Garment Rail Sorting Using Wearer-Route Delivery Sequencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current garment processing systems for industrial or commercial laundering are inefficient, costly, and require complex sorting equipment to ensure correct delivery order of garments to multiple customers and wearers, often necessitating pre-scan identification and multiple sorting passes.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing simple rails and delivery mechanisms in conjunction with software programming to create a wearer-rail association, allowing for correct delivery order without pre-scan identification, using two sorting operations to arrange garments based on route, stop, customer, and wearer, and integrating Route Accounting Systems with garment sorting systems for real-time data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If complex sorting equipment is used to ensure correct delivery order, then delivery accuracy is improved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sorting equipment with a software-based system that uses data processing and control algorithms to manage garment routing. The system substitutes physical sorting complexity with informational processing, using computer-controlled mechanisms to track and direct garments through the laundry process without requiring elaborate mechanical sorting infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary control system that acts as a mediator between garment intake and delivery. This software-based intermediary manages the routing information, tracks garment locations, and coordinates delivery sequences, eliminating the need for direct complex mechanical sorting while maintaining accurate delivery order through centralized information management.
2Manufacturing precision
If pre-scan identification is implemented to track garments, then delivery accuracy is improved, but processing time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by capturing and storing routing information at the point of garment intake, before the laundering process begins. The system records destination data upfront and maintains this information throughout processing, eliminating the need for time-consuming pre-scan identification at later stages while ensuring accurate tracking and delivery.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple sorting passes are used to organize garments by route, stop, customer, and wearer, then delivery accuracy is improved, but processing time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal tracking system that handles multiple sorting criteria (route, stop, customer, wearer) simultaneously through a single integrated data structure. The software system performs all sorting functions in parallel through information processing rather than sequential physical sorting passes, maintaining comprehensive delivery accuracy while improving processing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, programs and systems are provided for arranging in correct delivery sequence a plurality of individual garments from multiple delivery routes. A first of two sorting operations utilizes predicted wearer data to create a wearer-rail association where a selection of a plurality of sequenced sorting rails is designated to receive garments according to a set number of predicted wearers/placeholder-wearers, and where the garments of the batch are distributed about the rails based on at least two or more levels of garment designation, including route, stop, customer and/or wearer. The second sort assembles, rail-by-rail, the garments from each of the respective sequenced rails into groups according to wearer which produces a correct delivery order for the batch of garments after only two scan/sort operations and where each garment moves along a non-repeating path.