Device for separating laundry items

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for separating laundry items (9), wherein the device (1) has a conveying device (10) and a gripping device (2), wherein the conveying device (10) has a lower conveyor belt (3) and an upper conveyor belt (4), wherein the lower conveyor belt (3) and the upper conveyor belt (4) are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the running surfaces (6) of the lower conveyor belt and the running surfaces (7) of the upper conveyor belt touch one another at least in a partial area and / or run parallel to one another, wherein the lower conveyor belt (3) and the upper conveyor belt (4) can be driven by a drive device (5). Within the scope of the invention, it is proposed that the running surface (7) of the upper conveyor belt has an opening (8) in its center, wherein the opening (8) is wide enough for the gripping device (2) to move into the opening (8).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for separating laundry items, wherein the device comprises a conveying device and a gripping device, wherein the conveying device comprises a lower conveyor belt and an upper conveyor belt, wherein the lower conveyor belt and the upper conveyor belt are arranged relative to one another such that the running surfaces of the lower conveyor belt and the running surfaces of the upper conveyor belt touch one another at least in a partial area and / or run parallel to one another, wherein the lower conveyor belt and the upper conveyor belt can be driven by a drive device. The invention also relates to a method for separating laundry items.

[0002] Such devices are used, for example, in laundries to separate incoming laundry and feed it to sorting devices. Specifically, they are designed to remove and separate individual items from a pile of laundry. In particular, such devices can overcome height differences.

[0003] Devices for separating laundry items are known.

[0004] EP 4 192 629 B1 relates to a system for automatically sorting laundry items. The system comprises a picking and transferring device including grippers configured to capture individual pieces of laundry items accumulating in a receiving station and transfer them from the receiving station to a laundry item detection station. The picking and transferring device comprises at least one pair of inclined tracks extending from a lower position to an upper position, each track including an independently actuated gripper associated with a moving element. A disadvantage of the system is that the transfer of laundry items to the grippers allows only a relatively low throughput.

[0005] WO 2009 / 007318 A1 describes a device for loosening laundry items. The laundry items are delivered in the form of a compact cake from a press downstream of a washing machine. The device comprises a housing accommodating the laundry cake, an associated deformation device, and a discharge device that partially separates the laundry items from the cake.

[0006] WO 2021 / 078 931 A1 discloses a laundry dispensing device and a method for picking up a piece of laundry.The laundry dispenser comprises a first manipulator arm, a second manipulator arm, a conveyor, a second surface, a clamping area defined between the conveyor and the second surface, a dispensing chamber, an upper sensor, and a lower sensor, wherein the laundry dispenser is configured to retain and suspend a laundry item above a dispensing chamber when a rear edge of the laundry item is detected at a predetermined distance from the clamping area using the upper sensor, wherein the laundry dispenser is configured to release the retained and suspended laundry item when the laundry dispenser is configured to release the retained and suspended laundry item when a human hand is detected within the dispensing chamber, the human hand being detected by the lower sensor.

[0007] US 2007 / 0 068 433 A1 discloses a method and device for conveying rectangular laundry items to an input device. The device comprises a lower and an upper conveyor belt arranged parallel to each other. Furthermore, a gripping device is provided at the end of the conveyor belts.

[0008] DE 695 16 894 T2 describes a device for feeding flat material pieces. The device comprises two parallel conveyor belts arranged one above the other, with the upper conveyor belt having an opening in the middle. A clamp is provided at the end of the conveyor belts, whose two clamping elements can be moved to a position laterally outside the conveyor belts.

[0009] DE 197 15 338 A1 describes a method and device for feeding, in particular, trousers to a folding machine or the like. The device has lower conveyor belts. The width of the central opening in the upper conveyor belt is selected such that a crotch plate can be extended without interference.

[0010] Also known are plug-in conveyors for laundry items. These conveyor devices feature two parallel conveyor belts. A lower conveyor belt is longer than the upper conveyor belt. The running surface of the lower conveyor belt has perforations to stretch the laundry items using a vacuum, thereby improving the conveyance of the laundry. The disadvantage of these devices is that they require complex vacuum technology.

[0011] Simple conveyor belts with ridges on the running surfaces are also known, allowing laundry items to be transported to a higher level. The disadvantage of these devices is that they achieve insufficient separation and can damage the laundry items, especially at higher conveyor belt speeds. Therefore, only relatively low speeds are possible.

[0012] The present invention is based on the object of providing an optimized device for separating laundry items. In particular, the device should enable a high throughput of laundry items and reduce the likelihood of damage to the laundry items.

[0013] The task is solved in a device for separating laundry items in that the running surface of the upper conveyor belt has an opening in its middle, whereby the opening is wide enough to move the gripping device into the opening.

[0014] Preferably, the two conveyor belts are driven at the same speed. It is conceivable that both conveyor belts could be driven by a single drive device.

[0015] The opening divides the upper conveyor belt into two separate conveyor belts. These conveyor belts are driven at the same speed by the drive system.

[0016] When a laundry item is fed into the opening, it is advantageously squeezed between the two conveyor belts and carried along. This stretches the laundry item, improving its further transport. The laundry item can then be released at a higher level for further transport to a sorting system. The sorting of the laundry items is advantageously facilitated by the separation.

[0017] Advantageously, no perforation of the conveyor belts or a vacuum for conveying the laundry are required. This significantly reduces the design complexity of the device compared to conventional devices. In particular, the laundry remains stretched during transport through the device.

[0018] Such a gripping device is known, for example, from WO 2024 / 165 106 A1. This combined gripping and suction unit has a gripping and suction means for lifting laundry items from a pile of laundry. For this purpose, the gripping and suction unit is positioned above the pile of laundry. The suction unit generates a negative pressure via a suction nozzle. This negative pressure sucks in the laundry item that is on top of the pile of laundry. Once the laundry item is sucked in (for example, measurable via a camera arrangement or via a change in the pressure and / or air flow conditions in the suction nozzle), the gripping and suction means is lifted from the pile of laundry. The sucked-in laundry item remains on the suction nozzle. Once the gripping and suction means is lifted from the pile of laundry, gripping elements of the gripping means are closed. This mechanically holds the laundry item.When the gripping elements of the gripping means are closed, the generation of negative pressure in the suction nozzle can be stopped. To assist in releasing the item of laundry from the suction nozzle, it is advantageous if not only the generation of negative pressure is stopped, but if an air flow is also generated out of the suction nozzle at this moment. This can be achieved by an additional nozzle that can be arranged inside the suction nozzle and, when activated, generates the air flow out of the suction nozzle. Switching elements can also be present so that not only can a negative pressure be generated at the inlet of the suction nozzle through operation of the suction nozzle, but the flow out of the suction nozzle is also generated by a corresponding switching process directly by the elements for generating the negative pressure in the "negative pressure operating mode".

[0019] WO 2024 / 165 106 A1 relates to a combined gripping and suction device. Within the scope of the present invention, this can also be such a combined gripping and suction device. However, it is also possible for it to be a pure gripping device (the gripping device comprises a gripping unit) or a pure suction device (the gripping device comprises a suction unit).

[0020] A combined gripping device and a method for operating the gripping device are also known from DE 10 2021 113 345 A1

[0021] The opening is wide enough for the gripping device to be guided into the opening. The item of laundry can be released from the gripping device through the opening. This can be achieved, for example, by opening the gripping elements and / or terminating the vacuum from the suction nozzle unit. It is also conceivable for the gripping device to have only gripping elements or only one suction nozzle unit.

[0022] Advantageously, the gripping device only needs to travel a short distance between the pile of laundry and the device for separating laundry items. Further transport is carried out by the device for separating laundry items. This short distance allows for increased cycle rates and reduced gripping device complexity.

[0023] The invention also relates to a method for separating laundry items using a device according to the invention for separating laundry items, comprising the following steps: • Moving the gripping device to the pile of laundry, • Picking up a piece of laundry from the pile of laundry by the gripping device, • Moving the gripping device with the laundry item into the opening of the upper conveyor belt, • Opening the gripping device, • Transport of the laundry item through the conveyor device.

[0024] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail using exemplary embodiments.

[0025] It shows Fig. 1 a side view of a conveying device according to the invention, Fig. 2 a side view of a device according to the invention for separating laundry items, Fig. 3 a schematic representation of the method according to the invention.

[0026] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention for separating laundry items 9. To clarify the conveying device 10, Fig. 1 no gripping device 2 shown.

[0027] The device 1 has a conveying device 10 and a gripping device 2.

[0028] The gripping device 2 can have gripping and / or suction means. The gripping and / or suction means can be used to remove an item of laundry 9 from a pile of laundry.

[0029] The conveyor device 10 has a lower conveyor belt 3 and an upper conveyor belt 4. The lower conveyor belt 3 and the upper conveyor belt 4 are arranged relative to one another such that the running surfaces 6 of the lower conveyor belt and the running surfaces 7 of the upper conveyor belt 4 touch each other at least in a partial area and / or run parallel to each other, wherein the lower conveyor belt 3 and the upper conveyor belt 4 can be driven by a drive device 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower conveyor belt 3 and the upper conveyor belt 4 are moved by a driven roller.

[0030] The running surface 7 of the upper conveyor belt 4 has an opening 8 in its center, through which the running surface 7 is divided into two equal-sized partial running surfaces. The opening 8 is wide enough for the gripping device 2 to move into the opening 8. In particular, an item of laundry 9 can be moved into the opening 8 using the gripping device 2. There, the gripping device 2 can open, causing the item of laundry 9 to fall onto the lower running surface 6. The item of laundry 9 is carried along by the latter and squeezed between the upper running surface 7 and the lower running surface 6, thereby holding it in an extended position. The item of laundry 9 is advantageously transported by the conveyor device 10 in an extended state.

[0031] In the Fig. Figure 3 schematically outlines an exemplary method according to the invention. The method comprises the following steps.

[0032] The gripping device 2 is moved to a pile of laundry. In particular, the gripping device can be moved to a position above the pile of laundry ( Fig. 3a). A laundry item 9 is picked up and / or sucked up from the pile of laundry by the gripping device 2 ( Fig. 3b). The laundry item 9 is removed individually from the pile of laundry ( Fig. 3c). The gripping device 2 with the laundry item 9 is moved into the opening 8 of the upper conveyor belt 4 ( Fig. 3d). The gripping device 2 is opened and the laundry item 9 is transported further by the conveyor device 10 ( Fig. 3e). List of reference symbols 1 device for separating laundry items 2 gripping device 3 lower conveyor belt 4 upper conveyor belt 5 Drive device 6 Running surface of the lower conveyor belt 7 Running surface of the upper conveyor belt 8 Breakthrough 9 items of laundry 10 Conveyor device

Claims

[1] Device (1) for separating laundry items (9), wherein the device (1) has a conveying device (10) and a gripping device (2), wherein the conveying device (10) has a lower conveyor belt (3) and an upper conveyor belt (4), wherein the lower conveyor belt (3) and the upper conveyor belt (4) are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the running surfaces (6) of the lower conveyor belt and the running surfaces (7) of the upper conveyor belt (4) touch one another at least in a partial area and / or run parallel to one another, wherein the lower conveyor belt (3) and the upper conveyor belt (4) can be driven by a drive device (5), characterized by that the running surface (7) of the upper conveyor belt (4) has an opening (8) in its center, wherein the opening (8) is wide enough to move the gripping device (2) into the opening (8). [2] Method for separating laundry items with a device (1) according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: o Moving the gripping device (2) to a pile of laundry, o Picking up a piece of laundry (9) from the pile of laundry by the gripping device (2), o Moving the gripping device (2) with the laundry item (9) into the opening (8) of the upper conveyor belt (4), o Opening the gripping device (2), o Transport of the laundry item (9) by the conveyor device (10).

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