Patent ID: 8813287

Claim:
An automated laundry system comprising: a plurality of perforated clothes drums, each of the drums for holding a single load of laundry; and a washer/dryer unit comprising: a loading rack for queuing the drums for subsequent washing; a clothes washing component adapted to sequentially receive the drums from the loading rack and wash the respective loads of laundry therein; a clothes drying component adapted to sequentially receive the drums from the clothes washing component and dry the loads of laundry therein; and a holding rack for sequentially receiving the drums from the clothes drying component and holding the drums for a period of time, wherein the clothes washing component comprises a first set of transfer rails orientable between a first orientation for receiving the drums from the loading rack and a second orientation for transmitting the drums to the clothes drying component, and wherein the clothes drying component comprises a second set of transfer rails orientable between a first orientation for receiving the drums from the clothes washing component and a second orientation for transmitting the drums to the holding rack.