Linear-Motor Clamp Positioning for Laundry Mangle Feeding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing apparatuses for feeding laundry items to a mangle or similar devices face challenges in accurately and reliably spreading laundry items due to imprecise belt-driven clamp movements, often resulting in incomplete spreading or damage to the items.

Innovation Solution

The use of a linear motor-driven splaying device with slides and permanent magnets, where the slides form the primary part of the linear motor and the rail forms the secondary part, allows for precise and reliable movement of clamps to spread laundry items, minimizing friction and enabling accurate positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If belt-driven slides are used to move splaying clamps, then the device structure is simple, but the positioning accuracy is poor and the clamps cannot be positioned precisely

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracy of clampsVSAvoiddrive mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the belt-driven mechanical transmission system with a linear motor system. The linear motor directly drives the slides along the rail without intermediate mechanical transmission elements, eliminating belt slip and mechanical play. This substitution provides precise positioning control through electronic control of the linear motor, achieving high manufacturing precision while reducing mechanical complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If splaying clamps are moved far apart to completely outspread laundry items, then the spreading is complete, but the laundry item may be tensioned and irreversibly damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespreading precisionVSAvoiddamage to laundry item

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a control system that receives signals from a slack sensor to detect the width of the laundry item. Based on this feedback, the control system adjusts the positioning of the splaying clamps to achieve optimal spreading. The linear motor system responds precisely to control signals, allowing the clamps to be positioned at the exact distance needed to outspread the laundry item without excessive tensioning that would cause damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The linear motor system enables dynamic and precise control of clamp positioning. Unlike fixed mechanical linkages, the linear motor can adjust the clamp positions in real-time based on the specific dimensions of each laundry item. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the clamps are positioned optimally for each item, achieving complete spreading while avoiding excessive tension that would cause irreversible damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If high feeding rate is implemented, then productivity increases, but the reliability of clamp positioning may decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeeding rateVSAvoidreliability of clamp positioning

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The linear motor system replaces slow and imprecise belt-driven mechanics with an electronically controlled system that can rapidly and precisely position clamps. The linear motor responds quickly to control signals, enabling high-speed operation while maintaining positioning reliability. The direct-drive mechanism eliminates mechanical play and slip, ensuring consistent and reliable clamp positioning even at high feeding rates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

This solution ensures efficient, precise, and reliable spreading of laundry items, preventing damage and ensuring complete outstretching, thereby improving the feeding process and maintaining high throughput.

Implementation Method 1

the clamps are movable by at least one linear motor, wherein the slides are each assigned to a primary part of the linear motor or the slides form the primary parts of the linear motor and the rail is assigned to the secondary part of the linear motor or the rail forms the secondary part

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLinear motor: Linear Motor

Implementation Method 2

the slides are each assigned to a primary part of the linear motor or the slides form the primary parts of the linear motor and the rail is assigned to the secondary part of the linear motor or the rail forms the secondary part

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic interaction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS10138591B2Apparatus for feeding laundry items to a mangle

Publication Date: 2018.11.27 HERBERT KANNEGIESSER GMBH & CO

AI summary

An apparatus whereby laundry items are fed automatically to a mangle. This is achieved in that splaying clamps are movable by a linear motor, wherein slides are assigned to a primary part of the linear motor or form the primary parts of the linear motor and a rail is assigned to a secondary part of the linear motor or forms the secondary part. Laundry items are fed in industrial laundry facilities to a mangle in an outspread state. This is performed by machine using apparatuses for feeding laundry items. Each laundry item attached to splaying clamps is deposited with an outspread front edge arranged to the front onto a feeding conveyor, which feeds the laundry item in the outspread state to the mangle. Here, the splaying can mean that the laundry item either is not completely outspread or that the laundry item is tensioned such that it is damaged irreversibly.