EP1586692A2 - Dispositif et procédé pour le pliage de linge - Google Patents

Dispositif et procédé pour le pliage de linge Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1586692A2
EP1586692A2 EP05102642A EP05102642A EP1586692A2 EP 1586692 A2 EP1586692 A2 EP 1586692A2 EP 05102642 A EP05102642 A EP 05102642A EP 05102642 A EP05102642 A EP 05102642A EP 1586692 A2 EP1586692 A2 EP 1586692A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
folding
conveyor belt
laundry
movable plate
item
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP05102642A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1586692A3 (fr
Inventor
Roel Ossewaarde
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
L& P Group BV
Original Assignee
L& P Group BV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by L& P Group BV filed Critical L& P Group BV
Publication of EP1586692A2 publication Critical patent/EP1586692A2/fr
Publication of EP1586692A3 publication Critical patent/EP1586692A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F89/00—Apparatus for folding textile articles with or without stapling

Definitions

  • the invention relates to an apparatus for the folding of laundry, comprising a frame, a first conveyor belt for transporting an item of laundry, above which and at a short distance from which a folding ruler is located which extends in the transport direction, a second conveyor belt for a lateral portion of the item of laundry which is next to the folding ruler and at a higher level than the first conveyor belt, and air blower means present underneath the second conveyor belt and comprising an air outlet directed laterally across the folding ruler.
  • Such an apparatus is used inter alia in laundries such as those working for hospitals, hotels, and the like, where large quantities of laundry (having been washed and dried) are to be folded quickly and inexpensively.
  • the invention also relates to a method of folding an item of laundry by means of such an apparatus.
  • Such an apparatus and such a method are known from a European Patent published on December 2nd, 1998, under no. EP 0 881 320.
  • an item of laundry is transported by a first conveyor belt through the apparatus and is folded (up) therein in one or more steps over a folding ruler present above the conveyor belt.
  • This is effected by air blower means present underneath a second conveyor belt that is at a higher level and next to the folding ruler and that supports a lateral portion of the item of laundry that is to be folded.
  • the air blower means comprise an air outlet adjacent the folding ruler whose blowing action blows the lateral portion of the item of laundry over the folding ruler so that it is folded.
  • the air blower means comprise a further air outlet located underneath the second conveyor belt, by means of which the lateral portion of the item of laundry can be slightly lifted off the second conveyor belt by air. This facilitates the folding of the lateral portion by means of the air outlet. It renders it possible on the one hand to limit the air throughput, and thus the power consumption of the apparatus, and on the other hand to give it a high processing capacity.
  • an apparatus of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph is for this purpose characterized in that the apparatus comprises a movable plate that is located underneath the second conveyor belt at a higher level than the folding ruler and that is provided with displacement means capable of moving the plate laterally over the folding ruler.
  • the presence of the movable plate renders it possible to fold an item of laundry over the folding ruler by means of the movable plate as well as by means of the air blower mechanism, or instead of the latter.
  • the air flow from the air outlet can be reduced in any case here, and thus the total air and power consumption.
  • heavy and/or large items of laundry, such as beach towels can be satisfactorily folded in this manner in that the movable plate, together with the lateral portion of the item of laundry, is passed over the folding ruler by the displacement means.
  • a major additional advantage of an apparatus according to the invention is that a greater number of folding patterns becomes possible.
  • the problem may arise in the known apparatus that after e.g. the right-hand portion has been folded by means of air, this portion will be blown back again during a similar folding of the left-hand portion.
  • the right-hand lateral portion may be folded by means of air, whereas the left-hand portion is folded by the movable plate.
  • Such a combination of folding techniques in one and the same apparatus may be used to equal advantage for other folding patterns.
  • the above advantages also manifest themselves e.g. in the folding of laundry provided with sleeves, such as shirts or coats.
  • the air blower means comprise a further air outlet that is directed towards the item of laundry and that comprises openings in the movable plate for allowing the air to pass through.
  • the provision of openings in the movable plate for forming a further air outlet renders it possible still to use this arrangement for slightly lifting the lateral portion of the item of laundry lying on the second conveyor belt.
  • the movable plate may itself form the second air outlet, or alternatively the second air outlet may be formed by a different plate that is provided with holes, which plate will then preferably be located above the movable plate provided with openings.
  • the air passage openings in the movable plate are positioned such that a proportion of the openings is in alignment with the further air outlet in each and every position of the movable plate.
  • the laundry lifting function of the air blower means is thus affected as little as possible by the use of the movable plate.
  • the air blower means comprise a chamber with an upper plate provided with holes and located underneath the second conveyor belt that is provided with holes and forms the further air outlet, and with a lower plate that forms the air outlet together with the upper plate at the side of the folding ruler, the movable plate being present in the chamber adjacent the upper plate.
  • the apparatus according to the invention can be manufactured as easily as possible in this manner, while at the same time the functions of the movable plate and the air outlet can be relatively easily attuned to one another.
  • the movable plate is fastened to the chamber by the displacement means.
  • the movable plate may also be fastened directly to the frame, but a desired distance between the upper plate and the movable plate that is as small as possible can be realized most readily in the above manner.
  • the displacement of the movable plate may be achieved by means similar to those used for the displacement of the entire chamber. These means comprise, for example, hydraulically or pneumatically driven telescopic tubular elements that may be hinged to the frame.
  • the displacement of the chamber is used, in particular in a symmetrical apparatus, for adjusting the width of the non-folded portion or at least the width of the item of laundry above the first conveyor belt.
  • the upper plate and the movable plate are one and the same plate. In that case the displacement of the chamber involves two independent displacement means: one for the lower plate and one for the upper/movable plate.
  • the second conveyor belt is provided with round holes
  • the upper plate of the air chamber and the movable plate are provided with slotted holes, while preferably the surface areas of the holes in the second conveyor belt are larger than the surface areas of the holes in the movable plate, and the surface areas of the latter holes are larger than those of the holes in the upper plate.
  • the further air outlet is defined by the upper plate of the chamber in this manner, while a satisfactory operation thereof is guaranteed at all times by a suitable positioning of the holes in the movable plate.
  • the air outlet is fastened to the movable plate adjacent that end thereof that adjoins the folding ruler.
  • the air outlet may then comprise, for example, a tube, preferably a flat tube, whose side adjoining the folding ruler is provided with regularly spaced openings and whose one or both ends is or are coupled to an air generator via a flexible hose.
  • the tube may be fastened to the end face or to the lower side of the movable plate.
  • the apparatus is symmetrically constructed with a third conveyor belt for another lateral portion of the item of laundry, which belt is located next to a further folding ruler and is at a higher level than the first conveyor belt, with further air blower means located underneath the third conveyor belt, and with a further movable plate and further displacement means.
  • the two folding rulers will then be present adjacent the lateral sides of the first conveyor belt.
  • the movable plate and the further movable plate can be displaced independently of one another. This means that an item of laundry can be folded not only by means of two movable plates arranged to the left and to the right of the first conveyor belt, but also in a different manner, for example by means of a movable plate, for example present to the right of the first conveyor belt, and by means of an air outlet that forms part of the further air blower means to the left of the first conveyor belt.
  • the apparatus is preferably provided with selection means for selecting the air blower means and the displacement means.
  • selection means for selecting the air blower means and the displacement means.
  • This may be realized in a comparatively simple and inexpensive manner by means of suitable electronics and the use of a few additional valves and/or a switch. A fast and perfect folding of the laundry can thus be realized in this manner irrespective of whether or not the movable plate and/or the further movable plate is used.
  • the air outlet and the further air outlet may also be provided with air independently of one another.
  • the invention also relates to a method of folding an item of laundry by means of an apparatus according to the invention, wherein the air blower means or the movable plate is used for folding the item of laundry.
  • This expressly covers the use of (both) air blower means as well as the (further) movable plate. A favorable embodiment of such a method indeed does use both of these options.
  • Fig. 1 diagrammatically and in perspective view shows an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention
  • Fig. 2 diagrammatically and in perspective view shows the apparatus of Fig. 1 with its movable plate partly moved out.
  • Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken on the line III-III of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2 in the operational state corresponding to Fig. 2.
  • the apparatus 10 for the folding of laundry (cf. e.g. Figs. 1 and 3) comprises a frame 11 that is only partly shown in the drawing and a first conveyor belt 1 for transporting an item of laundry 20, a folding ruler 2 that extends in the transport direction being present at the right-hand lateral side of said belt at a short distance therefrom.
  • a second folding ruler 2 is present on the left-hand side in this example.
  • a third conveyor belt 31 is present in this example, arranged and constructed symmetrically, to the left of the first conveyor belt 1 and serving for another, left-hand lateral portion of the item of laundry (20) to be folded.
  • Air blower means 4 are present below the second and third conveyor belts 3, 31 (see Fig. 3), which means here comprise a chamber 4 formed between an upper plate 14, 141 and a lower plate 16, 161 which form an air outlet 5, 51 directed laterally over the folding rulers 2, 22 at the edge of the first conveyor belt 1.
  • a further air outlet 6, 66 is formed in the upper plates 14, 141 and here comprises slotted openings 15 in the upper plates 14, 141 (see Fig. 1). Said further air outlet 6 is capable of slightly lifting a lateral portion of the item of laundry 20 off the second and third conveyor belts 3, 31 by means of (compressed) air.
  • the apparatus comprises a movable plate 7, and also a second movable plate 71 in this case, present underneath the second conveyor belt 3 and underneath the third conveyor belt 31, respectively, at a higher level than the respective folding ruler 2(, 22), which plate is provided with openings 8 for allowing air from the further air outlet 6 to pass through and which is provided with displacement means by which the plate 7, and here also the second plate 71, can be moved laterally over the folding ruler 2(, 22).
  • the plate 7 is not visible in Fig. 1 because it is not yet in its extended position.
  • the plate 7 is partly visible in Fig. 2, as it is in Fig. 3.
  • An item of laundry may be folded over the folding ruler 2 or the folding rulers 2, 22 by means of the air outlet 5, or alternatively wholly or partly by means of the movable plate 7 (or the further plate 71, or both plates 7, 71).
  • FIGs. 4 and 5 offer diagrammatic perspective views of a portion, here a right-hand portion, of the apparatus of Fig. 1 in the presence of an item of laundry to be folded in the operational stages corresponding to those of Figs. 1 and 2.
  • the slotted openings 8 for allowing air to pass through the movable plate 7 are positioned such that a proportion of the openings 8 is in alignment with the further outlet 6, formed by the slotted openings 16 in the upper plate 14 of the air chamber 4, in each and every position of the movable plate 7.
  • the movable plate 7 is located in the chamber 4 adjacent the upper plate 14 thereof. Since the plate 7 has holes 8 that are suitably distributed over the surface of the plate 7, the further air outlet 6 formed by the holes 15 in the upper plate 14 is not obstructed.
  • the plate 7 is fastened to the chamber 4 via the displacement means here.
  • the holes in the plates 7, 14 are elongate, whereas the holes 13, 313 in the conveyor belts 3, 31 are round and have the larger surface areas.
  • the slotted holes 8, 15 have smaller surface areas, the holes 8 having a larger surface area than the holes 15.
  • the movable plate 7 and the further movable plate 71 in this embodiment of the apparatus 10 can be moved independently of one another.
  • the apparatus 10 is further provided with selection means for selecting the air blower means 4, 41 and the displacement means for the movable plates 7, 71.
  • Figs. 6 to 8 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views taken on the line III-III of an item of laundry, which is folded by means of an apparatus of Fig. 1 and by a method according to the invention, in subsequent non-folded and folded states.
  • the item 20 to be folded extends beyond the folding rulers 2, 22 in approximately equal measure on either side.
  • the lateral portion on the right is folded first over the folding ruler 2, then the one on the left over the ruler 22.
  • the two folding operations may be carried out by means of the air outlet 5 or by means of the movable plates 7, 71, for example in dependence on the nature and dimensions of the items 20 under treatment.
  • a combination of folding operations is also possible, i.e. one folding operations being carried out by one of the movable plates 7, 71 and another one by one of the two air outlets 5, 51.
  • the laundry 20 shown in Fig. 7 has lateral portions to be folded that are (much) smaller than the portion present above the first conveyor belt 1. If such an item is folded twice by means of the air outlets 5, 51, there is a major risk that the lateral portion folded first will be blown back during folding of the second lateral portion. This is why the movable plates 7, 71 can be used to advantage in such a case for folding one or both lateral portions of the laundry item 20 over the folding rulers 2, 22.
  • FIG. 8 An alternative folding pattern is shown in Fig. 8.
  • the lateral portion on the right - much larger than the lateral portion on the left - is first folded by the movable plate 7 to beyond the two rulers 2, 22 up to the end of the left-hand portion. Then a return folding movement can be carried out by the air outlet 51 on the left, resulting in the lowermost situation depicted in Fig. 8.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Folding Of Thin Sheet-Like Materials, Special Discharging Devices, And Others (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
EP05102642A 2004-04-14 2005-04-04 Dispositif et procédé pour le pliage de linge Withdrawn EP1586692A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL1025940 2004-04-14
NL1025940A NL1025940C1 (nl) 2004-04-14 2004-04-14 Inrichting en werkwijze voor het vouwen van wasgoed.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1586692A2 true EP1586692A2 (fr) 2005-10-19
EP1586692A3 EP1586692A3 (fr) 2010-11-24

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP05102642A Withdrawn EP1586692A3 (fr) 2004-04-14 2005-04-04 Dispositif et procédé pour le pliage de linge

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP1586692A3 (fr)
NL (1) NL1025940C1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN111996772A (zh) * 2019-05-27 2020-11-27 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司 一种叠衣机及其控制方法
IT202300020967A1 (it) * 2023-10-09 2025-04-09 Danilo Pastorelli Apparato di piegatura per capi in tessuto e relativo metodo di piegatura

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3396878A (en) * 1966-10-25 1968-08-13 Clarence L. Snayberger Sr. Folding device for flat goods
US3828989A (en) * 1973-10-18 1974-08-13 Jensen Corp Textile folding apparatus
CA2105769C (fr) * 1991-03-27 1995-03-21 Kasimir Kober Construction de plieuse
US5921908A (en) * 1997-05-30 1999-07-13 Orman B.V. Folding device and method for folding flat pieces of laundry in longitudinal direction

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN111996772A (zh) * 2019-05-27 2020-11-27 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司 一种叠衣机及其控制方法
CN111996772B (zh) * 2019-05-27 2023-02-17 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司 一种叠衣机及其控制方法
IT202300020967A1 (it) * 2023-10-09 2025-04-09 Danilo Pastorelli Apparato di piegatura per capi in tessuto e relativo metodo di piegatura

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL1025940C1 (nl) 2005-10-17
EP1586692A3 (fr) 2010-11-24

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