Laundry Folding Machine with Emblem Detection for Visibility Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing folding machines often fail to ensure that emblems on laundry items are visible on the outside after folding, as they are randomly located and not always accounted for in the folding process.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that use a detection system to determine the presence of emblems on laundry items before folding, adjusting the folding process to ensure emblems are always visible on the outside, either on top or bottom, by guiding longitudinal edge strips accordingly during longitudinal and transverse folding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional folding machines fold laundry items with random emblem positioning, then the folding process is simple and fast, but the emblems are not always visible on the outside after folding
Solution Approach 1:
The detection device identifies emblem presence and position on the laundry item before the folding process begins. This preliminary detection allows the control unit to pre-determine the optimal folding direction, ensuring emblems will be visible after folding without adding complex real-time adjustments during the folding operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding machine dynamically adjusts its operation based on detected emblem characteristics. The control unit modifies folding parameters (direction, sequence) according to the specific emblem configuration detected, making the folding process adaptive rather than fixed, thereby ensuring emblem visibility while maintaining operational efficiency.
2Reliability
If the folding machine always folds in the same direction, then the device complexity is low, but emblems may be covered and not visible on the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The folding machine dynamically adjusts its operation based on detected emblem characteristics. The control unit modifies folding parameters (direction, sequence) according to the specific emblem configuration detected, making the folding process adaptive rather than fixed, thereby ensuring emblem visibility while maintaining operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection device provides feedback about emblem position and orientation to the control unit, which then adjusts the folding direction accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that the folding machine responds to the specific characteristics of each laundry item, guaranteeing emblem visibility without requiring complex manual intervention.
3Reliability
If a detection device is added to identify emblems, then emblem visibility is ensured, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sensing systems with optical detection devices such as cameras or color cameras. These optical systems can identify emblem characteristics non-contactly and provide sufficient information for the control unit to determine optimal folding directions, achieving reliable emblem visibility with relatively simple and cost-effective detection technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection device creates an optical copy or image of the laundry item's surface, allowing the control unit to analyze emblem position and characteristics without physical contact. This copying approach enables accurate emblem detection using standard imaging technology rather than complex mechanical or tactile sensing systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
When folding laundry items (10) bearing emblems (40), it is desirable that the emblems (40) remain visible after the laundry items (10) have been completely folded, by being on the outside and not being covered during folding. To ensure this, the laundry items (10) bearing emblems (40) previously had to be fed into the folding machine the right way round. The invention provides for an imaging device (38) to be arranged at the beginning of the folding machine, which determines whether the emblem (40) of the next laundry item (10) to be folded is located on a top surface (39) of the laundry item (10). If an emblem (40) on the top (39) of the garment (10) is detected by the imaging device (38), the longitudinal folding in a longitudinal folding station (11) is carried out in a different manner than for garments (10) where the imaging device (38) has not detected an emblem (40) on the top (39).The invention makes it possible to automatically fold laundry items (10) with an emblem (40) on any side or without an emblem (40) by ensuring that the emblems (40) are always freely visible on the outside.