Method and device for feeding laundry items into a laundry treatment device, in particular a mangle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry input machines have a relatively large movable path for expansion clamps, leading to longer cycle times and interference with the transfer of laundry items from central loading stations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves transferring laundry items to expanding clamps at a reduced distance from external loading stations to the center of the feed conveyor, using movable transfer clamps that move items to pairs of expanding clamps closer to the center, allowing for shorter travel paths and non-interfering operations with central loading station transfers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If laundry items are transferred to spreading clamps at a large distance from outer loading stations, then the spreading clamps can operate independently, but the travel distance of the spreading clamps increases leading to longer cycle times
Solution Approach 1:
Transfer clamps are introduced as an intermediary element between outer loading stations and spreading clamps. These transfer clamps are movable and can be positioned at different locations along the feed conveyor, enabling the transfer of laundry items at optimized positions that reduce the travel distance of spreading clamps while maintaining independent operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer clamps are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing their position to be dynamically adjusted. This enables the system to optimize the transfer location for each laundry item, balancing the need for spreading clamp independence with the goal of minimizing their travel distance and cycle time.
2Productivity
If spreading clamps are positioned far from the center of the feed conveyor, then outer loading stations can load independently, but the travel distance of spreading clamps increases
Solution Approach 1:
Movable transfer clamps serve as intermediaries that enable outer loading stations to load independently while positioning laundry items at optimal transfer points closer to the center of the feed conveyor. This reduces the travel distance that spreading clamps must cover without compromising the independent loading capability of outer stations.
3Loss of time
If transfer clamps are moved close to the center of the feed conveyor, then the travel distance of spreading clamps is reduced, but they may interfere with the transfer of laundry items from the central loading station
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer clamps are designed with movable positioning capability, allowing them to be dynamically placed at locations that are close enough to the center to minimize spreading clamp travel distance, yet far enough to avoid interfering with the central loading station's transfer operations. This dynamic positioning resolves the conflict between reducing cycle time and maintaining reliable transfer operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The feeding of laundry items to mangles, for example, takes place with input machines. These have a spreading device (12) with movable spreading clamps (14), which spread out a front transverse edge of the item of laundry in front of a feed conveyor (17) and center it in the middle. A plurality of loading stations (11) are usually located in front of the spreading device (12). So far, the spreading clamps (14) pick up the respective item of laundry from the loading stations (11). In the case of external loading stations (11), this requires long travel distances for the expanding clamps (14), which reduces the cycle time of the feeding machine. The invention provides for items of laundry to be transferred from external loading stations (11) to transfer clamps (21), which move the items of laundry from the external loading stations (11) close to the center of the feed conveyor (17) in order to then transfer the respective item of laundry to the center of the feed conveyor (17) to the spreading clamps (14). This reduces the travel distances of the expanding clamps (14).