Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously packing folded laundry articles into a container are described. A packing system includes a refillable cartridge, a queue conveyor having one or more folded laundry articles and stacks of folded laundry articles disposed thereon, at least one retractable conveyor loading end between the refillable cartridge and the queue conveyor for loading the folded laundry articles into the refillable cartridge, a driven lifter for selectively raising and lowering the into and out of the container, and a controller in operative configuration with processors and drives of all of the foregoing and one or more sensors detecting a fill height of the refillable cartridge. The refillable cartridge includes a removable receiving surface that moves from a closed position to an open position during loading of the folded laundry by the retractable conveyor and unloading of the folded laundry into the container.

Embodiments provide for systems and methods related to kiosks for personalizing a packaged article. The kiosks may also be used for storage, inventory management, retrieval, packaging, and/or personalization of packaged articles. The kiosks discussed herein differ from non-kiosk personalization systems, such as personalization systems installed on a factory or warehouse floor, in that the kiosks are self-contained personalization systems. In some embodiments, the kiosks are portable and can be moved between different sites or events. This portability allows the kiosks to personalize packaged articles for concerts, festivals, conventions, trade shows, and the like.

Embodiments provide for systems and methods related to kiosks for personalizing a packaged article. The kiosks may also be used for storage, inventory management, retrieval, packaging, and/or personalization of packaged articles. The kiosks discussed herein differ from non-kiosk personalization systems, such as personalization systems installed on a factory or warehouse floor, in that the kiosks are self-contained personalization systems. In some embodiments, the kiosks are portable and can be moved between different sites or events. This portability allows the kiosks to personalize packaged articles for concerts, festivals, conventions, trade shows, and the like.

The present disclosure relates to a clothes folding device including: a loading assembly which pushes in the clothes and seats the clothes on a loading conveyor for transportation; a folding assembly which transports the clothes forward or backward and performs the folding of the clothes; an unloading assembly which is provided below the folding assembly and loads the clothes discharged from the folding assembly. The unloading assembly comprises: an upper unloading layer where the clothes finally folded by the folding assembly is primarily dropped and seated and which comprises an unloading conveyor; a rotation drive unit which drives such that the unloading conveyor rotates; an upper front-rear drive unit which moves the upper unloading layer in a forward and backward direction; a lower unloading layer where the clothes seated on the upper unloading layer are secondarily dropped and seated; and an up and down drive unit which moves the lower unloading layer in an up or down direction.

A hanger orientation detection system determines the orientation of a hanger on a rail-based garment conveyor. To do so, the detection system continuously monitors the pivot state of a pivot arm. The pivot arm pivots between no-contact and contact pivot states. The no-contact pivot occurs when a garment hanger in a correct orientation translates past the pivot arm without contacting the pivot arm. The contact pivot state occurs when a garment hanger in an incorrect orientation translates past the pivot arm and contacts the pivot arm. Contacting the pivot arm displaces the pivot arm in a measurable manner. The sensor measures the deflection of the pivot arm to determine the pivot state. When the sensor senses that the pivot state changes from the no-contact pivot state to the contact pivot state, the detection system generates an alert signal indicating that a garment hanger is in the incorrect orientation.

A laundry sorting and evaluation system includes a housing having an opening and defining a laundry path. First and second platforms are positioned within the housing, each operably connected to a motor. First and second cameras are respectively associated with the platforms and are configured to acquire at images of an item of laundry on each of the first and second platforms. A controller is configured to receive the images and produce an evaluation of a condition of the item of laundry based upon the received images.

An automated kiosk includes a front panel positioned in front of a conveyor with conveyor slots sized to receive clothing hangers. Dividers separate each conveyor slot from the adjacent conveyor slots, forming a compartment for each conveyor slot. Two doors are positioned in the front panel. An electronic controller moves a conveyor in order to reposition a desired compartment in front of the doors. The doors open inwardly, and are of sufficient length that the extended edge of the doors engages with and overlaps the outer edge of each of the dividers. With each door engaging the divider on each side of the compartment, a user is blocked from being able to access items that are in adjacent compartments.

A system for processing picking orders each having a plurality of articles, includes a replenishing storage, at least one reloading station connected to the replenishing storage for reloading of articles for hanging transportation, and a buffer storage connected to the reloading station with parallel circulating storages for hanging transports. A controller allocates orders to be picked to each circulating storage and generates a list and quantity of all articles per circulating storage, and supplies the articles present therein to the respective circulating storage. The controller checks each circulating storage to determine whether a) articles for the fulfilment of an original order are present, and/or b) articles for the fulfilment of another order to be treated preferentially are present, and/or c) articles for the fulfilment of another order to be treated preferentially are present in two or more circulating storages. Thereupon the articles are discharged from the respective circulating storage.

A conveyor belt system having a belt in contact with an array of actuators that are functional to move the belt in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the belt. The belt actuators can be functional to move individually to form a desired topography of the belt. The conveyor belt system can, thereby, move a workpiece in three dimensions for improved manufacturing and/or warehousing.

The invention relates to a transport carrier (2) and a transport carrier system for an overhead conveying device (1), in which the transport carrier comprises a universally applicable base body (30) and supporting body (40a, 40b) exchangeable by means of a connecting device (50), which supporting body (40a, 40b) in a first configuration is provided with a completely enclosed receiving opening for transporting transport bags, and in a second configuration is provided with a suspension hook for transporting an article suspended on a clothes hanger. The connecting device (50) comprises a profile groove (60) extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (51) and a profile projection (61) extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The profile groove forms an undercut (62) and is provided with an insertion opening (63) on the end side in the direction of its longitudinal extension. The profile projection comprises a profile web (64) and a profile head (65) formed on the profile web so as to expand the cross section. Moreover, the invention relates to an overhead conveying device with such a transport carrier system and an unloading station for automatic unloading of transport bags suspended on transport carriers.