Method for controlling an outer drum exhaust port of a laundry care device, system and device therefor

Abstract

The application belongs to the field of clothes care devices, and discloses a clothes care device outer cylinder exhaust port control method, which comprises the following steps: obtaining a clothes care device outer cylinder exhaust port air pressure value; wherein, a controllable air door is arranged at the outer cylinder exhaust port; when the exhaust port air pressure value is greater than zero, the clothes care device air duct exhaust port air door is opened. In addition, the application also discloses a clothes care device outer cylinder exhaust port control system and a clothes care device. Through the outer cylinder exhaust port control, the application avoids the situation that a small amount of foam or water vapor in the clothes care device inner cylinder overflows through the air outlet pipeline, causing damage to the appearance of the clothes care device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of garment care devices, and in particular to a method, system, and apparatus for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of a garment care device. Background Technology

[0002] In modern society, garment care devices have become essential household appliances. With the development of technology, the functions of garment care devices have become increasingly complex, leading to the emergence of washer-dryer combos. These add components such as air ducts, fans, and heaters to a standard washing machine to achieve the function of drying clothes after washing. However, because the outer drum's exhaust vent is connected to the inner drum of the garment care device, foam or a small amount of moisture from the inner drum can escape through the outer drum's exhaust vent, potentially damaging the garment care device's exterior components. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a method, system, and device for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of a garment care device, which can prevent a small amount of foam or water vapor from overflowing through the air outlet pipe and causing damage to the exterior components of the garment care device.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives and other advantages of the present invention, a first objective of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of a garment care device, comprising the following steps:

[0005] Obtain the air pressure value at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device; wherein, a controllable damper is provided at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder;

[0006] When the exhaust port air pressure value is greater than the preset value, the exhaust port damper of the garment care device's air duct is opened.

[0007] Preferably, obtaining the air pressure value of the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device includes obtaining the air pressure value of the exhaust port during the washing process and / or rinsing process and / or dehydration process and / or drying process of the garment care device.

[0008] Preferably, the outer cylinder exhaust port control method further includes obtaining the exhaust port air pressure value of the garment care device after the damper is opened, and controlling the garment care device to discharge the remaining water in the cylinder and stop rotating when the exhaust port air pressure value continues to increase.

[0009] Preferably, the outer cylinder exhaust port control method further includes the step of acquiring the humidity inside the air duct of the garment care device when the air duct of the garment care device is not working, and controlling the exhaust port damper of the garment care device to close when the acquired humidity is greater than a first preset threshold.

[0010] Preferably, obtaining the air pressure value of the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device includes obtaining the air pressure value at the end where the air duct of the garment care device is connected to the inner cylinder.

[0011] Preferably, the outer cylinder exhaust port control method also includes the step of detecting whether the drying duct fan is working during the drying process of the garment care device.

[0012] A second objective of this invention is to provide an outer cylinder exhaust port control system for a garment care device, comprising:

[0013] The information acquisition module is configured to acquire information about the air pressure value at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device;

[0014] The control module is configured to receive information from the information acquisition module and control the opening and closing of the exhaust vent damper of the outer cylinder of the garment care device.

[0015] Preferably, the outer cylinder exhaust port control system also includes a humidity detection module, which is configured to detect the humidity inside the air duct.

[0016] Preferably, the outer cylinder exhaust port control system also includes a fan detection module, which is configured to detect whether the fan in the air inlet duct is working.

[0017] The third objective is clearly to provide a garment care device.

[0018] It includes: a memory on which program code is stored; and a processor connected to the memory, which implements the above method when the program code is executed by the processor.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0020] This invention detects the air pressure inside the outer cylinder exhaust port. When the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port is zero, it controls the outer cylinder exhaust port to close, thus preventing foam or a small amount of water vapor from the inner cylinder of the garment care device from being discharged through the outer cylinder exhaust port and ultimately damaging the outer parts of the garment care device.

[0021] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it according to the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention are given in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a logic diagram of Embodiment 1 of the outer cylinder exhaust port control method of the garment care device according to the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a logic diagram of Embodiment 2 of the outer cylinder exhaust port control method of the garment care device according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a structural block diagram of the outer cylinder exhaust port control system of the garment care device according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the garment care device according to the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a two-dimensional diagram of the outer cylinder exhaust port and damper of the garment care device according to the present invention.

[0029] In the diagram: 10, Information Acquisition Module; 20, Control Module; 30, Air Pressure Detection Module; 40, Fan Detection Module; 50, Humidity Detection Module; 1, Clothing Care Device; 11, Outer Cylinder Exhaust Pipe; 111, Rotatable Damper. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0031] In the following description, the use of suffixes such as "module," "part," or "unit" to denote elements is solely for the purpose of illustrative purposes and has no specific meaning in itself. Therefore, "module," "part," or "unit" may be used interchangeably.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 A method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of a garment care device includes the following steps:

[0033] S01: Obtain the air pressure value at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device; wherein, a controllable damper is provided at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder;

[0034] S02: When the exhaust port air pressure is greater than zero, the exhaust port damper of the garment care device air duct is opened.

[0035] This invention determines whether the outer tube exhaust port of the garment care device is operational by detecting the presence of air pressure at the exhaust port. When the outer tube exhaust port is operational, the damper is open, allowing the exhaust port to connect with the outside environment; when the outer tube exhaust port is not operational, the damper is closed, isolating the exhaust port from the outside environment. This method prevents foam or small amounts of moisture from the inner tube of the garment care device from being discharged through the exhaust port when it is not operational, thus avoiding potential damage to the external components of the garment care device.

[0036] In some embodiments, obtaining the air pressure value at the exhaust port of the garment care device's outer drum includes obtaining the exhaust port air pressure value during the washing and / or rinsing and / or spin-drying and / or drying processes. Monitoring the exhaust port air pressure value during the washing and rinsing processes can effectively prevent situations where increased pressure changes in the inner drum during washing prevent gas from being trapped and damaged, thus avoiding damage to the inner drum and air duct. Monitoring the exhaust port air pressure value during the spin-drying process can prevent situations where the rapid rotation of the inner drum during spin-drying causes drastic changes in air pressure. Detecting the air pressure value during the drying process can quickly expel the gas generated during drying, ensuring air pressure balance within the garment care device's drum.

[0037] In some preferred embodiments, the outer cylinder exhaust port control method further includes the step of acquiring the exhaust port air pressure value of the garment care device after the damper is opened. When the exhaust port air pressure value continues to increase and does not decrease to zero, it is considered that the air duct is blocked. The garment care device is then controlled to discharge residual water from the cylinder and stop operation, followed by a restart for inspection. Monitoring the air pressure value after the damper is opened allows for timely determination of whether the garment care device's air duct is blocked, solving the problem that the air duct cannot be directly observed inside the garment care device, making it impossible to check for blockages.

[0038] In some preferred embodiments, the air pressure value of the garment care device is the air pressure value at the end where the air duct of the garment care device connects to the inner drum. By detecting the air pressure value at this point, the air pressure status of the air duct and the inner drum can be obtained in real time, thereby controlling the timely opening and closing of the damper. In addition, detecting the air pressure value at this point, compared with detecting the air pressure value at the air outlet, can simultaneously detect whether the air duct is blocked.

[0039] In some preferred embodiments, controlling the closure of the air outlet damper includes rotating the outer cylinder exhaust port damper to close the outer cylinder exhaust port. When the outer cylinder exhaust port is operating, there is a certain gap between the damper and the outer cylinder exhaust port to allow gas to escape. When the outer cylinder exhaust port is not operating, rotating the damper closes the outer cylinder exhaust port. By rotating the damper, no additional operating space is required, improving the space utilization of the garment care device. Furthermore, rotating the damper only requires rotating a certain angle to control whether the outer cylinder exhaust port is closed, making the control method simple, convenient, and highly forgiving.

[0040] The present invention will be described in more detail below through specific embodiments, in which the advantages of the present invention will be more significant.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] Reference Figure 2 A method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of a garment care device, specifically including the following steps:

[0043] S11: Detect the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port;

[0044] S12: Obtain the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port and determine whether the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port is zero.

[0045] S13: If the exhaust port pressure is greater than zero, it is assumed that there is gas in the air duct that needs to be discharged, and the exhaust port of the garment care device is opened.

[0046] S14: If the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port is zero, it is assumed that the air pressure inside the garment care device is normal and there is no need to balance the air pressure. In this case, the air duct damper is kept closed, and the process returns to step S11.

[0047] In this embodiment, a pressure sensor installed at the outer cylinder exhaust port determines whether the exhaust port is in operation. If the pressure sensor reading is not zero, the exhaust port is considered to be working. In this case, the rotating damper is in a state of communication with the outside, keeping the exhaust port unobstructed to prevent air from being trapped and causing cracks in the air duct, and to prevent excessive pressure from damaging the air duct. If the pressure sensor reading is zero, the exhaust port is considered not working. In this case, the rotating damper is controlled to rotate, closing the air duct and preventing foam or small amounts of water from flowing out of the exhaust port and damaging the exterior components of the garment care device.

[0048] In some embodiments, the opening and closing of the outer cylinder exhaust port is controlled by detecting the humidity of the exhaust port when the air duct is not in operation. If the humidity of the outer cylinder exhaust port is detected to be greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, the damper of the outer cylinder exhaust port is controlled to rotate, thereby closing the outer cylinder exhaust port and shutting off the fan. Otherwise, the outer cylinder exhaust port is connected to the outside. By detecting humidity, the situation where the humidity of the outer cylinder exhaust port is too high and water accumulates, thus overflowing and damaging the exterior parts of the garment care device, is further avoided.

[0049] Example 2

[0050] Reference Figure 3 A method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of a garment care device, specifically including the following steps:

[0051] S21: Detect the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port;

[0052] S22: Obtain the air pressure at the exhaust port and determine whether the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port is zero.

[0053] S23: If the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port is zero, it is considered that the outer cylinder exhaust port is in a non-working state. Control the rotation of the air duct damper at the outer cylinder exhaust port to close the outer cylinder exhaust port.

[0054] S24: If the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port is positive, proceed to the next step of judgment and check the operation of the air intake duct fan.

[0055] S25: If the air intake fan stops moving, control the outer cylinder exhaust port damper to rotate and close the outer cylinder exhaust port; otherwise, return to step S21.

[0056] In this embodiment, after determining that the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port is not zero, the operation of the fan in the air inlet duct is also checked. If the fan is determined to be not working, it is assumed that there is no airflow in the duct and that there is essentially no air transmission at the outer cylinder exhaust port. In this case, the outer cylinder exhaust port damper is rotated to close the outer cylinder exhaust port. By detecting the fan status, the condition inside the duct can be obtained in real time, allowing for faster closure of the outer cylinder exhaust port and further preventing foam or small amounts of water from flowing out of the outer cylinder exhaust port and damaging the exterior components of the garment care device.

[0057] Example 3

[0058] Reference Figure 4 A control system for the outer cylinder exhaust port of a garment care device, comprising:

[0059] The information acquisition module 10 is configured to acquire information about the air pressure value at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device; the control module 20 is configured to receive information from the information acquisition module and control the opening and closing of the damper at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device.

[0060] The working principle of the outer cylinder exhaust port protection system is as follows: the air pressure in the air duct of the garment care device is obtained by the information acquisition module 10, and the information is sent to the control module 20. The control module 20 controls the opening and closing of the air damper of the garment care device.

[0061] In some preferred embodiments, the outer cylinder exhaust port control system further includes a pressure detection module 30, configured to acquire the air pressure inside the outer cylinder exhaust port. Specifically, this is a pressure sensor installed inside the outer cylinder exhaust port. Through real-time monitoring by the pressure sensor, the condition inside the air duct can be monitored in real time. When the air duct stops working, it is closed to prevent foam from flowing out and damaging the exterior parts of the garment care device.

[0062] In some preferred embodiments, the outer cylinder exhaust port control system further includes a fan detection module 40, configured to detect whether the fan in the air inlet duct is operating. By detecting whether the fan is operating, the outer cylinder exhaust port is closed when the fan stops operating, further preventing foam from overflowing from the outer cylinder exhaust port and damaging the exterior parts of the garment care device.

[0063] In some preferred embodiments, the outer cylinder exhaust port control system further includes a humidity detection module 50, configured to detect the humidity inside the outer cylinder exhaust port of the garment care device. Specifically, this is a humidity sensor installed inside the air duct. The humidity sensor can detect the humidity inside the air duct, preventing excessive water vapor foam from overflowing and causing damage to the appearance of the garment care device.

[0064] Example 4

[0065] Reference Figure 5 This embodiment provides a garment care device 1, including a memory storing program code thereon; and a processor connected to the memory, which implements the above-described method when the program code is executed by the processor.

[0066] The garment care device 1 also includes an inner drum of the washing tub and an air duct. The air duct is connected to the washing tub and includes an air inlet duct and an outer drum exhaust port. The outer drum exhaust port includes a sensor. The air duct opening is opened and closed by a rotatable damper 11. The sensor obtains the pressure inside the outer drum exhaust port in real time. When the pressure of the garment care device does not change and there is no airflow at the outer drum exhaust port, the rotatable damper 11 is rotated to close the air duct opening, thus preventing foam from flowing out and damaging the appearance of the garment care device.

[0067] The number of devices and processing scale described herein are for the purpose of simplifying the description of the invention. Applications, modifications, and variations of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0068] Although embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. They can be applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other modifications can be easily made. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and illustrations shown and described herein.

[0069] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments can be implemented by computer chips or physical entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer.

[0070] For ease of description, the above apparatus is described by dividing it into various functional units. Of course, when implementing one or more embodiments of this specification, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware.

[0071] Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of this specification can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the embodiments of this specification can take the form of entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software embodiments, or embodiments combining software and hardware aspects.

[0072] This specification is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this specification. 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 general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create a machine for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0073] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function 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.

[0074] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment 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.

[0075] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0076] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0077] This specification can be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions that are executed by a computer, such as program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. This specification can also be practiced in distributed computing environments, where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected via a communication network. In distributed computing environments, program modules can reside on local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

[0078] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

[0079] The above description is merely an embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit the scope of one or more embodiments of this specification. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to one or more embodiments of this specification. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of one or more embodiments of this specification should be included within the scope of the claims of one or more embodiments of this specification.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of a garment care device, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The air pressure value at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device is obtained; wherein, a controllable damper is provided at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder; When the air pressure at the exhaust port is greater than the preset value, the exhaust port damper of the outer cylinder of the garment care device is opened. Determine whether the air pressure at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder is zero; If the air pressure at the outer cylinder exhaust port is zero, then control the damper at the outer cylinder exhaust port to rotate and close the outer cylinder exhaust port; If the air pressure at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder is positive, then the operation of the air intake duct fan is checked. If the air intake fan stops running, the damper at the outer cylinder exhaust port is controlled to rotate and close the outer cylinder exhaust port.

2. The method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition of the air pressure value of the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device includes acquiring the air pressure value of the exhaust port during the washing process and / or rinsing process and / or dehydration process and / or drying process of the garment care device.

3. The method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer cylinder exhaust port control method further includes obtaining the air pressure value of the exhaust port of the garment care device after the damper is opened, and controlling the garment care device to discharge the remaining water in the cylinder and stop operating when the air pressure value of the exhaust port continues to increase.

4. The method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer cylinder exhaust port control method further includes the step of obtaining the humidity inside the air duct of the clothing care device when the air duct of the clothing care device is not working, and controlling the exhaust port damper of the clothing care device to close when the obtained humidity is greater than a first preset threshold.

5. The method for controlling the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of obtaining the air pressure value at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device includes obtaining the air pressure value at the end where the air duct of the garment care device connects to the inner cylinder.

6. A control system for the outer cylinder exhaust port of a garment care device, characterized in that, include: The information acquisition module is configured to acquire information about the air pressure value at the exhaust port of the outer cylinder of the garment care device; A fan detection module is configured to detect whether the fan in the air inlet duct is working; wherein, when the exhaust port air pressure value is greater than a preset value, the module controls the outer cylinder exhaust port damper to open; it determines whether the outer cylinder exhaust port air pressure is zero; if the outer cylinder exhaust port air pressure is zero, the module controls the outer cylinder exhaust port damper to rotate and close the outer cylinder exhaust port; if the outer cylinder exhaust port air pressure is positive, the module detects the operation of the air inlet duct fan; if the air inlet duct fan stops running, the module controls the outer cylinder exhaust port damper to rotate and close the outer cylinder exhaust port. The control module is configured to receive information from the information acquisition module and the fan detection module and control the opening and closing of the exhaust port damper of the outer cylinder of the garment care device.

7. The outer cylinder exhaust port control system of the garment care device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The outer cylinder exhaust port control system also includes a humidity detection module, which is configured to detect the humidity inside the air duct.

8. A garment care device, characterized in that, include: A memory that stores program code; A processor, which is connected to the memory, and which, when the program code is executed by the processor, implements the method of any one of claims 1 to 5.

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