Method for cleaning an impeller of a range hood and device therefor, range hood

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of intelligent household appliances, and discloses a method for cleaning an impeller of a range hood, wherein the impeller of the range hood is provided with an electric heating coating, and the cleaning method comprises the following steps: performing heating treatment on the impeller according to a preset heating mode, and softening oil stains on the impeller; after the softening of the oil stains is completed, the impeller is controlled to rotate, and the softened oil stains are thrown away from the impeller. The method can throw away the softened oil stains remaining on the impeller of the range hood, realizes thorough cleaning of the impeller, and improves the cleaning effect. The application further discloses a cleaning device for the impeller of the range hood and the range hood.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of smart home appliance technology, for example to a method and apparatus for cleaning the impeller of a range hood, and a range hood. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, range hoods are essential kitchen appliances, allowing users to enjoy cooking more comfortably by removing cooking fumes. When the range hood is running, it draws in cooking fumes through the intake and filters them through a mesh screen to reduce grease buildup on the inner walls and internal components. However, after a period of use, a significant amount of grease will accumulate, requiring regular cleaning.

[0003] Among the related technologies, some clean the various parts of the range hood by steam, hot water, or cleaning agents; however, this cleaning method results in a complex product structure and generally poor cleaning effect. Other methods involve heating and cleaning by resistance heating, heating tube heating, or electromagnetic heating, but these methods have low electrothermal conversion efficiency and complex structures.

[0004] In the process of implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, it was found that at least the following problems exist in the related technology: when softening the oil stains on the impeller of the range hood by electric heating, a small amount of residue remains on the impeller surface, and the cleaning is not thorough. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a brief summary is given below. This summary is not intended as a general commentary, nor is it intended to identify key / important components or describe the scope of protection of these embodiments, but rather as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0006] This disclosure provides a method and apparatus for cleaning the impeller of a range hood, as well as a range hood itself, to solve the technical problems of incomplete impeller cleaning and residual oil stains on the impeller surface.

[0007] In some embodiments, the impeller of the range hood is equipped with an electrothermal coating; the method for cleaning the range hood includes: heating the impeller according to a preset heating method to soften the oil stains on the impeller; after the oil stains are softened, controlling the impeller to rotate to fling the softened oil stains off the impeller.

[0008] In some embodiments, the device includes: a heating module configured to heat the impeller according to a preset heating method to soften the oil on the impeller; and a throwing module configured to control the impeller to rotate after the oil softening is complete, so as to throw the softened oil off the impeller.

[0009] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions, the processor being configured to perform the above-described method for cleaning a range hood when executing the program instructions.

[0010] In some embodiments, the range hood includes: an impeller with an electrothermal coating and the aforementioned device for cleaning the range hood; wherein the impeller has an electrothermal coating on the blade side facing the suction direction of the range hood, or the impeller has an electrothermal coating on both sides of the blade, or the impeller has an electrothermal coating on the inner surface of the housing.

[0011] The method, apparatus, and range hood for cleaning the impeller of a range hood provided in this disclosure can achieve the following technical effects:

[0012] The range hood responds to a cleaning command by softening the grease on the impeller. After softening, the grease flows into the grease cup under gravity. After the grease softening is complete, the impeller is rotated to fling off any remaining softened grease. Compared with the prior art, this embodiment solves the problem of residual softened grease on the impeller. The centrifugal force of the rotating impeller flings the residual softened grease away from the impeller, achieving thorough cleaning and improving the cleaning effect.

[0013] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0014] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations and drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are considered similar elements. The drawings do not constitute a limitation of scale, and wherein:

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a method for cleaning a range hood impeller provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another method for cleaning the impeller of a range hood provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another method for cleaning the impeller of a range hood provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a device for cleaning a range hood provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another device for cleaning range hoods provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To provide a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this disclosure, the implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. In the following technical description, for ease of explanation, several details are used to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may still be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices may be simplified in their depiction to simplify the drawings.

[0021] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0022] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0023] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0024] The term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0025] Combination Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this disclosure provides a method for cleaning a range hood impeller, wherein the range hood impeller is equipped with an electrothermal coating, and the cleaning steps include:

[0026] S101, heats the impeller according to the preset heating method to soften the oil stains on the impeller.

[0027] As an example, impeller cleaning commands can be obtained either through user button selection or by the range hood automatically activating its self-cleaning function. For instance, if the range hood's control panel has a cleaning button / touch key, the user can select whether to activate the cleaning command based on the degree of grease buildup on the impeller. Alternatively, if the range hood has a self-cleaning function, the user can choose whether to automatically activate the impeller cleaning command based on parameters such as runtime.

[0028] Optionally, the operating status of the range hood can be obtained, and when the operating status indicates that the range hood is in a non-working state, that is, when the range hood is in a non-cooking state, the cleaning command can be responded to and the range hood impeller can be cleaned.

[0029] Since condensing oil fumes can improve the interception rate of oil fumes, turning on the oil fume impeller cleaning during cooking is not conducive to oil fume interception. Therefore, the range hood impeller cleaning can be done when not cooking.

[0030] The range hood impeller is heated in a preset heating mode to soften the grease on the impeller. The softened grease then flows into the oil cup or oil tank under gravity.

[0031] Optionally, the heating method may include a preset heating duration and / or a preset heating temperature.

[0032] In this embodiment, the preset heating method can be to heat the range hood impeller at a preset heating temperature to soften the grease; or, to heat the range hood impeller for a preset heating time to soften the grease; or, to heat the range hood impeller at a preset heating temperature for a preset heating time to soften the grease. This makes it easier to select the heating method of the range hood impeller according to its condition, so as to better achieve impeller heating and soften the grease.

[0033] The heating method can be set according to user needs or selected according to the range hood program settings. For example, the range hood program has options for heating temperature and heating time, which can be selected according to cleaning needs.

[0034] S102, after the oil softening is complete, control the impeller to rotate and throw the softened oil away from the impeller.

[0035] After the oil on the impeller softens, it flows under gravity. Most of the softened oil detaches from the impeller surface and flows into the oil cup. Some softened oil remains on the impeller surface. Because this portion of oil is small, it cannot detach from the impeller under gravity and remains on the surface. In this situation, controlling the impeller's rotation causes the remaining softened oil on the impeller surface to be thrown off by centrifugal force, achieving thorough cleaning of the impeller.

[0036] Optionally, the fan can be controlled to rotate alternately in both forward and reverse directions. In this embodiment, when controlling the impeller rotation to throw off residual softened oil, the fan can rotate forward, reverse, or alternate between the two. However, the airflow is smaller in reverse rotation compared to forward rotation; therefore, the effect of throwing off oil may be less effective than that of forward rotation. To achieve cleaner removal of residual softened oil, the fan can be controlled to rotate forward for a preset time, then reverse for a preset time; that is, by alternating forward and reverse operation of the fan, the oil removal effect is improved.

[0037] Combination Figure 2 As shown in the figure, this disclosure provides a method for cleaning a range hood impeller, wherein the range hood impeller is equipped with an electrothermal coating, and the cleaning steps include:

[0038] S201, The impeller is heated according to a preset heating method to soften the oil stains on the impeller.

[0039] In this embodiment, the range hood impeller is heated and softened according to a preset heating method. This can be referred to step S101 in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0040] S202, after the oil softening is complete, control the impeller to rotate and throw the softened oil away from the impeller.

[0041] In this embodiment, the impeller is controlled to rotate to throw off the softened oil stains, which can be referred to step S102 in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0042] S203, after controlling the impeller to rotate, if it is determined that there is residual oil on the impeller, the impeller is heated again.

[0043] In this embodiment, if residual oil remains on the impeller after it rotates and shakes off the softened oil, the impeller is then heated again. This second heating treatment can be performed using the same method as before, or a new heating method can be employed.

[0044] The same heating method as before is adopted, namely the preset heating method in step S201. This can be to heat the range hood impeller at a preset heating temperature to soften the residual oil; or, to heat the range hood impeller for a preset heating time to soften the residual oil; or, to heat the range hood impeller at a preset heating temperature for a preset time to soften the residual oil.

[0045] A new heating method is adopted. This new method can be to heat the range hood impeller at a new preset heating temperature to soften the residual grease; or, to heat the range hood impeller for a new preset heating time to soften the residual grease; or, to heat the range hood impeller at a new preset heating temperature for a new preset time to soften the residual grease. In this embodiment, a reheating treatment method is set for the residual grease on the impeller. In this way, the appropriate reheating treatment method can be selected according to the condition of the residual grease, which improves the flexibility of heating treatment and facilitates the cleaning of residual grease.

[0046] After reheating, the impeller is rotated to fling off the softened oil stains. This solves the problem of stubborn oil stains on the range hood impeller, achieving thorough cleaning and making the impeller cleaner.

[0047] Optionally, the impeller may be heated again, including vaporizing the remaining oil and discharging the vaporized oil.

[0048] In this implementation, reheating the impeller allows for the vaporization of residual oil. Specifically, the impeller is heated to vaporize the residual oil, and then the impeller is rotated to discharge the vaporized oil. This vaporization process effectively cleans stubborn oil stains from the impeller, improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0049] The vaporization temperature of residual oil is generally between 200℃ and 400℃; the vaporization temperature can be selected according to the oil content. Furthermore, given that the vaporization of residual oil requires a relatively high temperature, to prevent accidental injury to users, a reminder message can be sent to the user during the oil vaporization process on the range hood impeller; the reminder message can be sent via voice prompts, flashing warning lights, or an alarm sound.

[0050] Combination Figure 3 As shown in the figure, this disclosure provides a method for cleaning a range hood impeller, wherein the range hood impeller is equipped with an electrothermal coating, and the cleaning steps include:

[0051] S301, The impeller is heated according to a preset heating method to soften the oil stains on the impeller.

[0052] In this embodiment, the range hood impeller is heated and softened according to a preset heating method. This can be referred to step S101 in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0053] S302, after the oil softening is complete, control the impeller to rotate and throw the softened oil away from the impeller.

[0054] In this embodiment, the impeller is controlled to rotate to throw off the softened oil stains, which can be referred to step S102 in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0055] S303: After controlling the impeller to rotate, if it is determined that there is residual oil on the impeller, the residual degree information of the oil on the impeller is obtained, a new heating method is determined based on the residual degree information, and the impeller is heated according to the new heating method.

[0056] In this embodiment, after determining that there is residual oil on the impeller, a new heating method can be determined based on the residual degree of the oil. In this way, different heating methods are used for different residual degree information, which can more reasonably clean the residual oil on the impeller and avoid the problems of wasting cleaning resources or inadequate cleaning.

[0057] Optionally, obtaining information on the residual degree of oil on the impeller includes: determining the residual degree information based on the area of ​​the residual oil on the impeller and / or the thickness of the residual oil on the impeller.

[0058] In this embodiment, when residual oil stains exist on the impeller, the degree of oil residue on the impeller can be determined based on the area, thickness, or both. Then, a new heating method is determined based on this degree of residue information to heat the impeller. The degree of oil residue on the impeller can be automatically detected by the range hood. For example, automatic detection can employ image acquisition and processing, capacitive detection, or photoelectric detection, etc.

[0059] Optionally, determining a new heating method based on residual information includes: heating the impeller according to a first heating method when the residual information is less than a first set threshold; heating the impeller according to a second heating method when the residual information is greater than or equal to the first set threshold and less than a second set threshold; and heating the impeller according to a third heating method when the residual information is greater than the second set threshold.

[0060] In this embodiment, if the residual degree information is less than a first preset threshold, the impeller is heated according to a first preset heating method; the first heating method can be a first heating temperature or a first heating duration, or a first heating temperature and a first heating duration. If the residual degree information is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold and less than a second preset threshold, the impeller is heated according to a second heating method; the second heating method can be a second heating temperature or a second heating duration, or a second heating temperature and a second heating duration. If the residual degree information is greater than the second preset threshold, the impeller is heated according to a third heating method; the third heating method can be a third heating temperature or a third heating duration, or a third heating temperature and a third heating duration.

[0061] The relationship between the new heating methods can be as follows: The greater the residual amount, the higher the heating temperature and / or the longer the heating time; that is, the residual amount is directly proportional to the heating temperature or heating time. Alternatively, the smaller the residual amount, the higher the heating temperature and / or the longer the heating time; that is, the residual amount is inversely proportional to the heating temperature or heating time; smaller oil stains may be more difficult to clean, and relatively large oil stains may require higher heating temperatures. Or, there may be no linear relationship between the residual amount and the heating temperature or heating time, and the relationship may be random.

[0062] In this embodiment, a new heating method is determined based on the residual level information, making the cleaning process of the range hood impeller more reasonable and helping to improve the cleaning effect.

[0063] Combination Figure 4As shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a device for cleaning the impeller of a range hood, including a heating module 21 and a sling-off module 22. The heating module 21 is configured to heat the impeller according to a preset heating method to soften the oil stains on the impeller; the sling-off module 22 is configured to control the impeller to rotate after the oil stains have softened, thereby slinging the softened oil stains off the impeller.

[0064] The device for cleaning the impeller of a range hood provided in this embodiment solves the problem of residual softened oil stains on the impeller. The rotation of the impeller helps to dislodge the residual softened oil stains under centrifugal force, thus improving the cleaning effect.

[0065] Combination Figure 5 As shown, this disclosure provides an apparatus for cleaning a range hood impeller, including a processor 600 and a memory 601. Optionally, the apparatus may further include a communication interface 602 and a bus 603. The processor 600, communication interface 602, and memory 601 can communicate with each other via the bus 603. The communication interface 602 can be used for information transmission. The processor 600 can call logical instructions in the memory 601 to execute the method for cleaning the range hood impeller described in the above embodiment.

[0066] Furthermore, the logic instructions in the aforementioned memory 601 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0067] The memory 601, as a computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store software programs and computer-executable programs, such as program instructions / modules corresponding to the methods in the embodiments of this disclosure. The processor 100 executes functional applications and data processing by running the program instructions / modules stored in the memory 601, that is, it implements the method for cleaning the impeller of the range hood in the above embodiments.

[0068] The memory 601 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and applications required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the terminal device. Furthermore, the memory 601 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory.

[0069] This disclosure provides a range hood, including an impeller with an electrothermal coating and the aforementioned device for cleaning the range hood impeller. The electrothermal coating is provided on the blade side of the impeller facing the suction direction of the range hood, or on both sides of the blade side of the impeller, or on the inner surface of the impeller housing.

[0070] This disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions configured to perform the above-described method for cleaning the impeller of a range hood.

[0071] This disclosure provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The computer program includes program instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the above-described method for cleaning the impeller of a range hood.

[0072] The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may be a transient computer-readable storage medium or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0073] The technical solutions of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes one or more instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in this disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium can be a non-transitory storage medium, including: a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, and other media capable of storing program code; it can also be a transient storage medium.

[0074] The foregoing description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate embodiments of this disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural, logical, electrical, procedural, and other changes. The embodiments represent only possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the order of operation may vary. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included in or replace parts and features of other embodiments. Moreover, the terminology used in this application is for describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit the claims. As used in the description of embodiments and claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to equally include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, the term “and / or” as used in this application means including one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations thereof. Additionally, when used in this application, the term "comprise" and its variations "comprises" and / or "comprising" refer to the presence of stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, or apparatus that includes said element. In this document, each embodiment may focus on the differences from other embodiments, and similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. For methods, products, etc., disclosed in the embodiments, if they correspond to the method section disclosed in the embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to the description of the method section.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0076] The methods and products (including but not limited to devices and equipment) disclosed in the embodiments herein can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units may be merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the shown or discussed units may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected to implement this embodiment according to actual needs. Furthermore, the functional units in the embodiments of this disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0077] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than that shown in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. In the descriptions corresponding to the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings, the operations or steps corresponding to different blocks may also occur in a different order than disclosed in the description, and sometimes there is no specific order between different operations or steps. For example, two consecutive operations or steps may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. Each block in a block diagram and / or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning a range hood impeller, wherein the range hood impeller is provided with an electrothermal coating, characterized in that, include: The impeller is heated according to a preset heating method to soften the oil stains on the impeller; After the oil has softened, the impeller is rotated to fling the softened oil away from the impeller. If residual oil is found on the impeller, the impeller is heated again; wherein, heating the impeller again includes vaporizing the residual oil and discharging the vaporized oil.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset heating method includes a preset heating duration and / or a preset heating temperature.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of reheating the impeller includes: Obtain information on the residual oil level on the impeller, determine a new heating method based on the residual oil level information, and heat the impeller according to the new heating method.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The process of obtaining information on the residual oil level on the impeller includes: The residual oil level information is determined based on the area of ​​the residual oil on the impeller and / or the thickness of the residual oil on the impeller.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Determining a new heating method based on the residual level information includes: If the residual level information is less than a first set threshold, the impeller is heated according to a first heating method; If the residual level information is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold and less than a second preset threshold, the impeller is heated according to a second heating method. If the residual level information is greater than the second set threshold, the impeller is heated according to the third heating method.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control of the impeller rotation includes: The fan controls the impeller to rotate forward, reverse, or alternate between forward and reverse rotation.

7. A device for cleaning the impeller of a smoke machine, characterized in that, include: The heating module is configured to heat the impeller according to a preset heating method to soften the oil stains on the impeller; If residual oil is found on the impeller, the impeller is heated again; wherein, the reheating of the impeller includes vaporizing the residual oil and discharging the vaporized oil. The ejection module is configured to control the impeller to rotate after the oil has softened, thereby ejecting the softened oil from the impeller.

8. A device for cleaning the impeller of a range hood, comprising a processor and a memory storing program instructions, characterized in that, The processor is configured to perform the method for cleaning a range hood as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 when executing the program instructions.

9. A range hood, characterized in that, include: Impeller equipped with an electrothermal coating; and The apparatus for cleaning the impeller of a smoke machine as described in claim 7 or 8; Among them, an electrothermal coating is provided on the impeller side facing the suction direction of the smoke machine, or... An electrothermal coating is provided on both sides of the impeller blades, or... An electrothermal coating is provided on the inner surface of the impeller housing.

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