Clothing care equipment and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of clothing care equipment, and particularly provides clothing care equipment and a control method thereof. The clothes care equipment comprises a cabinet body, a cabinet door, a fan and a heating device, a care cavity is formed in the cabinet body, the cabinet door is arranged on the cabinet body in an openable and closable mode, the cabinet body is provided with an air outlet communicated with the care cavity, an indoor air return opening and an in-cavity air return opening, and the indoor air return opening is provided with a first air valve capable of being opened and closed; the indoor air return port is provided with a first air valve capable of being opened and closed, the in-cavity air return port is provided with a second air valve capable of being opened and closed, the indoor air return port is communicated with the indoor environment through the first air valve, and the in-cavity air return port is communicated with the nursing cavity through the second air valve. One end of the air return pipeline is connected with the indoor air return port and the intra-cavity air return port, and the other end is connected with the air return port of the fan. A heat pump system does not need to be arranged, and the product structure complexity and cost are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of clothing care equipment, and specifically provides a clothing care equipment and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the improvement of the quality of life, people are increasingly pursuing a high-quality and delicate life. Home appliances such as clothing care machines, dryers, washer-dryers, and air conditioners have become indispensable in families. However, numerous home appliances occupy a large amount of space in the room. In order to achieve the effect of saving space, in ordinary families, two home appliances are generally stacked to form a simple stacked whole to provide different functions, but their controls are still independent of each other. Most of the existing air conditioners adopt a heat pump system, and clothing treatment equipment such as clothing care machines or dryers can also adopt a heat pump system. Therefore, in the prior art, the two can be combined into one unit, and the heat pump system is used to adjust the temperature for both at the same time. The evaporator of the heat pump system absorbs indoor heat to cool the room, and the condenser heats the air to dry the clothes in the clothing care cavity. However, this integrated clothing care machine has a complex structure, poor stability, is easy to damage, has a high cost, and can only achieve indoor cooling and cannot achieve indoor heating.

[0003] Correspondingly, there is a need in the art for a new clothing care equipment to solve the problems of the existing clothing care equipment with the functions of both clothing heating and indoor temperature adjustment, which has a complex structure, poor stability, and high cost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the above technical problems, that is, to solve the problems of the existing clothing care equipment with the functions of both clothing heating and indoor temperature adjustment, which has a complex structure, poor stability, and high cost.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a clothing care equipment, which includes a cabinet body, a cabinet door, a blower, and a heating device. A care cavity is arranged in the cabinet body. The cabinet door is arranged on the cabinet body in an openable and closable manner. An air outlet, an indoor air return opening, and a cavity air return opening communicating with the care cavity are arranged on the cabinet body. The indoor air return opening is provided with an openable and closable first air valve, and the cavity air return opening is provided with an openable and closable second air valve. The indoor air return opening communicates with the indoor environment through the first air valve, and the cavity air return opening communicates with the care cavity through the second air valve. The clothing care equipment further includes a return air pipeline, a blower, and a heating device. The air outlet of the blower is connected to the air outlet through an air duct, and the heating device is arranged in the air duct. One end of the return air pipeline is respectively connected to the indoor air return opening and the cavity air return opening, and the other end is connected to the air return opening of the blower.

[0006] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the clothing care device also includes a driving device, which is transmission-connected to the cabinet door to drive the cabinet door to open and close; and / or, the clothing care device also includes a steam generating device, and the steam outlet of the steam generating device is connected to the air duct so that steam is discharged from the air outlet along with the hot air.

[0007] In a preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned clothing care device, an indicator light is provided on the outside of the cabinet, the color of which can change according to the operating mode of the clothing care device.

[0008] The present invention also provides a control method of a clothing care device, the clothing care device comprising a cabinet body, a cabinet door, a fan, and a heating device, the cabinet body being provided with a care cavity, the cabinet door being openably and closably arranged on the cabinet body, the cabinet body being provided with an air outlet communicating with the care cavity, an indoor return air outlet, and an intra-cavity return air outlet, the indoor return air outlet being provided with an openable and closable first air valve, the intra-cavity return air outlet being provided with an openable and closable second air valve, the indoor return air outlet being communicated with an indoor environment through the first air valve, and the intra-cavity return air outlet being communicated with the care cavity through the second air valve, the clothing care device further comprising a return air duct, a fan, and a heating device, the air outlet of the fan and the air outlet being connected through an air duct, the heating device being arranged in the air duct, one end of the return air duct being connected to the indoor return air outlet and the intra-cavity return air outlet, respectively, and the other end being connected to the return air outlet of the fan;

[0009] The control method includes:

[0010] Receiving an instruction to operate the indoor heating mode;

[0011] Controlling the cabinet door to open;

[0012] Controlling the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0013] Control the fan and the heating device to turn on.

[0014] In the preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the control method further includes:

[0015] Receive the instruction to operate the heating mode in the cabinet;

[0016] Controlling the cabinet door to close;

[0017] Controlling the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open;

[0018] Control the fan and the heating device to turn on.

[0019] In the preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the step of "controlling the blower and the heating device to turn on" further includes:

[0020] Obtain the temperature Ta at the indoor air return opening;

[0021] When Ta≥T, control the blower to operate at the first speed for a preset duration, and after the heating device operates at the first heating temperature for a preset duration, turn it off; where T is the indoor target temperature set by the user.

[0022] In the preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the step of "controlling the blower and the heating device to turn on" further includes:

[0023] When Ta<T, control the blower to operate at the second speed, and control the heating device to operate at the second heating temperature; the second speed>the first speed; the first heating temperature>the second heating temperature.

[0024] In the preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the step of "when Ta<T, control the blower to operate at the second speed, and control the heating device to operate at the second heating temperature; where T is the indoor target temperature set by the user, the second speed>the first speed; the first heating temperature>the second heating temperature" further includes:

[0025] When Ta<T1, control the blower to operate at the third speed, and control the heating device to operate at the third heating temperature;

[0026] When T1≤Ta≤T2, control the blower to operate at the fourth speed, and control the heating device to operate at the fourth heating temperature;

[0027] When T2<Ta<T, control the blower to operate at the fifth speed, and control the heating device to operate at the fourth heating temperature;

[0028] Wherein, T1<T2<T; the third speed>the fourth speed>the fifth speed>the first speed; the third heating temperature>the fourth heating temperature>the fifth heating temperature>the first heating temperature.

[0029] In the preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, an indicator light that can change color according to the operation mode of the clothing care device is provided outside the cabinet; after the step of "receiving an instruction to operate the indoor heating mode", the control method further includes:

[0030] Control the indicator light to display the first color;

[0031] After the step of "receiving an instruction to operate the in-cabinet heating mode", the control method further includes:

[0032] The indicator light is controlled to display a second color.

[0033] In the preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, after the step of “when Ta ≥ T, controlling the fan to operate at the first speed for a preset time, and the heating device to operate at the first heating temperature for a preset time and then turn off”, the control method further includes:

[0034] controlling the second air valve to open;

[0035] Control the cabinet door to close.

[0036] Those skilled in the art can understand that, the clothing care device of the present invention includes a cabinet body, a cabinet door, a fan, and a heating device, a care cavity is provided in the cabinet body, the cabinet door is openably and closably arranged on the cabinet body, an air outlet connected to the care cavity, an indoor return air outlet and an intra-cavity return air outlet are provided on the cabinet body, the indoor return air outlet is provided with a first air valve that can be opened and closed, the intra-cavity return air outlet is provided with a second air valve that can be opened and closed, the indoor return air outlet is connected to the indoor environment through the first air valve, and the intra-cavity return air outlet is connected to the care cavity through the second air valve, the clothing care device also includes a return air duct, a fan and a heating device, the air outlet and the air outlet of the fan are connected through an air duct, the heating device is arranged in the air duct, one end of the return air duct is respectively connected to the indoor return air outlet and the intra-cavity return air outlet, and the other end is connected to the return air outlet of the fan.

[0037] When the above technical solution is adopted, the clothing care device of the present invention does not need to be equipped with a heat pump system. The indoor space is heated by the heating device and fan provided by the clothing care device itself. After the cabinet door is opened, the hot air in the care cavity is directly blown into the room to heat the room, thereby improving the stability of the equipment and reducing the complexity and cost of the product structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a clothing care device according to the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of the main steps of a first embodiment of a method for controlling a clothing care device according to the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the specific steps of the first embodiment of the control method of the clothing care device of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the steps of a second embodiment of the control method of the clothing care device of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5It is a specific step flowchart of the second implementation manner of the control method of the clothing care device of the present invention. List of reference numerals: 1. Cabinet; 11. Cabinet door; 12. Care cavity; 13. Air outlet; 14. Indoor air return opening; 15. Cavity air return opening; 2. First air valve; 3. Second air valve; 4. Fan; 5. Heating device; 6. Air duct; 7. Air return pipeline; 8. Steam generating device. Specific implementation manner

[0044] The preferred implementation manners of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these implementation manners are only used to explain the technical principle of the present invention and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can adjust it according to needs to adapt to specific application scenarios. For example, although this application describes the control method in combination with a clothing care device, this is not restrictive. The clothing care device of the present invention can also be set as a clothes dryer, a disinfection cabinet, or a washing and drying integrated machine, etc., as long as it has the function of heating clothes. Those skilled in the art can set the specific application scenario of the clothing care device according to needs.

[0045] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms indicating directions or positional relationships such as "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. This is only for the convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present invention.

[0046] In addition, it should also be noted that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0047] As Figure 1As shown, in order to solve the problems of the existing clothing care device with the functions of heating clothes and regulating indoor temperature at the same time, the clothing care device of the present invention comprises a cabinet 1, a cabinet door 11, a fan 4 and a heating device 5, a care cavity 12 is provided in the cabinet 1, the cabinet door 11 is openably and closably provided on the cabinet 1, an air outlet 13 communicating with the care cavity 12, an indoor return air vent 14 and an intra-cavity return air vent 15 are provided on the top of the cabinet 1, and the indoor return air vent 14 is provided with a first air outlet 13 which can open and close the indoor return air vent 14. Valve 2, a second air valve 3 is provided on the cavity return air outlet 15, which can open and close the cavity return air outlet 15, and the indoor return air outlet 14 is connected with the indoor environment through the first air valve 2. After the first air valve 2 is opened, the indoor return air outlet 14 is connected with the indoor environment. When the first air valve 2 is closed, the indoor return air outlet 14 is not connected with the indoor environment. The cavity return air outlet 15 is connected with the nursing cavity 12 through the second air valve 3. After the second air valve 3 is opened, the cavity return air outlet 15 is connected with the nursing cavity 12. When the second air valve 3 is closed, the cavity return air outlet 15 is not connected with the nursing cavity 12.

[0048] The clothing care device also includes a return air duct 7. The fan 4 and the heating device 5 are arranged at the lower portion of the cabinet 1 and separated from the care cavity 12 by a partition. The air outlet 13 is arranged on the partition. The air outlet of the fan 4 and the air outlet 13 are connected by an air duct 6. The heating device 5 is arranged in the air duct 6. One end of the return air duct 7 is respectively connected to the indoor return air vent 14 and the cavity return air vent 15, and the other end is connected to the return air vent of the fan 4. Optionally, the return air duct 7 is arranged on the side wall of the cabinet 1 to reduce space occupation.

[0049] When the clothing care device is operating in the indoor heating mode, the first air valve 2 is opened, the second air valve 3 is closed, the return air duct 7 and the indoor return air outlet 14 are connected to the indoor environment, and after the fan 4 is turned on, the indoor air enters the return air duct 7 from the indoor return air outlet 14, and then enters the air duct 6 to be heated at the heating device 5, and finally blows from the air outlet 13 to the care cavity 12. The cabinet door 11 is opened, and the hot air is blown from the opening of the cabinet body 1 into the room to heat the room. When the clothing care device is operating in the cabinet heating mode, that is, it is necessary to heat and dry the clothes in the care cavity 12, the first air valve 2 is closed, the second air valve 3 is opened, the return air duct 7 and the cavity return air outlet 15 are connected to the care cavity 12, and after the fan 4 is turned on, the air in the care cavity 12 enters the return air duct 7 from the cavity return air outlet 15, and then enters the air duct 6 to be heated at the heating device 5, and finally blows from the air outlet 13 to the care cavity 12. The cabinet door 11 is closed, and the air circulates and heats in the cabinet body 1. The clothing care device of the present invention does not require a heat pump system. The indoor space is heated by the heating device 5 and the fan 4 provided by the clothing care device itself. After the cabinet door 11 is opened, the hot air in the care cavity 12 is directly blown into the room to heat the room, thereby improving the stability of the device and reducing the complexity and cost of the product structure.

[0050] Optionally, the clothing care device further includes a driving device, which is in transmission connection with the cabinet door 11 to drive the cabinet door 11 to open or close. Optionally, the driving device is a motor, and the motor is directly connected to the cabinet door 11 or connected through a transmission assembly. For example, the transmission assembly can be a connecting rod mechanism, a crank mechanism, a gear assembly, a chain or a belt assembly, etc. However, the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the connection method between the driving device and the cabinet door 11, nor does it impose any restrictions on the specific type of the transmission assembly. As long as the power of the driving device can be transmitted to the cabinet door 11 to realize the opening and closing of the cabinet door 11, those skilled in the art can set the connection method between the driving device and the cabinet door 11 as needed, and all of them fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Furthermore, an indicator light is provided on the outside of the cabinet 1, and the indicator light is configured to change color according to the operating mode of the clothing care device.

[0051] Furthermore, the clothing care device also includes a steam generating device 8, the steam outlet of the steam generating device 8 is connected to the air duct 6, so that the steam is discharged from the air outlet 13 along with the hot air, which can humidify the room or the clothes in the care cavity 12. Specifically, when it is necessary to humidify the indoor environment, the first air valve 2 is opened, the second air valve 3 is closed, the return air duct 7, the indoor return air vent 14 and the indoor environment are connected, and after the fan 4 is turned on, the indoor air enters the return air duct 7 from the indoor return air vent 14, and then the indoor air and steam enter the air duct 6 to be heated at the heating device 5, and finally blown from the air outlet 13 to the care cavity 12. The cabinet door 11 is opened, and the steam is blown into the room from the opening of the cabinet body 1 to humidify the room. When the clothing care device needs to humidify the clothes in the cabinet, the first air valve 2 is closed, the second air valve 3 is opened, the return air duct 7, the return air port 15 in the cavity and the care cavity 12 are connected, and after the fan 4 is turned on, the air in the care cavity 12 enters the return air duct 7 from the return air port 15 in the cavity, and the steam enters the air duct 6 along with the air in the cavity and is heated at the heating device 5. Finally, the steam is blown from the air outlet 13 to the care cavity 12, and the cabinet door 11 is closed to humidify the clothes.

[0052] As stated in the first paragraph of this section, the above implementation mode is only used to illustrate the principles of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can adjust the above structure so that the present invention can be applied to more specific application scenarios.

[0053] In addition, the present invention also provides a control method for a clothing care device, which is the clothing care device described in any of the above embodiments. The clothing care device includes a controller and a memory. The memory is suitable for storing multiple program codes, and the program code is suitable for being loaded and run by the controller to execute the control method for the clothing care device described in any of the above embodiments.

[0054] Specifically, the clothing care device includes a cabinet body 1, a cabinet door 11, a blower 4, and a heating device 5. A care cavity 12 is provided inside the cabinet body 1. The cabinet door 11 is disposed on the cabinet body 1 in an openable and closable manner. An air outlet 13, an indoor air return opening 14, and an in-cavity air return opening 15 communicating with the care cavity 12 are provided on the cabinet body 1. A first air valve 2 that can be opened and closed is provided at the indoor air return opening 14, and a second air valve 3 that can be opened and closed is provided at the in-cavity air return opening 15. The indoor air return opening 14 communicates with the indoor environment through the first air valve 2, and the in-cavity air return opening 15 communicates with the care cavity 12 through the second air valve 3. The clothing care device further includes a return air pipeline 7, a blower 4, and a heating device 5. The air outlet of the blower 4 and the air outlet 13 are connected through an air duct 6. The heating device 5 is disposed in the air duct 6. One end of the return air pipeline 7 is respectively connected to the indoor air return opening 14 and the in-cavity air return opening 15, and the other end is connected to the air return opening of the blower 4. An indicator light that can change color according to the operating mode of the clothing care device is provided outside the cabinet body 1. Further, the clothing care device further includes a steam generating device 8. The steam outlet of the steam generating device 8 communicates with the air duct 6 so that steam is discharged from the air outlet 13 together with the hot air.

[0055] Further, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor are provided at the top of the cabinet body 1. The temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature values at the indoor air return opening 14 and the in-cavity air return opening 15. The indoor air return temperature can reflect the level of the indoor environment temperature, and the in-cavity air return temperature can reflect the level of the care cavity 12 environment temperature. The humidity sensor is used to detect the humidity values at the indoor air return opening 14 and the in-cavity air return opening 15. The indoor air return humidity can reflect the level of the indoor environment humidity, and the in-cavity air return humidity can reflect the level of the care cavity 12 environment humidity. Optionally, the indoor air return opening 14 and the in-cavity air return opening 15 are integrated on a single return air pipeline. The distance between the two is relatively close. The temperature and humidity at the two air return openings can be detected simultaneously by one temperature sensor and one humidity sensor to save costs.

[0056] The controller can control the operating state of the clothing care device. For example, starting and stopping of the clothing care machine, opening and closing of the first air valve 2 and the second air valve 3, rotation speed of the blower 4, operation of the heating device 5, etc. And the controller can obtain the indoor temperature, temperature values and humidity values at the indoor air return opening and the in-cavity air return opening, rotation speed of the blower 4, heating temperature of the heating device 5, and so on. Those skilled in the art can understand that the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific structure and model of the controller. The technician can set the structure and model of the controller according to actual usage requirements.

[0057] Although the specific structure of the clothing care device has been described in detail in this embodiment, it is not intended to limit the protection scope of the control method of the clothing care device. It should be noted that the present invention does not impose any restrictions on the specific structure of the clothing care device. Those skilled in the art can set the structure of the clothing care device according to actual usage requirements. Such a change in the specific application object does not deviate from the basic principle of the present invention and belongs to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0058] As Figure 2 shown, in the first possible embodiment, the control method of the clothing care device mainly includes the following steps:

[0059] Step S10: Receive an instruction to run the indoor heating mode.

[0060] Among them, the instruction for the indoor heating mode can be: an instruction sent by the user by pressing the buttons of the clothing care device or by means of a terminal device such as a mobile phone APP; it can also be an instruction sent after the clothing care device finishes running a certain program. For example, when the care program is completed, an instruction to run the indoor heating mode is automatically sent. After the instruction to run the indoor heating mode is sent, the clothing care device receives the instruction to run the indoor heating mode.

[0061] Step S20: Control the cabinet door to open.

[0062] Step S30: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0063] Step S40: Control the fan and the heating device to turn on.

[0064] After receiving the instruction to run the indoor heating mode, the cabinet door 11 is opened so that the air outlet 13 in the cabinet body 1 is communicated with the indoor environment. The first air valve 2 is opened, the indoor air return opening 14 is communicated with the indoor environment, the second air valve 3 is closed, and the cavity air return opening 15 is not communicated with the cavity environment. Indoor air enters the return air pipeline 7 through the indoor air return opening 14, and then is blown into the room after being heated by the heating device 5. The indoor air circulates and is heated in the cabinet body 1 to increase the indoor environmental temperature.

[0065] As Figure 3 shown, in the first possible embodiment, the control method specifically includes the following steps:

[0066] Step S51: Receive an instruction to run the indoor heating mode;

[0067] Step S52: Control the cabinet door to open;

[0068] Step S53: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0069] Step S54: Control the indicator light to display the first color;

[0070] Step S55: Obtain the temperature Ta of the indoor air return opening.

[0071] Step S56: Determine whether Ta < T holds, where T is the target indoor temperature set by the user.

[0072] If the judgment result of step S56 is no, then execute step S561.

[0073] Step S561: Control the blower to operate at the first speed for a preset duration, and control the heating device to operate at the first heating temperature for a preset duration and then turn off.

[0074] When the clothing care device operates in the indoor heating mode, the cabinet door 11 is opened, the first air valve 2 is opened to connect the indoor environment, the indoor air return opening 14, and the return air duct 7, the second air valve 3 is closed, the cavity air return opening 15 is not connected to the care cavity 12, and the indicator light shows the first color. For example, it shows yellow, so that the user can know the operating mode of the clothing care device through the indicator light color outside the cabinet body 1. The temperature of the indoor air return opening 14 can reflect the level of the indoor temperature. Therefore, before turning on the blower 4 and the heating device 5, obtain the temperature Ta of the indoor air return opening 14 and compare it with the target indoor temperature T. If the temperature of the indoor air return opening 14 is greater than or equal to the target indoor temperature, it means that the indoor temperature is greater than or equal to the target indoor temperature. However, in order to improve the comfort of the user's body feeling, control the blower 4 to operate at a low speed, and control the heating device 5 to operate at a low heating temperature for a preset duration and then turn off, and then wait or prompt the user to reset a higher indoor target temperature T.

[0075] If the judgment result of step S56 is yes, then execute step S562.

[0076] Step S562: Control the blower to operate at the second speed, and control the heating device to operate at the second heating temperature; the second speed > the first speed; the first heating temperature > the second heating temperature.

[0077] If the temperature of the indoor air return opening 14 is lower than the target indoor temperature, it means that the current indoor temperature is lower than the target indoor temperature, then control the blower 4 to operate at a high speed and the heating device 5 to operate at a high heating temperature, so as to improve the heating efficiency and quickly increase the indoor temperature.

[0078] After step S562, execute step S57.

[0079] Step S57: Re-determine whether Ta < T holds.

[0080] If the judgment result of step S57 is yes, then return to step S562.

[0081] If the judgment result of step S57 is no, then execute step S561.

[0082] Step S58: Control the second air valve to open and control the cabinet door to close.

[0083] When the indoor temperature is lower than the target indoor temperature, when the blower 4 operates at a high speed and the heating device 5 operates at a high heating temperature, re-determine whether the temperature of the indoor return air outlet 14 reaches the target indoor temperature set by the user. If the target indoor temperature has been reached, control the blower 4 to operate at a low speed and the heating device 5 to operate at a low heating temperature for a preset duration and then turn off, and then control the second air valve 3 to open so that the nursing cavity 12 is communicated with the in-cavity return air outlet 15, the cabinet door 11 is closed, and the indoor heating mode ends. If the target indoor temperature set by the user has not been reached yet, the blower 4 continues to operate at a high speed and the heating device 5 operates at a high heating temperature until the indoor temperature reaches the target temperature.

[0084] However, it should be noted that the steps of "controlling the cabinet door to open" or "controlling the cabinet door to close" can be to drive the cabinet door 11 to automatically open or close by controlling the driving device, or it can also be to send a prompt message to the user to prompt the user to manually open or close the cabinet door 11. Those skilled in the art can set it according to needs, and all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0085] Step S562 further includes the following steps:

[0086] Step: When Ta < T1, control the blower to operate at the third speed and control the heating device to operate at the third heating temperature;

[0087] Step: When T1 ≤ Ta ≤ T2, control the blower to operate at the fourth speed and control the heating device to operate at the fourth heating temperature;

[0088] Step: When T2 < Ta < T, control the blower to operate at the fifth speed and control the heating device to operate at the fourth heating temperature; where T1 < T2 < T; the third speed > the fourth speed > the fifth speed > the first speed; the third heating temperature > the fourth heating temperature > the fifth heating temperature > the first heating temperature.

[0089] When the temperature Ta of the indoor return air outlet is much lower than the target indoor temperature T, it indicates that the indoor temperature is very low. The blower 4 is controlled to operate at a high speed while the heating device 5 operates at a high heating temperature, so as to quickly heat the indoor space. When the temperature Ta of the indoor return air outlet is slightly lower than the target indoor temperature T, the blower 4 operates at a low speed while the heating device 5 operates at a low heating temperature, thereby saving energy consumption. Therefore, by precisely controlling the blower 4 and the heating device 5 according to the temperature of the indoor return air outlet, both the heating efficiency can be improved and the energy consumption can be saved. Among them, the specific values of T1 and T2 can be set by those skilled in the art according to experimental data or empirical formulas and pre-stored in the memory, or can also be set in the way of manual input by the user. The present invention does not impose any restrictions on the values of T1 and T2, and they all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0090] The control method further includes the following steps:

[0091] Step: Receive an instruction to operate the heating mode inside the cabinet.

[0092] When the heating mode inside the cabinet is required for the user to perform care operations such as removing wrinkles, odors, sterilizing, or drying the clothes in the care cavity 12, it is necessary to heat or dry the clothes.

[0093] Step: Control the cabinet door to close;

[0094] Step: Control the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open.

[0095] Step: Control the indicator light to display the second color;

[0096] Step: Control the blower and the heating device to turn on.

[0097] When the user needs to care for the clothes in the care cavity 12, a command to run the heating mode inside the cabinet is sent. When the clothes care device receives the command to run the heating mode inside the cabinet, it controls the cabinet door 11 to close, and the care cavity 12 and the cabinet door 11 form a closed chamber for heating the clothes. The first air valve 2 closes, and the indoor air return opening 14 is not connected to the indoor environment. The cavity air return opening 15, the care cavity 12, and the return air pipeline 7 are connected. After the fan 4 and the heating device 5 are turned on, the air in the care cavity 12 circulates and is heated inside the cabinet, and the hot air blown out from the air outlet 13 heats and dries the clothes. At the same time, the indicator light shows a second color, which is a different color from the first color. For example, the second color is blue, so that the user can know from a distance through the color of the indicator light that the current operating mode of the clothes care device is the heating mode inside the cabinet, thereby improving the user experience. Those skilled in the art can also replace the "indoor air return opening temperature" in the above embodiment with the "cavity air return opening temperature", and the "target indoor temperature" with the "target cavity temperature", so as to adjust the wind speed of the fan 4 and the heating temperature of the heating device 5 according to the temperature in the care cavity and the target cavity temperature set by the user.

[0098] As Figure 4 shown, in the second possible embodiment, the control method mainly further includes the following steps:

[0099] Step S61: Receive a command to run the indoor humidification mode;

[0100] Step S62: Control the cabinet door to open;

[0101] Step S63: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0102] Step S64: Control the fan and the heating device to turn on;

[0103] Step S65: Control the steam generating device to turn on.

[0104] When the user needs to humidify the indoor environment, a command to run the indoor humidification mode is sent. After the clothes care device receives the command, it controls the cabinet door 11 to open, the first air valve 2 to open, and the second air valve 3 to close. The indoor environment, the indoor air return opening 14, and the return air pipeline 7 are connected. After the steam generating device 8 is turned on, steam is generated. The steam is mixed with the heated indoor air and then discharged into the room through the air outlet 13 to humidify and heat the room, preventing steam condensation and improving the indoor humidification efficiency.

[0105] As Figure 5 shown, in the second possible embodiment, the control method specifically includes the following steps:

[0106] Step S71: Receive a command to run the indoor humidification mode;

[0107] Step S72: Obtain the indoor temperature Tb;

[0108] Step S73: Determine whether Tb < T3 holds?

[0109] When the judgment result of step S73 is yes, execute the steps: Run the preheating program;

[0110] When the judgment result of step S73 is no, execute the steps: Run the indoor humidification program.

[0111] When the user needs to humidify the indoor environment, first obtain the indoor temperature Tb. The cabinet 1 is in the indoor environment, and the indoor temperature can reflect the temperature of the cabinet 1. If the indoor temperature is high, the temperature of the cabinet 1 is high; if the indoor temperature is low, the temperature of the cabinet 1 is correspondingly low. Increasing the temperature of the cabinet 1 can prevent steam from condensing when it comes into contact with it. Preferably, T3 is the temperature value at which steam does not condense when it comes into contact with the cabinet 1. T3 can be set by the user according to experimental data or empirical formulas, etc., or can be set manually by the user. Those skilled in the art can set the specific value of T3 as needed, and all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. After step S71, the control method further includes the step of controlling the indicator light to display the third color. The user can know the current operating mode of the clothing care device from a distance through the color of the indicator light.

[0112] Tb ≥ T3 indicates that the indoor temperature is relatively high, and the temperature of the cabinet 1 is also relatively high, and the probability of condensation is small. Therefore, the preheating program can be skipped and the indoor environment can be directly humidified.

[0113] Tb < T3 indicates that the indoor temperature is low, and the temperature of the cabinet 1 is also low, and the cabinet 1 needs to be preheated.

[0114] The preheating program specifically includes the following steps:

[0115] Step S741: Control the cabinet door to close;

[0116] Step S742: Control the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open;

[0117] Step S743: Control the fan and the heating device to turn on;

[0118] Step S744: Calculate the duration required for the preheating program, i.e., the first duration, and prompt the user

[0119] Step S745: After the fan and the heating device are turned on for the second preset duration, turn on the steam generating device and continue for the third preset duration; where the second preset duration + the third preset duration ≤ the first duration.

[0120] When Tb < T3, the temperature of the cabinet body is relatively low. To prevent steam from condensing after contacting the cabinet body 1, the blower 4 and the heating device 5 are turned on, the first air valve 2 is closed, and the second air valve 3 is opened. The nursing cavity 12, the in-chamber air return opening 15, and the air return pipeline 7 are connected. The preheating program is run until Tb ≥ T3. After the heating device 5 heats the air in the nursing cavity 12, the hot air exchanges heat with the cabinet body 1, increasing the temperature of the cabinet body 1, thereby reducing steam condensation and increasing the steam saturation. To enable users to intuitively know the required preheating duration, the preheating duration is calculated based on the indoor temperature, the blower speed, and the heating temperature of the heating device, and the user is prompted. Further, since the indoor environment is relatively dry, if the steam saturation in the cabinet body 1 is low, the steam is not easily diffused. Therefore, after the blower 4 and the heating device 5 heat the nursing cavity 12 for a second preset duration, with the cabinet door 11 closed, the steam generating device 8 is turned on to send steam into the nursing cavity 12 to increase the steam saturation in the cabinet body 1, making it easier for the steam to diffuse from the cabinet into the room. In addition, when the high-temperature steam enters the cavity, it can also increase the temperature of the nursing cavity 12, thereby accelerating the preheating of the cabinet body 1. After a third preset duration, the steam generating device 8 is turned off.

[0121] The indoor humidification program includes the following steps:

[0122] Step: Control the cabinet door to open;

[0123] Step: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0124] Step: Control the blower and the heating device to turn on;

[0125] Step: Control the steam generating device to turn on.

[0126] Further, in another possible implementation, the steps of the indoor humidification program further include:

[0127] Step: The indoor humidification program includes n indoor humidification sub-stages;

[0128] Among them, the first indoor humidification sub-stage includes the following steps:

[0129] Step S751: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0130] Step S752: Control the steam generating device to turn on;

[0131] Step S753: Obtain the humidity of the indoor air return opening;

[0132] Step S754: Control the blower to run at a speed of R1 and the heating device to run at a heating temperature of W1;

[0133] Step S755: Determine whether the humidity of the indoor air return opening reaches H1;

[0134] If the determination result in step S755 is yes, end the first indoor humidification sub-stage and continue to execute step S756;

[0135] If the determination result in step S755 is no, return to step S754.

[0136] When running the indoor humidification program, after the first indoor humidification sub-stage ends, continue to run the second indoor humidification sub-stage until all n indoor humidification sub-stages are completed. As the humidification stage runs, the humidity at the indoor air return opening 14 gradually increases, that is, the indoor humidity also gradually rises, the humidity difference between inside and outside the cabinet gradually decreases, and the steam diffusion rotation speed decreases. The present invention divides the indoor humidification program into n indoor humidification sub-stages for operation. The fan speed and the heating temperature of the heating device 5 also increase as the humidity rises, so as to reduce the heat loss and steam condensation of the steam, keep the steam always in a high saturation state, and be able to more accurately control the steam saturation and temperature, thereby making the humidification effect better, the steam diffusion faster, and always maintaining an efficient humidification state.

[0137] The steps of the indoor humidification program further include:

[0138] Step S756: Repeat the above steps to run the remaining indoor humidification sub-stages until the humidity at the indoor air return opening is Hn, the fan speed is Rn, and the heating temperature of the heating device is Wn, then control the steam generating device to close, control the fan and the heating device to continue running for a fourth preset duration and then close, and the indoor humidification program ends;

[0139] Wherein, n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, and Hn, Rn, and Wn gradually increase with the corresponding indoor humidification sub-stages.

[0140] When the n indoor humidification sub-stages are sequentially run until the humidity at the indoor air return opening is Hn, it means that the indoor humidity reaches the target humidity set by the user. Then continue to control the fan 4 and the heating device 5 to run for a fourth preset duration to promote the evaporation of the condensed water on the inner wall of the nursing cavity 12 and keep the cavity dry, and end the indoor humidification program. However, it should be noted that in step S756, the fan 4 and the heating device 5 can also be directly closed when the humidity at the indoor air return opening is Hn, without continuing to turn on the fan 4 and the heating device 5 for the fourth preset duration. Those skilled in the art can set it according to needs, and all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0141] It should also be noted that those skilled in the art can set the number n of indoor humidification sub-stages as needed. The specific values of the humidity at the indoor return air outlet, the fan speed, and the heating temperature of the heating device 5 in each humidification sub-stage can be set according to actual needs. They can be a single value or a value range. For example, the above specific values can be preset according to experimental data or empirical formulas and then stored in the memory, or can be set by the user input, etc. The present invention does not impose any restrictions on the above values, and they all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0142] For example, when n is set to 3, the indoor humidification program includes 3 indoor humidification sub-stages. After the end of the 1st indoor humidification sub-stage, the 2nd indoor humidification sub-stage continues to run. The steps of the 2nd indoor humidification sub-stage include:

[0143] Step: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0144] Step: Control the steam generating device to start;

[0145] Step: Obtain the humidity at the indoor return air outlet;

[0146] Step: Control the fan to run at a speed of R2 and the heating device to run at a heating temperature of W2;

[0147] Step: Determine whether the humidity at the indoor return air outlet reaches H2;

[0148] If the judgment result is yes, end the 2nd indoor humidification sub-stage and continue to execute the 3rd indoor humidification sub-stage;

[0149] If the judgment result is no, return to the step "Control the fan to run at a speed of R2 and the heating device to run at a heating temperature of W2".

[0150] After the end of the 2nd indoor humidification sub-stage, the 3rd indoor humidification sub-stage continues to run. The steps of the 3rd indoor humidification sub-stage include:

[0151] Step: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0152] Step: Control the steam generating device to start;

[0153] Step: Obtain the humidity at the indoor return air outlet;

[0154] Step: Control the fan to run at a speed of R3 and the heating device to run at a heating temperature of W3;

[0155] Step: Determine whether the humidity at the indoor return air outlet reaches H3;

[0156] If the result of the step "judging whether the humidity at the indoor return air vent reaches H3" is yes, the steam generating device is turned off, the blower is controlled to operate at a rotational speed of R3, and the heating device is controlled to operate at a heating temperature of W3 for a fourth set duration, and then the blower and the heating device are turned off, and the indoor humidification program ends;

[0157] If the result of the step "judging whether the humidity at the indoor return air vent reaches H3" is no, return to the step "control the blower to operate at a rotational speed of R3, and the heating device to operate at a heating temperature of W3".

[0158] The control method of the clothing care device further includes the following steps:

[0159] Step: Receive an instruction to operate the humidification mode inside the cabinet;

[0160] Step: Control the cabinet door to close;

[0161] Step: Control the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open;

[0162] Step: Control the blower and the heating device to turn on;

[0163] Step: Control the steam generating device to turn on.

[0164] When the user needs to humidify the indoor environment, an instruction to operate the humidification mode inside the cabinet is sent. After the clothing care device receives the instruction, it controls the cabinet door 11 to close, and the care cavity 12 and the cabinet door 11 form a closed cavity for humidifying clothes. The first air valve 2 closes, the second air valve 3 opens, the care cavity 12, the indoor return air vent 15 and the return air pipeline 7 are connected. After the steam generating device 8 is turned on, steam is generated. The steam is mixed with the air inside the cavity and enters the care cavity 12 through the air outlet 13 to humidify the clothes.

[0165] After the step of "receiving an instruction to operate the humidification mode inside the cabinet", the control method further includes: controlling the indicator light to display a fourth color. The first color, the second color, the third color and the fourth color are different colors. Those skilled in the art can set the colors displayed by the indicator light according to needs. The present invention does not make any restrictions on this and all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0166] Those skilled in the art can understand that the above-mentioned clothing care device further includes some other well-known structures, such as a memory, etc. Among them, the memory includes but is not limited to random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, serial memory, parallel memory or registers, etc. The processor includes but is not limited to CPLD / FPGA, DSP, ARM processor, MIPS processor, etc. In order not to unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the present disclosure, these well-known structures are not shown in the drawings.

[0167] In the above embodiments, although the various steps are described in the above order, those skilled in the art can understand that, in order to achieve the effects of this embodiment, the different steps do not have to be executed in such an order. They can be executed simultaneously (in parallel) or in a reversed order, or one step can be split into multiple steps for execution. Those skilled in the art can set according to needs, and all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0168] So far, the technical solution of the present invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings. However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the protection scope of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principle 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 these changes or substitutions will all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A clothing care device, characterized in that, The clothing care device includes a cabinet body, a cabinet door, a blower, and a heating device. A care cavity is provided inside the cabinet body. The cabinet door is disposed on the cabinet body in an openable and closable manner. An air outlet, an indoor air return opening, and a cavity air return opening communicating with the care cavity are provided on the cabinet body. The indoor air return opening is provided with an openable and closable first air valve, and the cavity air return opening is provided with an openable and closable second air valve. The indoor air return opening communicates with the indoor environment through the first air valve, and the cavity air return opening communicates with the care cavity through the second air valve. The clothing care device further includes a return air pipeline, a blower, and a heating device. The air outlet of the blower and the air outlet are connected through an air duct, and the heating device is disposed in the air duct. One end of the return air pipeline is respectively connected to the indoor air return opening and the cavity air return opening, and the other end is connected to the air return opening of the blower.

2. The clothing care device according to claim 1, wherein, The clothing care device further includes a driving device, and the driving device is in transmission connection with the cabinet door to drive the cabinet door to open and close; and / or, the clothing care device further includes a steam generating device, and a steam outlet of the steam generating device is communicated with the air duct so that steam is discharged from the air outlet along with hot air.

3. The clothing care device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An indicator light that can change color according to the operating mode of the clothing care device is provided outside the cabinet body.

4. A control method for a clothing care device, characterized in that, The clothing care device includes a cabinet body, a cabinet door, a blower, and a heating device. A care cavity is provided inside the cabinet body. The cabinet door is disposed on the cabinet body in an openable and closable manner. An air outlet, an indoor air return opening, and a cavity air return opening communicating with the care cavity are provided on the cabinet body. The indoor air return opening is provided with an openable and closable first air valve, and the cavity air return opening is provided with an openable and closable second air valve. The indoor air return opening communicates with the indoor environment through the first air valve, and the cavity air return opening communicates with the care cavity through the second air valve. The clothing care device further includes a return air pipeline, a blower, and a heating device. The air outlet of the blower and the air outlet are connected through an air duct, and the heating device is disposed in the air duct. One end of the return air pipeline is respectively connected to the indoor air return opening and the cavity air return opening, and the other end is connected to the air return opening of the blower; The control method includes: Receiving an instruction to operate the indoor heating mode; Controlling the cabinet door to open; Controlling the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close; Controlling the blower and the heating device to open.

5. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 4, wherein The control method further includes: Receiving an instruction to operate the in-cabinet heating mode; Controlling the cabinet door to close; Controlling the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open; Controlling the blower and the heating device to open.

6. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of "controlling the blower and the heating device to open" further includes: Obtaining the temperature Ta of the indoor air return opening; When Ta≥T, controlling the blower to operate at a first rotation speed for a preset duration, and the heating device to operate at a first heating temperature for a preset duration and then turn off; where T is the indoor target temperature set by the user.

7. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of "controlling the blower and the heating device to open" further includes: When Ta < T, control the blower to operate at the second rotational speed, and control the heating device to operate at the second heating temperature; the second rotational speed > the first rotational speed; the first heating temperature > the second heating temperature.

8. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of "when Ta < T, control the blower to operate at the second rotational speed, and control the heating device to operate at the second heating temperature; where T is the indoor target temperature set by the user, the second rotational speed > the first rotational speed; the first heating temperature > the second heating temperature" further includes: When Ta < T1, control the blower to operate at the third rotational speed, and control the heating device to operate at the third heating temperature; When T1 ≤ Ta ≤ T2, control the blower to operate at the fourth rotational speed, and control the heating device to operate at the fourth heating temperature; When T2 < Ta < T, control the blower to operate at the fifth rotational speed, and control the heating device to operate at the fourth heating temperature; Wherein, T1 < T2 < T; the third rotational speed > the fourth rotational speed > the fifth rotational speed > the first rotational speed; the third heating temperature > the fourth heating temperature > the fifth heating temperature > the first heating temperature.

9. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 4, characterized in that, An indicator light that can change color according to the operating mode of the clothing care device is provided outside the cabinet; after the step of "receiving an instruction to operate the indoor heating mode", the control method further includes: Control the indicator light to display the first color; After the step of "receiving an instruction to operate the in-cabinet heating mode", the control method further includes: Control the indicator light to display the second color.

10. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 4, characterized in that, After the step of "when Ta ≥ T, control the blower to operate at the first rotational speed for a preset duration, and the heating device to operate at the first heating temperature for a preset duration and then turn off", the control method further includes: Control the second air valve to open; Control the cabinet door to close.

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