Linen spreader equipment
The linen spreader device addresses the issue of creases in linen transfer by employing a novel contact structure and adjustable spreader boom, ensuring uniform pressure and flat transfer, thus improving efficiency.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2022571125
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2020-05-25
- Filing Date
- 2021-04-28
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-26
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-04-28
AI Technical Summary
Existing linen spreader devices often result in undesirable creases in the leading portion of the linen as it is transferred to the conveyor, reducing overall efficiency.
The linen spreader device incorporates a novel structure for the contact surface and adjustable width of the spreader boom, ensuring uniform pressure along the linen width and preventing creases. Additionally, the use of pressurized air and adjustable gates helps in maintaining the linen flat during transfer.
The improved device effectively prevents creases in the linen, ensuring it is transferred flat and reducing the need for reprocessing, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the linen transfer process.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a linen spreader device.
Background Art
[0002] In a linen spreader device, transferring a linen piece that is suspended from two spreader clamps and spread out onto the moving surface of a conveyor is often done using a transfer beam that extends in a lateral direction with respect to the direction in which the conveyor surface moves and that moves. The direction in which the conveyor surface moves can be referred to as the machine direction of the device.
[0003] The transfer beam is arranged to move in the aforementioned machine direction between a forward position and a fully retracted position. In the forward position, the tip of the transfer beam is located in the region below the two spreader clamps. When the transfer beam is in this position, the spreader clamps are controlled to release the gripping of the corners of the suspended linen piece, whereby the leading portion of the linen piece falls flat onto the upper surface of the transfer beam by simultaneously applying a blowing of air directed in the lateral direction.
[0004] The transfer beam is configured to temporarily hold the leading portion of the linen piece when the transfer beam is moved in the machine direction from the forward position to the fully retracted position where the tip of the transfer beam is above the moving conveyor surface. By this movement, a further portion of the linen piece comes into contact with the moving surface of the conveyor. The temporary holding of the leading portion is released before the transfer beam reaches its fully retracted position, whereby the leading portion of the linen piece slides off the transfer beam and falls onto the moving conveyor surface. For this sliding to occur, the transfer beam is either accelerated or moved away from the leading portion of the linen piece. Then, the remaining portion of the linen piece is pulled onto the conveyor by the moving conveyor surface.
[0005] Next, the linen piece is moved forward by a conveyor for further processing, spread out and laid flat on the conveyor surface, and the transfer beam returns towards its forward position.
[0006] The present invention can find a specific use in the context of industrial laundry where the linen piece is a laundered laundry item supplied to an ironing roller by the above-described conveyor. However, the present invention can also find other uses such as when the linen piece is directly supplied to a folder for folding the linen piece. The term "linen" as used herein applies to, but is not limited to, towels, bed sheets, and other fabrics.
[0007] Examples of apparatuses operating as described above are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,299,521, International Publication No. 2009 / 076,958, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-324858, International Publication No. 2007 / 134,601, and Japanese Patent No. 4,358,820, the last two of which each include a pair of feeder clamps Charger Examples of stations are also disclosed, each feeder clamp delivering one corner of the linen piece to each of two spreader clamps. The present invention can be used with any type of Charger station configured to deliver two corners of the linen piece to each of two spreader clamps, as disclosed in International Publication No. 2005 / 049,911 or International Publication No. 2016 / 162,334.
[0008] In some known apparatuses, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-324858 and International Publication No. 2009 / 076,958, the transfer beam temporarily holds the leading portion of the laundry by suction. Alternatively, the transfer beam can include a series of clamp devices arranged along the length of the rear end portion of the transfer beam, as shown in Japanese Patent No. 4,358,820, for this purpose.
[0009] In Japanese Patent No. 4,358,820, the transfer beam is arranged at its forward position such that a part of the linen piece is held between the tip of the transfer beam and the contact surface defined by the contact structure. At this point, the spreader clamp releases the grip on the corner of the linen piece, and pressurized air is applied to guide the released leading portion of the linen piece forward onto the upper surface of the transfer beam. Next, the clamping device of the transfer beam is actuated to temporarily hold the leading portion of the linen piece, the transfer beam is moved away from the contact surface in the machine direction, and when the clamping device releases the leading portion, the linen piece is finally completely carried and advanced by the conveyor.
[0010] As can be understood, for this linen transfer, generally, it is necessary that the linen piece is placed flat without folding on the conveyor surface. However, sometimes the spreader clamp receives and grips a very large portion of the linen fabric at the corner of the linen piece, whereby the leading portion of the linen piece that comes to be located on the transfer beam may appear with a crease. These creases often remain when the linen piece is transferred to the conveyor and then to the ironing device / folding device, whereby this particular linen product has to be returned to the device again, reducing the overall efficiency of the device.
[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide, among other things, an improved device from the conventional type that can avoid undesirable creases in the leading portion of the linen.
Summary of the Invention
[0012] The first aspect of the present invention can be found for use independently of, or together with, the second aspect of the present invention described herein. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the linen spreader device is improved by providing a novel structure of the contact structure for the spreader boom, enabling the linen piece to be held with a uniform pressure substantially along the entire width.
[0013] The second aspect of the present invention can be found for use independently of the first aspect of the present invention or together with the first aspect of the present invention. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the linen spreader device is improved by providing a novel structure of the spreader boom, whereby the width of the spreader boom as viewed in the machine direction can be adjusted.
[0014] The use of the pressurized air outlet according to claim 1 can be considered optional.
[0015] Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0016]
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Here, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a top view of the linen spreader device 1 of the present invention, including four Charger stations 10 for carrying each linen piece inside the housing H of the device 1.
[0019] Figure 2a shows the perspective front view of station 10 shown on the left side of Figure 1. Such Charger a station 10 generally includes a pair of feeder clamps 12, 12' each gripping a respective corner C of the same linen piece L, and a lifting device 14 for lifting the pair of feeder clamps 12, 12' to move the suspended linen piece L upward along a path P inside a housing H. The linen piece may be, by way of example only, a towel or a bed sheet, and the length of the device 1 between two opposing sides 2 of the housing H defines the maximum width of the linen that can be spread by the device 1. Charger
[0020] Figure 2b shows the feeder clamps 12, 12' in their raised positions where a pair of spreader clamps (not shown) movable along a supporting elongated rail take over the linen piece L from the pair of feeder clamps 12, 12'. Each spreader clamp then grips a respective one part S of each of the above-mentioned corners C (see Figure 2a). A plurality of pairs of spreader clamps, such as two pairs, can be mounted to move along the supporting rail and take over the linen piece L one by one in the device in the manner described herein, and continue to deliver the linen piece L to a spreader boom.
[0021] As in the prior art, a pair of spreader clamps are then moved away from each other to spread the linen piece L received from the pair of spreader clamps, and the spread linen piece L suspended from the spreader clamps is then transferred forward using the retractable elongated transfer beam 70 shown in FIG. 3. The transfer beam 70 has an upper surface on which the rear portion of the linen L is disposed flat, and is held there briefly while the transfer beam 70 is moved toward the fully retracted position above the belt conveyor 30 to the right in FIG. 3. The belt conveyor 30 is arranged and configured to advance the spread linen piece L in the machine direction MD for further processing. The supporting elongated rails 20 for the transfer beam 70 and the spreader clamps 22 both extend transversely to the machine direction MD between two opposing sides of the apparatus 1, one side being indicated by reference numeral 2 in FIG. 3, and usually all of the Charger is understood to function for station 10. In many cases, the conveyor 30 is a belt conveyor with parallel ribbon loops that define the moving surface.
[0022] The transfer beam 70 is arranged to move back and forth in the machine direction MD between the forward position and the fully retracted position described above. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the transfer beam when the transfer beam 70 is moving leftward toward its forward position, Charger showing one of the two spreader clamps 22 disposed at station 10, and the other spreader clamp (not shown) moves along the rail 20 Charger toward station 10.
[0023] At the forward position of the transfer beam 70, there is a tip 72 disposed in a general area below the two spreader clamps 22, which is disposed relative to the contact surface F of the elongated contact structure 50 extending between the two opposing sides 2 of the apparatus 1.
[0024] When the transfer beam 70 is in this fully advanced position, the two spreader clamps 22 are controllable to release their grip on the suspended linen piece L, whereby the leading portion of the linen piece L falls flat onto the upper surface of the body 76 of the transfer beam 70 under the action of the high-pressure air flow exiting the rows of air nozzles 4 of the tubular structure T extending between the two opposing sides 2, while the rear portion of the linen piece L remains suspended for a short time and engages between the tip 72 of the transfer beam 70 and the abutment surface F of the abutment structure 50, as will be further described below. To enhance the frictional retention of the linen piece L, suitable surface coatings such as rubber material may be provided on the abutment surface F and the opposite surface of the tip 72.
[0025] The transfer beam 70 is configured such that when the transfer beam 70 is moved from its advanced position to the right side in FIG. 3 towards the fully retracted position where the tip 72 of the transfer beam 70 is at the maximum distance from the right of the front end 31 of the conveyor 30, the leading portion of the linen piece L is temporarily held by the vacuum applied through the rows of openings 86 and / or by a clamping device in the form of an elongated clamping structure 80 (as shown). to held temporarily do by this movement, a further portion of the linen piece L is drawn out onto the moving surface of the conveyor 30.
[0026] The temporary holding of the leading portion of the linen piece L by the transfer beam 70 is released by an actuator acting on the elongated clamping structure 80 or by the release of the vacuum, etc., before the transfer beam 70 reaches its fully retracted position. At that point, the moving speed of the transfer beam 70 towards its fully retracted position increases relative to the moving conveyor 30, whereby the leading portion of the linen piece L slides off the transfer beam 70 and falls onto the moving surface of the conveyor 30. Then, the remaining portion of the linen piece L is pulled onto the conveyor 30 by the moving conveyor surface.
[0027] In some special cases, the width of the linen piece L supplied to the apparatus 1 is symmetric with respect to the longitudinal center line CL of the conveyor 30 (see FIG. 1), and for the necessary final positioning of the linen piece L on the conveyor 30, the spread of the linen piece L outwards is such that when the linen piece L is spread, the spreader clamp 22 Charger may need to be at the position of the station 10. According to one aspect of the present invention, some or all of Charger The path P (see FIG. 2a) of the movement of the linen L by the feeder clamps 12, 12' at the station 10 can automatically close when the suspension of the linen piece L reaches inside the housing H and below the rail 20 that supports the spreader clamps 22, 22'. This is achieved, according to one aspect of the present invention, Charger by providing several gates, preferably arranged in pairs, at the abutment structure 50 in part or all of the station 10. FIG. 2a shows one such pair of gates 55, 56 in the closed position, and in FIG. 2b, the gates 55, 56 are each turned to the open position that allows the suspension of the linen piece L to enter the inner region of the apparatus 1. When the linen piece L enters the interior of the apparatus 1, the gates 55, 56 are closed again, whereby they are in the position shown in FIG. 3 as well. Thereby, the gates 55, 56 Charger can also define a part of the above-mentioned abutment surface F in the region of the station 10, and with respect to the abutment surface F, the rear part of the linen piece L can be held by the tip 72 of the transfer beam 70.
[0028] In the above-mentioned special case, by providing the gates 55, 56 as described above, when the spreader clamp 22 releases the linen piece L, it is guaranteed that its rear part is temporarily held along its entire width between the transfer beam 70 and the abutment surface F. In other words, the tensile force from the gravity of the leading part of the linen piece L is the same along its entire width across the machine direction MD. Thereby, when the leading part of the linen piece L subsequently lies on the surface of the transfer beam 70 due to the blowing of the air out of the nozzle 4, it is guaranteed that the leading end of the linen piece L lies along a straight line.
[0029] The closed (first) and open (second) positions of the two gates 55, 56 are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively, and the path P of the suspended linen L into the interior of the apparatus 1 is also shown. The gates 55, 56 are each rotated about the shaft 57 by their respective actuators 58, although other configurations are readily conceivable. Preferably, as shown only in FIGS. 3 and 5, the gates 55, 56 also include nozzles 4 for discharging air in the closed position of the gates 55, 56. In this way, the leading portion of the suspended and spread linen piece L can receive the aforementioned air blowing along its entire extension across the machine direction MD. For this purpose, the gates 55, 56 are hollow and may be supplied with pressurized air exiting through a row of nozzles 4 or an elongated slit (not shown) defining a single nozzle 4 formed in each of the gates 55, 56. Alternatively, a separate tubular structure (not shown) having such air nozzles 4 can be attached to the gates 55, 56. The nozzles 4 of the gates 55, 56 may be aligned with the row of the remaining nozzles 4 of the abutment structure 50 in one embodiment (not shown).
[0030] Turning now to a second aspect of the present invention that can be found for use independently of the foregoing first aspect of the present invention, and referring again first to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 shows how a transfer beam 70 according to a second aspect of the present invention can be configured to have a variable effective width W (see FIG. 1) measured between its front end 72 and its rear end 74, i.e., a controllable width W parallel to the machine direction MD. Specifically, the transfer beam 70 can have a body 76 with a rear end 74, from which the front end 72 can be moved in and out of the body 76 by a connector bar 73 configured to move by any suitable actuator (not shown) disposed inside the body 76. The front end 72, which is an elongated integral structure connected to the aforementioned connector bar 73, may be biased towards a normal position adjacent to the body 76, whereby actuation of a suitable actuator of the transfer beam 70 moves the front end 72 to a desired position a certain distance away from the body 76 parallel to the machine direction MD, as shown in FIG. 3. This is because, as will be explained below and for reasons that are not exclusive but are particularly relevant, when the transfer beam 70 moves from a forward position towards a fully retracted position, the transfer beam 70 is configured to temporarily hold the leading portion of the linen piece L by an elongated clamp structure 80 disposed at the rear end 74 of the transfer beam 70.
[0031] Normally, the body 76, together with its front end 72 and rear end 74, extends along the full width of the apparatus 1 between two opposing sides 2. In FIG. 1, the transfer beam 70 is shown with the front end 72 adjacent to the body 76, and the aforementioned effective width W is at its minimum value, see also FIG. 13 for example.
[0032] FIG. 6 shows the corner C of the linen piece L received by one of the spreader clamps 22 as described above. As schematically shown in FIG. 6, the spreader clamp 22, in this case, holds the substantially rearwardly folded portion (along the fold S) of the linen piece L, which, as schematically shown in FIG. 2a, can be the result of the operator introducing excess fabric into the feeder clamps 12, 12'. In such a special case, when the spreader clamp 22 releases the linen piece L and a relatively large leading portion L1 driven by the air blast A falls onto the transfer beam 70, the transfer beam may not accommodate the entire extent of the leading portion L1. As a result, a fold is formed when the tip L3 of the linen piece L hits the bracket 82 holding the clamp structure 80, and the fold usually remains there even after the linen piece L is deposited on the conveyor 30. Alternatively, a part of the relatively large leading portion L1 including its tip L3 may fall onto the rear end portion 74 of the transfer beam 70 and may interfere with the subsequent deposition of the linen piece L onto the conveyor 30. This may be the case, for example, even when the transfer beam 70 is configured to be temporarily held by a vacuum applied through a row of openings 86 instead of the clamp structure 80.
[0033] By incorporating a sensor, detection of the fabric load held by the spreader clamp 22 may be performed and then analyzed, whereby the actuator of the transfer beam 70 as shown in FIG. 6 may be actuated such that when the transfer beam 70 is moved from its retracted position towards the abutment structure 50, the tip 72 of the transfer beam 70 is moved away from the body 76. When the tip 72 reaches the abutment surface F, the movement is controlled such that the body 76 stops moving.
[0034] FIG. 7 shows that the tip 72 of the transfer beam 70 holds a part of the rear portion L2 of the linen piece L against the abutting structure 50. FIG. 8 shows the leading portion L1 lying flat against the main body 76 of the transfer beam 70, which is released from the spreader clamp 22 and is positioned by the air flow exiting the outlet nozzle 4 while the rear end 72 of the transfer beam 70 still holds on the rear portion L2.
[0035] Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the clamp structure 80 is actuated to hold the tip L3 of the linen piece L against the upper surface of the main body 76.
[0036] As a mere example, the above-described sensor may be included in the spreader clamp 22 and may detect the degree to which the two jaw-like portions of each spreader clamp 22 move together.
[0037] FIGS. 10 to 13 show the operation of the apparatus 1 in a normal case, where the surplus fabric held by the spreader clamp 22 is not detected, that is, the tip 72 of the transfer beam 70 is not extended / moved from the main body 76. The movement of the tip 72 relative to the main body 76 also follows the tip 72 which is normally biased by a spring towards the extended position shown in FIG. 3, whereby in such a normal case the main body 76 is advanced sufficiently towards the abutting surface F and the tip 72 is fully pressed towards the main body 76, and preferably, it should be noted that it may be locked in that position by a lock included in the transfer beam 70 until the linen piece L is deposited on the conveyor 30. The locking function may be provided by an actuator(s) that moves the tip 72 to a desired position.
[0038] Figures 14 to 16 show the following steps carried out to place the linen piece on the conveyor 30. The transfer beam 70 is normally moved towards its fully retracted position shown in Figure 16, together with the tip 72 which is arranged adjacent to the body 76 immediately after leaving the contact surface F. In Figure 14, the transfer beam 70, still held by the linen piece L, normally moves to the right at essentially the same speed as the conveyor 30. When a linen piece L of sufficient length has been pulled onto the conveyor 30, the clamp structure 80 moves to release the leading portion L1 of the linen piece L as shown in Figure 15. Subsequently, the movement of the transfer beam 70 is controlled such that the leading portion L1 of the linen piece L slides completely off the transfer beam 70 onto the conveyor 30 as shown in Figure 16. Thereafter, the transfer beam 70 retreats towards the forward position assuming a configuration as shown in Figure 7 or Figure 10 in response to the signal received from the above sensor.
[0039] In the fully retracted position of the transfer beam 70 shown in Figure 16, the tip 72 is normally always moved to a position adjacent to the body 76 corresponding to the minimum width W of the transfer beam 70. The rear end 74 is normally always at the same distance from the front end 31 of the conveyor 30 at that position.
Claims
1. A conveyor (30) for determining the machine direction (MD), A pair of spreader clamps (22) movable so as to approach each other in a direction transverse to the machine direction (MD) and movable away from each other to spread the linen piece (L), At least one charger station (10), each charger station (10) being at least one charger station that sends respective corners (C) of the leading portion (L1) of the linen piece (L) to respective ones of the spreader clamps (22), An elongated transfer beam (70) extending in a direction transverse to the machine direction (MD) for transferring the spread linen piece (L) from the pair of spreader clamps (22) to the conveyor (30), the transfer beam (70) having a body (76) and a tip portion (72), being arranged to move back and forth in the machine direction (MD) between a forward position and a retracted position, the tip portion (72) of the transfer beam (70) being arranged in a region below the spreader clamps (22) in the forward position, the transfer beam (70) being configured to temporarily hold a part of the linen piece (L) by vacuum or by a clamp structure (80), the elongated transfer beam (70), An abutment structure (50) extending in a direction transverse to the machine direction (MD) and having an abutment surface (F) for holding a part of the linen piece (L) between the tip portion (72) of the transfer beam (70) and the abutment surface (F), A pressurized air outlet (4) for guiding the leading portion (L1) of the linen piece (L) onto the transfer beam (70) when the linen piece (L) is released from the spreader clamp (22), The linen spreader device (1), characterized in that the tip portion (72) is movable relative to the body (76), and the part of the linen piece (L) is held on the body (76) and the tip portion (72) when the transfer beam (70) moves from the forward position towards the retracted position.
2. The linen spreader device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the transfer beam (70) includes one or more actuators for moving the tip portion (72) relative to the body (76).
3. It has one or more gates (55, 56) movable between a first position and a second position, the gates (55, 56) determine a part of the abutment surface (F) at the first position, and the movable gates (55, 56) include one or more of the air outlets (4). The linen spreader device (1) according to claim 1 or 2.
4. The charger station includes a pair of feeder clamps (12, 12'), the pair of feeder clamps (12, 12') send the corner (C) of the leading part (L1) of the linen piece (L) to the spreader clamp (22), and the second position enables the linen piece (L) to move into the housing (H) of the linen spreader device (11) along a path (P) by the feeder clamps (12, 12'), and the first position blocks the path (P). The linen spreader device (1) according to claim 3.
5. The body (76) includes an elongated clamp structure (80) arranged at the rear end (74) of the body (76) for the temporary holding. The linen spreader device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. The tip (72) is biased towards a position away from the body (76), and the movement of the body (76) opposite to the machine direction (MD) moves the tip (72) to a position adjacent to the body (76) against the bias. The linen spreader device (1) includes a lock for temporarily locking the tip (72) in a position adjacent to the body (76) while the transfer beam (70) is moving towards the retracted position. The linen spreader device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. The linen spreader device (1) includes a plurality of the pair of spreader clamps (22). The linen spreader device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
8. A method of operating the linen spreader device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, Positioning the corner (C) of the leading part (L1) of the linen piece (L) in the feeder clamps (12, 12') of the charger station (10); Sending each one of the corners (C) to each one of the spreader clamps (22); Moving the tip (72) between the tip (72) and the body (76); To hold a part of the linen piece (L) between the tip (72) and the contact surface (F), moving the transfer beam (70) to the forward position of the tip (72); Releasing the linen piece (L) from the spreader clamp (22); Optionally discharging air from the air outlets (4) of the gates (55, 56); Temporarily holding a part of the linen piece (L) on the upper surface of the transfer beam (70) while moving the transfer beam (70) from the forward position toward the retracted position; Moving the tip (72) to a position adjacent to the body (76) before the transfer beam (70) reaches the retracted position; A method of operating a linen spreader device (1) including the above steps.
9. When depending on the device defined in claim 3, in a state where one or more of the gates (55, 56) are in the second position, moving the linen piece (L) along the path (P) into the housing (H) of the linen spreader device (11) by the feeder clamps (12, 12'), and then moving one or more of the gates (55, 56) to the first position. A method of operating the linen spreader device (1) according to claim 8, characterized by including the initial step.