A laundry delivery apparatus and a method for delivering laundry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fully automated laundry delivery apparatuses are not feasible in industrial laundries with limited space due to the need for multiple modules, leading to ergonomic issues for human operators who repeatedly pull laundry from delivery chambers.
Innovation Solution
A laundry delivery apparatus with automatic release functionality, utilizing manipulator arms, conveyor belts, sensors, and a nipping region to automate the transfer and release of laundry into an operator's hand, reducing manual labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a fully automated laundry delivery apparatus is installed, then productivity and efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two functional modules: a first manipulator arm for picking up laundry from the pile, and a second manipulator arm for transferring laundry to the conveyor. This segmentation allows each module to perform a specific function, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining automation benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The laundry delivery apparatus automatically detects when a human hand enters the delivery chamber using sensors, and autonomously releases the laundry without requiring the operator to pull it. This self-service mechanism eliminates repetitive manual pulling while maintaining a simpler apparatus configuration.
2Productivity
If a fully automated laundry delivery apparatus is installed, then productivity is improved, but the area occupied by the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second manipulator arms share a common base structure and control system, merging multiple functions into a compact integrated unit. The conveyor is positioned within the same footprint as the manipulator arms, optimizing space utilization while maintaining automated laundry delivery functionality.
3Device complexity
If manual pulling of laundry is required, then device complexity is reduced, but ergonomic problems and operator workload increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to detect when a human hand enters the delivery chamber and automatically releases the laundry at the optimal moment. This eliminates the need for operators to repeatedly pull laundry, preventing ergonomic problems while adding only minimal automation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower sensor provides feedback about the operator's hand position in real-time, allowing the control system to timing the laundry release precisely when the hand is in position. This feedback mechanism improves ease of operation without significantly increasing device complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
A laundry delivery apparatus and a method for picking up a piece of laundry (7), e.g. a towel, from a pile of laundry (10) and presenting the piece of laundry (7) at a delivery chamber (5) to an operator using the laundry delivery apparatus (1), the laundry delivery apparatus (1) comprising: • A first manipulator arm (8), a second manipulator arm (9), a conveyor (2), a second surface (3), a nipping region (4) defined between the conveyor (2) and the second surface (3), a delivery chamber (5), an upper sensor (11), and a lower sensor (6), the laundry delivery apparatus (1) being configured to retain and suspend a piece of laundry (7) above a delivery chamber (5) upon detecting a trailing edge of the piece of laundry (7) at a predetermined distance from the nipping region (4) using the upper sensor (11), the laundry delivery apparatus (1) being configured to release the retained and suspended piece of laundry (7) upon detection of a human hand within the delivery chamber (5), the human hand being detected by the lower sensor (6).