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.

Description

STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119 of German Patent Application No. 10 2010 049 255.8 having a filing date of 25 Oct. 2010 and German Patent Application No. 10 2010 053 080.8 having a filing date of 1 Dec. 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Technical Field

[0003] The invention relates to a method of separating items of laundry, wherein items of laundry are extracted from a pile of laundry by a gripping arrangement, the at least one item of laundry hanging down from the gripping arrangement is transferred to a conveyor, and a rearmost region of an item of laundry is detected and fixed at that end of the conveyor which is located opposite the gripping arrangement. The invention also relates to a method of measuring items of laundry, wherein the items of laundry in the first instance are separated and then measured. The invention further relates to an apparatus for separating items of laundry, having a gripping arrangement for drawing items of laundry out of a pile of laundry, and having a conveyor for receiving the or each item of laundry drawn out of the pile of laundry by the gripping arrangement.

[0004] 2. Prior Art

[0005] Items of laundry often have to be sorted in laundries. For example, dirty laundry is delivered to laundries in sacks which contain different items of laundry, which require different laundering treatments and therefore have to be sorted prior to washing. These different items of laundry may be an assortment of whites and colors, in particular also a mixture of items of clothing and flatwork made of different textiles. The different items of laundry in the first instance have to be removed individually from the piles of laundry before they can be sorted in accordance with different sorting criteria.

[0006] The operation of separating the items of laundry, which precedes the sorting operation, already takes place automatically. There is still a problem, however, in the automatic separating operation, which takes place reliably only to a limited extent. However, reliable separation is necessary for the following sorting operation.

[0007] Moreover, the sorting operation requires prior knowledge of at least one dimension, which allows conclusions to be drawn as to the size of the respective item of laundry. It is indeed known for the items of laundry to be measured prior to sorting, in order to obtain the desired dimension of the items of laundry; however, the measuring methods which have been used hitherto are fairly complex and not precise enough.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Proceeding from the above, it is an object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus which allow items of laundry to be separated automatically in a reliable manner and to be measured precisely in a straightforward manner.

[0009] A method of achieving this object is a method of separating items of laundry, wherein items of laundry are extracted from a pile of laundry by a gripping arrangement, the at least one item of laundry hanging down from the gripping arrangement is transferred to a conveyor, and a rearmost region of an item of laundry is detected and fixed at that end of the conveyor which is located opposite the gripping arrangement, characterized in that in the case of a plurality of items of laundry on the conveyor, only the final item of laundry is fixed at the rear end or corner and the at least one further, unfixed item of laundry is ejected from the conveyor. Accordingly, provision is made, in the case of a plurality of items of laundry gripped by the gripper and deposited on a conveyor, for just the rearmost, final end of the item of laundry to be fixed on the conveyor. This is based on the knowledge that the final end of the item of laundry is a part, in particular a corner, of a single item of laundry. Consequently, only a single item of laundry is fixed on the conveyor. The remaining, unfixed items of laundry can then slide down from the conveyor, in which case only one item of laundry still remains on the conveyor.

[0010] It is preferably provided that the in each case at least one unfixed item of laundry sliding down from the conveyor is ejected back onto the pile of laundry which is to be separated or into a container or onto a feed conveyor for the pile of laundry. Such items of laundry are thus re-fed automatically for separation by being subsequently drawn out again from the pile of laundry, or from a receiving container, by the gripper.

[0011] A preferred configuration of the method makes provision for the at least one item of laundry to be transferred onto the conveyor by the gripper in a diagonally directed manner, preferably in a state in which it hangs, or is straightened out, diagonally. This means that diagonally opposite corners of the at least one item of laundry are located on the conveyor, wherein the one corner defines the foremost point of the respective item of laundry, as seen in the conveying direction of the conveyor, and the other corner defines the rearmost point. This ensures that, in the case of a plurality of items of laundry deposited on the conveyor by the gripper, the rearmost point is always just one corner of a single item of laundry which can be fixed reliably, in which case definitive, complete separation takes place on the conveyor in that it is only ever a single item of laundry which is fixed on the conveyor and the other items of laundry slide down from the conveyor and pass back to the pile of laundry.

[0012] A rear corner of a single item of laundry is preferably fixed on the conveyor such that that part of the just one item of laundry fixed on the conveyor at a rear corner which precedes the fixed corner hangs down freely from the front end of the conveyor. The lowermost point of the item of laundry hanging down from the conveyor here is preferably the front corner of the item of laundry, which is located diagonally opposite the fixed, rear corner. This gives rise to the item of laundry being oriented and/or spread out diagonally, as a result of which the item of laundry has a defined position and orientation. The single item of laundry can thus be subjected to further treatment in a specific position with diagonally opposite corners drawn apart from one another. In particular the item of laundry passes in this way onto a following conveyor, on which it is measured.

[0013] A further method of achieving the object mentioned in the introduction, and this may also be a preferred development of the previously described method, is a method of measuring items of laundry, wherein the items of laundry in the first instance are separated and then measured, characterized in that the distance between two opposite points of the separated item of laundry, as seen in the conveying direction of a conveyor, is determined, with the item of laundry at least in part in the state in which it is laid out or straightened out on the conveyor, as the item is being transported further by the conveyor. Accordingly, the distance between two opposite points of the separated item of laundry, as seen in the conveying direction of a conveyor, is determined, with the item of laundry in the state in which it is laid out, that is to say spread out to some extent, as the item of laundry is being transported further on the conveyor. The item of laundry is measured as a result. This measuring operation determines a longitudinal dimension of the item of laundry, which is important for the following treatment, in particular sorting, of the item of laundry. The dimension determined is preferably one which corresponds to the longitudinal extent of the laid-out or straightened-out item of laundry in the transporting direction of the conveyor. This may be, for example, a width dimension or length dimension of the item of laundry.

[0014] In the case of a preferred configuration of the method, it is provided that successive movement of the front point, and of the rear point, of the single item of laundry past the same region or the same line, running preferably perpendicularly to the transporting direction of the conveyor, and the distance covered by the conveyor from when the front point of the item of laundry moves past until the rear point of the item of laundry moves past are determined. This allows straightforward and reliable measurement of the item of laundry on the conveyor, wherein the dimension of the distance between the front and the rear points of the item of laundry in the transporting direction of the conveyor is ideally a dimension which is characteristic of the size of the item of laundry.

[0015] A preferred configuration of the method provides that the item of laundry is deposited on the conveyor by way of diagonally opposite corners and/or is received from the conveyor by way of diagonally opposite corners. This means that points of the item of laundry which are characteristic of the size of the same can be determined, preferably in a contactless manner, on the conveyor and the desired operation of measuring the item of laundry can thus be carried out. Provision is preferably made, in the case of the item of laundry being located on the conveyor with diagonally opposite corners, for the distance between the diagonally opposite corners of the item of laundry on the conveyor to be determined.

[0016] If the item of laundry, according to a preferred configuration of the invention, is laid out on the conveyor in a state in which it is spread out or straightened out to a slight extent in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor, this gives the diagonal dimension of the item of laundry, from which conclusions can be drawn as to the size of the item of laundry. The item of laundry, for measuring purposes, can lie flat, in its entirety, on a conveyor of corresponding width. However, it is also sufficient if just a narrow strip of the item of laundry rests on the conveyor by way of the diagonally opposite corners, in which case opposite peripheral regions of the item of laundry hang down from the conveyor on opposite sides. The conveyor may then be designed to narrower than the item of laundry.

[0017] The method according to the invention can be developed advantageously by the operation of the item of laundry being received from the preceding conveyor taking place by virtue of the conveyor on which the item of laundry is measured being pivoted. It is preferably here for that end of the conveyor which is oriented towards the preceding conveyor to be pivoted beneath an end of the preceding conveyor or a counterpressure means in the region of the preceding conveyor. This means that the item of laundry which is largely hanging down from the preceding conveyor, and is straightened out under its own weight, in particular straightened out over the diagonal, is received by the conveyor in the state in which it hangs down from the preceding conveyor. This allows the item of laundry to be measured in the slightly straightened-out or drawn-apart state, and this means that relatively precise measuring results can be achieved.

[0018] Another preferred development of the method provides that the conveyor receives the item of laundry by way of the corner point fixed on the preceding conveyor. This means that the item of laundry, as has been received by the conveyor, hangs down in precisely the same way as it does from the preceding conveyor, as a result of which the conveyor which carries out the measurement of the item of laundry can receive the item of laundry with the latter in the state in which it is straightened out under its own weight. This also leads to comparatively precise measuring results.

[0019] An apparatus for achieving the object mentioned in the introduction is an apparatus for separating items of laundry, having a gripping arrangement for drawing items of laundry out of a pile of laundry, and having a conveyor for receiving the or each item of laundry drawn out of the pile of laundry by the gripping arrangement, characterized in that the conveyor is assigned a following conveyor for determining at least one dimension of the item of laundry. In the case of this apparatus, provision is made for a further conveyor to be arranged downstream of the conveyor which receives at least one item of laundry drawn out of the pile of laundry by the gripper, wherein this following conveyor serves for determining a dimension and/or for measuring the item of laundry. In the case of this apparatus, the conveyor arranged downstream of the gripper gives rise to reliable separation, in which case just a single item of laundry is fed to the following conveyor for measuring purposes. This ensures reliable automatic measuring of the item of laundry.

[0020] It is preferably provided that the distance between the corners located diagonally on the conveyor is determined. The diagonal dimension of the single item of laundry can be deduced therefrom. The corners determined are those which are located on the conveyor, to be precise at the foremost point and the rearmost point. The corners need not necessarily be located along a line in the conveying direction of the conveyor; they may be located anywhere within the width of the conveyor.

[0021] A development of the apparatus provides that the following conveyor is assigned detection means for determining at least one dimension of the item of laundry. The following conveyor preferably has at least one sensor for determining a front or rear point of the item of laundry located on the following conveyor, and also has a displacement sensor. The former sensor may be a type of light barrier, which determines whether, over a line running transversely to the transporting direction of the conveyor, the conveyor is occupied by the item of laundry or is free therefrom. When the foremost point of the item of laundry reaches the light-barrier-like sensor, a signal is generated, irrespective of the location, in relation to the width of the conveyor, of the front point of the item of laundry. When the rear point of the item of laundry subsequently passes preferably the same light-barrier-like sensor, a further signal is generated, this, in turn, being irrespective of the location, in relation to the width of the conveyor, of the rear point of the item of laundry on the conveyor. The displacement sensor measures the distance which the conveyor with the item of laundry has covered between the time at which the front point of the item of laundry is determined by the sensor and the time at which the rear point of the item of laundry is determined. This dimension is then the dimension which is required for measuring the item of laundry, and is a diagonal dimension of the item of laundry if the sensors detect the front and the rear diagonally opposite corners of the item of laundry.

[0022] A further advantageous configuration of the invention makes provision for the conveyor which follows the gripper to be assigned a means for gripping a rearmost corner of one of the plurality of items of laundry deposited on the conveyor by the gripper. This means secures the rearmost corner of an item of laundry located on the conveyor, whereas the rear corners of the remaining items of laundry, which are located elsewhere, are not gripped by the means. This means that just a single item of laundry is fixed on the conveyor, whereas the remaining items of laundry, which are not gripped by the means, slide down from the conveyor and are fed to the separating process anew. This ensures reliable separation of the items of laundry prior to them being measured. This allows each individual item of laundry to be measured reliably.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] A preferred item of laundry of the invention will be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a perspective overall view of a sorting installation.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the sorting installation from FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a side view of an apparatus for separating and measuring items of laundry.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows the apparatus from FIG. 3 following a first separating step.

[0028] FIG. 5 shows the apparatus from FIG. 3 following a second separating step.

[0029] FIG. 6 shows the apparatus from FIG. 3 following a third separating step.

[0030] FIG. 7 shows the apparatus from FIG. 3 during the operation of measuring an item of laundry.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The automatic sorting installation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 serves for automatically separating, measuring, identifying and distributing (sorting) all types of items of laundry. The items of laundry 10, which are shown only in FIGS. 3 to 7, may be dirty items 10 of laundry, but also washed items 10 of laundry.

[0032] The automatic sorting installation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a feed conveyor 11, a following apparatus 12 for separating and measuring the items 10 of laundry, a following identification unit 13 and a sorting arrangement 14, with a sorting conveyor 15, and a series of collecting containers 16, which are arranged on one side alongside the sorting conveyor 15 and are intended for sorted items 10 of laundry. The feed conveyor 11 and the sorting conveyor 15, in the case of the automatic sorting installation shown here, are belt conveyors.

[0033] The apparatus 12 for separating and measuring items 10 of laundry is illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 7. The apparatus 12 has a housing 17 provided with a frame. A holder for a pile 18 of laundry is provided at the bottom of the housing 17. The holder, in the exemplary embodiment shown, has a storage belt 19 which can be moved back and forth and on which the entire pile 18 of laundry rests.

[0034] The apparatus 12 has a gripping arrangement 20, which is arranged above the pile 18 of laundry. The gripping arrangement 20 is arranged at a fixed location on the upper side of the frame of the housing 17. The gripping arrangement 20 has a gripper 21, which is fastened at the lower end of a piston rod of a pressure-medium cylinder 22 which can be moved up and down. The gripping arrangement 20, which is arranged above the pile 18 of laundry, makes it possible for the downwardly moved gripper 21 to draw a single item 10 of laundry out of the pile 18 of laundry, and to separate it in the process. It may also be the case, however, that the gripper 21 draws a plurality of items 10 of laundry simultaneously out of the pile 18 of laundry, in which case the gripping arrangement 20 does not separate a single item 10 of laundry completely.

[0035] A fixed-location conveyor, which in the exemplary embodiment shown is designed as a circulating belt conveyor 23, is located between the pile 18 of laundry and the gripper 21 moved all the way upwards. The belt conveyor 23 is fitted at a fixed location on the frame of the housing 17. A single item 10 of laundry is, or also a plurality of items 10 of laundry gripped simultaneously by the gripping arrangement 20 are, transported further in the conveyor direction 24, with a slight upward slope, by the belt conveyor 23.

[0036] A preliminary conveyor 26, which can be pivoted about a rear deflecting drum 25, as seen in the conveying direction 24, is arranged upstream of the belt conveyor 23, as seen in the conveying direction 24. The pivotable preliminary conveyor 26, in the exemplary embodiment shown, is formed by a front part of the belt conveyor 23. The capability of the preliminary conveyor 26 to pivot about its rear deflecting drum 25, as seen in the conveying direction 24, means that a free front end 27 of the preliminary conveyor 26 can be pivoted up and down, to be precise by at least one pressure-medium cylinder 28. The front part of the belt conveyor, this front part forming the preliminary conveyor 26, can thus be angled in relation to the remaining fixed, rear part of the belt conveyor 23.

[0037] The front, pivotable end 27 of the preliminary conveyor 26 is assigned a pressure-exerting roller 29, which is freely rotatable or may also be driven. The pressure-exerting roller 29 is located on that side of the vertical movement path of the gripper 21 which is located opposite the pivoted-down preliminary conveyor 26 or belt conveyor 23. The pressure-exerting roller 29 is arranged at a fixed location on the frame of the housing 17 such that, with the preliminary conveyor 26 pivoted upwards, the upper strand thereof is in abutment beneath the pressure-exerting roller 29. If the preliminary conveyor 26 is pivoted downwards, the front end 27 of the same is so far removed from the pressure-exerting roller 29 in the horizontal direction that the or each item 10 of laundry gripped by the gripper 21 can be drawn up out of the pile 18 of laundry between the pivoted-down preliminary conveyor 26 and the pressure-exerting roller 29.

[0038] The rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23, this rear end being directed away from the preliminary conveyor 26 and from the gripping arrangement 20, is assigned a pressure-exerting means, which in the exemplary embodiment shown is also a preferably freely rotatable pressure-exerting roller 31. The pressure-exerting roller 31 is located in a pivotable manner above the upper strand at the rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23. In a rest position, in particular if there is no item 10 of laundry located on the belt conveyor 23, the pressure-exerting roller 31 is pivoted away, that is to say pivoted upwards, from the upper strand of the belt conveyor 23 (FIG. 3). The rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23 is assigned a sensor (not shown in the figures) for detecting a trailing, rear end, in particular a rear corner, as seen in the conveying direction 24, of the single item 10 of laundry on the upper strand of the belt conveyor 23 or of the rearmost of a plurality of items 10 of laundry on the belt conveyor 23. This sensor serves for bringing the drive of the belt conveyor 23 to a standstill and also for pivoting the pressure-exerting roller 31 onto the upper strand of the belt conveyor 23 when it detects an end, in particular a corner, for single item 10 of laundry or a rearmost end or the rearmost corner of one of a plurality of items 10 of laundry partially overlapping on the belt conveyor 23.

[0039] A further conveyor, which in the exemplary embodiment shown is also designed as a circulating belt conveyor 32, is arranged upstream of the belt conveyor 23, as seen in the conveying direction 24. The belt conveyor 32 is mounted on the frame of the housing 17 such that it can be pivoted about a rear end 33, which is directed away from the belt conveyor 23. Accordingly, a front end 34 of the belt conveyor 32, this front end being oriented towards the belt conveyor 23, can be pivoted up and down over a circular path about the rear end 33. The belt conveyor 32 is pivoted by at least one pressure-medium cylinder 35. The front end 34 of the belt conveyor 32 can be pivoted upwards to such an extent that an upper strand 36 of the belt conveyor 32, in the region of the front end 34, comes into abutment against, or beneath, a freely rotatable, fixed-location pressure-exerting roller 37 beneath the rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23.

[0040] A deflecting drum or a driving drum at the rear end 33 or front end 34 of the belt conveyor 32 is assigned a rotation sensor, in particular a sensor bearing. This makes it possible to measure the distance which the upper strand 36 of the belt conveyor 32 has covered between two measurements. Moreover, the belt conveyor 32 is assigned at least one sensor preferably in the form of a sensor strip or a light barrier. The sensor strip or the light barrier is arranged transversely to the conveying direction 24 of the belt conveyor 32, to be precise such that it determines whether a part, for example a corner, of an item 10 of laundry is passing or leaving the reflection light barrier or the sensor strip. The act of a corner of an item 10 of laundry passing and leaving the reflection light barrier or the sensor strip triggers a respective measuring signal, which starts and stops the distance measurement of the sensor bearing.

[0041] At least the belt conveyor 32 serving for measuring the item 10 of laundry, and preferably also the belt conveyor 23 with the preliminary conveyor 26, are of a width which is large enough for even large items 10 of laundry to be accommodated in a flat or spread-out state thereon, in particular with the diagonal running in the conveying direction 24. This means that the item 10 of laundry rests entirely on the belt conveyor 32 as it is being measured. It is also conceivable for the belt conveyor 23 and/or the belt conveyor 32, along with the preliminary conveyor, to be designed to be narrower than the items 10 of laundry. In this case, opposite peripheral regions of the item 10 of laundry which is to be measured hang down from opposite sides of the belt conveyor 32, and so an in-between region of the item 10 of laundry rests on the belt conveyor 32 for measuring purposes. The item 10 of laundry is straightened out or spread out flat on the belt conveyor 32 for measuring purposes by way of the peripheral regions which hang down laterally. However, the belt conveyor 32 has to be of such a width that the diagonally opposite corner regions used for measuring the item 10 of laundry are located one behind the other on the upper strand 36 of the belt conveyor 32, to be precise in the flat state.

[0042] The apparatus 12 is followed in the conveying direction 24 by a weighing cell 38 of the identification unit 13. The weighing cell 38 has two pivoting flaps 39 which can be pivoted in opposite directions and, when pivoted upwards, form a closed weighing surface. The pivoting flaps 39 are mounted on force transducers of a weighing table 40. The force transducers determine the weight of the pivoting flap 39 with an item 10 of laundry located thereon. This allows the weight of the item 10 of laundry to be determined. Once the item 10 of laundry has been weighed, the pivoting flaps 39 are pivoted downwards in opposite directions and the weighing surface is thus opened. The item 10 of laundry thus passes on to a conveyor, preferably a belt conveyor 41. The belt conveyor 41 transports the item 10 of laundry through the identification unit 13, to be precise past a volume camera 42, which generates a three-dimensional image, a colour camera 43 and a structure camera 44. The sequence of the three cameras can vary from the illustration in FIG. 2. In the region of the volume camera 42, a vacuum table 45 for attaching the item 10 of laundry by suction on the upper strand of the belt conveyor 41 is located beneath the belt conveyor 41.

[0043] Once the item 10 of laundry has moved through the identification unit 13, in which the sorting criteria of the item 10 of laundry were determined, it passes to the sorting arrangement 14, where, sorted in accordance with the sorting criteria determined in the identification unit 13, it is ejected into an appropriate collecting container 16.

[0044] The method according to the invention will be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the above description of the automatic sorting installation, in particular of the apparatus 12, for separating and measuring an item 10 of laundry:

[0045] A single item 10 of laundry is extracted from the pile 18 of laundry by the gripper 21 of the gripping arrangement 20. Displacement of the storage belt 19 moves the pile 18 of laundry beneath the gripping arrangement 20 such that the latter can always grip an item 10 of laundry even as the pile 18 of laundry is dwindling.

[0046] Ideally, the gripper 31 grips just a single item 10 of laundry. It may be the case, however, that the gripper 21 grips a plurality of items 10 of laundry simultaneously. In this case, the apparatus 12, downstream of the gripping arrangement 20, carries out reliable separation of a plurality of simultaneously gripped items 10 of laundry. For the description which follows, it is assumed that the gripper has gripped two items 10 of laundry simultaneously, wherein these items may be the same or different items of laundry, in particular items 10 of laundry of different sizes.

[0047] Two simultaneously gripped items 10 of laundry are moved upwards by the gripper 21 of the gripping arrangement 20, to be precise between the preliminary conveyor 26 and the pressure-exerting roller 29 located opposite the same. Once the gripper 21 has been moved upwards into its uppermost end position, the items 10 of laundry hang down between the preliminary conveyor 26 and the pressure-exerting roller 29 (FIG. 4). The preliminary conveyor 26 is then pivoted upwards in the anticlockwise direction, in which case its front end 27 comes into abutment beneath the pressure-exerting roller 29 and, in the process, clamps in the two items 10 of laundry in the vicinity of their upper end regions. The items 10 of laundry are thus retained between the front end 27 of the preliminary conveyor 26 and the pressure-exerting roller 29, whereupon the gripper 21 opens and releases the items 10 of laundry. The items 10 of laundry are then transported in the conveying direction 24 over the belt conveyor 23 by a drive of the belt conveyor 23 with the preliminary conveyor 26. As soon as the items 10 of laundry are located largely on the belt conveyor 23, the preliminary conveyor 26 is pivoted back into the starting position, as a result of which the gripper 21 can move downwards again between the preliminary conveyor 26 and the pressure-exerting roller 29 in order to grip preferably the next separated item 10 of laundry.

[0048] On account of the items 10 of laundry hanging down from the gripper 21 being clamped firmly between the front end 27 of the preliminary conveyor 26 and the pressure-exerting roller 29, the items 10 of laundry pass onto the belt conveyor 23 with diagonal corners located one behind the other. As the items 10 of laundry are being transported further onto the belt conveyor 23, the sensor means assigned to the latter detects the rear corner of that item 10 of laundry which is the last to pass the sensor means. The sensor means then causes the pressure-exerting roller 31 to move downwards against the upper strand of the belt conveyor 23. As a result, the rearmost corner of an item 10 of laundry is clamped firmly between the belt conveyor 23 and the pressure-exerting roller 31 and the drive of the belt conveyor 23 is stopped. The item 10 of laundry clamped firmly at the rear corner by the pressure-exerting roller 31 at the rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23 then hangs downwards in front of the rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23 (FIG. 6). The second item 10 of laundry, which, as a result of the rear end, in particular of the rear corner, leading in the conveying direction 24, is not clamped firmly between the pressure-exerting roller 31 and the belt conveyor 23, slides downwards from the rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23 under the weight of its main part hanging down in front of the rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23. The positioning of the rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23 above the storage belt 19 means that this item 10 of laundry falls back onto the pile 18 of laundry.

[0049] The above described procedure gives rise to the separation of a plurality of items 10 of laundry gripped simultaneously by the gripper 21, in which case it is just the rear corner of a single, separated item 10 of laundry which is located at the rear end 30 of the belt conveyor 23. The belt conveyor 32 receives this rear corner of the single item 10 of laundry from the belt conveyor 23. This takes place by the belt conveyor 32 being pivoted upwards in the anticlockwise direction about its rear end 33, in which case the front end 34 of the belt conveyor 32 passes beneath the pressure-exerting roller 37. The rear corner of the item 10 of laundry here is clamped firmly by the front end 34 of the belt conveyor 32 on one side of the item 10 of laundry and by the pressure-exerting roller 37 on the opposite side of the item 10 of laundry, this opposite side being oriented towards the belt conveyor 23. The fixing of the rear corner of the item 10 of laundry on the belt conveyor 23 is then released by virtue of the pressure-exerting roller 31 being moved away from the upper strand of the belt conveyor 23. Driving of the circulating belt of the belt conveyor 32, and possibly the pressure-exerting roller 37, then causes the item 10 of laundry to be drawn in the conveying direction 24 onto the upper strand 36 of the belt conveyor 32 with an upper corner, in particular the original rear corner, leading, until such time as the lower corner, in other words the original diagonally opposite front corner of the item 10 of laundry, is located on the upper strand 36.

[0050] As the item 10 of laundry is being transported further onto the belt conveyor 32, the sensor strip or reflection light barrier, extending transversely to the conveying direction 24 over the entire width of the belt conveyor 32, in the first instance detects the front corner of the item 10 of laundry. This detection results in the measuring operation of the sensor bearing of the belt conveyor 32 starting. The measuring operation of the sensor bearing is terminated as soon as the sensor strip or the reflection light barrier detects the through-passage of the following corner. Measurement of the item 10 of laundry has thus taken place, the distance covered by the belt conveyor 32 during the measuring operation by the sensor bearing corresponding to the diagonal of the item 10 of laundry. This dimension makes it possible to draw conclusions as to the size of the item 10 of laundry.

[0051] Following the measuring operation, the item 10 of laundry is deposited by the belt conveyor 32 onto the weighing surface of the identification unit 13, this main surface being closed by the upwardly pivoted pivoting flaps 39. The weight of the item 10 of laundry is determined here by the weight of the pivoting flaps 39 being subtracted from the overall weight of the pivoting flaps 39 and the item 10 of laundry, this overall weight having been determined by means of the weighing cell 38. Once the weight of the item 10 of laundry has been determined in this way, the pivoting flaps 39 open, in which case the item 10 of laundry falls onto the belt conveyor 41, which transports the item 10 of laundry through the identification unit 13 and past the volume camera 42, the color camera 43 and the structure camera 44. In order to simplify or to improve the operation of the item 10 of laundry being scanned by the cameras, the item 10 of laundry is fixed on the upper strand of the belt conveyor 41 by the vacuum table 45 beneath the belt conveyor 41.

[0052] Once the volume camera 42, the color camera 43 and the structure camera 44 have determined all of the other sorting criteria, such as color and structure of the item 10 of laundry, the item 10 of laundry is sorted in accordance with the sorting criteria, which also includes the previously determined size of the item 10 of laundry and the weight of the same, by the sorting arrangement 14, that is to say it is ejected into the relevant collecting container 16, which is provided for items 10 of laundry with the determined sorting criteria, in particular size, weight, color, woven-fabric structure and/or type.

TABLE-US-00001 List of designations: 10 Item of laundry 11 Feed conveyor 12 Apparatus 13 Identification unit 14 Sorting arrangement 15 Sorting conveyor 16 Collecting container 17 Housing 18 Pile of laundry 19 Storage belt 20 Gripping arrangement 21 gripper 22 Pressure-medium cylinder 23 Belt conveyor 24 Conveying direction 25 Deflecting drum 26 Preliminary conveyor 27 Front end 28 Pressure-medium cylinder 29 Pressure-exerting roller 30 Rear end 31 Pressure-exerting roller 32 Belt conveyor 33 Rear end 34 Front end 35 Pressure-medium cylinder 36 Upper strand 37 Pressure-exerting roller 38 Weighing cell 39 Pivoting flap 40 Weighing table 41 Belt conveyor 42 Volume camera 43 Color camera 44 Structure camera 45 Vacuum table

Claims

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.

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