clothing at a predetermined position of the folding device.

5. The clothing organizing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the clothing organizing apparatus:
control at least one of the first grip device and the second grip device to re-grip a region of the piece of clothing adjacent to the predetermined region of the piece of clothing placed on the folding device, and
place the re-gripped piece of clothing in a predetermined shape on the folding device.

6. The clothing organizing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the clothing organizing apparatus to, based on not identifying the predetermined region of the gripped clothing based on the image captured by the camera, control at least one of the first grip device and the second grip device to move the gripped clothing to a predetermined point in the clothing organizing apparatus.

7. The clothing organizing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotatable plates comprise:
a main plate disposed horizontally;
a first folding plate rotatably connected to a left side of the main plate;
a second folding plate rotatably connected to a right side of the main plate; and
a third folding plate rotatably connected to a front side of the main plate.

8. The clothing organizing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first folding plate is bent upward at a left end thereof, and the second folding plate is bent upward at a right end thereof.

9. The clothing organizing apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a guide rail disposed vertically within the clothing organizing apparatus,
wherein the main plate is rotatably connected to the guide rail on a horizontal plane.

10. The clothing organizing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the folding device further comprises an auxiliary plate connected to the main plate and configured to be movable upward or downward.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Daesoo
• Chae Youngjae
• Kim Jaehong

Classifications

• D06F89/00

  Apparatus for folding textile articles with or without stapling · CPC title

• B25J15/0052

  multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors · CPC title

• B07C2501/00

  Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material to be sorted · CPC title

• B07C5/3422

  using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras · CPC title

• B07C5/38

  Collecting or arranging articles in groups · CPC title