EP2503042B1 - Method for treating clothes and washing track - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for treating, in particular washing, draining and optionally drying laundry, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Laundry is dewatered after washing, especially in commercial laundries, and then dried, ironed, finished and/or folded, depending on its type. Garments are finished after dewatering. Flat linen is ironed after dewatering. Other laundry, such as terry towels, is only dried and then folded.

Depending on their type, the garments are drained in different ways. For example, items of clothing are not dewatered in dewatering presses, but in laundry centrifuges - also known as spin dryers. The different items of laundry can be washed in the same washing machine. After washing, however, the items of laundry must be drained either in the dewatering press or in the laundry centrifuge, depending on whether the items of laundry are sensitive or less sensitive. The dewatering presses and laundry centrifuges are usually permanently assigned to a specific washing machine. This requires several car washes, each with at least one washing machine that is assigned a dewatering press and at least one other washing machine that is assigned a laundry centrifuge. The items of laundry are then washed in that washing machine which is followed by the drainage device suitable for the items of laundry. However, the flexibility suffers from this in particular commercial laundries, unless there is a balance between washing delicate and less delicate laundry. The documents DE3040449 A1 and WO2006/084548 A1 disclose a method for treating laundry in a washing machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

The invention is based on the object of creating a method for treating laundry which can be used flexibly.

A method for solving this problem has the measures of claim 1. Accordingly, provision is made for the laundry to be drained either only in the dewatering press or in the dewatering press and then in a laundry centrifuge. The laundry always runs through the dewatering press. For this reason, a washing machine with a laundry press arranged firmly behind it can be used for all types of laundry, in particular also items of clothing. Sensitive items of laundry can also pass through the dewatering press, but they are only finally dewatered in the laundry centrifuge. The complete dewatering of sensitive laundry thus takes place in the laundry centrifuge. By "complete" dewatering in this context is meant dewatering to the maximum extent possible, although not all liquid can be removed from the laundry.

Preferably, when the laundry is dewatered in the dewatering press and in the laundry centrifuge, only pre-pressing or pre-dewatering of sensitive laundry takes place in the dewatering press. This is only exposed to so little mechanical stress that it is not damaged in the dewatering press.

In an advantageous embodiment of the method, the items of laundry are subjected to maximum pressing force only in the dewatering press during dewatering. If, on the other hand, the laundry is dewatered both in the dewatering press and in the laundry centrifuge, only dewatering with reduced pressing force takes place in the dewatering press. The reduced pressing force is preferably in the range from 2% to 15% of the maximum pressing force, in particular in the range from 3% to 8% of the maximum pressing force. Then the pressing force exerted in the dewatering press on sensitive laundry, such as in particular items of clothing, with the resulting mechanical stress is so low that this laundry is not impaired or damaged during pre-pressing and also pre-dewatering in the dewatering press.

Furthermore, the method is advantageously designed in such a way that the laundry in the laundry centrifuge is further dewatered, preferably maximally or completely dewatered, after the pre-pressing in the dewatering press. Sensitive items of laundry can be gently dewatered as much as possible with at least one laundry centrifuge. As a rule, sensitive items of laundry can be dewatered in the laundry centrifuge in the same way as less sensitive items of laundry in a dewatering press.

Items of laundry that are finally or completely dewatered in at least one laundry centrifuge are preferably not first dried in a dryer, but processed further directly. In the case of items of clothing, in particular items of work clothing, a finish treatment takes place in a finisher, with the items of laundry that have been completely drained by the at least one centrifugal washer, especially items of clothing, leaving the finisher dry at the end of the finishing treatment.

An advantageous embodiment of the method provides for the laundry to be transferred from at least one shuttle from the dewatering press either to at least one laundry centrifuge or to at least one dryer. The at least one shuttle serves as a link between the dewatering press and the laundry centrifuge or the dryer. Thanks to the shuttle, the laundry from the dewatering press can be fed either to the laundry centrifuge or to the dryer. The shuttle thus has the function of a switch.

Another advantageous embodiment of the method provides that the dewatering press is unloaded by the shuttle and the shuttle also takes on the optional loading of the laundry centrifuge or the dryer. This gives the shuttle additional functions.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Waschstraße, und

Fig. 2

eine Draufsicht auf die Waschstraße der Fig. 1.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Show in the drawing:

1

a perspective view of a car wash, and

2

a top view of the car wash 1 .

the 1 and 2 show a car wash for washing, draining and optionally drying laundry. The car wash has a tunnel washing machine 10, followed in the treatment direction 11 by a dewatering press 12, a laundry centrifuge 13 and, in the exemplary embodiment shown, two dryers 14.

The dewatering press 12 has a loading side 16 pointing to an unloading chute 15 at the end of the tunnel washing machine 10 and an opposite unloading side 17 . The laundry centrifuge 13 and the dryer 14 are arranged in a row that preferably runs transversely to the longitudinal center axis 18 of the tunnel washing machine 10, with the loading sides 19 of the laundry centrifuge 13 and the dryer 14 pointing in the same direction, namely towards the unloading side 17 of the dewatering press 12. Preferably, the laundry centrifuge 13 and the dryer 14 have unloading sides opposite the loading sides. However, it is also conceivable that the loading sides 19 are also the unloading sides of the laundry centrifuge 13 and the dryer 14 at the same time.

The unloading side 17 of the dewatering press 12 and the loading side 19 or unloading side of the laundry centrifuge 13 lie directly opposite one another at a distance, with the centers of the loading side 16 and the unloading side 17 of the dewatering press 12 and the loading side 19 of the laundry centrifuge 13 being on an extension of the Central longitudinal axis 18 of the continuous washing machine 10 are. The centers of the loading sides 19 and possibly the unloading sides of the dryer 14 follow the center of the loading side of the laundry centrifuge 13 at a parallel distance, so that these centers are offset relative to the loading side 19 of the laundry centrifuge 13 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal central axis 18 of the tunnel washing machine 10 ( 2 ).

The car wash also has a shuttle designed as a lifting conveyor belt 20 in the exemplary embodiment shown. The lifting conveyor 20 can be moved on straight, parallel rails 21 . The rails 21 run transversely or perpendicularly to the longitudinal center axis 18 of the tunnel washing machine 10. The lifting conveyor belt 20 and the rails 21 are arranged between the unloading side 17 of the dewatering press 12 and the loading sides 19 or unloading sides of the laundry centrifuge 13 and the dryer 14 so that between them the lifting conveyor 20 can be moved along the rails 21, whereby the lifting conveyor 20 can be moved either in front of the loading side 19 of the laundry centrifuge 13 or of a dryer 14. The dewatering press 12 can be unloaded from the lifting conveyor 20 and the laundry centrifuge 13 or one of the dryers 14 can be loaded and preferably also unloaded from the lifting conveyor 20 as required.

The tunnel washing machine 10 has a cylindrical drum 22 that can be driven to rotate about a preferably horizontal axis of rotation. The axis of rotation of the drum 22 lies on the central longitudinal axis 18 of the tunnel washing machine 10. In the drum 22, a plurality of chambers 23 which follow one another in the treatment direction 11 are formed by transverse partitions. The tunnel washing machine 10 shown here has thirteen consecutive chambers 23. However, the tunnel washing machine 10 can also have a larger or smaller number of chambers 23. In the drum 22 there are provided a pre-wash zone, a main-wash zone following in the direction of treatment with a subsequent rinsing zone and optionally a finishing zone. The individual zones have, at least for the most part, several chambers 23, it being possible for the number of chambers 23 in the respective zone to differ.

The drainage press 12 arranged downstream of the continuous washing machine 10 is designed in a manner known per se. It has a cylindrical press cage 24 into which a press ram 25 can be moved in and out by a hydraulic cylinder (not shown). The press basket 24 rests on a base preferably designed as an unloading belt 26 . To unload the dewatering press 12, the press basket 24 can be raised.

The laundry centrifuge 13 is provided in a manner known per se with a centrifugal drum 27 that can be driven in rotation. The rotationally drivable centrifugal drum 27 is mounted in a liquid-tight housing 28 . The centrifugal drum 27 can be driven about an axis of rotation 29 which can be pivoted, so that for unloading the axis of rotation 29 runs downwards to the loading side 19, while for loading the axis of rotation 29 is inclined downwards from the loading side 19.

The dryers 14 that are the same in the exemplary embodiment shown are designed in a manner known per se. Dryers of various known types can be used as dryers.

The lifting conveyor 20 has a conveyor belt 30 that can be moved up and down on an upright column 32. The conveying direction of the conveyor belt 30 runs in the direction of the longitudinal center axis 18 between the dewatering press 12 and the laundry centrifuge 13 or the respective dryer 14. There is a channel above the conveyor belt 30 31 is provided, which is open to the discharge side 17 of the dewatering press 12 and to the loading side 19 of the laundry centrifuge 13 or the dryer 14 . The chute 31 guides or supports the pile of laundry or laundry cake coming out of the dewatering press 12 on the conveyor belt 30. The lower end of the column 32 of the unloading belt 26 is fixed to a Running gear 33 is connected, with which the unloading conveyor 26 can be moved along the two parallel rails 21 transversely to the longitudinal center axis of the continuous washing machine 10 to the dryers 14.

In the 1 and 2 For reasons of clarity, the opposite ends 34 of the conveyor belt 30, which can be driven reversibly in opposite directions, of the lifting conveyor 20 are shown at greater distances from the unloading side 17 of the dewatering press 12 and the loading side 19 of the laundry centrifuge 13 and the dryer 14 for the purpose of better visibility. In fact, the distances are smaller, so that laundry can be transferred from the dewatering press 12 directly to the conveyor belt 30 of the lifting conveyor 20 and the laundry centrifuge 13 or the dryer 14 can be loaded with the laundry from the conveyor belt 30 or the laundry from the centrifuge 13 or the dryer 14 can be discharged onto the conveyor belt 30.

The method according to the invention is explained below with reference to the washing line described above:
The washing line can be used to wash, drain and, if necessary, dry items of laundry of all kinds, namely flat linen such as table linen, bed linen and towels, and also all types of clothing, especially workwear.

The laundry is first washed in the continuous washing machine 10, rinsed and optionally finished. All of these laundry treatments carried out in the tunnel washing machine 10 are collectively referred to as “washing”. Accordingly, when "washing" is mentioned, this means all treatments taking place in the tunnel washing machine 10 .

The washed laundry leaves the continuous washing machine 10 via the unloading chute 15. The washed laundry is fed directly to the dewatering press 12 via its loading side 16. In the figures of the drawing, a distance between the continuous washing machine 10 and the dewatering press 12 is shown only for the purpose of better visibility. In fact, however, both are arranged so closely one after the other that the laundry can reach the press basket 24 of the dewatering press 12 directly from the unloading chute 15 .

According to the invention, the laundry is dewatered either only in the dewatering press 12 or both in the dewatering press 12 and in the laundry centrifuge 13 . Which type of drainage is selected depends on the type of laundry items to be drained, in particular on whether sensitive or less sensitive laundry items are to be drained.

Items of laundry that are insensitive to the mechanical loads exerted on the laundry in the drainage press 12 are completely drained in the drainage press 12 . By "completely" dewatered is meant that the laundry in the dewatering press 12 is dewatered as much as possible. In fact, after leaving the dewatering press 12, the laundry still contains a small amount of residual moisture, which generally necessitates subsequent drying. When the laundry has been completely, that is to say as far as possible, drained from the dewatering press 12 , the drained laundry is unloaded via the unloading side 17 of the dewatering press 12 onto the following lifting conveyor belt 20 . For this purpose, the conveyor belt 30 of the lifting conveyor 20 is lowered on the column 32 so far that the end 34 of the conveyor belt 30 of the lifting conveyor 20 is in front of the corresponding end of the unloading belt 26 of the dewatering press 12 . The dewatered laundry can then be reloaded from the dewatering press 12 directly onto the lifting conveyor 20 .

Because further drainage of the laundry in the laundry centrifuge 13 is no longer necessary when the laundry is completely drained in the drainage press 12, the lifting conveyor 20 moves the laundry batch of drained laundry along the rails 21 in front of the loading side 19 of one of the dryers 14. About the to the respective Dryer 14 pointing end 35 of the conveyor belt 30 of the lifting conveyor 20 is now loaded on the loading side 19 of the respective dryer 14 with the only dewatered in the dewatering press 12 laundry.

The respective dryer 14 can be unloaded in various ways, for example by transport systems that are customary in a laundry. However, it is also conceivable for the dried laundry to be fed back to the lifting conveyor 20 from the respective dryer 14 via the loading side 19, in that the conveyor belt 30 of the lifting conveyor 20 is lowered in relation to the loading position of the dryer 14 in order to unload the respective dryer 14 into a lower unloading position, in which can get the dried laundry from the dryer 14 to the conveyor belt 30 of the lifting driveway 20 solely by gravity. From Hubfahrband 20, the dried laundry is then Supplied for further processing within the laundry, for example to an input direction in front of a mangle, a storage conveyor or the like.

A variant of the method is also conceivable, in which the laundry cake of the completely dewatered laundry unloaded from the dewatering press 12 is fed from the lifting conveyor 20 to a loosening device, not shown, if drying of the laundry completely dewatered by the dewatering press 12 should not or no longer be necessary.

Sensitive laundry, such as items of clothing and, in particular, workwear items, is not completely dewatered in the dewatering press 12, but only partially. For this purpose, sensitive laundry is only pre-pressed or pre-dewatered in the dewatering press 12 . This pre-pressing or pre-dewatering takes place in such a way that only a pressing force is exerted on the sensitive laundry items in the dewatering press 12, which corresponds to 2% to 15%, in particular 3% to 8%, of the pressing force that is exerted by the dewatering press 12 on the item to be completely dewatered laundry is exercised. The laundry that has only been pre-pressed is unloaded via the unloading side 17 of the dewatering press 12 onto the conveyor belt 30 of the lifting conveyor 20. After loading the lifting conveyor 20 with a batch of laundry, the conveyor belt 30 of the lifting conveyor 20 is raised on the column 32 of the same. The conveyor belt 30 is raised on the column 32 until the laundry centrifuge 13 can be loaded by gravity with the only pre-pressed and pre-dewatered laundry. For this purpose, the conveyor belt 30 conveys the batch of laundry via the end 35 pointing to the loading side 19 of the laundry centrifuge 13 into the centrifugal drum 27 of the laundry centrifuge 13.

In de laundry centrifuge 13, the laundry is now completely drained by spinning. As soon as this has happened, the laundry is also unloaded from the laundry centrifuge 13 by the lifting conveyor 20 . For this purpose, the conveyor belt 30 on the column 32 is lowered so far that the laundry can be unloaded by gravity from the centrifugal drum 27 of the laundry centrifuge 13, which is inclined downwards towards the loading side 19, onto the conveyor belt 30 of the elevator conveyor 20 the laundry that has been completely drained in the laundry centrifuge 13 is now transported to a laundry facility (not shown) for further processing. In the case of items of clothing, this can be a finisher.

Alternatively, it is also conceivable not to unload the laundry centrifuge 13 with the aid of the lifting conveyor 20, but rather to feed the laundry items to other transport means present in a laundry. This applies above all when it is alternatively provided to unload the laundry items on an unloading side opposite the loading side 19 .

Due to the above-described optional dewatering of the laundry items in only the dewatering press 12 or both in the dewatering press 12 and in the laundry centrifuge 13, the dewatering press 12 can remain behind the tunnel washing machine 10 for all laundry items to be washed in the tunnel washing machine 10, in particular sensitive and non-sensitive laundry items because the laundry, including delicate items of laundry, always runs through or passes through the dewatering press 12 . However, sensitive items of laundry in the dewatering press 12 are only subjected to a relatively low pressing force, so that they are only pre-pressed or pre-dewatered in the dewatering press 12 . The final dewatering of sensitive items of laundry takes place in the laundry centrifuge 13 following the dewatering press 12 . The lifting conveyor 20 serves as a link, in particular as a connecting conveyor between the dewatering press 12 and the subsequent laundry centrifuge 13. However, the lifting conveyor 20 also has a switch function in that it guides the laundry coming from the dewatering press 12, depending on whether it has been completely drained or only pre-drained is, the laundry centrifuge 13 or the respective dryer 14 is supplied.

Reference list:

10

tunnel washing machine

11

direction of treatment

12

dewatering press

13

laundry centrifuge

14

dryer

15

discharge chute

16

loading side

17

unloading side

18

longitudinal central axis

19

loading side

20

lifting conveyor

21

rail

22

drum

23

chamber

24

press basket

25

press stamp

26

unloading belt

27

centrifugal drum

28

Housing

29

axis of rotation

30

conveyor belt

31

gutter

32

pillar

33

landing gear

34

End

35

End

Claims (9)

1. A method for treating laundry, wherein the laundry is at least washed in a washing machine and at least some water being removed from said laundry in a subsequent water-removal press (12), characterized in that water is removed from the laundry selectively only in the water-removal press (12) or in the water-removal press (12) and then in a laundry centrifuge (13).
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, if water is removed from the laundry both in the water-removal press (12) and in the laundry centrifuge (13), the laundry is subjected only to preliminary pressing or preliminary water removal in the water-removal press (12).
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when water is removed from the laundry only in the water-removal press (12), a maximum pressing force is applied to the laundry in the water-removal press (12), whereas when water is removed from the laundry both in the water-removal press (12) and in the laundry centrifuge (13), only a reduced pressing force is applied to the laundry in the water-removal press (12) for preliminary pressing or preliminary water removal of the laundry
4. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, if water is removed from the laundry in the water-removal press (12) and the laundry centrifuge (13), the laundry is subjected to water removal only at from 2% to 15%, preferably from 3% to 8%, of the maximum pressing force in the water-removal press (12).
5. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that more water, preferably the maximum amount of water, is removed from the laundry in the laundry centrifuge (13).
6. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laundry is processed further without being dried in a dryer (14) after water has been removed from said laundry in the laundry centrifuge (13).
7. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laundry is dried in a dryer (14) after water has been removed from said laundry only in the water-removal press (12).
8. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laundry is transferred by at least one shuttle from the water-removal press (12) selectively to the laundry centrifuge (13) or to at least one dryer (14).
9. The method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the laundry is unloaded from the water-removal press (12) into the shuttle, and the laundry centrifuge (13) or a dryer (14) is selectively loaded by the shuttle.

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