Drying system for garments, in particular pants.

The present patent application for industrial invention relates to a drying system for garments, in particular pants, provided with an automatic loading system of the garments to be dried.

Drying ovens are known to dry wet garments after washing. The drying oven comprises a conveyor system used to transport the garments to be dried. In particular, such a conveyor system comprises:

- a support frame that extends inside the drying oven and protrudes externally from the drying oven, and

- an overhead conveyor belt of endless-ring type, supported by said support frame in such manner to rotate around the support frame.

The overhead conveyor belt operates at a suitable height from the ground in such a way to provide a sufficient space for the passage of the garments to be dried hanging from said overhead conveyor belt.

Such an overhead conveyor belt holds support means, such as hangers, or the like, which are intended to support the garments to be dried so that the garments hang down from the support means.

In similar drying ovens the garments to be dried must be loaded manually on the hangers of the overhead conveyor belt, consequently increasing the operation time of every drying cycle, as well as labor costs.

DE597056 discloses a drying system for garments comprising a drying oven, a loading station with a storage table intended to support the garments to be dried, and a conveyor system to transport the garments from the loading station inside the drying oven.

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, by disclosing a drying system that is practical, inexpensive and capable of reducing the operation time of every drying cycle.

This purpose is achieved according to the present invention with the characteristics of the independent claim 1 . The drying system according to the invention comprises:

- a drying oven;

- a loading station comprising a storage table intended to support garments to be dried, which are spread out and stacked one on top of the other,

- a conveyor system for conveying the garments from the loading station into the drying oven.

Said a conveyor system comprises an overhead conveyor belt mounted on a support frame that extends inside the drying oven and protrudes externally from the drying oven, both towards the loading station and towards an unloading station. In particular, said overhead conveyor belt holds support means to support the garments.

The drying system of the invention comprises an automatic loading system intended to pick the garments from the storage table and automatically convey them from the storage station to the support means that are an integral part of the overhead conveyor belt of the conveyor system.

The advantages of the drying system of the invention are evident because the provision of said automatic loading system makes it possible to automatically load the garments from the storage table to the support means of the overhead conveyor belt of the conveyor system, releasing the operator from the task of manually loading the garments and consequently reducing the operation time of the drying cycle.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention will appear from the dependent claims.

Additional features of the invention will appear manifest from the detailed description below, which refers to merely a illustrative, not limiting embodiment, as illustrated in the attached figures, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an axonometric view of the drying system of the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the automatic loading system of the drying system of Fig. 1 , showing a trolley used to transfer the garments from the storage table to the overhead transportation system; in this figure, said trolley is in picking position of garments from the storage table, Fig. 3 is the same as Fig. 2, except for it shows the trolley of the automatic loading system in transferring position of the garments to the conveyor system.

Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 2, with the only difference that it also shows garments hanging from the support means of the overhead transportation belt;

Fig. 5 is an axonometric view showing a clamp unit that is an integral part of the automatic loading system during the picking of a garment from the storage table.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the drying system of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 7 is an axonometric view of two clamps of the conveyor system, in closed position.

Fig. 8 is the same as Fig. 7, except for it also shows the linear actuators intended to open the clamps of the conveyor system.

Fig. 9 is the same as Fig. 7, except for it shows the two clamps of the conveyor system in open position.

With reference to the attached figures, the drying system for garments, particularly pants, according to the invention is disclosed, which is generally indicated with reference numeral (100).

With reference to Fig. 1 , the drying system (100) comprises a drying oven (1 ) and a loading station (A). The drying oven (1 ) has a substantially parallelepiped shape and comprises an access door (10) facing the loading station (A). The loading station (A) comprises a storage table (A1 ) intended to support the pants (P) to be dried.

Advantageously, the pants (P) are disposed on the storage table (A1 ) of the loading station in two adjacent stacks. Each stack advantageously comprises eleven pairs of pants. In each pair of pants (P) a front portion (P1 ) and a back portion (P2) can be defined; moreover, each pair of pants (P) is placed on the storage table (A1 ) on back portion (P2) (see Figs. 2 and 5).

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the drying system (100) comprises a conveyor system (B) used to convey the pants (P) to be dried inside and through the drying oven (1 ). Said conveyor system (B) comprises a support frame (B1 ) that extends inside and outside the drying oven (1 ), in particular passing through the loading station (A). An overhead conveyor belt (B2) of endless-loop type is supported by the support frame (B1 ), in such manner to rotate around the support frame, traveling along a closed trajectory composed of two rectilinear parallel sections and two semi-circular curves. Support means (B3) are fixed to the overhead conveyor belt to hold the pants (P) in such manner that the pants hang down from the support means (B3). To that end, the overhead conveyor belt (B2) is supported by the support frame (B1 ) at such a height that a sufficient space is provided under the overhead conveyor belt (B) for transporting the pants in a substantially vertical position, hanging from the waist.

With reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the drying system (100) comprises an automatic loading system (2) disposed between the storage table (A1 ) and the section of the overhead conveyor belt (B2) situated outside the drying oven (1 ), in such manner that said automatic loading system (2) can pick the pants (P) to be dried from the storage table (A1 ) and convey them to the support means (B3) of the overhead conveyor belt of the conveyor system (B).

Such an automatic loading system (2) comprises four clamp units (3, 3') intended to pick the pants (P) from the storage table (A1 ). In particular, two clamp units (3) pick the pants of a first stack of pants, and two clamp units (3') pick the pants of a second stack of pants. The automatic loading system (2) also comprises an actuation unit (4) intended to actuate said clamp units (3, 4') between a position proximal to the storage table (A1 ) and a position proximal to the support means (B3) of the overhead conveyor belt (B2) of the conveyor system (B).

Such an actuation unit (4) comprises:

- two horizontal guide rails (40) that extend between the loading station (A) and a door (10) used to access the drying oven (1 ), and are supported by a frame (T), and

- a motorized trolley (41 ) slidingly mounted on said two guide rails (40), in such manner to make alternate travels along a horizontal sliding direction (X) from a proximal position to the storage table (A1 ) to a proximal position to the door (10) of the drying oven (see Fig. 3).

More precisely, said motorized trolley (41 ) is driven by ring-toothed belts (not shown in the figures) that are wound around toothed pinions (4a) (see Figs. 2 and 3).

With reference to Fig. 3, the trolley (41 ) comprises a frame (42) that revolvingly supports a horizontal shaft (43) disposed in orthogonal position to the pair of guide rails (40). A pulley (44) is splined to the shaft (43) and is rotated by a belt (45) actuated by a pinion (46) driven by a motor, in such a way that the shaft (43) rotates around a horizontal axis of rotation in orthogonal position with respect to the horizontal sliding direction (X) of the trolley (41 ). It must be noted that said shaft (43) can rotate both in clockwise and in anticlockwise direction.

Two arms (5) are fixed to the shaft (43) and connected to a motorized horizontal rod (50) that is parallel to the shaft (43). Said motorized rod (50) supports the clamp units (3, 3') of the automatic loading system (2). The motorized rod (50) can make inverse oscillations of 90° in such manner that the clamp units (3, 3') fixed to the motorized rod (50) can be overturned by 90° in clockwise and anticlockwise direction. To that end, a motorized pinion (50a) is mounted at one end of said motorized rod (50). By driving said shaft (43) into rotation in either direction, the arms (5) can be in a vertical position and in a horizontal position.

When the trolley (41 ) is in proximal position to the storage table (A1 ), the arms (5) of the trolley (41 ) are in horizontal position and the clamp units (3, 3') face the storage table (A1 ).

When the trolley (41 ) is moved away from the storage table (A1 ) towards the door (10) of the drying oven, the arms (5) of the trolley (41 ) are in vertical position and the clamp units (3, 3') face the door (10) of the drying oven (1 ) because during the overturning of the arms (5), the motorized rod (50) is overturned by 90° by the motorized pinion (50a). It must be noted that the length of the arms (5) is such that, when the arms (5) are overturned in vertical position, the clamp units (3, 3') lie on a horizontal plane that slightly touches the support means (B3), which are an integral part of the overhead conveyor belt (B2).

Each clamp unit (3, 3') comprises a body (30), with a fixed jaw (31 ) fixed to the body (30), and a mobile jaw (32) removably connected to the body (30). The mobile jaw (32) of each clamp unit (3, 3') is connected to an actuator (33) intended to move the mobile jaw (32) of the clamp unit (3, 3') in such manner that the clamp unit (3, 3') can pick the first pair of pants of the stack, starting from the top. The actuator (33) is preferably a pneumatic linear actuator that comprises a cylinder fixed to the body (30) and a piston connected to the mobile jaw (32) of the clamp unit (3, 3').

Advantageously, the clamp units (3, 3') of the automatic loading system (2) comprise two fixed clamp units (3) firmly mounted to the motorized rod (50) and two sliding clamp units (3') that are slidingly mounted on the motorized rod (50). In particular, a linear actuator (47) is fixed to the motorized rod (50) and is provided with a piston connected to the two sliding clamp units (3') in order to make the two sliding clamp units (3') translate horizontally along the motorized rod (50), in such manner to move the sliding clamp units (3') closer to the fixed clamp units (3) (see Fig. 3). The purpose of such a provision is to reduce the distance between an adjacent pair of pants (P) hanging from the support means (B3) of the overhead conveyor belt (B2) with respect to the distance of the same pair of pants (P) when the paints (P) were laid on the storage table (A1 ). The purpose of such a provision indirectly results in a lower transverse volume of each pair of pants (P) when passing through the drying oven (1 ) and therefore in a reduction of the width of the drying oven (1 ).

With reference to Figs. 2 and 4, the support frame (T) of the guide rails (40) also supports a portal frame (T1 ) that lies on a vertical plane, immediately before the storage table (A1 ). A horizontal bar (6) is slidingly mounted in such manner to slide up and down on the portal frame (T1 ). In particular, two vertical racks (60) are fixed to the portal frame (T1 ) and a horizontal rod (61 ) is revolvingly mounted in supports (62) joined to the bar (6). The horizontal rod (61 ) supports two toothed wheels (63) that engage with two vertical racks (60), in such manner that the rotation of said toothed wheels (63) determines the up-and-down travels of the horizontal rod (61 ). At least one of the two toothed wheels (33) is motorized.

The translation of the horizontal rod (61 ) determines a translation of the bar (6) connected to the horizontal rods (61 ) between a remote position with respect to the storage table (A1 ) and a proximal position to the storage table (A1 ).

Two vacuum extractors (64) are fixed to the horizontal bar (6).

With reference to Fig. 5, when the bar (6) is in proximal position to the storage table (A1 ), each vacuum extractor (64) rests on the front portion (P1 ) of the pair of pants (P) situated on top of the stack. When the horizontal bar

(6) is lifted, the front portion (P1 ) of the pants is sufficiently detached from the back portion (P2) in such a way that the mobile jaws (32) of the clamp units (3, 3') are inserted between the front portion (P1 ) and the back portion (P2) of the pants in order to pick the front portion (P1 ) of the pants.

With reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the support means (B3) of the overhead conveyor belt of the conveyor system (B) comprise clamps (7) to support the pants to be conveyed inside the drying oven (1 ) in substantially vertical position, hanging from the waist.

Each clamp (7) of the conveyor system (B) comprises a fixed portion and a mobile portion (71 ).

The fixed portion of each clamp (7) comprises a horizontal counterbar

(70) that extends in transverse direction with respect to the sliding direction

(X) of the trolley (see Fig. 2). The counterbar (70) of each clamp (7) is joined to a flange (72) fixed to the conveyor belt (B2) of the conveyor system, which is obtained from a concatenated series of identical trolleys (B4), with a clamp

(7) protruding externally from each one of them.

The mobile portion (71 ) of each clamp (7) comprises a plurality of jaws (73) disposed under the counterbar (70) of the clamp and joined to a horizontal shaft (74) in adjacent parallel position to the counterbar (70) of the clamp (7). The shaft (74) is revolvingly mounted with respect to the overhead conveyor belt (B2) of the conveyor system (B) in such manner to rotate around a horizontal axis.

The drying system (100) comprises actuation means (8) to move the jaws (73) of each clamp (7) of the conveyor system from a closing position, wherein the jaws (73) are stopped against the counterbar (70) (see Fig. 7), to an opening position, wherein the jaws (71 a) are spaced with respect to the counterbar (70) (see Fig. 9).

With reference to Fig. 8, each actuation means (8) comprises a linear actuator (80) fixed to the support frame (B1 ) of the conveyor system. Each linear actuator (80) comprises a piston (81 ) intended to make vertical travels and push downwards a lever (75) connected to the shaft (74) of the clamp (7) of the conveyor system, in such manner to drive the shaft (74) into rotation and open the jaws (73) joined to the shaft (74), moving away from the counterbar (70).

Each linear actuator (80) advantageously comprises a cylinder-piston unit of pneumatic, hydraulic or magnetic type.

An elastic part (9) acts as return means intended to bring back the jaws

(73) of each clamp (7) to the closing position. Such an elastic part (9) comprises a helical spring (90) connected to a shelf (73a) joined to the shaft (74) and to a bracket (76) that protrudes vertically upwards from the counterbar (70) of the clamp (7) of the conveyor system.

When the clamps (7) are in closing position (Fig. 7), the helical spring

(90) is pre-tensioned in such manner to ensure the permanent closing of the clamps (7) until the linear actuator is actuated (80).

When the linear actuation (80) is actuated, the piston (81 ) goes down and presses the lever (75) of the clamp (7), thus rotating the shaft (74) around its axis of rotation and moving the jaws (73) away from the counterbar (70), additionally stretching the helical spring (90) connected to the jaws (73).

Finally, the actuation of the linear actuator (80) determines the opening of the clamps (7) of the conveyor system.

When the trolley (41 ) of the automatic loading system (2) slides along the guide rails (40) towards the drying oven (1 ), all clamps (7) of the conveyor system are in closing position, in such a way that the clamps units (3, 3'), supporting the pants (P) picked from the storage table (A1 ), do not interfere with the jaws (73) of the clamps (7). In fact, the trolley (41 ) makes repeated forward and backward travels towards the door (10) of the drying oven, stopping every time under a different clamp (7), to which the pants (P) that are momentarily picked by the clamps (3, 3') are to be conveyed. First of all, it must be noted that as soon as the trolley (41 ) starts its forward traveling from the proximal position to the storage table (A1 ), the clamp units (3, 3') that have picked a pair of pants in the meantime are overturned upwards because of the automatic upward overturning of the arms (5) that, following the rotation of the shaft (43), are moved from the horizontal position to the vertical position, transferring the clamp units (3, 3') on a horizontal plane that slightly touches the plane where the clamps (7) lie.

Being set in such a way to load lots of eleven pairs of pants at a time onto the conveyor belt (B2), said trolley (41 ) makes eleven travels, every time loading a clamp (7) according to a backward travel that goes from the door (10) of the drying oven (1 ) to the storage table (A1 ). In view of the above, at every travel towards the door (10) of the drying oven, the trolley (41 ) is immediately stopped when the clamp units (3, 3') have passed beyond the specific clamp (7) whereon the pants (P) are to be transferred, being momentarily supported by the clamp units (3, 3'). When the trolley (41 ) stops, the clamp (7) in front of the clamp units (3, 3') is opened and the trolley (41 ) makes a backward travel towards the storage table (A1 ) in such a way that the jaws (73) of the clamp (7) can pick the front portion (P1 ) of the pants (P). The spacing of the jaws (73) of the clamp (7) is such to prevent any interference with the jaws (30,31 ) of the clamp units (3, 3').

As soon as the jaws (73) of the clamp (7) pick the pants (P), the jaws (30, 31 ) of the clamp unit (3, 3') will open, releasing the front portion (P1 ) of the pants (P). Now, the trolley (41 ) of the automatic loading system (2) returns to the storage table (A1 ) to load another pair of pants (P). With reference to Fig. 6, it must be noted that, during the operation of the drying system (100), the clamps (7) can be in three different positions with respect to the drying oven (1 ):

- a loading position (BC) wherein the clamps (7) are situated outside of the drying oven (1 ), between the storage table (A1 ) and the door (10) of the drying oven (1 );

- a working position (BL) wherein the clamps (7) are in transit inside the drying oven (1 ); and

- an unloading position (BC) wherein the clamps (7) are situated outside the drying oven (1 ), in proximal position to an unloading station (not shown in the attached figures).

In the embodiment of Fig. 6, the loading position (BC) is adjacent to the unloading position (BS). The number of clamps (7) in loading position (BC) is equal to the number of clamps (7) in unloading position (BS). For illustrative purpose, the conveyor system (B) of the drying system (100) comprises 77 clamps (7), of which 1 1 clamps in the loading position (BC), 55 clamps in the working position (BL) and 1 1 clamps in the unloading position (BS).

The loading and unloading steps of the clamps (7) take place simultaneously. In particular, while the pants (P) are loaded on the clamps (7) in loading position (BC), the pants that are already dried are unloaded from the clamps (7) in unloading position (BS).

When all the clamps (7) in loading position (BC) are loaded with the pants (P) to be dried, the door (10) used to access the drying oven (1 ) opens and the overhead conveyor belt (B2) of the conveyor system is actuated, moving forward by a suitable distance in order to transport all pre-loaded clamps (7) in loading position (BC) inside the drying oven, it being evident that said forward distance corresponds to the simultaneous exit from the drying oven of an identical number of clamps (7) holding the dried pants (P) that are conveyed from the working position (BL) to the unloading position (BS). Then, the door (10) of the drying oven (1 ) is closed and the conveyor belt (B2) is stopped to load a new lot of pants to be dried on the eleven clamps (7) that are momentarily stopped in loading position (BC).

Evidently, a control unit is provided to manage the step-by-step operation of the conveyor belt (B2) and synchronize the operating steps of the automatic loading system (2).

Therefore the overhead conveyor belt (B2) of the conveyor system is moved according to an (intermittently) step-by-step mode, meaning that the overhead conveyor belt (B2) is stopped until all clamps (7) in loading station (BC) are loaded, and is then moved for a distance that is sufficient to introduce all loaded clamps (7) in the drying oven. For illustrative purposes, the overhead conveyor belt (B2) of the conveyor system is configured in such manner to move forward by steps and in such a way that the drying cycle of the pants is completed after 7 forward steps of the overhead conveyor belt (B2).

Numerous variations and modifications can be made to the present embodiments of the invention, which are within the reach of an expert of the field, falling in any case within the scope of the invention as disclosed by the attached claims.