A laundry folding appliance includes one or more folding panels mechanically coupled to a cabinet and at least partially defining a folding surface for receiving articles of clothing. An actuating assembly selectively pivots the folding panels to fold the articles of clothing and a camera assembly is positioned in view of the folding surface. A controller obtains one or more images using the camera assembly, identifies the laundry articles positioned on the folding surface by analyzing the one or more images using a laundry identification model, determines a folding protocol for folding the laundry article, and operates the actuating assembly to fold the laundry article in accordance with the folding protocol.

Used laundry items are delivered unsorted to laundries. It has previously been usual to initially sort the laundry items after delivery and treat the sorted laundry items, at least by washing, drying, mangling and folding. The preliminary sorting is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The invention proposes to treat unsorted at least those laundry items which must be mangled. Only before folding are the still unsorted laundry items identified and folded in targeted fashion accordingly. After folding, the identified laundry items are sorted according to their identified criteria, in that folded laundry items with the same criteria are stacked on a respective stack of similarly treated and folded laundry items. This reduces the complexity of sorting laundry items.

Used laundry items are delivered unsorted to laundries. It has previously been usual to initially sort the laundry items after delivery and treat the sorted laundry items, at least by washing, drying, mangling and folding. The preliminary sorting is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The invention proposes to treat unsorted at least those laundry items which must be mangled. Only before folding are the still unsorted laundry items identified and folded in targeted fashion accordingly. After folding, the identified laundry items are sorted according to their identified criteria, in that folded laundry items with the same criteria are stacked on a respective stack of similarly treated and folded laundry items. This reduces the complexity of sorting laundry items.

The invention relates to a folding device (1) for forming folded linen sheets (L), comprising a housing (H) having opposite side walls (W), a rear side (5) and a front side (6), the direction from the rear side (5) to the front side (6) defining a first machine direction of said folding device (1) and a direction perpendicularly thereto, towards one of said side walls (W) defining a second machine direction of said folding device (1), a first conveyor (10) defining a conveying surface for introducing linen sheets (L) in said first machine direction, such as with two opposite edges of said linen sheets (L) generally parallel to said first machine direction, wherein in operation of the folding device (1) said linen sheets (L) are cross-wise folded defining fold lines parallel with said first machine direction and length-wise folded defining fold lines perpendicularly thereto, at least one length-wise folding station (S1, S2) for forming length-wise folded linen sheets (L), characterised in a second machine direction conveyor loop (35) arranged in said housing (H) below said length-wise folding station(s) (S1, S2) and advancing said length-wise folded linen sheets (L) in said second machine direction to a housing part (H2), said housing part (H2) comprising a number of cross-wise folding stations (S4, S5) for cross-wise folding said length-wise folded linen sheets (L) and including a number of secondary conveyor loops (40, 45, 50, 55), said secondary conveyor loops (40, 45, 50, 55) carrying and advancing said folded linen sheets (L) in said second machine direction and opposite said second machine direction.

The invention relates to a folding device (1) for forming folded linen sheets (L), comprising a housing (H) having opposite side walls (W), a rear side (5) and a front side (6), the direction from the rear side (5) to the front side (6) defining a first machine direction of said folding device (1) and a direction perpendicularly thereto, towards one of said side walls (W) defining a second machine direction of said folding device (1), a first conveyor (10) defining a conveying surface for introducing linen sheets (L) in said first machine direction, such as with two opposite edges of said linen sheets (L) generally parallel to said first machine direction, wherein in operation of the folding device (1) said linen sheets (L) are cross-wise folded defining fold lines parallel with said first machine direction and length-wise folded defining fold lines perpendicularly thereto, at least one length-wise folding station (S1, S2) for forming length-wise folded linen sheets (L), characterised in a second machine direction conveyor loop (35) arranged in said housing (H) below said length-wise folding station(s) (S1, S2) and advancing said length-wise folded linen sheets (L) in said second machine direction to a housing part (H2), said housing part (H2) comprising a number of cross-wise folding stations (S4, S5) for cross-wise folding said length-wise folded linen sheets (L) and including a number of secondary conveyor loops (40, 45, 50, 55), said secondary conveyor loops (40, 45, 50, 55) carrying and advancing said folded linen sheets (L) in said second machine direction and opposite said second machine direction.

Devices, systems, and methods for repositioning a deformable laundry article are described. For example, a robotic device includes a conveyor configured to transfer the deformable laundry article outside of a work volume, two or more lifters including grippers individually anchored about the perimeter of the work volume, two or more sensors disposed at fixed locations about the work volume, and a memory storing data indicative of repositioned deformable laundry articles. A controller is in operative communication with the memory, the two or more sensors, and the two or more lifters. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the sensors, identify grip points on the deformable laundry article suspended above the conveyor, instruct a lifter to grip and lift an identified grip point to the suspension height, determine whether the deformable laundry article is repositioned, and instruct the lifters to lower the repositioned deformable laundry article onto the conveyor.

Devices, systems, and methods for repositioning a deformable laundry article are described. For example, a robotic device includes a conveyor configured to transfer the deformable laundry article outside of a work volume, two or more lifters including grippers individually anchored about the perimeter of the work volume, two or more sensors disposed at fixed locations about the work volume, and a memory storing data indicative of repositioned deformable laundry articles. A controller is in operative communication with the memory, the two or more sensors, and the two or more lifters. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the sensors, identify grip points on the deformable laundry article suspended above the conveyor, instruct a lifter to grip and lift an identified grip point to the suspension height, determine whether the deformable laundry article is repositioned, and instruct the lifters to lower the repositioned deformable laundry article onto the conveyor.

A cloth clamping chuck includes a pair of chuck jaws and a driving process that rotates at least one of the pair of chuck jaws around an open-close axis x to change an opening degree of the pair of chuck jaws. The cloth clamping chuck has a catching portion which is arranged in a position out of an extension line of the chuck jaws, and in associated with the pulling operation of cloth, is caught in a portion of the cloth other than the portion clamped by the pair of chuck jaws to deflect a force applied to the clamped portion of the cloth toward a side along the open-close axis.

A cloth clamping chuck includes a pair of chuck jaws and a driving process that rotates at least one of the pair of chuck jaws around an open-close axis x to change an opening degree of the pair of chuck jaws. The cloth clamping chuck has a catching portion which is arranged in a position out of an extension line of the chuck jaws, and in associated with the pulling operation of cloth, is caught in a portion of the cloth other than the portion clamped by the pair of chuck jaws to deflect a force applied to the clamped portion of the cloth toward a side along the open-close axis.

An apparatus and method for pre-shrinking a wet fabric prior to drying. The apparatus includes, among other components, a balloon extractor station and a hydro-sizer compression station. The balloon extractor station removes some water from the wet fabric. The hydro-sizer compression station is operatively connected to, and disposed downstream of, the balloon extractor station, and compresses the wet fabric in a lengthwise direction, and in so doing, pre-shrinks the wet fabric prior to drying. The method includes, among other steps, extracting some water from the wet fabric so as to form a hydro-extracted and wet fabric, compressing lengthwise the hydro-extracted and wet fabric so as to form a compacted and wet fabric that is now pre-shrunk prior to drying, and drying the compacted and wet fabric so as to form a compacted and dry fabric.