Autonomous Tiered Laundry Folding Devices, Systems, and Methods of Use

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/341,898, filed on Jun. 27, 2023, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/355,803, filed on Jun. 27, 2022, titled “AUTONOMOUS TIERED LAUNDRY FOLDING DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS OF USE,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/374,106, filed on Aug. 31, 2022, titled “AUTONOMOUS TIERED LAUNDRY FOLDING DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS OF USE,” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The present disclosure is directed to robotic laundry devices, systems, and methods.

Automating and outsourcing mundane, time-consuming household chores to robotic devices is increasingly common. Time-saving home robots include, for example, floor vacuuming and floor washing robots. Outsourcing responsibilities include, for example, engaging grocery shopping and delivery, and manually operated and human-operator dependent laundry washing and dry-cleaning pick up and return services.

Many homes are appointed with a dedicated washer and dryer for family use. Domestic washers and dryers are increasingly sophisticated and include IoT connectivity features and push notifications for alerting users about cycle progress and energy and resource usage. These technologically advanced machines, however, require human interaction and cannot eliminate the time and manual labor required for processing loads of laundry in the home. Although more modern, “high efficiency” machines are equipped with sensors for metering water usage and dryer temperatures, the efficiency gains are capped by the constraints of sequentially processing single loads of laundry. Additionally, grey water is output to the city water and sewer system for mitigation with each load of laundry processed, and energy is consumed with each load of laundry washed and dried.

Households can outsource laundry chores to laundromat facilities for a fee in exchange for time. Laundromats offering residential mixed load laundering services, however, require human interaction for intake and sorting of dirty laundry, transferring loads from washer to dryer, and then manually folding clean laundry. These are costly processes as measured in time, energy consumption, water consumption, and wastewater output, and they rely on human intervention to keep the process running at every transition and throughout several process steps. This invites delays at every stage. Because these processes are human-dependent and inefficient, the costs are passed along to the customers outsourcing their laundry for cleaning. Human-reliant laundering services also require that employees touch the belongings of the customer, potentially exposing the employee to contaminants in the dirty laundry and potentially exposing the clean laundry to transferable pathogens, dust, hair, and other debris emanating from a laundromat employee. In addition to potentially introducing undesirable contact contamination from the employees processing the loads of laundry, a privacy barrier is breached. Outsourcing household laundry to a laundromat involves employees interacting with customers' personal belongings including bodily worn garments.

Industrial laundry services exist for handling uniform business-related items, such as hospital bed sheets, medical scrubs, and hotel towels. Such industrial machines are tailor-made to accept one type of laundry item of one size or style. For example, unique folding machines exist to accept one of washed flat sheets, fitted sheets, hotel towels, and hotel bathrobes. These machines require human operators to load the washed article into its dedicated machine, which is sized and designed to fold that one type and/or size of article. This type of process line relies on a human operator for properly aligning and loading the clean article into the machine, which could introduce bodily contaminants, bacteria, and viral matter into the clean articles. Like laundromat services, these industrial services rely on human intervention and potentially introduce bio-contaminants into clean loads of laundry. Because these services are only profitable by processing large volumes of like items, these industrial processors are generally subscription-based services for large clients like hotels and hospitals producing standard-size, repeat laundry articles and are not available to consumers at an individual household level. Additionally, these services are configured to combine laundry from more than one source and are not configured to isolate and process separate loads for individual households.

Autonomous robotic devices are provided to process loads of household laundry. Such devices eliminate human contact with deformable laundry articles and autonomously process batches of disparate article types and sizes. As such, the devices need to be designed to be efficient and reliable for replacing the common, human-dependent chore of laundry.

In one example, an autonomous folding device includes: a plurality of tiered folding bays configured to independently and simultaneously fold a plurality of household laundry articles. Each of the plurality of folding bays includes a rotatable coupling configured to receive a rotatable platter in reversible engagement, the rotatable coupling being in operative engagement with a drive motor, an extendable and retractable support configured to transit the rotatable platter into and out of the folding bay in a level orientation and align a protrusion extending from an underside surface of the rotatable platter with the rotatable coupling, and at least one of a folding blade and folding rod configured to engage a laundry article disposed on a top surface of the rotatable platter engaged with the rotatable coupling. The device includes at least one elevator configured to raise and lower the rotatable platter into and out of one of the plurality of folding bays. The rotatable platter is one of a plurality of rotatable platters, and two or more rotatable platters of the plurality of platters are configured to occupy simultaneously two or more of the plurality of tiered folding bays.

Implementations of the device may include one or more of the following features.

In examples, the plurality of tiered folding bays are vertically stacked to form a tower occupying an area footprint on the floor of one folding bay.

In examples, the extendable and retractable support further includes a pair of spaced apart transfer conveyers configured to support in an extending state the rotatable platter thereon with the platter therebetween. The pair of spaced apart transfer conveyers further include centering pins configured to abut one or more edge locations of the platter and center the platter in X-Y planar directions such that the platter protrusion extending therefrom aligns with the receiving coupling for successfully mating. The centering pins can include at least two along a leading edge (e.g., in the direction of platter travel) of the platter and two along a trailing edge of the platter.

In examples, the platter protrusion includes a conical shape and the receive coupling includes a conically shaped receiving bore.

In examples, each folding bay of the plurality of bays includes a first open end opposite a second open end, and the open ends are disposed adjacent the ends of the pair of spaced apart transfer conveyers. The at least one elevator can include a loading elevator adjacent the first open end and an unloading elevator adjacent the second open end. The device can further include a pair of driven support rails extending from the first open end configured to transit a platter and spread laundry article thereon onto a pair of spaced apart driven transfer conveyors disposed on the extendable and retractable support. The pair of driven support rails can be spaced either closer together or further apart than the pair of spaced apart drive transfer conveyors so that the pairs of conveyors are nested. The pair of driven support rails can abut the ends of the pair of spaced apart drive transfer conveyors. Alternatively, the pair of driven support rails can overlap in length at least partially with the ends of the pair of spaced apart drive transfer conveyors

In examples, the loading elevator is configured to raise and lower a rotatable platter to an unoccupied bay for transiting the platter onto the driven support rails.

In examples, the unloading elevator includes a pair of unloading conveyors configured to transit the rotatable platter at least one of into and out of the folding bay in a level orientation and deliver the folding article to an unloading station.

In examples, the unloading station includes a retrieval arm configured to retrieve for delivery to a packing robot. The retrieval arm can include at least one of a 3 or more degree of freedom robotic arm and gripper, a movable conveyor disposed on a gantry, one or more suction elements, and one or more clamps configured scoop and clamp the folded article from a top surface of the platter.

In examples, the device further includes a return conveyor disposed between the loading elevator and the unloading elevator for returning an empty platter from the unloading station to the loading elevator, wherein the return conveyor is disposed on a floor at least one of below or aside the tower. The loading elevator is configured to raise an empty platter to a repositioning station for receiving a spread apart laundry article to deliver to an unoccupied one of the plurality of tiered folding bays.

In examples, the at least one of the folding blade and folding rod is configured to raise from, lower to, and move along the surface of the rotatable platter to at least one of fold, sweep, and clamp the laundry article. The device can further include a compression sensor configured to detect an amount of downward force applied by the at least one of the folding blade and folding rod to at least one of a top surface of the rotatable platter and the laundry article thereon.

In examples, a total number of platters of the plurality of platters is equal to or greater than the number of folding bays of the plurality of tiered folding bays to enable simultaneously folding laundry articles within every bay.

In examples, the device further includes a plurality of support wheels disposed throughout each folding bay of the plurality of bays, the plurality of support wheels being configured to support thereon the rotatable platter when the extendable and retractable support is in a retracted state. The retracted state includes the extendable and retractable support not touching the platter while the platter protrusion is engaged with the rotatable coupling.

In examples, the device further includes one or more sensors configured to output a signal indicative of a folding state of the laundry article.

In examples, the device further includes a controller in operative communication with the one or more sensors and one or more drives of the at least one elevator and the at least one extendable and retractable support, the controller being configured to determine, based on received output signals of the one or more sensors, an unoccupied bay and article folding completion, and to instruct the at least one elevator to retrieve a platter and folded laundry article thereon for delivery to the unloading station.

In one example, an autonomous tiered folding system includes a plurality of rotatable platters, a plurality of tiered folding bays, a loading elevator, a pair of loading conveyors at least partially disposed within the loading elevator, an unloading elevator, and a return conveyor. Each one of the plurality of rotatable platters includes a platter coupling configured to reversibly engage a receiving coupling affixed within a tiered folding bay. The receiving coupling is configured to rotate the platter about a spin axis. The platter coupling is affixed to an underside surface of the platter, and a top surface of the platter is configured to receive thereon a laundry article, wherein the received laundry article is at least one of spread apart and partially folded. Each one of the plurality of tiered folding bays is configured to receive any one of the plurality of platters through a first open end. Each of the plurality of tiered folding bays includes: a receiving coupling configured to receive and retain the platter coupling such that the top surface and a laundry article disposed thereon are level in an engaged state, a drive motor operably connected to the receiving coupling, the drive motor being configured to bi-directionally rotate the received platter about the spin axis, one or more sliding rods configured to at least one of clamp and fold the spread laundry article onto itself, a pair of transfer conveyors disposed at least partially within each one of the plurality of tiered folding bays configured to receive the platter through the first open end and discharge the platter through a second open end opposite the first open end, and a lifting mechanism (e.g., a pair of extendable linkages) configured to separate the platter coupling from the receiving coupling. The loading elevator is disposed adjacent the first open end, the loading elevator being configured to raise the platter to an unoccupied one of the plurality of tiered folding bays from a spreading height at which the laundry article is received in at least one of a spread state and a partially folded state. The pair of loading conveyors is at least partially disposed within the loading elevator. The pair of loading conveyors are configured to support a platter disposed thereon. The loading conveyors of the pair of loading conveyors are spaced apart to receive the platter coupling therebetween. The pair of loading conveyors are engaged with the loading elevator for raising the platter and laundry article disposed thereon to one of the plurality of tiered folding bays, lowering to receive an empty platter of the plurality of rotatable platters from a return conveyor, and raising the empty platter within the loading elevator to the spreading height. The unloading elevator is disposed adjacent the second open end of the plurality of tiered folding bays. The unloading elevator is configured to retrieve and lower the platter with a folded laundry article disposed thereon to an unloading station. The return conveyor is disposed at least one of below and adjacent the plurality of tiered bays. The return conveyor is configured to at least one of receive and store an empty platter from the unloading elevator, and return the empty platter to the loading elevator for raising to the spreading height and receiving a next spread laundry article.

Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following features.

In examples, the platter coupling is disposed at a center of the platter and includes a tapered profile enabling self-centering mating within the receiving coupling. The receiving coupling can include a pull stud gripper configured to receive and reversibly retain a pull stud extending from a point of the tapered platter coupling. In implementations the system further includes a pneumatic actuator configured to drive the pull stud gripper both to release and close about a retention feature of the pull stud. The receiving coupling can further include a plurality of Belleville spring washers stacked in series. In implementations, the plurality of Belleville spring washers are configured to overcome at least 1000 lbf.

In examples, the return conveyor is configured to support a plurality of empty platters of the plurality of rotatable platters. In examples, the return conveyor is configured to store a queue of one or more empty platters of the plurality of platters. In examples, the plurality of platters includes a total number of platters equal to at least a total number of tiered folding bays. In examples, the return conveyor includes a pair of parallel conveyors spaced apart to receive the platter coupling therebetween.

In examples, the unloading elevator includes a pair of spaced apart unloading conveyors disposed thereon configured to receive the platter coupling therebetween.

In examples, the system further includes a pair of spaced apart support rails cantilevered from a first open end of one of the plurality of tiered folding bays, the support rails configured to receive a platter from the loading conveyors and transit the platter to the pair of transfer conveyers within the folding bay. The loading conveyors, support rails, transfer conveyors, and unloading conveyors are horizontally oriented to hold the platter level during raising, lowering, and loading and unloading into and out of one of the plurality of tiered folding bays such that the laundry article disposed thereon does not dislodge and/or unfold. The transfer conveyors can be configured to overlap length with the support rails and unloading conveyors for level loading and unloading of the platter from one of the plurality of tiered folding bays. The transfer conveyors are at least one of wider apart and closer together than of each one of the pair of unloading conveyors and the pair of support rails. In other examples, an end of each of the pair of transfer conveyors abuts at least one of the ends of the support rails and the ends of the unloading conveyors. In examples, the return conveyor includes a pair of parallel conveyors spaced apart to receive the platter coupling therebetween.

In examples, the transfer conveyors in each one of the plurality of tiered folding bays are configured to raise to the height of the pair of support rails for receipt of a platter having disposed thereon a laundry article, and lower the platter coupling into a receiving coupling for mated engagement. A lifting mechanism includes at least one actuator to raise and lower the transfer conveyors. In examples, the pair of transfer conveyors are disposed on the pair of extendable linkages, and the extendable linkages further include at least one actuator to raise and lower the transfer conveyors and a platter thereon. In examples, a piston actuated lifter is configured to raise the pair of transfer conveyors and lift the platter coupling from the receiving coupling in one of the plurality of folding bays once a folding end state is reached and the platter coupling is disengaged from the receiving coupling.

In examples, the transfer conveyors further include a plurality of centering pins configured to abut an edge of platter to center the platter coupling concentrically with the receiving coupling inside one of the plurality of tiered folding bays.

In examples, the laundry article is at least one of spread and at least partially folded by a plurality of lifters configured to lift and spread the laundry article above the spreading height at a repositioning station. The plurality of lifters are disposed about the top surface of the platter disposed within the loading elevator at the spreading height within the spreading station. In examples, the spreading height coincides with a bottom plane of a work volume within which a plurality of lifters receive the laundry article, spread the laundry article, and lay the spread laundry article flat on the top surface in a spread state for folding. One or more sensors disposed about the work volume are configured to detect at least one of a presence, orientation, and spread status of a laundry article disposed within the work volume. In examples, each one of the plurality of lifters includes an arm configured to at least one of pan, tilt, and extend from a stationary support, each arm terminating in an actuatable gripper.

In examples, each platter of the plurality of platters is interchangeable in each of the plurality of tiered folding bays.

In examples, two or more platters are configured to be disposed in at least two or more of the plurality of tiered folding bays and at least one of the loading elevator, unloading elevator, unloading station, and return conveyor.

In examples, each one of the plurality of platters has a thickness of between about 25 mm and 45 mm. In examples, each one of the plurality of platters has a diameter of between about 75 cm to 260 cm.

In examples, each bay of the plurality of tiered folding bays includes at least two of the one or more sliding folding rods (e.g., sweep rods), at least one sliding clamp rod (hereinafter referred to interchangeably as a clamp rod), and a tiltable folding blade configured to clamp, smooth, and fold the laundry article disposed on the top surface of the platter. One or more sensors disposed about each bay of the plurality of tiered folding bays is configured to detect at least one of a presence and a folded state of the laundry article disposed on the top surface of the platter. The one or more sensors includes at least one of a 3-D camera, an IR sensor, a 2-D camera, LIDAR, LADAR, a sonar proximity sensor, an ultrasonic ranging sensor, a radar sensor, and a pair of stereo depth cameras. In examples, the system further includes one or more light sources configured to illuminate the laundry article disposed on the top surface of the platter.

In examples, that system includes one or more light panels disposed along a top surface of the folding bay, the one or more light panels being configured to illuminate the laundry article disposed on the top surface of the platter.

In examples, the system further includes a controller in operable communication with the one or more sensors of each of one of the plurality of tiered folding bays, one or more sensors disposed about the spreading height, one or more elevator drives, the drive motor of the pair of transfer conveyors each of the plurality of tiered folding bays, and at least one drive configured to move of each of the at least two of one or more sliding sweep rods, at least one sliding clamp rod, and a tiltable folding blade. The controller is configured to determine, based on input received from the one or more sensors, the presence or absence of one of the plurality of rotatable platters in each one of the plurality of tiered folding bays, identify an unoccupied bay, and instruct the loading elevator to raise one of the plurality of rotatable platters and a laundry article thereon to the unoccupied folding bay. In examples, the system further includes an attachment sensor in operative communication with the controller. The attachment sensors are configured to detect the platter coupling successfully engaging the receiving coupling and provide an output signal to the controller indicative of one of a successful and an unsuccessful engagement or release.

In one example, a method of shuffling a plurality of rotatable platters into and out of a plurality of tiered laundry folding bays includes receiving an output signal of one or more sensors disposed about a first platter disposed at a repositioning station adjacent the plurality of tiered folding bays and an output signal of one or more folding sensors disposed within each one of the plurality of tiered folding bays, the first platter being one of the plurality of rotatable platters. The method includes determining the first platter has disposed thereon a spread laundry article ready for folding, identifying, based on the received output signal of the one or more folding sensors, an unoccupied bay of the plurality of tiered folding bays, and instructing a first elevator drive of a pair of loading conveyors disposed at the repositioning station to at least one of raise and lower the pair of loading conveyors and the first platter and spread laundry article disposed thereon to a height of at least one of a pair of support rails cantilevered from the unoccupied bay and a pair of transfer conveyors at least partially disposed within the identified unoccupied bay. The method includes instructing a circulation drive of the pair of loading conveyors and a circulation drive of the at least one of the pair of support rails and the pair of transfer conveyors to rotate and convey the first platter into the unoccupied bay through a first open end, and receiving an output signal of one or more folding sensors indicative of a presence of a folded laundry article disposed within an identified occupied one of the plurality of tiered folding bays. The method includes instructing a second elevator drive of a pair of unloading conveyors to: raise or lower to align with the pair of transfer conveyors at an open opposite the first open end, retrieve, in response to receiving a signal indicative of folding completion, one of the plurality of platters and a folded laundry article disposed thereon from an identified occupied one of the plurality of tiered folding bays, and align the retrieved platter and a folded article thereon within an unloading station. The method includes determining whether the folded article is aligned with a folded article retrieval conveyor suspended within the an unloading station and instructing, based on determining the folded article is not aligned with a front edge of the folded article retrieval conveyor, a rotational spin drive motor of the unloading station to rotate the platter and folded article thereon to align an edge of the folded article substantially parallel to a leading edge of the retrieval conveyor, wherein the retrieved platter is one of the first platter and another of the plurality of platters disposed within the plurality of tiered folding bays.

Implementations of the method may include one or more of the following features.

In examples, the method further includes instructing, once the folded article is retrieved by the folded article retrieval conveyor, the second elevator drive to raise the unloading conveyors to lift the platter from the unloading station and align them with a pair of return conveyors for delivery to the repositioning station.

In examples, the first elevator drive and second elevator drive are configured to operate concurrently to deliver the first platter of the plurality of platters to the identified unoccupied bay and retrieve another platter of the plurality of platters and the folded laundry article thereon from the identified occupied bay.

In examples, the repositioning station includes a plurality of grippers disposed about an outer bound of the repositioning station, the plurality of grippers configured to spread a laundry article and lower the spread article onto the platter in a spread configuration. The method further includes instructing the second elevator drive to lower the pair of unloading elevators and an empty platter thereon from a height of the folded article retrieval conveyor to a height of a return conveyor configured to receive the empty platter and at least one of store and return the empty platter to the repositioning station.

In examples, the return conveyor is configured to store a queue of one or more empty platters of the plurality of platters. A total number of platters of the plurality of platters is equal to at least a total number of tiered folding bays.

In examples, the laundry article is one of a plurality of laundry articles. A controller is in operative communication with a plurality of system drivers and is configured to simultaneously orchestrate (e.g., instruct execution of) at least two of: spreading one laundry article of the plurality of laundry articles, folding at least one other laundry article of the plurality of laundry articles in one or more folding bays, aligning vertically one of the plurality of platters and yet another folded laundry of the plurality of laundry articles disposed thereon with the folded article retrieval conveyor, and conveying an empty platter of the plurality of platters on a return conveyor disposed at least one of below and adjacent the plurality of tiered folding bays for at least one of storage and return to the repositioning station.

In examples, the method further includes instructing the first elevator drive, upon transfer of the platter into the identified unoccupied bay, to lower the pair of loading conveyors to at or below the repositioning station, retrieve an empty platter of the plurality of platters, and raise the empty platter to the repositioning station. The method further includes instructing one or more of a pan drive, a tilt drive, and an extend drive of a plurality of grippers disposed about the repositioning station to move within a work volume above the platter received at the repositioning station to spread a laundry article suspended by and spread between two of the plurality grippers. In examples, the method further includes determining the laundry article is spread apart, and instructing one or more of a pan drive, a tilt drive, and an extend drive of the two of the plurality of grippers to lower the spread apart laundry article flat onto the platter at the bottom of the work volume in a repositioned (e.g., spread) state. In examples, the method further includes instructing one or more of a pan drive, a tilt drive, and an extend drive to store the plurality of grippers outside a boundary of the platter disposed at repositioning station before instructing the first elevator drive to raise the pair of loading conveyors and the platter and repositioned laundry article laid flat thereon to the identified unoccupied folding bay.

In examples, the method further includes determining, based on at least one of the one or more sensor signals of a folding bay and a user input, that a folded laundry article disposed in one of the plurality of tiered folding bays includes one or more unacceptable folding conditions. The method further includes, upon receipt of a signal indicative of one or more unacceptable folding conditions, instructing the pair of transfer conveyors to transfer the platter and laundry article disposed thereon to the pair of loading conveyors for return to the repositioning station. In examples, the one or more unacceptable folding conditions include at least one of folding dimensions not matching an acceptable bounding box limit, a top surface tilt angle exceeding a threshold, and unacceptable appearance as determined by a person viewing a remotely transmitted image.

In examples, the folded laundry article retrieval conveyor is disposed within an unloading station. The unloading conveyors are configured to extend into the unloading station, align a descending platter coupling of the platter within a receiving coupling of unloading station for rotating the platter for the retrieval conveyor to retrieve the folded article, and transfer an empty platter to a return conveyor configured to receive the empty platter and at least one of store and return the empty platter to the repositioning station. In examples, the method further includes instructing a spin drive motor of the unloading station to rotate the platter and folded article thereon to align a folded edge of the folded article substantially parallel to a leading edge of the retrieval conveyor.

In examples, the method further includes instructing a spin drive motor of a folding bay to rotate a platter and a folded laundry article thereon to align an edge of the folded article substantially parallel to a leading edge of the retrieval conveyor before transferring the platter and folded laundry article thereon to the pair of unloading conveyors.

This disclosure relates to autonomous robotic devices, systems, and methods for handling residential loads of laundry. The system includes one or more autonomous process lines comprising a plurality of robotic devices configured to work in concert to process a dirty load of household laundry from a mass of dirty, non-uniform articles to individually separated, cleaned, and folded laundry articles. The plurality of robotic devices operate without human intervention to efficiently and effectively launder a customer's dirty items. This disclosure relates to autonomous robotic devices configured to autonomously fold clean, deformable laundry articles for introduction to an autonomous packing robot. The autonomous robotic devices are configured to fold a plurality of loads of laundry each comprising a plurality of deformable article types. The laundry articles are collected from a household and delivered to the process line for cleaning. The autonomous processes are time and cost efficient, eliminate human intervention-based delays, eliminate line workers and associated introduction of human contaminants introduced by line workers, and eliminate any concerns with having private personal items handled by strangers.

In particular, this disclosure relates to a system of autonomous robotic devices comprising at least one stacked tower comprising a plurality of tiered folding bays configured to independently and simultaneously fold a plurality of household laundry articles. In implementations, the simultaneously folded household laundry articles comprise disparate characteristics (e.g., type, size, and material). Each one of the plurality of tiered folding bays is configured to receive a therein a movable platter with a spread laundry article disposed thereon, the movable platter being configured to reversibly engage with a rotatable drive mechanism disposed within the bay. The movable platter is aligned with an empty bay by a first elevator and retrieved from the bay following folding by the first elevator or second elevator. Each elevator and bay comprise a conveyor (e.g., a pair or rails and/or conveyor belts) configured to pass the movable platter into and out of the bay in a level orientation for folding and deliver to an unloading station at which the folded laundry article disposed on the movable platter is robotically retrieved for delivery to a packing robot. Each folding bay of the tiered folding bays comprises one or more folding mechanisms including at least one of a folding blade, at least one sweep rod, and at least one clamp rod configured to move within their dedicated bay.