Method for treating laundry items
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry treatment processes require extensive equipment and labor for sorting varied laundry items, leading to high labor costs and errors, and necessitate temporary storage before treatment.
Innovation Solution
A method for treating laundry items that reduces equipment and labor by allowing unsorted laundry items to be washed, dried, and folded, with identification and sorting occurring after treatment, using contactless imaging and data carriers to determine treatment criteria, and sorting only after folding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If laundry items are sorted manually before treatment, then sorting accuracy is improved, but labor cost and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical sorting with an automated optical identification system using imaging devices (cameras) and data carriers (RFID tags, barcodes). The system automatically captures images and reads data carriers of laundry items, identifies item types, sizes, and colors, and directs them to appropriate treatment processes without human intervention, thereby eliminating labor-intensive manual sorting while maintaining high accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The laundry items themselves carry identification information through integrated data carriers (RFID tags, barcodes) that enable self-identification. The system reads this self-contained information to automatically determine treatment parameters, allowing the items to 'tell' the system how they should be processed without requiring external manual assessment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If extensive sorting equipment is deployed, then sorting capability is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal imaging and data reading system that can handle multiple types of laundry items (different materials, sizes, colors, and types) through a single integrated platform. The system uses multi-functional imaging devices that can capture various characteristics (visual appearance, data carrier information) and process diverse item categories without requiring separate specialized equipment for each laundry type, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining versatile sorting capability.
3Measurement precision
If manual sorting is performed, then item classification is improved, but labor cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual classification labor with an automated computer vision and data processing system. Imaging devices capture images and read data carriers, while software algorithms automatically classify laundry items based on material type, size, color, and other characteristics. This substitution eliminates the need for human operators while maintaining or improving classification accuracy through consistent automated decision-making.
4Stability of the object's composition
If laundry items are temporarily stored in batches, then treatment organization is improved, but space requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs identification, classification, and treatment parameter determination for each laundry item individually and immediately upon entry, before the item needs to be treated. This preliminary action eliminates the need for batch formation and temporary storage, as items are processed in real-time based on their identified characteristics, thereby reducing storage space requirements and eliminating waiting time associated with batch accumulation.
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 method simplifies and automates the sorting process, reducing labor requirements and equipment needs while minimizing damage to delicate items, allowing for efficient treatment and targeted stacking of laundry items.
Implementation Method 1
contactless determination by at least one imaging device. The at least one imaging device, in particular camera, laser or similar, allows rapid, reliable and automatic determination
Implementation Method 2
contactless read-out of data carriers assigned to the laundry items
Data Source
AI summary
Used laundry items are delivered unsorted to laundries. It has previously been usual to initially sort the laundry items after delivery and treat the sorted laundry items, at least by washing, drying, mangling and folding. The preliminary sorting is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The invention proposes to treat unsorted at least those laundry items which must be mangled. Only before folding are the still unsorted laundry items identified and folded in targeted fashion accordingly. After folding, the identified laundry items are sorted according to their identified criteria, in that folded laundry items with the same criteria are stacked on a respective stack of similarly treated and folded laundry items. This reduces the complexity of sorting laundry items.