US 12,258,228 B2
Autonomous devices, systems, and methods for queuing folded laundry
Madeline R. Hickman, Arlington, MA (US); Samuel Duffley, Somerville, MA (US); Jesse Sielaff, Norfolk, MA (US); and Benjamin D. Bixby, Newton Highlands, MA (US)
Assigned to Monotony.ai, Inc., Watertown, MA (US)
Filed by Monotony.ai, Inc., Watertown, MA (US)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/530,845.
Application 18/530,845 is a continuation of application No. 17/514,109, filed on Oct. 29, 2021, granted, now 11,873,174.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/168,540, filed on Mar. 31, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/168,555, filed on Mar. 31, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/106,891, filed on Oct. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0132305 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. B65G 65/16 (2006.01); B65B 25/20 (2006.01); B65B 35/44 (2006.01); B65B 35/50 (2006.01); B65B 57/10 (2006.01); B65B 59/00 (2006.01); B65G 57/03 (2006.01); B65G 65/00 (2006.01); B65G 65/32 (2006.01); B65G 69/02 (2006.01); D06F 95/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 65/16 (2013.01) [B65B 25/20 (2013.01); B65B 35/44 (2013.01); B65B 35/50 (2013.01); B65B 57/10 (2013.01); B65B 59/00 (2013.01); B65G 57/03 (2013.01); B65G 65/005 (2013.01); B65G 65/32 (2013.01); B65G 69/02 (2013.01); D06F 95/00 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0229 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0208 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0283 (2013.01); B65G 2203/041 (2013.01); B65G 2814/0305 (2013.01); B65G 2814/0331 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for autonomously arranging a plurality of folded laundry articles on a packing queue platform, comprising:
a plurality of locations disposed along a length of the packing queue platform, each one of the plurality of locations being configured to receive one or more folded laundry articles at least one of on the packing queue platform and atop a previously deposited folded laundry article of a plurality of laundry articles;
a conveyor disposed on a vertically actuated elevator movably coupled to one or more fixed rails extending horizontally along the length of the packing queue platform, the conveyor comprising a retrieving end and a depositing end oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the packing queue platform, the conveyor being configured to receive a folded laundry article at the receiving end and deposit the folded laundry article from the depositing end at one of the plurality of locations along the length of the packing queue platform;
one or more sensors disposed adjacent at least one of the packing queue platform and the vertically actuated elevator, the one or more sensors being configured to detect a packing queue location along the length of the packing queue platform; and
a controller in operable communication with a conveyor drive configured to rotate a surface of the conveyor, an elevator drive configured to raise and lower the conveyor vertically, a cantilever drive configured to slide the conveyor forward and backward toward and away from the packing queue platform, a rail drive configured to move the conveyor laterally along the one or more fixed rails to a selected one of the plurality of locations, and the one or more sensors, the controller being configured to
receive an output signal from the one or more sensors determinative of a position of the conveyor along a length of the fixed rail,
identify a location of the plurality of locations along the length of the packing queue platform at which to deposit the folded laundry article,
instruct the rail drive to move the vertically actuated elevator laterally along the one or more fixed rails to the location identified at which to deposit the folded laundry article,
instruct the elevator drive to position the depositing end above a surface of either the packing queue platform or the at least one other of the plurality of folded laundry articles disposed on the packing queue platform,
instruct the cantilever drive to cantilever the depositing end of the conveyor over the packing queue platform, and
instruct simultaneously, upon receiving a sensor signal from the one or more sensors indicative of the folded article being proximate the depositing end, the conveyor drive to rotate the surface of the conveyor and the cantilever drive to withdraw the depositing end to deposit the folded laundry article at the identified location.