Method and apparatus for treating laundry

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for processing clean / washed rectangular laundry items, the method comprising: receiving and gripping one corner of each laundry item with a movable clamp of a laundry transport mechanism; inserting the clamp into a gap between opposing jaws of two clamping devices; performing relative movement between the clamp and the clamping device with the clamp to hang a length of a side of the laundry item adjacent to one corner on the clamp jaws of the two clamping devices with the clamp; gripping the side of the laundry item with the clamping device and releasing the corner from the clamp; sliding at least one of the two clamping devices along the side to move the two clamping devices away from each other to position the two adjacent corners of the laundry item; advancing the laundry item held by the clamping devices in a first machine direction with a rear portion of the laundry item resting on a receiving surface; and moving the two clamping devices relative to each other along the first machine direction to align the laundry item with the receiving surface.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for the treatment of clean / washed, generally rectangular laundry items, typically in industrial laundry facilities, of the type having paired opposing edges, the edges defining opposing short sides and opposing long sides, respectively, of the laundry item. [Background technology]

[0002] Large clean laundry items such as linen are typically sent from a washer / dryer to an ironer and then folded. The present invention focuses on laundry that is normally sent from a washer / dryer to a folding machine without ironing, where the laundry needs to be folded around or along a line of symmetry of the laundry to create a visually appealing, high-quality end product with a rectangular shape.

[0003] Examples of prior art devices for the treatment of flatwork are disclosed in US 2021 / 0172113 and US 6,584,711.

[0004] There is a need for an improved apparatus and method that allows for high speed processing of individual rectangular laundry items that are placed on an output conveyor in a substantially unfolded configuration, where two opposing edges of the laundry items can be oriented to be aligned with the machine direction of a downstream laundry folder. Summary of the Invention

[0005] With the above-mentioned objectives in mind, the present invention provides an apparatus for processing clean / washed, generally rectangular laundry articles, comprising: a laundry transport mechanism defining a first machine direction and including movable clamps; components configured to hold individual laundry articles in an open configuration at or near two diagonally opposite corners and to pass a hanging laundry section at or near another corner of the laundry article to the movable clamps; two clamping devices for clamping engagement with the laundry articles, the two clamping devices being displaceably mounted so as to be movable independently of one another in a second machine direction perpendicular to the first machine direction, and clamps movable into and along a gap between the opposing jaws of the two clamping devices. By moving the clamps into and along the gap to essentially drape the laundry articles over the lower jaws, reliable positioning of the laundry articles is achieved, resulting in reduced downtime and increased machine speed, which are essential factors for ensuring economical operation of the apparatus.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned objects, a first embodiment of a method according to the present invention includes: i) receiving and gripping a laundry article portion near or at one corner of each laundry article by a movable clamp of a laundry transport mechanism; ii) then inserting the clamp into a gap between opposing jaws of two clamp devices, followed by relative movement between the clamp and the clamp device, thereby causing the clamp to hang a length of a first side of the laundry article adjacent to the one corner onto the clamp jaws of the two clamp devices; iii) gripping the length of the first side of the laundry article by the clamp device and then releasing the laundry article portion from the clamp; iv) then inserting the two clamp devices into a gap between opposing jaws of the clamp device, followed by relative movement between the clamp and the clamp device; With the laundry hanging from the chair, moving the two clamping devices away from each other along a first edge toward two opposing second and third edges of the laundry; v) then transferring the laundry from the clamping devices directly to the two alignment clamps; vi) then, with the laundry hanging from the two alignment clamps, moving the two alignment clamps away from each other along the first edge toward two opposing second and third edges of the laundry; and vii) then advancing the laundry hanging from the two alignment clamps in a first machine direction, preferably with a rear portion of the laundry resting on a receiving surface. Preferably, the hanging laundry is then aligned by moving the two alignment clamps relative to each other along the first machine direction.

[0007] Also, with the above-mentioned objects in mind, another embodiment of the method of the present invention may include the steps of: a) receiving and gripping a laundry portion near or at one corner of each laundry item with movable clamps of a laundry transfer mechanism; b) inserting the clamps into a gap between the opposing jaws of two clamping devices, followed by relative movement between the clamps and the clamping devices, thereby causing the clamps to hang a length of a first side of the laundry item adjacent to the laundry portion onto the clamp jaws of the two clamping devices; c) gripping the length of the first side of the laundry item with the clamping devices and then releasing the laundry portion from the clamps; d) positioning two opposing second and third sides of the laundry item by pulling the two clamping devices away from each other along the first side while applying a clamping force against the laundry item; and then e) advancing the laundry item while still held by the clamping devices in a first machine direction, preferably with a rear portion of the laundry item resting on a receiving surface. Optionally, alignment of the laundry with respect to the first machine direction is performed by moving the two clamping devices relative to each other along the first machine direction, inter alia to correct misalignment caused by the manner in which the pair of clamping devices receive the laundry.

[0008] Preferably, step d) is carried out while the laundry is hanging freely from the two clamping devices in front of the receiving surface.

[0009] The movement performed in step d) is preferably such that the clamping device slides into engagement with the laundry item. Alternatively, the clamping device may have rollers that provide a clamping force against the laundry item while allowing low-friction movement of the clamping device along the first edge relative to the laundry item.

[0010] In one embodiment, prior to the hanging step, each laundry item is passed through the clamp in an extended, diagonal configuration, with the hanging portion of the laundry item at one corner being received by the clamp, which then passes over the lower jaws of two clamping devices within the gap between the two opposing jaws to perform the hanging step.

[0011] Laundry treated using the present invention may be, by way of example only, towels, bath mats, and similar items, typically having dimensions of less than 80 cm by 160 cm, typically woven like terry cloth with numerous protruding loops of thread, and typically having a narrow perimeter stitched hem that defines the edge of the laundry. Such laundry usually exits the washer / dryer in a disorderly, more or less tangled state.

[0012] Embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims and further increase the processing speed of individual rectangular laundry items. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view of the laundry to be treated. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side view of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing components for delivering individual laundry items in a diagonally stretched configuration to the robotic component of the apparatus of FIG. 2. [Figure 4a] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective side view showing various components of the first and second sections of the device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4b] FIG. 1 is a side view showing laundry oriented and placed on a receiving surface. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a side perspective view showing a manipulator arm of a robotic device in position to attack a selected edge of laundry. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side perspective view showing the manipulator arm of the robotic device in position to capture a selected edge of the laundry. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two clamping devices in a first relative position, each in a receiving configuration ready to receive a length of a laundry side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a top perspective view showing the robotic device of FIGS. 5 and 6 ready to hang a length of laundry on the lower jaws of the two clamping devices shown in the receiving configuration in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 9 is a top view showing the robotic device of FIG. 8 with the length of a laundry side hung on the lower jaw of the clamping device in the receiving configuration shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] 11 shows the two clamping devices of FIG. 7 configured to grip a laundry item (not shown) and in a different relative position than in FIG. 11 during the process of positioning two adjacent corners of a laundry item edge. [Figure 11] 10 shows the two clamping devices of FIG. 7 configured to grip a laundry item (not shown) and in a different relative position than in FIG. 10 during the process of positioning two adjacent corners of a laundry item edge. [Figure 12] 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, but with the laundry being draped over the lower jaw by the robotic device moving in the opposite direction. [Figure 13] 10 is a top view showing optional movement of the apparatus along a first machine direction as two clamping devices are pulled apart to position two adjacent corners of a laundry edge. FIG. [Figure 14] A top perspective view showing the step of positioning the corners of the laundry item and simultaneously aligning the orientation of the sides of the laundry item with the first machine direction of the apparatus, and then advancing the laundry item held by the clamping device and resting flat on the surface. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a top view showing alignment performed by further moving the clamping devices relative to each other along the machine direction. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view showing a conveyor belt for receiving aligned laundry. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B illustrate diagrammatically how a portion of laundry may be received and held between opposing jaws of a clamping device; [Figure 18] The profiling of some of the engaging surfaces of the jaws is shown. [Figure 19a] 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the operation of a specialized alignment clamp used with the apparatus of FIG. 3 to align misaligned laundry. [Figure 19b] 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the operation of a specialized alignment clamp used with the apparatus of FIG. 3 to align misaligned laundry. [Figure 19c] 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the operation of a specialized alignment clamp used with the apparatus of FIG. 3 to align misaligned laundry. [Figure 20a] 4 shows a third embodiment of the present invention and illustrates the operation of a buffer component used with the apparatus of FIG. 3. [Figure 20b] 4 shows a third embodiment of the present invention and illustrates the operation of a buffer component used with the apparatus of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0015] 1 shows a clean / washed rectangular laundry load 5 having opposing short sides 7 and opposing long sides 6. The laundry load sides 6, 7 meet at geometric corners 1, 2, 3, 4.

[0016] As referred to herein, rectangular laundry 5 may typically, but not exclusively, be a towel or a bath mat, which is folded immediately after washing and drying without ironing. Towels and bath mats are typically terry cloth, which is usually a woven fabric with protruding loops of thread and has a narrow perimeter stitched hemming H that defines the edge of laundry 5.

[0017] Optionally, the laundry 5 to be treated using the present invention may include indicia I on one side thereof, such as a proprietary logo or laundry identifier, such as a QR code.

[0018] In particular, the present invention allows such rectangular laundry items 5 to be individually placed on a downstream output conveyor in a flat configuration, oriented such that a pair of opposing sides of the laundry items 5 are aligned with a particular machine direction of a downstream laundry folder, thereby providing a stream of laundry 5 suitable for direct feeding into the laundry folder. In one application where towels are processed, it may be desirable to align the two long sides 6 with the machine direction of the laundry folder, while in another application where smaller laundry items 5, such as bath mats, are processed, it may be desirable to align the two short sides 7 with the machine direction of the laundry folder.

[0019] Such alignment allows the laundry folding machine to then fold the laundry item 5 around, i.e. along, the lines of symmetry L1, L2 of the laundry item 5, resulting in a high-quality final product having a rectangular shape.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention may enable the laundry 5 to be passed to the laundry folding machine so that the folded final product has one particular surface, such as the surface described above containing marking I, and by defining this surface it can be easily seen or inspected.

[0021] Typically, the apparatus 10 of the present invention is located and operated in an industrial laundry, where a stream of laundry items 5 as described above is fed to the apparatus 10 from a washer / dryer. As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus 10 can be conveniently formed as a single unit using a machine frame F that also supports dedicated equipment 500. The dedicated equipment 500 separates the incoming laundry items 5 from one another, i.e., singulates the incoming stream or batches of more or less tangled laundry items 5 lying on a conveyor surface 510. Examples of such singulating equipment are disclosed in FIG. 1 of WO19137585 and DK202200437.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the apparatus 10 comprises a first section A. The first section A comprises components configured to regularly transfer the individual laundry items 5 received from the dedicated singulation device 500 described above to a transfer mechanism 50 as shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. The transfer mechanism 50 is exemplified below by a robot having movable clamps 52.

[0023] A movable clamp 52, shown in Figure 4a, is mounted on the end of a robotic manipulator arm and is adapted to receive, grip and transport individual laundry items 5 to the second downstream section B of the apparatus 10 according to a predetermined, digitally stored processing schedule. To this end, the clamp 52 is preferably arranged to be movable in three-dimensional space.

[0024] The second section B includes various orientation components, described below, that are configured to receive and capture the laundry items 5 released by the clamps 52, spread the captured laundry items 5, and then orient, i.e., correct the orientation of, the laundry items 5 as needed.

[0025] Within second section B, there is also preferably a laundry receiving surface 80 upon which the laundry items 5 are oriented and partially supported. From surface 80, the oriented laundry items 5 are advanced by downstream discharge conveyor 11 to a laundry folder (not shown). As a result of the orientation, a pair of opposing sides 6, 7 of each laundry item 5 may be aligned with the direction in which the laundry items 5 are advanced by discharge conveyor 11. In one embodiment, receiving surface 80 may be defined by a moving conveyor belt, or may be a stationary, smooth surface.

[0026] The device 10 also includes various sensors and / or cameras and a controller configured, among other things, to record, identify and classify each laundry item 5 according to the predetermined schedule described above, and then to command or coordinate the mutual processing of the laundry items 5 by the transport mechanism 50. The controller is shown schematically and referenced in Figure 2 by the numeral 12. Wireless operation of a remote control is also envisaged.

[0027] In the following, reference is made to a first machine direction D1 of the apparatus 10 and a second, typically horizontal, machine direction D2 of the apparatus 10. The second machine direction D2 extends perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the first machine direction D1. The downstream discharge conveyor 11 can be arranged to advance the laundry 5 in a direction or plane that coincides with the first machine direction D1, which can coincide with the machine direction of a downstream laundry folder.

[0028] 3, the two gripper components G1, G2 in the first section A of the apparatus 10 perform a first process that involves manipulating each laundry item 5 by pulling and diagonally stretching two diagonally opposed corners 1, 3 of each laundry item 5. To this end, the first gripper G1 captures and holds a first laundry item portion P1 near, and optionally including, the first corner 1 of each laundry item 5 exiting the singulation device 500, and then the second gripper G2 captures a second laundry item portion P2 near, and optionally including, the second diagonally opposed corner 3 of the laundry item 5. Locating and capturing such opposed portions P1, P2 of the laundry item 5 using the first gripper G1 and the second gripper G2, which may be defined by a pair of opposing rollers (shown in FIG. 4a), is a process well known in the art. An example of a suitable device for this procedure is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,584,711.

[0029] 3 shows that the second gripper G2, which may be arranged to be movable in the first machine direction D1, captures the second laundry portion P2 and then moves away from the first gripper G1 along the primary beam 9 (see FIG. 4a) while the first laundry portion P1 remains held by the first gripper G1, thereby moving the first and second geometric corners 1, 3 away from each other as described above. As shown, this process generally results in the two remaining diagonally opposed geometric corners 2, 4 hanging more or less regularly as described above, with one of the two corners, hereinafter referred to as the third corner 2 of the laundry item 5, hanging closer to the second gripper G2 than the diagonally opposed fourth corner 4 of the laundry item 5.

[0030] One or more detectors, such as a camera 405, are positioned and configured to record the position of the third corner 2 to which the clamp 52 is subsequently moved, and to enable the controller 12 to generate information representative of a particular laundry item 5, for example, based on the distance between the first and second corners 1, 3. Alternatively, this information may be generated based on data acquired upstream of the illustrated process stages, and may reflect the size and nature / type / color of the laundry item 5, by comparing the data recorded by the camera with information contained in a data library. This procedure generates a predetermined treatment schedule to be applied to each laundry item 5, which is digitally stored in the controller 12.

[0031] Additionally, a detector such as camera 405 may be configured to record the presence of mark I, i.e., an identifier for laundry item 5, on one side of laundry item 5, and controller 12 may instruct robot 50 to manipulate laundry item 5 according to a digitally stored predetermined schedule so that this particular side is placed on output conveyor 11 facing up or down depending on the folding by the laundry folding machine, so that in the final folded product, that side faces outwards, making mark I easily visible or inspectable.

[0032] Figure 4a shows the first section A of the apparatus 10 with the third corner 2 being handed over to the robot 50, while Figure 4b shows the laundry item 5 oriented and lying flat on the receiving surface 80, ready to be picked up and advanced by the output conveyor 11 (not shown).

[0033] Also shown in Figure 4a is clamp 52, which is configured to grip, by controlled movement of transport mechanism 50, a hanging third portion P3 of laundry article 5, shown here near, and optionally including, third geometric corner 2. Figure 4a shows third portion P3 received by clamp 52.

[0034] Also shown in Figure 4a are two clamping devices 60, 70 which partially define the above-mentioned orienting components of the second section B of the apparatus 10. In a next step, the laundry items 5 are fed to these clamping devices 60, 70.

[0035] As shown in Figures 4a, 5, and 6, the clamp 52 is configured to be movable to a position adjacent to a selected side 6, 7 of the laundry item 5 at the third corner 2, so that the clamp 52 can capture the laundry item 5 from either the short side 7 (see Figure 5) or the long side 6 (see Figures 4a and 6). The selection depends on the laundry item 5 being processed, in particular its size, or its nature or type, e.g., whether it is a bath mat or a small or large towel according to the generated information. The selection is performed according to the above-mentioned processing schedule stored in the controller 12. This selection results in either the short side 7 or the long side 6 being passed to the two clamping devices 60, 70, which then becomes what is called the leading side of the laundry item 5 when it reaches the folding machine. In the following, the selected side will also be called the first side of the laundry item 5, and the other two opposite sides will be called the second and third sides of the laundry item 5.

[0036] As an example, if the laundry item 5 is a bath mat, it may be necessary to align the short side 7 with the first machine direction D1, in which case the long side 6 is captured, as shown in FIG.

[0037] When the clamp 52 reaches the selected predetermined position for a given laundry item 5, the two opposing jaws 53, 54 (see FIG. 5) of the clamp 52 move to a closed position pressing against respective surfaces of the laundry item 5, and the laundry item 5 is then released from the first and second grippers G1, G2 when the controller 12 receives a sensor signal confirming that the third portion P3 has been gripped between the opposing jaws 53, 54. The laundry item 5 then hangs from the clamp 52 within the first section A.

[0038] At this point, the controller 12 instructs the transport mechanism 50 to move the clamp 52 holding the third portion P3 of the laundry item 5 to a predetermined position above the front end E of the receiving surface 80, and also commands the two clamping devices 60, 70, which in part define the orienting device, to move to corresponding receiving and capturing positions adjacent to each other to assume the capturing configuration. As shown in Figure 8, in the capturing position the clamping devices 60, 70 are typically positioned closer to one side 14 of the receiving surface 80 than to the opposite side 13 of the receiving surface 80 (see Figure 4a), or vice versa.

[0039] The two clamping devices 60, 70 are displaceably mounted on a subframe 30 supported by the frame F and extending above the receiving surface 80, so that, as best seen in Figure 9, the two clamping devices 60, 70 can move independently of each other parallel to the illustrated second machine direction D2, which is perpendicular to the first machine direction D1, under the action of respective drives (not shown) controlled by the controller 12 of the apparatus 10, to move away from and towards the above-mentioned receiving and capturing positions.

[0040] The subframe 30 supports a support bar 32, and one of the two clamping devices 60, 70, hereinafter referred to as the second clamping device 70, is mounted so that it can also move back and forth along the support bar 32 parallel to the first machine direction D1 by activation of a drive M. Compare Figures 9 and 15.

[0041] The sub-frame 30 itself is arranged to be movable relative to the frame F in a first direction D1 from a first position adjacent the front end E of the receiving surface 80 shown in Figure 4a to a second position above the rear end of the receiving surface 80 shown in Figure 4b, and back again when it is not carrying laundry items 5.

[0042] As will be understood below, the overall purpose of the illustrated orientation components 30, 60, 70 is to: a) in a laundry receiving and spreading step, receiving the laundry 5 and completely spreading the laundry 5 hanging from the two clamping devices 60, 70 by pulling the two clamping devices 60, 70 apart in a direction parallel to the second machine direction D2; b) orienting the laundry 5 by an alignment procedure, if necessary, by moving the second clamping device 70 along the support bar 32 to align the opposing sides 6, 7 of the selected pair of laundry 5 with the machine direction D1; and c) advancing the aligned laundry items 5 by the discharge conveyor 11 by moving the sub-frame 30 to a second position shown in Figure 4b.

[0043] As best seen in Figure 7, each clamping device 60, 70 has a first pair 62, 71 and a second pair 61, 72 of opposing jaws, each pair having a first jaw 63, 65, 73, 75 and an opposing second jaw 64, 66, 74, 76. The opposing jaws 65, 66; 73, 74 of the first pair 62, 71 may have serrated or contoured engagement surfaces, while at least some of the opposing jaws 63, 64, 75, 76 of the second pair 61, 72 may have smooth or planar surfaces. Respective actuators 69, 79 operate each pair 61, 62, 71, 72 to open the jaws, i.e., separate the opposing jaws, and to close the jaws.

[0044] The sawtooth configuration of some of the jaws 65, 66, 73, 74 provides a toothed surface that bites into the laundry article 5, which is suitable for securing the laundry article 5 against movement relative to the jaws 65, 66, 73, 74. Alternatively, some of the jaws may be formed as pins with a small contact surface to provide such bite. FIG. 18 shows the engaging surface contours 64′, 76′ of some of the jaws 64, 76. This sawtooth configuration is formed by teeth that extend at an angle relative to the illustrated line C, which is parallel to the second machine direction D2, and in certain embodiments, may be used to assist in pulling the first edge of the laundry article 5 further into the gap 400 when separating the two clamping devices 60, 70, if necessary, to ensure that a very heavy laundry article 5 does not fall out of the clamping devices 60, 70.

[0045] At least one of the jaws of each pair 61, 62, 71, 72 can be moved to and from the corresponding opposing jaw by the action of a respective actuator 69, 79 controlled by controller 12. In this manner, the opposing jaws of each pair 61, 62, 71, 72 can independently assume an open capture configuration shown in FIG. 7 in which both clamping devices 60, 70 are ready to receive laundry item 5 from clamps 52, and a closed retention configuration in which laundry item 5 is held between the opposing jaw pair. Compare FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0046] Figure 7 shows two clamping devices 60, 70 in the open capture configuration positioned adjacent to each other and ready to receive a length L (see Figure 9) of a first side 6, 7 of a laundry item 5 within aligned gaps 400 between opposing jaws of all four jaw pairs 61, 62, 71, 72. As can be seen in Figure 4b, each gap 400 preferably has a depth W suitable to receive the length L of the first side 6, 7 spanned by the clamp 52, i.e., the narrow edge H of the laundry item 5 and a portion of the woven portion.

[0047] With the two clamping devices 60, 70 in the positions and configurations shown, the clamp 52, initially positioned as shown in FIG. 8, moves from right to left within and along the gap 400, thereby draping the length L of the laundry item 5 onto the four adjacent lower jaws 63, 65, 73, 75 by pulling the length L of the first sides 6, 7 into the gap 400 as shown in FIG. 9. This draping procedure results in the length L of the first sides 6, 7 being received between the opposing jaws, as shown in FIG. 17. Sometimes, in imperfect situations, there is a small fold between the opposing jaws. Such imperfect situations require subsequent orientation / alignment of the laundry item 5.

[0048] If the laundry item 5 includes indicia I, the clamps 52 can be controlled to insert the laundry item from left to right, as viewed in the machine direction D1, into the aligned gap 400 to ensure that the surface including indicia I is positioned face up on the receiving surface 80. Comparing Figures 8 and 12, this opposite movement of the clamps 52 is indicated by the arrows.

[0049] The clamping devices 60, 70 are then in the closed configuration shown in FIG. 9 to grip the laundry item 5, which is then released from the clamps 52.

[0050] Figure 9 shows from above two clamping devices 60, 70 in the configuration shown in Figure 10. The opposing sawtooth jaws 65, 66 of the first clamping device 60 bite into the laundry item 5, so that part of the length L is tightly clamped between these jaws 65, 66. Additionally, or alternatively in the absence of sawtooth features, it is also possible for the first clamping device 60 to generate a relatively large clamping force on the laundry item 5 via a corresponding actuator 69.

[0051] 10, one of the pair of jaws 75, 76 of the second clamping device 70 is also in the closed configuration, but applies a smaller clamping force to the laundry item 5.

[0052] Thus, in the closed configuration described above, the laundry item 5 is prevented from falling off the clamping devices 60, 70 due to its own weight.

[0053] The clamps 52 are then moved away and returned to the first section A of the device 1 .

[0054] To perform a subsequent laundry spreading operation, the first clamping device 60 is then moved in the second machine direction D2, thereby pulling the length of laundry 5 held between the opposing jaws 64, 64, 65, 66, as shown in Figure 10. By keeping the second clamping device 70 stationary and applying a smaller clamping force to the laundry 5, or by contouring the faces of the opposing jaws 75, 76 to reduce resistance to relative movement of the laundry 5 along the second machine direction D2 compared to the first direction D1, the length of laundry 5 along the first edge slides between the opposing jaws 75, 76 of the second clamping device 70.

[0055] Some of the jaws may have rollers that provide a clamping force against the laundry item 5 while at the same time allowing a low friction movement along the first side of the clamping device relative to the laundry item that is less like a sliding movement.

[0056] This movement of the first clamping device 60 continues until a sensor S (which may be, for example, of a light beam type) associated with the second clamping device 70 registers that the laundry item 5 is being pulled against the second clamping device 70 and that a second side and / or corner 2 of the laundry item 5 has reached the second clamping device 70, see Figure 13.

[0057] The configuration of the clamping devices 60, 70 is then changed so that the second clamping device 70 firmly grips the laundry item 5, and the laundry item 5 is allowed to slide relative to the first clamping device 60, either by continuing to move the first clamping device 60 in direction D2 while the second clamping device 70 remains stationary, or by moving the second clamping device 70 relative to the machine direction D2 while the first clamping device 60 remains stationary. In other words, the two clamping devices 60, 70 are again moved away from each other so that the second clamping device 70 approaches the third edge 6 of the laundry item 5 opposite the above-mentioned second edge 6.

[0058] This further movement continues until the sensor S associated with the first clamping device 60 registers that the laundry item 5 is being pulled against the first clamping device 60 and that the aforementioned third portion P3 previously held by the clamp 52 has reached the first clamping device 60, at which point the laundry item 5 is fully unfolded.

[0059] With the subframe 30 in its first position and the clamping devices 60, 70 positioned in front of the front end E of the receiving surface 80, the laundry item 5 is now held only by the upper corners 2, 3 and hangs completely hanging from the clamping devices 60, 70 for a short period of time.

[0060] The subframe 30 together with the two clamping devices 60, 70 are then moved in a first machine direction D1, see Figure 14.

[0061] It should be noted that the receiving surface 80 may have a moving upper surface defined, for example, by a conveyor belt configured to move relative to the machine direction D1, thereby enabling the conveyor belt to capture the rear ends T of the hanging laundry items 5 and further stretch the hanging laundry items 5.

[0062] As the laundry load 5 is pulled forward in the first machine direction D1 by the movement of the subframe 30, another sensor, such as the overhead camera 406 shown in FIG. 16, records the angular misalignment of the opposing sides 6 of the laundry load 5 relative to the reference line R representing the first machine direction D1. Such misalignment may occur in the imperfect situation described above when different sized portions of the laundry load 5 are received by the two clamping devices 60, 70 along the length of the aligned gap 400. Therefore, the execution of an alignment procedure may be justified.

[0063] To correct the misalignment, in the first embodiment, the second clamping device 70 can be moved in the machine direction D1 relative to the first clamping device 60 at this point, as shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 15 illustrates a situation in which the portion 1000 of the laundry item 5 held between the jaws 73, 74, 75, 76 of the second clamping device 70 is smaller than the corresponding portion held by the jaws 63, 64, 65, 66 of the first clamping device 60. Compare FIGS. 9 and 15. This movement can be performed by moving the second clamping device 70 along the support bar 32, as discussed above and shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4a. Alternatively or additionally, the second clamping device 70 may be configured to perform this relative movement during the unfolding step, as indicated by the double arrow in FIG. 13.

[0064] We will now consider second and third alternative embodiments of the present invention.

[0065] According to a second alternative embodiment of the present invention, the above-described alignment procedure involves the use of two dedicated laundry 5 alignment clamps 1060, 1070, shown in Figures 19a, 19b and 19c, which are configured to move parallel to the first machine direction D1 to a position downstream of the two clamping devices 60, 70.

[0066] More specifically, Figure 19a shows two aligned clamps 1060, 1070 including upper and lower clamp jaws 1063, 1064, 1065, 1066, 1073, 1074, 1075, 1076. When the aligned clamps 1060, 1070 are open with the jaws spread apart, they define another aligned gap 1040 between them in addition to the gap 400 of the first and second clamp devices 60, 70. The clamp jaws 1063, 1064, 1065, 1066, 1073, 1074, 1075, 1076 are preferably configured similarly to the jaws of the two clamp devices 60, 70, as described above.

[0067] With the first edges 6, 7 of the laundry article 5 held by the two clamping devices 60, 70 aligned with the separate gap 1040, the two alignment clamps 1060, 1070 can be moved together parallel to the first machine direction D1 to a first position. In the first position, as shown in FIG. 19b, the clamp jaws 1063, 1064, 1065, 1066, 1073, 1074, 1075, 1076 close to engage opposite sides of the laundry article 5 between the narrow gap 1040, thereby gripping the first edges 6, 7 of the laundry article 5. The laundry article 5 is then released from the first and second clamping devices 60, 70 and subsequently transferred to the alignment clamps 1060, 1070.

[0068] As shown in Figure 19b, in the first position, the two alignment clamps 1060, 1070 are positioned between the clamping devices 60, 70 that have already been moved to the respective corners 2, 3 of the laundry article 5 as described above with reference to Figure 13. The two alignment clamps 1060, 1070 are then displaceably mounted so that they can move independently of one another along the support bar 1032 parallel to the second machine direction D2, in the same manner as described above for the two clamping devices 60, 70, so that the alignment clamps 1060, 1070 grip the same corners 2, 3. Thus, the alignment clamps 1060, 1070 can be moved to each of the corners 2, 3 using a sensor S' mounted on each alignment clamp 1060, 1070, similar to the sensor S of the first and second clamping devices 60, 70. See Figure 19c.

[0069] The alignment clamps 1060, 1070 gripping the laundry item 5 are then controlled to move together along the machine direction D1 to ultimately place the laundry item 5 on the discharge conveyor 11 (see FIG. 16), and also to move independently of each other parallel to the first machine direction D1 if misalignment is detected, thereby performing the alignment procedure shown in FIG. 15. Thus, the alignment clamps 1060, 1070 of the second embodiment are included to perform the alignment procedure performed by the clamping devices 60, 70 of the first embodiment. See FIG. 15. This achieves an increased capacity of the apparatus 10 in that the clamping devices 60, 70 are freed to perform only the receiving and spreading procedure of the first laundry item 5.

[0070] According to a third alternative embodiment, the first process described above in which first and second grippers G1, G2 pull two diagonally opposed corners 1, 3 away from each other, as shown in Figure 3, includes the supplementary steps outlined in Figures 20a and 20b.

[0071] In this supplementary step, at least two transfer grippers G3, G4, and G5 are positioned and configured to take over the laundry item 5 from the first and second grippers G1, G2 and then transfer the laundry item 5 to the robot 50 with diagonally opposed corners 2, 4 hanging down substantially as shown in Figures 3, 4a, 5, 6, and 20b. This is because the movable clamp 52 grasps the hanging third portion P3 of corner 2 as shown in Figures 4a, 5, and 6. The transfer grippers G3, G4, and G5 essentially perform a buffer function that relieves the capacity of the first and second grippers G1, G2 while downstream processes are carried out.

[0072] More specifically, Figure 20a shows first and second grippers G1, G2 supplemented by transfer grippers G3, G4, G5. The second gripper G2 is movable along the primary beam 9 in a first machine direction D1 to spread the laundry item 5. The transfer grippers G3, G4, G5 are arranged and configured to: i) be supported by a secondary beam 9' supported by the machine frame F and move parallel to the second machine direction D2 towards the first and second grippers G1, G2; ii) take over the laundry item 5 from the first and second grippers G1, G2 by gripping and holding it at or near two diagonally opposite corners 1, 3 held by the first and second grippers G1, G2; iii) then move from the first and second grippers G1, G2 towards the robot 50 supported by the machine frame F to transfer the laundry item 5 with the laundry portion P3 still hanging from it to the movable clamp 52; and iv) the clamp 52 grabs the hanging laundry portion P3. In this way, an increased capacity of the device 10 is achieved in that the first and second grippers G1, G2 are released to perform the next pull on the (subsequent) corner of the laundry item.

[0073] From the foregoing, and in particular from an examination of the accompanying drawings, it can be seen that selecting the correct orientation for the clamp 52 to capture the corner 2 to be clamped makes it significantly easier, depending on the design of the robot 50, to insert the clamp 52 into the gap 400 of the two clamping devices 60, 70 and then to hook the length L of the first side of the laundry item 5 onto the lower jaws 63, 65, 73, 75.

[0074] The operations that may be performed by the method and apparatus of the present invention can be summarized as follows.

[0075] [Table 1]

Claims

1. An apparatus (10) for said treatment of clean / washed generally rectangular laundry (5), defining a first machine direction (D1); a laundry transport mechanism (50) having a movable clamp (52); components (G1, G2) configured to hold an individual laundry article (5) in an open configuration at or near two diagonally opposite corners (1, 3) and to pass a hanging laundry portion (P3) near or at another corner (2) of said laundry article (5) to said movable clamp (52); two clamping devices (60, 70) for clamping engagement with laundry (5), the two clamping devices (60, 70) being displaceably mounted so as to be movable parallel to a second machine direction (D2) independently of one another; the clamp (52) being movable into and along a gap (400) between the opposing jaws (63, 65, 73, 75, 64, 66, 74, 76) of the two clamping devices (60, 70); An apparatus (10) comprising:

2. 2. The apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the clamping devices (70) is movable back and forth parallel to the first machine direction (D1) relative to the other clamping device (60).

3. a subframe (30) supporting the first and second clamping devices (60, 70); 3. The apparatus (10) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the subframe (30) is movable along the first machine direction (D1) from a first position above and forward of the front end (E) of the laundry receiving surface (80) to a second position above the rear end of the receiving surface (80).

4. 4. The apparatus (10) of claim 3, wherein the receiving surface (80) is defined by a conveyor belt.

5. said second machine direction (D2) is preferably perpendicular to said first machine direction (D1); The apparatus further comprises two alignment clamps (1060, 1070) for clamping engagement with the laundry item (5); the two alignment clamps (1060, 1070) include clamp jaws (1063, 1064, 1065, 1066, 1073, 1074, 1075, 1076), each defining a separate gap (1040) when the alignment clamps (1060, 1070) are open; the two alignment clamps (1060, 1070) are mounted so as to be movable parallel to the second machine direction (D2) independently of one another; the two alignment clamps (1060, 1070) are also movable back and forth parallel to the first machine direction (D1) between a position downstream of the two clamping devices (60, 70) and a first position in which each separate gap (1040) is substantially or completely aligned with the opposing jaws (63, 65, 73, 75, 64, 66, 74, 76) of the two clamping devices (60, 70); 2. The apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein at least one (1070) of the two alignment clamps (1060, 1070) is further displaceably mounted so as to be movable parallel to the first machine direction (D1) relative to the other clamp device (1060).

6. 6. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the components comprise at least two first grippers (G1, G2) configured to separate two diagonally opposite corners (1, 3) of the laundry item (5), and handover grippers (G3, G4, G5) arranged and configured to take over the laundry item (5) from the two first grippers (G1, G2) by holding the laundry item (5) at or near the two diagonally opposite corners (1, 3) and then hand over the laundry item (5) with the hanging laundry portion (P3) to the movable clamps (52) so that the clamps (52) grip the hanging laundry portion (P3).

7. A method for said treatment of clean / washed generally rectangular laundry items (5), comprising: i) receiving and gripping a laundry article portion (P3) near or at one corner (2) of each laundry article (5) by a movable clamp (52) of the laundry article transfer mechanism (50); ii) then inserting the clamp (52) into the gap (400) between the opposing jaws (63, 65, 73, 75, 64, 66, 74, 76) of the two clamping devices (60, 70), and then performing a relative movement between the clamp (52) and the clamping device (60, 70) so that the length (L) of the first side (6, 7) of the laundry article (5) adjacent to the one corner (2) is hung by the clamp (52) on the clamping jaws (63, 65, 73, 75) of the two clamping devices (60, 70); iii) gripping the length (L) of the first side (6, 7) of the laundry article (5) with the clamping devices (60, 70) and then releasing the laundry article portion (P3) from the clamps (52); iv) then, with the laundry article (5) hanging from the two clamping devices (60, 70), moving the two clamping devices (60, 70) away from each other along the first side (6, 7) and towards the two opposing second and third sides (6, 7) of the laundry article (5); v) then transferring said laundry items (5) from said clamping devices (60, 70) directly to two registration clamps (1060, 1070); vi) then, with the laundry item (5) hanging from the two alignment clamps (1060, 1070), moving the two alignment clamps (1060, 1070) away from each other along the first side (6, 7) and towards the two opposite second and third sides (6, 7) of the laundry item (5); vii) advancing said laundry article (5) hanging from said two registration clamps (1060, 1070) in a first machine direction (D1), preferably with a rear portion (T) of said laundry article (5) resting on a receiving surface (80); A method comprising:

8. 8. The method of claim 7, comprising performing alignment of the laundry article (5) hanging from the two alignment clamps (1060, 1070) by moving the two alignment clamps (1060, 1070) relative to each other along the first machine direction (D1).

9. 9. A method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the movement of the two clamping devices (60, 70) is performed while the laundry item (5) hangs freely from the two clamping devices (60, 70).

10. Each of the laundry items (5) is passed to the clamp (52) while hanging from a gripper (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5) in an obliquely stretched configuration; 10. A method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the laundry part (P3) near or at one corner (2) is a hanging part (P3) of the laundry (5).

11. 11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein to perform said clamping, said clamp (52) passes over the lower jaws (63, 65, 73, 75) of said two clamping devices (60, 70) in said gap (400).

12. the movement of the two clamping devices (60, 70) is performed sequentially by first moving one of the clamping devices (70) along the first side (6, 7) towards one of the opposing second and third sides (6, 7), and then moving the other clamping device (60) along the first side (6, 7) towards the other of the opposing sides (6, 7); A method according to any of claims 7 to 11, wherein said movement preferably involves sliding contact between said laundry item (5) and said fixed one of said clamping devices.

13. the movement of the two alignment clamps (1060, 1070) is performed sequentially by first moving one of the alignment clamps (1070) along the first side (6, 7) to one of the opposing second and third sides (6, 7), and then moving the other alignment clamp (1060) along the first side (6, 7) to the other one of the opposing sides (6, 7); A method according to any of claims 7 to 12, wherein said movement preferably involves sliding contact between said laundry item (5) and said fixed one of said alignment clamps.

14. A method for said treatment of clean / washed generally rectangular laundry items (5), comprising: a) receiving and gripping a laundry article portion (P3) near or at one corner (2) of each laundry article (5) by a movable clamp (52) of the laundry article transfer mechanism (50); b) inserting the clamp (52) into the gap (400) between the opposing jaws (63, 65, 73, 75, 64, 66, 74, 76) of two clamping devices (60, 70), and then performing a relative movement between the clamp (52) and the clamping device (60, 70) so that the length (L) of the first side (6, 7) of the laundry article (5) adjacent to the one corner (2) is hung by the clamp (52) on the clamping jaws (63, 65, 73, 75) of the two clamping devices (60, 70); c) gripping the length (L) of the first edge (6, 7) of the laundry article (5) with the clamping devices (60, 70) and releasing the laundry article portion (P3) from the clamps (52); d) with the laundry item (5) hanging from the two clamping devices (60, 70), moving the two clamping devices (60, 70) away from each other along the first side (6, 7) to position the two opposing second and third sides (6, 7) of the laundry item (5); e) advancing the laundry article (5) hanging from the two clamping devices (60, 70) in a first machine direction (D1), preferably with the rear (T) of the laundry article (5) resting on a receiving surface (80); A method comprising:

15. 15. The method of claim 14, comprising performing alignment of the laundry item (5) with respect to the first machine direction (D1) by moving the two clamping devices (60, 70) relative to each other along the first machine direction (D1).

16. 15. A method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said moving step d) is carried out while said laundry item (5) hangs freely from said two clamping devices (60, 70).

17. Before step b), each of the laundry items (5) is passed to the clamps (52) while hanging from grippers (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5) in an obliquely stretched configuration, 16. A method according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the portion (P3) near or at one corner (2) is a hanging portion (P3) of the laundry article (5).

18. 17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein to perform step b), the clamp (52) passes over the lower jaws (63, 65, 73, 75) of the two clamping devices (60, 70) in the gap (400).

19. the moving step d) is carried out successively by first moving one of the clamping devices (70) along the first side (6, 7) until it reaches one of the opposing second and third sides (6, 7), and then moving the other clamping device (60) along the first side (6, 7) until it reaches the other one of the opposing sides (6, 7); 18. A method according to any of claims 13 to 17, wherein said movement preferably involves sliding contact between said laundry item (5) and said fixed one of said clamping devices.

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