Laundry Folding Position Correction for Overlap Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry folding machines often produce suboptimal results due to overlap differences in transverse folding, leading to impaired folding quality, which can only be corrected by adjusting mechanical settings requiring downtime and expertise, often not performed due to cost considerations.
Innovation Solution
A method that automatically detects and compensates for overlap differences during the folding process by adjusting the folding position based on measurements of laundry items, ensuring that subsequent items are folded with reduced or eliminated overlap, thereby maintaining optimal folding quality without interrupting the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanical settings of the folding machine are adjusted to reduce overlap difference, then folding quality is improved, but machine downtime increases and requires skilled fitter intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously measures the actual position of transverse edges using detection means and feeds this information back to the control device. The control device automatically adjusts the folding position based on measured overlap differences, eliminating the need for manual mechanical adjustments by skilled fitters and preventing machine downtime while maintaining high folding quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment of folding machine settings with an automated optical/electronic measurement and control system. Detection means measure overlap differences and the control device automatically corrects positioning, substituting the need for skilled fitter intervention and mechanical adjustments with an automated sensing and control system
2Manufacturing precision
If skilled fitter adjusts mechanical settings to reduce overlap difference, then folding quality is improved, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The folding machine performs self-correction through automated detection and control. The system independently measures overlap differences and adjusts folding positions without requiring external skilled fitter intervention, thereby reducing operational costs while maintaining high folding quality through self-service capability
3Measurement precision
If transverse edges are detected shortly before transverse fold point, then overlap difference is determined with high reliability, but measurement timing becomes critical
Solution Approach 1:
The detection means measure the position of transverse edges before the actual folding action occurs. By detecting edge positions in advance and calculating the required folding position based on these measurements, the system ensures accurate overlap compensation while maintaining simple timing control through preliminary measurement and calculation
Data Source
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AI summary
When folding items of laundry (10) transversely, several layers are placed one on top of the other so that they overlap. In order to achieve optimum folding quality, efforts are made to overlap layers of equal length. In practice, this is rarely possible. As a rule, the layers are of unequal length, so that there is an overlap difference. The invention provides for eliminating or at least minimizing the overlap difference by determining whether an overlap difference is present and correcting the overlap difference, if any, that has been determined for the transverse folding of the next item of laundry (10). As a result, detected overlapping differences can be automatically compensated, at least for the most part.