Autonomous devices, systems, and methods for packing folded laundry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laundry processing technologies, including home appliances and industrial services, rely heavily on human intervention, leading to inefficiencies, contamination risks, and high costs due to the need for manual handling and processing of laundry, which limits their ability to handle diverse loads of laundry efficiently and safely.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous robotic system comprising a refillable cartridge with a removable receiving surface and a controller that automatically packs folded laundry articles, utilizing sensors and conveyors to manage and align items for efficient loading and unloading, eliminating the need for human intervention and reducing contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If human operators manually handle and process laundry through washing, drying, folding, and packing, then the process can be completed with simple equipment, but the process is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and introduces contamination risks
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous laundry system is divided into separate functional modules: a washing machine, a dryer, a folding device, and a packing robot. Each module performs a specific task independently, allowing the system to process multiple laundry loads simultaneously through parallel operation, thereby increasing productivity without requiring overly complex integrated machinery
Solution Approach 2:
The packing robot autonomously retrieves folded laundry from the folding device, packs it into containers, and prepares it for delivery without human intervention. The system uses sensors to detect laundry availability and automatically initiates packing operations, enabling self-service functionality that eliminates manual labor while maintaining operational efficiency
2Object-affected harmful factors
If human employees process laundry at laundromats or industrial facilities, then equipment can be shared and utilized efficiently, but human contact introduces contamination risks and requires additional safety protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the packing function from manual human operation and assigns it to an autonomous robot. This separation removes human contact from the laundry handling process entirely, eliminating the risk of contamination from employees while the automation handles all interactions with the laundry from washing through packing
Solution Approach 2:
The packing robot serves as an intermediary between the laundry processing equipment and the final packaging stage. This robotic mediator performs all handling operations without human involvement, creating a barrier that prevents contamination while maintaining the efficiency of automated processing throughout the entire laundry care cycle
3Adaptability or versatility
If industrial laundry services process large volumes of standardized items, then economies of scale reduce costs, but these services cannot handle diverse household laundry loads efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous packing robot is designed with universal capabilities to handle diverse laundry items including clothes, linens, and towels of various sizes and shapes. The robot uses sensors to detect item characteristics and automatically adjusts packing methods, enabling it to process mixed household laundry loads efficiently without sacrificing versatility or throughput
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously packing folded laundry articles into a container are described. A packing system includes a refillable cartridge, a queue conveyor having one or more folded laundry articles and stacks of folded laundry articles disposed thereon, at least one retractable conveyor loading end between the refillable cartridge and the queue conveyor for loading the folded laundry articles into the refillable cartridge, a driven lifter for selectively raising and lowering the into and out of the container, and a controller in operative configuration with processors and drives of all of the foregoing and one or more sensors detecting a fill height of the refillable cartridge. The refillable cartridge includes a removable receiving surface that moves from a closed position to an open position during loading of the folded laundry by the retractable conveyor and unloading of the folded laundry into the container.