Clothes folding machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12473687-B2
Application number	US-202017624697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2020
Priority date	Jul 4, 2019
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

Proposed is a clothes folding machine, which includes a case, a loading unit disposed at an upper portion of the case and conveying a clothes item gripped by grippers into the case, a folding unit including a longitudinal-line folder folding both sleeves of the clothes item conveyed by the loading unit in a width direction and a transverse-line folder longitudinally folding the clothes item several times, and an unloading unit disposed at a lower portion of the case and conveying the clothes item folded by the folding unit outside the case.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A clothes folding machine comprising:
a case; a loading unit having a plurality of grippers, the loading unit being disposed at an upper portion of the case and configured to convey a clothes item gripped by the plurality of grippers into the case; a folding unit including (i) a longitudinal-line folder that folds both sleeves of the clothes item conveyed by the loading unit along longitudinal lines and (ii) a transverse-line folder that folds the clothes item along transverse lines several times; and an unloading unit disposed at a lower portion of the case and configured to convey the clothes item folded by the folding unit out of the case, wherein the transverse-line folder is disposed at a single stage at a downstream side of a path of the clothes item, wherein the transverse-line folder includes:
a push board that is configured to slide in a front-rear direction of the case at a start point of movement of the clothes item at the downstream side and that is configured to fold the clothes item along a primary transverse line formed at a first longitudinal portion of the clothes item by pushing up a lower end of the clothes item forward over the primary transverse line, and
a plurality of conveyers spaced apart from each other with a predetermined gap therebetween in the front-rear direction under the push board, the plurality of conveyers being configured to fold the clothes item along a secondary transverse line formed at a second longitudinal portion of the clothes item by putting the clothes item into the gap, and
wherein the push board has a triangular cross-section and is elongated in a lateral direction of the case.

2 . The clothes folding machine of claim 1 , further comprising a guide bar elongated in a transverse direction of the clothes item ahead of the push board, the guide bar being configured to move in a direction crossing a sliding direction of the clothes item over the gap and configured to press the primary transverse line or the secondary transverse line of the clothes item.

3 . The clothes folding machine of claim 2 , wherein:
the push board and the conveyers share the guide bar, the push board is configured to fold the clothes item along the primary transverse line by moving forward with respect to the conveyers and pushing a rear end of the clothes item forward with the guide bar moving down from over the gap and pressing down the primary transverse line of the clothes item, the push board is configured to be moved rearward with the guide bar moved up over the gap, and the conveyers are rotated in opposite direction to put the clothes item into the gap with the guide bar further moving down in the gap and pressing down the secondary transverse line of the clothes item, whereby the clothes item is folded along the secondary transverse line.

4 . The clothes folding machine of claim 2 , wherein the conveyers include:
a first conveyer disposed to face a front at the start point at the downstream side; and a second conveyer disposed ahead the first conveyer with the gap therebetween, and wherein a front end of the first conveyer and a rear end of the second conveyer are inclined downward forward and maintain the predetermined gap therebetween.

5 . The clothes folding machine of claim 2 , wherein the guide bar is mounted to be able to move in an up-down direction or at an angle in the gap.

6 . The clothes folding machine of claim 2 , wherein the guide bar is one of a plurality of guide bars that are disposed at sides of the case, respectively, and the sides of the case are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction of the case, and
wherein each of the plurality of guide bars is configured to rotate horizontally about a rotary shaft that is vertically disposed such that the plurality of guide bars (i) are disposed in parallel with each other and oriented toward a front side of the case into which the clothes item is put in, or (ii) are disposed to face each other in the transverse direction.

7 . The clothes folding machine of claim 2 , further comprising:
a motor configured to drive the guide bar; a screw connected with the motor; a slider from which the guide bar protrudes in one direction and that is thread-fastened to the screw to slide in an up-down direction; and a housing that accommodates the slider such that the slider slides in the up-down direction, the housing having a guide hole through which the guide bar protrudes from the slider, wherein the guide hole guides an up-down movement of the guide bar.

8 . The clothes folding machine of claim 7 , wherein the housing further includes a rotation guide hole circumferentially formed at an upper end of the guide hole and guiding rotation of the guide bar.

9 . The clothes folding machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a motor driving the push board; a connecting portion laterally protruding from a side of the push board; a plurality of pulleys connected with the motor through a shaft and spaced apart from each other in a sliding direction of the clothes item; and a belt connecting the pulleys, connected with the connection portion at a side, and transmitting power of the motor to the push board.

10 . The clothes folding machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a motor driving the push board; a connecting portion laterally protruding from a side of the push board; a ball screw connected with the motor to rotate; and a front-rear moving member fastened to the connecting portion, thread-fastened to the ball screw, and mounted to be movable in the front-rear direction when the ball screw is rotated.

11 . A method of folding clothes using a clothes folding machine that includes a push board disposed in a case and configured to slide in a front-rear direction of the case at a start point of movement of a clothes item at a downstream side of a path of the clothes item, a plurality of conveyers spaced apart from each other with a predetermined gap therebetween in the front-rear direction under the push board, and a guide bar disposed over the gap and configured to move up and down in the gap, the method comprising:
conveying, by the conveyers, the clothes item toward a front of the case such that a primary transverse line of the clothes item for folding a first portion of the clothes item is positioned over the gap; moving the guide bar down from a position over the gap and pressing the clothes item by the guide bar; folding, by the push board, the clothes item along the primary transverse line to overlap by moving the push board toward the front of the case from the start point and pushing and turning over a lower end of the first portion of the clothes item ahead of the primary transverse line; returning the push board to the start point; moving the guide bar over the gap; conveying, by the conveyers, the clothes item toward the front of the case such that a secondary transverse line of the clothes item for folding a second portion of the clothes item is positioned over the gap; moving the guide bar into the gap and pressing the secondary transverse line by the guide bar; and folding, by the conveyers, the second portion of the clothes item along the secondary transverse line to overlap by putting the secondary transverse line into the gap.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the push board, the guide bar, and the conveyers are disposed at a single stage at the downstream side.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the push board has a triangular cross-section, and
wherein, before the push board is moved to the front of the case, the clothes item is in an overlapping sta

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Chae Aekyung
• Kim Keunjoo
• Moon Chanwoo
• Lim Choongho

Classifications

• D06F89/023 Primary

  of shirts · CPC title

• D06F89/026 Primary

  Details, e.g. collar holders · CPC title