Fabric separator
AssigneeThe North Face Apparel Corp.
InventorsDewayne Steward, Demitri Balabanov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Some embodiments include a fabric separator comprising a body, a drum, a gas intake, a sensor, and a clamp. In some embodiments, the drum has an outer surface, is coupled with the body, and has a drum rotatable about an axis. The gas intake may flow gas in a rotational direction of the drum such that a low pressure zone is created on at least a portion of the outer surface of the drum. The sensor may be coupled with the body. The clamp may be in communication with the sensor and coupled with the body. The clamp having an engaged mode where the clamp is pressed against a portion of the drum and a disengaged where the clamp is not pressed against a portion of the drum, the clamp transitions from the engaged mode to the disengaged mode based on a signal from the sensor.
Claims17
A fabric separator comprising
- a body;
- a drum with an outer surface coupled with the body and having a drum rotatable about an axis;
- a gas intake that receives gas external from the body and flows the gas in the rotational direction of the drum such that a low pressure zone is created on at least a portion of the outer surface of the drum;
- a flagging sensor coupled with the body;
- and
- a clamp in communication with the flagging sensor and coupled with the body, the clamp having an engaged mode and a disengaged mode, in the engaged mode the clamp is pressed against a portion of the drum and in the disengaged mode the clamp is not pressed against a portion of the drum, the clamp transitions from the engaged mode to the disengaged mode based on a signal from the flagging sensor.
A method comprising:
- flowing a gas through a gas intake;
- rotating a drum in a direction consistent with the gas;
- detecting flagging of a ply of fabric near the rotating drum using a flagging sensor;
- and
- clamping the ply of fabric to an outer surface of the drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.