Patent Grant
8821097
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shuttle systems for moving loose goods between machines that operate on the loose goods and more particularly to a laundry shuttle system for moving laundry into and/or out of industrial washing machines and industrial drying machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
One conventional industrial laundry washing/drying system includes a shuttle (that rides on rails) with a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is oriented to convey in a direction transverse to the direction that the rails run. In operation, this conventional shuttle: (i) travels along the rails to the vicinity of an industrial washing machine that has completed washing a load of laundry; (ii) receives the wet laundry onto its conveyor belt from the industrial washing machine; (iii) travels along the rails to move the wet laundry to the vicinity of an industrial dryer; and (iv) conveys the wet laundry into the industrial dryer using the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt may telescope, for example, to avoid physical interference with the washer or dryer before it is fully aligned with the washer or dryer.
Typically, these shuttle systems, described in the preceding paragraph, only move laundry from an industrial washer to an industrial dryer. Typically, the operation of getting soiled laundry into the industrial washing machine is not performed by the shuttle, but rather either: (i) by hand; or (ii) by separate automatic hardware.
First, regarding the systems where laundry is fed by hand, when soiled laundry is fed into the industrial washing machine by these by-hand systems, a user empties articles of soiled laundry from a bag and into the mouth of a spinning washing machine. There is some level of risk of injury to the user due to the heavy moving machinery of the industrial washing machine.
Second, regarding systems where soiled laundry is automatically fed into the industrial washing machine, a bag of soiled laundry is suspended from a track on the ceiling. The bag is moved along the track to a position above the washing machine, in the vicinity of the mouth of the washing machine. Bag-opening hardware and laundry-guiding hardware that is built into each industrial washing machine open the bag (by opening a special fastener at the bottom of the bag) and guide the soiled articles of laundry down into the mouth of the washing machine. Generally speaking, there are two types of guiding hardware: (i) passive; and (ii) active. Passive guiding hardware typically takes the form of a chute or a ramp that the soiled articles of laundry fall down onto from above and then slide along down into the mouth of the washing machine. Active guiding hardware takes the form of a pusher that moves to push and/or pull the soiled articles of laundry down into the mouth of the washing machine.
Some publications that may be of interest may include the following: (i) U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,186 (“Fesmire 1”); (ii) U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,738 (“Frotriede”); (iii) U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,993 (“Dreher”); (iv) U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,090 (“Toth”); (v) U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,959 (“Pellerin 1”); (vi) U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,498 (“Pellerin 2”); (vii) European Patent Application 0 287 989 A2 (“Washex”); (ix) US patent application (“USPA”) 2007/0113599 (“Harfmann”); (x) USPA 2004/0129031 (“Bringewatt”); (xi) U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,772 (“Hendren”); (xii) German Offenlegungsschrift DE 10 2006 055 494 A1 (“Kannegiesser”); (xiii) USPA 2004/0191036 (“Nield”); and (xiv) U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,849 (“Fesmire 2”).
Description of the Related Art Section Disclaimer: To the extent that specific publications are discussed above in this Description of the Related Art Section, these discussions should not be taken as an admission that the discussed publications (for example, published patents) are prior art for patent law purposes. For example, some or all of the discussed publications may not be sufficiently early in time, may not reflect subject matter developed early enough in time and/or may not be sufficiently enabling so as to amount to prior art for patent law purposes. To the extent that specific publications are discussed above in this Description of the Related Art Section, they are all hereby incorporated by reference into this document in their respective entirety(ies).
One aspect of the present invention is directed to a shuttle with a conveyor belt for moving articles (for example, soiled laundry) between industrial machines (for example, washers and dryers), where the shuttle is further equipped with guide hardware to guide the articles as they are lowered from above into an opening (herein called a mouth) of an industrial machine. Preferably, the guide hardware is in the form of a movable chute that can move (at least) back and forth along the direction of the conveyor belt. Building the guide hardware into the shuttle can reduce or eliminate: (i) the need to have guide hardware built into each of the machines that require such guides; and/or (ii) the need to have human users assist in guiding articles into the mouth. In at least some preferred embodiments, the guide hardware only operates at one end of the conveyor belt. For example, in many industrial washer and dryer “work alleys,” guide hardware is only really needed as bags of laundry descended from the ceiling are fed into the industrial washer, but not needed for helping to convey articles that have been washed in the industrial washer into the industrial dryer. In these embodiments, the guide hardware may be moveable, but this guide hardware will generally remain on the washer-side of the shuttle and/or over the frame of the shuttle.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a shuttle with a conveyor belt for moving articles (for example, soiled laundry) between industrial machines (for example, washers and dryers), where the shuttle is further equipped with an operator platform and operator controls so that a human user may ride on the shuttle and help control its operation. For example, the user may help control the motion of the shuttle along the work alley. As a further example, the user on the shuttle may help control the operations of the washers, dryers and/or the conveying system that conveys bags of soiled laundry over the vicinity of washing machines that will wash that laundry. As still a further example, the human user may help control the operations of security gates that restrict people from going into the work alley and/or near the industrial machines. By putting (at least some control) of operations in the hands of a human user who is riding the shuttle, it can help ensure that the person who is controlling operations will not be injured by the shuttle and/or by the industrial machines. Preferably, the operator platform includes at least one protective wall (see DEFINITIONS section). Preferably, the operator controls includes at least one foot switch that is positioned to require the user to actually be fully in position on the operator platform when exercising control, in order to help protect that user from injury by the shuttle and/or by the industrial machines.
Various embodiments of the present invention may exhibit one or more of the following objects, features and/or advantages:
(i) improved industrial machine operator(s) safety;
(ii) more reliable operation of industrial washers and dryers;
(iii) more pleasant work environment for industrial machine operators;
(iv) cost savings of not building chute type hardware into each washing machine;
(v) worker does not need to get near the bag to guide the soiled laundry into the washing machine; and/or
(vi) added security of allowing bags of soiled laundry to be unloaded remotely by an operator who is effectively forced to be standing on the shuttle increases safety and may allow other security sub-systems, such as gating or fencing to be reduced or minimized.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a conveyor shuttle is for use in a work alley defining a work alley direction having a plurality of first type industrial machines on a first side of the work alley and a plurality of second type industrial machines on a second side of the work ally. The shuttle includes: a shuttle driving system; a chassis; a conveyor belt system; and a guide hardware system. The shuttle drive system, the conveyor belt system and the guide hardware are mechanically connected (directly or indirectly) to the chassis. The shuttle drive system is structured, located and/or connected to drive the shuttle into motion so that it can travel along the work alley among and between the first type machines and the second type machines;
the conveyor belt system comprises a conveyor belt that is structured, connected and/or located to: (i) allow loading of articles from the first type machines; (ii) allow unloading of articles into the second type machines; and (iii) convey articles, in a conveyor belt direction that is generally transverse to the work alley direction, from the first side to the second side; and the guide hardware system is structured, connected and/or located to guide articles as they travel from location generally above each first side machine and into an opening in each first side machine.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a conveyor shuttle is for use in a work alley defining a work alley direction having a plurality of first type industrial machines on a first side of the work alley and a plurality of second type industrial machines on a second side of the work ally. The shuttle including: a shuttle driving system; a chassis; a conveyor belt system; an operator platform system; and an operator control system. The shuttle drive system, the conveyor belt system, the operator control system and the operator platform system are mechanically connected (directly or indirectly) to the chassis. The shuttle drive system is structured, located and/or connected to drive the shuttle into motion so that it can travel along the work alley among and between the first type machines and the second type machines. The conveyor belt system comprises a conveyor belt that is structured, connected and/or located to: (i) allow loading of articles from the first type machines; (ii) allow unloading of articles into the second type machines; and (iii) convey articles, in a conveyor belt direction that is generally transverse to the work alley direction, from the first side to the second side. The operator platform system is sized, shaped, structured and located to accommodate a user riding on the shuttle. The operator control system is structured, located and or connected to allow the human user to at least partially control at least one of the following functions: travel of the shuttle along the work alley direction, operation of the first side machines, operation of the second side machines, operation of the conveyor belt system, operation of any security system protecting the work alley and/or movement of any guide hardware.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a conveyor shuttle is for use in a wash alley defining a wash alley direction having a plurality of industrial washing machines on a washing side of the wash alley and a plurality of industrial drying machines on a drying side of the wash ally. The shuttle including: a shuttle driving system; a chassis; a conveyor belt system; a guide hardware system; an operator platform system; and an operator control system. The shuttle drive system, the conveyor belt system and the guide hardware are mechanically connected (directly or indirectly) to the chassis. The shuttle drive system is structured, located and/or connected to drive the shuttle into motion so that it can travel along the wash alley among and between the washing machines and the drying machines. The conveyor belt system includes a conveyor belt that is structured, connected and/or located to: (i) allow loading of damp textile articles from the washing machines; (ii) allow unloading of damp textile articles into the second type machines; and (iii) convey articles, in a conveyor belt direction that is generally transverse to the work alley direction, from the washing side to the drying side. The guide hardware system is structured, connected and/or located to guide articles as they travel from location generally above each first side machine and into an opening in each first side machine. The operator platform system is sized, shaped, structured and located to accommodate a user riding on the shuttle. The operator control system is structured, located and or connected to allow the human user to at least partially control at least one of the following functions: travel of the shuttle along the work alley direction, operation of the first side machines, operation of the second side machines, operation of the conveyor belt system, operation of any security system protecting the work alley and/or movement of any guide hardware.
The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In operation of the work alley, the conveyor shuttle travels in the work alley direction along the rails. In alternative embodiments, the work alley may not have rails, and the conveyor shuttle may fun on a flat floor on wheels or an endless track or the like. However, rails are preferable because they serve to control the position of the conveyor shuttle in the direction transverse to the work alley direction, and thereby help prevent the possibility that the conveyor shuttle will hit the industrial machines, or other workers.
In operation, when a load of soiled wash is to be washed, it is conveyed to the vicinity of an available washing machine 102 by a separate conveyance sub-system (not shown). Preferably, this conveyance system involves the suspension of a bag of soiled laundry from a track on the ceiling so that the bag can be moved along the track over any of the washing machines. However, other conveyance systems are possible. For example, human worker may bring the bags of soiled laundry to the washing machines by human power. Once the solied laundry is conveyed to the vicinity of an available washer, the guide hardware (not shown) is used to help guide the soiled laundry into the mouth of the available washing machine. In some embodiments of the present invention, the guide hardware may include a bag unfastening sub-system to unfasten a fastener that closes an opening in the bag so that the laundry pours out of the bag, and can be guided into the mouth of the washing machine by the rest of the guide hardware. The operation of the guide hardware will be discussed in more detail below.
While the soiled laundry is being washed, the shuttle is redeployed to other operations involving other washers and dryers. When the soiled laundry is finished being washed, the shuttle returns along the rails to the washing machine, and the washing machine dumps the clean, but damp, laundry onto the conveyor belt (not separately shown). The shuttle then moves along the work alley to an available dryer 104. The conveyor belt is used to convey the damp laundry across the work alley (that is in a direction generally transverse to the work alley) from the washer side to the dryer side and, thence, into the dryer. In preferred embodiments the guide hardware does not help guide the damp laundry from the washing machine onto the conveyor belt, or from the conveyor belt into the dryer, but some embodiments within the scope of the present invention may use guide hardware to help out with these portions of the conveyance of the laundry. In some embodiments of the present invention, the conveyor belt may move and/or telescope in the conveyor belt direction (that is, generally transverse to the work alley direction), in order to: (i) move into close engagement with a washer and/or dryer that the conveyor belt is receiving from and/or feeding into; but (ii) move out of the way of the industrial machines as the shuttle moves along the work alley between machines.
As shown in
The track interface sub-system is preferable wheels designed to ride along two parallel tracks, but there may be embodiments of the present invention that do not ride on tracks as mentioned above. The wheels are driven by the propulsion sub-system, which is preferable an electric motor (not shown). The propulsion sub-system gets its energy from the power and control sub-system. The guide hardware sub-system is an important feature of at least some embodiments of the present invention, and will be discussed in more detail in connection with the next embodiment, below. The riding user sub-system is an important feature of at least some embodiments of the present invention, and will also be discussed in more detail in connection with the next embodiment, below.
As best shown in
When shuttle 200 gets to a washing machine that it will help load, it may first receive a load of clean, but damp, laundry from the washing machine that it is about to help load. To do this, conveyor belt frame (and the hardware attached to it such as the conveyor belt and the guide hardware) are translated (or telescoped) from the P1 position to the P2 position, as best shown by comparing
However, if shuttle 200 is receiving a load of laundry from the washing machine, guide hardware 214,210,216,218,220,222,224 should not be in the position in which it is shown in
After any damp laundry that is to be loaded from the washing machine onto the shuttle is so loaded, guide hardware 214,210,216,218,220,222,224 moves in the D2 direction from the retracted position (not shown) to the non-retracted position (shown in
However, even in embodiments where the guide hardware does move, it may move in directions other than D2. For example, in embodiments where the guide hardware is directly mechanically connected to the base frame rather than the conveyor belt sub-assembly 205,206,208, the guide hardware may translate in the D4 direction rather than the D2 direction (see
In the embodiment of shuttle 200, all of the guide hardware 214,210,216,218,220,222,224 moves as a single piece, or, if you will, as a single rigid assembly. This is also not necessarily true for all embodiments of the present invention. For example, the chute 214 may be outfitted with a pusher that moves back and forth along the interior space of the chute and pushes laundry down the chute. As another variation, chute 214 could be formed from multiple panels that move in different directions to come together to form chute 214, or something like it. As a further example, portions of the guide hardware could move independently to unfasten fasteners on laundry bags or to remove laundry bags as and/or after they are emptied.
In shuttle 200, the conveyor belt telescopes first, and then the guide hardware moves. This is not necessarily the preferred order, even in embodiments that unload damp laundry onto the conveyor belt immediately before using the guide hardware to load the washer with a new load of soiled laundry. It may actually be preferably to move the guide hardware to its engagement-with-the-washer position first, and only then telescope the conveyor belt out to engage with the washer. Or, both of these telescoping motions could be preformed at the same time.
Now some various possibilities for the motion of the guide hardware have been discussed, discussion will move to the role of chute 214 in helping to load soiled laundry into the mouth (not shown) of the washing machine (not shown). At least in some embodiments the washing machine will need to move from an unloading position to a loading position. After the washing machine is in correcting loading position, the guide hardware is moved in the D2 direction, down the sides of conveyor belt walls 208, to its non-retracted position (see
Once chute 214 is in its non-retracted position, the bottom of a bag of soiled laundry is unfastened at its bottom to allow the laundry to fall from the bag under the force of gravity, in the downwards direction (see
After the laundry is fed into the washer: (i) the conveyor belt conveys back to its travel (or non-retracted) position towards the dryer side of the wash alley; (ii) the guide hardware is moved back in the D2 direction towards the central portion of the conveyor belt. The shuttle then moves along the wash alley to an available dryer so that it can deposit the load of damp laundry that the washing machine has dumped onto conveyor belt 206. As will be seem in
The operator platform and the operator controls, best shown in
Operator control panel 280 (see
On the other hand, in shuttle 200, the operator control is direct and the shuttle operator directly controls: (i) the motion of the shuttle back and forth along the wash alley (although shuttle speed is automatically controlled); (ii) the unfastening of bags of soiled laundry suspended from a track in the ceiling; (iii) starting of washer and dryer cycles; (iv) telescoping motion of the conveyor belt assembly in a direction transverse to the wash ally; (v) the endless track motion (that is conveying motion) of the conveyor belt to move damp laundry in a direction generally transverse to the wash alley; and (vi) the motion of the guide hardware assembly back and forth along the conveyor belt side walls. In still other embodiments, operator control could be partially direct and partially indirect. In shuttle 200, the operator control is preferably coded in WASHNET code language.
In shuttle 200, in order to exercise operator control through control panel 280, the operator must depress footswitch 256. This effectively forces operator 251 to be in place fully on and within operator platform assembly 202. Alternatively, or additionally, other types of operator-position-assurance sub-systems could be used, such as a dead hand switch, a system to detect and require that hinged gate 262 be fully shut, a floor mat that detects and requires the weight of the operator, optical detection systems, etc.
As mentioned above, operator control system 256,280 of shuttle 200 controls only operations on the shuttle. However, in embodiments where the shuttle operator 251 controls functions occurring off the shuttle, then commands would need to be communicated from the shuttle to the appropriate external components. This could be done wireless or in a wired fashion. Fore example, in embodiments where operator 251 controls the locking and unlocking of a security gate that controls human access to the wash alley, these operator commands could be communicated from the shuttle to the gate by a wired data communication path or a wireless data communication path.
A non-exclusive list on possible variations on the present invention follows:
(i) the shuttle can be inclined or have a scissor design;
(ii) the guide hardware could help guide articles of clothing into the dryer instead of, or in addition to the washer;
(iii) there could be two sets of guide hardware on the shuttle, one for each side of the work alley;
(iv) the chute may be a chute that was previous installed on a washing machine, but removed therefrom and installed on the shuttle;
(v) the operator, who is normally on the shuttle platform, may leave the shuttle to unfasten the laundry bags in some embodiments;
(vi) the guide hardware may be moveable so that it moves substantially over the entire mouth of the washing machine after the soiled laundry is first loaded—this prevents the spinning of the washing machine from causing soiled laundry to be ejected from the mouth of the washing machine before the soiled laundry has been wetted by the washing machine;
(vii) the operator platform preferably includes a handle for the operator to hand onto for balance (the operator is shown holding on to such a handle (no separate reference number) in
(viii) the operator platform could be at other locations on the shuttle frame;
(ix) there could be one operator platform on each side of the conveyor belt;
(x) the control panel could be positioned so that the operator is facing a different direction than in shuttle 200; and
(xi) other controls may be used on the control panel, such as touchscreen(s), joystick(s); steering wheel (for embodiments not on rails); a keyboard and so on.
Any and all published documents mentioned herein shall be considered to be incorporated by reference, in their respective entireties, herein to the fullest extent of the patent law. The following definitions are provided for claim construction purposes:
Present invention: means at least some embodiments of the present invention; references to various feature(s) of the “present invention” throughout this document do not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods include the referenced feature(s).
Embodiment: a machine, manufacture, system, method, process and/or composition that may (not must) meet the embodiment of a present, past or future patent claim based on this patent document; for example, an “embodiment” might not be covered by any claims filed with this patent document, but described as an “embodiment” to show the scope of the invention and indicate that it might (or might not) covered in a later arising claim (for example, an amended claim, a continuation application claim, a divisional application claim, a reissue application claim, a re-examination proceeding claim, an interference count); also, an embodiment that is indeed covered by claims filed with this patent document might cease to be covered by claim amendments made during prosecution.
First, second, third, etc. (“ordinals”): Unless otherwise noted, ordinals only serve to distinguish or identify (e.g., various members of a group); the mere use of ordinals shall not be taken to necessarily imply order (for example, time order, space order).
Electrically Connected: means either directly electrically connected, or indirectly electrically connected, such that intervening elements are present; in an indirect electrical connection, the intervening elements may include inductors and/or transformers.
Mechanically connected: Includes both direct mechanical connections, and indirect mechanical connections made through intermediate components; includes rigid mechanical connections as well as mechanical connection that allows for relative motion between the mechanically connected components; includes, but is not limited, to welded connections, solder connections, connections by fasteners (for example, nails, bolts, screws, nuts, hook-and-loop fasteners, knots, rivets, quick-release connections, latches and/or magnetic connections), force fit connections, friction fit connections, connections secured by engagement caused by gravitational forces, pivoting or rotatable connections, and/or slidable mechanical connections.
Data communication: any sort of data communication scheme now known or to be developed in the future, including wireless communication, wired communication and communication routes that have wireless and wired portions; data communication is not necessarily limited to: (i) direct data communication; (ii) indirect data communication; and/or (iii) data communication where the format, packetization status, medium, encryption status and/or protocol remains constant over the entire course of the data communication.
Receive/provide/send/input/output: unless otherwise explicitly specified, these words should not be taken to imply: (i) any particular degree of directness with respect to the relationship between their objects and subjects; and/or (ii) absence of intermediate components, actions and/or things interposed between their objects and subjects.
Wall: may be solid, mesh, opaque, transparent, have openings, or any combination of the foregoing features; walls are not required to be planar, or free of discontinuities, by they are generally flat.
Guide hardware: any hardware that can guide any type of article as it travels, and is not limited to chutes that are suitable for guiding textiles as the fall under the force of gravity.
To the extent that the definitions provided above are consistent with ordinary, plain, and accustomed meanings (as generally shown by documents such as dictionaries and/or technical lexicons), the above definitions shall be considered supplemental in nature. To the extent that the definitions provided above are inconsistent with ordinary, plain, and accustomed meanings (as generally shown by documents such as dictionaries and/or technical lexicons), the above definitions shall control.
Unless otherwise explicitly provided in the claim language, steps in method steps or process claims need only be performed in the same time order as the order the steps are recited in the claim only to the extent that impossibility or extreme feasibility problems dictate that the recited step order be used. This broad interpretation with respect to step order is to be used regardless of whether the alternative time ordering(s) of the claimed steps is particularly mentioned or discussed in this document—in other words, any step order discussed in the above specification shall be considered as required by a method claim only if the step order is explicitly set forth in the words of the method claim itself. Also, if some time ordering is explicitly set forth in a method claim, the time ordering claim language shall not be taken as an implicit limitation on whether claimed steps are immediately consecutive in time, or as an implicit limitation against intervening steps.
The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/246,301, filed on Sep. 28, 2009; all of the foregoing patent-related document(s) are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their respective entirety(ies).
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| 20110076115 A1 | Mar 2011 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61246301 | Sep 2009 | US |
