Clothes drying apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of clothes drying, and particularly provides a clothes drying device and a control method thereof, aiming to solve the problems of poor drying effect and high energy consumption of the existing clothes drying device. To this end, the clothes drying device comprises a drying cylinder, a lint collecting device and a drying channel, the lint collecting device is used for collecting the lint generated by clothes during the drying process, and the drying channel is in communication with the drying cylinder; the clothes drying device selectively adjusts the drying air speed according to the acquired lint moisture content in the lint collecting device during the drying process and the weight of the collected lint, and selectively adjusts the drying temperature according to the acquired lint moisture content and the exhaust humidity of the drying channel. Based on this, the clothes drying device can not only effectively reduce the energy consumption, but also effectively ensure that the clothes to be dried will not be deformed or generate too much lint due to the excessively large drying air speed or the excessively high drying temperature, so as to improve the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of clothing drying technology, specifically providing a clothing drying device and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing popularity of clothes drying equipment on the market, many families have purchased it for convenience. However, existing clothes drying equipment does not provide good protection for clothes during the drying process. For example, directly drying woolen clothes can cause deformation due to uneven shrinkage after water absorption. In addition, existing clothes drying equipment also suffers from high noise levels and high energy consumption.

[0003] Accordingly, there is a need in the field for a new clothes drying device and its control method to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, namely, to solve the problems of poor drying effect and high energy consumption of existing clothes drying equipment.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention provides a control method for a clothing drying device, the clothing drying device including a drying drum, a lint collection device, and a drying channel, the lint collection device being connected to the drying drum for collecting lint generated during the drying process, and the drying channel being connected to the drying drum for circulating the drying airflow. The control method includes: during the operation of the drying program, acquiring the weight of lint collected by the lint collection device from the start of the current drying program to the current moment, the moisture content of the lint in the lint collection device, and the exhaust humidity of the drying channel; selectively adjusting the drying airflow speed of the clothing drying device based on the lint weight and the lint moisture content; and / or selectively adjusting the drying temperature of the clothing drying device based on the lint moisture content and the exhaust humidity.

[0006] In the preferred embodiment of the above control method, the step of "selectively adjusting the drying speed of the clothes drying equipment according to the weight of the lint and the moisture content of the lint" specifically includes: determining a preset lint weight according to the moisture content of the lint; comparing the lint weight with the preset lint weight; and selectively adjusting the drying speed of the clothes drying equipment according to the comparison result between the lint weight and the preset lint weight.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the above control method, the step of "selectively adjusting the drying speed of the clothes drying equipment according to the comparison result of the lint weight and the preset lint weight" includes: if the lint weight is greater than the preset lint weight, then the drying speed of the clothes drying equipment is reduced; and / or if the lint weight is less than the preset lint weight, then the drying speed of the clothes drying equipment is increased.

[0008] In the preferred embodiment of the above control method, the step of "selectively adjusting the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment according to the moisture content of the lint and the exhaust humidity" specifically includes: calculating the product of the moisture content of the lint and a first adjustment coefficient, denoted as the first product; calculating the product of the exhaust humidity and a second adjustment coefficient, denoted as the second product; and selectively adjusting the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment according to the first product and the second product.

[0009] In the preferred embodiment of the above control method, the step of "selectively adjusting the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment according to the first product and the second product" specifically includes: calculating the sum of the first product and the second product; comparing the sum of the first product and the second product with a preset humidity; and selectively adjusting the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment according to the comparison result of the sum of the first product and the second product with the preset humidity.

[0010] In the preferred embodiment of the above control method, the step of "selectively adjusting the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment according to the comparison result of the sum of the first product and the second product with the preset humidity" specifically includes: if the sum of the first product and the second product is greater than the preset humidity, then the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment is increased; and / or if the sum of the first product and the second product is less than the preset humidity, then the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment is decreased.

[0011] In the preferred embodiment of the above control method, the first adjustment coefficient is determined by determining the first adjustment coefficient according to the material of the clothes to be dried.

[0012] In the preferred embodiment of the above control method, the second adjustment coefficient is determined by determining the second adjustment coefficient based on the running time of the current drying program.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the above control method, the control method further includes: when the drying program is started, obtaining the material of the clothes to be dried in the drying drum; and determining the initial drying air speed and initial drying temperature of the current drying program based on the material of the clothes to be dried.

[0014] In another aspect, the present invention also provides a clothes drying device, the clothes drying device including a controller configured to perform the control method described in any of the preferred embodiments above.

[0015] When the above technical solution is adopted, the clothes drying equipment of the present invention selectively adjusts the drying wind speed according to the weight and moisture content of the lint in the lint collection device, and selectively adjusts the drying temperature according to the moisture content of the lint and the exhaust humidity. This not only effectively reduces the energy consumption of the clothes drying equipment, but also effectively ensures that the clothes to be dried will not be deformed or have too much lint due to excessive drying wind speed or excessive drying temperature, thus effectively improving the user experience.

[0016] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, determining the first adjustment coefficient based on the material of the clothes to be dried and determining the setting method of the second adjustment coefficient based on the running time of the current drying program can further effectively reduce the energy consumption of the clothes drying equipment and effectively improve the drying effect of the clothes drying equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the main steps of the control method of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the specific steps of the control method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific applications. For example, the present invention does not limit the specific type of the clothing drying equipment; it can be a dryer or a washer-dryer combo, and those skilled in the art can set it according to actual usage requirements. Such changes in specific application types do not depart from the basic principles of the present invention and therefore will also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, terms such as "inner" and "outer," which indicate direction or positional relationship, are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. This is merely for ease of description and does not indicate or imply that the described features must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0022] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connected in connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection or a detachable connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0023] Specifically, the clothing drying equipment of the present invention includes a drying drum, a lint collection device, and a drying channel. The lint collection device is connected to the drying drum and is used to collect lint generated by the clothing during the drying process. The drying channel is also connected to the drying drum and is used to circulate the drying airflow. It should be noted that the present invention does not impose any limitations on the specific structure and location of the lint collection device. It can be located inside the drying drum or outside the drying channel, as long as it can collect the lint generated by the clothing during the drying process. Those skilled in the art can design it accordingly.

[0024] Preferably, the clothes drying equipment further includes a drying fan and a heating element. The drying fan delivers air heated by the heating element into the drying drum to dry the clothes. Similarly, the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific type or location of the drying fan and the heating element. The heating element can be a heating tube or a heat pump heating device. The drying fan and the heating element can be located inside or outside the drying channel, as long as they can provide drying airflow. Those skilled in the art can set the above details themselves.

[0025] Furthermore, the clothes drying equipment also includes a weight sensor (e.g., a pressure sensor) and a humidity sensor to obtain the weight and moisture content of lint in the lint collection device and the exhaust humidity of the drying channel. It should be noted that the present invention does not impose any limitations on the specific type and number of the weight sensor and humidity sensor; those skilled in the art can set them themselves. For example, the weight sensor can be of a type other than a pressure sensor. More preferably, the clothes drying equipment also includes a controller connected to the pressure sensor and the humidity sensor to obtain the weight and moisture content of lint in the lint collection device and the exhaust humidity of the drying channel. The controller can also control the operating mode of the clothes drying equipment; for example, adjusting the drying fan speed and adjusting the heating power of the heating element to adjust the drying temperature are not limiting. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention does not impose any limitations on the specific structure and model of the controller, and the controller can be either the original controller of the clothes drying equipment or a controller separately set up to implement the control method of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can set the structure and model of the controller according to actual usage requirements.

[0026] First refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the main steps of the control method of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, based on the clothes drying equipment described in the above embodiments, the control method of the present invention mainly includes the following steps:

[0027] S1: During the operation of the drying process, obtain the weight of lint collected by the lint collection device from the start of the current drying process to the current moment, the moisture content of the lint in the lint collection device, and the exhaust humidity of the drying channel.

[0028] S2: Selectively adjust the drying air speed of the clothes drying equipment according to the weight and moisture content of the lint;

[0029] S3: Selectively adjust the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment according to the moisture content of lint and the humidity of the exhaust air.

[0030] First, in step S1, during the drying process of the clothes drying equipment, the controller obtains the weight of lint collected by the lint collection device from the pressure sensor from the start of the current drying process to the current moment, and obtains the moisture content of the lint in the lint collection device and the exhaust humidity of the drying channel from the humidity sensor.

[0031] It should be noted that this invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific timing, method, or order of acquiring the lint weight, lint moisture content, and exhaust humidity. The controller can acquire these data in real time or at intervals. It can acquire the lint weight, lint moisture content, and exhaust humidity simultaneously, or acquire them sequentially in any order. These are not limiting factors, and those skilled in the art can set them according to actual conditions. As a preferred setting, the controller acquires the lint weight, lint moisture content, and exhaust humidity in real time to effectively reduce the energy consumption of the clothes drying equipment and also to effectively reduce the wear and tear on the clothes.

[0032] Next, in step S2, the controller selectively adjusts the drying air speed of the clothes drying equipment according to the weight of the lint and the moisture content of the lint.

[0033] Furthermore, in step S3, the controller selectively adjusts the drying temperature of the clothing drying equipment based on the moisture content of the lint and the humidity of the exhaust air.

[0034] It should be noted that the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the execution order of steps S2 and S3. Steps S2 and S3 can be executed in any order or simultaneously. Those skilled in the art can set the order according to the actual situation.

[0035] See next Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the specific steps of the control method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, based on the clothes drying equipment described in the above embodiments, the control method of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0036] S101: When the drying program starts, obtain the material of the clothes to be dried in the drying drum;

[0037] S102: Determine the initial drying air speed and initial drying temperature for this drying program based on the material of the clothes to be dried;

[0038] S103: During the operation of the drying program, obtain the weight of lint collected by the lint collection device from the start of the current drying program to the current moment, the moisture content of the lint in the lint collection device, and the exhaust humidity of the drying channel.

[0039] S104: Determine the preset dander weight based on the dander moisture content;

[0040] S105: Compare the weight of lint with the preset weight of lint;

[0041] S106: If the weight of lint is greater than the preset weight of lint, reduce the drying air speed of the clothes drying equipment;

[0042] S107: If the weight of lint is less than the preset weight of lint, increase the drying air speed of the clothes drying equipment.

[0043] S108: Determine the first adjustment coefficient based on the material of the clothes to be dried;

[0044] S109: Determine the second adjustment coefficient based on the running time of this drying process;

[0045] S110: Calculate the product of the dandruff moisture content and the first adjustment coefficient, denoted as the first product;

[0046] S111: Calculate the product of exhaust humidity and the second regulation coefficient, denoted as the second product;

[0047] S112: Calculate the sum of the first product and the second product;

[0048] S113: Compare the sum of the first product and the second product with the preset humidity;

[0049] S114: If the sum of the first product and the second product is greater than the preset humidity, then increase the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment;

[0050] S115: If the sum of the first product and the second product is less than the preset humidity, reduce the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment.

[0051] First, in steps S101 and S102, when the clothes drying equipment starts the drying program, the controller obtains the material of the clothes to be dried in the drying drum, and determines the initial drying wind speed and initial drying temperature of the current drying program based on the material of the clothes to be dried.

[0052] It should be noted that this invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific method of obtaining the material of the clothes to be dried. The controller can obtain the material of the clothes to be dried through information input by the user, or it can identify and obtain the material of the clothes to be dried through a camera device installed in the drying drum. Those skilled in the art can set these parameters themselves. Furthermore, it should also be noted that this invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific values ​​of the initial drying air speed and the initial drying temperature. These values ​​can be set by the user according to the material of the clothes to be dried, or they can be determined by the clothes drying equipment according to a predetermined mapping relationship (e.g., factory settings) based on the material of the clothes to be dried. These are not limiting factors.

[0053] Next, in step S103, during the operation of the drying program of the clothes drying equipment, the controller obtains the weight of lint collected by the lint collection device from the pressure sensor from the start of the current drying program to the current moment, and obtains the moisture content of the lint in the lint collection device and the exhaust humidity of the drying channel from the humidity sensor.

[0054] As described above Figure 1 The present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific timing, method, or order of acquiring the lint weight, lint moisture content, and exhaust humidity. The controller can acquire these parameters in real time or at intervals. It can acquire the lint weight, lint moisture content, and exhaust humidity simultaneously, or in any order. These are not limiting factors, and those skilled in the art can set them according to actual conditions. As a preferred configuration, the controller acquires the lint weight, lint moisture content, and exhaust humidity in real time to effectively reduce both the energy consumption of the clothes drying equipment and the wear and tear on the clothes.

[0055] Furthermore, in steps S104 to S107, the controller first determines a preset lint weight based on the lint moisture content, then compares the lint weight with the preset lint weight, and selectively adjusts the drying air speed of the clothes drying equipment based on the comparison result, so as to adjust the drying air speed in a timely and accurate manner. This not only effectively reduces the energy consumption of the clothes drying equipment, but also effectively reduces the wear and tear on the clothes.

[0056] Preferably, for garments that are not prone to lint, such as wool, if the weight of the lint is greater than the preset lint weight, it indicates that there is a large amount of lint in the lint collection device, and the drying program takes a long time. In this case, the drying air speed needs to be reduced to lower the energy consumption of the garment drying equipment. Conversely, if the weight of the lint is less than the preset lint weight, it indicates that there is a small amount of lint in the lint collection device, and the drying program takes a short time. In this case, the drying air speed needs to be increased to improve the drying efficiency of the garment drying equipment. Additionally, for garments that are prone to lint, such as silk, if the weight of the lint is greater than the preset lint weight, the drying air speed needs to be reduced to effectively reduce the wear and tear on the garment. Conversely, if the weight of the lint is less than the preset lint weight, the drying air speed needs to be increased to improve the drying efficiency of the garment drying equipment. It should be noted that those skilled in the art may choose to use only one of the two control logics described above, that is, only decrease the drying air speed or only increase the drying air speed; in addition, the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific range of the increase or decrease of the drying air speed, and those skilled in the art can set it themselves according to the actual drying situation.

[0057] It should be noted that steps S104 to S107 describe preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Specifically, the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific adjustment method and timing of the drying air speed, which can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual conditions. For example, the weight of the lint can be compared with a preset lint weight, and the moisture content of the lint can be compared with a preset lint moisture content, and the drying air speed can be selectively adjusted according to the comparison results.

[0058] Further, in steps S108 and S109, the controller determines a first adjustment coefficient based on the material of the clothes to be dried and a second adjustment coefficient based on the duration of the current drying program. This is merely a preferred method for obtaining the first and second adjustment coefficients to further reduce the energy consumption of the clothes drying equipment and the wear and tear on the clothes. Those skilled in the art can obtain them in other ways; for example, determining the first and second adjustment coefficients solely based on the material of the clothes to be dried or the duration of the current drying program is not limiting. Furthermore, it should be noted that the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the magnitude relationship between the first and second adjustment coefficients; those skilled in the art can set it themselves. For example, the magnitude relationship between the first and second adjustment coefficients can be determined based on the material of the clothes to be dried. When the clothes to be dried are prone to lint (e.g., silk clothing), the first adjustment coefficient is greater than the second adjustment coefficient to effectively reduce the wear and tear on the clothes; when the clothes to be dried are not prone to lint (e.g., wool clothing), the first adjustment coefficient is less than the second adjustment coefficient to effectively improve the drying efficiency of the clothes drying equipment and reduce energy consumption.

[0059] Further, in steps S110 and S111, the controller calculates the product of the lint moisture content and the first adjustment coefficient, denoted as the first product, calculates the product of the exhaust humidity and the second adjustment coefficient, denoted as the second product, and selectively adjusts the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment based on the first product and the second product. It should be noted that the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific adjustment method of selectively adjusting the drying temperature based on the first product and the second product. The controller can compare the first product and the second product and selectively adjust the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment based on the comparison result; it can also sum or differ the first product and the second product and compare it with a preset humidity, and selectively adjust the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment based on the comparison result. These are not limiting, and those skilled in the art can set them themselves.

[0060] As a preferred configuration, in steps S112 and S113, the controller calculates the sum of the first product and the second product, then compares the sum of the first product and the second product with a preset humidity, and selectively adjusts the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment based on the comparison result. It should be noted that the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific comparison method between the sum of the first product and the second product and the preset humidity; those skilled in the art can set it themselves. More preferably, in steps S114 and S115, if the sum of the first product and the second product is greater than the preset humidity, the heating power of the heating element is increased to raise the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment; conversely, if the sum of the first product and the second product is less than the preset humidity, the heating power of the heating element is decreased to lower the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment, thereby effectively reducing the energy consumption of the clothes drying equipment and the wear and tear on the clothes. It should be noted that those skilled in the art may choose to use only one of the two control logics described above, that is, only increase or only decrease the drying temperature; furthermore, the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific range of the increase or decrease of the drying temperature, and those skilled in the art can set it according to the actual drying situation.

[0061] Regarding steps S108 to S115, it should be noted that these steps describe preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Specifically, the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific adjustment method and timing of the drying temperature; those skilled in the art can set them according to specific application scenarios. For example, the lint moisture content can be compared with a preset lint moisture content, and the exhaust humidity can be compared with a preset exhaust humidity, and the drying temperature can be selectively adjusted based on the comparison results.

[0062] Furthermore, it should be noted that the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific methods for determining the preset lint weight and the preset humidity. These values ​​can be set through experiments or by those skilled in the art based on experience and the actual drying conditions of the clothing drying equipment. These methods are not restrictive.

[0063] Furthermore, it should be noted that although the steps of the control method of the present invention are described in a specific order in this application, these orders are not restrictive. Without departing from the basic principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can perform the steps in different orders.

[0064] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a clothes drying device, characterized in that, The clothing drying equipment includes a drying drum, a lint collection device, and a drying channel. The lint collection device is connected to the drying drum and is used to collect lint generated during the drying process. The drying channel is also connected to the drying drum and is used to circulate the drying airflow. The control method includes: During the drying process, the weight of lint collected by the lint collection device from the start of the current drying process to the current moment, the moisture content of the lint in the lint collection device, and the exhaust humidity of the drying channel are obtained. The steps of selectively adjusting the drying speed of the clothes drying equipment based on the weight of the lint and the moisture content of the lint include: determining a preset lint weight based on the moisture content of the lint; comparing the lint weight with the preset lint weight; and selectively adjusting the drying speed of the clothes drying equipment based on the comparison result of the lint weight and the preset lint weight. And / or The drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment is selectively adjusted according to the lint moisture content and the exhaust humidity, and the steps include: calculating the product of the lint moisture content and a first adjustment coefficient, denoted as the first product; calculating the product of the exhaust humidity and a second adjustment coefficient, denoted as the second product; and selectively adjusting the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment according to the first product and the second product.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of "selectively adjusting the drying air speed of the clothes drying equipment based on the comparison between the weight of the lint and the preset weight of the lint" includes: If the weight of the lint is greater than the preset lint weight, then reduce the drying airflow speed of the clothes drying equipment; and / or If the weight of the lint is less than the preset weight of the lint, then the drying air speed of the clothing drying equipment is increased.

3. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of "selectively adjusting the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment based on the first product and the second product" specifically includes: Calculate the sum of the first product and the second product; The sum of the first product and the second product is compared with a preset humidity. Based on the comparison between the sum of the first product and the second product and the preset humidity, the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment is selectively adjusted.

4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of "selectively adjusting the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment based on the comparison result of the sum of the first product and the second product with the preset humidity" specifically includes: If the sum of the first product and the second product is greater than the preset humidity, then the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment is increased; and / or If the sum of the first product and the second product is less than the preset humidity, then the drying temperature of the clothes drying equipment is reduced.

5. The control method according to claim 1, 3, or 4, characterized in that, The first adjustment coefficient is determined as follows: The first adjustment coefficient is determined based on the material of the clothes to be dried.

6. The control method according to claim 1, 3, or 4, characterized in that, The second adjustment coefficient is determined as follows: The second adjustment coefficient is determined based on the runtime of this drying process.

7. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The control method further includes: When the drying program starts, the material of the clothes to be dried in the drying drum is obtained; Based on the material of the clothes to be dried, determine the initial drying air speed and initial drying temperature for this drying process.

8. A clothes drying device, characterized in that, The clothes drying equipment includes a controller configured to perform the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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