Method and device for loading and / or unloading washing machines, in particular washing machines, dryers or the like
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry machine loading and unloading systems are prone to disruptions and lack flexibility, particularly in areas with unpowered gravity conveying, and do not allow for selective treatment of different types of laundry.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that utilize storage receptacles to temporarily hold laundry, allowing for flexible loading and unloading by transferring laundry between receptacles and storage locations, enabling independent control of loading and unloading processes, and using discontinuous conveyors to move laundry between sorting, treatment, and storage areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If laundry is transported directly from conveyor to washing machine, then the loading process is simple, but the system lacks flexibility for selective processing and is prone to malfunctions in unpowered gravity conveying areas
Solution Approach 1:
A storage unit is introduced as an intermediary between the conveyor system and the washing machine. This storage unit temporarily holds laundry batches, allowing the system to decouple the conveyor operation from the washing machine loading. The storage unit acts as a buffer that enables selective processing of different laundry types while maintaining system simplicity through a single integrated component.
2Quantity of substance
If laundry is transported in long batches along conveyor rails, then the system can handle large volumes, but the conveying distance increases susceptibility to malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The laundry transport system is segmented into smaller batches that are stored individually in the storage unit. Instead of transporting one long continuous batch along the conveyor, the system divides laundry into multiple smaller units that can be independently managed. This segmentation reduces the conveying distance for each batch, thereby reducing susceptibility to malfunctions while maintaining the ability to handle large overall volumes through cumulative batch processing.
3Use of energy by moving object
If gravity conveyors are used in unpowered sections, then energy consumption is reduced, but the system becomes prone to malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The storage unit serves as an intermediary that allows the system to use energy-efficient gravity conveyors in unpowered sections while maintaining reliability. By introducing this buffer storage, the system can tolerate interruptions in gravity conveying without affecting overall operation, as laundry can be temporarily held and transferred when ready. This decouples the reliability requirement from the low-energy conveying mechanism.
4Adaptability or versatility
If laundry bags are transported in fixed sequence along conveyor, then the loading order is determined, but selective processing of identical laundry at different points is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The storage unit introduces dynamic flexibility to the loading process. Instead of a fixed sequential loading order determined by conveyor position, the storage unit allows laundry batches to be held and selectively loaded in different sequences. This enables identical laundry types to be processed at different washing machines or at different times, providing adaptive processing capabilities while maintaining operational simplicity through automated storage and retrieval mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
In commercial laundries, for example, continuous washing machines (10) are loaded with soiled laundry from laundry bags. The laundry bags, suspended from a rail transport system, are partially transported to the continuous washing machines (10) by gravity. The order in which the laundry bags are placed in the rail transport system determines the loading sequence of the continuous washing machine (10). Furthermore, the rail transport systems are prone to malfunctions, particularly in their sloping sections for gravity conveyance. In addition, the rail transport systems require considerable space in the laundry facility. The invention provides for the temporary storage of the soiled laundry in a storage unit (13) before it reaches the continuous washing machines (10) to be loaded. The laundry is transported to the storage unit (13) by a first discontinuous conveyor (15), removed from the storage unit (13) by a second discontinuous conveyor (16), and transported to the continuous washing machine (10), which is then loaded with this laundry.