Method of, and apparatus for, separating and/or measuring items of laundry

Abstract

A reliable operation for sorting items of laundry automatically. For this purpose, provision is made for a plurality of simultaneously gripped items of laundry to be separated once they have been gripped by a gripping arrangement ( 20 ). Reliable separation of an item of laundry is followed by the item of laundry being measured in the straightened-out state on a conveyor. Preferably the distance between two diagonally opposite corners of the item of laundry on the conveyor is determined. This gives rise to very precise automatic measuring always just of a single item of laundry.

1 . A method of separating items ( 10 ) of laundry, comprising:
 extracting at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry from a pile ( 18 ) of laundry by a gripping arrangement ( 20 ), the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry hanging down from the gripping arrangement ( 20 );   transferring the at least one item of laundry ( 10 ) hanging down from the gripping arrangement ( 20 ) to a conveyor; and   detecting and fixing a rearmost region of an item ( 10 ) of laundry at that end of the conveyor which is located opposite the gripping arrangement ( 20 ),   wherein in the case of a plurality of the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry on the conveyor, fixing only the final item of laundry at the rear end or corner and ejecting at least one further, unfixed item ( 10 ) of laundry from the conveyor.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising transferring the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry to the conveyor in a diagonally directed manner, in a state in which the at least one item of laundry ( 10 ) hangs, or is straightened out, diagonally. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising fixing the rear corner of the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry on the conveyor such that that part of the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry which precedes the fixed corner hangs down freely from that end of the conveyor which is located opposite the gripping arrangement ( 20 ), wherein a corner of the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry that is located diagonally opposite the fixed rear corner hangs down the lowest from the conveyor. 
     
     
         4 . A method of measuring an item ( 10 ) of laundry, comprising:
 separating and then measuring the item ( 10 ) of laundry; and   determining the distance between two opposite points of the separated item of laundry ( 10 ), as seen in the conveying direction ( 24 ) of a conveyor, with the item ( 10 ) of laundry at least in part in the state in which the item of laundry ( 10 ) is laid out or straightened out on the conveyor, as the item ( 10 ) is being transported further by the conveyor.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising determining movement of a front point, and subsequent movement of a rear point, of the item ( 10 ) of laundry past the same region of the conveyor and the distance covered by the conveyor in the process are determined. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising depositing the item ( 10 ) of laundry on the conveyor, and/or receiving the item of laundry ( 10 ) from the conveyor by way of diagonally opposite corners. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising determining the distance between the diagonally opposite corners of the item ( 10 ) of laundry on the conveyor. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising receiving the item ( 10 ) of laundry from a preceding conveyor by virtue of the conveyor being pivoted, wherein the rear end ( 32 ) of the conveyor, which is oriented towards the preceding conveyor, is pivoted beneath an end of the preceding conveyor or a counterpressure means beneath the end of the preceding conveyor. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  8 , wherein the item ( 10 ) of laundry is received by the conveyor by way of the corner or point fixed on the preceding conveyor. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for separating items ( 10 ) of laundry, comprising:
 a gripping arrangement ( 20 ) for drawing items ( 10 ) of laundry out of a pile ( 18 ) of laundry;   a conveyor for receiving the or each of the items ( 10 ) of laundry drawn out of the pile ( 18 ) of laundry by the gripping arrangement ( 20 ); and   a following conveyor assigned to the conveyor, wherein the following conveyor is for determining at least one dimension of the item ( 10 ) of laundry.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising a detection means assigned to the following conveyor, wherein the detection means is for determining the dimension of the item ( 10 ) of laundry, the following conveyor comprises at least one sensor for determining a front and a rear point of the item ( 10 ) of laundry, which is in a straightened-out or spread-out state on the following conveyor, and the following conveyor also comprises a displacement sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising, assigned to the conveyor which follows the gripping arrangement ( 20 ), a means for gripping a rearmost point of one of a plurality of items ( 10 ) of laundry deposited on the conveyor by the gripping arrangement ( 20 ). 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising, assigned to the conveyor which follows the gripping arrangement ( 20 ), a means for gripping a rearmost point of one of a plurality of items ( 10 ) of laundry deposited on the conveyor by the gripping arrangement ( 20 ). 
     
     
         14 . A method of separating and measuring items ( 10 ) of laundry, comprising:
 extracting at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry from a pile ( 18 ) of laundry by a gripping arrangement ( 20 ), the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry hanging down from the gripping arrangement ( 20 );   transferring the at least one item of laundry ( 10 ) hanging down from the gripping arrangement ( 20 ) to a conveyor;   detecting and fixing a rearmost region of an item ( 10 ) of laundry at that end of the conveyor which is located opposite the gripping arrangement ( 20 ), wherein in the case of a plurality of the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry on the conveyor, fixing only the final item of laundry at the rear end or corner and ejecting at least one further, unfixed item ( 10 ) of laundry from the conveyor; and   measuring the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry by determining the distance between two opposite points of the separated items of laundry ( 10 ), as seen in the conveying direction ( 24 ) of a conveyor, with the items ( 10 ) of laundry at least in part in the state in which the items of laundry ( 10 ) are laid out or straightened out on the conveyor, as the items ( 10 ) are being transported further by the conveyor   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising transferring the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry to the conveyor in a diagonally directed manner, in a state in which the at least one item of laundry ( 10 ) hangs, or is straightened out, diagonally. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising fixing the rear corner of the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry on the conveyor such that that part of the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry which precedes the fixed corner hangs down freely from that end of the conveyor which is located opposite the gripping arrangement ( 20 ), wherein a corner of the at least one item ( 10 ) of laundry that is located diagonally opposite the fixed rear corner hangs down the lowest from the conveyor. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising determining movement of a front point, and subsequent movement of a rear point, of the item ( 10 ) of laundry past the same region of the conveyor and the distance covered by the conveyor in the process are determined. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising depositing the item ( 10 ) of laundry on the conveyor, and/or receiving the item of laundry ( 10 ) from the conveyor by way of diagonally opposite corners. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising receiving the item ( 10 ) of laundry from a preceding conveyor by virtue of the conveyor being pivoted, wherein the rear end ( 32 ) of the conveyor, which is oriented towards the preceding conveyor, is pivoted beneath an end of the preceding conveyor or a counterpressure means beneath the end of the preceding conveyor. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  19 , wherein the item ( 10 ) of laundry is received by the conveyor by way of the corner or point fixed on the preceding conveyor.