System and method for garment-to-garment recycling

Abstract

The present invention provides an automatic visual inspection device for cloth opening. The device comprises a camera unit, which captures materials to be tested having a predetermined weight and subjected to first process treatment so as to generate a first image; and a controller, which grades parameters of said captured materials and preset thresholds, and performs distribution on said materials on the basis of a grading result so as to convey said materials to a second process or convey said materials back to the first process. Further disclosed in the present invention are a system and method for garment-to-garment recycling.

Description

Systems and methods for garment-to-garment recycling Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of clothing recycling, and in particular to a system and method for clothing-to-clothing recycling. Background Art

[0002] The garment-to-garment (G2G) recycling system involves a compact production line used in the textile industry to recycle old clothes into ready-made garments. It is designed to recycle pre- or post-consumption garments and produce new garments that can be worn or sold through a series of processes such as disinfection and regeneration. The system can be installed and operated in a limited space (such as a container) and can explore business and educational models for the circular economy of textile machinery recycling. With its vibration-resistant, low-noise, low-dust, and wastewater-reducing design, the system minimizes interference with the surrounding environment and can be configured to operate in community spaces such as shopping malls. The system's process does not include dyeing the fabric, which significantly enhances the system's environmental friendliness.

[0003] WO2020198957A1 discloses a garment-to-garment system for making new garments by recycling discarded garments, which avoids or minimizes the possibility of generating wastewater by performing anhydrous disinfection on discarded garments through ozone fumigation. Specifically, the fabric pieces of the disinfected discarded garments are loosened and dust is removed to form fiber clusters, which are then loosened and impurities are removed to form fiber clumps. The fiber clumps are anhydrous disinfected by ozone fumigation or UV-C radiation. Advantageously, the fiber clumps are unfolded to form a fiber web during the disinfection process. The exposed surface area of ​​the fiber web is significantly higher than the surface area of ​​the discarded clothing, thereby improving the effectiveness of disinfection. New garments are then formed from the disinfected fiber clumps through standard garment manufacturing processes. The application details the process for disinfecting recycled clothes and is incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] The system and method for garment-to-garment recycling disclosed in this application comprises a complete and miniaturized production line, which may include disinfection, opening, cleaning, visual inspection, carding, drawing, rotor spinning, roving, ring spinning, winding, doubling and twisting, and knitting and other process flows.

[0005] Currently, there are no such miniaturized systems for garment-to-garment recycling on the market. The system of the present invention can be operated in a confined container, features environmentally friendly features such as noise reduction and dust removal, and covers the complete garment-to-garment recycling and recycling process. Therefore, the miniaturized G2G system can be developed for a variety of applications, such as placement in shopping malls for business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) commerce, research and development (R&D), education, and promotional purposes. The system transforms recycled clothing into custom-made new garments (ready-to-wear) through a series of processes, which is environmentally friendly and resource-efficient. The system's process utilizes waterless disinfection and eliminates the need for fabric dyeing, further reducing environmental pollution. Visual inspection, diversion, and automatic conveying of the opened fibers prior to carding increase the level of automation and facilitate adaptation to limited spaces. The diversion enables the direct formation of carded sliver during the carding process. Yarn spinning utilizes both rotor and ring spinning methods, meeting different recycling requirements and broadening the application range of regenerated fibers. Shorter or longer fibers are spun using rotors, while fibers not suitable for rotor spinning (such as cashmere or other high-quality fibers) are spun using rings to improve yarn quality. Customers can customize garments created by the system based on their body shape data from a 3D body scanner.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The system and method for garment-to-garment recycling disclosed in the present invention describe a complete and compact industrial chain, providing a container-sized automated production line and a customized system that can achieve tailor-made clothing.

[0008] Specifically, the present invention discloses an automated visual inspection device for fabric loosening, comprising: a camera unit, which photographs a material to be tested of a predetermined weight processed by a first process to generate a first image, and a controller, which rates the parameters of the photographed material to be tested against a preset threshold value, and diverts the material to be tested according to the rating result, so as to transport the material to be tested to a second process or back to the first process.

[0009] In some embodiments, the controller includes an image processing unit, which processes the first image to convert the first image into a second image including an unopened cloth area and an unopened yarn boundary.

[0010] In some embodiments, the above processing includes converting the first image into an HSV color model and extracting a foreground image of the material to be tested based on the hue characteristics of the image background.

[0011] In some embodiments, the above processing includes fusing the first image and the foreground image to detect the unopened cloth area.

[0012] In some embodiments, the processing includes fusing the first image and the foreground image to detect the boundary of the unopened yarn.

[0013] In some embodiments, the controller rates the degree of opening of the material to be tested based on the size of the unopened cloth area and the proportion of the area defined by the unopened cloth area and the boundary of the unopened yarn to the foreground image. When the opening level is lower than a preset threshold, a first signal is sent to automatically transport the material to be tested back to the first process; otherwise, a second signal is sent to automatically transport the material to be tested to the second process.

[0014] In some embodiments, the opening level is set to 5 levels, where level 1 is the lowest opening level and level 5 is the highest opening level. Preferably, the preset threshold is set to level 3.

[0015] In some embodiments, the automated visual inspection device for fabric opening further includes a display device, which displays various parameters, the first image, and the second image required by the automated visual inspection device for fabric opening.

[0016] In some embodiments, the camera unit includes a lighting device, which illuminates the material to be tested to facilitate shooting. Preferably, the lighting device is a surface light source with the same width as the conveyor belt carrying the material to be tested.

[0017] In some embodiments, the diversion adopts an automatic conveying device, which includes a conveyor belt carrying the material to be tested and an air power device. Preferably, the automatic conveying device includes a conveyor belt, two-way conveying fans and a cotton box, which respectively send the tested material back to the first process feeding end or the second process. The process is controlled by a controller.

[0018] The present invention further discloses a system for clothing-to-clothing G2G recycling and remanufacturing, comprising: a disinfection unit, which disinfects the recycled clothing and outputs the disinfected fabric; an opening unit, which opens the disinfected fabric and outputs the opened small pieces of fabric, yarn and / or fiber; a bullet cleaning unit, which further loosens the opened small pieces of fabric, yarn and / or fiber and outputs the material to be tested; a visual unit, which is included in the bullet cleaning unit and includes the automatic fabric opening visual detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which automatically detects the opening of the fabric. The visual inspection equipment for opening and polishing fabrics grades the materials to be tested, and diverts the materials to be tested according to the rating results, so as to transport the materials to be tested to the combing section or back to the opening section; the combing section combs the materials to be combed and outputs the combed slivers; the drawing section draws the combed slivers and outputs the slivers to be spun; the spinning section spins the slivers to be spun into single yarns; the doubling and twisting section doubling and twisting the single yarns and outputs ply yarns suitable for knitting garments; and the knitting section weaves the ply yarns into garments.

[0019] In some embodiments, the cleaning section includes a mixing unit for mixing the virgin fibers with the material to be carded according to a preset mixing ratio.

[0020] In some embodiments, the blending unit includes a blending database, which determines a preset blending ratio based on the material and quality of the recycled clothes, predicts the yarn quality under different blending strategies, and makes recommendations to operators.

[0021] In some embodiments, the combing section includes a cover combing unit and a roller combing unit. The material to be combed is first combed by the roller combing unit. If the main component of the material to be combed is wool fiber, it is directly output into combed strips after roller combing. Otherwise, the material to be combed is automatically transported to the cover combing unit for cover combing after roller combing, and is output into combed strips after cover combing.

[0022] In some embodiments, the drawing section includes an active sliver guide frame and a sliver coiler. The active sliver guide frame can automatically feed the combed slivers in a limited space and collect the combed slivers in the sliver coiler.

[0023] In some embodiments, the spinning section includes a rotor spinning unit and a ring spinning unit. If the sliver to be spun is a fiber not suitable for rotor spinning, it is delivered to the ring spinning unit; otherwise, it is delivered to the rotor spinning unit.

[0024] In some embodiments, the fiber not suitable for rotor spinning includes cashmere fiber.

[0025] In some embodiments, the ring spinning unit includes a roving device, a ring spinning device, and a winding device.

[0026] In some embodiments, the doubling and twisting section further includes two-spindle twisting units.

[0027] In some embodiments, the system for garment-to-garment G2G recycling further includes an ordering department, through which customers order garments. Preferably, customers can intuitively monitor the progress of recycling through a G2G progress page provided by the ordering department.

[0028] In some embodiments, the customization department further includes a customer body shape feature unit, which includes customer body shape feature data. The customer body shape feature data is provided to the knitting department, and the knitting department knits ready-made clothes that meet the customer's body shape characteristics for the customer based on the customer's body shape feature data.

[0029] In some embodiments, the customer's body shape feature data comes from a 3D body scanning device.

[0030] In some embodiments, the customization department selects clothing styles for customers based on the customer's body shape feature data and recommends appropriate sizes. Alternatively, the customer browses and selects the desired clothing styles through the G2G clothing style page provided by the customization department.

[0031] In some embodiments, the system for garment-to-garment G2G recycling further includes a material tracking unit, which monitors the status of each process of the system online and automatically collects and stores data and status. The material tracking unit includes an input device for a user to input control instructions and data and an output device for displaying data and status to the user.

[0032] In some embodiments, the material tracking unit further includes a sensing unit including one or more temperature sensors and one or more humidity sensors, and the material tracking unit collects temperature and humidity data of the system.

[0033] On the other hand, the present disclosure also discloses a method for garment-to-garment recycling, comprising the following steps: disinfecting the recycled clothes and outputting the disinfected fabric; opening the disinfected fabric and outputting the opened small pieces of fabric, yarn and / or fiber; cleaning the opened small pieces of fabric, yarn and / or fiber and outputting the material to be tested; detecting the material to be tested by the automated fiber visual inspection equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 10, rating the parameters of the material to be tested with a preset threshold value, thereby determining the degree of opening of the material to be tested, and when the opening grade is lower than the preset threshold value, conveying the material to be tested back to the opening and cleaning step, otherwise conveying the material to be tested to the combing step; combing the material to be combed and outputting the combed strips; drawing the combed strips and outputting the strips to be spun; spinning the strips to be spun into single yarns; drawing and doubling the single yarns and outputting ply yarns suitable for knitting into garments; and knitting garments with the ply yarns.

[0034] In some embodiments, before the carding step, the method further comprises mixing the virgin fibers with the material to be carded according to the mixing ratio predicted and set by the mixing database.

[0035] In some embodiments, in the combing step, the material to be combed is first roller combed. If the main component of the material to be combed is wool fiber, it is directly output as combed strips after roller combing. Otherwise, the material that has undergone roller combing is automatically transported for cover plate combing and is output as combed strips after cover plate combing.

[0036] In some embodiments, in the spinning step, fibers that are not suitable for rotor spinning are subjected to roving, ring spinning, and winding steps, and otherwise are subjected to rotor spinning. Preferably, the fibers that are not suitable for rotor spinning include cashmere fibers.

[0037] Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The foregoing and further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, which are provided by way of example only and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and that, without prejudice to an understanding of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale nor are all details fully illustrated. In the drawings:

[0039] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a system for garment-to-garment recycling according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of a disinfection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] FIG3A shows a schematic diagram of an opening section and a cleaning section according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] FIG3B shows a schematic diagram of an interface of a hybrid database according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of a roller combing unit and a flat combing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively;

[0044] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of a drawing section according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] 6A to 6D respectively show schematic diagrams of a rotor spinning unit, a roving device, a ring spinning device and a winding device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] 7A and 7B are schematic diagrams of a doubling and two-for-one twisting section and a two-spindle two-for-one twisting unit, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of a knitted portion according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] 9A to 9D are schematic diagrams respectively showing customer body shape feature data, a 3D body scanning device, a G2G clothing style page provided by the ordering department, and a G2G progress page provided by the ordering department according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] FIG10 shows a schematic diagram of an automated fiber visual inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] 11A to 11C are schematic diagrams showing a recycling clothing tracking barcode, a QR code scanner, and a start QR code and an end QR code attached to a machine, representing the start and end of a process at the machine, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] FIG11D shows a schematic diagram of an interface of a material tracking unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] FIG12 shows a flow chart of a method for garment-to-garment recycling according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] For ease of description, terms such as "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," and any variations thereof are used to explain the position of a component or the position of one component relative to another component and are not intended to be limiting to a particular orientation or position. Terms such as "first," "second," and the like are used herein to describe various components, elements, regions, portions, and the like and are not intended to be limiting.

[0054] When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the preferred embodiments thereof, the words "a," "an," and "the" are not intended to denote a limitation of quantity, but rather to denote the presence of at least one item unless otherwise specified or clearly contradicted by context. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," "comprising," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the embodiments of the present invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0056] It should be understood that, if any prior art publication is cited herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in any country.

[0057] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system 100 for garment-to-garment recycling according to an embodiment of the present invention. System 100 is integrated into a container with a limited space and includes a disinfection section 110, an opening section 120, a bullet cleaning section 130, a visual section 132, a combing section 140, a drawing section 150, a spinning section 160, a doubling and twisting section 170, and a knitting section 180. The combing section 140 includes a roller combing unit 142 and a flat combing unit 144. The spinning section 160 includes a rotor spinning unit 162 and a ring spinning unit 164. The ring spinning unit 164 includes a roving device 164A, a ring spinning device 164B, and a winding device 164C. The doubling and twisting section 170 includes a doubling unit 172 and a twisting unit 174, and preferably further includes a two-spindle twisting unit 176. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above components, units, and devices are not required. For example, if the recycled garments are unused garments, they do not need to pass through the disinfection unit 110; if the customer only requires ply yarn, the knitting unit 180 is not required, and so on. Furthermore, two or more of the above components can be integrated into a single unit. The above components can have different spatial layouts where appropriate, and the system processes do not necessarily need to be executed in the sequential order indicated by the numbers above.

[0058] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a disinfection unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The disinfection unit 110 disinfects one or more pieces of recycled clothing 111 to remove microorganisms on the clothes and outputs the disinfected fabric. The disinfection unit 110 includes an ozone fumigation box 112 and, optionally, may also include an ultraviolet radiation lamp 114. The disinfection unit 110 has an input device 116 and an output device 118 to facilitate control and inspection by the operator. WO2020198957A1 discloses a method of waterless disinfection using ozone fumigation or ultraviolet rays. Other methods known in the art may also be used, such as high-temperature disinfection.

[0059] Figure 3A shows a schematic diagram of the opening section 120 and the cleaning section 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The opening section 120 opens the sterilized cloth and outputs small pieces of cloth, yarn and / or fiber. The opening process is the process of tearing large fiber clumps and blocks into small pieces and small bundles. Opening reduces the scale of the lateral connection of the fibers, creating conditions for further loosening to a single state in the future. After opening and cleaning, the sterilized cloth is broken into small pieces of cloth (rags), yarn and / or fiber. The cleaning section 130 further opens the small pieces of cloth, yarn and / or fiber output by the opening section 120 and outputs the material to be tested 314. The material to be tested 314 is then input into the visual section 132 for visual inspection. The visual section 132 may be included in the cleaning section 130, and the visual section 132 will be described in detail later. Figure 3A shows an all-in-one opening and cleaning machine. Optionally, the cleaning section 130 further includes a mixing unit for mixing the virgin fibers with the material to be combed output from the cleaning section 130 to the combing section 140 according to a preset mixing ratio.

[0060] 3B shows a schematic diagram of the interface of the hybrid database 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mixing unit includes a hybrid database 200, which determines a pre-set mixing ratio based on the material and quality of the recycled clothes. The material mixing strategy, that is, the mixing ratio of virgin fiber and regenerated fiber (i.e., the material to be combed), affects the processing and recycling quality. The operator can input information such as the structure, clothing type, new and old condition, content, thickness and weight of the recycled clothes into the hybrid database 200. The hybrid database 200 predicts the yarn quality under different blending strategies based on the input information and makes suggestions to the operator, which can benefit both experienced and novice operators. In order to improve product quality, the inventor established a hybrid database 200 based on experience and test data from hundreds of experiments. According to the tests, the suggestions proposed have been proven to be effective and have improved the quality of the yarn.

[0061] Figures 4A and 4B respectively illustrate schematic diagrams of a roller combing unit 142 and a flat combing unit 144 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The combing unit 140 combs the material to be combed and outputs combed slivers. The material to be combed is first combed by the roller combing unit. If the material to be combed is primarily composed of wool fibers, it is directly output as combed slivers after roller combing. Otherwise, the material to be combed is automatically transferred from the roller combing unit to the flat combing unit for further combing, and then output as combed slivers after flat combing.

[0062] A carding machine is a spinning machine that combs pre-processed spinning raw materials into single fibers, forming a thin web of fibers, which are then assembled into fiber strips. The carding machine combs the cotton bundles and arranges them in the same direction. Roller-type carding machines are suitable for combing wool fibers, while flat-type carding machines can further comb cotton fibers and cotton-like chemical fibers. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the carding unit 140 is not limited to roller carding or flat-type carding; other methods, such as cashmere carding machines and semi-worsted carding machines, can also be used.

[0063] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of the drawing section 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The drawing section 150 draws the combed slivers and outputs slivers to be spun. The function of the drawing machine is to improve the internal structure of the fiber sliver, thereby improving the uniformity of its long segments, while reducing the weight unevenness, making the fibers in the fiber sliver straight and parallel, reducing hooks, ensuring that the fineness meets the requirements, and making raw materials of different types or qualities evenly mixed to achieve the specified mixing ratio. During the drawing process, multiple fiber slivers are pulled together to form straightened units, thereby improving uniformity. The drawing section 150 includes an active guide frame 152 and a coiler 154. The active guide frame 152 can automatically feed the combed slivers within a limited space and collect the combed slivers in the coiler 154, thereby improving the quality of the generated slivers and saving manpower. In order to save space and miniaturize the entire system, the present invention is designed to shorten the size of the active guide frame 152, as shown in FIG5 .

[0064] The spinning section 160 weaves the slivers to be spun into single yarns. The spinning section 160 includes a rotor spinning unit 162 and a ring spinning unit 164. Figures 6A to 6D respectively show schematic diagrams of the rotor spinning unit 162, the roving device 164A, the ring spinning device 164B and the winding device 164C according to an embodiment of the present invention. If the fibers in the material to be carded are fibers that are not suitable for rotor spinning, they are transported to the ring spinning unit 164, otherwise they are transported to the rotor spinning unit 162. Fibers that are not suitable for rotor spinning can be, for example, cashmere fibers or other high-quality fibers. It is well known to those skilled in the art that high-quality fibers are fibers recycled from recycled clothes with looser fabric and yarn structures. The fibers are relatively fine and their length and strength are well maintained. Since there are many recycling factors and there are many types of fabrics and yarns, the selected range will vary according to the recycling factors and the type of fabric or yarn. The ring spinning unit 164 includes a roving device 164A, a ring spinning device 164B, and a winding device 164C.

[0065] Rotor spinning is a form of open-end spinning that uses a rotor to condense single fibers. Because it initially primarily uses airflow, it is also called an air-spinning machine. During the rotor spinning process, the drafted fiber strips are fed into a high-speed rotor and spun into single yarn. Rotor spinning offers high spinning speeds, a large winding capacity, and is well-suited for spinning low-grade cotton and waste noil, while also significantly improving the working environment. Rotor spinning has a short process and cannot produce very high counts. Ring spinning is a form of non-open-end spinning that utilizes true twist. Ring spinning machines have an annular steel ring that twists coarse staple fibers into yarn, which is then passed through the ring and wound onto a bobbin. Ring spinning is widely used for spinning and twisting various fibers. Single yarns spun by ring spinning machines are relatively strong and high-quality. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the spinning section 160 is not limited to rotor spinning or ring spinning and can also employ other methods, such as vortex spinning and air-jet spinning.

[0066] The introduction of the ring spinning unit 164 expands the range of fibers suitable for rotor spinning and improves yarn quality. Fibers not suitable for rotor spinning, such as cashmere and other high-quality fibers, can be ring-spun to enhance their yarn strength, facilitating further knitting. High-quality regenerated fibers can also be ring-spun to produce finer yarns, which can then be fed into two yarns during the knitting process, further improving the quality of knitted garments.

[0067] Before ring spinning, the drawn sliver undergoes a roving process to create a coarse yarn with a protective twist, reducing the yarn density. Winding, also known as coning, involves converting bobbins or hanks of yarn onto a coning machine to produce packages that meet specific requirements. Combining multiple bobbins into a large package eliminates yarn defects and improves yarn quality.

[0068] FIG7A shows a schematic diagram of a doubling and twisting section 170 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The doubling and twisting section 170 doubling and twisting the single yarns, and outputs ply yarns suitable for knitting into garments. The doubling and twisting section 170 includes a doubling unit 172 and a doubling unit 174, and preferably further includes a two-spindle doubling unit 176. FIG7B shows a schematic diagram of a two-spindle doubling unit 176 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Doubling can combine two single yarns to form a double yarn. During doubling, the double yarn is fed into the two-spindle doubling unit 176, which can twist the double yarn into ply yarn to enhance strength and balance torque.

[0069] FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of a knitted portion 180 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The knitted portion 180 is knitted into a garment using ply yarn. The garment may be, for example, a sweater or a knitted skirt. A fully fashioned knitting machine may be used to make the new garment.

[0070] Figures 9A to 9D respectively illustrate schematic diagrams of customer body shape feature data 192, a 3D body scanner 194, a G2G clothing style page 196 provided by the customization department 190, and a G2G progress page 198 provided by the customization department 190, according to an embodiment of the present invention. System 100 further includes the customization department 190. The customization department 190 further includes a customer body shape feature unit, which can provide tailored clothing to customers. The customer body shape feature unit includes the customer body shape feature data 192, as shown in Figure 9A . Optionally, the customer body shape feature data 192 is provided to the knitting department 180. The knitting department 180 knits a garment that conforms to the customer's body shape based on the customer body shape feature data 192. The customer body shape feature data comes from the 3D body scanner 194, as shown in Figure 9B . The customer body shape feature unit can extract the customer body shape feature data 192 from the 3D body scanner 194. Optionally, the ordering department 190 recommends appropriate sizes for clothing styles based on the customer's body shape data 192. Customers can browse and select desired clothing styles using the G2G clothing style page 196 provided by the ordering department 190, as shown in Figure 9C . Customers can visually monitor the progress of recycling using the G2G progress page 198 provided by the ordering department 190, as shown in Figure 9D . Once the garment is ready, the ordering department 190 will notify the customer via email, text message, or other means to collect the garment and provide a customer experience survey for feedback on the product and services.

[0071] The present invention provides a combined machine that integrates opening, cleaning and combing. The combined opening, cleaning and combing machine may include an automated visual inspection device 300 for fabric opening after the cleaning operation. Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of an automated visual inspection device 300 for fabric opening according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automated visual inspection device 300 for fabric opening evaluates the cleaning output, determines the degree of opening of the fabric material, and then decides to re-open and re-clean to reduce the impact of unopened fabric / yarn on the subsequent roller combing machine. The automated visual inspection device 300 for fabric opening can reduce the manpower required for machine operation and monitoring. The automated visual inspection device 300 for fabric opening is placed at the visual section 132 of the system 100, which diverts the material to be tested 314 and outputs the material to be combed to the combing section 140 or transports it back to the feeding end of the opening section 120.

[0072] The automated cloth opening visual inspection device 300 includes a camera unit 310. Optionally, the automated fiber visual inspection device 300 includes a conveyor belt 312, and the material to be tested 314 of a predetermined weight that has undergone opening and cleaning (first process) is conveyed to the bottom of the camera unit 310 via the conveyor belt 312 for easy shooting. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the material to be tested 314 can also be placed on other conveying devices for shooting. The camera unit 310 can be equipped with one or more lighting devices, which illuminate the material to be tested 314 for easy shooting. Preferably, the lighting device selects a surface light source with the same width as the conveyor belt 312. The camera unit 310 shoots the material to be tested 314 of a predetermined weight that has been processed in the first process to generate a first image 320. The lighting device can select an LED light source. The light source of the lighting device is not limited to a visible light source. For example, infrared photography processing can also be performed on the graphics.

[0073] The automated visual inspection equipment 300 for fabric opening includes a controller. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the controller is networked with the programmable logic controller (PLC) of the opening, cleaning, and combing machine. In other embodiments, the controller can also be integrated with the PLC of the opening, cleaning, and combing machine. Alternatively, the controller can be another controller capable of performing the aforementioned functions when operated independently of the machine. Controllers may be implemented in the form of a central processing unit (CPU), a single-chip microcomputer (MCU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a system on a chip (SoC), and the like. The controller compares the parameters of the imaged material 314 to preset thresholds and, based on the rating results, diverts the material 314 to a second process or back to the first process. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second process is the combing process in the combing section 140. The controller may include an image processing unit. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the image processing unit processes the first image 320, converting it into a second image 322 containing the unopened fabric area and the unopened yarn boundaries. Preferably, the image processing unit converts the first image 320 into the HSV color model and extracts the foreground image of the material to be tested based on the hue characteristics of the image background. Preferably, the image processing unit fuses the first image and the foreground image to detect the unopened fabric area. Preferably, the image processing unit fuses the first image and the foreground image to detect the unopened yarn boundary.

[0074] The controller will rate the degree of opening of the fabric based on the size of the unopened fabric area detected in the second image and the proportion of the unopened fabric area and the area bounded by the unopened yarn boundary in the foreground image. When the opening level is below a preset threshold, a first signal (e.g., signal 1 or a high level) is sent to the PLC of the opening-cleaning-combing machine to automatically transport the tested material back to the first process. Otherwise, a second signal (e.g., signal 0 or a low level) is sent to the PLC of the opening-cleaning-combing machine to automatically transport the tested material to the second process. Preferably, the opening level is set to five levels, with level 1 being the lowest opening level and level 5 being the highest opening level. Preferably, the preset threshold is set to level 3.

[0075] In other embodiments, the degree of opening of the fibers 314 to be tested can be estimated, for example, based on parameters such as fiber density and fiber dispersion. Alternatively, the degree of opening can be assessed by dividing the image into a number of subareas. It is understood that the controller can also directly perform quantitative analysis on the first image 320 through mathematical calculations without performing image conversion.

[0076] The automated visual inspection device for fabric opening 300 may include an input device for setting parameters such as the value of the predetermined weight and the preset threshold value according to the type and quality requirements of the material to be tested 314. The automated visual inspection device for fabric opening 300 may further include a display device 330. The display device 330 displays the various parameters required in the automated visual inspection device for fabric opening 300, the first image 320, and the second image 322. Diversion can be achieved by an automatic conveying device, preferably an aerodynamic device and a conveyor belt. In other embodiments, a movable platform and a manipulator can also be used. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the automatic conveying device includes, in addition to the conveyor belt, two conveying fans and a cotton box to respectively send the reflux material back to the first process feeding end and the second process. The process is controlled by a controller.

[0077] System 100 further includes a material tracking unit 400. Material tracking unit 400 monitors the status of each process in system 100 online and automatically collects and stores data and status. Material tracking unit 400 includes an input device for users to input control commands and data. The input device may be a QR code scanner 412. For example, Figures 11A to 11C respectively illustrate a recycled clothing tracking barcode 410, a QR code scanner 412, and a start QR code 414 and an end QR code 416 attached to a machine, representing the start and end of a process at the machine, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Material tracking unit 400 may further include an output device for displaying data and status to the user. Material tracking unit 400 collects temperature and humidity data from system 100 and may further include a sensing unit. The sensing unit may include one or more temperature sensors and one or more humidity sensors. Figure 11D illustrates a schematic interface of material tracking unit 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The interface of material tracking unit 400 may serve as the main control interface of system 100. Optionally, this main control interface may utilize a touch screen for input and display output.

[0078] Figure 12 shows a flow chart of a method 600 for garment-to-garment recycling according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method 600 may include the following steps. The recycled garments are disinfected 610, and the disinfected fabric is output. The disinfected fabric is opened 620, and the opened small pieces of fabric, yarn and / or fiber are output. The opened small pieces of fabric, yarn and / or fiber are cleaned 630, and the material to be tested is output. The degree of opening of the material to be tested is rated 632, and the material to be tested is diverted according to the rating results and transported to the second process (combing) 640 or transported back to the first process (opening) 620. Preferably, the virgin fiber is mixed with the material to be combed according to a predetermined mixing ratio 634. Subsequently, the material to be combed is combed 640, and the combed strips are output. Optionally, during the carding step 640, the material to be carded is first roller-carded 642. A determination is then made 644 as to whether the primary component of the material to be carded is wool fiber. If so, the material to be carded is directly delivered to carded slivers after roller carding 642. Otherwise, the material after roller carding 642 is automatically conveyed to flat-carded 646, where it is delivered to carded slivers. Following the carding step 640, the carded slivers are drawn 650 and delivered as slivers to be spun. Subsequently, the slivers are spun 660 into single yarns. Optionally, during the spinning step 660, a determination is made 664 as to whether the fiber to be spun is not suitable for rotor spinning. If so, the roving 666A, ring spinning 666B, and winding 666C steps are performed. Otherwise, rotor spinning 662 is performed. Fibers not suitable for rotor spinning may be, for example, cashmere or other high-quality fibers. It is well known to those skilled in the art that high-quality fibers are fibers recovered from recycled clothes with looser fabric and yarn structures. The fibers are thinner and have good length and strength. Since there are many recycling factors and there are many types of fabrics and yarns, the selected range will vary according to the recycling factors and the type of fabric or yarn. Subsequently, the single yarn is doubled 670A and twisted 670B to output a ply yarn suitable for knitting into garments. Optionally, after twisting 670B, two-spindle twisting 670C can be further performed to enhance the strength of the ply yarn and balance the torque. Finally, the ply yarn is knitted 680 into garments, such as sweaters, knitted skirts, etc. The above steps are not necessarily necessary steps to implement the present invention, and the order of the above steps can be modified or adjusted within a reasonable range.

[0079] The above detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure or its application and / or uses. It should be understood that a large number of variations exist. The detailed description will enable those skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without undue experimentation, and it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made to the functions and structures described in the exemplary embodiments.

[0080] Benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that make any benefit, advantage, or solution appear or become more apparent should not be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element.

Claims

1. An automatic cloth opening visual inspection device, comprising: a camera unit, the camera unit photographing a material to be tested of a predetermined weight processed by a first process to generate a first image, and A controller is provided for rating the photographed parameters of the material to be tested against a preset threshold value, and for diverting the material to be tested according to the rating result, so as to transport the material to be tested to a second process or back to the first process.

2. The automatic cloth opening visual inspection device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller comprises an image processing unit, which processes the first image and converts it into a second image including an unopened cloth piece area and an unopened yarn boundary.

3. The automatic cloth opening visual inspection device according to claim 2, wherein: The processing includes converting the first image into an HSV color model, and extracting the foreground image of the material to be tested through the hue characteristics of the image background.

4. The automatic cloth opening visual inspection device according to claim 3, wherein: The processing includes fusing the first image and the foreground image to detect the unopened cloth area.

5. The automatic cloth opening visual inspection device according to claim 3, wherein: The processing includes fusing the first image and the foreground image to detect the boundary of the unopened yarn.

6. The automatic cloth opening visual inspection device according to claim 2, wherein: The controller rates the degree of opening of the material to be tested according to the size of the unopened cloth area and the proportion of the area defined by the unopened cloth area and the boundary of the unopened yarn to the foreground image; when the opening level is lower than the preset threshold, the controller sends a first signal to automatically transport the material to be tested back to the first process; otherwise, the controller sends a second signal to automatically transport the material to be tested to the second process.

7. The automatic cloth opening visual inspection device according to claim 6, wherein: The opening level is set to 5 levels, level 1 is the lowest opening level, and level 5 is the highest opening level. Preferably, the preset threshold is set to level 3.

8. The automated visual inspection device for fabric opening as described in claim 2 further comprises a display device, wherein the display device displays various parameters, the first image and the second image required in the automated visual inspection device for fabric opening.

9. The automatic cloth opening visual inspection device according to claim 1, wherein: The camera unit comprises an illumination device, which illuminates the material to be tested to facilitate shooting. Preferably, the illumination device is a surface light source having the same width as a conveyor belt carrying the material to be tested.

10. The automatic cloth opening visual inspection device according to claim 1, wherein: The diversion adopts an automatic conveying device, which includes a conveyor belt and an aerodynamic device that carry the material to be tested. Preferably, the automatic conveying device includes the conveyor belt, two-way conveying fans and a cotton box, which respectively send the tested material back to the first process feeding end or the second process. The process is controlled by the controller.

11. A system for garment-to-garment G2G recycling, comprising: A disinfection unit, wherein the disinfection unit disinfects the recovered clothes and outputs the disinfected clothes; An opening section, which opens the sterilized cloth and outputs the opened small cloth pieces, yarns and / or fibers; A cleaning section, which further loosens the opened small pieces of cloth, yarn and / or fiber, and outputs the material to be tested; A visual section, the visual section is included in the cleaning section, the visual section includes the automatic cloth opening visual inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the automatic cloth opening visual inspection device grades the material to be tested, and diverts the material to be tested according to the grading result, so as to transport the material to be tested to the combing section or back to the opening section; The combing part combs the material to be combed and outputs the combed strips; A drawing section, which draws the combed slivers and outputs slivers to be spun; A spinning section, wherein the spinning section spins the sliver to be spun into single yarn; a doubling and twisting section, which doubling and twisting the single yarns to output ply yarns suitable for knitting garments; and The knitting section weaves the ply yarn into a finished garment.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein: The cleaning section comprises a mixing unit for mixing the virgin fibers with the material to be combed according to a preset mixing ratio.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein: The mixing unit includes a mixing database, which determines the preset mixing ratio according to the material and quality of the recycled clothes, predicts the yarn quality under different blending strategies, and makes suggestions to the operator.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein: The combing section includes a flat combing unit and a roller combing unit. The material to be combed is first combed by the roller combing unit. If the main component of the material to be combed is wool fiber, it is directly output as the combed strips after roller combing. Otherwise, the material to be combed is automatically transported to the flat combing unit for flat combing after roller combing, and is output as the combed strips after flat combing.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein: The drawing section comprises an active sliver guide frame and a sliver coiler. The active sliver guide frame can automatically feed the combed slivers in a limited space and collect the combed slivers in the sliver coiler.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein: The spinning section comprises a rotor spinning unit and a ring spinning unit. If the sliver to be spun is a fiber not suitable for rotor spinning, it is transported to the ring spinning unit; otherwise, it is transported to the rotor spinning unit.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein: The fibers that are not suitable for rotor spinning include cashmere fibers.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein: The ring spinning unit comprises a roving device, a ring spinning device and a winding device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein: The doubling and twisting section further comprises two spindle twisting units.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising an ordering department, through which customers order garments, and preferably, customers intuitively monitor the progress of recycling through a G2G progress page provided by the ordering department.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein: The customization department further includes a customer body shape feature unit, which includes customer body shape feature data. The customer body shape feature data is provided to the knitting department, and the knitting department knits ready-made clothes that meet the customer's body shape features for the customer based on the customer's body shape feature data.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein: The customer's body shape feature data comes from a 3D body scanning device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein: The customization department selects clothing styles for the customer based on the customer's body shape feature data and recommends appropriate sizes. Alternatively, the customer browses and selects the desired clothing styles through the G2G clothing style page provided by the customization department.

24. The system as described in claim 11 further includes a material tracking unit, which monitors the status of each process of the system online and automatically collects and stores data and status. The material tracking unit includes an input device for users to input control instructions and data and an output device for displaying data and status to users.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein: The material tracking unit further includes a sensing unit, wherein the sensing unit includes one or more temperature sensors and one or more humidity sensors, and the material tracking unit collects temperature and humidity data of the system.

26. A method for garment-to-garment recycling, comprising the steps of: Disinfect the recycled clothes and output the disinfected fabrics; Opening the sterilized cloth and outputting the opened small cloth pieces, yarns and / or fibers; Cleaning the small cloth pieces, yarns and / or fibers after opening, and outputting the materials to be tested; The material to be tested is tested by the automated fiber visual inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and the parameters of the material to be tested are rated with a preset threshold value, so as to determine the degree of opening of the material to be tested, and when the opening grade is lower than the preset threshold value, the material to be tested is transported back to the opening and clearing step, otherwise the material to be tested is transported to the combing step; Combing the materials to be combed and outputting the combed strips; Drawing the combed slivers and outputting the slivers to be spun; Spinning the sliver to be spun into single yarn; The single yarn is doubled and twisted for two times to output a ply yarn suitable for knitting into garments; and The ply yarn is used to knit a garment.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein: Before the combing step, the method further includes mixing the virgin fiber with the material to be combed according to the mixing ratio predicted and set by the mixing database.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein: In the combing step, the material to be combed is first roller combed. If the main component of the material to be combed is wool fiber, it is directly output as the combed slivers after roller combing. Otherwise, the material that has undergone roller combing is automatically conveyed for cover plate combing, and is output as the combed slivers after cover plate combing.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein: In the spinning step, the fiber not suitable for rotor spinning is subjected to roving, ring spinning and winding steps, otherwise rotor spinning is performed. Preferably, the fiber not suitable for rotor spinning includes cashmere fiber.

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