Clamp for an item of laundry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630780-B2
Application number	US-201514703936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	May 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A clamp for feeding items of laundry to a laundry treatment machine that can be easily actuated and that can enhance performance and reliability when items of laundry are fed, for example, to a mangle or the like, by configuring at least one clamping element of the clamp as a clamping lever having an insertion aid with a guideway for the sliding insertion of a section of the item of laundry into a clamp mouth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clamp ( 18 ) for an item of laundry ( 10 ), comprising:
a clamp housing ( 26 );
a clamp mouth ( 32 );
at least one movable clamping element comprising at least one clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) pivotally mounted on the clamp housing ( 26 ) about a pivot axis ( 39 ), the at least one clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) having a first end ( 41 , 42 ) configured as a nose-like projection ( 50 , 51 ) protruding into the clamp mouth ( 32 ); and
a common preloaded spring ( 40 ) for preloading the at least one clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ),
wherein the at least one clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) comprises an insertion aid having a guideway ( 47 , 48 ) for the guided insertion of a section ( 24 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) into the clamp mouth ( 32 ), wherein the guideway ( 47 , 48 ) ascends diagonally on an underside of the clamp housing ( 26 ) toward the clamp mouth ( 32 ) and extends into the clamp mouth ( 32 ).

2. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guideway ( 47 , 48 ) lies with its entire length below an opening of the clamp mouth ( 32 ).

3. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distance of the guideway ( 47 , 48 ) to the clamp mouth ( 32 ) decreases continually.

4. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guideway ( 47 , 48 ) ascends obliquely from below the clamp housing ( 26 ) to the clamp mouth ( 32 ) and has a linear configuration.

5. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guideway ( 47 , 48 ) ascends obliquely from below the clamp housing ( 26 ) to the clamp mouth ( 32 ) and has a curved configuration.

6. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second end ( 43 , 44 ) projecting beyond the clamp housing ( 26 ), with the guideway ( 47 , 48 ) running between the first end ( 41 , 42 ) and the second end ( 43 , 44 ) of the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) on an underside ( 45 , 46 ) of the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ).

7. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the section ( 24 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) is fixable in the clamp mouth ( 32 ) by the first end ( 41 , 42 ) of the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) through the common spring ( 40 ) of the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ).

8. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the common spring ( 40 ) is a restoring means which preloads the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) so as to close the clamp mouth ( 32 ).

9. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) for inserting the section ( 24 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) into the clamp mouth ( 32 ) is movable against the preload of the restoring means while the section ( 24 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) slides along the guideway ( 47 , 48 ).

10. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) for inserting the section ( 24 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) into the clamp mouth ( 32 ) is movable against the preload of the restoring means while the section ( 24 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) slides along the guideway ( 47 , 48 ).

11. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis ( 39 ) is arranged at an approximately centered position between the first end ( 41 , 42 ) and the second end ( 43 , 44 ) of the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ).

12. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis ( 39 ) of the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) is positioned closer to the first end ( 41 , 42 ) of the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ).

13. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis ( 39 ) of the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ) is positioned closer the second end ( 43 , 44 ) of the clamping lever ( 37 , 38 ).

14. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, for the purpose of introducing the section ( 24 ) of the item of laundry ( 10 ) into the clamp mouth ( 32 ), the item of laundry ( 10 ) with this section ( 24 ) is movable along the guideway ( 47 , 48 ).

15. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the clamp housing ( 26 ) comprises a plurality of the clamp mouths ( 32 ).

16. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the plurality of the clamping levers ( 37 , 38 ) are arranged at a distance relative to one another and are mounted on a common clamp housing ( 26 ).

17. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the clamp housing ( 26 ) further comprises at least one clamp mouth bridge ( 34 , 35 ), wherein each of the plurality of the clamping levers ( 37 , 38 ) is assigned its own one of the at least one clamp mouth bridge ( 34 , 35 ).

18. The clamp ( 18 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the clamp housing ( 26 ) comprises a plurality of the clamping levers ( 37 , 38 ) that are jointly actuatable.

Assignees

• Kannegiesser H Gmbh Co

Inventors

• Sielermann Jürgen
• Herzog Lars
• Heinz Engelbert

Classifications

• F16B2/185

  using levers · CPC title

• D06F93/00

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

• D06F55/02

  with pivoted {independent} clamping members · CPC title

• D06F95/00

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

• D06F67/04 Primary

  Arrangements for feeding or spreading the linen · CPC title