Method and device for spreading laundry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry spreading technologies face challenges in reliably and gently spreading laundry without excessive stretching, often requiring time-consuming measurements of the laundry's edge length and slope during the spreading process.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that measure the edge length of laundry pieces before spreading, using contactless distance measurement from above to determine the slope and length of the upper edge, allowing the spreading device to drive the clips apart to the maximum permissible distance without stretching, thus ensuring quick and precise spreading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If real-time measurement of laundry edge length is performed during spreading, then spreading precision is improved, but cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by measuring the laundry piece dimensions (edge length, slope) before the spreading process begins. The detection device captures measurements of the laundry piece as it is fed into the spreading device, and these pre-obtained measurements are used to control the spreading clamps' movement. This eliminates the need for real-time measurements during spreading, thereby reducing cycle time while maintaining spreading precision.
2Productivity
If spreading clips are driven apart to maximum distance, then spreading efficiency is improved, but laundry damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by using detection devices to measure the actual dimensions of the laundry piece (edge length, slope between corner areas) and using these measurements to control the spreading clamps' movement. The control system adjusts the clamps' driving distance based on the measured values, ensuring they separate to the maximum permissible distance without exceeding it. This prevents excessive stretching and damage while maintaining high spreading efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the spreading clamps' driving distance based on the measured laundry piece parameters (edge length, slope). Instead of using a fixed predetermined distance, the system calculates the optimal separation distance based on actual measurements, allowing the clamps to adapt to variations in laundry dimensions and prevent damage while maximizing spreading efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If measurement is performed during spreading, then measurement accuracy is improved, but spreading speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by performing measurements in advance during the feeding phase, before spreading begins. The detection device measures the laundry piece's edge length and slope as it is fed into the spreading device, capturing accurate dimensional data without interrupting or slowing down the subsequent spreading operation. This preliminary measurement approach ensures measurement precision is maintained while spreading speed remains high.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the cycle time of the spreading process by eliminating the need for real-time measurements during spreading, ensuring the laundry is spread without excessive stretching and damage.
Implementation Method 1
it is planned to measure the edge areas even before the corner areas of the edge of the laundry piece to the spreading clips with the corner areas arranged in front of the spreading device. This can preferably be determined by the length of the corner area, which is held between holding materials over the width of the laundry section (seen in the feed direction), the edge that is in particular, in particular the forward cross, the respective laundry. The length of the front edge to be extended by the spreading device, in particular the front cross, the respective laundry piece is known before it spreads. As a result, the expansion device is freed from determining the length and/ or the slope of the edge of the respective laundry piece and thereby shortens the spreading process, in particular its cycle time. It provides for the procedure to determine the length of the upper edge of the laundry piece from the same piece of the laundry, which is arranged above the same, at least one detection means by a contactless distance measurement.
Data Source
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AI summary
Laundry items (10) are spread out by feeding machines in laundries and, in their spread-out state, are fed, for example, to a mangle. Detection means are known for monitoring the spreading process. These detection means have previously been assigned to a spreading device of the feeding machine. This can reduce the feeder machine's cycle time. Furthermore, known detection means measure the sag of the transverse edge (17) from the side. Objects in the background can therefore distort the measurement result. The invention provides for measuring the length of the transverse edge (17) of the laundry item (10) to be spread out before the spreading device, preferably from above. This makes it possible to individually determine the length of the transverse edge (17) for each individual laundry item (10) before the laundry item (10) is in the spreading device.The length measurement of the transverse edge (17) determined before the spreading device can then be used to selectively control the spreading clamps of the spreading device in order to spread the transverse edge (17) as far as possible gently.