Method and device for mangling and folding laundry items
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry mangling and folding machines are limited in their ability to handle large, wide, or long items of laundry, particularly king-size bed sheets and tablecloths, as they cannot effectively fold items transversely due to stability issues with deflection rollers and limited working widths.
Innovation Solution
A method and device utilizing multiple folding machines arranged side by side, allowing simultaneous or independent operation to create a continuous multi-track folding surface that matches the working width of a single mangle, enabling the folding of large items across the entire width and flexibility in handling both large and small items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a single folding machine is used with a large working width to match the mangle, then the working width is sufficient, but the deflection rollers become unstable and sag
Solution Approach 1:
The folding machine is divided into multiple independent folding units (first folding machine and second folding machine) arranged side by side. Each unit has its own deflection rollers with smaller diameters that are stable, while collectively they provide a combined working width that matches the mangle's width. This segmentation allows the system to achieve large working width without sacrificing roller stability.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple folding machines are arranged side by side to increase working width, then the working width increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The folding machine is divided into multiple independent folding units (first folding machine and second folding machine) arranged side by side. Each unit has its own deflection rollers with smaller diameters that are stable, while collectively they provide a combined working width that matches the mangle's width. This segmentation allows the system to achieve large working width without sacrificing roller stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts the operation mode based on the size of the laundry item. For large items, both folding machines operate simultaneously in a coordinated manner. For smaller items, only one folding machine is activated. This dynamic adaptation optimizes the working width to match the item size, avoiding the complexity of always operating at maximum capacity.
3Productivity
If a single folding machine operates on multiple lanes for smaller items, then productivity increases, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The folding machine is divided into multiple independent folding units (first folding machine and second folding machine) arranged side by side. Each unit has its own deflection rollers with smaller diameters that are stable, while collectively they provide a combined working width that matches the mangle's width. This segmentation allows the system to achieve large working width without sacrificing roller stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts the operation mode based on the size of the laundry item. For large items, both folding machines operate simultaneously in a coordinated manner. For smaller items, only one folding machine is activated. This dynamic adaptation optimizes the working width to match the item size, avoiding the complexity of always operating at maximum capacity.
Data Source
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AI summary
If large pieces of laundry are to be ironed and folded, especially in a crosswise format, this requires ironing machines (10) and folding machines (11, 12) with a correspondingly large working width. Such large working widths are not technically feasible with folding machines (11, 12). The invention provides for arranging two identical folding machines (11, 12) side by side and operating them synchronously, so that the large working width required for ironing large pieces of laundry, especially in a crosswise format, is also available for folding such pieces of laundry.