Laundry Item Alignment Using Segmented Clamping for High-Speed Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for processing rectangular laundry items after washing and drying fail to align them efficiently for high-quality folding, leading to inefficiencies and reduced machine speed in industrial laundry facilities.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using a movable clamp and clamping devices to orient and align laundry items along their lines of symmetry, allowing for precise deposition onto a conveyor aligned with a downstream folding machine, ensuring minimal folds and high-speed processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If laundry items are processed without alignment mechanisms, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of edge alignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment mechanism is divided into separate modular components: first alignment clamps for initial positioning, second alignment clamps for final alignment, and transfer clamps for movement. Each component has a specific function, allowing the system to achieve precise edge alignment while maintaining manageable device complexity through functional segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The first alignment clamps perform preliminary alignment of laundry item edges before the items are transferred to the second alignment clamps. This preliminary action ensures that subsequent folding operations can proceed with high precision without requiring the entire system to be overly complex.
2Productivity
If high-speed processing is implemented, then the productivity increases, but the reliability of deposition deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Laundry items are aligned at multiple stages before final deposition - first by the first alignment clamps, then transferred and aligned again by the second alignment clamps. This preliminary alignment ensures that even at high processing speeds, the deposition reliability remains high because the items are already positioned correctly before the final high-speed transfer to the discharge conveyor.
Solution Approach 2:
The second alignment clamps act as an intermediary between the transfer mechanism and the final deposition point. They provide a buffer zone where items can be finalized aligned before high-speed deposition, decoupling the alignment function from the high-speed transfer function and thus maintaining reliability during high-speed operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple alignment clamps are used, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp mechanism is segmented into distinct functional groups: transfer clamps for movement, first alignment clamps for initial positioning, and second alignment clamps for final alignment. Each segment operates independently with a specific function, allowing high manufacturing precision through multiple alignment stages while keeping overall device complexity manageable through clear functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment clamps are designed to perform multiple functions within a unified system. The first and second alignment clamps work together in sequence, with each capable of both holding and aligning functions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for entirely separate alignment mechanisms, thereby controlling device complexity while achieving high folding quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for processing clean/washed rectangular laundry items that includes receiving and holding on to one corner of each laundry item by a movable clamp of a laundry item transfer mechanism, draping by the clamp a length of a side of the laundry item adjacent to the one corner over clamping jaws of two clamping devices by inserting the clamp into a gap between opposite jaws of the two clamping devices. Holding on to the side of the laundry item by the clamping devices, and releasing the corner from the clamp, locating two adjacent corners of the laundry item by sliding at least one of the two clamping devices along the side to move the two clamping devices away from each other. Advancing the laundry item held by the clamping devices in a first machine direction.