Autonomous Robotic Packing Queue for Folded Laundry Articles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laundry processing technologies rely on human intervention, leading to inefficiencies, contamination risks, and increased costs due to the need for manual handling and processing of laundry, which limits the automation of household laundry tasks.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous robotic system that includes a conveyor with a retrieving and depositing end, equipped with sensors and a gantry, which autonomously identifies, orients, and arranges folded laundry articles into an ordered packing queue, eliminating the need for human interaction and optimizing the packing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human operators manually handle and process laundry, then flexibility in handling diverse laundry items is maintained, but contamination risks increase and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system performs all laundry handling operations autonomously without human intervention. The robot retrieves laundry from washers, transports it to dryers, folds items, and packs them into containers, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminating contamination risks from human contact while maintaining high operational efficiency through continuous automated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual human operations with an automated robotic system equipped with sensors, conveyors, and manipulation mechanisms. The robot uses vision systems to identify laundry items, mechanical arms to handle and fold them, and automated conveyors to transport loads, substituting the mechanical human labor system with a more efficient and hygienic automated mechanical system.
2Reliability
If laundry processing is automated with robotic devices, then contamination risks are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is designed as a multi-functional platform that can perform various laundry handling tasks including retrieving loads from different washer types, transporting to different dryer types, folding diverse laundry items, and packing into containers. This universal design consolidates multiple functions into a single system, managing complexity through integration rather than proliferation of separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system incorporates dynamic elements including adjustable conveyor speeds, reconfigurable folding mechanisms, and adaptive gripper forces that can be modified based on the specific laundry item being handled. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to manage complexity by responding to varying conditions rather than requiring separate fixed mechanisms for each scenario.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate machines are used for different laundry tasks, then functional specialization is achieved, but space requirements and process coordination complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate laundry handling functions into a single integrated robotic system. The robot combines retrieval capabilities from different washer types, transport to various dryer types, folding mechanisms for diverse items, and packing functions all within one system. This consolidation reduces process coordination complexity by having a single controller manage all operations rather than coordinating multiple independent machines.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously queueing a plurality of folded laundry articles in a packing queue are described. A packing system includes a packing queue platform configured to receive a folded laundry article into one of a plurality of packing queue locations disposed along a length of the platform, a double ended conveyor, one or more sensors configured to detect a packing queue location, and a controller. The double ended conveyor includes a retrieving end and a depositing end. The conveyor is configured to be mounted to a one or more fixed rails for traveling along the length of the queue platform and cantilevering the depositing end over the packing queue platform for depositing the folded laundry article onto either a surface of the packing queue platform or another previously deposited folded laundry article of the plurality of folded laundry articles.