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. In order to solve the problems that existing clothes care equipment has an indoor humidification function but is complex in structure, poor in stability and low in humidification efficiency, the control method of the clothes care equipment comprises the steps that an instruction for operating an indoor humidification mode is received; controlling the cabinet door to open; controlling the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close; a fan and a heating device are controlled to be started; and controlling the steam generation device to start. After the clothes care equipment receives an instruction, a cabinet door is controlled to be opened, a first air valve is opened, a second air valve is closed, the indoor environment, an indoor air return opening and an air return pipeline are communicated, steam is generated after a steam generation device is started, the steam and heated indoor air are mixed and then discharged into a room, the room is humidified and heated, and hot air can improve the steam saturation degree; steam condensation is prevented, and the indoor humidification efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of clothing care equipment, and particularly 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, washing and drying integrated machines, and air conditioners have become indispensable home appliances 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, generally two home appliances are stacked to form a simple stacked whole to provide different functions, but the control of the two is still independent of each other. Most of the existing humidifiers are only used for humidifying the indoor environment, while a humidifying device is provided on the clothing care machine to humidify the clothes during clothing care. Therefore, in the prior art, the two are combined into one, but its structure is not only complex and unstable, but also the humidifying efficiency for the indoor environment is low, affecting the user experience.

[0003] Correspondingly, there is a need in the art for a new clothing care equipment to solve the problems that the existing clothing care equipment has a function of humidifying the indoor environment but has a complex structure, poor stability, and low humidifying efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the above technical problems, that is, to solve the problems that the existing clothing care equipment has a function of humidifying the indoor environment but has a complex structure, poor stability, and low humidifying efficiency.

[0005] The present invention provides a control method for a clothing care equipment. The control method for a clothing care equipment is characterized in that the clothing care equipment 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 equipment further includes a steam generating device. The air outlet of the blower communicates with the air outlet. The heating device is used for heating the air blown out by the blower. The indoor air return opening and the cavity air return opening are respectively communicated with the air return opening of the blower; the steam outlet of the steam generating device communicates with the air outlet;

[0006] The control method includes:

[0007] Receiving an instruction to operate the indoor humidifying mode;

[0008] Controlling the cabinet door to open;

[0009] Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0010] Control the blower and the heating device to open;

[0011] Control the steam generating device to open.

[0012] In a preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, after the step of "receiving an instruction to operate the indoor humidification mode", the control method includes:

[0013] Obtain the indoor temperature Ta;

[0014] [[ID=I6]]When Ta < T1, then run the preheating program;

[0015] The steps of the preheating program include:

[0016] Control the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open;

[0017] Control the blower and the heating device to open.

[0018] In a preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the steps of the preheating program further include:

[0019] After the blower and the heating device are turned on for a second preset duration, turn on the steam generating device and keep it on for a third preset duration.

[0020] In a preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the steps of the preheating program further include:

[0021] Calculate the duration required for the preheating program, i.e., the first duration, and prompt the user; where the second preset duration + the third preset duration ≤ the first duration.

[0022] In a preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, after the step of "obtaining the indoor temperature Ta", the control method further includes:

[0023] When Ta ≥ T1, then run the indoor humidification program;

[0024] The steps of the indoor humidification program include:

[0025] Control the cabinet door to open;

[0026] Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0027] Control the blower and the heating device to open;

[0028] Control the steam generating device to open.

[0029] In the preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the step of "indoor humidification program" further includes:

[0030] The indoor humidification program includes n indoor humidification sub-stages;

[0031] Among them, the first small stage of indoor humidification includes:

[0032] Controlling the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0033] Controlling the steam generating device to start;

[0034] Get the humidity of the indoor return air outlet;

[0035] Control the fan to operate at a speed of R1 and the heating device to operate at a heating temperature of W1;

[0036] When the humidity at the indoor return air outlet is H1, the first indoor humidification stage ends;

[0037] After the first indoor humidification sub-stage is completed, the indoor humidification program further includes the following steps:

[0038] Repeat the above steps to run the remaining indoor humidification sub-stages until the indoor return air humidity is Hn, the fan speed is Rn, and the heating temperature of the heating device is Wn, then turn off the steam generating device, and the indoor humidification program ends;

[0039] 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-stage.

[0040] In the preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the control method further includes:

[0041] Receiving an instruction to operate the cavity humidification mode;

[0042] Controlling the cabinet door to close;

[0043] Controlling the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open;

[0044] The fan and the heating device are controlled to be turned on, and the steam generating device is controlled to be turned on.

[0045] In a preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, an indicator light that changes color according to the operating mode of the clothing care device is provided on the outside of the cabinet. After the step of "receiving an instruction to operate the indoor humidification mode", the control method further includes:

[0046] controlling the indicator light to display a first color;

[0047] After the step of "receiving an instruction to run the humidification mode in the operation chamber", the control method further includes:

[0048] Controlling the indicator light to display a second color.

[0049] In a preferred technical solution of the control method of the above-mentioned clothing care device, the step of "repeating 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 closing the steam generating device, and the indoor humidification program ends" further includes:

[0050] Repeating 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 closing the steam generating device, controlling the fan and the heating device to continue running for a fourth preset duration and then closing, and the indoor humidification program ends.

[0051] The present invention also provides a clothing care device, which includes a controller and a memory. The memory is adapted to store multiple program codes, and the program codes are adapted to be loaded and run by the controller to execute the control method of the clothing care device described in any one of the above technical solutions.

[0052] Those skilled in the art can understand that the clothing care device includes a cabinet body, a cabinet door, a fan, and a heating device. A care chamber is provided inside the cabinet body. The cabinet door is movably provided on the cabinet body. An air outlet, an indoor air return opening, and a chamber air return opening communicating with the care chamber are provided on the cabinet body. A first air valve that can be opened and closed is provided at the indoor air return opening, and a second air valve that can be opened and closed is provided at the chamber air return opening. The indoor air return opening communicates with the indoor environment through the first air valve, and the chamber air return opening communicates with the care chamber through the second air valve. The clothing care device further includes a steam generating device. The air outlet of the fan communicates with the air outlet. The heating device is used to heat the air blown out by the fan. The indoor air return opening and the chamber air return opening are respectively communicated with the air return opening of the fan; the steam outlet of the steam generating device communicates with the air outlet; the control method of the clothing care device mainly includes: receiving an instruction to run the indoor humidification mode; controlling the cabinet door to open; controlling the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close; controlling the fan and the heating device to open; controlling the steam generating device to open.

[0053] In the case of adopting the above technical solution, when the user needs to humidify the indoor environment, a command to operate the indoor humidification mode is sent. After receiving the command, the clothing care device controls the cabinet door to open, the first air valve to open, and the second air valve to close, so that the indoor environment, the indoor air return opening, and the air outlet are connected. After the steam generating device is started, steam is generated. The steam is mixed with the heated indoor air and then discharged into the indoor environment to humidify and heat the indoor environment. The hot air can increase the steam saturation degree, prevent steam condensation, and improve the indoor humidification efficiency. In addition, the clothing care device of the present invention has a simple structure, and can realize clothing humidification and indoor humidification through its own steam generating device, with higher stability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0055] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the clothing care device of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 2 is a main step flowchart of the control method of the clothing care device of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 3 is a specific step flowchart of an 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, in-cavity air return opening; 2, first air valve; 3, second air valve; 4, fan; 5, heating device; 6, air duct; 7, return air pipeline; 8, steam generating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0058] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments 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 make adjustments 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 scenarios of the clothing care device according to needs.

[0059] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms indicating directions or positional relationships such as "top", "lower", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. This is only for 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. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0060] In addition, it should 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.

[0061] As Figure 1 shown, the clothing care device of the present invention includes a cabinet 1, a cabinet door 11, a blower 4 and a heating device 5. A care cavity 12 is provided inside the cabinet 1. The cabinet door 11 is provided on the cabinet 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 at the top of the cabinet 1. A first air valve 2 for opening and closing the indoor air return opening 14 is provided on the indoor air return opening 14, and a second air valve 3 for opening and closing the in-cavity air return opening 15 is provided on the in-cavity air return opening 15. The indoor air return opening 14 communicates with the indoor environment through the first air valve 2. After the first air valve 2 is opened, the indoor air return opening 14 communicates with the indoor environment. When the first air valve 2 is closed, the indoor air return opening 14 does not communicate with the indoor environment. The in-cavity air return opening 15 communicates with the care cavity 12 through the second air valve 3. After the second air valve 3 is opened, the in-cavity air return opening 15 communicates with the care cavity 12. When the second air valve 3 is closed, the in-cavity air return opening 15 does not communicate with the care cavity 12.

[0062] The clothing care device further includes a return air pipeline 7. The blower 4 and the heating device 5 are arranged at the lower part of the cabinet 1 and are separated from the care cavity 12 by a partition. The air outlet 13 is provided on the partition. The air outlet of the blower 4 and the air outlet 13 are connected through an air duct 6. The heating device 5 is arranged 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. Optionally, the return air pipeline 7 is arranged on the side wall of the cabinet 1 to reduce space occupation.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] Furthermore, the clothing care device further includes a steam generating device 8. The steam outlet of the steam generating device 8 is communicated with the air duct 6, so that the steam is discharged from the air outlet 13 along with the hot air. The steam generated by the steam generating device 8 can humidify the clothes in the care cavity 12 or humidify the indoor environment. Specifically, when it is necessary to humidify the indoor environment, the first air valve 2 is opened and the second air valve 3 is closed. The return air pipeline 7, the indoor air return opening 14 and the indoor environment are communicated. After the fan 4 is turned on, the indoor air enters the return air pipeline 7 from the indoor air return opening 14. Then, the indoor air and the steam enter the air duct 6 and are heated at the heating device 5. Finally, the air is blown from the air outlet 13 to the care cavity 12, and the cabinet door 11 is opened. The steam is blown from the opening of the cabinet body 1 to the indoor to humidify the indoor. When the clothing care device needs to humidify the clothes in the cabinet, the first air valve 2 is closed and the second air valve 3 is opened. The return air pipeline 7, the in-cavity air return opening 15 and the care cavity 12 are communicated. After the fan 4 is turned on, the air in the care cavity 12 enters the return air pipeline 7 from the in-cavity air return opening 15. The steam enters the air duct 6 along with the in-cavity air 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.

[0066] As described in the first paragraph of this section, the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the principle of the present invention and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Without departing from the principle 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.

[0067] In addition, the present invention also provides a control method for a clothing care device. The clothing care device 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 adapted to store multiple program codes. The program codes are adapted to be loaded and run by the controller to execute the control method for the clothing care device described in any of the above embodiments.

[0068] Specifically, refer to Figure 1, the clothing care device includes a cabinet 1, a cabinet door 11, a blower 4, and a heating device 5. A care cavity 12 is provided inside the cabinet 1. The cabinet door 11 is disposed on the cabinet 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 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 inside 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 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.

[0069] Further, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor are provided on the top of the cabinet 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 temperature at the indoor air return opening 14 can reflect the level of the indoor environment temperature, and the temperature at the in-cavity air return opening 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 humidity at the indoor air return opening can reflect the level of the indoor environment humidity, and the humidity at the in-cavity air return opening 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, and a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor can be used to simultaneously detect the temperature and humidity at the two air return openings, so as to save costs.

[0070] 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 indoor temperature, indoor humidity, temperature values at the indoor air return opening and the in-cavity air return opening, 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, and technicians can set the structure and model of the controller according to actual usage requirements.

[0071] 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.

[0072] As Figure 2 shown, in one embodiment, the control method of the clothing care device mainly includes the following steps:

[0073] Step S10: Receive an instruction to run the indoor humidification mode;

[0074] Among them, the instruction for the indoor humidification mode can be: an instruction sent by the user by pressing the buttons of the clothing care device or through 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 humidification mode is automatically sent. After the instruction to run the indoor humidification mode is sent, the clothing care device receives the instruction to run the indoor humidification mode.

[0075] Step S20: Control the cabinet door to open;

[0076] Step S30: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0077] Step S40: Control the fan and the heating device to turn on;

[0078] Step S50: Control the steam generating device to turn on.

[0079] When the user needs to humidify the indoor environment, an instruction to run the indoor humidification mode is sent. After the clothing care device receives the instruction, it controls the cabinet door 11 to open, the first air valve 2 to open, and the second air valve 3 to close, so that the indoor environment, the indoor air return opening 14 and the air return pipeline 7 are connected. After the steam generating device 8 is turned on to generate steam, the steam is mixed with the heated indoor air and discharged into the indoor through the air outlet 13 to humidify and heat the indoor environment and prevent steam condensation to improve the indoor humidification efficiency.

[0080] As Figure 3 shown, in a possible embodiment, the control method specifically includes the following steps:

[0081] Step S61: Receive an instruction to run the indoor humidification mode;

[0082] Step S62: Obtain the indoor temperature Ta;

[0083] Step S63: Determine whether Ta < T1 holds?

[0084] When the judgment result of step S63 is yes, execute the steps: run the preheating program;

[0085] When the judgment result of step S63 is no, execute the steps: run the indoor humidification program.

[0086] When the user needs to humidify the indoor environment, first obtain the indoor temperature Ta. 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. Preferably, T1 is the temperature value at which steam will not condense when contacting the cabinet 1. T1 can be set by the user according to experimental data or empirical formulas, etc., or can also be set manually by the user. Those skilled in the art can set the specific value of T1 according to needs, and all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. After step S61, the control method further includes the step: controlling the indicator light to display the first color. The user can know the current operating mode of the clothing care device from a distance through the color of the indicator light.

[0087] The preheating program includes the following steps:

[0088] Step S641: Control the cabinet door to close;

[0089] Step S642: Control the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open;

[0090] Step S643: Control the fan and the heating device to turn on;

[0091] Step S644: Calculate the required duration of the preheating program, i.e., the first duration, and prompt the user;

[0092] 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.

[0093] However, it should be noted that the step of "controlling the cabinet door to open" or "controlling the cabinet door to close" can be to control the driving device to drive the cabinet door 11 to open or close automatically, 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.

[0094] When Ta < T1, to prevent steam from condensing upon contact with cabinet 1, fan 4 and heating device 5 are turned on, first air valve 2 is closed, second air valve 3 is opened, and the nursing cavity 12, the return air port 15 within the cavity, and the return air duct 7 are connected. The preheating process is run until Ta ≥ T1. After heating device 5 heats the air within nursing cavity 12, the hot air exchanges heat with cabinet 1, raising the temperature of cabinet 1, thereby reducing steam condensation and increasing steam saturation. To allow users to intuitively understand the preheating time required, the preheating time is calculated based on the indoor temperature, fan speed, and heating device heating temperature, and the user is prompted. Furthermore, since the indoor temperature is relatively dry, if the steam saturation in the cabinet 1 is low, the steam will not diffuse easily. Therefore, after the fan 4 and the heating device 5 heat the care cavity 12 for the second preset time, when the cabinet door 11 is closed, the steam generating device 8 is turned on to send steam into the care cavity 12 to increase the steam saturation in the cabinet 1, so that the steam can easily diffuse from the cabinet to the indoor temperature. In addition, the high-temperature steam entering the cavity can also increase the temperature of the care cavity 12, thereby accelerating the preheating of the cabinet 1, and the steam generating device 8 is turned off after the third preset time.

[0095] Ta≥T1 indicates that the indoor temperature is high and the temperature of cabinet 1 is also high. Therefore, the preheating process can be omitted and the indoor humidification can be performed directly.

[0096] The indoor humidification process includes the following steps:

[0097] Steps: Control cabinet door open;

[0098] Steps: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0099] Steps: Control the fan and heating device to turn on;

[0100] Steps: Control the steam generating device to start.

[0101] Continue to refer to Figure 3 Furthermore, in another possible embodiment, the steps of the indoor humidification program further include:

[0102] Steps: The indoor humidification program includes n indoor humidification sub-stages;

[0103] Among them, the first indoor humidification stage includes the following steps:

[0104] Step S651: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0105] Step S652: Control the steam generating device to start;

[0106] Step S653: Obtaining the humidity of the indoor return air outlet;

[0107] Step S654: Control the blower to operate at a rotational speed of R1 and the heating device to operate at a heating temperature of W1;

[0108] Step S655: Determine whether the humidity at the indoor return air outlet has reached H1;

[0109] If the determination result in Step S655 is yes, end the first indoor humidification sub-stage and continue to execute Step S656;

[0110] If the determination result in Step S655 is no, return to Step S654.

[0111] When the indoor humidification program is running, after the end of the first indoor humidification sub-stage, continue to run the second indoor humidification sub-stage until all n indoor humidification sub-stages are completely run. As the humidification stage runs, the humidity at the indoor return air outlet 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 speed decreases. The present invention divides the indoor humidification program into n indoor humidification sub-stages to run, and the rotational speed of the blower and the heating temperature of the heating device 5 also increase as the humidity rises, so as to reduce the heat loss of the steam and steam condensation, keep the steam always in a high saturation state, and be able to more precisely control the steam saturation and temperature, thereby making the humidification effect better, the steam diffusion faster, and always maintaining an efficient humidification state.

[0112] The steps of the indoor humidification program further include:

[0113] Step S656: Repeat the above steps to run the remaining indoor humidification sub-stages until the humidity at the indoor return air outlet is Hn, the rotational speed of the blower is Rn, and the heating temperature of the heating device is Wn, control the steam generator 8 to close, control the blower and the heating device to continue running for a fourth preset duration and then close, and the indoor humidification program ends;

[0114] 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.

[0115] When the n indoor humidification sub-stages are sequentially run until the humidity at the indoor return air outlet is Hn, it means that the indoor humidity has reached the target humidity set by the user. Continue to control the blower 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 care cavity 12 and keep the cavity dry, and end the indoor humidification program. However, it should be noted that in Step S656, the blower 4 and the heating device 5 can also be directly closed when the humidity at the indoor return air outlet is Hn, and the blower 4 and the heating device 5 are not continued to be turned on 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.

[0116] 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 vent, the fan speed, and the heating temperature of the heating device 5 in each humidification sub - stage can be set according to actual needs. It can be a single value or a value range. For example, the above - mentioned specific values can be preset according to experimental data or empirical formulas, and then the data is stored in the memory, or it can be set by the user input, etc. The present invention does not impose any restrictions on the above - mentioned values, and they all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0117] 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:

[0118] Step: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0119] Step: Control the steam generating device to start;

[0120] Step: Obtain the humidity at the indoor return air vent;

[0121] Step: Control the fan to run at speed R2 and the heating device to run at heating temperature W2;

[0122] Step: Determine whether the humidity at the indoor return air vent reaches H₂;

[0123] If the judgment result is yes, end the 2nd indoor humidification sub - stage and continue to execute the 3rd indoor humidification sub - stage;

[0124] If the judgment result is no, return to the step "Control the fan to run at speed R2 and the heating device to run at heating temperature W2".

[0125] 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:

[0126] Step: Control the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close;

[0127] Step: Control the steam generating device to start;

[0128] Step: Obtain the humidity at the indoor return air vent;

[0129] Step: Control the fan to run at speed R3 and the heating device to run at heating temperature W3;

[0130] Step: Determine whether the humidity at the indoor return air vent reaches H₃;

[0131] If the result of the step "judging whether the humidity of the indoor return air outlet 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;

[0132] If the result of the step "judging whether the humidity of the indoor return air outlet 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".

[0133] The control method of the clothing care device further includes the following steps:

[0134] Step: Receive an instruction to operate the humidification mode inside the cabinet;

[0135] Step: Control the cabinet door to close;

[0136] Step: Control the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open;

[0137] Step: Control the blower and the heating device to turn on;

[0138] Step: Control the steam generating device to turn on.

[0139] 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 is closed, the second air valve 3 is opened, the care cavity 12, the indoor return air outlet 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.

[0140] 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 second color. The second color is different from the first color. Those skilled in the art can set the color 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.

[0141] 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.

[0142] In the above embodiments, although the steps are described in the above order, those skilled in the art can understand that in order to achieve the effects of this embodiment, 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 a 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.

[0143] So far, the technical solutions of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying 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 control method for a clothing care device, characterized in that, The clothes 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. A first air valve that can be opened and closed is provided at the indoor air return opening, and a second air valve that can be opened and closed is provided at the cavity air return opening. 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 clothes care device further includes a steam generating device. The air outlet of the blower is communicated with the air outlet. The heating device is used to heat the air blown out by the blower. The indoor air return opening and the cavity air return opening are respectively communicated with the air return opening of the blower; the steam outlet of the steam generating device is communicated with the air outlet; The control method includes: Receiving an instruction to operate the indoor humidification 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 start; Controlling the steam generating device to start.

2. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 1, characterized in that After the step of "receiving an instruction to operate the indoor humidification mode", the control method includes: Obtaining the indoor temperature Ta; When Ta < T1, then running a preheating program; The steps of the preheating program include: Controlling the first air valve to close and the second air valve to open; Controlling the blower and the heating device to start.

3. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 2, wherein, The steps of the preheating program further include: After the blower and the heating device are started for a second preset duration, starting the steam generating device and continuing for a third preset duration.

4. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steps of the preheating program further include: Calculating the duration required for the preheating program, i.e., the first duration, and prompting the user; wherein, the second preset duration + the third preset duration ≤ the first duration.

5. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 2, wherein After the step of "obtaining the indoor temperature Ta", the control method further includes: When Ta ≥ T1, then running an indoor humidification program; The steps of the indoor humidification program include: 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 start; Controlling the steam generating device to start.

6. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The steps of the "indoor humidification program" further include: The indoor humidification program includes n indoor humidification sub-stages; Among them, the first indoor humidification sub-stage includes: Controlling the first air valve to open and the second air valve to close; Controlling the steam generating device to start; Obtaining the humidity of the indoor air return opening; Controlling the blower to operate at a rotation speed R1 and the heating device to operate at a heating temperature W1; When the humidity of the indoor air return opening is H1, the first indoor humidification sub-stage ends; After the first indoor humidification sub-stage ends, the steps of the indoor humidification program further include: Repeating the above steps to run the remaining indoor humidification sub-stages until the humidity of the indoor air return opening is Hn, the rotation speed of the blower is Rn, and the heating temperature of the heating device is Wn, then closing the steam generating device, and the indoor humidification program ends; 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.

7. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control method further includes: Receiving an instruction for the humidification mode in the operation cavity; 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 turn on, and the steam generating device to turn on.

8. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 7, wherein 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 for the indoor humidification mode", the control method further includes: Controlling the indicator light to display a first color; After the step of "receiving an instruction for the humidification mode in the operation cavity", the control method further includes: Controlling the indicator light to display a second color.

9. The control method of the clothing care device according to claim 3, wherein The step of "repeating the above steps to operate the remaining indoor humidification sub-stages until the humidity at the indoor air return opening is Hn, the blower speed is Rn, and the heating temperature of the heating device is Wn, then closing the steam generating device, and ending the indoor humidification program" further includes: Repeating the above steps to operate the remaining indoor humidification sub-stages until the humidity at the indoor air return opening is Hn, the blower speed is Rn, and the heating temperature of the heating device is Wn, then closing the steam generating device, controlling the blower and the heating device to continue operating for a fourth preset duration and then closing, and ending the indoor humidification program.

10. A clothing care device, characterized in that, The clothing care device includes a controller and a memory. The memory is adapted to store multiple program codes, and the program codes are adapted to be loaded and run by the controller to execute the control method of the clothing care device according to any one of claims 1-9 above.

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