Drying control method and drying apparatus

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of intelligent household appliances, and discloses a drying control method and a drying device. The drying control method comprises the following steps: after a preset drying time, the surface humidity and the internal humidity of the to-be-dried object are detected in real time; the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity is obtained, and the type of the to-be-dried object is determined according to the difference; when the type is heavy and thick objects, the heating is continuously performed until the value of the difference changes from large to small, the air flow rate in the processing chamber where the to-be-dried object is located is increased until the difference reaches a first preset value; when the type is light and thin objects, the heating is continuously performed until the internal humidity reaches a second preset value and the surface humidity reaches a third preset value, and then the heating power is reduced and the air flow rate in the processing chamber is increased. The present application can be applied to the drying of to-be-dried objects of different material types, can realize accurate drying, and will not cause damage to the to-be-dried objects.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of intelligent household appliances, and in particular to a drying control method and a drying device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In a clothes treatment program, especially in a drying program, it is usually determined whether drying is completed according to the clothes humidity condition. In the prior art, an electric resistance sensor is usually used for detection, specifically, the sensor contacts the clothes to measure the electric resistance of the clothes surface, and the clothes surface humidity value is calculated according to the electric resistance value, and it is determined whether the clothes are dried according to the humidity value. However, when the clothes are not uniformly reversed, there is a possibility that the clothes cannot be contacted, resulting in inaccurate detection results. Moreover, when the clothes (such as clothes made of materials such as down and fleece) have a condition of dry surface and wet inside, the dryness of the clothes surface will cause the humidity value to meet the drying judgment requirement, and the drying program will be terminated due to the premature misjudgment of drying, resulting in that the clothes cannot be effectively dried.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a drying control method and a drying device which can be suitable for clothes made of various materials and can accurately determine drying. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application aims to provide a drying control method and a drying device which can accurately determine drying of various types of clothes to be dried.

[0005] To achieve this purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] The drying control method comprises:

[0007] After a preset drying time, the surface humidity and the internal humidity of the clothes to be dried are detected in real time;

[0008] The difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity is obtained, and the type of the clothes to be dried is determined according to the difference, wherein the type is heavy clothes and light clothes;

[0009] When the type is heavy clothes, the heating is continuously performed until the value of the difference changes from large to small, the air flow rate in the treatment chamber where the clothes to be dried are located is increased, and the difference reaches a first preset value;

[0010] When the type is light clothes, the heating is continuously performed until the internal humidity reaches a second preset value and the surface humidity reaches a third preset value, and then the heating power is reduced and the air flow rate in the treatment chamber is increased.

[0011] As a preferred, the real-time detection of the surface humidity and the internal humidity of the clothes to be dried comprises:

[0012] detecting surface humidity of the drying object by a first humidity sensor, the first humidity sensor being a resistance humidity sensor;

[0013] detecting internal humidity of the drying object by a second humidity sensor, the second humidity sensor being a capacitance humidity sensor.

[0014] Preferably, the capacitance humidity sensor comprises a first electrode plate formed by a conductive plate, and a second electrode plate formed by the processing chamber, the drying object in the processing chamber being part of dielectric of the capacitance humidity sensor.

[0015] Preferably, when the type is the heavy object, the ambient temperature in the processing chamber is continuously heated to a preset temperature value.

[0016] Preferably, during the preset time, the air is heated at maximum heating power, and the air is circulated in the processing chamber at maximum flow rate.

[0017] Preferably, the method further comprises: determining whether the temperature difference between the air inlet and the air outlet of the processing chamber is within a preset range, if yes, ending the drying process; if no, maintaining the ambient temperature in the processing chamber at the preset temperature value, and increasing the air flow rate in the processing chamber.

[0018] The present application also provides a drying device, comprising:

[0019] a processing chamber for accommodating and processing a drying object;

[0020] a first humidity sensor for detecting surface humidity of the drying object;

[0021] a second humidity sensor for detecting internal humidity of the drying object;

[0022] a control unit for obtaining a difference value of the internal humidity and the surface humidity, and determining a type of the drying object according to the difference value, the type being a heavy object and a light object;

[0023] when the type is the heavy object, the control unit controls continuous heating drying until the difference value decreases to a first preset value, and increases air flow rate in the processing chamber where the drying object is located until the difference value reaches the first preset value;

[0024] when the type is the light object, the control unit controls continuous heating drying until the internal humidity reaches a second preset value and the surface humidity reaches a third preset value, and then reduces heating power and increases air flow rate in the processing chamber.

[0025] As preferred, the second humidity sensor is a capacitive humidity sensor, which comprises a first electrode plate formed by a conductive plate, and a second electrode plate formed by the processing chamber, and the to-be-dried object in the processing chamber is part of the dielectric of the capacitive humidity sensor.

[0026] As preferred, a detection unit is further included, which is electrically connected to the conductive plate and the processing chamber, to detect the change of the signal of the capacitive humidity sensor and output to the control unit.

[0027] As preferred, a protection element is arranged on the detection circuit of the detection unit, which has impedance to protect the detection unit.

[0028] And / or, a second protection capacitor is connected in series between the first electrode plate and the detection unit.

[0029] The present application has the following advantages: according to the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity of the to-be-dried object, the type of the to-be-dried object is determined, then the heating power and the air flow rate are determined according to the type of the to-be-dried object, so that the ambient temperature in the processing chamber and the drying rate can be changed, the drying of to-be-dried objects of different material types can be adapted, and accurate drying can be realized without damaging the to-be-dried object. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 is a flow chart of the drying control method provided by the present application;

[0031] Figure 2 is a structural principle schematic diagram of the drying device provided by the present application.

[0032] In the drawings:

[0033] 1, processing chamber; 2, conductive plate; 3, detection unit; 31, connection circuit; 4, control unit; 5, first protection capacitor; 6, voltage stabilizing tube; 7, second protection capacitor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application, but not to limit the present application. In addition, it should be noted that, for the convenience of description, only the parts related to the present application are shown in the drawings, but not all the structures.

[0035] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected", "fixed" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0036] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the first feature "on" or "under" the second feature can include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, the first feature "on", "above" and "above" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or only indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or only indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.

[0037] In the description of the present embodiment, the terms "up", "down", "right", etc. orientation or position relationship is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, only for the convenience of description and simplification of operation, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only used to distinguish in the description, and have no special meaning.

[0038] In order to be applicable to different types of materials to be dried, to make the inside and outside of the to-be-dried object meet the drying requirements, and to avoid drying errors, the present application provides a drying control method, which is executed by a drying equipment. In the present embodiment, the above-mentioned drying equipment at least includes a rotatable treatment chamber, and the to-be-dried object can be placed in the treatment chamber for drying. The drying equipment also includes a sensor to detect the humidity of the to-be-dried object and the ambient temperature in the treatment chamber, and a control unit is provided to obtain the humidity of the to-be-dried object and the ambient temperature in the treatment chamber. The to-be-dried object can be clothes, and the clothes can be classified as heavy and light. The drying equipment can be a clothes dryer, a washer-dryer or other equipment with drying function.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1 The drying control method includes the following steps:

[0040] S1: After the preset drying time, the surface humidity and internal humidity of the to-be-dried object are detected in real time.

[0041] Specifically, when the drying object is put into the processing chamber 1 for drying, the surface humidity and the internal humidity of the drying object are similar at the beginning, so the detection of the surface humidity and the internal humidity is temporarily not performed, and the heating element and the fan are directly turned on to increase the ambient temperature in the processing chamber 1, so as to accelerate the evaporation of the surface moisture of the drying object. After a predetermined drying time, the surface humidity and the internal humidity of the drying object are different at this time because the surface of the drying object is preferentially dried, and the detection of the surface humidity and the internal humidity of the drying object can be started.

[0042] In the embodiment, a first humidity sensor can be arranged in the drying apparatus, which can be a resistance humidity sensor and can detect the surface humidity of the drying object. For example, the first humidity sensor can include two spaced and insulated metal strips. When the drying object in the processing chamber 1 is dried, the rotation of the processing chamber 1 can make the drying object contact the two metal strips. Because the drying object contains a certain amount of moisture, the control unit 4 can detect the resistance value of the drying object when the drying object contacts the metal strips, and then obtain the surface humidity of the drying object according to the resistance value.

[0043] In order to obtain the internal humidity of the drying object, the drying apparatus of the embodiment can further include a second humidity sensor, which is a capacitive humidity sensor. For example, the second humidity sensor can include a metal plate and a capacitor. When the drying object is dried, the rotation of the processing chamber 1 can make the drying object contact the metal plate. Because the drying object contains a certain amount of moisture, the control unit 4 can detect the capacitance value of the capacitor when the drying object contacts the metal plate, and then obtain the internal humidity of the drying object according to the capacitance value. Figure 2The capacitive humidity sensor comprises a first electrode plate formed by the conductive plate 2, and a second electrode plate formed by the processing chamber 1, and the to-be-dried object in the processing chamber 1 is part of the dielectric of the capacitive humidity sensor. Moreover, the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate are insulated and electrically connected to a detection unit 3. The detection unit 3 can detect the change amount of the capacitive humidity sensor signal (the specific detection method is a prior art, for example, the detection unit 3 sends a fixed frequency signal to the first electrode plate, and the signal is conducted to the second electrode plate through the to-be-dried object, and then the second electrode plate transmits the frequency signal to the detection unit 3, and the detection unit 3 can obtain the change amount of the capacitive humidity sensor signal) and outputs to the control unit 4. The humidity of the to-be-dried object decreases as the drying process continues, so the dielectric constant of the dielectric of the capacitive humidity sensor changes, which causes the change amount of the capacitive humidity sensor signal to change. Therefore, by detecting the change amount of the capacitive humidity sensor signal, the control unit 4 can obtain the current internal humidity of the to-be-dried object in real time according to the corresponding relationship between the humidity value of the to-be-dried object and the change amount of the signal obtained by experiments (it should be noted that during the drying process, in the initial stage, the surface humidity value detected by the first humidity sensor is smaller than the internal humidity value detected by the second humidity sensor). In the embodiment, the change amount of the signal can be the change value of the voltage, that is, when the second electrode plate transmits the frequency signal to the detection unit 3, the detection unit 3 can convert it into a voltage value, and obtain the current voltage change value according to the voltage value. The change amount of the signal can also be the change value of the frequency, that is, when the second electrode plate transmits the frequency signal to the detection unit 3, the detection unit 3 can obtain the frequency value, and then obtain the current frequency change value according to the frequency value.

[0044] S2: Obtain the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity, and determine the type of the to-be-dried object according to the difference, which is heavy and light.

[0045] After detecting the internal humidity and the surface humidity in step S1, the control unit 4 calculates the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity of the to-be-dried object. For to-be-dried objects of different material types, the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity is also different. In order to simplify the program, the difference is compared with a preset value in this step. If the difference is greater than the preset value, it means that the to-be-dried object is relatively thick and heavy, and the internal humidity is relatively large, while the surface humidity is relatively small due to drying. At this time, the type of the to-be-dried object is determined as heavy. If the difference is less than or equal to the preset value, it means that the to-be-dried object is relatively light and thin, and the internal humidity and the surface humidity are relatively close. At this time, the type of the to-be-dried object is determined as light.

[0046] S3: When the type is heavy, continuously heat and dry until the difference value decreases, increase the air flow rate in the processing chamber 1 where the to-be-dried object is located, and continue until the difference reaches a first preset value.

[0047] In the case of light and thin objects, the continuous heating drying is performed until the internal humidity reaches a second preset value and the surface humidity reaches a third preset value, and then the heating power is reduced and the air flow rate in the processing chamber 1 is increased.

[0048] In this step, different drying control strategies are selected according to the type of the objects to be dried. Specifically, when the objects to be dried are thick and heavy objects, the first control unit 4 controls continuous heating drying, so that the ambient temperature in the processing chamber 1 reaches a preset temperature value (which can be 80°C ± 5°C), that is, the objects to be dried need to be continuously dried, and the ambient temperature needs to be high enough to make the objects to be dried in the rapid drying stage. In this stage, the surface humidity of the objects to be dried gradually decreases, and the internal humidity also gradually decreases (the decrease amplitude of the internal humidity is smaller than that of the surface humidity), and the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity gradually increases. As the surface of the objects to be dried is dried, the internal humidity is gradually dried, and the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity decreases from the maximum. Therefore, when the difference value decreases, it indicates that the surface of the objects to be dried is basically dried and the internal humidity is in a wet state. At this time, the ambient temperature in the processing chamber 1 needs to be reduced to reduce the over-drying of the surface of the objects to be dried and prevent damage to the surface of the objects to be dried. At the same time, the air flow rate in the processing chamber 1 is increased (the specific increasing method can be to increase the fan power to increase the wind speed, and / or to increase the rotation speed of the processing chamber 1), so that the internal moisture of the objects to be dried is quickly removed by the high flow rate air, achieving the purpose of not damaging the surface of the objects to be dried while quickly drying the internal part.

[0049] After increasing the air flow rate in the processing chamber 1, the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity is detected in real time until the difference reaches a first preset value, indicating that the internal and external humidity of the objects to be dried is relatively low. At this time, it is necessary to judge whether the temperature difference between the air inlet and the air outlet of the processing chamber 1 is within a preset range. If the temperature difference is within the preset range, it indicates that the objects to be dried are basically completely dried, and the drying process can be ended. If it is not within the preset range, it indicates that there are still parts of the objects to be dried that have not reached the drying requirement. At this time, the ambient temperature of the processing chamber 1 is maintained at the preset temperature value, and the air flow rate in the processing chamber 1 is increased, and the drying operation of the objects to be dried is continued (since only the air flow rate is increased to dry the internal part of the objects to be dried, it will not cause the surface of the objects to be dried to be over-dried and damaged). Until the temperature difference between the air inlet and the air outlet is within the preset range.

[0050] When the item to be dried is a thin or light material, since the difference in humidity between the inside and outside of the material is not significant, the material can be put into a rapid drying stage. That is, the control unit 4 controls continuous heating and drying to bring the ambient temperature in the processing chamber 1 to a preset temperature value (e.g., 80℃±5℃). In other words, the material needs to be dried continuously, and the surface and internal humidity of the material are monitored in real time during this process. When the internal humidity of the material reaches a second preset value and the surface humidity reaches a third preset value, the heating power needs to be reduced to lower the ambient temperature of the processing chamber 1, and the airflow rate in the processing chamber 1 is increased at the same time. The final drying of the material is achieved through ventilation.

[0051] After reducing the heating power and increasing the air flow rate in the processing chamber 1 for a certain period of time, the drying of the object to be dried is determined by judging whether the temperature difference between the air inlet and the air outlet of the processing chamber 1 is within the preset range. The method of judgment is the same as the drying judgment method when the object to be dried is a heavy object, and will not be repeated here.

[0052] In this embodiment, the above-described drying control method can be applied to the drying of different types of materials, and can achieve precise drying without causing damage to the materials.

[0053] This invention also provides a drying apparatus that uses the above-described drying control method to dry the object to be dried. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the drying equipment includes a processing chamber 1, a first humidity sensor, a second humidity sensor, and a control unit 4. The processing chamber 1 can accommodate and process the items to be dried, for example, by rotating it to make the items rotate, and provides the space required for drying. The first humidity sensor can detect the surface humidity of the items to be dried, and the second humidity sensor can detect the internal humidity of the items to be dried. The control unit 4 can obtain the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity, and determine the type of the items to be dried based on the difference, which is either heavy or light. Furthermore, the control unit 4 can select a corresponding drying strategy according to the type of the items to be dried to control the drying process; the specific control method is described in the drying control method section above.

[0054] In this embodiment, the first humidity sensor can be a resistive humidity sensor, which can detect the surface humidity of the object to be dried. For example, the first humidity sensor may include two spaced and insulated metal strips. When the object to be dried in the processing chamber 1 is being dried, the rotation of the processing chamber 1 will cause the object to come into contact with the two metal strips. Since the object to be dried contains a certain amount of moisture, when the object to be dried comes into contact with the metal strips, the control unit 4 can detect the resistance value of the object to be dried, and then obtain the surface humidity of the object to be dried based on the resistance value.

[0055] The second humidity sensor is a capacitive humidity sensor, which can be exemplarily referred to Figure 2 The capacitive humidity sensor comprises a first electrode plate formed by the conductive plate 2 and a second electrode plate formed by the processing chamber 1, and the to-be-dried object in the processing chamber 1 is part of the dielectric of the capacitive humidity sensor. Moreover, the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate are insulated and electrically connected to a detection unit 3. The detection unit 3 can detect the change amount of the capacitive humidity sensor signal and output to a control unit 4, and the control unit 4 can obtain the current internal humidity of the to-be-dried object in real time according to the corresponding relationship between the humidity value of the to-be-dried object obtained by experiment and the change amount of the signal.

[0056] In the embodiment, a protection element having impedance is arranged on the detection circuit of the detection unit 3, which can protect the detection unit 3. The protection element can be a capacitor or a resistor, as long as it has certain impedance performance and can protect the detection unit 3.

[0057] Exemplarily, the detection circuit of the detection unit 3 comprises a connection circuit 31 connected to the processing chamber 1, and the protection element is connected in series to the connection circuit 31. Preferably, as shown in Figure 2 The protection element is a first protection capacitor 5 and a voltage stabilizing tube 6 connected in parallel, which are connected in series to the connection circuit 31. Through the first protection capacitor 5 and the voltage stabilizing tube 6, the interference of the external power grid introduced by the grounding of the processing chamber 1 can be effectively prevented, the detection unit 3 will not be damaged, and logic confusion will not occur. Moreover, static electricity generated during the drying process of the clothes can be released, and the detection signal can be amplified, so that the detection result is more accurate.

[0058] Optionally, a second protection capacitor 7 is connected in series between the first electrode plate and the detection unit 3, which can filter the frequency signal sent by the detection unit 3, improve the detection effect, and also prevent static electricity from damaging the detection unit 3.

[0059] The above drying device can determine the type of the to-be-dried object according to the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity of the to-be-dried object, then determine the heating power and the air flow rate according to the type of the to-be-dried object, and further change the environmental temperature in the processing chamber 1 and the drying rate, so as to be applicable to the drying of to-be-dried objects of different material types, and can realize accurate drying without damaging the to-be-dried object.

[0060] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present application are merely exemplary but not intended to limit the embodiments of the present application. Various obvious changes, re-adjustments and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present application. It is not necessary or possible to enumerate all the embodiments. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A drying control method characterized by, The method comprises: detecting the surface humidity and the internal humidity of the drying object in real time after a preset drying time; obtaining the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity, and determining the type of the drying object according to the difference, the type being heavy and thick object and light and thin object; when the type is heavy and thick object, continuously heating and drying until the value of the difference becomes smaller, increasing the air flow rate in the processing chamber where the drying object is located until the difference reaches a first preset value; when the type is light and thin object, continuously heating and drying until the internal humidity reaches a second preset value and the surface humidity reaches a third preset value, then reducing the heating power and increasing the air flow rate in the processing chamber; the real-time detection of the surface humidity and the internal humidity of the drying object comprises: detecting the internal humidity of the drying object by a second humidity sensor, the second humidity sensor being a capacitive humidity sensor; the capacitive humidity sensor comprises a first electrode plate formed by a conductive plate, and a second electrode plate formed by the processing chamber, the drying object in the processing chamber being part of the dielectric of the capacitive humidity sensor.

2. The drying control method according to claim 1, characterized by, The real-time detection of the surface humidity and the internal humidity of the drying object further comprises: detecting the surface humidity of the drying object by a first humidity sensor, the first humidity sensor being a resistance humidity sensor.

3. The drying control method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized by, when the type is heavy and thick object, continuously heating and drying until the ambient temperature in the processing chamber reaches a preset temperature value.

4. The drying control method according to claim 3, characterized by, in the preset time, heating the air at the maximum heating power and making the air circulate in the processing chamber at the maximum flow rate.

5. The drying control method according to claim 3, characterized by The method further comprises: judging whether the temperature difference between the air inlet and the air outlet of the processing chamber is within a preset range, and if yes, ending the drying process; if not, keeping the ambient temperature in the processing chamber at the preset temperature value and increasing the air flow rate in the processing chamber.

6. Drying apparatus, characterized in that The method comprises: a processing chamber for accommodating and processing a drying object; a first humidity sensor for detecting the surface humidity of the drying object; a second humidity sensor for detecting the internal humidity of the drying object; a control unit for obtaining the difference between the internal humidity and the surface humidity, and determining the type of the drying object according to the difference, the type being heavy and thick object and light and thin object; when the type is heavy and thick object, the control unit controls to continuously heat and dry until the value of the difference becomes smaller, and to increase the air flow rate in the processing chamber where the drying object is located until the difference reaches a first preset value; when the type is light and thin object, the control unit controls to continuously heat and dry until the internal humidity reaches a second preset value and the surface humidity reaches a third preset value, and then to reduce the heating power and increase the air flow rate in the processing chamber; the second humidity sensor is a capacitive humidity sensor, and the capacitive humidity sensor comprises a first electrode plate formed by a conductive plate, and a second electrode plate formed by the processing chamber, the drying object in the processing chamber being part of the dielectric of the capacitive humidity sensor.

7. The drying apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The detection unit is electrically connected to the conductive plate and the processing chamber, and is configured to detect a change in a signal of the capacitive humidity sensor and output the change to the control unit.

8. The drying apparatus according to claim 7, characterized by A protection element is arranged on a detection circuit of the detection unit, and has an impedance for protecting the detection unit. And / or, a second protection capacitor is connected in series between the first electrode plate and the detection unit.

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