Clothes folding machine and control method

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of clothing processing equipment, and discloses a clothes folding machine and a control method, wherein the clothes folding machine comprises a clothes folding unit and a storage unit, wherein the clothes folding unit has a clothes outlet for outputting folded clothes, and the storage unit is used to receive clothes outputted from the clothes outlet, and the storage unit comprises a storage platform and a horizontal moving mechanism that drives the storage platform to move horizontally to the clothes outlet to receive clothes during the process of clothes being outputted from the clothes outlet. The clothes folding machine of the present invention has a storage platform that can move horizontally to receive clothes, which can better cooperate with the output process of clothes and realize the dynamic receiving process of clothes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of clothing processing equipment, and in particular, relates to a clothing folding machine and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In daily home life, it is necessary to fold and store the dried clothes. At present, most families fold the dried clothes manually, either manually or with the help of a clothes folding board, which is time-consuming and laborious. With the development of society, people's pace of life has accelerated, and they have less time to do housework. Clothes that are not folded and stored in time are randomly piled up, which greatly wastes storage space. The improvement of living standards is also accompanied by an increase in the types of clothes. The folding process is more cumbersome. People do not know how to fold many clothes, so the folded clothes cannot be well protected. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a product that can be used in scenarios such as homes to help people realize automatic folding of clothes, which can effectively replace the complicated folding work and liberate people from complicated housework.

[0003] In the prior art, there is a device that folds clothes in the length direction by transferring clothes between conveyor belts. The specific working principle is that when clothes are laid flat on two adjacent conveyor belts, the two conveyor belts rotate towards each other, so that both ends of the clothes move toward the middle, thereby folding and transferring clothes from the gap between the two. The output of clothes after folding in the above device is a dynamic process. Therefore, it is necessary to design a storage structure and provide a corresponding control method to achieve continuous receiving of clothes and make the receiving of clothes smoother.

[0004] In view of this, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a clothes folding machine which can realize a process of dynamically receiving clothes during the output process of folded clothes.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the basic concept of the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0007] A clothes folding machine comprises a clothes folding unit and a storage unit, wherein the clothes folding unit has a clothes outlet for discharging folded clothes, the storage unit is used to receive clothes discharged from the clothes outlet, and the storage unit comprises a storage platform and a horizontal moving mechanism that drives the storage platform to move horizontally to the clothes outlet to receive the clothes during the process of clothes being discharged from the clothes outlet.

[0008] Furthermore, the storage unit is arranged at the lower side of the folding unit, and the storage platform is arranged at a certain interval in the horizontal direction with respect to the clothing outlet before receiving the clothing; the horizontal moving mechanism can drive the storage platform to move horizontally so that the storage platform passes under the clothing outlet;

[0009] Preferably, the storage unit further comprises a vertical moving mechanism capable of driving the storage platform to move vertically towards or away from the clothing outlet.

[0010] Further, the storage unit includes a clothing sensor for determining whether clothing is output from the clothing outlet, and the clothing sensor is in a triggered state during the process of clothing being output from the clothing outlet;

[0011] Preferably, the storage unit further comprises a first position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform, and when the storage platform moves horizontally to a position where the clothes are finished being received, the first position sensor is triggered;

[0012] Preferably, the storage unit further comprises a second position sensor for detecting the receiving height of the storage platform. After receiving the clothes, the storage platform moves vertically away from the clothes outlet. When the storage platform moves into position, the second position sensor switches from a triggered state to a non-triggered state.

[0013] Preferably, the storage unit further comprises a third position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform, and the third position sensor is triggered when the storage platform moves horizontally to a position ready to receive clothes.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a control method for the above-mentioned clothes folding machine, when the clothes are output from the clothes outlet and enter the storage unit, the horizontal moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to move horizontally, so as to move to the clothes outlet to receive the clothes.

[0015] Furthermore, the storage unit includes a clothing sensor for determining whether clothing is output from a clothing outlet. When the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the clothing sensor is triggered, it determines that clothing is output from the clothing outlet and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform to move horizontally to receive the clothing.

[0016] Furthermore, during the process of outputting clothes, when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the clothes sensor is not triggered, it determines that the outputting of clothes is finished, and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform to stop moving;

[0017] Alternatively, the storage unit includes a first position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform. During the process of outputting clothes, when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the first position sensor is triggered, it determines that the output of clothes is finished and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform to stop moving.

[0018] Alternatively, the folding unit includes a length measuring module for measuring the length D1 of the folded clothes, and the storage unit includes a distance measuring module for monitoring the moving distance D2 of the storage platform. During the clothing output process, when the folding machine receives a signal D2=D1, it determines that the clothing output is completed and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform to stop moving.

[0019] Furthermore, the storage unit further comprises a vertical moving mechanism capable of driving the storage platform to move vertically toward or away from the clothing outlet, and after the clothing is output, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to descend;

[0020] The storage unit further includes a second position sensor for detecting the height of the storage platform. When the storage platform is lowered, when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor is not triggered, it is determined that the storage platform has been lowered to the designated position, and the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to stop lowering.

[0021] Preferably, there is a certain distance between the setting height of the second position sensor and the clothing outlet, and the distance is greater than the thickness of the folded clothing.

[0022] Further, when the storage platform stops descending, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to rise, and when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor is triggered, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to stop rising;

[0023] Preferably, when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor is triggered, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to continue to rise to a certain height and then stop moving.

[0024] Furthermore, after the storage platform stops moving in the vertical direction, the horizontal moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to move horizontally in the direction opposite to receiving clothes; the storage unit includes a third position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform, and when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the third position sensor is triggered, the horizontal moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to stop moving.

[0025] Furthermore, during the process of outputting the clothes, the speed of the horizontal movement of the storage platform is controlled to coordinate with the speed of the clothes outputting by the clothes folding unit, so as to achieve the effect of flattening the clothes;

[0026] Preferably, the folding unit includes a first folding conveyor device and a second folding conveyor device, forming a folding output channel therebetween, and the folding output channel has a clothing outlet; the first folding conveyor device and the second folding conveyor device are controlled to convey toward each other, and the clothing passes through the folding output channel and is output from the clothing outlet into the storage unit; during the clothing output process, the first folding conveyor device and the second folding conveyor device are controlled to convey at a conveying speed with a certain difference, so as to have the effect of flattening the clothing.

[0027] After adopting the above technical scheme, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art.

[0028] The clothes folding machine of the present invention has a storage platform which can be horizontally moved to receive clothes, and can better cooperate with the output process of clothes to realize the dynamic receiving process of clothes.

[0029] The control method of the clothes folding machine of the present invention is to set a clothes sensor to detect whether clothes are output from the clothes outlet and enter the storage unit, and then control the storage platform to move horizontally to receive the clothes, so that the control of the storage platform is more precise.

[0030] The control method of the clothes folding machine of the present invention is that the storage platform descends to a certain height after receiving each piece of clothing to reserve receiving space for the next piece of clothing output, and the height of the storage platform descending is controlled by a sensor so that the height of the storage platform descending each time is consistent with the thickness of the clothing received.

[0031] According to the control method of the clothes folding machine of the present invention, after the storage platform is lowered into position in the vertical direction, the second position sensor is triggered by reverse rising to determine the height at which the storage platform stops moving, thereby avoiding the end of the clothes staying or being dragged at the clothes outlet during the descent process, causing interference to the second position sensor and further causing misjudgment of the descent height, thereby improving the accuracy of the height positioning of the storage platform when receiving the clothes.

[0032] The control method of the clothes folding machine of the present invention can automatically reset the horizontal position of the storage platform after the height position is determined, so as to prepare for receiving the next piece of clothing, and has a high degree of automation.

[0033] The control method of the clothes folding machine of the present invention controls the horizontal moving speed of the storage platform to coordinate with the clothes output speed of the clothes folding unit, thereby flattening the clothes in the process of receiving the clothes, thereby ensuring the flatness of the clothes received by the storage platform.

[0034] The specific implementation modes of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The accompanying drawings are part of the present invention and are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention, but do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the accompanying drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the clothes folding machine of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the storage unit of the present invention.

[0038] In the figure: 1, storage unit; 20, clothing feed guide plate; 51, first sensing unit; 52, second sensing unit; 100, conveying conveyor; 110, first guide plate; 200, squeezing conveyor; 201, conveying mechanism; 202, squeezing mechanism; 210, second guide plate; 300, folding conveyor; 310, first folding conveyor; 320, second folding conveyor; 330, third folding conveyor; 400, pressing mechanism; 4 10. First pressing and folding mechanism; 420. Second pressing and folding mechanism; 800. Storage platform; 801. Clothing sensor; 802. Second position sensor; 811. Support rod; 812. Lead screw; 813. Lead screw nut; 814. First driving motor; 815. Upper slide rail; 816. Lower slide rail; 821. Structural frame; 822. Guide rail; 823. Second driving motor; 824. Synchronous belt; 825. Synchronous pulley; 826. Support slider.

[0039] It should be noted that these drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the conceptual scope of the present invention in any way, but are intended to illustrate the concept of the present invention for those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0042] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0043] like Figure 1As shown, the clothes folding machine of the present invention comprises a clothes folding unit and a storage unit 1, wherein the clothes folding unit has a clothes outlet for outputting folded clothes, and the storage unit 1 is used to receive clothes outputted from the clothes outlet. The storage unit 1 comprises a storage platform 800, and a horizontal moving mechanism that drives the storage platform 800 to move horizontally to the clothes outlet to receive the clothes during the process of outputting the clothes from the clothes outlet.

[0044] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the storage unit 1 is arranged at the lower side of the folding unit, and the storage platform 800 is arranged at a certain interval in the horizontal direction with the clothing outlet before receiving the clothing. The horizontal moving mechanism can drive the storage platform 800 to move horizontally so that the storage platform 800 passes under the clothing outlet. Preferably, the storage unit 1 also includes a vertical moving mechanism that can drive the storage platform 800 to move vertically close to or away from the clothing outlet, and the vertical moving mechanism can drive the storage platform 800 to move up and down to adjust the height of the clothing received.

[0045] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the storage unit 1 includes a clothing sensor 801 for determining whether there are clothes output from the clothing outlet. When the clothes are output from the clothing outlet, the clothing sensor 801 is in a triggered state. The storage unit 1 also includes a first position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform 800. When the storage platform 800 moves horizontally to the position where it ends receiving the clothes, the first position sensor is triggered. The storage unit 1 also includes a second position sensor 802 for detecting the receiving height of the storage platform 800. After receiving the clothes, the storage platform 800 moves vertically away from the clothing outlet. When the storage platform 800 moves into place, the second position sensor 802 switches from a triggered state to a non-triggered state. The storage unit 1 also includes a third position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform 800. When the storage platform 800 moves horizontally to the position where it is ready to receive the clothes, the third position sensor is triggered.

[0046] Embodiment 1

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the folding machine described in this embodiment includes a folding unit and a storage unit 1 arranged below the folding unit. The clothes are folded by the folding unit, and the folded clothes are output from the clothes outlet of the folding unit. The storage unit 1 collects the clothes output from the folding unit below. The folding unit includes a frame and a conveying device installed on the frame, and the conveying device includes a conveying conveyor 100, a squeezing conveyor 200 and a folding conveyor 300 from top to bottom.

[0048] At the clothing entrance of the folding machine, that is, at the right end of the conveying device 100, there is a clothing entry guide plate 20, and there are horn-shaped guide parts on both sides of the clothing entry guide plate 20, forming two grooves. Before the clothing enters the clothing entrance and unfolds on the surface of the conveying device 100, it first passes through the clothing entry guide plate 20, and the guide parts on both sides can perform the first folding in the width direction of the clothing. Especially for tops, when passing through the clothing entry guide plate 20, the sleeves enter the grooves on both sides under the guidance of the guide parts, and are gathered under the main body of the clothing during the loading process. The sleeves can be folded before the clothing reaches the folding platform, making the width of the clothing more uniform, which is conducive to the subsequent folding steps.

[0049] The clothes are flattened on the surface of the conveying device 100 through the clothing inlet guide plate 20. Folding flaps are provided on both sides of the conveying device 100. The folding flaps can be folded toward the surface of the conveying device 100 to fold the part of the clothes to be folded that exceeds the width of the conveying device 100, so that the width of the clothes is uniform, which is conducive to subsequent conveying and folding. After the width folding is completed, the clothes are conveyed to the left under the drive of the conveying device 100. An arc-shaped first guide plate 110 is provided at the left end of the conveying device 100. Under the guidance of the first guide plate 110, the clothes are conveyed downward into the squeezing conveying device 200 below.

[0050] The clothes are conveyed to the right on the squeezing and conveying device 200. The squeezing and conveying device 200 includes a conveying mechanism 201 for conveying clothes and a squeezing mechanism 202 arranged above the conveying mechanism 201 and at a certain angle to the conveying direction, and an squeezing and conveying channel that gradually narrows along the conveying direction of the clothes is formed between the two. The squeezing mechanism 202 includes two driving rollers and a conveyor belt wound on the driving rollers. The clothes are conveyed to the right on the squeezing and conveying device 200. When passing through the squeezing and conveying channel, they are squeezed by the lower driving roller in the squeezing mechanism 202, which can make the thickness of the clothes more uniform. In order to achieve a good squeezing effect, the right end of the squeezing mechanism 202 is installed in contact with the conveying mechanism 201, and the conveyor belt of the conveying mechanism 201 is hollow below the contact point, with a downward pressing space of at least 10 cm in height. Preferably, the angle between the conveying mechanism 201 and the squeezing mechanism 202 is 6°. A second arc-shaped guide plate 210 is provided at the right end of the squeezing and conveying device 200, and the clothes are conveyed downward under the guidance of the second guide plate 210 into the folding and conveying device 300 below.

[0051] The folding conveyor 300 includes a first folding conveyor 310 capable of bidirectional transmission and a second folding conveyor 320 capable of bidirectional transmission arranged on the right side of the first folding conveyor 310, and a folding output channel is formed between the two; and also includes a third folding conveyor 330 arranged above the second folding conveyor 320 for transmission to the left, and a folding transmission channel is formed between the first folding conveyor 310 and the third folding conveyor 330. A folding mechanism 400 for assisting folding clothes is also installed on the frame of the clothes folding machine, and the folding mechanism 400 includes a first folding mechanism 410 that can be inserted / pulled out of the folding output channel, and can press clothes into the folding output channel; and a second folding mechanism 420 that can be inserted / pulled out of the folding transmission channel is also installed, and can press clothes into the folding transmission channel. The lower end of the folding output channel forms a clothes outlet.

[0052] like Figure 2 As shown, a movable storage platform 800 is provided in the storage unit 1. When the clothes are discharged from the clothes outlet, the storage platform 800 can move horizontally and pass under the clothes outlet to receive the clothes. The storage unit 1 includes a horizontal moving mechanism that can drive the storage platform 800 to move horizontally, and also includes a vertical moving mechanism that can drive the storage platform 800 to move vertically close to or away from the clothes outlet. The vertical moving mechanism can drive the storage platform 800 to move up and down to adjust the height of the clothes received. The storage platform 800 is installed on the horizontal moving mechanism and can reciprocate in the horizontal direction driven by the horizontal moving mechanism. The horizontal moving mechanism is installed on the vertical moving mechanism, and the vertical moving mechanism can drive the horizontal moving mechanism and the storage platform 800 to reciprocate up and down as a whole.

[0053] Specifically, the vertical moving mechanism includes two crossed support rods 811 to form an X-shaped structure, and the middle part of the support rod 811 is connected by a fixed shaft and can rotate relatively. The vertical moving mechanism includes two groups of symmetrically arranged X-shaped structures to form a stable and retractable support structure. One end of the support rod 811 is fixed, and the other end can reciprocate in the horizontal direction, so as to realize the relative rotation between the two support rods 811, and then drive the storage platform 800 to move up and down to adjust the height. The vertical moving mechanism also includes an upper slide rail 815 and a lower slide rail 816. One end of one of the support rods 811 of the X-shaped structure moves along the upper slide rail 815, and one end of the other support rod 811 moves along the lower slide rail 816. The horizontal moving mechanism and the storage platform 800 are arranged on the top of the support structure, and different heights are formed during the sliding process of the support rod 811. The vertical moving mechanism also includes a first drive motor 814, and the first drive motor 814 drives the support rod 811 to move through a transmission structure. Preferably, the first drive motor 814 drives the support rod 811 to move by a screw transmission method. The transmission structure includes a lead screw 812 and a lead screw nut 813. The lead screw nut 813 is fixedly connected to a movable end of the support rod 811. The lead screw 812 is connected to the first drive motor 814 through a coupling and rotates with the first drive motor 814. The lead screw nut 813 is sleeved on the lead screw 812 and moves horizontally with the rotation of the lead screw 812, thereby driving the support rod 811 to rotate to form different heights.

[0054] The vertical moving mechanism supports the horizontal moving mechanism through four supporting blocks at the top, and the horizontal moving mechanism includes a structural frame 821 supporting the storage platform 800, and two guide rails 822 are arranged on the structural frame 821. Four supporting sliders 826 are fixedly connected to the bottom of the storage platform 800, and the supporting sliders 826 are installed on the structural frame 821 and can reciprocate along the guide rails 822. The horizontal moving mechanism also includes a second driving motor 823, and the second driving motor 823 drives the storage platform 800 to reciprocate horizontally through a transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes a synchronous belt 824 and a synchronous pulley 825, the second drive motor 823 is fixedly connected to the synchronous pulley 825, the bottom of the storage platform 800 is fixed on the synchronous belt 824, the second drive motor 823 drives the synchronous pulley 825 to rotate, and the synchronous belt 824 mounted on the synchronous pulley 825 moves accordingly. Since the bottom of the storage platform 800 is fixed at a specific position of the synchronous belt 824, when the upper surface of the synchronous belt 824 moves, the storage platform 800 moves with the synchronous belt 824.

[0055] When the clothes folding machine of this embodiment is working, the clothes are conveyed to the folding output channel through the first folding conveyor device 310 and the second folding conveyor device 320, and then the clothes folding unit is output from the clothes outlet at the lower end of the folding output channel. The vertical moving mechanism drives the storage platform 800 to move to a height suitable for receiving clothes, and the horizontal moving mechanism drives the left side of the storage platform 800 to move below the clothes outlet, and drives the storage platform 800 to move to the left to receive clothes during the clothes output process. After the clothes are output, the vertical moving mechanism drives the storage platform 800 to descend to a certain height, and the horizontal moving mechanism drives the storage platform 800 to reset in the horizontal direction, ready to receive the next piece of clothes, thereby realizing continuous receiving of clothes.

[0056] like Figure 1 As shown, in a preferred solution of this embodiment, a clothing sensor 801 is provided on the top of the storage unit 1. The clothing sensor 801 is a photoelectric sensor. When the clothing is output from the clothing outlet and enters the storage unit 1, the light beam emitted by the clothing sensor 801 is blocked, so that the clothing sensor 801 feeds back a triggered signal. By setting the clothing sensor 801, the clothes folding machine can accurately determine the start and end of the clothing output process, and control the timing of the horizontal movement of the storage platform 800 more accurately.

[0057] The storage unit 1 further includes a first position sensor, which may be a touch switch disposed on the structural frame 821. When the right side of the storage platform 800 moves below the clothing outlet, the first position sensor is triggered. The end of clothing output should occur before the right side of the storage platform 800 moves below the clothing outlet. The storage platform 800 is controlled to stop moving by a trigger signal fed back by the first position sensor, thereby ensuring the smooth completion of the clothing receiving process.

[0058] The storage unit 1 also includes a second position sensor 802, which is a photoelectric sensor, and its installation height is flush with the highest height that the storage platform 800 can reach. There is a certain distance between the installation height of the second position sensor 802 and the clothing outlet, and the distance is greater than the thickness of the folded clothing, ensuring that there is enough space above the storage platform 800 to receive the clothing. After the storage platform 800 receives the clothing, the light beam emitted by the second position sensor 802 is blocked due to the certain thickness of the clothing, so that the second position sensor 802 feeds back a triggered signal. The storage platform 800 is controlled to descend by the vertical moving mechanism. When the upper edge of the clothing descends below the second position sensor 802, the second position sensor 802 feeds back a non-trigger signal. By setting the second position sensor 802, the control of the descent height of the storage platform 800 is more accurate.

[0059] The storage platform 800 further includes a third position sensor, which may be a touch switch disposed on the structural frame 821. When the left side of the storage platform 800 moves below the clothing outlet, the third position sensor is triggered. By providing the third position sensor, the starting position of the storage platform 800 for receiving clothing can be more accurately controlled.

[0060] In this embodiment, the clothes folding machine has a storage platform that can move horizontally to receive clothes, which can better cooperate with the output process of clothes and realize the dynamic receiving process of clothes. By setting multiple sensors to control the movement of the storage platform when receiving clothes, the moving position of the storage platform is more accurate, and the storage effect of clothes is improved.

[0061] Embodiment 2

[0062] This embodiment is a control method for the clothes folding machine described in the first embodiment above.

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, when the clothes are unfolded on the surface of the conveying device 100, if it is determined that the width of the clothes exceeds the width of the conveying device 100, the folding flaps on both sides are controlled to be folded toward the conveying device 100 at least once, and the part of the clothes to be folded that exceeds the width of the conveying device 100 is folded. After the folding flaps are folded, the conveying device 100 is controlled to be conveyed to the left, and the clothes are sent to the squeezing conveyor 200 at the lower layer. The squeezing conveyor 200 is controlled to be conveyed to the right, and the clothes are sent to the folding conveyor 300 at the lower layer. The folding conveyor 300 adopts different conveying methods according to the different lengths of the clothes to fold the clothes.

[0064] Specifically, the clothes folding machine can obtain the length range of the clothes during the conveying process and determine whether it is less than the preset length L'. According to different judgment results, the conveying mode of the folding conveyor 300 is different, and the moving mode of the folding mechanism 400 is also different.

[0065] In order to obtain the length range of the clothes to be folded, a sensing unit for identifying the length of the clothes to be folded is arranged on the conveying device. The clothes folding machine has a main control system, which is respectively connected to the conveying device and the sensing unit. The sensing unit includes a first sensing unit 51 and a second sensing unit 52 for sensing the clothes to be folded. The main control system detects the length range of the clothes to be folded by the clothes sensing unit to control the folding action of the clothes to be folded on the folding conveying mechanism, thereby achieving a better folding effect.

[0066] Specifically, the conveying device has a conveying path, the conveying path has a conveying path entrance end and a conveying path terminal end, the clothes move from the conveying path entrance end to the conveying path terminal end, the first sensing unit 51 and the second sensing unit 52 are arranged on the conveying path, and there is a certain distance L' between the second sensing unit 52 and the first sensing unit 51, preferably, L'=62cm;

[0067] The conveying path entry end and the conveying path terminal end do not refer to the entry end and the terminal end of the clothes to be folded, but are only for clearly describing the setting positions of the first sensing unit 51 and the second sensing unit 52 .

[0068] Preferably, the first sensing unit 51 and the second sensing unit 52 are photoelectric sensors both connected to the main control system; more preferably, the photoelectric sensors are through-beam photoelectric sensors, which use through-beam photoelectric sensing technology to detect clothing, which is beneficial to improving the ability of the clothes folding machine to measure the length of clothing of different colors and materials.

[0069] The method for obtaining the length range of clothing specifically includes: the clothing moves along the direction in which the clothing enters, and when the second sensing unit 52 senses the clothing, the main control system determines whether the first sensing unit 51 senses the clothing, and when the first sensing unit 51 senses the clothing, it determines that the length L of the clothing is greater than L'; when the first sensing unit 51 does not sense the clothing, it determines that the length L of the clothing is less than L'.

[0070] In the above-mentioned clothing length detection method, the through-beam photoelectric sensor consists of two parts, a light emitter and a light receiver. When there is no obstacle between the two, the light emitter of the sensor emits light and the light receiver receives the light. At this time, the light receiver outputs a low-level signal; conversely, when there is an obstacle between the light emitter and the light receiver, the light receiver outputs a high-level signal.

[0071] The first sensing unit 51 and the second sensing unit 52 cooperate to detect the length range of clothing. The transmission distance L' between the first sensing unit 51 and the second sensing unit 52 is fixedly set, for example, it can be 62 cm. If the second sensing unit 52 is true (clothing is detected), the first sensing unit 51 is still true (clothing is detected), and the length of the clothing is judged to be greater than or equal to the transmission distance L' between the first sensing unit 51 and the second sensing unit 52; if the second sensing unit 52 is true (clothing is detected), the first sensing unit 51 is false (clothing is not detected), and the length of the clothing is judged to be less than the transmission distance L' between the first sensing unit 51 and the second sensing unit 52.

[0072] For clothes whose length is less than L', the clothes are folded once in the folding conveyor, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0073] 1) The third folding conveyor 330 and the first folding conveyor 310 convey the clothes to the left, so that the clothes are flattened on the surfaces of the third folding conveyor 330 and the first folding conveyor 310;

[0074] 2) The third folding conveyor 330 conveys to the left, the first folding conveyor 310 conveys to the right, and at the same time the second pressing mechanism 420 moves downward and inserts into the folding conveying channel, pressing the clothes into the folding conveying channel, folding once and conveying downward;

[0075] 3) The second folding mechanism 420 moves upward to draw out the folding conveying channel, and at the same time, the second folding conveying device 320 and the first folding conveying device 310 convey toward each other, conveying the clothes to the folding output channel, and then outputting them from the clothes outlet into the storage unit 1.

[0076] For clothes with a length greater than or equal to L', the clothes are folded twice in the folding conveyor, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0077] 1) The third folding conveyor 330 and the first folding conveyor 310 convey the clothes to the left until the end of the clothes completely enters the third folding conveyor 330;

[0078] 2) The third folding conveyor 330 conveys to the left, the first folding conveyor 310 conveys to the right, and at the same time the second pressing mechanism 420 moves downward and inserts into the folding conveying channel, pressing the clothes into the folding conveying channel, causing the first folding and conveying downward;

[0079] 3) The second folding mechanism 420 moves upward to draw out the folding conveying channel, and at the same time, the second folding conveying device 320 and the first folding conveying device 310 convey in the same direction, so that the folded part of the clothes is conveyed to the surface of the second folding conveying device 320;

[0080] 4) The second folding conveyor 320 and the first folding conveyor 310 are conveyed in the opposite direction, and at the same time, the first pressing mechanism 410 moves to the left and inserts into the folding output channel, pressing the clothes into the folding output channel, and a second folding occurs;

[0081] 5) The first folding mechanism 410 moves to the right to draw out the folding output channel, while the first folding conveyor 310 , the second folding conveyor 320 and the third folding conveyor continue to convey 330 , and the clothes are output from the clothes outlet and enter the storage unit 1 .

[0082] During the process of outputting clothes, the clothes folding machine controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to move horizontally to the clothes outlet to receive the clothes.

[0083] Specifically, Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the folding machine controls the vertical moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to rise to the highest height, and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to move horizontally. When the folding machine receives a signal that the third position sensor is triggered, it determines that the left side of the storage platform 800 moves below the clothing outlet, controls the horizontal moving mechanism to stop driving, and prepares to receive the clothing.

[0084] The folding unit is working, and the clothes are folded in the folding unit and output from the clothes outlet to the storage unit 1. When the folding machine receives a signal that the clothes sensor 801 is triggered, it is determined that clothes are output from the clothes outlet, and the horizontal moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform 800 to move to the left to receive the clothes. In the process of receiving the clothes, only the horizontal moving mechanism can be controlled to move to drive the storage platform 800 to move horizontally to the left, or the horizontal moving mechanism and the vertical moving mechanism can be controlled to move at the same time to drive the storage platform 800 to move. It is only necessary to ensure that the storage platform 800 has a leftward displacement in the process of receiving the clothes to achieve the receiving of the clothes.

[0085] During the process of discharging clothes, the clothes sensor 801 always feeds back a triggered signal. When the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the clothes sensor 801 is not triggered, it determines that the clothes discharging is finished, controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to stop moving, and completes a clothes receiving process.

[0086] In another scheme of this embodiment, the folding machine can measure the length D1 of the clothes after folding by setting a length measuring module, and monitor the distance D2 moved by the storage platform 800 by setting a distance measuring module. Specifically, the conveying device of the folding unit includes a rotating roller and a conveyor belt wound on the rotating roller, and the conveyor belt conveys the clothes under the rotation of the rotating roller. An angle encoder is set on the rotating shaft of the rotating roller of the squeezing mechanism 202 in the squeezing conveying device 200, and cooperates with the first sensing unit 51. When the head and the tail of the clothes pass through the first sensing unit 51, the value of the angle encoder is recorded respectively. The length L of the clothes before folding can be calculated by the radius of the rotating roller measured in advance. An angle encoder is set on the rotating shaft of the rotating roller of the folding conveying device 300, and cooperates with the second sensing unit 52. The distance that the clothes are conveyed at each stage during the folding process can be calculated. Combined with the original length L of the clothes, the length D1 of the clothes after folding can be calculated. By setting an angle encoder on the rotating shaft of the synchronous pulley 825 and measuring the radius of the synchronous pulley 825 in advance, the distance D2 moved by the storage platform 800 in the horizontal direction can be calculated in real time during the movement of the storage platform 800. When the clothes folding machine receives a signal that D2=D1, it determines that the clothes output is finished and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to stop moving.

[0087] In another solution of this embodiment, the clothes folding machine can also control the storage platform 800 to stop moving through the signal fed back by the first position sensor. When the clothes folding machine receives the signal that the first position sensor is triggered, it determines that the right side of the storage platform 800 has moved below the clothing outlet, that is, the clothing output is completed, and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to stop moving.

[0088] In a preferred solution of this embodiment, the folding machine determines the end of the output of the clothes by first using the signal fed back by the clothes sensor 801, or by first using the distance measurement module to monitor the distance moved by the storage platform 800, and then controls the storage platform 800 to stop moving. The folding machine is also provided with a first position sensor. When the conditions for determining the end of the output of the clothes by the above two methods do not occur, but the first position sensor is triggered, the storage platform 800 is controlled to stop moving. Since the end of the output of the clothes should occur before the right side of the storage platform 800 moves to the bottom of the clothes outlet, when the storage platform 800 is controlled to stop moving by the first position sensor, the situation where the storage platform 800 has stopped moving before the output of the clothes is completed will not occur. In the above solution, the first position sensor is used as an auxiliary determination means, and in the case of misjudgment or failure of the clothes sensor 801 or the distance measurement module, the control of stopping the horizontal movement of the storage platform 800 can also be realized.

[0089] After the clothes are output, the folding machine controls the vertical moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to descend, and the height of the storage platform 800 is controlled by the second position sensor 802. Specifically, when preparing to receive the first piece of clothing, the height of the storage platform 800 is flush with the installation height of the second position sensor 802. After the clothes are received, since the clothes have a certain thickness, the height of the upper edge of the clothes exceeds the installation height of the second position sensor 802, the second position sensor 802 is blocked, and the feedback is triggered. During the descent of the storage platform 800, when the upper edge of the clothes just drops below the second position sensor 802, the signal fed back by the second position sensor 802 jumps from the triggered state to the non-triggered state. During the descent of the storage platform 800, when the folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor 802 is not triggered, it is determined that the storage platform 800 has been dropped into place, and the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform 800 to stop descending.

[0090] In a preferred solution of this embodiment, when the storage platform 800 stops descending, the folding machine controls the vertical moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to rise, and when the folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor 802 is triggered, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform 800 to stop rising. By triggering the second position sensor 802 to control the stop height of the storage platform 800 during the rising process of the storage platform 800, it is avoided that during the descent of the storage platform 800, the end of the clothes stays or drags at the clothes outlet, and continuously blocks the second position sensor 802 to cause misjudgment, resulting in the actual height of the upper edge of the clothes being much lower than the set height of the second position sensor 802 after the storage platform 800 stops moving. After the storage platform 800 stops descending, the clothes have been laid flat on the storage platform 800. At this time, by controlling the storage platform 800 to rise to trigger the second position sensor 802, the height positioning accuracy of the storage platform 800 is better.

[0091] Preferably, when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor 802 is triggered, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform 800 to continue to rise to a certain height and then stop moving, so that the control of the height of the storage platform 800 when receiving clothes is more stable.

[0092] After the storage platform 800 stops moving vertically, the folding machine controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to move rightward and reset. When the folding machine receives a signal that the third position sensor is triggered, it controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to stop moving and prepare to receive the next piece of clothing.

[0093] The above process is repeated in a cycle, and the storage platform 800 drops to a certain height after receiving each piece of clothing, and then resets in the horizontal direction to prepare for receiving the next piece of clothing. The storage unit 1 is also provided with a fourth position sensor for detecting whether the storage platform 800 has dropped to the lowest height. When the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the fourth position sensor is triggered, it determines that the storage platform 800 has dropped to the limit position, controls the clothes folding unit to pause folding the clothes, and reminds the user to take the folded clothes out of the storage unit 1.

[0094] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, during the process of discharging clothes, the folding machine controls the speed of the horizontal movement of the storage platform 800 to coordinate with the speed of the clothes discharging by the folding unit, so as to achieve the effect of flattening the clothes. Preferably, during the process of discharging clothes, the folding machine controls the first folding conveyor 310 and the second folding conveyor 320 to convey at a certain difference in conveying speed, so as to achieve the effect of flattening the clothes. More preferably, before the clothes contact the storage platform 800, the folding machine controls the horizontal moving mechanism to accelerate the storage platform 800 to approach or reach a speed that can flatten the clothes.

[0095] In this embodiment, the clothes folding machine controls the storage platform to move horizontally to receive clothes during the clothing output process, thereby realizing dynamic receiving in coordination with the clothing output process. The clothing sensor detects whether there is clothing output from the clothing outlet into the storage unit, and then controls the storage platform to move horizontally to receive the clothing, so that the control of the storage platform is more precise. By setting up multiple position sensors, the movement and stop of the storage platform are controlled according to the signals fed back by the position sensors, so that the position control of the storage platform is more precise. The clothes folding machine controls the storage platform to descend a certain height after receiving each piece of clothing, and then resets it in the horizontal direction to prepare for receiving the next piece of clothing, thereby realizing continuous receiving of clothing with a high degree of automation. By controlling the horizontal movement speed of the storage platform to coordinate with the clothing output speed of the clothes folding unit, the clothes are flattened in the process of receiving the clothes, thereby ensuring the flatness of the clothes received by the storage platform.

[0096] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in any form. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not used to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this patent can make some changes or modify the technical contents suggested above into equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still fall within the scope of the solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a clothes folding machine, the clothes folding machine comprising a clothes folding unit and a storage unit, the clothes folding unit having a clothes outlet for outputting folded clothes, the storage unit for receiving clothes outputted from the clothes outlet, characterized in that: The folding unit comprises a first folding conveyor and a second folding conveyor, a folding output channel is formed between the two, and the clothing outlet is located at the lower end of the folding output channel; the first folding conveyor and the second folding conveyor convey towards each other, convey the clothing to the folding output channel, and output the folding unit from the clothing outlet; The storage unit includes a storage platform and a horizontal moving mechanism that drives the storage platform to move horizontally to the clothing outlet to receive the clothing during the process of clothing being discharged from the clothing outlet; When the clothes are output from the clothes outlet and enter the storage unit, the horizontal moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to move horizontally, so as to move to the clothes outlet to receive the clothes; after the clothes are output, the horizontal moving mechanism drives the storage platform to reset in the horizontal direction, ready to receive the next piece of clothes; During the clothing output process, the horizontal movement speed of the storage platform is controlled to coordinate with the speed at which the folding unit outputs clothing, and the first folding conveyor device and the second folding conveyor device are controlled to convey at a certain difference in conveying speed, thereby achieving the effect of flattening the clothing.

2. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage unit is arranged at the lower side of the folding unit, and the storage platform is arranged at a certain interval with the clothing outlet in the horizontal direction before receiving the clothing; the horizontal moving mechanism can drive the storage platform to move horizontally so that the storage platform passes under the clothing outlet.

3. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The storage unit also includes a vertical moving mechanism which can drive the storage platform to move vertically toward or away from the clothing outlet.

4. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The storage unit includes a clothing sensor for determining whether clothing is output from a clothing outlet. When clothing is output from the clothing outlet, the clothing sensor is in a triggered state.

5. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The storage unit further comprises a first position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform. When the storage platform moves horizontally to a position where the clothes are finished being received, the first position sensor is triggered.

6. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The storage unit also includes a second position sensor for detecting the receiving height of the storage platform. After receiving the clothes, the storage platform moves vertically away from the clothing outlet. When the storage platform moves into place, the second position sensor switches from a triggered state to a non-triggered state.

7. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The storage unit further comprises a third position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform. When the storage platform moves horizontally to a position ready to receive clothes, the third position sensor is triggered.

8. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The storage unit includes a clothing sensor for determining whether clothing is output from the clothing outlet. When the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the clothing sensor is triggered, it determines that clothing is output from the clothing outlet and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform to move horizontally to receive the clothing.

9. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: During the process of discharging clothes, when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the clothes sensor is not triggered, it determines that the clothes discharging is finished, and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform to stop moving; Alternatively, the storage unit includes a first position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform. During the process of outputting clothes, when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the first position sensor is triggered, it determines that the output of clothes is finished and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform to stop moving. Alternatively, the folding unit includes a length measuring module for measuring the length D1 of the folded clothes, and the storage unit includes a distance measuring module for monitoring the moving distance D2 of the storage platform. During the clothing output process, when the folding machine receives a signal D2 = D1, it determines that the clothing output is completed and controls the horizontal moving mechanism to drive the storage platform to stop moving.

10. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The storage unit further comprises a vertical moving mechanism capable of driving the storage platform to move vertically toward or away from the clothing outlet. After the clothing is output, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to descend. The storage unit also includes a second position sensor for detecting the height of the storage platform. During the descent of the storage platform, when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor is not triggered, it determines that the storage platform has been lowered into place and controls the vertical moving mechanism to drive the storage platform to stop descending.

11. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 10, characterized in that: The second position sensor is arranged at a certain distance from the clothing outlet, and the distance is greater than the thickness of the folded clothing.

12. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 10, characterized in that: When the storage platform stops descending, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to rise. When the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor is triggered, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to stop rising.

13. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 12, characterized in that: When the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor is triggered, the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to continue to rise to a certain height and then stop moving.

14. The control method of the clothes folding machine according to claim 10, characterized in that: After the storage platform stops moving in the vertical direction, the horizontal moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to move horizontally in the direction opposite to receiving clothes; the storage unit includes a third position sensor for detecting the horizontal position of the storage platform. When the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the third position sensor is triggered, the horizontal moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform to stop moving.

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