Article adapted for use in sorting apparatus and associated apparatus
OwnerMario Matkovichinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article which includes identifying means which incorporates information wherein said identifying means and the information incorporated therein is capable of being detected and recorded by a recognition unit in order that one or more characteristics of the article can be determined by correlating the information obtained from the identifying means with pre-recorded information concerning one or more characteristics of the article.
Claims30
An article which includes identifying means which incorporates information wherein said identifying means and the information incorporated therein is capable of being detected and recorded by a recognition unit in order that one or more characteristics of the article can be determined by correlating the information obtained from the identifying means with pre-recorded information concerning one or more characteristics of the article and wherein said identifying means is moulded onto or within the article.
An article as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the identifying means includes a shaped aperture.
A garment hanger which includes identifying means which incorporates information, wherein said identifying means and the information incorporated therein is capable of being detected and recorded by a recognition unit in order that one or more characteristics of the garment hanger can be determined by correlating the information obtained from the identifying means with pre-recorded information concerning one or more characteristics of the garment hanger and wherein said identifying means is moulded onto or within the garment hanger.
A moulded garment hanger which incorporates an aperture wherein one or more moulded formations are located within the aperture for the purpose of enabling one or more attributes of the garment hanger to be derived by reference to the disposition, size, number or other attribute of the formation or formations located within the said aperture.
An apparatus for sorting from a group of different articles at least one batch of articles where members of the batch are either the same or have some unifying characteristic and where the articles to be sorted include identifying means moulded onto or into the article which incorporates information, said apparatus including:
- (a) conveying means for transporting the articles along a predetermined path;
- (b) at least one recognition unit that is capable of detecting and recording information incorporated in the identifying means included in the articles to be sorted;
- (c) correlation means capable of correlating the information obtained from the respective identifying means with pre-recorded information concerning one or more characteristics of the articles so to identify such characteristics for the respective articles detected by the recognition unit;
- and
- (d) removal means for selectively removing those articles from the conveying means which have been identified as having one or more predetermined characteristics.
A method for sorting from a group of different articles at least one batch of articles where members of the batch are either the same or have some unifying characteristic which includes:
- (a) conveying articles which include identifying means moulded onto or into the article along a predetermined path;
- (b) using a recognition unit to detect the identifying means and to record information incorporated therein;
- (c) correlating the information obtained from the respective identifying means with prerecorded information concerning one or more characteristics of the articles;
- (d) collecting one or more batches of articles wherein articles in any one batch have been identified as having one or more common characteristic.
A garment hanger substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to what is shown in any one of FIGS. 1 to 5.
An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to what is shown in FIG. 6.
A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to what is shown in any one of FIGS. 1 to 6.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.