SHOWER CUBICLES

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to a method of automatic designing and manufacture of shower cubicle, and particularly, relates to a system and method of manufacturing shower cubicles in a manufacturing line based on inputs received from a customer site based on customer order and an automating production line based on the system generated CAD drawings.

BACKGROUND

[0002] There exist automated manufacturing lines with various components that are configured to process and design glass products. A manufacturing line is typically made of three to twenty linked machining components. Each machining component consists of a tool such as a fixture to position a product, for example sheet metal, and associated automation tools, such as robots, that process the product, for example by welding, drilling etc. The machining components typically consists of a fixture/tool surrounded by three or four robots. The product is then transferred to the next machining components in the manufacturing line for further processing, until it exits the manufacturing line.

[0003] Presently, there is no modeling mechanism that alters the operation of the machining components based on the order received from a customer location. Moreover, customer site dimensions for installation of glass products are manually captured by workers. The workers later prepare drawings of the glass products to suit the dimensions of the customer location. The aforementioned process is time-consuming and prone to errors. The said drawings are subsequently fed to the manufacturing line to manufacture said products. Thus today there do not exist any seamless automatic process to transfer the customer site dimensions to a manufacturing line.

[0004] In a glass product manufacturing line, specifically with respect to shower cubicle production, the measurements of a customer location are captured manually. In view of the measured dimension, the drawings for a shower cubicle are prepared manually by a CAD artist. Further, multiple versions of the drawings are generated by the CAD artist for various machining components of the manufacturing line. Since the existing process is prone to errors, there exists a need for a system for seamless automation of manufacturing line based on auto -generated CAD drawings.

[0005] Another drawback existing with the current manufacturing line for shower cubicles is the inability to map the final manufactured product with an Order ID that captures the precise details required for installation. In case of large construction sites, the installer finds it difficult to identify the exact flat, floor and/ or room number at which the said glass product is intended to be installed.

[0006] An existing prior art, US8307582 discloses a system for design and manufacture of shower enclosures. The system also teaches a prefabricated enclosure to permit the shower enclosure designer and installer to precisely fit the components of the enclosure into the allotted space. However, the prior art neither teaches a system for digitally capturing the dimensions nor enabling the manufacturing line to manufacture products based on the customer requirements and captured dimensions.

[0007] Hence, there exists a need in the market to provide a system to transmit the customer site dimensions and requirements to a manufacturing line wirelessly and further control and / or enable production at the manufacture line based on the received dimensions and requirements. Further, there exists a need for a system for automatic designing and manufacture of shower cubicles. Furthermore, there exists a need for a system that allocates a unique order ID based on customer location and credentials and maps the order ID to the manufactured product.

[0008] Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for automatic design and manufacture of shower cubicles.

[0010] It is yet another object of the invention to provide a system that can capture the customer dimensions and transmit the dimensions to a manufacturing line for production of shower cubicles.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method that allocates a unique order ID based on customer location and credentials and map the order ID to the manufactured product. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of automatic designing and manufacture of shower cubicle in a manufacturing line based on inputs received from a customer site is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by an enterprise component, input defining specifications, measurements and unique order ID for a glass product from a customer; providing a database of templates for a plurality of glass products wherein the templates comprise drawings of a plurality of shower cubicle types and machining data concerning the machining actions necessary to effect the alteration of the glass; providing a drawing component for receiving data from the database and the enterprise component; designing one or more computer models of the glass product based on the specifications using the one or more template; triggering by a manufacturing component production of the glass product based on the computer model generated by the manufacturing component and producing glass products is based on a machining data associated with the computer model.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an input defining specifications and measurement and unique order ID is captured by a measurement device located at the customer site and transmitted wirelessly to the enterprise component. The input defining specifications and measurement comprises length, breadth and width, of the customer site and the product type, shape, model, designs associated with the glass product. The input defining specifications and measurements are stored in a server and transmitted wirelessly to the enterprise component of the manufacturing line. The production of the glass product comprises cutting, drilling, coating of one or more glass sheets to form a glass product. The production of the glass product comprises processes of fixing a door, hinge, and other accessories to the glass sheets to form a glass product. [0014] The order ID for the glass product comprises an identification code capturing the location, phases, towers, blocks, floors, wings, flats, rooms, of the customer site. The production of the glass product comprises etching the glass product with the order ID. The production of the glass product comprises placing a sticker or barcode or QR code including the order ID. The production of the glass comprises placing a data transponder on the glass product for identification and tracking. The order ID is at least a 10-digit number.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a system for automatic designing and manufacture of glass products in manufacturing line based on input received from a customer site dynamically. The system comprises an enterprise component configured for receiving input defining specifications, measurements and order ID for a glass product; a drawing component communicably coupled to the enterprise component and configured to design the shape of glass products based on specifications; a database communicably coupled to the drawing component and configured to store templates for a plurality of glass products; a server configured to determine the product type based on inputs from the enterprise component; and a manufacturing component that is communicably coupled to the drawing component and configured to produce the glass product based on the computer model.

[0016] Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and are not limited in the accompanying figures.

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for designing and manufacturing glass products, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the Drawing Component;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of automatic designing and manufacture of shower cubicle in manufacturing line; and

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary customer interface present in the portable mobile device.

[0022] Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention proposes a system that provides automated CAD designs for feeding a shower cubicle production line. The system includes an algorithm that can automatically suggest appropriate types of shower enclosures suited to dimensions of a customer location. The system is configured to receive inputs from a customer on bathroom layouts and shower cubicle type requirements. Further, the customer’s choice of shower enclosure is mapped to the measured dimensions of the customer location to generate a CAD drawing of the shower cubicle. An order ID is generated with the generated CAD drawing of the shower cubicle and location details of the customer. The order ID is transmitted to a manufacturing line for shower cubicle production based on the CAD drawings. Further, the final manufactured product also includes the Order ID with location details for easy installation at the customer location.

[0024] The present invention is now discussed in more detail referring to the drawings that accompany the present application. In the accompanying drawings, like and/or corresponding elements are referred to by like reference numbers.

The shortcomings discussed in the background section are addressed by a system that provides automated CAD designs for shower cubicle.

[0025] The CAD designing system also communicates with a manufacturing/distribution center to retrieve inventory information therefrom and further update the inventory information on a portable device. Further, a customer is enabled to select a product from the inventory and place an order through the portable device. Based on the order, the Manufacturing/Distribution Centre receive orders from customer through a network, wherein the orders correspond to varying types of glass products such as shower cubicle, kitchen shutter, window, wardrobe and the like. The Manufacturing/Distribution Centre generates an order ID and maps the order ID with a nearby distribution center. The customer is also enabled to select coatings for the glass products such as hydrophobic coating and visualize the glass product with various coatings and tints.

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for designing and manufacturing glass products, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a first portable device 102 is configured to receive customer inputs through a graphical customer interface. The customer inputs include product selection and related parameters. The parameters received from the customer include at least one of accessory information, design patterns, color combination, coating for glass and a combination thereof. The first portable device 102 is communicably coupled to a server 106. The first portable device 102 is configured to retrieve and display a list of glass products from the server. The first portable device 102 includes a GPS sensor to determine location information. The first portable device 102 is also configured to receive customer information including Name, Firm name, Mobile, Email, Address, GST and PAN Number through the customer interface. The first portable device 102 transmits data to the server for further processing. [0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a measurement device 104 is configured to determine measurement information for a room. The measurement information includes determining length, breath and width of the room. The measurement device 104 is a handheld device or portable device. In an embodiment the measurement device 104 is coupled to the portable device 102 either wirelessly or is wired. In another embodiment, the measurement device 104 is coupled to the server 106. The measurement device 104 is configured to transmit measurement information to the server 106. The first portable device 102 may also be a measurement device 104 configured to determine measurement information of the room.

[0029] The server 106 receives the customer inputs and measurement information from the portable device and measurement device. Further, the server 106 processes the inputs to determine suitable types of shower cubicles and other glass products. The server 106 wirelessly communicates with a database 112. The database 112 includes a plurality of types of shower cubicles (for example, L type, rectangular type, single door, double door etc.), possible dimensions of the shower cubicle for each type. The server 106 determines the suitable type of shower cubicle based on the customer input and measurement information. The server 106 is configured to store information corresponding to the product types received from the customer. The server generates an Order ID based on the customer inputs, location details, and measurement information. The Order ID includes information about the customer ID along with the category, product, thickness, length, width and quantity selected by the customer. The order ID also includes location, phase, towers, blocks, floors, wings, flats, rooms, of the customer. Further, the server 106 transmits the selected product type and order ID to an ERP (enterprise resource planning) component or enterprise component 108 present in the manufacturing line.

[0030] The enterprise component of the system is configured for receiving input defining specifications, measurements and unique code (order ID) for a glass product. The enterprise component communicates with a drawing component 110 to generate drawings for the selected product type and defined specifications. The drawing component 110 automatically generates a plurality of drawings for the selected product type. The drawings are also generated to suit the measurements of the customer location. On an average, at least one or more drawings are generated based on the requirements of the line, for example, typically 4 to 10 drawings are generated for different machining components of a manufacturing line. The drawing component is also configured to design at least one or more computer models using a machine learning algorithm to generate drawings when templates are absent in the database 112. The drawing component is configured to generate one or more drawings that define drilling commands for a machining component such as an autonomous robot. In another example, the drawing component 110 is configured to generate one or more drawings to define machining commands for various machining components such as coating, laminating and the like.

[0031] The system further comprises a database 112 communicably coupled to the drawing component 110 and configured to store templates for a plurality of glass products. The system also includes a manufacturing component 114 that is communicably coupled to the drawing component 110 and configured to produce the glass product based on the computer model.

[0032] The manufacturing component 114 receives inputs from the drawing component 110. The manufacturing component 114 is a part of the Manufacturing execution systems (MES), which are computerized systems used in manufacturing, to track and document the transformat ion of raw materials to finished goods. Further, MES works in real time to enable the control of multiple elements of the production process (e.g. inputs, personnel, machines and support services). In an example, the manufacturing component or MES is configured to control machines for cutting, drilling, grinding, water-jets, tempering and the like.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the glass products is a one of a shower cubicle, window, kitchen shutters, wardrobes, glass accessories and the like.

[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the drawing component 104. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the drawing component 104 includes a display component, input/output device and a processor. The processor identifies a customer using credentials and order ID. A display component displays information identifying the product. The display component communicates with the server (not shown in figure) to retrieve a list of types of shower cubicles and dimensions suiting each cubicle type.

[0035] The drawing component 104 automatically generates a plurality of drawings for the selected product type. The drawings are also generated to suit the measurements of the customer location. On an average, at least one or more drawings are generated based on the requirements of the line, for example, typically 4 to 10 drawings are generated for different machining components of a manufacturing line. The drawing component 104 is also configured to design at least one or more computer models using a machine learning algorithm to generate drawings when templates are absent. The drawing component 104 is configured to generate one or more drawings that define drilling commands for a machining component. In another example, the drawing component 104 is configured to generate one or more drawings to define machining commands for various machining components such as coating, laminating and the like. Thereafter, the drawing component 104 transmits one or more drawings to one or more manufacturing component 114 present in the manufacturing line. In an example, the drawing component 104 generates a drawing for cutting of the selected shower cubicle type, and transmits the same to a cutting machine in the manufacturing line. Further, the drawing component 104 generates a drawing for drilling of the selected shower cubicle type, and transmits the same to a drilling machine present in the manufacturing line.

[0036] In an embodiment, the drawing component 104 may also include input/output device to receive inputs from the customer and output processed data. Example of the input/output device include touchscreen, keypad, display and the like. The drawing component 104 wirelessly communicates with the server to retrieve templates of different types of shower cubicle. The drawing component 104 includes a memory to store different drawing templates for a plurality of shower cubicle designs.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of automatic designing and manufacture of shower cubicle in a manufacturing line. The proposed method receives customer requirements to generate drawings for controlling operations in a manufacturing line. The system is configured to receive inputs from a customer on bathroom layouts and shower type requirements. Further, the customer requirements are mapped to the measured dimensions of the customer location to generate a CAD drawing of the shower cubicle. An order ID is generated with drawing of the shower cubicle and location details of the customer. The order ID is transmitted to a manufacturing line for production based on the CAD drawings. Further, the final manufactured product also includes the Order ID with location details for easy installation at the customer location.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of automatic designing and manufacture of shower cubicle in manufacturing line based on input received from a customer site is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by an enterprise component, input defining specifications, measurements and order ID for a glass product (301). Further, a database of templates for a plurality of glass products is provided (302). The templates comprise drawings of a plurality of shower cubicle types and machining data concerning the machining actions necessary to effect the alteration of the glass. Further, a drawing component is provided for receiving data from the database and the enterprise component (303). A computer model of the glass product is designed by the drawing component based on the specifications using the one or more template (304). A manufacturing component for production of the glass product is triggered based on the computer model. The production of the glass product is performed based on a machining data associated with the computer model (305).

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an input defining specifications and measurement and order ID is captured by a measurement device located at the customer site and transmitted wirelessly to the enterprise component. The input defining specifications and measurement comprises length, breadth and width, of the customer site and the product type, shape, model, designs associated with the glass product. The input defining specifications and measurements are stored in a server and transmitted wirelessly to the enterprise component of the manufacturing line. The production of the glass product comprises cutting, drilling, coating of one or more glass sheets to form a glass product. The production of the glass product comprises processes of fixing a door, hinge, and other accessories to the glass sheets to form a glass product. [0040] The order ID for the glass product comprises an identification code capturing the location, phases, towers, blocks, floors, wings, flats, rooms, of the customer site. The production of the glass product comprises etching the glass product with the order ID. The production of the glass product comprises placing a sticker or barcode or QR code including the order ID. The production of the glass comprises placing a data transponder on the glass product for identification and tracking. The order ID is at least a 10-digit number.

[0041] According to an embodiment, the parameters received from the customer include at least one of accessory information, design patterns, color combination, coating for glass, shower cubicle type, shape of the cubicle, door type and a combination thereof. The parameters are mapped to an order ID and transmitted to a server. Further, additional specifications captured in the order ID comprises but not limited to product specifications, category, thickness, length, texture, coating, size, width and quantity of glass products. The order ID can additionally include information corresponding to the specifications such as glass texture, grinding pattern, mirroring pattern, window assembly specifications, lacquering pattern, and the like.

[0042] According to an embodiment, input defining specifications, measurements and unique code (order ID) for a glass product is received by the enterprise component. The enterprise component communicates with a drawing component to generate drawings for the selected product type and defined specifications. A plurality of drawings for the selected product type are automatically generated by the drawing component. The drawings are also generated to suit the measurements of the customer location. On an average, at least one or more drawings are generated based on the requirements of the line, for example, typically 4 to 10 drawings are generated for different machining components of a manufacturing line. The one or more drawings generated define drilling commands for a machining component. In another example, one or more drawings are generated to define machining commands for various machining components such as coating, laminating and the like.

[0043] According to another embodiment, the proposed method may be used for a plurality of glass products including shower cubicle, window, kitchen shutters, wardrobes, planilaque, glass accessories and the like. The customer is enabled to select a coating type and design required for the glass product.

[0044] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary customer interface present in the portable mobile device 102. The interface provides item information retrieved from the manufacturing site through the server. Further, the customer interface also displays the Order’s’ received from the customer along with the product parameters and specifications.

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a customer logs into a customer interface of the portable mobile device 102. Through the customer interface the customer is enabled to select ‘Product’ from a plurality of products available at manufacturing center. Further, the customer selects criteria’s including but not limited to glass specifications, category, Product, Thickness, Length, Width and no. of sheets. The customer details such as building type, block, floor, rooms are also captured in the customer interface. The customer interface will also enable the customer to select at least one of a shower cubicle type, shape of shower cubicle including L shape, rectangular and the like, coating required for shower cubicle and accessories for shower cubicle. The accessories include doors, hinges, soap holder, tower holder, hand-shower holder, pipe fittings, electrical and digital fittings (LED, displays) and the like.

[0046] According to an embodiment, the order placed by the customer is received by the manufacturing center. The manufacturing line automatically process the order ID by providing commands (through CAD drawings) to a plurality of machining components. Based on the commands, the one or more glass panels are cut, drilled and assembled together with accessories to form a shower cubicle. Further, the product selected by the customer is shipped in one or more wooden craters or corrugated box.

[0047] It is to be understood that the example mentioned in Order ID can be extended to include any information corresponding to down-stream processes involved in glass, for example, glass texturing, attaching glass accessories, DGU specifications, TGU specifications, window assembly specifications and the like.

[0048] It should be understood that although the description has been described as that pertaining to manufacture of shower enclosure, other glass products such as windows, kitchen shutters and wardrobes made of glass can well be made using the same method and system outlines with few changes specific to each type of glass product to be manufactured. Thus the scope of the present invention includes all such variations of glass products. It will be understood, however, that although these examples may have described in detail certain preferred operating conditions of the invention, they are given primarily for purpose of illustration only and the invention in its broader aspects is not limited thereto.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

[0049] One of the significant application of the invention is that the system developed herein is capable of establishing a direct access to the Manufacturing execution systems (MES) integrated in the glass manufacturing/ production line and is configured to automatically call the machining tools for production of necessary glass product based on the order details. Secondly, the drawing component of the system generates a set of drawings that is readily directly read by the manufacturing component such as the autonomous robots without any manual human intervention. [0050] The method described in the present invention is an additional step that is implemented along with the ERP (enterprise resource planning) part of all glass production unit and bears the ability to be adopted an integrated into any ERP (enterprise resource planning) with minimal changes to the existing system.

[0051] Note that not all of the activities described above in the general description or the examples are required, that a portion of a specific activity may not be required, and that one or more further activities may be performed in addition to those described. Still, further, the order in which activities are listed is not necessarily the order in which they are performed. [0052] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature of any or all the claims.

[0053] The specification and illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The specification and illustrations are not intended to serve as an exhaustive and comprehensive description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that use the structures or methods described herein. Certain features, that are for clarity, described herein in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in a sub combination. Further, reference to values stated in ranges includes each and every value within that range. Many other embodiments may be apparent to skilled artisans only after reading this specification. Other embodiments may be used and derived from the disclosure, such that a structural substitution, logical substitution, or another change may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0054] The description in combination with the figures is provided to assist in understanding the teachings disclosed herein, is provided to assist in describing the teachings, and should not be interpreted as a limitation on the scope or applicability of the teachings. However, other teachings can certainly be used in this application.

[0055] While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.