US 11,999,067 B2 · Robotic laundry separating and repositioning devices, systems, and methods of use

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously separating a mass of clean laundry into single articles for folding and/or packing include autonomous separating device. The device includes a platform including a plurality of sequential work volumes and a stationary floor extending between an inlet end and an outlet end of the platform, a plurality of arms disposed in series along the platform for rotating, tilting, extending, and retracting a terminal gripper of each arm into an associated work volume for grabbing at least one of a plurality of laundry articles and passing the at least one laundry article to an adjacent work volume for grasping and hoisting by an adjacent arm. The device includes a bin, platform, conveyor and/or repositioning robot adjacent the outlet end for receiving each single article one at a time as each separate article passes beyond the outlet end.

A system for separating and repositioning a plurality of deformable articles amassed in a collection, comprising:

a platform comprising a plurality of sequential work volumes and a stationary floor extending between an inlet end and an outlet end of the platform, a portion of the stationary floor within a first work volume of the plurality of sequential work volumes being configured to receive thereon the plurality of deformable articles adjacent an inlet end;
a plurality of arms disposed in series along the platform, each one of the plurality of arms comprising an actuatable terminal gripper configured to selectively grasp at least one of the plurality of deformable articles and at least one arm drive motor configured to move the terminal gripper within one or more sequential work volumes to pass the one or more of the plurality of deformable articles sequentially through the plurality of sequential work volumes;
at least one separation sensor disposed at least one of on, adjacent to, and within the plurality of sequential work volumes, the at least one sensor configured to
detect at least one of the plurality of deformable articles disposed within an associated one of the plurality of sequential work volumes, and
output a signal indicative of at least one of a presence and location of the at least one of the plurality of deformable articles relative to the terminal gripper of one of the plurality of arms closest to the deformable article;
a conveyor adjacent the outlet end of the platform and disposed at a bottom of a repositioning work volume, the repositioning work volume being configured to receive therein the terminal gripper of an arm of the plurality of arms closest to the outlet end and one of the plurality of deformable articles engaged by the terminal gripper;
two or more repositioning arms disposed about a perimeter of the repositioning work volume at individually anchored positions spaced apart by between about 150 cm to 400 cm, each of the two or more repositioning arms comprising a gripper and at least one repositioning drive motor and configured to
move within the repositioning work volume for releasably engaging a deformable laundry article, and
operate at least one of independently of and in tandem with another of the two or more repositioning arms and the arm of the plurality of arms closest to the outlet end of the platform to at least one of raise and suspend the deformable laundry article above the conveyor;
two or more repositioning sensors disposed at two or more fixed locations about the work volume, each of the two or more repositioning sensors configured to
at least one of detect one or more features and capture one or more images of the deformable laundry article disposed within the work volume, and
output a signal comprising the at least one of the detected one of one or more features and captured one or more images;
and
a controller in operable communication with the at least one arm drive motor, the at least one repositioning drive motor, the at least one separation sensor, and the two or more repositioning sensors, the controller configured to
receive a signal from the at least one separation sensor of the plurality of sequential work volumes indicative of at least one of the plurality of deformable articles being disposed within the at least one of the plurality of sequential work volumes,
determine a location of the at least one of the plurality of deformable articles relative to a closest arm of the plurality of arms,
instruct the at least one drive motor to position the terminal gripper of the closest arm at the determined location to grasp the at least one of the plurality of deformable articles,
instruct an actuator of the terminal gripper of the closest arm to close on the at least one of the plurality of deformable articles,
instruct the at least one drive motor to
raise the closest arm and associated closed terminal gripper and the grasped at least one of the plurality of deformable articles to a hoist height above the stationary floor, and
move toward the outlet end into at least one of an adjacent work volume and the repositioning work volume for handing off to at least one of an adjacent one of the plurality of arms in series and one of the two or more repositioning arms,
receive a signal from at least one of the at least one separation sensor and at least one of the two or more repositioning sensors, and
determine, based on the received signal, a state comprising at least one of
one or more of the plurality of deformable articles are present in the plurality of work volumes,
none of the plurality of deformable articles are present in the plurality of work volumes, and
one of the plurality of deformable articles is disposed within the repositioning work volume.

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Robotic laundry separating and repositioning devices, systems, and methods of use

Life of this patent

Robotic laundry separating and repositioning devices, systems, and methods of use

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20