Control method for automatic regulation of steam quantity on an iron and iron

Abstract

The application discloses a control method for automatically adjusting steam amount on an iron and the iron, and the method comprises the following steps: setting a first steam amount and a second steam amount, wherein the first steam amount is greater than the second steam amount; starting to count the heating time when the steam function is turned off; and when the time reaches a certain value, the user starts the steam switch again, and the steam control logic can be executed from the first steam amount, and the second steam amount is executed in other cases. The control method fully considers whether the iron has sufficient heat accumulation when the steam function is turned on, so that balance between dripping and ironing efficiency is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ironing device technology, specifically to a control method for automatically adjusting the amount of steam on an iron and an iron in general. Background Technology

[0002] Before steam is produced, the aluminum plate of the iron's soleplate stores a significant amount of heat while maintaining a certain high temperature. When water is added, this heat vaporizes a large amount of water, resulting in steam volume A. As the temperature drops and the iron begins to heat up, the amount of steam vaporized under continuous heating, according to the energy conversion formula, is B, but the value of B is much smaller than A. Therefore, a control logic is needed to adjust the water pump's output.

[0003] Current control logic:

[0004] Using a fixed steam output A initially produces a large amount of steam, but if the user irons for even a short period, the iron will start dripping. Using a fixed steam output B produces a smaller amount of steam, resulting in low ironing efficiency and a poor user experience. Therefore, different steam outputs can be set for different time periods, supplying steam at output A after the first period and at output B after the first period. However, this still has drawbacks: when the user stops using steam, the iron is not continuously heating, and the existing iron control logic does not fully account for heat conversion, still leading to dripping.

[0005] Another method is to add an NTC (Non-Temperature Control) sensor to detect the bottom plate temperature and adjust the steam output. Because the NTC device is located above the bottom plate inside the iron, the temperature at the NTC placement point lags behind the bottom plate temperature. Consequently, the steam output always lags behind the actual temperature, ultimately causing the iron to drip.

[0006] Therefore, this application aims to find a control method for automatically adjusting the amount of steam on an iron without increasing costs, in order to solve the problem of dripping water. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing control methods, which are not based on the fact that the iron is not constantly heating. By setting a timer T2 when the steam function of the iron is turned off to count the cumulative heating time of the iron, the amount of steam can be adjusted accordingly to prevent the iron from dripping water.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] The control method for automatically adjusting the steam output on an iron includes:

[0010] Step 1: The iron is in preheating mode, but no steam is coming out. Then proceed to Step 2.

[0011] Step 2: The processor detects the temperature controller trip signal to determine if it has tripped once; if the result is no, proceed to Step 1; if the result is yes, proceed to Step 3.

[0012] Step 3: The iron is now heated to the set temperature. You can use the steam function. Then proceed to Step 4.

[0013] Step 4: Determine if the user has turned on the steam function. If the result is no, proceed to step 7; if the result is yes, proceed to step 5.

[0014] Step 5: The processor starts a timer T1 and clears timer T2, then proceeds to step 6;

[0015] Step 6: When T1 is less than or equal to the first time, execute the first steam quantity; when T1 is greater than the first time, execute the second steam quantity, and then execute Step 4 when the iron's steam function is turned off.

[0016] Step 7: Determine if heating is in progress. If yes, proceed to step 8; otherwise, proceed to step 4.

[0017] Step 8: Start a timer T2, and determine if timer T2 is greater than or equal to the second time. If the result is positive, proceed to step 9; otherwise, proceed to step 4.

[0018] Step 9: Stop timing T2 and clear timing T1, then proceed to step 4.

[0019] Furthermore, the first steam flow rate is 80-120 g / min, and the second steam flow rate is 20-40 g / min.

[0020] Furthermore, the first time is set to 4-6 seconds; the second time is set to 6-10 seconds.

[0021] Furthermore, the first steam flow rate is 100 g / min, and the second steam flow rate is 30 g / min.

[0022] Furthermore, the first time is 5 seconds, and the second time is set to 8 seconds.

[0023] Another object of the present invention is to provide an iron including a heating assembly, a steam assembly, and a PCBA, wherein the PCBA is provided with a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, the computer program being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the method described above.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0025] This invention starts counting the heating time when the steam function is turned off. When the time reaches a certain value, the steam control logic can only restart from the first steam quantity when the user restarts the steam switch. In other cases, it operates according to the second steam quantity. This control method fully considers the heat conversion capacity of the heating plate. Steam is only supplied from the first steam quantity when the heating plate has accumulated a certain amount of heat (after heating for a certain time), thus avoiding dripping. In other cases, steam is supplied according to the second steam quantity, thereby achieving a balance between dripping and ironing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the method flow of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that:

[0029] Example

[0030] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a control method for automatically adjusting the amount of steam on an iron. The core solution is as follows: when the steam function is turned off, the heating time is counted. When the time reaches a certain value, the user restarts the steam switch, and the steam control logic can then start executing from the first steam quantity again. In other cases, it is executed according to the second steam quantity, so as to achieve a balance between dripping water and ironing efficiency.

[0031] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a detailed description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 As shown, the control method for automatically adjusting the steam volume on the iron of the present invention includes:

[0033] Step 1: The iron is in preheating mode, and no steam is coming out. Then proceed to Step 2. Preheating mode refers to the process of the iron starting to heat up from a low temperature until it reaches the set temperature setting.

[0034] Step 2: The processor detects the thermostat trip signal to determine if it has tripped once. If the result is no, proceed to Step 1; if the result is yes, proceed to Step 3. That is, by checking if the thermostat has tripped, it determines whether the set temperature has been reached. If yes, proceed to the next step; otherwise, return to Step 1 to continue preheating.

[0035] Step 3: The iron has been heated to the set temperature and the steam function can be used. Then proceed to Step 4. At this point, when the iron has heated to the set temperature, the PCBA will obtain the corresponding information from the thermostat via the CHK line. Subsequently, the PCBA will activate the water pump's water supply control circuit. At this time, the steam function is enabled. That is, if the steam function button is pressed at this time, the water pump's water supply control circuit will be fully activated, and the water pump can pump water.

[0036] Step 4: Determine if the user has turned on the steam function. If the result is no, proceed to step 7; if the result is yes, proceed to step 5.

[0037] Step 5: The processor starts a timer T1 and clears timer T2, then proceeds to step 6.

[0038] Step 6: When T1 is less than or equal to the first time, execute the first steam quantity; when T1 is greater than the first time, execute the second steam quantity, and then execute Step 4 when the iron's steam function is turned off.

[0039] That is, if the user turns on the steam function, the processor starts a timer T1. While T1 is less than or equal to the first time, steam is supplied at the larger first steam quantity. After the first time, steam is supplied at the second steam quantity. However, if the steam function status of the iron changes during this process, i.e., the user turns off the steam function, then the process returns to step four for a new judgment.

[0040] Step 7: Determine if heating is in progress. If yes, proceed to step 8; otherwise, proceed to step 4.

[0041] Step 8: Start a timer T2, and determine if timer T2 is greater than or equal to the second time. If the result is positive, proceed to step 9; otherwise, proceed to step 4.

[0042] Step 9: Stop timing T2 and clear timing T1, then proceed to step 4.

[0043] That is, the heating time of the iron is calculated by timing T2. When the heating time of the iron is greater than or equal to the second time, it is considered that the heating plate of the iron has stored enough heat. At this time, the timing T1 is cleared, and then the process returns to step four. When the user turns on the steam function, steam is supplied directly from the first steam quantity. However, if the timing T2 is less than the second time, it is considered that the heating plate of the iron does not have enough heat. At this time, the process immediately jumps back to step four. When the user turns on the steam function again, T1 is not cleared. In this way, when the time T1 is greater than the first time, steam is supplied according to the second steam quantity, instead of starting directly from the first steam quantity, thus avoiding dripping due to excessive steam.

[0044] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the first steam flow rate is 80-120 g / min; the second steam flow rate is 20-40 g / min. In this case, the first time is set to 4-6 seconds, and the second time is set to 6-10 seconds.

[0045] In a more specific embodiment of the present invention, the first steam flow rate is 100 g / min; the second steam flow rate is 30 g / min. In this case, the first time is set to 5 seconds, and the second time is set to 8 seconds.

[0046] Another object of the present invention is to provide an iron including a heating assembly, a steam assembly, and a PCBA, wherein the PCBA is provided with a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, the computer program being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the method described above.

[0047] Please refer to Figure 2 As shown, specifically, the heating component includes a thermostat TC and a heating plate R. The thermostat TC controls the heating of the heating plate R and sets its intensity level. The steam component includes a water pump M and a CHK line. The status information of the thermostat TC is obtained through the CHK line, thereby determining whether to release and allow the water pump M to start, thus enabling the steam function. The processor and memory described in this application are integrated into the PCBA.

[0048] In this application, PCBA, CHK, thermostat and heating plate are all electronic components already present in existing irons. This application does not add any other components. Without increasing costs, the amount of steam on the iron can be flexibly controlled to avoid dripping.

[0049] This invention is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus, and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0050] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0051] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a programmable data processing device, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the programmable device for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0052] It should be noted that in the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of components or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding a component does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such components. The invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different components and by means of a suitably programmed computer.

[0053] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including both the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention.

[0054] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

[0055] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0056] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms should not be construed as necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0057] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for automatically adjusting the steam volume on an iron, comprising setting a first steam volume and a second steam volume, wherein the first steam volume is greater than the second steam volume, characterized in that, Also includes: Step 1: The iron is in preheating mode, but no steam is coming out. Then proceed to Step 2. Step 2: The processor detects the temperature controller trip signal to determine if it has tripped once; if the result is no, proceed to Step 1; if the result is yes, proceed to Step 3. Step 3: The iron is now heated to the set temperature. You can use the steam function. Then proceed to Step 4. Step 4: Determine if the user has turned on the steam function. If the result is no, proceed to step 7; if the result is yes, proceed to step 5. Step 5: The processor starts a timer T1 and clears timer T2, then proceeds to step 6; Step 6: When T1 is less than or equal to the first time, execute the first steam quantity; when T1 is greater than the first time, execute the second steam quantity, and then execute Step 4 when the iron's steam function is turned off. Step 7: Determine if heating is in progress. If yes, proceed to step 8; otherwise, proceed to step 4. Step 8: Start a timer T2, and determine if timer T2 is greater than or equal to the second time. If the result is yes, proceed to step 9; otherwise, proceed to step 4. Step 9: Stop timing T2 and clear timing T1, then proceed to step 4.

2. The control method for automatically adjusting the steam volume on an iron as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first steam flow rate is 80-120 g / min, and the second steam flow rate is 20-40 g / min.

3. The control method for automatically adjusting the steam volume on an iron as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The first time is set to 4-6 seconds; the second time is set to 6-10 seconds.

4. The control method for automatically adjusting the steam volume on an iron as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The first steam flow rate is 100 g / min, and the second steam flow rate is 30 g / min.

5. The control method for automatically adjusting the steam volume on an iron as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The first time interval is 5 seconds, and the second time interval is set to 8 seconds.

6. An iron, comprising a heating element, a steam element, and a PCBA, wherein the PCBA is equipped with a memory and a processor, characterized in that: The memory stores a computer program, which is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

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