Material or article handling – Laundry handling device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-12
2001-09-11
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Material or article handling
Laundry handling device
C198S455000, C198S468200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287066
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to devices for separating and/or grasping items of laundry having a gripping device for grasping preferably individual items of laundry from a pile of laundry or the like, and having a transfer means which takes over the item of laundry grasped by the gripping means and transports it on further having a gripping device for grasping preferably individual items of laundry from a pile of laundry or the like, and having a transfer means which takes over the item of laundry grasped by the gripping means and transports in on further and/or a stockpiling means for the items of laundry.
2. Prior Art
Washed items of laundry usually leave a washing machine in a pile. Before the items of laundry coming out of a washing machine in this manner pass through further laundry treatments in the laundry sector, for example, are put through a mangle, the (still damp) items of laundry leaving the washing machine in a pile have to be separated. The aim is to mechanize this procedure of separating the items of laundry or other textile articles.
Devices which grasp individual items of laundry from the pile of laundry are already known. However, these known devices have been shown to frequently make mistakes. Also, occasionally several items of laundry are grasped at the same time. As a result, it is not possible for the items of laundry to be separated reliably. In consequence, the known devices of this type are subject to losses in efficiency.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Taking this as the starting point, the invention is based on the object of providing a method and a device for reliably and efficiently separating and/or grasping items of laundry.
A method for achieving this object is disclosed herein. The fact that the transfer means transports the respective item of laundry on through a gap means that even heavy items of laundry can reliably be pulled out of the pile of laundry. Above all, this is the case even if other items of laundry are wrapped around the item of laundry to be separated in each case, because the transporting of the item of laundry through the gap enables relatively large tensile forces to be imparted to the item of laundry. The gap furthermore ensures that only individual items of laundry are taken over by the transfer means and transported on further.
It is furthermore proposed to change the width of the gap during the transfer procedure. The grasped items of laundry can be moved through into the initially open gap by means of a gripping member. During a subsequent reduction in the width of the gap, the item of laundry is coupled up to one part of the transfer means, which part bounds the gap on one side. This part is preferably designed as a revolving conveyor which acts on one side of the item of laundry. Should several items of laundry have been grasped, only the lowermost item of laundry comes into contact with that part of the transfer means which serves for the coupling up and this means that the other item of laundry drops, if the gripping member for lifting up at least some of the items of laundry opens. After only a single item of laundry has been coupled up in this manner to one part of the transfer means, the gap is closed further until parts of the transfer means which bound the gap on both sides bear against opposite sides of the item of laundry. Using the necessary force, the transfer means is then able to completely pull the separated item of laundry out of the pile of laundry.
A device for achieving the object on which the invention comprises a gripping device for grasping preferably individual items of laundry from a pile of laundry or the like, and having a transfer means which takes over the item of laundry grasped by the gripping means and transports it on further, wherein the transfer means is formed from a conveyor and a pressure member that cooperates with the conveyor, and the transfer means has a gap through which the respective item of laundry can be transported. The transfer means, which is provided with a gap which is preferably variable in size, ensures that individual items of laundry are transferred and that they are reliably transported on further. The gap of the transfer means permits a frictional resistance which meets the requirements and which makes it possible reliably to separate the items of laundry, even under difficult conditions, and to pull them out completely from the pile of laundry.
According to a preferred development of the invention, the transfer means essentially comprises a conveyor and a pressure member which co-operates therewith. The gap is then formed between, in particular, one part of the conveyor and the pressure member. Conveyor and pressure member thus bound opposite sides of the gap. The respective item of laundry can be moved through between the conveyor and the pressure member. The conveyor, which is driven in a revolving manner, pulls the respective item of laundry through the gap which is formed in this manner. If the need arises, it is also possible for a pressure roller, which forms the pressure member, to be driven preferably synchronously with respect to the conveyor. It is also conceivable, however, for the pressure roller to be designed such that it can rotate freely, with the result that it is moved by the item of laundry pulled through the gap.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the width of the gap can be varied. For this purpose, the distance between the conveyor and the pressure roller can be changed by an appropriate movement of the conveyor or of the pressure roller. If appropriate, it is even possible for both of them to be moveable. Preferably, however, only the conveyor is pivoted in order to change the width of the gap. By this means, it is initially only the conveyor which is coupled up to an item of laundry. While the gap is still so large that the pressure roller has not yet made any contact with the item of laundry, a further separating procedure takes place if several items of laundry should have been grasped during the preceding gripping procedure, because only the lower item of laundry (which is bearing against the pivotal conveyor) is coupled up to the conveyor and the items of laundry lying above the lower one slip off from the (lower) item of laundry coupled up to the conveyor.
A further, independent achievement of the object, which can also be a further development of the above described device, comprises a gripping device for grasping the items of laundry, and having a stockpiling means for the items of laundry, wherein the stockpiling means has at least one temporary storage facility. In accordance therewith, the stockpiling means, from which the items of laundry are removed individually, is assigned at least one temporary storage facility. The temporary storage facility can be loaded with items of laundry while items of laundry are still being removed from the stockpiling means. The items of laundry can be supplied rapidly to the stockpiling means from the temporary storage facility without there having to be an interruption for this purpose in the procedure for removing items of laundry in a separated fashion from the stockpiling means. In this manner, the stockpiling means can be loaded with new items of laundry in a simple and also time-saving manner. The stockpiling means can be supplied with items of laundry from the temporary storage facility when the last item of laundry has been removed from the stockpiling means. However, it is conceivable for the stockpiling means to be supplied with new items of laundry from the temporary storage facility if there are still items of laundry in the stockpiling means. This means that special checking measures are not needed to ensure that there is always a sufficient number of items of laundry in the stockpiling means.
A further device for independently achieving the object mentioned at the beginning, or else for developing the above described devices, has the features of claim
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. Changing the shape of the stockpiling means enables individual items of laun
Heinz Engelbert
Mehrhoff Friedhelm
Olivieri Andreas
Dillon, Jr. Joe
Ellis Christopher P.
Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH & Co.
Technoprop Colton LLC
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