EP2058429A1 - Assembly and method for washing laundry using coathangers - Google Patents

Abstract

A hanger (1) has a support part (2) and a volume part (3), which can be inflated individually. The hanger (1) is attached to the laundry before washing. During the laundry only the carrier part (2) is inflated. Thereafter, the volume part (3) is inflated for drying and / or ironing, so that creasing can be counteracted. Another chamber in the hanger (1) is used to initiate ironing by the hanger (1) in the laundry.

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a method for washing laundry, a hanger for carrying out the method and a system comprising such hanger.

background

Out EP 1 942 223 is a plant known to wash laundry automatically. This system includes a manipulator that isolates laundry, detects its type and feeds it to a washer, dryer and ironing machine.

Further, inflatable hangers are known which serve to store laundry.

Presentation of the invention

The task is to further simplify the washing process for the user.

This object is achieved by the method, the hanger and the system according to the independent claims.

Accordingly, therefore, a changeable in shape hanger is provided, which is attached to the laundry before the laundry is washed. The laundry is then washed with the hanger. Thereafter, the shape of the hanger is changed to accommodate the following operations. These steps include at least one drying, ironing and / or storage period during which the garment is left on the hanger.

By using a clothes hanger which can be changed in shape, it can be left in the various process steps on the laundry item and adapted to the respective requirements.

The invention also relates to a clothes hanger for carrying out the method, which has a plurality of chambers which can be charged separately with air and / or which is designed to change its volume depending on the temperature.

The invention further relates to a system comprising such hangers and a washing machine and a manipulator. The manipulator is configured to supply laundry items applied to the clothes hangers to the washing machine and to remove them again and to change the shape of the clothes hanger after removal.

Brief description of the drawings

• Fig. 1 einen Kleiderbügel von vorne,
• Fig. 2 einen Schnitt entlang Linie II-II von Fig. 1 und
• Fig. 3 die Gesamtansicht einer Anlage zur automatisierten Durchführung des Verfahrens.

Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and from the following description with reference to FIGS. Showing:

• Fig. 1 a hanger from the front,
• Fig. 2 a section along line II-II of Fig. 1 and
• Fig. 3 the overall view of a plant for the automated implementation of the process.

Ways to carry out the invention definitions

• Der Begriff "Kleiderbügel" umfasst sämtliche Mittel, welche geeignet sind, ein Wäschestück in einem aufgehängten Zustand zu halten. Vorzugsweise besitzt der Kleiderbügel hierzu einen Haken.
• Der Begriff "Wäschestück" umfasst sämtliche Arten von Wäschestücken. Besonders geeignet ist die Erfindung allerdings für Wäschestücke, welche kompliziert in ihrer Handhabung sind aber dennoch eine gewisse Normierung aufweisen, insbesondere Hemden und Hosen.

In the description and claims the following definitions are used:

• The term "hanger" includes all means which are suitable for holding a piece of laundry in a suspended state. Preferably, the hanger has a hook for this purpose.
• The term "laundry" includes all types of laundry items. However, the invention is particularly suitable for laundry, which are complicated to handle but still have a certain standardization, especially shirts and pants.

hanger

• ein erster Teil, der im Folgenden der Trägerteil 2 genannt wird, dient dazu, dem Kleiderbügel 1 gewisse Festigkeit zu verleihen und sicherzustellen, dass der Kleiderbügel während dem Waschgang in der Wäsche verbleibt;
• ein zweiter Teil, im Folgenden Volumenteil 3 genannt, ist in der vorliegenden Ausführung aufblasbar und kann bei Bedarf auf ein Volumen und eine Form aufgeblasen werden, welche den Körper des Trägers des Wäschestücks nachahmt.

Fig. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a hanger 1 according to the invention comprising two parts:

• a first part, hereinafter referred to as the support part 2, serves to give the hanger 1 certain firmness and to ensure that the hanger remains in the laundry during the washing cycle;
• a second part, hereafter called volumetric part 3, is inflatable in the present embodiment and can be inflated, if necessary, to a volume and shape which mimics the body of the wearer of the garment.

In the in Fig. 1 and 2 In the embodiment shown, the first and the second part each form at least one chamber which can be charged separately with air.

In the example shown, the support part 2 forms exactly one chamber 12, while the volume part 3 forms two chambers 13, 14, wherein the chamber 14 is arranged on the outside of the chamber 13.

On the support part 2, a hook 4 is arranged, on which the hanger can be hung with or without laundry on a rod or the like.

The chambers 12 and 13 are each associated with a valve 5, 6, through which the respective chamber can be selectively inflated and vented.

The chamber 14 forms at least part of the surface of the hanger 1 and has a plurality of openings 15 towards the outside. It is connected to a connecting piece 7, through which air or steam can be blown in and then discharged through the openings 15 back to the garment.

Next, as in Fig. 1 indicated on the hanger 1 and in particular on the support part 2, at least one bracket 17 may be provided, with which the laundry item, in particular during washing, can be held.

Like also in Fig. 1 indicated, the hanger can be further provided with a machine-readable mark 18. In particular, this is a mark that can be read out by means of radio waves, for example in the form of an RF-ID tag.

The hanger after Fig. 1 and 2 For example, consists of plastic, wherein the chambers 12, 13 and 14 are formed by welded plastic films.

washing method

The following describes how the laundry items can be washed. The method described here can be carried out both manually and automatically.

In a first step, the hanger 1 is attached to the laundry. For example, a shirt with his shoulder area on the support part 2 of the bracket according to Fig. 1 placed. One or preferably more of the buttons of the shirt are closed and the end portions of the support member 2 inserted into the sleeves of the shirt, so that the hanger in the shirt fits well. In this case, the support part 2 and its chamber 12th at least partially inflated, so that the support part 2 provides the necessary rigidity for anchoring the hanger.

Alternatively or additionally, the brackets 17 can be used to attach the hanger to the laundry.

Now the laundry with the hanger 1 can be introduced together with other items of laundry in a washing machine. In this case, the chamber 13 of the volume part 3 is preferably largely emptied so that it does not unnecessarily take up volume in the washing machine.

After washing the laundry, the laundry is removed with his hanger of the washing machine. Now, the shape of the hanger 1 is adapted to the requirements of the following process steps. These process steps include at least one drying, ironing and / or storage period.

In particular, when the garment is dried and / or ironed, the volume of the garment hanger is increased to reduce wrinkling. Also, for storage, the volume of the hanger can be increased for the same reason, but in this case, for reasons of space and an increase to only a portion of the maximum possible volume is conceivable.

To increase the volume, air is e.g. injected into the chamber 13 of the volume part 3. If the volume has to be transferred to a later step, e.g. be reduced again after ironing and before storage, the air can be at least partially drained again. In general, so the volume of the hanger during the process by inflation and / or air deflation can be varied.

The laundry may be dried on the hanger 1. Preferably, dry air is blown through the nozzle 7, which flows through the chamber 14 and exits through the openings 15. To this Way can be blown through the hanger 1 dry air into the laundry, so that the drying time can be significantly reduced.

In order to produce the drying air, a suitable drying cabinet with connections for the nozzles 7 can be provided. The drying oven has a dry air generator, with which warm, dry air is blown through the connections in the hanger 1 and thus in the laundry items.

Also for ironing the hanger 1 can be left in the laundry. Preferably, the hanger is thereby inflated to a fairly large volume to minimize wrinkling to a minimum.

In this case, 15 air can be introduced into the laundry through the nozzle 7, the chamber 14 and the openings again. In this case, however, the air should have a high vapor content, which smoothes wrinkles.

investment

As mentioned, the method can be performed manually or automatically. Fig. 3 and Figure 4 shows a plant which is capable of automatically carrying out the process.

The system has a manipulator 21, which has a movable robot arm 22 on a turntable 23 in the embodiment shown. At the front end of the robot arm 22, a gripping device 24 is arranged, which is able to detect the hangers 1, for example on the hook 4. A device of this kind is in EP 1 942 223 described and need not be explained here.

In the Fig. 3 The system shown further comprises a washing machine 25. This is in particular a drum washing machine, in which the items of laundry with the hangers in an unordered manner, ie not in suspended form, are cleaned.

Furthermore, the system shown has a drying cabinet 26, which may be equipped with a dry air generator of the type described above, so that laundry items can be dried by blowing dry air through the hangers in the laundry items.

In addition to or as an alternative to the drying cabinet 26, the system may also comprise further processing devices 32, such as e.g. an ironing device, have. The ironing device preferably has a steam generator to blow in the manner described above for ironing steam through the hangers in the respective laundry item.

However, the steam generator can also be arranged in the drying cabinet. Due to the sequence of steam and subsequent hot air for drying a separate ironing function can be omitted.

Schematically represented in Fig. 3 an entrance area 27 for laundry to be washed and a laundry exit area 28.

In the present embodiment, the laundry in the entrance area 27 is already provided with hangers 1 and is lined up in an orderly form, for example on a clothes rail 29, from where the manipulator 21 can detect them in a simple manner. However, the plant may additionally or alternatively be designed so that it is able to seize or separate disorderly items of laundry, as in EP 1 942 223 is described.

The presence of the hanger 1 and its design and, where appropriate, the nature of the garment arranged thereon can detect the system by reading the electronic marker 18 of the hanger. Again, this can be done on the in EP 1 942 223 referenced techniques.

After detecting a hanger 1 with the laundry arranged thereon, the volume and shape of the hanger 1 become suitable for washing State brought. For this purpose, the valves 5 and 6 are connected to a loading and / or venting device, which is exemplified in the present example as a port 30 on the gripping device 24. The loading and / or venting device can also be a stationary device, to which the manipulator 21 feeds the respective item of laundry.

The positions of the valves 5, 6 and the port 16 may be e.g. be detected automatically by locating the electronic marker 18 and / or by image processing.

With the loading and / or ventilation device is in a hanger of in Fig. 1 and 2 As shown, the volume part 3 is preferably completely deaerated while the carrier part 2 is inflated.

Then, the manipulator leads the laundry with the hanger 1 of the washing machine 25, together with other laundry items. Here, hangers may be arranged on all or only part of the laundry items. For the handling of laundry items without hangers turn on the in EP 1 942 223 referenced techniques.

After the wash cycle, the laundry item is removed from the manipulator 21 of the washing machine 25, and the volume of the hanger 1 is increased by air is blown into the chamber 13 with the loading and / or venting device. Then the laundry item is fed by the manipulator 21 to the drying cabinet 26, the nozzle 7 is connected to the dry air generator, so that it can be dried in the manner described above.

After drying, the laundry can be ironed, for example. For this purpose, the manipulator 21 removes the laundry article from the drying cabinet 26 and brings it to the ironing device 32, where the laundry article can be ironed by means of steam in the manner described above.

Finally, the manipulator 21 brings the laundry item to the dispensing area 28. In advance, the volume of the clothes hanger can be at least partially reduced so that the space required is less.

Remarks

The shape and size of the hanger according to Fig. 1 and 2 can be adapted to the respective requirements, ie different types of hangers can be provided. For example, hangers of different sizes can be provided for different sizes of items of laundry.

Furthermore, further chambers and valves can be provided on the hanger, so that the shape of the hanger can be varied in a more targeted manner.

Hangers of other shapes may e.g. be provided for pants. Such hangers may e.g. Clamps for attachment to the waistband have, as well as a volume part, which is able to fill the buttocks and / or thigh area of the pants.

The volume of the hanger 1 was varied in the embodiments described so far by the supply or discharge of air. However, it is also conceivable that the hanger is designed to change its volume, depending on the temperature, so to speak, automatically.

For this example, the chamber 3 hermetically sealed and filled with a suitable amount of a substance with boiling or sublimation between 50 ° C and 100 ° C, for example, ethyl alcohol (boiling point 78 ° C). If the laundry is washed at 40 or 60 ° C, the ethyl alcohol remains liquid and the volume of the chamber 3 is low. If the hanger is then placed in the drying cabinet, in which a temperature of eg 80 ° C prevails, the alcohol evaporates and the Volume of the chamber 3 is larger, so that creasing is counteracted.

The inventive method and the hanger and the system described are suitable for commercial and non-commercial use.

Claims (16)

A method of washing a laundry article, wherein a laundry article is introduced into a washing machine (25) and washed, characterized in that
prior to the introduction of the item of laundry into the washing machine (25), a clothes hanger (1) which can be changed in shape is attached to the item of laundry,
the piece of laundry with the hanger (1) in the washing machine (25) is introduced and washed, and
after washing a shape of the hanger (1) is changed, and
the garment at least during a dry, ironing and / or storage period on the hanger (1) is left. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of the hanger (1) is increased after washing. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the volume of the hanger (1) during the process by inflation and / or air deflation is varied. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the laundry item is ironed after washing while the clothes hanger (1) is in the laundry item, and in particular wherein steam is injected into the laundry item during ironing by the clothes hanger (1). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the laundry item is dried after washing, while the hanger (1) is in the laundry item, and in particular through the hanger (1) during drying dry air is blown into the laundry item. Clothes hanger for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of chambers (12-14), which can be charged separately with air, and / or that it is designed to change its volume depending on the temperature. Clothes hanger according to claim 6, wherein it has a machine-readable, in particular by means of radio waves readable mark (18). Clothes hanger according to one of claims 6 or 7, wherein the hanger comprises at least one clip (17) for clamping the laundry article. Clothes hanger according to one of claims 6 to 8 comprising a support part (2) and a volume part (3), which separately inflatable chambers (12, 13), and in particular wherein on the support part (2) a hook (4) is arranged. Clothes hanger according to one of claims 6 to 9, wherein at least one of the chambers (14) forms at least part of the surface of the hanger and has a plurality of openings (9) Clothes hanger according to one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the hanger has at least one closed chamber in which a substance having a boiling or sublimation temperature between 50 ° C and 100 ° C is arranged. Machine for washing items of laundry comprising a plurality of hangers (1) according to one of claims 6 to 11 and also
a washing machine (25) and
at least one manipulator to put on the hanger (1) applied laundry items of the washing machine (25) and remove this again and to change the shape of the hanger (1) after removal. Plant according to claim 12, wherein the plant further comprises a steam generator for steaming for ironing by blowing the hangers into the respective laundry. Installation according to one of claims 12 or 13, wherein the system further comprises a loading and / or ventilation device (30) for inflating or venting the hangers (1). Plant according to one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the system further comprises a tumble dryer (26), wherein the tumble dryer (26) comprises a drying air generator to blow dry air through the hangers (1) into the respective laundry during drying. Plant according to one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the washing machine (25) is a drum washing machine.

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