ES2320822B1 - SYSTEM FOR INDIVIDUALIZED CONTROL AND MONITORING OF WORK CLOTHING CLOTHING AND WORK CLOTHING CLOTHING DISPENSING DEVICE. - Google Patents

Abstract

System for control and monitoring individualized workwear and dispensing device of work clothes.

The system includes:

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a dispensing apparatus (22) of clean clothes, each of they with an RFID tag, with:

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some electronic control means (28) connected to a device reader (4) of some users' cards, and with a mechanism dispenser, to control the latter to dispense a garment of clean clothes depending on the card read,

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some means for individually identifying said RFID tags from the items dispensed,

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a container (23) of dirty clothes, with other means for identify the RFID tags of the returned garments,

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a computer system (24) communicated with both media label identification and with the reading device (4) to Track each garment's time.

Description

System for control and monitoring individualized workwear and dispensing device of work clothes.

Technical sector

The present invention concerns, in a first aspect, to a system for control and monitoring individualized, in time, of work clothes by detecting identification tags, in particular RFID tags, attached to said work clothes, and, in a second aspect, to a garment dispensing apparatus of work applicable to the system proposed by the first appearance.

Prior art

Different proposals are known regarding systems, methods and machines to manage garments, either to facilitate the exchange of dirty clothes for clean clothes as well as to individualize the garments to be supplied to a specific person. Different proposals are used in these proposals. garment detection systems.

Patents US-A-3794148 and US-A-4173271 propose paths machines to supply, for example, a clean towel after having detected the entry into the machine of a dirty towel, through a series of mechanical detectors.

The patent US-A-6050421 concerns a system automated sorting for a laundry, whereby clean clothes are hung on hangers, using some electronic identifiers, to later group them physically in predetermined groups, each of said groups being formed for example by garments belonging to The same person.

Patent application US-A-20020063033 proposes a system and a method to exchange, among others, dirty clothes for clothes clean, the latter selected from a plurality of garments comparable and provided after a corresponding identification (for example by RFID) of a garment of dirty clothes, which It is also told. The purpose of this system and method is to supply a piece of clean clothing to a user who previously has introduced a garment of dirty clothes into a receiving mechanism corresponding, said clean clothing item being supplied not necessarily owned by said user, but only similar upon return, for example in type of garment, size, color, etc. as it happens in many workplaces where workers exchange their clothes at the end of the day for another clean. It is proposed that the whole process that derives in the aforementioned exchange is preferably done quickly and consecutive. A practical embodiment concerning how it is established that a garment to be supplied is comparable to the returned, neither as regards the system nor the method.

Explanation of the invention.

It seems necessary to offer an alternative to state of the art that brings together the advantages of the last antecedent cited, that is to provide a user with appropriate clothing at the same, but not of their belonging, as is the case of mentioned various workplaces, but that, unlike said background, said supply is not dependent on the return of a piece of clothing, but from the user conveniently identified, allowing tracking individualized work garments that at all times have each user, also identifying so many garments supplied to it, such as those returned by it.

For this, the present invention provides, in a First aspect, a system for control and monitoring individualized workwear garments, being said garments of the type that incorporate, each of them, a identification tag, said system comprising:

- one or more apparel dispensing devices of clean clothes, with at least:

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one or more reading devices suitable for reading information stored in some identifying elements of respective users, such like magnetic cards,

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a series of compartments to house different groups or classes of clean clothes to dispense,

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some electronic control means in connection with said device reader and with a dispensing mechanism, adapted for at least control the operation of said dispensing mechanism to dispense one or more selected clean clothes according to of the information acquired by said reading device,

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some first detection and identification means adapted to detect and identify these labels individually Identification of clean clothes once dispensed and before being picked up by a user,

- one or more apparel containers of dirty clothes, with a few second means of detection and identification adapted to detect and identify identification tags of said dirty clothes once deposited in said container apparatus,

- a computer system in communication with, at least, said first and second means of identification of labels and with said reading device, and adapted to process the information acquired through said communications, for the least keep track of each garment's time clothes.

Preferably and in order to enable cited time tracking of each item of clothing, said computer system comprises a database obtained relating users with, for an embodiment, garments of clean clothes dispensed and over time, and for another example of realization, also with dirty clothes returned.

Said computer system comprises means of storage, and is adapted to store said base of data on said storage media.

The mentioned database is updated every certain time or every time the computer system receives new information, either from the identification of a piece of clothing (supplied or returned) as from a user, or from other sources, such as manual introduction by part of an operator of the new data computer system.

The computer system is therefore adapted to interpret and manage the information received, that is: identify each user, provide the appropriate garment to each user, save the identifier in the database (for example a garment number) that each user has, identify the garments  returned and discounted from users who used them.

Through the present invention a total control of work clothes in the phases of supply and collection, as well as in a washing phase, the latter phase in the that it is assumed that a garment is found, for example when detects the removal of a garment of dirty clothes from the aforementioned container by the second detection means e ID. It is thus possible to avoid or control the losses of garments in their logistics, controlling the time between It is delivered clean and taken to the laundry, which is Particular importance when uniform changes occur frequent, as in the case of slaughterhouse workers, hospitals, etc.

The computer system is adapted to Perform statistics based on the information acquired.

As regards the aforementioned selection, the clean garment to be dispensed to a user based on said information acquired through the reading device, for a exemplary embodiment is carried out locally by the means control electronics, in which case communication with computer media, both from the dispensing device and from The container device is used for sending data (through corresponding interfaces of at least output) relative to the commented identifications of users and garments of clothes supplied and returned, so that the system IT track the described time previously.

For another embodiment, said selection it is carried out remotely using the computer system, and the computer system is adapted to carry out said selection of a clean garment to be dispensed to a user in function of said processing of the information acquired by said communication with said reading device, either by a direct connection with the reading device, or through the electronic means of control. For said embodiment example the computer system is also adapted to notify you selection to the electronic control means through a connection of the computer system with the electronic means of control, through the corresponding sending of data to the media control, through a corresponding interface of at least entry arranged in them.

The present invention concerns, in a second aspect, to a garment dispensing apparatus with at least the elements of the dispensing apparatus comprised by the system proposed by the first aspect, although not functioning limited to its inclusion in said system, being able to function as autonomously or in connection with an external system, through corresponding output or input / output interfaces.

Brief description of the drawings

The above and other advantages and features will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of some embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, which should be taken as a title illustrative and not limiting, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the system proposed by the first aspect of the present invention, for an embodiment example,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the dispensing apparatus proposed by the second aspect of the invention with the closet door open, for an example of realization,

Fig. 3 is an elevation view, and in section, of the apparatus of Fig. 1, but with the cabinet door closed,

Fig. 4 is a plan view, and in section, of the proposed apparatus for the exemplary embodiment illustrated by Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail, in elevation, of part of the proposed apparatus where a device can be seen of drag acting to extract a bag of clothes,

Fig. 6 is a perspective top view of the dragging device of Fig. 5 mounted on a structure fixed to the top of a motherboard,

Fig. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the same elements shown in Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a garment with a series of identification tags located in different parts of it, representative of different and possible alternatives of provision of the same identification tag.

Detailed description of some embodiments

In Fig. 1 it can be seen, at level schematic the system proposed by the first aspect of the present invention formed by the three main elements described above, that is:

- an apparel dispensing device 22 clean, illustrated on the right in Fig. 1, with:

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a reader device 4 suitable for at least reading stored information in some identifying elements of respective users,

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a series of compartments to house different groups or classes of clean clothes to dispense,

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some electronic control means 28 in connection with said device reader 4 and with a dispensing mechanism, adapted to control the operation of said dispensing mechanism to dispense the minus one item of clean clothing selected based on the information acquired by said reader device 4,

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some first detection and identification means adapted to detect and identify these labels individually Identification 26 of clean clothes once dispensed and before being collected by a user,

- a container 23 for clothing items dirty, illustrated on the left in Fig. 1, with a few seconds detection and identification means adapted to detect and identify the identifying labels 26 of said garments of dirty clothes once deposited in said container apparatus 23,

- a computer system 24, illustrated in the central part of Fig. 1, in communication with at least said first and second means of label identification and with said reader device 4, said communication having been illustrated in Fig. 1 using the lines that connect to the system computer 24 with dispensing devices 22 and container 23 there shown, said computer system 24 being adapted to process the information acquired through such communications, to at least track each item's time of clothes.

For an embodiment example the device Reader 4 is a magnetic or electronic card reader, and said identifying elements are magnetic cards or electronic, although for other embodiments another class of reading devices and therefore of identifying elements, not  necessarily materialized as cards, are they possible, or even of reading devices of identifying elements that be part of the user's own body to identify, as is the case of reading devices based on biometric sensors.

For a preferred embodiment example said identification tags 26 are RFID tags 26 and said first and second detection and identification means comprise at least some respective RFID antennas 15, 21 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3), in addition to respective RFID emitters-receivers (not illustrated) of which said RFID antennas are part.

In Fig. 8 different possible are shown locations and alternatives of joining RFID tags 26 in a garment, specifically in a robe 27, (although it could be in any type of garment, such as pants, a shirt, etc.) such as sewn directly (like a button) to, by example, a flap, deposited inside a mini pocket, inside or outside, closed and sewn to the garment, inside a hem already existing (in Fig. 8 illustrated inside the hem of a pocket and inside a bottom hem of gown 27), or in keychain shape (situation not shown).

For a preferred embodiment example e illustrated by Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, clean clothing items to Dispense are stored in respective bags 6, at least one per pledge, when they are housed in those mentioned Dispensing device compartments 22.

Both the description made earlier with reference to Fig. 1 of the dispensing apparatus 22, such as illustrations of Figs. 2 to 7, refer to the elements which form both the apparel dispensing apparatus 22 clean system proposed by the first aspect of this invention, as proposed by the second aspect and not limited to  First aspect system.

As can be seen in these Figs. 2 to 7, the dispensing apparatus 22 comprises:

- a cabinet 1 provided with a door 2 (open in Fig. 2 and closed in Figs. 3 and 4) with an opening of dispensing 3 and said reading device 4; various 5 shelves tilted back and down arranged inside of said cabinet 1, configuring said compartments, to hold piles of flattened closed bags 6 containing said clean clothes of different kinds, being the clothes contained in bags 6 of the battery held by each shelf 5 of the same class;

- said dispensing mechanism, which comprises a dragging device 7 (see Figs. 3 to 7) supported by gravity on each of said batteries, each device comprising drag 7 a base plate 8 in which a groove 9 is formed (noticeable in Fig. 7) and motorized means adapted for move a pusher finger 10 (see Figs. 5, 6 and 7) along said slot 9 from back to front to drag (as shows Fig. 5) and drop the top closed bag 6 of the corresponding stack to a collection site 11 from where the bag closed 6 can be extracted through said opening of dispensing 3. Said closed bag 6 has been indicated as 6a when dragged, as in Fig. 5, or has been dropped, as  in Fig. 2, or is already in said collection site 11, as in Fig. 3;

- a battery detector 12 arranged in each shelf 5 (see Fig. 3) to detect the presence of at least one closed bag 6 on it;

- a fall detector 13 (see Figs. 2 and 3) arranged on a ramp 14 (see Figs. 2 to 4) in the front of each shelf 5 to detect the passage of a closed bag 6 on it and stop the corresponding drag device 7;

- said RFID radio frequency antenna 15 of said first detection and identification means adapted to detect and identify, or assist in the identification, of said RFID tags 26 of corresponding clothing items, when these are inside a corresponding closed bag 6, in said pickup site 11 (situation in which bag 6a is located of Fig. 3); Y

- said electronic control means 28 (see Fig. 3) in connection, in addition to said reader device 4, with said motorized means of each drive device 7, with said stack detectors 12 and with said drop detectors 13, to control the operation of the motorized means of according to the information acquired through the reading device 4 and battery 12 and drop detectors 13.

As can be seen in Figs. 4, 6 and 7, said base plate 8 of the drive device 7 has a rear edge 8a adapted to rest against a rear wall 16 adjacent to the corresponding shelf 5 and side edges 8b adapted for face each other and close to respective side walls 17 adjacent to the corresponding shelf 5.

The motorized means of the device drag 7 are mounted on a structure 18 fixed to the part upper of the base plate 8, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and they comprise an electric motor (not illustrated) arranged for, as it can be seen in Fig. 5, drive an endless belt 19 mounted on at least two pulleys 20, said pushing finger being 10 fixed to said endless belt 19 to move with it, so that the pushing finger 10 protrudes from the bottom of the base plate 8 through said slot 9 along a section of its displacement.

As regards battery detectors 12 and drop detectors 13, these are, for an example of realization, some electromechanical microswitches, although they could be any kind of detector that an expert in the field deemed convenient, such as optical detectors, magnetic, etc.

For an embodiment of the system of first aspect said electronic control means 28 comprise said RFID transmitter-receiver connected to said antenna RFID 15 (for example, through the wiring 30 illustrated in Fig. 3), and said computer system 24 is communicated with said first means of identifying labels, formed by the RFID antenna 15 and the RFID emitter-receiver, to through electronic control means 28.

For an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus dispenser 22 of the second aspect of the invention, said means control electronics 28 also comprise a RFID transmitter-receiver connected to said RFID antenna (for example, through the wiring 30 illustrated in Fig. 3), and the dispensing apparatus 22 comprises at least one interface 25 of at less output adapted to send data from at least the reader device 4 (for example through wiring 31 illustrated in Fig. 2), and said emitter-receiver RFID, to an external system, such as the computer system 24 included in the first aspect or other kind of external system, to that the latter can carry out the monitoring in the described time, or for another kind of data management.

For another embodiment said interface 25 is also input, and is also adapted to receive data from said or other external system. Such would be the case explained in a previous section that the external system (either the computer system 24 or other system) is responsible for carrying out the  selection of the garment to be dispensed and communicated to the media control electronics 28, by the corresponding sending of data through said interface 25.

As previously stated the device dispenser proposed by the second aspect of the present invention is applicable to the system proposed by the first aspect of the present invention, although not limited thereto, being able to work autonomously.

A subject matter expert could introduce changes and modifications in the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims.

Claims (22)

1. System for control and monitoring individualized workwear garments, being said garments of the type that incorporate, each of them, a identification tag (26), said system comprising: - at least one dispensing device (22) of clean clothes, with at least:

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to the at least one reading device (4) suitable for at least reading information stored in some identifying elements of respective users,

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a series of compartments to house different groups or classes of clean clothes to dispense,

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some electronic control means (28) in connection with at least said reading device (4) and with at least one dispensing mechanism, adapted to at least control the operation of said dispensing mechanism to dispense at least one item of clothing clean selected based on the information acquired by said reading device (4),

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some first detection and identification means adapted to detect and identify these labels individually Identification (26) of clean clothes once dispensed and before being collected by a user,

- at least one garment container (23) of dirty clothes, with a few second means of detection and identification adapted to detect and identify labels identification (26) of said dirty clothes once deposited in said container apparatus (23), - a computer system (24) in communication with at least said first and second identification means of labels and with said reading device (4), and adapted for process the information acquired through such communications, to at least track each item's time of clothes. 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said computer system (24) comprises a database obtained by relating users with at least clean clothing items dispensed, and over time. 3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that said database also relates the users to returned garments of dirty clothes. 4. System according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said database is updated from time to time or every time the computer system (24) receives new information. 5. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said computer system (24) is adapted to perform statistics based on the information acquired. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said computer system (24) comprises storage means, and because it is adapted to store said database in said storage means. 7. System according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a connection of said computer system (24) with said electronic control means (28), and that the computer system (24) is adapted to carry out said selection of a garment of clean clothes to be dispensed to a user based on said processing of the information acquired through said communication with said reading device (4), and also adapted to notify said selection to the electronic control means (28). System according to claim 1, characterized in that the reader device (4) is a magnetic or electronic card reader, and that said identifying elements are magnetic or electronic cards. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said identification tags (26) are RFID tags (26) and that said first and second detection and identification means comprise at least some respective RFID antennas (15, 21). 10. System according to claim 9, characterized in that said RFID tags (26) are sewn together to the garments. A system according to claim 9, characterized in that said first and second detection and identification means further comprise respective RFID emitters-receivers of which said RFID antennas are part.

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12. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least said garments of clean clothes are stored in respective bags (6), at least one per garment, when they are housed in said compartments. 13. System according to claim 12 when it depends on 9, characterized in that said dispensing apparatus (22) of clean clothes, which is at least one, comprises: - a cabinet (1) provided with a door (2) with a dispensing opening (3) and said reading device (4); several shelves (5) tilted back and down arranged inside said cabinet (1), configuring said compartments, to hold piles of flattened closed bags (6)  containing said clean clothes of different kinds, the clothes contained in the bags (6) of the stack being held by each shelf (5) of the same class; - said dispensing mechanism, which comprises a dragging device (7) supported by gravity on each of said batteries, each dragging device (7) comprising a base plate (8) in which a groove (9) and means are formed motorized adapted to move a pushing finger (10) to along said slot from back to front to drag and make drop the top closed bag (6) of the corresponding battery to a pick-up site (11) from where the closed bag (6) can be extracted through said dispensing opening (3); - a battery detector (12) arranged in each shelf (5) to detect the presence of at least one bag closed (6) on it; - a fall detector (13) arranged in a ramp (14) at the front of each shelf (5) to detect passing a closed bag (6) over it and stop the corresponding dragging device (7); - said RFID radio frequency antenna (15) of said first detection and identification means adapted to detect and identify, or assist in the identification, of said RFID tags (26) of corresponding clothing items, when these are inside a corresponding closed bag (6), in said collection site (11); Y - said electronic control means (28) in connection, in addition to said reading device (4), with said motorized means of each drive device (7), with said battery detectors (12) and with said drop detectors (13), for control the operation of the motorized means according with the information acquired through the reading device (4) and battery detectors (12) and drop detectors (13). 14. System according to claim 13, characterized in that said electronic control means (28) comprise said RFID transmitter-receiver connected to said RFID antenna (15), and that said computer system (24) is communicated with said first identification means of labels, formed by the RFID antenna (15) and the REID transmitter-receiver, through the electronic control means (28). 15. System according to claim 13, characterized in that said base plate (8) of the drive device (7) has a rear edge (8a) adapted to rest against a rear wall (16) adjacent to the corresponding shelf (5) and edges lateral (8b) adapted to face each other and close to respective lateral walls (17) adjacent to the corresponding shelf (5). 16. System according to claim 15, characterized in that the motorized means of the drive device (7) are mounted on a structure (18) fixed to the upper part of the base plate (8), and comprise an electric motor arranged to drive a endless belt (19) mounted on at least two pulleys (20), said pushing finger (10) being fixed to said endless belt (19) to move with it, so that the pushing finger (10) protrudes from the bottom of the base plate (8) through said slot (9) along a section of its displacement. 17. System according to claim 13, characterized in that the battery detectors (12) and fall detectors (13) are electromechanical microswitches. 18. Garment dispensing apparatus, said garments being of the type they incorporate, each of they, an identification tag (26), said said device at least:

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to the at least one reading device (4) suitable for at least reading information stored in some identifying elements of respective users,

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a series of compartments to house different groups or classes of clean clothes to dispense,

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some electronic control means (28) in connection with at least said reading device (4) and with at least one dispensing mechanism, adapted to at least control the operation of said dispensing mechanism to dispense at least one item of clothing clean selected based on the information acquired by said reading device (4), and

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some first detection and identification means adapted to detect and identify these labels individually Identification (26) of clean clothes once dispensed and before being collected by a user.

19. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that it comprises: - a cabinet (1) provided with a door (2) with a dispensing opening (3) and said reading device (4); several shelves (5) tilted back and down arranged inside said cabinet (1), configuring said compartments, to hold a few piles of closed bags (6) flattened containing said clean clothing items of different classes, being the clothes contained in the bags (6) of the pile held by each shelf (5) of the same class; - said dispensing mechanism, which comprises a dragging device (7) supported by gravity on each of said batteries, each dragging device (7) comprising a base plate (8) in which a groove (9) and means are formed motorized adapted to move a pushing finger (10) to along said slot from back to front to drag and make drop the top closed bag (6) of the corresponding battery to a pick-up site (11) from where the closed bag (6) can be extracted through said dispensing opening (3); - a battery detector (12) arranged in each shelf (5) to detect the presence of at least one bag closed (6) on it; - a fall detector (13) arranged in a ramp (14) at the front of each shelf (5) to detect passing a closed bag (6) over it and stop the corresponding dragging device (7); - an RFID radio frequency antenna (15) forming part of said first detection means e identification, and adapted to detect and identify, or collaborate in the identification of said identification tags, the which are some RFID tags (26), of corresponding ones garments, when these are within a corresponding closed bag (6), at said collection site (11); Y - said electronic control means (28) in connection, in addition to said reading device (4), with said motorized means of each drive device (7), with said battery detectors (12) and with said drop detectors (13), for control the operation of the motorized means according with the information acquired through the reading device (4) and battery detectors (12) and drop detectors (13). 20. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that said electronic control means (28) comprise an RFID transmitter-receiver connected to said RFID antenna, and that it comprises at least one interface (25) of at least output adapted to send data from of at least the reading device (4), and said RFID transmitter-receiver, to an external system. 21. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that said interface (25) is also input, and is also adapted to receive data from said or other external system. 22. Dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that it is applicable to a system according to any one of claims 1 to 17.