A clothes folding machine

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of clothing processing equipment, and discloses a clothes folding machine, including a frame and a clothes inlet guide plate, wherein the clothes inlet guide plate can be movably mounted at the clothes inlet of the frame, and has two states: an unfolded state and a stored state; in the unfolded state, the clothes inlet guide plate extends out of the clothes inlet; in the stored state, the extended end of the clothes inlet guide plate is closer to the clothes inlet than in the unfolded state, or the extended end of the clothes inlet guide plate is retracted to the inner side of the clothes inlet. The clothes inlet guide plate of the present invention can be movably mounted on the frame, and when the clothes folding machine is working, the clothes inlet guide plate extends out of the clothes inlet to adjust the width of the clothes, and when the clothes folding machine is not working, the clothes inlet guide plate can be retracted toward the clothes inlet, shortening the extended distance, reducing the space occupied during storage, and also making it easier to pack and transport.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of clothing processing equipment, and in particular, relates to a clothing folding machine. 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 folding machine that is provided with a clothing entry guide plate before the clothing enters the folding platform. When the clothing passes through the clothing entry guide plate, the sleeves and other parts that exceed the overall width of the clothing are gathered under the guidance of the clothing entry guide plate, so that the width of the clothing entering the folding platform is more uniform, which is conducive to subsequent folding. However, since the clothing entry guide plate is extended out of the folding machine, the overall size of the folding machine is increased, and it also brings inconvenience to the packaging and transportation of the folding machine.

[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 with a foldable clothes feeding guide plate.

[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 frame and a clothes feed guide plate, wherein the clothes feed guide plate is movably mounted at a clothes entrance of the frame and has two states: an expanded state and a stored state; in the expanded state, the clothes feed guide plate extends out of the clothes entrance; in the stored state, the extended end of the clothes feed guide plate is closer to the clothes entrance than in the expanded state, or the extended end of the clothes feed guide plate is stored inside the clothes entrance.

[0008] Furthermore, the clothing entry guide plate is rotatably mounted on the frame, and a clothing folding platform is provided on the inner side of the clothing entrance; in the unfolded state, the clothing entry guide plate extends out of the clothing entrance and is flush with the clothing folding platform; in the stored state, the clothing entry guide plate is folded to the inner side of the clothing entrance.

[0009] Furthermore, the frame is fixedly connected to the guide plate bracket, and a mounting hole is arranged on the guide plate bracket; a rotating shaft is arranged on the clothing inlet guide plate, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the mounting hole and can rotate in the mounting hole;

[0010] Preferably, the rotating shaft is connected to a driving device, and can rotate under the drive of the driving device, thereby driving the clothing feeding guide plate to rotate and switch between the unfolded state and the stored state.

[0011] Furthermore, folding flaps are provided on both sides of the clothes folding platform, and the folding flaps can be folded toward the clothes folding platform to fold the two sides of the clothes to be folded; the end of the folding flap close to the clothes feeding guide plate is connected to an extension plate, and the extension plate can be folded synchronously with the folding flap under the drive of the folding flap; the extension plate is at least partially arranged to overlap with the clothes feeding guide plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the extension plate is rotatably connected to the folding flap, and can be folded to the inside of the clothing entrance synchronously with the clothing entry guide plate.

[0013] Furthermore, a first mounting portion is provided at one end where the folding flap is connected to the extension plate, and the first mounting portion has a first through hole; a second mounting portion is provided on the extension plate, and the second mounting portion has a second through hole; the first through hole and the second through hole are arranged correspondingly, and the flap shaft is inserted into the first through hole and the second through hole to connect the folding flap and the extension plate.

[0014] Furthermore, an elastic member is provided at the connection between the folding flap and the extension plate, and the elastic member is used to keep the extension plate in a state of extending along the folding flap.

[0015] Preferably, the elastic member comprises a torsion spring, the torsion spring is sleeved on the flap rotation shaft, and the two rotating arms are fixedly connected to the folding flap and the extension plate respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, one end of the folding flap connected to the extension plate is fixedly connected to the support plate, and the support plate has a connection portion fixedly fitted with the folding flap; a surface of the connection portion fitted with the folding flap is provided with a groove, and one rotating arm of the torsion spring is provided in the groove; one end of the extension plate connected to the folding flap is provided with a fixing hole, and the other rotating arm of the torsion spring is inserted into the fixing hole;

[0017] Preferably, the first mounting portion is fixedly disposed on the support plate.

[0018] Furthermore, the support plate has a support portion, and the extension plate is in contact with the support portion when extending along the folding flap; there is a certain distance between the clothing entry guide plate and an end of the folding flap close to the clothing entry guide plate, providing an escape space for the support portion when the folding flap and the extension plate are folded synchronously.

[0019] Furthermore, the supporting portion is arranged lower than the connecting portion, and a step structure is formed therebetween.

[0020] After adopting the above technical scheme, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art.

[0021] The clothes folding machine of the present invention is provided with a clothes feeding guide plate at the clothes entrance. When the clothes folding machine is working, the clothes feeding guide plate extends out of the clothes entrance to adjust the width of the clothes before they enter the clothes entrance. When the clothes folding machine is not working, the clothes feeding guide plate is movable so that the extended end moves toward the clothes entrance or is stored inside the clothes entrance, which can save the space occupied by the whole clothes folding machine and is more convenient for packaging and transportation of the clothes folding machine.

[0022] The clothes folding machine of the present invention is connected to an extension plate at one end of the folding flap, and the extension plate can be folded synchronously with the folding flap to fold both sides of the clothes, thereby expanding the range of clothes lengths that the clothes folding machine can adapt to, and avoiding the problem of low flatness of the clothes after folding due to the need to fold both sides for multiple times when the clothes are too long.

[0023] The clothes folding machine of the present invention designs a connection structure between the folding flap and the extension plate so that the extension plate can be folded synchronously with the folding flap and can be folded toward the inside of the clothes entrance together with the clothes inlet guide plate without affecting the folding of the clothes inlet guide plate.

[0024] The clothes folding machine of the present invention provides an elastic member at the connection between the folding flap and the extension plate. When the clothing feed guide plate is unfolded, the elastic member can drive the extension plate to automatically unfold without the need for a user to operate separately, thereby avoiding incorrect use caused by the extension plate not being unfolded when the clothes folding machine is working, which affects the clothes folding effect.

[0025] 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

[0026] 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:

[0027] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the clothes folding machine of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention in which the clothing inlet guide plate is in an unfolded state;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention when the clothing entry guide plate is in a retracted state;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention in which the clothing feed guide plate is in an unfolded state;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second embodiment of the present invention when the clothing feed guide plate is in a retracted state;

[0032] Figure 6 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the connection between the folding flap and the extension plate in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 The present invention Figure 6 Schematic diagram of CC cross section;

[0034] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the folding flap and the extension plate of the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Fig. 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of the storage unit of the present invention.

[0036] In the figure: 1, storage unit; 20, clothing guide plate; 21, guide part; 22, shaft; 23, guide plate bracket; 51, first sensing unit; 52, second sensing unit; 100, conveying and transmission device; 110, first guide plate; 121, folding flap; 122, extension plate; 1221, second mounting part; 123, torsion spring; 1231, first rotating arm; 1232, second rotating arm; 124, support plate; 1241, first mounting part; 1242, groove; 1243, support part; 1244, connecting part; 125, flap shaft; 200, extrusion and transmission device; 201, transmission mechanism; 202, extrusion mechanism; 210, second guide plate; 300, folding conveyor; 310, first folding conveyor; 320, second folding conveyor; 330, third folding conveyor; 400, pressing and folding mechanism; 410, 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 drive motor; 815, upper slide rail; 816, lower slide rail; 821, structural frame; 822, guide rail; 823, second drive motor; 824, synchronous belt; 825, synchronous pulley; 826, support slider.

[0037] 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

[0038] 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.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the directions or positional relationships indicated by terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “inside” and “outside” 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the clothes folding machine of the present invention comprises a frame and a clothes inlet guide plate 20, which is movably mounted at the clothes inlet of the frame and has an unfolded state and a stored state. In the unfolded state, the clothes inlet guide plate 20 extends out of the clothes inlet, and can guide the clothes in the process of entering the clothes inlet, and arrange the clothes in the width direction. In the stored state, the extended end of the clothes inlet guide plate 20 is retracted toward the clothes inlet, so that the extended end is moved to a position closer to the clothes inlet, or retracted to the inside of the clothes inlet, so as to reduce space occupation and facilitate packaging and transportation.

[0042] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the clothing inlet guide plate 20 is rotatably mounted on the frame, and a clothing folding platform is provided inside the clothing inlet. In the unfolded state, the clothing inlet guide plate 20 extends out of the clothing inlet and is flush with the clothing folding platform, and in the stored state, the clothing inlet guide plate 20 is folded to the inside of the clothing inlet.

[0043] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the clothing inlet guide plate 20 is slidably mounted on the frame in the direction of extending / retracting the clothing inlet. In the unfolded state, the clothing inlet guide plate 20 is completely extended out of the clothing inlet, that is, the end of the clothing inlet guide plate 20 is located outside the clothing inlet, and in the retracted state, the clothing inlet guide plate 20 slides toward the inside of the clothing inlet, so that the extended end is retracted to the inside of the clothing inlet.

[0044] Embodiment 1

[0045] like Figures 1 to 3As 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 storage unit 1 collects the folded 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.

[0046] The clothes enter from the right end of the conveying device 100 and are conveyed to the left under the drive of the conveying device 100. Folding flaps 121 are provided on both sides of the conveying device 100. The folding flaps 121 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. 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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, forming a folding output channel between the two; and also includes a third folding conveyor 330 arranged above the second folding conveyor 320 for transmission to the left, forming a folding transmission channel between the first folding conveyor 310 and the third folding conveyor 330. A folding mechanism 400 for assisting folding is also installed on the frame of the 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, and can press clothes into the folding transmission channel.

[0049] 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 21 on both sides of the clothing entry guide plate 20, forming two grooves. Before the clothing enters the clothing entrance and unfolds on the clothing folding platform formed by the conveying device 100, it first passes through the clothing entry guide plate 20, and the guide parts 21 on both sides can perform the first folding of the clothing in the width direction. 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 21, and are gathered under the main body of the clothing during the clothing loading process. The sleeves can be folded before the clothing reaches the clothing folding platform, making the clothing width more uniform, which is conducive to the subsequent folding steps.

[0050] The clothing inlet guide plate 20 is rotatably mounted at a corresponding position of the clothing entrance on the frame. A guide plate bracket 23 is fixedly connected to the frame, and a mounting hole is provided on the guide plate bracket 23. A rotating shaft 22 is provided on the clothing inlet guide plate, and the rotating shaft 22 is rotatably inserted into the mounting hole. The clothing inlet guide plate 20 and the guide plate bracket 23 are clearance-fitted and can rotate around the rotating shaft 22. When the clothes folding machine is working, the clothing inlet guide plate 20 is in an unfolded state, extending out of the clothing entrance and flush with the surface of the conveying and transmission device 100. When the clothes folding machine is not working, the user can manually fold the clothing inlet guide plate 20 toward the clothing entrance, so that it is folded to the inner side of the clothing entrance to be in a storage state. Preferably, the clothing inlet guide plate 20 can be folded and folded until it contacts the surface of the conveying and transmission device 100.

[0051] In a preferred solution of the present embodiment, a driving device connected to the rotating shaft 22 is provided on the clothes folding machine, and the driving device can drive the rotating shaft 22 to rotate, thereby driving the clothing feed guide plate 20 to rotate on the frame, and realizing automatic switching of the clothing feed guide plate 20 between the unfolded state and the stored state.

[0052] In this embodiment, the folding machine is provided with a clothing inlet guide plate extending out of the clothing inlet, which can adjust the width of the clothing before it enters the clothing inlet. The clothing inlet guide plate is rotatably mounted on the frame, and can be folded and retracted to the inside of the clothing inlet when the folding machine is not working, saving the space occupied by the folding machine when it is stored, facilitating packaging, and reducing the probability of damage to the clothing inlet guide plate during transportation.

[0053] Embodiment 2

[0054] like Figure 1 and Figures 4 to 8As shown, this embodiment is a further limitation of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, wherein the end of the folding flap 121 close to the clothing inlet guide plate 20 is connected to the extension plate 122, and the extension plate 122 can be folded synchronously with the folding flap 121 under the drive of the folding flap 121. The extension plate 122 is at least partially overlapped with the clothing inlet guide plate 20. For clothes whose length exceeds the length of the folding flap 121, when one end of the clothes is transported to the end close to the conveying and conveying device 100, part of the clothes still exceeds the front end of the folding flap 121, and the folding flap 121 alone cannot fold the clothes in width over the entire length range at one time, and the folding flap 121 is folded multiple times during the transportation process, and the flatness of the clothes after folding is poor. By connecting the extension plate 122 to the front end of the folding flap 121, when the folding flap 121 is folded toward the surface of the conveying device 100, the extension plate 122 is driven to fold synchronously. For clothes that do not exceed the total length of the folding flap 121 and the extension plate 122, the width can be folded by folding once, thereby expanding the range of clothing lengths that the clothes folding machine can adapt to.

[0055] The extension plate 122 is rotatably connected to the folding flap 121, and can be folded to the inside of the clothing entrance synchronously with the clothing entry guide 20. The folding flap 121 is provided with a hinge structure near the rotating shaft 22 of the clothing entry guide 20, so that the extension plate 122 can be folded synchronously with the folding flap 121, and can also be folded to the inside of the clothing entrance when the clothing entry guide 20 is folded to overlap the folding flap 121, without affecting the folding of the clothing entry guide 20. Specifically, a first mounting portion 1241 is provided at one end of the folding flap 121 connected to the extension plate 122, and the first mounting portion 1241 has a first through hole. A second mounting portion 1221 is provided on the extension plate 122, and the second mounting portion 1221 has a second through hole. The first through hole and the second through hole are arranged correspondingly, and the flap rotating shaft 125 is inserted into the first through hole and the second through hole to connect the folding flap 121 and the extension plate 122.

[0056] In a preferred solution of the present embodiment, an elastic member is further provided at the connection between the folding flap 121 and the extension plate 122 , and the elastic member is used to keep the extension plate 122 in an unfolded state extending along the folding flap 121 .

[0057] Specifically, the elastic member includes a torsion spring 123 sleeved on the flap rotating shaft 125, and the two rotating arms of the torsion spring 123 are respectively fixedly connected to the folding flap 121 and the extension plate 122. One end of the folding flap 121 connected to the extension plate 122 is fixedly connected to the support plate 124, and the support plate 124 has a connecting portion 1244 fixedly fitted with the folding flap 121. Four through holes are respectively provided on the front end of the folding flap 121 and the connecting portion 1244. During assembly, the above-mentioned through holes correspond one to another, and the folding flap 121 is fixedly fitted with the upper surface of the connecting portion 1244 by screws. The first mounting portion 1241 is fixedly arranged on the support plate 124 to realize the connection between the extension plate 122, the support plate 124 and the folding flap 121. A groove 1242 is also provided on the upper surface of the connecting portion 1244, and the first rotating arm 1231 of the torsion spring 123 is arranged in the groove 1242. One end of the extension plate 122 connected to the folding flap 121 is provided with a fixing hole, and the second rotating arm 1232 of the torsion spring 123 is inserted into the fixing hole and fixedly connected to the extension plate 122. When the extension plate 122 is folded toward the inside of the clothing entrance along with the clothing entry guide plate 20, the first rotating arm 1231 rests on the bottom surface of the groove 1242 and does not move, and the second rotating arm 1232 rotates along with the extension plate 122, so that the torsion spring 123 is in a compressed state. When the clothing entry guide plate 20 is unfolded, the extension plate 122 is not subjected to external force, and the elastic force of the torsion spring 123 causes the second rotating arm 1232 to rotate in a direction away from the first rotating arm 1231, driving the extension plate 122 to automatically unfold and return to a state of extending along the folding flap 121.

[0058] The support plate 124 also has a support portion 1243. When the extension plate 122 is in an unfolded state extending along the folding flap 121, the lower surface of the extension plate 122 is in contact with the support portion 1243 to prevent the extension plate 122 from rotating around the flap rotation axis 125 when the folding flap 121 is folded. There is a certain distance between the clothing entry guide plate 20 and the right end of the folding flap 121, providing a space for the support portion 1243 to avoid when the folding flap 121 and the extension plate 122 are folded synchronously. A groove is provided on the upper surface of the clothing entry guide plate 20 at a position corresponding to the extension plate 122. When the extension plate 122 overlaps with the clothing entry guide plate 20, it is embedded in the groove, so that the extension plate 122 is flush with the surface of the clothing entry guide plate 20, and the clothes are not affected by the extension plate 122 when passing through the clothing entry guide plate 20. The supporting portion 1243 is arranged lower than the connecting portion 1244 , and a step structure is formed therebetween, so that the surface of the supporting portion 1243 extends horizontally along the bottom surface of the groove on the clothing entry guide plate 20 , and together they support the extension plate 122 .

[0059] In this embodiment, an extension plate overlapping with the clothing inlet guide is connected to one end of the folding flap, and the extension plate can be folded synchronously with the folding flap to fold the two sides of the clothing, thereby expanding the range of clothing lengths that the folding machine can adapt to, and avoiding the problem that the folding of the two sides is performed multiple times when the clothing length is too long, resulting in low flatness of the clothing after folding. The folding flap and the extension plate are connected by a hinge structure, and the extension plate can be folded synchronously with the folding flap, and can be folded toward the inside of the clothing entrance together with the clothing inlet guide, without affecting the folding of the clothing inlet guide. An elastic member is provided at the connection between the folding flap and the extension plate, and when the clothing inlet guide is folded, the extension plate is kept folded to the state above the folding flap under the action of the gravity of the clothing inlet guide, and when the clothing inlet guide is unfolded, the extension plate is no longer subjected to force, and can be automatically unfolded and extended along the folding flap under the action of the elastic member, without the need for the user to manually unfold the extension plate, thereby avoiding the erroneous use of the extension plate when the clothing folding machine is working, resulting in an unsatisfactory clothing folding effect.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, in the above embodiment, the clothes folding machine of the present invention can obtain the length range of the clothes during the conveying process and judge whether it is less than the preset length L'. According to different judgment results, the conveying method of the folding conveying device 300 is different, and the moving method of the folding mechanism 400 is also different.

[0061] 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 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 conveyor 300, so as to achieve a better folding effect.

[0062] 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;

[0063] 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 .

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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'.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] For clothes whose length is less than L', the clothes are folded once in the folding conveyor, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0069] 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;

[0070] 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;

[0071] 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 conveying them out into the storage unit 1.

[0072] 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:

[0073] 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;

[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, causing the first folding 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 in the same direction, so that the folded part of the clothes is conveyed to the surface of the second folding conveying device 320;

[0076] 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;

[0077] 5) The first folding mechanism 410 moves to the right and draws 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 conveyed out into the storage unit 1 .

[0078] like Figure 1 and Fig. 9 As shown, a movable storage platform 800 is provided in the storage unit 1 of the clothes folding machine. 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 received clothes. 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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 feedbacks a triggered signal. The storage unit 1 also includes a first position sensor, which can be a touch switch arranged 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 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, so as to ensure that there is enough space above the storage platform 800 to receive the clothing. After the storage platform 800 receives the clothing, due to the certain thickness of the clothing, the light beam emitted by the second position sensor 802 is blocked, so that the second position sensor 802 feedbacks a triggered signal. The storage platform 800 is controlled to descend by the vertical moving mechanism, and when the upper edge of the clothes drops below the second position sensor 802, the second position sensor 802 feeds back a non-trigger signal. The storage platform 800 also includes a third position sensor, which can be a touch switch arranged on the structural frame 821. When the left side of the storage platform 800 moves below the clothes outlet, the third position sensor is triggered.

[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, 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 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 horizontally to the left to receive the clothes. During the clothes output process, the clothes sensor 801 always feeds back a triggered signal. When the folding machine receives a signal that the clothes sensor 801 is not triggered, it is determined that the clothes output is finished, and the horizontal moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform 800 to stop moving, that is, the clothes receiving process is completed.

[0085] In another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 and Fig. 9As shown, 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.

[0086] In another embodiment of the present invention, the folding machine can also control the storage platform 800 to stop moving through the signal fed back by the first position sensor. When the 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.

[0087] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the folding machine preferentially determines the end of the output of the clothes through the signal fed back by the clothes sensor 801, or preferentially monitors the distance moved by the storage platform 800 through the distance measurement module, 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 embodiment, the first position sensor is used as an auxiliary determination means. 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.

[0088] After the output of the clothes is completed, the clothes 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, the second position sensor 802 is blocked and a triggered signal is fed back. 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 a triggered state to a non-triggered state. During the descent of the storage platform 800, when the clothes folding machine receives a signal that the second position sensor 802 is not triggered, it is determined that the storage platform 800 has been lowered into place, and the vertical moving mechanism is controlled to drive the storage platform 800 to stop descending.

[0089] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the storage platform 800 stops descending, the folding machine controls the vertical moving mechanism to drive the storage platform 800 to rise. 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 and trigger the second position sensor 802, the height positioning accuracy of the storage platform 800 is better.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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.

[0093] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, during the process of outputting clothes, the folding machine controls the speed of the horizontal movement of the storage platform 800 to coordinate with the speed of the clothes output by the folding unit, so as to achieve the effect of flattening the clothes. Preferably, during the process of outputting 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.

[0094] 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 clothes folding machine, comprising a frame and a clothes feeding guide plate, characterized in that: The clothing inlet guide plate is rotatably mounted at the clothing inlet of the rack and has two states: an unfolded state and a stored state; A clothes folding platform is provided inside the clothing entrance; in the unfolded state, the clothing entry guide plate extends out of the clothing entrance and is flush with the clothes folding platform; in the stored state, the clothing entry guide plate is folded to the inside of the clothing entrance; The frame is fixedly connected to the guide plate bracket, and a mounting hole is arranged on the guide plate bracket; a rotating shaft is arranged on the clothing inlet guide plate, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the mounting hole and can rotate in the mounting hole; The folding platform is provided with folding flaps on both sides, and the folding flaps can be folded toward the folding platform to fold the two sides of the clothes to be folded; one end of the folding flap close to the clothes inlet guide is connected to an extension plate, and the extension plate can be folded synchronously with the folding flap under the drive of the folding flap; the extension plate is at least partially overlapped with the clothes inlet guide; An elastic member is provided at the connection between the folding flap and the extension plate, and the elastic member is used to keep the extension plate in a state of extending along the folding flap.

2. The clothes folding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft is connected to the driving device and can rotate under the drive of the driving device, thereby driving the clothing feeding guide plate to rotate and switch between the unfolded state and the stored state.

3. The clothes folding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extension plate is rotatably connected to the folding flap, and can be folded to the inside of the clothing entrance synchronously with the clothing entry guide plate.

4. The clothes folding machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first mounting portion is provided at one end of the folding flap connected to the extension plate, and the first mounting portion has a first through hole; a second mounting portion is provided on the extension plate, and the second mounting portion has a second through hole; the first through hole and the second through hole are arranged correspondingly, and the flap shaft is inserted into the first through hole and the second through hole to connect the folding flap and the extension plate.

5. The clothes folding machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic member comprises a torsion spring, and the torsion spring is sleeved on the flap rotating shaft. The two rotating arms are respectively fixedly connected to the folding flap and the extension plate.

6. The clothes folding machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: One end of the folding flap connected to the extension plate is fixedly connected to the support plate, and the support plate has a connecting portion fixedly fitted with the folding flap; a surface of the connecting portion fitted with the folding flap is provided with a groove, and a rotating arm of the torsion spring is provided in the groove; one end of the extension plate connected to the folding flap is provided with a fixing hole, and the other rotating arm of the torsion spring is inserted into the fixing hole.

7. The clothes folding machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first mounting portion is fixedly disposed on the supporting plate.

8. The clothes folding machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The support plate has a support portion, and the extension plate is in contact with the support portion when extending along the folding flap; there is a certain distance between the clothing entry guide plate and an end of the folding flap close to the clothing entry guide plate, providing an escape space for the support portion when the folding flap and the extension plate are folded synchronously.

9. The clothes folding machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The supporting portion is arranged lower than the connecting portion, and a step structure is formed therebetween.

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