Laundry Clamp with Integrated Light Source for Insertion Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators face difficulties in correctly hanging laundry items in laundry machine clamps due to the need for precise orientation and alignment of corner regions, leading to errors in insertion.
Innovation Solution
A clip with a stationary light source integrated into the clamp body, providing focused or bundled light beams to guide the operator on the correct insertion path, reducing errors by offering visual orientation aids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If operators manually insert laundry items into clamps without visual guidance, then the operation process remains simple, but insertion accuracy and orientation correctness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses light sources (optical signals) to provide visual guidance for correct insertion orientation. Different light patterns or colors indicate the correct direction and position for inserting laundry items into clamps, improving insertion accuracy without complex mechanical guidance structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces light sources as an intermediary between the clamp and the operator. This optical mediator provides orientation information and guidance, enabling accurate insertion without requiring complex mechanical alignment features or additional active control systems.
2Productivity
If multiple clamps require alternating insertion of opposite corner areas, then laundry processing capacity increases, but operator difficulty and error rate worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs light sources to provide visual orientation cues for multiple clamps. Operators can quickly identify which clamp requires which corner area through optical signals, reducing mental load and error rates while maintaining high processing capacity across multiple clamps.
Solution Approach 2:
The light sources provide real-time visual feedback to operators about the correct insertion orientation and target clamp identification. This feedback mechanism helps operators maintain accuracy and reduce errors when rapidly switching between multiple clamps with different insertion requirements.
3Reliability
If operators work in noisy laundry environments with hearing protection, then safety is improved, but auditory guidance and communication capabilities deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces potential auditory guidance systems with optical guidance through light sources. This substitution allows operators to receive directional and orientation information visually rather than auditorily, maintaining safety through hearing protection while preserving information reception capabilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The light source ensures accurate insertion of laundry items into clamps by providing clear visual guidance, reducing errors and simplifying the loading process, even in noisy environments with noise protection.
Implementation Method 1
A light source (33) is directly assigned to the respective clamp (32)
Data Source
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AI summary
In laundries, operators must place laundry items into clamps (32). Often, corner areas of the laundry items must be inserted into the clamps (32) in a specific orientation. Occasionally, incorrect insertions or mix-ups occur, which negatively impacts the subsequent processing of the laundry items or prevents the processing of the wrong item inserted into a clamp (32). The invention provides for the assignment of at least one light source to each clamp (32). The light source provides the operator with an aid for correctly inserting the laundry item into the clamps (32), thereby preventing incorrect insertions and the associated performance losses of the laundry machines.