Domestic Compact Article Folding Machine Having Stacked Conveyor Layers and Folding Method Therefor

• US 20190309465A1
• Filed: 12/26/2017
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miele & CIE KG
• Original Assignee: FoldiMate, Inc.
• Inventors: Rozov, Gal
• Granted Patent: US 11,198,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 43/0257 Folding
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 89/02 of textile articles to be worn, e.g. shirts

Abstract

A domestic compact article folding machine (10) configured for autonomous article folding has machine top and bottom ends (12, 14) and a uniform machine body portion which extends therebetween. The folding machine (10) includes an active loading system (20) located at the machine top end (12), at least five stacked conveyor layers (38) and an active unloading system (22) located at the machine bottom end (14). Outer dimensions of the folding machine (10) are equal or smaller than a domestic appliance for article treatment. The folding machine (10) is configured to fold the article at least once in a width of the article and at least once in a length thereof.

Claims

1. A domestic compact article folding machine (10) configured for autonomous article folding and having machine top and bottom ends (12, 14) and a uniform machine body (16) extending therebetween,

the folding machine (10) comprising:

an active loading system (20) located at the machine top end (12);

at least five stacked conveyor layers (38); and

an active unloading system (22) located at the machine bottom end (14), characterized in that,

outer dimensions of the folding machine (10) are equal or smaller than a domestic appliance for article treatment; and

the folding machine (10) is configured to fold the article at least once in a width of the article and at least once in a length thereof.

3. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the machine body (16) has exactly five conveyor layers and the loading and unloading systems (20, 22) each includes exactly one conveyor layer.

4. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the folding machine (10) has a box-shaped enclosure (18) which comprises machine top and bottom surfaces (24, 26) and a machine peripheral surface (28) which extends therebetween;

and in an operative mode, the loading system (20) protrudes outwardly from the machine peripheral surface (28).

5. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the loading system (20) comprises an active hanger (60) assembly which has an adjustable width portion and configured to match various article sizes.

6. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the loading system (20) is adjustable in a lateral direction and configured to accommodate and load various article sizes.

7. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein each conveyor layer (38) comprises only one or two conveyors (40).

8. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the folding machine (10) comprises at least one service door (36) at one or both machine side surfaces (30) and/or at one or both machine front and rear surfaces (32, 34).

9. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the folding machine (10) is not configured to fold articles wider than 70 cm or longer than 150 cm or thicker than 15 mm.

14. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein each pair of adjacent layers have at least 70 percent overlap therebetween.

15. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein each pair of adjacent layers have at least 90 percent overlap therebetween.

16. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the loading system (20) is retractable, and folds inside the machine when not in use.

17. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the loading system (20) comprises a motorized loading active hanger (60) assembly located within the folding machine (10) when not in use and extendable outwardly therefrom in an operative mode.

18. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the loading system (20) has an adjustable width.

19. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the unloading system (22) comprises a conveyor (40) which moves back and forth in the longitudinal direction and configured for stacking articles by cooperating with a conveyor layer (38) located adjacently thereabove.

20. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the folding machine (10) comprises sensors configured for detecting existence, width and/or thickness and/or length of articles.

21. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein bed sheets are not supported.

22. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the folding machine (10) comprises an article treatment system (56).

24. The folding machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the folding machine (10) comprises a heated roller (58) configured to press the article against the conveyor (40).

2. (canceled)

10-13. -13. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. An article folding method comprising:

(a) pulling an article over a passive first width-folder (46) while performing a first width fold thereabout,

(b) conveying the article using a first conveyor layer (38A) to a second conveyor layer (38B) located thereunder,

(c) performing a second width fold using an active second width-folder (48),

(d) reversing the article by using the second conveyor layer (38B) and conveying it to a third conveyor layer (38C) located thereunder and further conveying the article using the third conveyor layer (38C) to a fourth conveyor layer (38D) located thereunder,

(e) performing a first length fold by conveying the article through a layer space (LS) between two adjacent conveyors of the fourth conveyor layer (38D) and onto a fifth conveyor layer (38E), or an unloading system (22) thereunder.

26. The article folding method according to claim 25, further comprising:

(f) reversing the article by using the fifth conveyor layer (38E) and conveying it to a sixth conveyor (38F) layer located thereunder,

(g) performing a second length fold by conveying the article through the layer space (LS) between two adjacent conveyors (40A, 40B) of the sixth conveyor layer (38F) and onto a seventh conveyor layer (38G), or an unloading system (22) thereunder.