A distance measuring device and distance measuring method for a lifting range hood

Abstract

The present invention discloses a distance measuring device for a lifting range hood, comprising: a housing; a fan, arranged in the housing; a smoke collecting chamber, arranged in the housing; a detection mechanism, used to horizontally detect whether there is an obstruction; a vertical telescopic rod, provided with the detection mechanism, which can be telescoped in the vertical direction and is used to extend vertically downward until the detection mechanism detects the obstruction; a translation structure, arranged on the smoke collecting chamber, which can drive the vertical telescopic rod to move back and forth in the horizontal direction; a driving mechanism, arranged in the housing and connected to the smoke collecting chamber, used to limit the distance by which the smoke collecting chamber is driven to descend according to the vertical distance between the smoke collecting chamber and the obstruction detected by the detection mechanism. The present invention also discloses a distance measuring method. The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the accuracy and efficiency of distance measurement are comprehensively improved by increasing the detection density and shortening the detection time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a distance measuring device and a distance measuring method for a lifting range hood, and is applied in the technical field of kitchen appliances. Background Art

[0002] A lift range hood is one with a smoke collection chamber that can be raised and lowered. By adjusting the position of the smoke collection chamber, the distance between the smoke collection chamber and the pot can be reduced during oil fume extraction, improving the extraction effect. The smoke collection chamber can also be retracted when not in use, reducing the size of the range hood for easier operation. Due to user cooking needs, the types of pots used in existing stoves are becoming increasingly complex. When using a range hood with a liftable smoke collection chamber, the smoke collection chamber can easily collide with the pot during its descent. However, the irregular shape of the pot can lead to inaccurate measurements when measuring the pot's height.

[0003] In a prior art application for a lift range hood, the device comprises a housing; a smoke collection chamber that can extend out of the housing to a set distance and fully retract into the housing; and a distance detection assembly mounted on the housing. The distance detection assembly can move horizontally, vertically, and / or diagonally to detect the height of an object below the housing, and the smoke collection chamber is configured to adjust its extension distance based on the height of the object below. In this prior art, the detection mechanism (detection assembly) employs a top-down detection method, which not only requires a large coverage area and complex distance measurement logic, resulting in low distance measurement efficiency, but also makes it difficult to detect the pot wall, resulting in insufficient distance measurement accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a distance measuring device and a distance measuring method for a lifting range hood, which comprehensively improves the accuracy and efficiency of distance measurement by increasing the detection density and shortening the detection time.

[0005] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0006] A distance measuring device for a lifting range hood, comprising:

[0007] chassis;

[0008] A fan is arranged in the casing;

[0009] A smoke collecting chamber is arranged in the casing;

[0010] A detection mechanism, used for horizontally detecting whether there is an obstruction;

[0011] A vertical telescopic rod, provided with the detection mechanism, can be telescoped in the vertical direction and is used to extend vertically downward until the detection mechanism detects an obstruction;

[0012] A translation structure, provided on the smoke collecting chamber, can drive the vertical telescopic rod to move back and forth in the horizontal direction;

[0013] The driving mechanism is disposed in the housing and connected to the smoke collecting chamber, and is used to limit a distance by which the smoke collecting chamber is driven to descend according to a vertical distance between the smoke collecting chamber and the obstruction detected by the detecting mechanism.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the reciprocating speed of the translation structure in the horizontal direction is greater than the speed at which the vertical telescopic rod extends vertically downward.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, the detection mechanism is located behind the stove head.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the detection mechanism includes at least one sensor, and the sensor can emit a horizontal straight detection light beam to detect whether there is an obstruction.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, the horizontal linear detection light beam emitted by the sensor passes through the center lines of all the stove heads when the translation structure drives the vertical telescopic rod to move back and forth in the horizontal direction.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention, the sensor is configured as an infrared sensor.

[0019] As a further improvement of the present invention, a plurality of vertical telescopic rods are provided and are spaced apart from each other on the translation structure.

[0020] A distance measurement method, comprising the steps of:

[0021] Step S1: The translation structure drives the vertical telescopic rod to move back and forth in the horizontal direction, and the vertical telescopic rod is synchronously extended vertically downward, and the detection mechanism continuously detects whether there is an obstruction in the horizontal direction;

[0022] Step S2: the detection mechanism detects the obstruction in the horizontal direction and obtains the vertical distance d2 between the smoke collecting chamber and the obstruction;

[0023] Step S3: the translation structure stops, the vertical telescopic rod retracts vertically upward, and the driving mechanism drives the smoke collecting chamber to descend a distance d3, d3 = d2 - d4, and d4 is a preset safety distance.

[0024] As a further improvement of the present invention, step S2: if the detection mechanism detects an obstruction in the horizontal direction before the vertical telescopic rod is vertically extended downward to the maximum stroke s1, then the vertical telescopic rod vertically extended downward distance d5 = d2.

[0025] As a further improvement of the present invention, if the detection mechanism does not detect an obstruction in the horizontal direction when the vertical telescopic rod is vertically extended downward to the maximum stroke distance s1, the driving mechanism drives the smoke collection chamber to continue to descend until the detection mechanism detects an obstruction, at which time d2 = s1.

[0026] A distance measurement method, comprising the steps of:

[0027] Step S1: The vertical telescopic rod is vertically extended downward by a distance d4, where d4 is a preset safety distance;

[0028] Step S2: the driving mechanism drives the smoke collecting chamber to continuously descend, the translation structure drives the vertical telescopic rod to reciprocate in the horizontal direction, and the detection mechanism continuously detects whether there is an obstruction in the horizontal direction;

[0029] Step S3: the detection mechanism detects an obstruction in the horizontal direction, the translation structure stops, the driving mechanism stops driving the smoke collecting chamber, and the vertical telescopic rod retracts vertically upward.

[0030] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0031] 1. Based on the horizontal detection mechanism of the detection mechanism, the detection mechanism can detect and identify the pot regardless of whether the pot is covered or not, which improves the accuracy of distance measurement;

[0032] 2. The translation structure upgrades the detection mechanism from "line" detection to "surface" detection, improving the detection density;

[0033] 3. The horizontal detection mechanism of the detection mechanism, combined with the translation structure, upgrades the detection mechanism from "line" detection to "surface" detection, allowing detection to cover the entire stovetop. Furthermore, detection can be performed horizontally, even including the edges of the stovetop within the detection range, expanding the width of the detection area and maximizing the detection range.

[0034] 4. The detection mechanism is driven by a vertical telescopic rod to move vertically downward and continuously detect. When a pot or other obstruction is detected, the distance measurement is completed. The distance measurement logic is simple and easy to execute, which improves the efficiency of distance measurement.

[0035] 5. Based on the horizontal detection mechanism and the positioning of the detection mechanism, the detection direction is sideways to the oil smoke wind direction. This can not only reduce the interference of oil smoke on the detection, but also avoid direct contact between the detection mechanism and the oil smoke, thereby preventing the formation of dirt on the detection mechanism;

[0036] 6. The detection of the cookware on the entire stove is also covered. Compared with the "point" detection in the existing technology, in this embodiment, since the detection mechanism is horizontal detection and is "line" detection, and the translation structure upgrades the "line" to "surface", the coverage time is shorter, thereby improving the efficiency of ranging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings to help understand the objects and advantages of the present invention, wherein:

[0038] Figure 1 This is a front view of the range hood distance measuring device;

[0039] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the detection range of the detection agency. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and implementation examples.

[0041] In this specification, directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, and bottom, which are mentioned or may be mentioned, are defined relative to the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings. The terms "inside" and "outside" refer to directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively. These are relative concepts and may vary depending on the location and usage of the component. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be construed as restrictive.

[0042] Implementation Case 1

[0043] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 A range hood distance measuring device includes a housing 1, a blower 2, a smoke collecting chamber 3, a detection mechanism 4, a translation structure 5, a vertical telescopic rod 6, and a driving mechanism 7. The housing 1 is arranged directly above the stove S1, on which at least one burner S2 is installed. If the stove S1 is installed with multiple burners S2, these burners S2 are arranged at intervals along the length of the stove S1. The blower and the smoke collecting chamber 3 are arranged inside the housing 1. The smoke collecting chamber 3 is provided with an air inlet and faces the area where the smoke is generated by the stove S1 below. When the blower is started, the smoke generated by the pot 3 being cooked on the burner S2 can be sucked into the smoke collecting chamber 3 through the air inlet. The translation structure 5 is provided on the smoke collecting chamber 3, the vertical telescopic rod 6 is provided on the translation structure 5, and the detection mechanism 4 is provided on the vertical telescopic rod 6.

[0044] The detection mechanism 4, the vertical telescopic rod 6 and the translation structure 5 are the main components used for measuring the distance of the range hood. Among them, the detection mechanism 4 is used to horizontally detect whether there are obstructions. Obstructions include not only the pots 3 located on the stove S2, but also other cooking utensils or kitchen utensils placed on the stove S1. The translation structure 5 can drive the vertical telescopic rod 6 to move back and forth in the horizontal direction, upgrading the detection mechanism 4 from "line" detection to "surface" detection. The vertical telescopic rod 6 can be telescoped vertically. When measuring the distance, the vertical telescopic rod 6 extends vertically downward, which can drive the detection mechanism 4 to move vertically downward. During this process, the detection mechanism 4 continuously detects whether there are obstructions until the detection mechanism 4 detects the obstruction, at which time the vertical telescopic rod 6 stops extending downward and obtains the vertical distance between the smoke collection chamber 3 and the obstruction. After completing the distance measurement, the vertical telescopic rod 6 retracts vertically upward.

[0045] The driving mechanism 7 is disposed in the housing 1 and connected to the smoke collecting chamber 3 , and is used to limit the distance by which the smoke collecting chamber 3 is driven to descend according to the vertical distance between the smoke collecting chamber 3 and the obstruction detected by the detecting mechanism 4 .

[0046] First of all, the main obstruction that the lifting range hood needs to detect is the pot 3 located on the stove S2. If the pot 3 is covered with a lid, both the horizontal detection and the vertical detection can detect the pot 3. If the pot 3 is not covered with a lid, it is limited by the thin pot wall. The vertical detection method from top to bottom is likely to fail to detect the pot wall, thereby incorrectly judging the true height of the pot wall, resulting in a large detection error, which will eventually cause the smoke collecting chamber 3 to collide with the pot 3 when it descends.

[0047] In this embodiment, the detection mechanism is to detect whether there is an obstruction (cooker 3) in the horizontal direction through the detection mechanism 4. The top edge of the cooker 3 and the top of the lid are easy to identify in the horizontal field of view. Therefore, regardless of whether the cooker 3 is covered with a lid or not, its true height can be accurately detected under the detection mechanism of this embodiment, thereby improving the accuracy of the distance measurement.

[0048] Secondly, in vertical detection, the detection range of the detection mechanism 4 generally needs to cover the entire stovetop S1. Therefore, the detection mechanism 4 requires a mobile mechanism to support its movement within the detection range. However, the mobile mechanism can only be installed on the housing 1 or the smoke collection chamber 3. Therefore, the installation of the mobile mechanism and the supported coverage range are subject to certain constraints. Alternatively, the detection coverage range can be increased by increasing the number of detection mechanisms 4, which undoubtedly increases costs. There are also some special cases, such as cooking utensils or kitchen utensils placed at the edge of the stovetop S1. In this case, they will exceed the detection coverage range of the detection mechanism 4 and cannot be detected and identified by the detection mechanism 4. In vertical detection, the detection mechanism 4 needs to detect all pots 3 on the stovetop S1 one by one, and then compare the detected pots 3 to determine the highest height of the pots 3 on the stovetop S1, and ultimately determine the range hood's descent distance. Not only is the detection mechanism relatively cumbersome, but it also takes a relatively long time, reducing the efficiency of distance measurement.

[0049] It should be noted that the detection mechanism 4 of this embodiment can reduce the detection coverage from "surface" to "line" under the mechanism of horizontal detection. For example, if the detection mechanism 4 is set to the side of the stove S1, the horizontal reciprocating movement of the translation structure 5 only needs to cover the width of the stove S1. For example, if the detection mechanism 4 is set behind the stove S1, the horizontal reciprocating movement of the translation structure 5 only needs to cover the length of the stove S1. Then, in conjunction with the translation structure 5, the detection mechanism 4 is upgraded from "line" detection to "surface" detection. This not only improves the detection density of the detection mechanism 4, but also enables detection to cover the entire stove S1. In addition, by detecting in the horizontal direction, the edge of the stove S1 can also be included in the detection range, expanding the breadth of the detection area. Therefore, the detection method of this embodiment can maximize the detection range.

[0050] In this embodiment, the detection mechanism 4, driven by the vertical telescopic rod 6, continuously detects horizontally whether there is a pot 3. When the detection mechanism 4 detects the presence of a pot 3, it can be determined that the height detected at this time is the highest height of the pot 3 on the stove S1. No comparison is required. The descent distance of the range hood can be determined by the distance that the vertical telescopic rod 6 extends downward relative to the smoke collecting chamber 3 at this time. The distance measurement logic is relatively simple, easier to execute and less prone to errors, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of the distance measurement.

[0051] Furthermore, cooking fumes are directed upwards. For vertical detection, the detection mechanism 4 must be located directly above the stovetop S1, facing the direction of the fumes. If detection is performed under heavy fumes, this could interfere with the detection mechanism 4's ability to properly identify the pot 3, affecting the accuracy of the distance measurement. Furthermore, after prolonged use of a range hood, fumes can form dirt on the detection mechanism 4, affecting its proper detection function.

[0052] In this embodiment, the detection mechanism 4 is generally set behind the stove S1 in a horizontal detection mode, and all the burners S2 on the stove S1 are located in the front row of the detection mechanism 4. On the one hand, the detection direction is lateral to the oil smoke wind direction, which can reduce the interference of oil smoke on the detection and identification of the cookware 3. On the other hand, the detection mechanism 4 will not be in direct contact with the oil smoke, making it difficult for the oil smoke to form dirt on the detection mechanism 4. Therefore, based on the horizontal detection mechanism of this embodiment and the setting position of the detection mechanism 4, not only can the accuracy of the distance measurement be improved, but also its normal working time can be maintained for a long time, reducing the frequency of cleaning and maintenance.

[0053] It should be noted that, for the detection of the pot 3 on the entire stove S1, the prior art takes a longer time to cover the entire stove S1 because the detection mechanism is vertical detection and is performed in a "point" manner. In this embodiment, the detection mechanism is horizontal detection and is performed in a "line" manner. The translation structure 5 is used to upgrade the "line" detection to "surface" detection. Therefore, the coverage time is shorter, thereby improving the efficiency of ranging.

[0054] In this embodiment, the reciprocating speed of the translation structure 5 in the horizontal direction is greater than the speed at which the vertical telescopic rod 6 extends vertically downward. The speed difference between the two needs to be maximized as much as possible under the premise of feasibility to avoid the detection mechanism 4 failing to detect the obstruction in time.

[0055] In this embodiment, the detection mechanism 4 is located behind the stove S2, and all the stoves S2 of the stove S1 are located in the front row of the detection mechanism 4.

[0056] As for the detection mechanism 4, in this embodiment, the detection mechanism 4 includes at least one sensor, which can emit a horizontal straight line detection beam to detect whether there is an obstruction. The horizontal straight line detection beam emitted by the sensor passes through the center line of all the stove heads S2 (the vertical line passing through the center of the stove head) when the translation structure 5 drives the vertical telescopic rod 6 to move back and forth in the horizontal direction, so that all the pots 3 are within the detection coverage range.

[0057] In this embodiment, the sensor is set to an infrared sensor, which has the advantages of high sensitivity, quick response, low price and stable performance. Of course, the sensor can also be set to other detection devices with similar effects.

[0058] For a stove S1 with a small number of burners S2, such as a household double-burner S2 stove, only one vertical telescopic rod 6 is required to meet basic distance measurement requirements. For a stove S1 with a large number of burners S2, such as a stove S1 used in the catering industry, to improve distance measurement efficiency, multiple vertical telescopic rods 6 can be provided and spaced apart on the translation structure 5, thereby reducing the reciprocating speed requirement of the translation structure 5.

[0059] The translation structure 5 can be configured as a slide rail, with a drive slider slidably connected to the slide rail, and the vertical telescopic rod 6 fixedly connected to the drive slider. Alternatively, the translation structure 5 can be configured as a ball screw driven by a bidirectional motor, with a screw nut sleeved on the ball screw, and the vertical telescopic rod 6 fixedly connected to the screw nut.

[0060] Implementation Case 2:

[0061] A distance measurement method is implemented based on the lifting range hood distance measurement device of implementation case 1.

[0062] The steps include:

[0063] Step S1: the translation structure 5 drives the vertical telescopic rod 6 to move back and forth in the horizontal direction, and the vertical telescopic rod 6 is synchronously extended vertically downward, and the detection mechanism 4 continuously detects whether there is an obstruction in the horizontal direction.

[0064] Step S2: If the detection mechanism 4 detects an obstruction in the horizontal direction before the vertical telescopic rod 6 extends vertically downward to the maximum stroke s1, the vertical telescopic rod 6 extends vertically downward by a distance d5, and the vertical distance d2 = d5 between the smoke collecting chamber 3 and the obstruction is obtained.

[0065] Step S3: The translation structure 5 stops, the vertical telescopic rod 6 retracts vertically upward, and the driving mechanism 7 drives the smoke collecting chamber 3 to descend a distance d3, d3 = d2 - d4, d4 is a preset safety distance, which can usually be a distance that is convenient for a user to perform cooking operations such as stir-frying, while ensuring that the smoke collecting chamber 3 can fully absorb oil smoke. It is preset before leaving the factory and can be obtained through multiple actual simulation tests.

[0066] Implementation Case 3:

[0067] A distance measurement method is implemented based on the lifting range hood distance measurement device of implementation case 1.

[0068] The steps include:

[0069] Step S1: the translation structure 5 drives the vertical telescopic rod 6 to move back and forth in the horizontal direction, and the vertical telescopic rod 6 is synchronously extended vertically downward, and the detection mechanism 4 continuously detects whether there is an obstruction in the horizontal direction.

[0070] Step S2: If the detection mechanism 4 does not detect an obstruction in the horizontal direction when the vertical telescopic rod 6 is extended vertically downward to the maximum travel distance s1, the driving mechanism 77 drives the smoke collecting chamber 3 to continue to descend until the detection mechanism 4 detects the obstruction. At this time, the vertical distance d2 = s1 between the smoke collecting chamber 3 and the obstruction is obtained.

[0071] Step S3: the translation structure 5 stops, the vertical telescopic rod 6 retracts vertically upward, and the driving mechanism 7 drives the smoke collecting chamber 3 to descend a distance d3, d3 = d2 - d4, and d4 is a preset safety distance.

[0072] Implementation Case 4:

[0073] A distance measurement method is implemented based on the lifting range hood distance measurement device of implementation case 1.

[0074] The steps include:

[0075] Step S1: The vertical telescopic rod 6 is extended vertically downward by a distance d4;

[0076] Step S2: The driving mechanism 7 drives the smoke collecting chamber 3 to continuously descend, the translation structure 5 drives the vertical telescopic rod 6 to reciprocate in the horizontal direction, and the detection mechanism 4 continuously detects whether there is an obstruction in the horizontal direction;

[0077] Step S3: When the detection mechanism 4 detects an obstruction in the horizontal direction, the translation structure 5 stops, the driving mechanism 7 stops driving the smoke collection chamber 3, and the vertical telescopic rod 6 retracts vertically upward. Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may be modified or some of the technical features thereof may be replaced by equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate from the essence of the corresponding technical solutions within the scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A range hood distance measuring device, characterized in that: include: chassis; A fan is arranged in the casing; A smoke collecting chamber is arranged in the casing; A detection mechanism, used for horizontally detecting whether there is an obstruction; A vertical telescopic rod is provided with the detection mechanism and can be extended in the vertical direction, and is used to extend vertically downward until the detection mechanism detects an obstruction when the smoke collecting chamber is stationary, or to extend vertically downward to a safe distance before the smoke collecting chamber continues to descend; A translation structure, provided on the smoke collecting chamber, can drive the vertical telescopic rod to move back and forth in the horizontal direction; A driving mechanism is disposed in the housing and connected to the smoke collecting chamber, and is used to limit the distance by which the smoke collecting chamber is driven to descend according to the vertical distance between the smoke collecting chamber and the obstruction detected by the detection mechanism, or to drive the smoke collecting chamber to continue descending after the vertical telescopic rod is vertically extended downward a safe distance until the detection mechanism detects the obstruction.

2. The distance measuring device for a range hood lift according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reciprocating speed of the translation structure in the horizontal direction is greater than the speed at which the vertical telescopic rod extends vertically downward.

3. The distance measuring device for a range hood lift according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection mechanism is located behind the stove head.

4. The distance measuring device for a range hood lift according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection mechanism includes at least one sensor, and the sensor can emit a horizontal straight detection light beam to detect whether there is an obstruction.

5. The distance measuring device for a range hood lift according to claim 4, characterized in that: The horizontal straight line detection light beam emitted by the sensor passes through the center line of all the stove heads when the translation structure drives the vertical telescopic rod to move back and forth in the horizontal direction.

6. The distance measuring device for a range hood lift according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sensor is configured as an infrared sensor.

7. The distance measuring device for a range hood lift according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are multiple vertical telescopic rods, which are arranged on the translation structure at intervals.

8. A distance measurement method, based on the distance measurement device for a range hood lift according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the steps include: Step S1: The translation structure drives the vertical telescopic rod to move back and forth in the horizontal direction, and the vertical telescopic rod is synchronously extended vertically downward, and the detection mechanism continuously detects whether there is an obstruction in the horizontal direction; Step S2: the detection mechanism detects the obstruction in the horizontal direction and obtains the vertical distance d2 between the smoke collecting chamber and the obstruction; Step S3: the translation structure stops, the vertical telescopic rod retracts vertically upward, and the driving mechanism drives the smoke collecting chamber to descend a distance d3, d3 = d2 - d4, and d4 is a preset safety distance.

9. The distance measurement method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Step S2: If the detection mechanism detects an obstruction in the horizontal direction before the vertical telescopic rod is vertically extended downward to the maximum stroke s1, then the vertical telescopic rod vertically extended downward distance d5 = d2.

10. The distance measurement method according to claim 8, characterized in that: If the detection mechanism does not detect an obstruction in the horizontal direction when the vertical telescopic rod is vertically extended downward to the maximum travel distance s1, the driving mechanism drives the smoke collecting chamber to continue to descend until the detection mechanism detects an obstruction, at which time d2=s1.

11. A distance measurement method, based on the distance measurement device for a range hood lift according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the steps include: Step S1: The vertical telescopic rod is vertically extended downward by a distance d4, where d4 is a preset safety distance; Step S2: the driving mechanism drives the smoke collecting chamber to continuously descend, the translation structure drives the vertical telescopic rod to reciprocate in the horizontal direction, and the detection mechanism continuously detects whether there is an obstruction in the horizontal direction; Step S3: the detection mechanism detects an obstruction in the horizontal direction, the translation structure stops, the driving mechanism stops driving the smoke collecting chamber, and the vertical telescopic rod retracts vertically upward.

Images