Laundry treating apparatus and foam self-cleaning method, device thereof

Abstract

This invention provides a garment processing device and its foam self-cleaning method and apparatus. The foam self-cleaning method includes: applying heat radiation to the washing tub of the garment processing device; acquiring temperature distribution information before and after heat radiation; determining temperature change information based on the temperature distribution information before and after heat radiation; and identifying foam areas based on the foam's specific heat capacity and temperature change information. The foam self-cleaning method provided by this invention obtains temperature information for two areas—foam areas and non-foam areas—by recognizing the different temperature change information corresponding to the different specific heat capacities of foam and wet clothes. By identifying the location of foam within the tub, the degree of foam residue is detected, avoiding the problem of inaccurate detection of residual foam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of clothing processing equipment, and particularly relates to a clothing processing device and its foam self-cleaning method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] During the washing process, the washing and rinsing of clothes are achieved by the lifting ribs inside the drum lifting the clothes to a certain height and then dropping them to generate foam for cleaning. After the washing cycle is completed, the clothes usually have a lot of foam left on them.

[0003] Currently, most washing machines perform foam cleaning during the rinsing stage. However, the technology for recognizing foam before the rinsing stage is not yet mature. This can lead to incorrect foam information triggering the spray valve to clean the foam in the washing tub, resulting in prolonged washing times, low washing efficiency, water waste, and a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a garment processing device and a foam self-cleaning method and apparatus thereof to solve the technical problem of low accuracy in identifying foam inside the bucket in the prior art.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the first aspect of this invention provides a foam self-cleaning method for a garment processing device, wherein the garment processing device is equipped with a heat radiation module, and the foam self-cleaning method includes:

[0006] Heat radiation is directed onto the washing tub of the garment processing equipment;

[0007] Obtain temperature distribution information before and after thermal radiation;

[0008] Determine temperature change information based on temperature distribution information before and after thermal radiation;

[0009] Identify foam areas based on temperature change information.

[0010] Alternatively, the garment treatment equipment may include a defoaming stage, and the foam self-cleaning method may further include:

[0011] When a foamy area is identified, a defoaming phase is executed along with the corresponding defoaming parameters.

[0012] Further, optionally, heat radiation is applied to the washing tub of the garment processing equipment, including:

[0013] The duration of thermal radiation is controlled to a preset duration.

[0014] Further optionally, the temperature change information includes the amount of temperature change, and the foam area is identified based on the temperature change information, including:

[0015] Based on temperature change information, determine whether there are different areas in the washing tub with temperature differences that meet preset conditions;

[0016] If present, compare the temperature changes between different regions to determine the foam area.

[0017] Further, optionally, the temperature changes in different regions are compared to determine the foam region, including:

[0018] Based on the difference in specific heat capacity between wet clothing and foam, the region with the largest temperature change among different areas is the foam region.

[0019] Further optionally, when there are no different areas within the washing tub with temperature differences meeting preset conditions, the foam self-cleaning method also includes:

[0020] Determine whether the temperature change in each region matches the temperature change corresponding to the specific heat capacity of the foam.

[0021] If a match is found, the area corresponding to the temperature change is considered the foam area.

[0022] If there is a mismatch, the area corresponding to the temperature change is considered a non-foam area.

[0023] Further, optionally, a defoaming stage is performed, including:

[0024] Determine the area of ​​the foam region;

[0025] Defoaming parameters are determined based on the area of ​​the foam region.

[0026] Defoaming is performed on the foamed areas according to the defoaming parameters.

[0027] Alternatively, the garment processing equipment is equipped with a spray valve, and the defoaming parameters include: the water flow rate of the spray valve and / or the motor speed of the garment processing equipment;

[0028] Defoaming the foam area according to the defoaming parameters includes controlling the water flow rate of the spray valve and / or the motor speed of the clothing treatment equipment.

[0029] Optionally, the garment processing equipment is equipped with a thermal imager to acquire temperature distribution information before and after thermal radiation, including: acquiring thermal imaging information of the washing tub before and after thermal radiation collected by the thermal imager.

[0030] And / or, the garment processing equipment is equipped with multiple temperature sensors to obtain temperature distribution information before and after heat radiation, including: obtaining temperature information at multiple locations inside the washing tub before and after heat radiation collected by multiple temperature sensors.

[0031] A second aspect of the present invention provides a foam self-cleaning device for a garment processing apparatus, comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein when the one or more processors execute the program instructions, the one or more processors are used to implement the foam self-cleaning method of any one of the first aspects.

[0032] A third aspect of the present invention provides a garment treatment device that employs the foam self-cleaning method of any one of the first aspects, or includes the foam self-cleaning device of the second aspect.

[0033] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0034] This invention obtains temperature information for two regions—foam region and non-foam region—based on the different temperature changes corresponding to the different specific heat capacities of foam and wet clothes. By identifying the location of foam in the bucket, the degree of foam residue can be detected, thus avoiding the problem of inaccurate detection of residual foam.

[0035] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0036] The accompanying drawings, as part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the invention are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings:

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a garment processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of a foam self-cleaning method for a clothing treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a foam self-cleaning method for a clothing treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature recognition process in the foam self-cleaning method of a clothing treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Among them: 1-controller, 2-temperature recognition module, 3-thermal radiation module, 4-foam area, 5-non-foam area, 6-spray valve.

[0042] It should be noted that these accompanying drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0043] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "inner" and "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0044] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "contact," and "communication" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0045] To address the low accuracy of foam identification within the container in existing technologies, this embodiment provides a foam self-cleaning method for clothing processing equipment. To further illustrate the technical solution of this invention, we first combine... Figure 1 The following describes the clothing processing device in an embodiment of the present invention. The clothing processing device proposed in this invention includes a controller 1, a heat radiation module 3, a temperature recognition module 2, and a spray valve 6. The controller 1 is used for information data processing, control, and storage; the temperature recognition module 2 is used to collect temperature information data; the heat radiation module 3 is used to radiate heat to the washing tub; and the spray valve 6 is used to rinse away foam. Specifically, as shown... Figure 1 As shown, the spray valve 6 is located on the upper part of the washing machine door. The water outlet is a semi-circular outlet to expand the rinsing area and enhance the impact force, so as to rinse away the residual foam as much as possible and let it flow with the water.

[0046] The foam self-cleaning method of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Combination Figure 2 The process diagram shows that the foam self-cleaning method includes S1 to S4, wherein:

[0048] S1, heat radiation is directed onto the washing tub of the garment processing equipment;

[0049] S2, obtain temperature distribution information before and after thermal radiation;

[0050] S3, determine temperature change information based on temperature distribution information before and after thermal radiation;

[0051] S4 identifies foam areas based on temperature change information.

[0052] Specifically, in combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 :

[0053] 1. Controller 1 sets the initial foam specific heat capacity value, and the calculation of subsequent foam temperature change data information refers to this set value;

[0054] 2. Temperature recognition module 2 works to collect temperature information of each area inside the washing tub (i.e., temperature distribution information before heat radiation) and set the initial temperature value.

[0055] 3. Heat radiation module 3 is activated, radiating heat into the washing tub;

[0056] 4. Temperature recognition module 2 works to collect temperature distribution information inside the washing tub after heat radiation. Controller 1 calculates temperature change information based on the temperature distribution information inside the washing tub before and after heat radiation.

[0057] 5. Make a judgment. If there is a certain temperature difference area in the washing tub, proceed to the next stage of processing to distinguish between foam areas and non-foam areas. Otherwise, judge whether it is a foam area based on the temperature information change of the specific heat capacity of the area. If it is determined to be non-foam, then end the control.

[0058] This embodiment obtains temperature information for two regions—foam region and non-foam region—based on the different temperature changes corresponding to the different specific heat capacities of foam and wet clothes. By identifying the location of foam in the bucket, the degree of foam residue is detected, thus avoiding the problem of inaccurate detection of residual foam.

[0059] Among them, the thermal radiation module 2 is a heat generating device, which can be heating ring heating, hot air heating, etc., and the present invention does not limit it; its shape is not limited by the present invention. Figure 1 The ring-shaped structure shown can be any other shape. The temperature recognition module 2 can be a temperature sensor, thermal imager, etc., and this invention does not limit this. Furthermore, the installation position of the spray valve 6 is not restricted. Figure 1 The invention does not limit the installation location shown; it can be installed in other locations on the washing machine body.

[0060] Alternatively, the garment treatment equipment may include a defoaming stage, and the foam self-cleaning method may further include S5:

[0061] S5, when a foam area is detected, execute the defoaming stage and the corresponding defoaming parameters.

[0062] Specifically, by precisely controlling the spray valve 6 to rinse away residual foam, it avoids the problem of residual foam on the inner drum door seal not being rinsed clean, which would affect the user experience and prevent accidental cleaning of foam in the washing tub, which would lead to long washing time and low washing efficiency. The closed-loop control of detection and cleaning effectively removes residual foam, saves water resources, and provides a high-quality user experience.

[0063] Alternatively, S1 may specifically be:

[0064] The duration of thermal radiation is controlled to a preset duration. The preset duration is preferably a unit duration, such as 1 minute, which facilitates the identification and judgment of temperature change information, thereby improving the accuracy of identifying foam areas.

[0065] Further optionally, the temperature change information includes the amount of temperature change, and S4 includes S41 to S42, wherein:

[0066] S41, determine whether there are different areas in the washing tub with temperature differences that meet the preset conditions based on the temperature change information; if so, proceed to S42.

[0067] S42 compares the temperature changes between different regions to determine the foam area.

[0068] Specifically, preset conditions are used to determine whether the temperature difference between different areas is significant. For example, after heat radiation, the area inside the washing tub may be divided into two regions (i.e., foam region 4 and non-foam region 5), denoted as region A and region B. The average temperature of region A is t1, and the average temperature of region B is t2. When the temperature difference between t1 and t2 is greater than or equal to the preset value, it is considered that the temperature difference between the two regions is significant. The preset value is related to the specific heat capacity of foam and the specific heat capacity of wet clothes, which will not be explained in detail here.

[0069] Further, optionally, step S42 specifically includes:

[0070] Based on the difference in specific heat capacity between wet clothing and foam, the region with the largest temperature change among different areas is the foam region.

[0071] Specifically, after the heat generator provides uniform heat radiation to the washing tub for a preset time, the temperature change information of the same substance in the tub is the same per unit time. Therefore, based on the different temperature change information corresponding to the different specific heat capacities of foam and wet clothes, temperature information for two areas, foam area 4 and non-foam area 5, is obtained. The temperature recognition module 2 identifies the location of the foam in the tub to detect the degree of foam residue, avoiding the problem of inaccurate detection of residual foam. The specific temperature recognition process of the temperature recognition module 2 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 4 .

[0072] For example, in regions A and B above, the region with the largest temperature change is foam region 4.

[0073] Further optionally, when there are no significantly different temperature zones within the washing tub, the foam self-cleaning method further includes S43 to S45, wherein:

[0074] S43, determine whether the temperature change in each region matches the temperature change corresponding to the specific heat capacity of the foam; if they match, proceed to S44; if they do not match, proceed to S45.

[0075] S44 is considered as the foam region corresponding to the temperature change.

[0076] S45 is considered as the non-foam region corresponding to the temperature change.

[0077] Specifically, if there is a certain temperature difference area within the washing tub, the next stage of processing is carried out to distinguish between foam areas and non-foam areas, and defoaming treatment is performed on the foam areas; otherwise, it is determined whether it is a foam area based on the temperature information change of the specific heat capacity of the area. If it is determined to be a non-foam area, the control ends.

[0078] Further optionally, step S5 includes S51 to S53, wherein:

[0079] S51, Determine the area of ​​the foam region;

[0080] S52, determine the defoaming parameters based on the area of ​​the foam region;

[0081] S53, defoaming is performed on the foam area according to the defoaming parameters.

[0082] Alternatively, the garment processing equipment is equipped with a spray valve, and the defoaming parameters include: the water flow rate of the spray valve and / or the motor speed of the garment processing equipment;

[0083] Defoaming the foamed area according to the defoaming parameters includes controlling the water flow rate of the spray valve and / or the motor speed of the garment processing equipment.

[0084] Specifically, if a foamy area is identified, its area is further assessed. Based on this area, the spray valve's water flow and motor speed are adjusted, and finally, the foam is rinsed away. This allows for precise control of the spray valve to remove residual foam, preventing residual foam from the inner drum door seal from being left uncleaned, which would negatively impact user experience. It also prevents accidental cleaning of foam inside the washing tub, which would lead to longer washing times and lower washing efficiency. The closed-loop control of detection and cleaning effectively removes residual foam, conserves water resources, and provides a superior user experience.

[0085] Optionally, the garment processing equipment is equipped with a thermal imager to acquire temperature distribution information before and after thermal radiation, including: acquiring thermal imaging information of the washing tub before and after thermal radiation collected by the thermal imager.

[0086] And / or, the garment processing equipment is equipped with multiple temperature sensors to obtain temperature distribution information before and after heat radiation, including: obtaining temperature information at multiple locations inside the washing tub before and after heat radiation collected by multiple temperature sensors.

[0087] The second aspect of this embodiment provides a foam self-cleaning device for a garment processing apparatus, which includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions. When the one or more processors execute the program instructions, the one or more processors are used to implement the foam self-cleaning method of any one of the first aspects.

[0088] The third aspect of this embodiment provides a garment treatment device that employs any of the foam self-cleaning methods in the first aspect, or includes the foam self-cleaning device of the second aspect.

[0089] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. 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 modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0090] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0091] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-described technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A foam self-cleaning method for a garment processing device, wherein the garment processing device is equipped with a heat radiation module, characterized in that, The foam self-cleaning method includes: Heat radiation is applied to the washing tub of the garment processing equipment; Obtain temperature distribution information before and after heat radiation inside the washing tub; The temperature change information is determined based on the temperature distribution information before and after the thermal radiation. The foam region is identified based on the temperature change information.

2. The foam self-cleaning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The garment treatment equipment includes a defoaming stage, and the foam self-cleaning method further includes: When the foam area is identified, the defoaming stage and the corresponding defoaming parameters are executed.

3. The foam self-cleaning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Applying heat radiation to the washing tub of the garment processing equipment includes: The duration of thermal radiation is controlled to a preset duration. The temperature change information includes the amount of temperature change. Identifying foam regions based on the temperature change information includes: Based on the temperature change information, determine whether there are different areas in the washing tub with temperature differences that meet preset conditions; If present, the temperature changes in the different regions are compared to determine the foam region.

4. The foam self-cleaning method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The temperature changes in the different regions are compared to determine the foam region, including: Based on the difference in specific heat capacity between wet clothing and foam, the region with the largest temperature change among the different regions is determined to be the foam region.

5. The foam self-cleaning method according to claim 4, characterized in that, When there are no different areas within the washing tub with temperature differences meeting the preset conditions, the foam self-cleaning method further includes: Determine whether the temperature change in each region matches the temperature change corresponding to the specific heat capacity of the foam. If a match is found, the area corresponding to the temperature change is considered the foam area. If there is a mismatch, the area corresponding to the temperature change is considered a non-foam area.

6. The foam self-cleaning method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Performing the defoaming phase includes: Determine the area of ​​the foam region; Defoaming parameters are determined based on the area of ​​the foam region; The foam area is defoamed according to the defoaming parameters.

7. The foam self-cleaning method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The garment processing equipment is equipped with a spray valve, and the defoaming parameters include: the water flow rate of the spray valve and / or the motor speed of the garment processing equipment; Defoaming the foam area according to the defoaming parameters includes: controlling the water flow rate of the spray valve and / or the motor speed of the clothing treatment equipment.

8. The foam self-cleaning method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The clothing processing equipment is equipped with a thermal imager. The step of acquiring temperature distribution information before and after thermal radiation in the washing tub includes: acquiring thermal imaging information of the washing tub before and after thermal radiation collected by the thermal imager. And / or, the clothing processing equipment is equipped with multiple temperature sensors, and the step of acquiring temperature distribution information before and after heat radiation in the washing tub includes: acquiring temperature information at multiple locations in the washing tub before and after heat radiation collected by the multiple temperature sensors.

9. A foam self-cleaning device for clothing treatment equipment, characterized in that, It includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein when the one or more processors execute the program instructions, the one or more processors are configured to implement the foam self-cleaning method according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. A garment processing device, characterized in that, It employs the foam self-cleaning method according to any one of claims 1-8, or includes the foam self-cleaning device according to claim 9.

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