US 12,722,185 B1Granted

System and method for separation and sorting of post-consumer textiles

AssigneeWm Intellectual Property Holdings, L.L.C.

InventorsPaul Jacob Wodek, Raymond Davis Randall

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Abstract

Textile sorting systems and methods are described herein. The system may be configured to sort textiles using a plurality of sorting subsystems to increase the percentage of textiles recycled. In some non-limiting embodiments, the sorting subsystems may employ machine learning modules, artificial intelligent (AI), digital product passports, and market data to granularly sort the textiles. The systems may include optic-based sensors, such as near-infrared, visible, and hyperspectral subsystems, metal detection subsystems, and digital tag reading subsystems. The output from each subsystem may be used to generate attribute profile of a clothing item and to designate the clothing item to particular separation bunker. The subsystems may be communicably coupled such that an output of a subsystem may override a bunker designation for the clothing item from another subsystem.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for sorting post-consumer textiles, the system comprising:

a conveyor subsystem configured to convey a garment from an infeed stage to one of a plurality of bunkers;
a first subsystem configured to receive the garment from the conveyor subsystem, the first subsystem comprising:
an optical sensor;
a first memory;
and
a first processor operably coupled to the first memory, the first processor configured to instantiate an instance of software configured to:
cause light to be emitted towards the garment;
receive reflected light from the garment;
determine a predictive material composition of the garment based on a spectral signature based on the reflected light;
and
identify a first sorting bunker of the plurality of bunkers for the garment based on the predictive material composition;
and
a second subsystem configured to receive the garment from the first subsystem, the second subsystem comprising:
a digital tag reader;
a second memory;
and
a second processor operably coupled to the second memory, the second processor configured to instantiate an instance of software configured to:
cause a digital tag reader to read a digital tag coupled to the garment;
receive data associated with the garment from the digital tag reader;
retrieve a material composition of the garment from the data;
and
in response to the material composition and predictive material composition having different values, reassigning the garment to a second sorting bunker of the plurality of bunkers, the second sorting bunker different from the first sorting bunker.

19 more elements

A system for sorting post-consumer textiles, the system comprising:

a plurality of subsystems comprising:
a first subsystem comprising an optical detector and a garment picker, the first subsystem configured to:
receive a textile stream comprising a plurality of garments including a first garment and a second garment;
identify, via the optical detector, an origin of the first garment from the plurality of garments based on a first visual parameter of the first garment;
in response to identifying the origin of the first garment, cause the garment picker to retrieve the first garment from the textile stream;
scan, via the optical detector, the second garment;
and
in response to a second visual parameter associated with the second garment failing a selection criteria, conveying the second garment to a second subsystem;
and
the second subsystem comprising a fiber scanner configured to:
receive the second garment;
determine a fiber composition of the second garment;
and
select a sorting bunker for the second garment based on the fiber composition.

11 more elements

A system of sorting post-consumer textiles, the system comprising:

a robotic arm assembly configured to manipulate a position of a garment;
a camera configured to capture a substantial portion of a front of the garment and a substantial portion of a back of the garment;
a conveyor belt configured to convey a plurality of garments including the garment along the system;
a memory allocation;
and
a processor allocation operably coupled to the memory allocation, the processor allocation configured to instantiate an instance of software configured to:
receiving garment image from the camera;
identify, via a predictive model, a plurality of visual parameters of the garment;
determine a classification of the garment based on the plurality of visual parameters;
and
in response to the classification satisfying a selection criteria, cause removal of the garment from the conveyor belt.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/453,962Filed 20 Jan 2026 · us provisional application
Priority: 17 Jan 2025
Granted: 1 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B07C 5/3412
Sorting according to other particular properties: according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality…
B07C 5/342
Sorting according to other particular properties: according to optical properties, e.g. colour
B07C 5/36
Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or…:…
G05B 13/027
The criterion being a learning criterion: using neural networks only