Method and device for transporting laundry items hanging on clamps and for transferring the laundry items to a feeding device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry transportation systems require complex conveyor lines and multiple transfer processes to feed items to spreading clamps, making the process inefficient and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that allow for the successive transfer of adjacent corners of laundry items from conveyor clamps to spreading clamps, simplifying the conveyor system and enabling reliable, automatic feeding without the need for multiple conveyors or complex sensor systems, by transferring corners one after the other at the same point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple conveyors and transfer clamps are used to transfer laundry items to spreading clamps, then the transfer process can be performed, but the device complexity increases and the system becomes less reliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of multiple conveyors and transfer clamps into a single conveyor system with clamps that can directly transfer laundry corners to spreading clamps. This merging eliminates the need for separate conveyors and reduces the number of transfer operations, thereby simplifying the device while maintaining transfer reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor clamps are designed to perform multiple functions: they transport laundry items along the conveyor path and also directly transfer specific corners to the spreading clamps. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated transfer clamps on separate conveyors, reducing overall system complexity while ensuring reliable corner transfer.
2Extent of automation
If multiple conveyors with sensors are used to detect and transfer laundry corners, then the transfer process can be controlled, but the device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the detection and transfer functions into a single integrated system. The conveyor clamps themselves are used to detect and transfer laundry corners without requiring separate sensor systems on multiple conveyors. This integration maintains automatic control while significantly reducing the number of sensors and conveyors needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor clamps automatically detect and transfer laundry corners through their own positioning and movement along the conveyor path, without requiring external sensor systems to guide each transfer operation. The system uses the natural progression of clamps along the single conveyor to achieve automatic corner identification and transfer.
3Device complexity
If a single-lane conveyor with sequential clamp transfer is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the transfer process must be more precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the laundry item into discrete corners, each handled by individual clamps in sequence. This segmentation allows for precise control of each corner transfer independently, ensuring that corners are transferred accurately to the spreading clamps even with a simplified single-lane conveyor system.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor clamps are positioned and spaced in advance along the single-lane conveyor to ensure that when a clamp reaches the transfer point, it is precisely positioned to transfer its corner to the spreading clamp. This preliminary positioning ensures transfer precision without requiring complex real-time control systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
In laundries, items (11) of laundry are fed by at least one conveyor (16) to spreader clamps (12) of an input machine (14). Each corner (24, 25) delimiting a front edge (15) of the item of laundry (11) is held on a clamp (10) of the conveyor (16). The respective conveyor (16) is usually branched in order to transfer the corners (24, 25) to the two spreader clamps (12) of a pair of spreader clamps simultaneously next to one another. As a result, the respective conveyor (16) must have a branched rail system with points. According to the invention, the corners (24, 25) of the respective item of laundry are gradually transferred from the conveyor to the spreading clamps (12) of a pair of spreading clamps at the same point in each case. As a result, the respective conveyor (19) only needs to have a single circulating rail (20).