EP3680384A1 - Method for determining the shorter and/or longer edge of pieces of laundry and for feeding pieces of laundry into a laundry treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

The fully automatic feeding of laundry items (10) to, for example, an input machine (11) takes place in a targeted manner with either a long edge (14) running transversely to the feeding direction (13) or a short edge (15) running transversely to the feeding direction (13) of the respective laundry item (10). . To do this, it must be known which edge of the item of laundry (10) is the long edge (14) or the short edge (15). The invention enables the long edge (14) or the short edge (15) of the item of laundry to be identified automatically (10) by determining the lengths or the angles of the edge regions (26, 27) of the laundry item (10) starting from a lower corner (25) of the laundry item (10). From the angles or lengths of the edge regions (26, 27) determined, it can be derived whether the respective edge region (26, 27) belongs to the long edge (14) or to the short edge (15) of the item of laundry (10). With this information, a targeted transverse or longitudinal supply of rectangular items of laundry (10) to a subsequent input machine (11) can take place.

Description

The invention relates to a method for determining the shorter and / or longer edge of laundry items and a method for feeding laundry items to a laundry treatment device.

Items of laundry, in particular flat items of laundry, such as tablecloths, sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases or the like, are fed to laundry treatment machines with a front edge extending transversely to the feed direction. The laundry treatment machines can be input machines for feeding spread laundry items to ironers, folding machines, inspection devices, sorting devices or the like.

Rectangular items of laundry with edges of unequal length are deliberately fed with such a leading edge to the respective laundry treatment device, which is a longer or shorter edge. For example, one would therefore like to specifically feed rectangular items of laundry with a longer or shorter edge as the leading edge of a defect, so that the working width of the defect is used as best as possible in the case of single-track and multi-track defect assignment. In the case of folding machines, the laundry items are fed with longer or shorter cross-directional Front edge required in order to fold the items of laundry according to the intended folding scheme.

So far, the procedure has been such that when hanging adjacent corners of the leading edge of items of laundry in loading or spreading clamps of input machines, the desired longer or shorter edge is manually searched for and the respective item of laundry with associated adjacent clips, that is to say the longer edge or shorter edge running transversely to the feed direction, be put in the brackets. This does not allow fully automatic entry.

Based on the foregoing, the object of the invention is to create an automatic method for determining the longer and / or the shorter edge of laundry items and / or a method for automatically feeding laundry items to a laundry treatment device.

A method for solving the above object has the measures of claim 1. Accordingly, it is provided to determine different directions or lengths of the edge areas starting from a freely hanging corner of the laundry item and to derive from this which edge area belongs to the longer and / or shorter edge of the laundry item. These measures can be carried out automatically, so that the shorter and / or longer edges of items of laundry can be determined automatically with the method.

In the case of laundry hanging from a first corner, the method preferably provides for the angles or the lengths of the edge regions emanating from a lower free second corner, preferably diagonally opposite the first corner, to derive the longer and / or shorter edge of the laundry. In the case of the second lower corner, which hangs freely from an upper first corner held by a clamp, for example, edge regions are formed in a particularly reliable manner, the angles or length of which allow reliable conclusions to be drawn about the longer or shorter edge of the item of laundry.

It is particularly advantageous to use, as edge regions, those areas of the edges of the item of laundry starting from the second (lower) corner to determine the longer and / or shorter edge of the item of laundry which are rectilinear or at least ideally rectilinear. The lengths and / or angles of such edge areas can be determined precisely, in particular automatically.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the method, it is provided to derive the longer and / or shorter edge of the item of laundry from a comparison of the angles or lengths of the two edge regions starting from the second corner. This is based on the knowledge that in the case of rectangular items of laundry the angle and / or the length of the edge areas emanating from the lower second corner are different and, based on these differences, reliable conclusions can be drawn about the lengths of those edges of the item of laundry, which includes the respective edge area . In this way, long and short edges of rectangular items of laundry can be reliably distinguished and also determined where the longer or shorter edge of the item of laundry, in particular the item of laundry hanging freely from a held first corner, is located and / or to which edge area these are to be assigned.

A preferred refinement of the method provides for using such angles for deriving the shorter and / or longer edge of the item of laundry which lie between the respective edge area and an imaginary horizontal and vertical reference line through a corner point of the second corner of the item of laundry. At least one, the longer and / or shorter edge of the respective item of laundry can be determined simply and reliably by two angle measurements and a comparison of the measured angles.

The angles of the edge areas starting from the second corner are preferably determined with reference to an imaginary horizontal reference line through a corner point of the second corner, and the longer and / or shorter edge of the item of laundry is derived therefrom by considering the longer edge as belonging to the edge area that runs at a larger angle to the imaginary horizontal reference line and / or the shorter edge belongs to the edge region which runs at a smaller angle to the horizontal reference line. Such a derivation of the long and / or short edge of the item of laundry from the measured angles of the edge areas to the imaginary horizontal reference line can also be carried out automatically and leads to reliable results, even with items of laundry whose long and short edges do not differ greatly from one another and where the edge areas are not completely straight.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the angles of the edge areas starting from the second corner refer to an imaginary vertical one Reference line is determined by a corner point of the second corner and the smaller and / or shorter edge of the item of laundry is derived therefrom by assuming the longer edge as belonging to that edge region which runs at a smaller angle to the imaginary vertical reference line and / or the shorter one Edge belongs to the edge area that runs at a larger angle to the vertical reference line. These angle measurements can also be carried out with simple means, above all also automatically, and the longer edge or shorter edge in question can be derived from the measured angles with great reliability.

Another possible embodiment of the method provides that the longer edge area starting from the second corner is derived from the fact that this edge area belongs to the longer edge and the shorter edge belongs to the shorter edge area of the laundry item starting from the second corner. In this procedure, the length of the edge areas is measured and compared. This length measurement can be carried out easily and, above all, automatically with great reliability, even if the edge areas are not exactly straight.

An advantageous embodiment of the method provides that at least that part of the item of laundry in which the second corner with at least parts of the two edge areas starting from this corner is located is recorded by at least one imaging device, preferably at least one camera. The preferably two-dimensional image obtained by the camera of the lower part of the laundry item with the second corner and at least parts of the edge areas originating therefrom is in particular formed by a preferably electronic image evaluation such that the angles between the respective edge area and the horizontal or vertical reference line or the lengths of the edge areas are determined and / or compared. Based on the measured angles or lengths of the edge areas starting from the second corner, the image evaluation can then automatically assign the long and / or short edge of the respective item of laundry to the respective edge area.

Another method for solving the problem mentioned at the outset has the measures of claim 10. Accordingly, for feeding laundry items to a laundry treatment device, preferably an input machine, a mangle, a folding machine or the like, it is provided that preferably the longer and / or shorter edge of the respective laundry item is automatically selected in advance according to the method according to one or more of claims 1 to 9 is determined. In particular because of the automatic determination of the long and / or short edge of the item of laundry, in particular following it, it is also also automatically possible to feed the respective item of laundry to a laundry treatment device. For this purpose, the respective item of laundry can be automatically fed in the intended orientation, either with a longer or shorter edge of the item of laundry running transversely to the feed direction as the leading front edge of the input machine and / or ironer, the folding machine or another laundry treatment device Increase laundry items due to a defect or fold the respective laundry item according to an intended folding scheme depending on the transverse or longitudinal supply of the respective laundry item to the folding machine.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht einer Vorrichtung zur Ermittlung der längeren bzw. kürzeren Kante des Wäschestücks und Zuführen dieses Wäschestücks zu einer Eingabemaschine,

Fig. 2

eine schematische perspektivische Darstellung der Bilddatenerfassung des unteren Teils eines Wäschestücks,

Fig. 3

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel zur Vermessung eines unteren Teils des Wäschestücks,

Fig. 4

ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel zur Vermessung des unteren Teils des Wäschestücks in einer Darstellung analog zur Fig. 3,

Fig. 5

ein drittes Ausführungsbeispiel zur Vermessung des unteren Teils des Wäschestücks in einer Darstellung analog zu den Fig. 3 und 4,

Fig. 6

das Ergreifen eines unteren Teils des Wäschestücks nach dem Vermessen, und

Fig. 7

eine perspektivische Ansicht des mit der längeren Kante über einen ersten Förderer einer Fördererkaskade aufgelegten Wäschestücks.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of methods according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. In this show:

Fig. 1

1 shows a schematic side view of a device for determining the longer or shorter edge of the laundry item and feeding this laundry item to an input machine,

Fig. 2

1 shows a schematic perspective illustration of the image data acquisition of the lower part of a laundry item,

Fig. 3

a first exemplary embodiment for measuring a lower part of the item of laundry,

Fig. 4

a second embodiment for measuring the lower part of the laundry in a representation analogous to Fig. 3 ,

Fig. 5

a third embodiment for measuring the lower part of the laundry in a representation analogous to the 3 and 4 ,

Fig. 6

gripping a lower part of the item of laundry after measuring, and

Fig. 7

a perspective view of the laundry item placed with the longer edge over a first conveyor of a conveyor cascade.

The in the Fig. 1 The device shown is used for the automatic feeding and / or input of laundry items 10 into a so-called input machine 11. The input machine 11 has a spreading device with two spreading clamps which can be moved together and apart and hold adjacent corners of a leading edge 12 of the item of laundry 10 which represents a leading edge, and this leading edge Extend 12. In this case, the entire item of laundry 10 is spread out by the input machine 11 in order to then be fed by the input machine 11 to a laundry treatment device, preferably a defect, which follows this.

The leading edge 12 of the item of laundry 10 is an edge running transversely to the feed direction 13 of the item of laundry 10 to the ironer or another laundry treatment device, which can be both a long edge 14 and a short edge 15 of the item of laundry - each after whether the item of laundry 10 in question is to be fed along or across the feed direction 13 of the input machine 11 and from there to the subsequent laundry treatment device.

The invention is not restricted to the device shown in the figure. Rather, the invention is suitable for any other devices that serve to automatically feed laundry items to a mangle or other laundry treatment device, for example a folding machine, or to automatically sort laundry items. The invention is preferably provided for automated feed processes in the laundry area.

The invention is basically suitable for laundry items 10 of all types, preferably so-called flat laundry items. These are mainly tablecloths, duvet covers, pillow cases, bed sheets or the like.

Furthermore, the invention is concerned with automatically determining a long edge 14 and / or a short edge 15 of rectangular laundry items 10. This determination of the long edge 14 and / or the short edge 15 is preferably carried out before the automatic feeding of the laundry item 10 having long edges 14 and short edges 15 with a long edge 14 or short edge 15 which runs specifically transverse to the feed direction 13 to the subsequent laundry treatment device, in particular the automatic transfer of the laundry item 10 to the input machine 11.

The device of the Fig. 1 seen in the feed direction 13 in front of the input machine 11 has an automatic separator 16, a subsequent edge detection device 17 and a stripping device 18 following the edge detection device 17, seen in the feed direction 13.

The separator 16 is used to selectively automatically pick out an individual item of laundry 10 from a laundry pile 19. This is done by means of at least one camera 20 or another imaging device in the vicinity of the laundry pile 19. An image evaluation device controls one along the at least one image of the camera 20 a gripper 21 of the separator 16 which can be moved up and down. The gripper 21 transfers the preferably individual items of laundry 10 seized by it to a subsequent supply device 22 of the separator 16.

The provision device 22 optionally separates a plurality of items of laundry 10 gripped simultaneously by the gripper 21 and holds the separated (single) items of laundry 10 ready at an upper first corner 23 of the edge detection device 17. A laundry item 10 hanging down from an upper, first corner 23 is shown symbolically in the figures. The first corner 23 is held by a holding means 24. This holding means 24 can be the provision device 22 or also a separate clamp assigned to it. The item of laundry 10 hangs from the holding means 24 and below it from the upper first corner 23 to form a free lower second corner 25. This second corner 25 can - as in the exemplary embodiment shown - diagonally opposite the first corner 23.

Edge regions 26, 27 of a long edge 14 and a short edge 15 of the laundry item 10 start from the free lower second corner 25 of the laundry item 10 hanging below the first corner 23 held by the holding means 24. These edge regions 26 and 27 meet at a corner point 28 of the second corner 25 of the laundry item 10. With the laundry item 10 hanging freely from the first corner 23, the edge regions 26, 27, namely lower sections, have long edges 14 and 14 meeting at the second corner 25 short edge 15, a rectilinear course or at least an ideally and / or approximately rectilinear course.

In addition to a lower part of the laundry item 10, preferably next to the free lower second corner 25, an imaging device, which in the exemplary embodiment shown is a camera 29, is arranged in a stationary manner. The camera 29, which in the simplest case is a two-dimensional black / white camera, is designed to capture the area of a lower part of the item of laundry 10 ( Fig. 2 ). At least the camera 29 captures such a lower part, especially the lower surface, of the laundry item 10, over which the edge regions 26, 27 of laundry items 10 that extend from the second corner 25, in particular their corner point 28, usually extend.

The two-dimensional image recorded by the camera 29, in particular its image data, of the lower partial surface of the laundry item 10 is or are transmitted to an image evaluation device, not shown in the figures, which determines or derives information and / or measured values from the recorded image, to which is discussed in more detail below in connection with the description of the method according to the invention.

In the Fig. 2 a stabilizing rod 41, preferably running horizontally, is shown. The item of laundry 10 can be brought into contact with the stabilizing rod 41 in a central region. This happens before the camera 29 picks up the lower surface area of the laundry item 10. By bringing the central region of the laundry item 10 into contact with the stabilizing rod 41, an upper part of the laundry item 10 is bent slightly relative to its lower part with the surface area to be recorded by the camera 29. That part of the item of laundry 10 which is located below the stabilizing bar 41 is stabilized and brought to a defined distance from the camera 29. All of this means that the camera 29 can generate an image of the lower partial surface of the laundry item 10, which can be reliably evaluated with regard to the angles and / or lengths of the edge regions 26 and 27. This also helps to obtain exact measurements. The central area of the laundry item 10 can be brought into contact with the stabilizing bar 41 by moving the laundry item 10 sideways to the stationary stabilizing bar 41, but also alternatively or additionally by moving the stabilizing bar 41, which is then not stationary, to the central area of the laundry item 10.

The device also has two brackets 30 ( Fig. 6 and 7 ). The preferably identical brackets 30 are at a defined distance from one another. This distance can be constant, but also variable. The brackets 30 can be separate brackets, but also brackets 30 connected to form a double bracket. The brackets 30 are spatially movable together. For this purpose, they can either be moved along corresponding rails or linear drives or are arranged at the free end of an arm of a handling device, for example an industrial robot. The process is controlled jointly by the two spaced, parallel brackets 30 preferably based on the data recorded by the camera 29, for example image data.

On the basis of the image data recorded by the camera 29 of the lower area or of the lower partial area of the item of laundry 10, the clips 30 can be moved together to an edge area 26, 27 of the item of laundry 10 in such a way that a clip 30 contacts the relevant edge area 26 or 27 at the the lower second corner 25 or at least near the corner 25 and the spaced-apart second bracket 30 detects the relevant edge region 26, 27 at a distance from the second corner 25. As a result, a large part of the relevant edge region 26, 27 starting from the second corner 25 can ideally be clamped in a straight line between the clamps 30.

If the item of laundry 10 is now lifted by the spaced-apart clamp 30 at an edge region 26, 27 held by the same and the first corner 23 is released by the holding means 24, the second corner 25 holding at the corner point 28 or near the corner point 28 is formed 30 a long edge 14 or shorter edge 15 of the laundry item 10. For the following description it is assumed that the two spaced brackets 30 hold the edge region 27 which belongs to the short edge 15 of the laundry item 10 and consequently there is a vertically hanging long edge 14, which includes the edge region 26, under the clamps 30, in particular the outer bracket 30 forms. This long edge 14 or the parallel opposite, opposite long edge of the laundry item 10 then becomes the front edge 12 or leading edge of the laundry item 10 running transversely to the feed direction 13. The subsequent feeding of the laundry item 10 to the input machine 11 or for input into the ironer or folding machine takes place then with the leading edge 12 leading, ie the long edge parallel to the long edge 14.

The spaced brackets 30 can belong to the stripping device 18. This also has a conveyor cascade 31. The conveying direction of the conveyor cascade 31 corresponds to the feed direction 13. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the item of laundry 10 is transported from the conveyor cascade 31 to the input machine 11 and automatically transferred to, for example, a loading conveyor 32 thereof. The conveyor cascade 31 consists of a plurality of successive pairs of belt conveyors 33 arranged one above the other. Between the belt conveyors 33, which lie one above the other in the manner of a sandwich, namely the strands of the same which are directed towards one another, are the laundry items 10 can be transported in the feed direction 13 along the conveyor cascade 31 to the input machine 11. The initial pair of superimposed belt conveyors 33 of the conveyor cascade 31 are designed differently. The lower belt conveyor 33 is longer than the upper belt conveyor 33. At the beginning of the conveyor cascade 31, an exposed storage area 34 is created on the upper run of the longer lower belt conveyor 33 protruding toward the edge detection device 17 and is free from the upper belt conveyor 33 of this pair of belt conveyors.

The individual pairs of belt conveyors 33 of the conveyor cascade 31 lying one above the other are driven with an increasing rotational speed in the feed direction 13. This leads to the respective item of laundry being stripped out in and / or against the feed direction 13. The speed differences of the individual pairs of belt conveyors 33 one above the other and the number of pairs of belt conveyors 33 one above the other is selected in the conveyor cascade 31 such that 31 items of laundry 10 of different types are at the end of the conveyor cascade and formats are sufficiently stripped out so that the respective item of laundry 10 with the leading edge 12 running transversely to the feed direction can be automatically transferred to the loading conveyor 32 of the input machine 11.

The method according to the invention is described below with reference to the device of the figures, in particular the Fig. 1 , explained in more detail. It is assumed here that a parallel, longer edge of the item of laundry 10 leading to the longer edge 14 should be the leading edge 12 or the leading edge of the item of laundry 10 running transversely to the feed direction 13 when it is fed to the input machine 11.

In the area of the edge detection device 17 at the beginning of the stripping device 18, at least a lower part of the laundry item 10 hanging down from the holding means 24 is recorded by the camera 29 or another imaging device. The camera 29 detects at least the lower part of the laundry 10 from the side, that is to say the profile or the area of this lower part. With the image data recorded by the camera 29, the angles and / or lengths of the edge areas 26, 27 of a long edge 14 and an adjacent short edge 15 of the long corner 14 starting from the drooping second corner 25 are automatically electronically and / or calculated Laundry 10 determined. By comparing the angle differences and / or length differences of the edge regions 26, 27, it can be seen from the camera 29 derived image data are derived, which edge region 26 or 27 belongs to a long edge 14 or a short edge 15.

After the automatic determination of a long edge 14 and a short edge 15 of the item of laundry 10, that edge region 26, 27 which does not belong to an edge 14 or 15 forming the front edge 12 running transversely to the feed direction 13 becomes the edge region 27 in the present exemplary embodiment short edge 15, gripped by the two spaced brackets 30. This is done as shown in the Fig. 6 such that a clamp 30 grips the edge region 27 close to the corner 28 of the second corner 25 and the second clamp 30 encompasses the edge region 27 at a clear distance from the first clamp 30, preferably at the end of the opposite opposite the second corner 25 in a straight line or at least ideally in a straight line extending edge region 27, which belongs to the shorter edge 15, clamps. By simultaneously moving the two brackets 30, the second corner 25 is now lifted from the brackets 30 and the first corner 23 is released from the holding means 24. The item of laundry 10 is thereby turned over, so to speak. Simultaneously or before or after turning, the two clamps 30 are reoriented such that the edge region 27 held between them runs at least approximately horizontally. As a result, the long edge 14 of the item of laundry 10 extending perpendicularly from the bracket 30 located near the corner point 28 is formed. Ideally, the edge 14 hangs straight down or at least substantially vertically from the bracket 30 from the corner point 28 of the second corner 25. Depending on the reorientation of the clips 30 representing the pairs of clips, the long edge 14 starting from the second corner 25 can point towards the input machine 11 or - as in the present exemplary embodiment - can be directed towards the separator 16.

After determining the long edge 14 of the laundry item 10 and the formation of a straight, vertical course of this long edge 14 under the parallel clips 30 holding the laundry item 10, the parallel clips 30 are moved together in this way in the height and transversely to the depositing area 34 of the conveyor cascade 31 and the piece of laundry 10 is placed approximately U-shaped on the depositing area 34 at the beginning of the conveyor cascade 31, in such a way that the item of laundry 10 hangs down from both sides of the depositing area 34 with sections of approximately the same length, the first corner 23 and the second corner 25 are essentially opposite ( Fig. 7 ). When the laundry item 10 hangs over the storage area 34 of the conveyor cascade 31 in this way, the parallel, long edge 14 of the laundry item opposite the long edge 14, which hangs straight down under the outer bracket 30, rushes 10 in the feed direction 13. This leading long edge of the laundry item 10 thereby becomes the front edge 12 of the laundry item 10 which runs transversely to the feed direction 13 and which, after the laundry item 10 stripped out by the stripping device 18 is transferred to the input machine 11, is stretched out by the spreading clamps thereof. With this long edge forming the leading edge 12 or leading edge, the item of laundry 10 spread out by the input machine 11 is then fed to the subsequent laundry treatment device, preferably a ironer.

The automatic determination of the long edge 14 and the short edge 15 of the laundry item 10 can be carried out in various ways according to the inventive method, which in the 3 to 5 the following are shown in principle:
From the image recorded by the camera 29, in particular image data, of the lower part of the laundry item 10 with the second corner 25 and the edge regions 26 and 27, the image processing determines the angles of the edge regions 26 and, starting from the second corner 25, in particular their corner points 28 27. In the case of rectangular laundry items 10, these angles are different. If the angles are the same or almost the same, it is a square piece of laundry, in which no further evaluation is necessary because there are no long edges 14 and no short edges 15, namely all four edges are approximately of the same length.

Im in the Fig. 3 illustrated case of the rectangular item of laundry 10, which is preferably the subject of the invention, the angles are determined with respect to an imaginary horizontal reference line 35 through the corner point 28 of the second corner 25. This is an angle 36 between the horizontal reference line 35 and the edge region 26 and an angle 37 between the horizontal reference line 35 and the edge region 27. When measuring the angles 36 and 37 with respect to the horizontal reference line 35, the larger angle 36 belongs to the longer edge 14 and the smaller angle 37 to the shorter edge 15.

After the electronic image evaluation has determined the angles 36 and 37 from the image of a lower part of the laundry item 10 recorded by the camera 29, the angles 36 and 37 are compared. From this, the edge region 26 or 27 to the long edge is then automatically calculated 14 or belongs to the short edge 15. This derivation takes place on the basis of the knowledge that, in the case of the rectangular laundry item 10 hanging freely from a first corner 23, the longer edge 14 at a larger angle to the horizontal reference line 35 through the corner point 28 of FIG The lower second corner 25 runs as the shorter edge 15. Accordingly, in the present case it can be derived from the larger angle 36 between the edge area 26 and the reference line 35 that the edge area 26 becomes a long edge 14 of the laundry item 10 and the edge area 27 one heard shorter edge 15 of the laundry 10.

The procedure for determining the longer edge 14 and the shorter edge 15 of the item 10 of laundry is carried out in the embodiment of FIG Fig. 4 in principle exactly as described above. Only here the angle 36 of the edge area 26 and the angle 37 of the edge area 27 with respect to a vertical reference line 38 through the corner point 28 of the second corner 25 are determined. Consequently, the angle 36 is between the vertical reference line 38 and the edge region 26 and the angle 37 between the vertical reference line 38 and the edge region 27. When the vertical reference line 38 is used, the smaller angle 36 is the one that leads to the edge region 26 of the long edge 14 heard. In contrast, the edge region 27, which extends at a larger angle 37 to the vertical reference line 38, belongs to the shorter edge 15 of the laundry item 10.

The Fig. 5 illustrates the automatic determination of the long edge 14 and / or the shorter edge 15 by evaluating an image of the lower partial surface of the laundry item 10 recorded by the camera 29. The lengths of the edge regions 26 and 27 are compared in this way. With this type of determination of the long edge 14 and / or short edge 15 of the laundry item 10 is based on the knowledge that in the case of the rectangular laundry item 10 hanging freely from the upper first corner 23 with two parallel long edges 14 and two parallel short edges 15, those from the corner point 28 of the lower second corner 25 outgoing rectilinear or at least approximately rectilinear edge regions 26 and 27 are of different lengths. Furthermore, it has been shown that the rectilinear edge region 26 of the longer edge 14 has a greater length 39 than the length of the edge region 27 of the short edge 15. If the image evaluation device automatically detects the image data of the lower part of the laundry item captured by the camera 29 Determined length 39 and 40 of the edge sections 26 and 27 and compared the lengths 39 and 40, the longer edge region 36 belongs to the long edge 14 and the shorter edge region 27 to the short edge 15 of the laundry item 10. Accordingly, the longer edge region 26 automatically becomes the long edge 14 and the shorter edge 15 derived from the shorter edge region 27.

Various modifications of the previously described methods are possible within the scope of the invention.

For example, a deviation from the previously described exemplary embodiment can also form a short edge 15 of the laundry item 10 determined according to the previously described method, the leading edge 12 of the laundry item 10 running transversely to the feed direction 13. Then the adjacent parallel brackets 30 for free straight hanging of the short edge 15, starting from the corner point 28 of the second corner 25, grip the edge region 26 belonging to the long edge 14 in the vicinity of the second corner 25 or at the corner point 28 thereof and at a distance from the corner point 28 .

It is also conceivable that the item of laundry 10 is not placed on the depositing area 34 at the beginning of the conveyor cascade 31 with the long edge 14 or short edge 15 facing away from the input machine 11, just aligned, but rather with the input machine 11 pointing , just aligned long edge 14 or short edge 15. Then the piece of laundry 10 is placed in a U-shaped manner the other way over the storage area 34 of the conveyor cascade 31 than it is in the Fig. 7 is shown.

The invention is also suitable for another automatic supply of laundry items 10 with a desired long edge 14 or short edge 15 as the leading edge 12 extending as the feed direction 13 to differently designed input machine 11 or other laundry treatment devices. For example, after determining the desired long edge 14 or short edge 15 with the long edge 14 and short edge 15 as the leading edge 12, the item of laundry 10 can also have adjacent corners of the leading edge 12 in loading brackets of the input machine 11 or directly in spreading brackets instead of a loading conveyor 32 Input machine 11 can be entered.

In all variants of the invention, in particular in the variants described above, the laundry items 10 are fed fully automatically to a laundry treatment machine, for example also a sorting device or sorting system, in particular after a preferably previous automatic determination of the long edge 14 and / or the short edge 15 rectangular items of laundry, namely items of laundry 10 with edges 14, 15 of different lengths.

Reference symbol list:

10th

Laundry

11

Input machine

12th

Leading edge

13

Feed direction

14

long edge

15

short edge

16

Separator

17th

Edge detection device

18th

Stripping device

19th

Pile of laundry

20

camera

21

Gripper

22

Provisioning facility

23

first corner

24th

Holding means

25th

second corner

26

Edge area

27

Edge area

28

Corner point

29

camera

30th

Bracket

31

Sponsor cascade

32

Loading conveyor

33

Belt conveyor

34

Storage area

35

horizontal reference line

36

angle

37

angle

38

vertical reference line

39

length

40

length

41

Stabilizing bar

Claims (10)

Method for determining a longer edge (14) and / or a shorter edge (15) of items of laundry (10), the automatically from different directions or lengths (39, 40) of the corner (25) of the item of laundry (10) hanging freely down outgoing edge area (26, 27) is derived, which edge area (26, 27) belongs to the longer edge (14) and / or to the shorter edge (15) of the item of laundry (10). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the laundry (10) hanging from a first corner (23) from the angles (36, 37) or lengths (39, 40) of the lower free second corner (25), preferably that first corner (23) diagonally opposite second corner (25), outgoing edge areas (26, 27) the longer edge (14) and / or shorter edge (15) of the item of laundry (10) is derived. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that such edge regions (26, 27) are those regions of the edges of the item of laundry (10) starting from the second corner (25), in particular their corner point (28), for determining the longer edge (14 ) and / or shorter edge (15) of the item of laundry (10), which ideally run in a straight line. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, by comparing the angles (36, 37) and / or lengths (39, 40) of the two edge regions (26, 27) starting from the second corner (25), the longer edge ( 14) and / or shorter edge (15) of the item of laundry (10) is derived. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that such angles (36, 37) for deriving the longer edge (14) and / or shorter edge (15) of the item of laundry (10) are used which are located between the respective edge region (26, 27) and an imaginary horizontal reference line (35) or vertical reference line (38) through a corner point (28) of the second corner (25) of the item of laundry (10). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the angles (36, 37) of the edge regions (26, 27) starting from the second corner (25) with respect to the imaginary horizontal reference line (35) through the corner point (28) of the second Corner (25) are determined and from this the longer edge (14) and / or the shorter edge (15) of the item of laundry (10) is derived by assuming the longer edge (14) as belonging to that edge region (26) that extends at a larger angle (36) to the imaginary horizontal reference line (35) and / or the shorter edge (15) belongs to the edge section (27) which runs at a smaller angle (37) to the imaginary horizontal reference line (35). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the angles (36, 37) of the edge regions (26, 27) starting from the second corner (25) with respect to the imaginary vertical reference line (38) through the corner point (28) of the second Corner (25) are determined and from this the longer edge (14) and / or the shorter edge (15) of the item of laundry (10) is derived by assuming the longer edge (14) as belonging to that edge region (26) that extends at a small angle (36) to the imaginary vertical reference line (38) and / or the shorter edge (15) belongs to the edge section (27) which extends at a larger angle (37) to the vertical reference line (38). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the longer edge region is derived from the lengths (39, 40) of the edge regions (26, 27) starting from the second corner (25), in particular the corner point (28) thereof (26) belongs to the longer edge (14) and the shorter edge region (27) to the shorter edge (15) of the item of laundry (10). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least that part of a respective item of laundry (10) in which the second corner (25) with at least parts of the two edge regions (26, 27) starting from this second corner (25) is located , is recorded by at least one imaging device, preferably at least one camera (29), and the angles (36, 37) between the respective edge regions (26, 27) and the reference line (35, 38) or the lengths (39 , 40) of the edge areas (26, 27) can be determined. Method for in particular automatically feeding laundry items to a laundry treatment device, preferably an input machine (11), a mangle, a folding machine or the like, the laundry items (10) specifically with a longer edge (14) and / or extending transversely to the feed direction (13) shorter edge (15) are fed to the laundry treatment device, characterized in that the longer edge (14) and / or shorter edge (15) of the respective item of laundry (10) is automatically determined according to the method according to one or more of claims 1 to 9, preferably before or at the start of feeding the laundry item (10) to the laundry treatment device.

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