Commercial laundry system and method for controlling the same

• US 7,950,087 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Han, In Hee, Heo, Nam Yeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson; Frankie L
• Application Number:
  US12/031,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20080196171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 68/3.R, 68/19, 68/192
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 31/00 Washing installations comprising an assembly of several washing machines or washing units, e.g. continuous flow assemblies

Abstract

A commercial laundry system is disclosed. The commercial laundry system includes a plurality of laundry machines that independently perform washing and/or drying, a plurality of receiving devices provided at the respective laundry machines for receiving a signal, and a single payment device for transmitting a signal for use permission to the receiving device of any one of the laundry machines and separately controlling authorities to use the laundry machines.

Claims

1. A commercial laundry system comprising:

a plurality of laundry machines that independently perform washing and/or drying;

a plurality of receiving devices provided at the respective laundry machines, and receiving a signal; and

a single payment device for transmitting a signal for permitting a use to the receiving device of any one of the laundry machines, and separately controlling authorities to use the laundry machines,

wherein the payment device arbitrarily transmits the signal for permitting the use to the receiving device of any unused one of the laundry machines, immediately after a payment of predetermined charges on behalf of a user.

2. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device is disposed separately from the laundry machines.

3. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device transmits the signal to the receiving device only when a payment of predetermined charges is completed.

4. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device is configured to allow a user to select any unused one of the laundry machines.

5. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device includes a display unit for displaying unused ones of the laundry machines and allowing a user to select any one of the displayed laundry machines.

6. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device is configured to detect a state of the laundry machines.

7. The commercial laundry system according to claim 6, wherein the state of the laundry machines includes whether the laundry machines are in use.

8. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device receiving the signal sets the corresponding laundry machine having the receiving device to be operable.

9. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device receiving the signal supplies power to the corresponding laundry machine having the receiving device.

10. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device receiving the signal sets buttons on a control panel of the corresponding laundry machine having the receiving device to be activated, such that the user manually operates the corresponding laundry machine.

11. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device remotely controls an operation of the corresponding laundry machine having the receiving device by which the signal is received.

12. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device transmits a signal for controlling the laundry machine to the receiving device.

13. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device instructs the laundry machine to perform a specific operation related to the washing and/or the drying and detailed settings of the specific operation.

14. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the laundry machines are arranged vertically and horizontally.

15. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the laundry machines are arranged in more than one row and column.

16. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein each of the laundry machines has a door mounted to a front thereof.

17. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device includes:

a depositing unit for allowing a user to deposit charges, and

a transmitting unit for transmitting the signal for permitting the use to the receiving device of the laundry machine when a deposition of the charges is completed.

18. The commercial laundry system according to claim 17, wherein the payment device further includes a detecting unit for detecting whether the deposition of the charges is completed.

19. The commercial laundry system according to claim 17, wherein the payment device further includes a receiving unit for detecting a state of the laundry machine.

20. The commercial laundry system according to claim 17, wherein the payment device further includes a display unit for displaying a state of the laundry machine.

21. The commercial laundry system according to claim 1, wherein the payment device turns power of the laundry machine off when an operation of the laundry machine is completed.

22. A control method for a commercial laundry system, comprising the steps of:

depositing predetermined charges in a single payment device;

when a payment of the predetermined charges is completed, transmitting a signal for permitting a use to any one of receiving devices provided respectively to a plurality of laundry machines;

setting the laundry machine having the receiving device which receives the signal operable; and

performing a predetermined operation using the laundry machine,

wherein the step of transmitting the signal for use permission comprises arbitrarily transmitting the signal by the payment device to any unused one of the laundry machines, immediately after the payment of the predetermined charges on behalf of a user.

23. The control method according to claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting the signal for use permission comprises selecting any unused one of the laundry machines by a user and transmitting the signal from the payment device to the receiving device of the selected laundry machine.

24. The control method according to claim 22, wherein the step of setting the laundry machine comprises supplying power to the laundry machine.

25. The control method according to claim 22, wherein the step of setting the laundry machine comprises setting buttons on a control panel of the laundry machine activated, such that the user manually operates the corresponding laundry machine.

26. The control method according to claim 22, wherein the step of performing the predetermined operation comprises directly operating the operable laundry machine by a user.

27. The control method according to claim 22, wherein the step of performing the predetermined operation comprises remotely controlling the operation of the operable laundry machine through a use of the payment device by a user.

28. The control method according to claim 22, wherein the step of performing the predetermined operation comprises transmitting a signal for controlling the laundry machine from the payment device to the receiving device of the operable laundry machine.

29. The control method according to claim 22, wherein the step of performing the predetermined operation comprises instructing the laundry machine to perform a specific operation related to the washing and/or drying and detailed settings of the specific operation by using the payment device.

30. The control method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:

turning power of the laundry machine off when the operation of the laundry machine is completed.