Automated laundry drop-off and retrieval system

• US 8,751,035 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jason Andre Janet
• Original Assignee: Jason Andre Janet
• Inventors: Jant, Jason Andr
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/591,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20140058554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/00 Conveying systems characterised by their application for specified purposes not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/58 the articles being supported on or by endless belts or like conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/64 in which the articles are individually suspended from stationary supports
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/20 for washing or drying articles, e.g. clothes, motor cars
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A storage unit for the drop-off, delivery, and pick-up of personal garments includes a plurality of apparel totes, each sized to enclose a plurality of apparel items on hangers, each including a machine-readable medium carrying a tote identifier code, and each configured with an access panel to allow deposit and retrieval of apparel items on hangers. A multi-layer conveyor system selectively moves apparel totes to and from a pre-defined customer access position and to and from a plurality of storage positions on each of at least two horizontal storage layers.

Claims

1. A storage unit for the drop-off, delivery, and pick-up of personal garments, the storage unit comprising:

a plurality of apparel totes, each sized to enclose a plurality of apparel items on hangers, each including a machine-readable medium carrying a tote identifier code, and each configured with an access panel to allow deposit and retrieval of apparel items on hangers;

a multi-layer conveyor system configured to selectively move apparel totes to and from a pre-defined customer access position and to and from a plurality of storage positions on each of at least first and second substantially horizontal storage layers, wherein the second storage layer substantially overlays the first storage layer;

a housing containing the multi-layer conveyor system and the plurality of apparel totes and including a tote access mechanism, wherein the tote access mechanism is proximate to the pre-defined customer access position and is configured to securely retain the apparel totes within the housing while allowing customer access from outside the housing to contents of a single one of the apparel totes at a time;

a human-interface system accessible from outside the housing and comprising at least one input device configured to receive customer input and at least one output device configured to provide transaction feedback;

a sensor device configured to read the tote identifier code from the machine-readable medium for each apparel tote; and

a control processor disposed within the housing, operatively connected to the human-interface system to collect the customer input and to produce the transaction feedback and operatively connected to the sensor device to collect the tote identifier codes, wherein the control processor is configured to track the position of each apparel tote based on the identifier codes and to control the multi-layer conveyor system responsive to the customer input.

2. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the conveyor system comprises two separable sections disposed side-by-side one another, and wherein the two separable sections are each configured, when separated, to connect to a third separable section disposed between the two separable sections for adding additional storage positions on each of the first and second layers.

3. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the conveyor system comprises a first separable section connected to and disposed above a second separable section, and wherein the first and second sections are each configured, when separated, to connect to a third separable section disposed between the two separable sections for adding a third layer of storage positions.

4. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein a single motor is configured to simultaneously drive horizontal tote propulsion means for each of the first and second layers and to simultaneously drive a first vertical tote propulsion means conveying totes from the first layer to the second layer and a second vertical tote propulsion means conveying totes from the second layer to the first layer.

5. The storage unit of claim 4, wherein the single motor is coupled to the horizontal tote propulsion means at a first gearing ratio so as to move totes horizontally at a first speed and coupled to the first and second vertical tote propulsion means at a second gearing ratio so as to move totes vertically at a second speed, wherein the ratio of the second speed to the first speed exceeds the ratio between each tote'"'"'s dimensions in the directions of vertical and horizontal motion, respectively.

6. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable medium comprises one of the following:

a printed bar-code on an external surface of the apparel tote;

an RFID chip secured to or embedded within the apparel tote;

a unique image disposed on an external surface of the apparel tote;

a radio-linked microprocessor circuit; and

one or more electrical contacts accessible from the exterior of the apparel tote and electrically connected to a processor or a mechanically configurable electrical switch or an electrically programmable memory device.

7. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein each apparel tote has a height, width, and depth, the width corresponding to a horizontal direction of motion in the multi-layer conveyor system and wherein the plurality of apparel totes comprises one or more first apparel totes having a first width and one or more second apparel totes having a second width.

8. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein each apparel tote includes a compliant interface component for engaging the conveyor system, the compliant interface component comprising at least one of the following:

a high-friction surface disposed on the apparel tote to engage belts on the conveyor system;

a clutch-enabled sprocket for engaging a chain drive on the conveyor system;

a clutch-enabled gear for engaging a screw drive on the conveyor system; and

a plurality of rolling rods disposed on the apparel tote to engage belts on the conveyor.

9. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein one or more of the apparel totes comprises a power interface to couple electrical power supplied from the exterior of the apparel totes to one or more electrical components secured within or embedded within the apparel tote.

10. The storage unit of claim 9, wherein the one or more electrical components comprises at least one of the following:

a ventilation fan;

a cooling system;

a heating system;

a contents-detection device;

one or more environmental sensor devices;

a programmable memory system.

11. The storage unit of claim 1, wherein the human interface system comprises an audio recording device configured to record voice messages from a customer or an audio/video recording device configured to record audio/video messages from a customer.

12. The storage unit of claim 1, further comprising a communications interface circuit operably connected to the control processor, wherein the control processor is configured to transmit at least a portion of the customer input to a remote station via the communications interface circuit.

13. The storage unit of claim 12, wherein the control processor and the communications interface circuit are configured to provide a real-time, two-way audio connection to the remote station via the communications interface circuit, responsive to the customer input.

14. A storage unit for the drop-off, delivery, and pick-up of personal apparel, the storage unit comprising:

a plurality of apparel totes, each sized to enclose a plurality of apparel items on hangers;

a multi-layer conveyor system configured to selectively move apparel totes to and from a pre-defined customer access position and to and from a plurality of storage positions on each of at least first and second storage layers;

a housing containing the multi-layer conveyor system and the plurality of apparel totes and including a tote access mechanism, wherein the tote access mechanism is proximate to the pre-defined customer access position and is configured to allow customer access to a single one of the apparel totes at a time while securely retaining the apparel tote within the housing;

a human-interface system accessible from outside the housing and comprising at least one input device configured to receive customer input and at least one output device configured to provide transaction feedback;

a communications interface circuit; and

a control processor disposed within the housing, operatively connected to the human-interface system to collect the customer input and to produce the transaction feedback and configured to control the multi-layer conveyor system responsive to the customer input, wherein the control processor is further configured to provide a real-time, two-way audio connection between the human-interface system and the remote station via the communications interface circuit, responsive to the customer input.