Laundry store

Abstract

We provide a laundry service that can wash linen products from nursing homes at a low cost. [Solution] A laundry shop 1 for a facility is equipped with a washing machine 10 capable of washing linen products, which are items to be washed, collected from each of the multiple facilities 40 and provided to each of the multiple facilities; a dryer 20 capable of drying the linen products; and a work table for folding the linen products that have been dried by the dryer. The linen products include sheets that can be washed in the washing machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for washing laundry items from facilities such as nursing facilities.

Background Art

[0002] In nursing facilities, linen products such as bed sheets, pillowcases, and futon covers used by residents are replaced at predetermined intervals to keep them clean. After replacement, the used linen products need to be washed and dried. If there is dedicated laundry equipment for linen products in the facility, the washing is performed using that equipment. This washing work is usually carried out by facility staff during breaks in caregiving and nursing. Therefore, in nursing facilities with a resident population in the dozens, there is a problem that the working hours for this task become extremely long. For this reason, some nursing facilities also entrust the washing work to external parties.

[0003] As such external委托, there is a form of contracting with a company that handles the collection, washing, and delivery of linen products either collectively or individually. However, particularly for the washing work, dedicated commercial washing machines for linen are used, resulting in a problem that the fees for external委托 become high due to the recovery of equipment costs.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables the low-cost collection and washing of linen products from nursing facilities.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a laundry store for a facility, comprising a washing machine capable of washing linen products which are items to be washed and to be collected from each of a plurality of facilities and provided to each of the plurality of facilities, a dryer capable of drying the linen products, and a work table for folding the linen products that have been dried by the dryer, wherein the linen products include sheets that can be washed by the washing machine. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This invention provides a technology that allows for the low-cost washing of linen products provided to nursing care facilities. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a laundry store for a nursing care facility according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic plan view showing a model example of a laundry shop for a nursing care facility according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating the provided and collected list according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0010] (Overall structure) Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a laundry store for a nursing care facility according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the laundry store 1 for a nursing care facility according to this embodiment washes and dries clothes collected from nursing care facilities 40, such as special nursing homes for the elderly, elderly care welfare facilities, and care houses, and delivers (provides) the cleaned clothes back to the nursing care facilities 40. The laundry store 1 is equipped with multiple washing machines 10, multiple dryers 20, and a management device 30.

[0011] (10 washing machines, 20 dryers) The washing machine 10 is for general clothing such as T-shirts, dress shirts, and knitwear, and is also capable of washing linen products, which will be described in detail later. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the washing machine 10 is capable of washing with hot water at 80°C or higher. By using such hot water, it is possible to perform washing under conditions that meet the "hygienic standards for contracted laundry facilities for hospital bedding" announced by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. As a washing machine with such a function, the WH6 series from Electrolux (for example, model number: WH6-33) can be used. Alternatively, a washing machine configured to heat water to 80°C or higher using a boiler or electric heater may be used. Note that disinfection and sterilization can be achieved by soaking linen products in a sodium hypochlorite solution with a concentration of 30 ppm for 10 minutes or more, so a washing machine capable of such soaking may be used. The dryer 20 is for drying such clothing. These may be top-loading, but it is preferable to use a horizontal drum type considering operating costs such as water conservation. Furthermore, two-tiered washing machines 10 and dryers 20 may be used, and by using two-tiered machines, the installation space for the washing machines 10 and dryers 20 in the laundry store 1 may be reduced.

[0012] In addition, while the washing machine described above employs hot water disinfection (immersing in hot water at 80°C or higher for 10 minutes or more) as stipulated in the "Hygiene Standards for Laundry Facilities for Hospital Bedding," other methods may be used for washing, or washing machines equipped with the means to employ such methods may be used. Other methods include, as a physical method, disinfection by steam (acting on moist heat at 100°C or higher for 10 minutes or more). Chemical methods include disinfection by chlorine (immersing in an aqueous solution with free chlorine of 250 ppm or more at 30°C for 5 minutes or more), disinfection by surfactant (immersing in an appropriately diluted aqueous solution at 30°C or higher for 30 minutes or more), disinfection by chlorhexidine (immersing in an appropriately diluted aqueous solution at 30°C or higher for 30 minutes or more), disinfection by gas, and disinfection by peracetic acid (immersing in an aqueous solution with a concentration of 150 ppm or more at 60°C or higher for 10 minutes or more). Examples of gas-based disinfection in this context include disinfection with ozone gas (effective at CT values ​​of 6000 ppm·min or higher), disinfection with formaldehyde gas (effective at 60°C or higher for 7 hours or more in a sealed environment), and disinfection with ethylene oxide gas (effective at atmospheric pressure and 50°C or higher for 4 hours or more).

[0013] These washing machines 10 and dryers 20 may be commercial laundry equipment such as coin-operated washing machines and dryers, which are operated by inserting coins, banknotes, or prepaid cards, and are typically installed in coin-operated laundries. Naturally, a centralized payment machine may be installed in the laundry store 1, and the laundry equipment may be operated via this centralized payment machine. In addition, a washer-dryer having both washing and drying functions may be installed in the laundry store 1 instead of, or in addition to, the washing machines 10 and dryers 20.

[0014] The items to be washed and dried using the washing machine 10 and dryer 20 are mainly linen products collected from multiple nursing care facilities 40. Examples of linen products collected from nursing care facilities 40 include sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers used in the nursing care facilities 40. In particular, the sheets are bed sheets, and it is preferable that they be of the box type with an opening on one side (the bottom side) and an elastic material such as rubber placed around the edge of the opening, from the viewpoint of ease of bed making in the nursing care facilities 40, i.e., reduction of work time. The items to be washed may also include other linen products, and may not be limited to linen products but may also include general clothing.

[0015] The linen products used in this embodiment are those that can be washed and dried in a washing machine and dryer for clothes, i.e., those that are washable. In addition, those that have high wrinkle resistance (easy care) that does not require ironing, UV resistance, sweat absorption and quick drying, anti-see-through function, and sodium hypochlorite resistance are particularly preferred. Furthermore, linen products with these functions are preferably made of a blend of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Such linen products can be washed and dried repeatedly about 1000 times, and as a result can be used for about 17 years, making them extremely durable and suitable. As such linen products, for example, NeoLinen manufactured by Toyobo Fibers Co., Ltd. can be used.

[0016] In this embodiment, employees of the laundry store 1 wash linen products collected from multiple care facilities 40 using the washing machine 10, and then dry the washed linen products using the dryer 20. Since the linen products are not unique to each care facility 40, the collected linen products can be collected together in a collection box or the like. If clothing etc. are collected individually, it is preferable to manage them by attaching an ID that uniquely identifies which care facility 40 or the individual. After drying, the linen products can be folded into predetermined shapes according to their type using the work table 40 (see Figure 2) installed in the laundry store 1 to be prepared for service. If the linen products have a sodium hypochlorite resistance function, sodium hypochlorite is used when washing them in the washing machine 10. By using sodium hypochlorite, bacteria and viruses that cannot be completely removed by washing can be effectively killed. Note that it is not limited to sodium hypochlorite, but other compounds that have a bactericidal effect on bacteria and viruses may also be used.

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing a model example of a laundry store according to this embodiment. In the model shown in Figure 2, three coin-operated washing machines 101 (medium-sized: for example, 940 mm wide, 1385 mm deep, and 1725 mm high) are installed in the laundry store 1, arranged in the left-to-right direction in the figure. One coin-operated gas dryer 201 (large-sized: for example, 1000 mm wide, 1276 mm deep, and 1860 mm high) is installed adjacent to the leftmost coin-operated washing machine 101 in the figure. Adjacent to the coin-operated gas dryer 201, three coin-operated two-tiered gas dryers 202 (medium-sized: for example, 800 mm wide, 1204 mm deep, and 1954 mm high) are installed in the left-to-right direction in the figure, arranged in the figure.

[0018] The front sides of the opening and closing doors of these coin-operated washing machines 101, coin-operated gas dryers 201, and coin-operated two-stage gas dryers 202, in other words, the front sides of the apparatuses, face the employee side indicated by reference numeral ST in FIG. 2. A piping area 40 for each apparatus is provided behind the coin-operated washing machine 101 and the coin-operated gas dryer 201, and an equipment space 50 is provided on the right side in the drawing of the piping area 40. Equipment such as a water receiving tank integrated pressurized water supply pump for supplying water to the coin-operated washing machine 101 is arranged in this equipment space 50.

[0019] A desk 60 on which a management device 30 is placed is arranged at a position facing the coin-operated two-stage gas dryer 202. Therefore, the management device 30 can be operated by an employee to input work results in the laundry store 1 and check future work schedules, etc. As a result, it is possible to efficiently perform washing and drying operations in cooperation with the nursing facility.

[0020] Two finishing workbenches 70 are installed adjacent to the desk 60 in the right direction in the drawing. The finishing workbench 70 has, for example, a width of 1800 mm, a depth of 800 mm, and a height of 800 mm. The finishing workbench 70 is used for finishing work (such as folding) of the washed items after drying. Since the finishing workbench 70 is arranged near the coin-operated gas dryer 201 and the coin-operated two-stage gas dryer 202, the moving distance of the employee from taking out the washed items from each dryer to the finishing workbench 70 is short, and there is no need for the trouble of transferring to a trolley, etc., and the finishing work of the washed items after drying can be efficiently performed. The trolley is preferably arranged in a space defined below the finishing workbench 70.

[0021] In addition, an open shelf may be provided near the finishing workbench 70. The open shelf is formed by being partitioned by a plurality of partition plates, and a plurality of storage spaces are continuously formed along the vertical and horizontal directions. The open shelf is preferably provided at the upper part of the wall surface close to the finishing workbench 70, specifically, such that the storage space is located within the reach of the hand when the caregiver ST stands up. The open shelf is used when temporarily storing the clothes of each resident of the care facility 40 after washing and drying, or when storing the linen products after washing and drying for each care facility 40 according to their types and sizes. Since the open shelf is provided near the finishing workbench 70, it is possible to immediately store the finished clothes and linen products such as those folded.

[0022] (Management device 30) In the present embodiment, for each care facility 40, the management device 30 manages the linen products in order to provide the same number of linen products as the collected ones. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the supply and collection list according to the present embodiment.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the management device 30 includes hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 32, a storage device 33, and an input / output device 34.

[0024] The CPU 31 and the RAM 32 cooperate to control the operation of the management device 30, and the storage device 33 stores a supply and collection list 331, which is management data indicating the contract details with the care facility 40. The input / output device 34 is a device responsible for input from employees and output to employees, and includes, for example, a mouse and a keyboard capable of inputting characters and numerical values, and a display capable of displaying the supply and collection list 331. The management device 30 may be constructed by a PC (Personal Computer), or may be constructed by a tablet terminal having a touch panel display.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the collection and provision list 331 is a list that associates the presence or absence of linen products and their collection frequency, as well as the presence or absence of clothing and its collection frequency, for each nursing care facility. In this example, both nursing care facility A and nursing care facility C require the collection and provision of both linen products and clothing, with nursing care facility A requiring linen products once a week and clothing twice a week. On the other hand, nursing care facility C requires both linen products and clothing twice a week. Furthermore, nursing care facility B does not require the collection and provision of clothing, but only requires the collection and provision of linen products once a week.

[0026] Employees can periodically refer to this supply and collection list 331 to understand the availability and frequency of linen products and clothing provided and collected by contracted care facilities 40, thereby reliably preventing situations such as the collection or provision of linen products and clothing at the wrong frequency. Furthermore, since the supply and collection list 331 can be rewritten using the input / output device 34, employees can easily make changes to contracts or register new care facilities 40. The information included in the supply and collection list 331 does not need to be limited to the above; various information such as the address of the care facility 40 and the name of the clothing owner may also be associated. In addition, if there are linen products or clothing contaminated with waste, their availability and degree of contamination may also be associated. The degree of contamination here could be, for example, whether or not the care facility 40 has washed (pre-washed) the items beforehand, or whether or not the contaminated area is within a specified range. Preferably, this determination of the degree of contamination is made by the target care facility 40 via telephone, email, or dedicated or general-purpose application software, and is determined before collection, i.e., included in the supply and collection list 331.

[0027] According to this embodiment, a laundry store 1 utilizing the above-described functional linen products can be realized. There is no need to use washing machines, dryers, or presses specifically for linen, and ironing can also be eliminated, making it possible to provide linen products to nursing care facilities 40 at an extremely low cost. Furthermore, if the linen product is a sheet, the bed-making time can be reduced to an average of 3 minutes, and there is no need to remove wrinkles before making the bed, so a dramatic improvement in work efficiency can be expected in nursing care facilities and the like.

[0028] In this embodiment, the facility to which laundry items are delivered and collected by the laundry store 1 is described as a nursing care facility 40. However, it is not limited to this, and various other facilities such as hotels, inns, hospitals, employee dormitories, and student dormitories can also be included as targets for delivery and collection of laundry items.

[0029] Furthermore, the laundry store 1 may also be configured so that its washing machines 10 and other laundry equipment can be used by other customers, and a separate space may be provided for such a general coin laundry.

[0030] While embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0031] 1 Laundry store 10 Washing machines 20 Dryer 40 Nursing care facilities

Claims

1. In a laundry facility for a business, A washing machine capable of washing linen products, which are items to be washed, collected from each of multiple facilities and provided to each of the said multiple facilities, A dryer capable of drying the aforementioned linen products, A workbench for folding the linen products that have been dried in the dryer. Equipped with, The linen product includes a sheet that is washable in a washing machine. Laundry shop.

2. The linen products further include pillowcases and duvet covers. The laundry store according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned linen product has the function of being resistant to sodium hypochlorite. The laundry store according to claim 1.

4. The washing machine washes the linen products using a liquid at 80°C or higher. The laundry store according to claim 1.

5. The washing machine soaks the linen product in sodium hypochlorite for a predetermined time, and then performs the washing. A laundry store according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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