Addressable LED Pucks for Garment Assembly Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In dry cleaning and similar establishments, the manual process of determining and matching garment locations is inefficient and error-prone, requiring high skill and training for attendants due to reliance on visual reading of printed forms and tags, leading to high turnover and errors in garment flow management.
Innovation Solution
A digital notification system using addressable LED light pucks on hangers that provide visual and audio cues, connected via USB, WiFi, Z-Wave, or Zigbee networks, to guide attendants to specific locations for garment assembly and sorting, integrating with existing software systems to display customer information and order status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual visual reading of printed forms and tags is used to determine garment locations, then the system requires high skill and training for attendants, but this leads to high turnover and errors in garment flow management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual visual reading and cognitive matching process with an electronic notification system that automatically displays garment location information on digital screens. The system substitutes human visual search and interpretation with automated electronic displays that show claim ticket numbers, garment descriptions, and rack locations, thereby reducing skill requirements while improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary electronic notification system that acts as a mediator between the garment storage system and the attendant. The system includes a computer that receives garment location data and displays it on screens positioned near racks, serving as an intermediary that translates complex storage information into simple visual cues for attendants
2Reliability
If attendants manually search the rail and multitude of tags to determine garment placement locations, then the process is error-prone, but this manual search process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and displaying garment location information before the attendant begins assembly. The computer system determines the optimal rack positions for garments based on claim ticket information and displays these positions in advance on notification screens, allowing attendants to proceed directly to the correct locations without searching or decision-making delays
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual search process through the rail and among physical tags with an automated electronic information display system. The computer queries the database for garment locations and presents this information on screens, substituting the inefficient manual visual search with automated electronic retrieval and display of location data
3Reliability
If multiple customers' garments are intermingled in the common processing plant, then garments must be separated and matched with customer tickets, but this separation process is complex and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by creating a closed-loop information system. The computer receives claim ticket information, queries the database for processed garment locations, and displays this information on notification screens. The system continuously updates the attendant with feedback about which garments have been assembled and their current locations, allowing for verification and correction if errors occur
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computer system that manages the complex separation and matching process. The computer acts as a mediator between the intermingled garments in storage and the customer tickets, automatically querying the database, determining matches, and displaying the results. This intermediary handles the complexity of matching multiple garments to multiple customers, reducing the cognitive burden on attendants
Data Source
AI summary
An LED Assisted Rapid Assembly system is disclosed wherein a plurality of rack locations are provided with an addressable LED light puck at each location, such that the puck may be illuminated to indicate to a worker the rack location for a specific garment by correlating the garment, the invoice/ticket and the location electronically and controlling the LED.