Multiple washer laundry system with common function control
First Claim
1. A control and operating system for a laundry having a plurality of washers and having at least one function which is common to more than one of said washers and is to be performed by only one washer at a time,comprising a separate sequence controller connected to each washer for controlling the sequential operations of that washer,a common intercommunication channel means coupled to all of said controllers,said controllers being operable to intercommunicate by request and response signals carried through said common channel and each of said controllers including control means enabling said washers to operate concurrently on the basis of those signals to prevent more than one washer at a time from performing a common function that is to be performed by only one washer at a time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A separate sequence controller is connected to each washer within a multiple washer laundry system for controlling the sequential operations of that washer. Each of the controllers has an intercommunication channel to every other one of the controllers. The controllers are operable to intercommunicate by signals through those channels to operate together on the basis of those signals to permit only one washer at a time to perform a common function that is to be performed by only one washer at a time.
30 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A control and operating system for a laundry having a plurality of washers and having at least one function which is common to more than one of said washers and is to be performed by only one washer at a time,
comprising a separate sequence controller connected to each washer for controlling the sequential operations of that washer, a common intercommunication channel means coupled to all of said controllers, said controllers being operable to intercommunicate by request and response signals carried through said common channel and each of said controllers including control means enabling said washers to operate concurrently on the basis of those signals to prevent more than one washer at a time from performing a common function that is to be performed by only one washer at a time.
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20. A control and operating system for a laundry having a plurality of washers and having a plurality of functions which are common to more than one of said washers and in which individual common functions are to be performed by only one washer at a time, comprising a separate sequence controller connected to each washer for controlling the sequential operations of that washer,
each said controller comprising a microcomputer, a common intercommunication channel means coupled to all of said controllers, said controllers being operable to intercommunicate by request and response signals carried through said common channel means, each controller including means operable when the control program calls for the performance of any one of a plurality of common functions which is to be performed by only one washer at a time to issue a distinctive request signal for each separate common function that is to be performed exclusively by only one washer at a time, each controller including means operable when the associated washer is performing a particular function to be performed exclusively by only one washer at a time to respond to the distinctive request signals for that particular common function by sending out a distinctive response signal for that function back to a requesting controller telling the requesting controller to wait to perform that particular function, and each controller issuing a said request signal and receiving a said response signal being operable to wait and to periodically issue new request signals until a said response signal is not received.
Specification