Steam mechanism of laundry treating apparatus, laundry treating apparatus, and steam control method

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses a steam mechanism of a clothes processing device, the clothes processing device and a steam control method, and belongs to the clothes processing field. The steam mechanism comprises a steam generator and a steam conveying pipeline. The steam conveying pipeline comprises a water collecting part. The water collecting part is used for collecting liquid in the steam conveying pipeline. The condensed water can be controlled to be conveyed into the steam generator. The water collecting part can collect the condensed water in the steam conveying pipeline and can control the collected condensed water to be conveyed into the steam generator. The condensed water in the steam conveying pipeline can be collected and utilized. The number of times of adding water to the steam generator is reduced, and the user experience is improved. Meanwhile, the collected condensed water is used for steam care again, and does not need to be filtered. The steam structure is simplified, and the cost is saved. The steam generator can be supplemented with water, the amount of steam is easily ensured, and the technical effect that the clothes processing effect is improved is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of clothing processing, and more specifically, to a steam mechanism for clothing processing equipment, clothing processing equipment, and a steam control method. Background Technology

[0002] As users' demand for garment treatment increases, the functions of garment treatment equipment are also expanding. Currently, there are garment treatment devices on the market that can care for clothes. During the treatment process, steam needs to be supplied into the treatment drum to remove wrinkles, deodorize, and sterilize the clothes, thus achieving garment care.

[0003] Current garment processing equipment often fails to produce sufficient steam when supplying steam to the processing drum due to insufficient water in the water storage box, thus reducing the garment processing effect. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a steam mechanism for a garment processing device, a garment processing device, and a steam control method to at least solve the technical problem of poor garment processing effect.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a steam mechanism for a garment processing device is provided, comprising:

[0006] A steam generator, which is at least used to generate steam required for a garment steam care procedure, has a water inlet and an air outlet, the water inlet being connected to a water supply device and the air outlet being used to draw out the steam generated by the steam generator;

[0007] The steam delivery pipeline has a first port and a second port. The first port is connected to the air outlet, and the second port is connected to the processing cylinder of the clothing processing equipment. The steam flows out from the air outlet and enters the processing cylinder through the steam delivery pipeline. The steam delivery pipeline includes a water collection section for collecting the condensate generated in the steam delivery pipeline.

[0008] The condensate conveying mechanism can selectively convey the condensate collected by the water collection section to the steam generator for steam generation.

[0009] In this embodiment, after steam enters the steam delivery pipeline from the outlet, it undergoes liquefaction due to the pipeline temperature being lower than the steam temperature, resulting in liquid in the pipeline. The water collection unit collects this condensate, and the condensate delivery mechanism can controllably transport it to the steam generator. This allows the condensate to be collected and utilized, reducing the frequency of adding water to the steam generator and improving the user experience. Simultaneously, the collected condensate is reused for steam treatment without filtration, simplifying the steam structure and saving costs. The steam generator receives water replenishment, ensuring a consistent steam supply and improving the treatment effect on clothing. Furthermore, because the water collection unit collects the liquid in the steam delivery pipeline, it prevents liquid from flowing into the treatment cylinder from the second port, avoiding wetting the clothing and further enhancing the treatment effect.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in an optional implementation of the embodiments of this application, the water collection section includes a low-level pipe whose height is lower than that of the first port and the second port;

[0011] A drain hole is provided on the low-level pipeline to drain the condensate collected in the low-level pipeline.

[0012] The condensate delivery mechanism includes a water pump, which is used to deliver the condensate in the water collection section from the drain hole to the steam generator.

[0013] With this implementation, the water collection section is a low-level pipeline located at a height lower than the first and second ports, so that no additional hardware is needed when collecting condensate from the steam delivery pipeline, thus reducing the cost and space occupation of the steam mechanism.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one optional implementation of the embodiments of this application, the low-position pipeline is a downwardly curved arc-shaped pipe, and the lowest position of the arc-shaped pipe is lower than the height of the first port and the second port;

[0015] The drain hole is located at the lowest point of the arc-shaped tube;

[0016] Below the drain hole is a liquid collection chamber that communicates with the drain hole.

[0017] Using this method, the downward-bending arc-shaped pipe naturally forms a lower position, and this characteristic of the arc-shaped pipe can be used to collect condensate in the steam transmission pipeline.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one optional implementation of the embodiments of this application, the steam conveying pipeline includes a first pipeline, a second pipeline, the low-level pipeline, a third pipeline, and a fourth pipeline;

[0019] The first and fourth pipelines are both horizontally arranged, while the second and third pipelines are both vertically arranged.

[0020] The first pipeline, the second pipeline, the low-position pipeline, the third pipeline, and the fourth pipeline are connected in sequence, and the port of the first pipeline away from the second pipeline is connected to the air outlet, and the port of the fourth pipeline away from the third pipeline is connected to the processing cylinder.

[0021] In this implementation, the orientation and connection of the first pipeline, the second pipeline, the low-level pipeline, the third pipeline, and the fourth pipeline enable the steam conveying pipeline to form a U-shaped structure at the position of the low-level pipeline. This facilitates the collection of condensate in the steam conveying pipeline and does not easily obstruct the flow of steam.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in an optional implementation of the present application, the low-position pipeline includes a first inclined pipe and a second inclined pipe, the first inclined pipe and the second inclined pipe are connected and the connection position is the lowest point of the first inclined pipe and the second inclined pipe, and the height of the connection position is lower than the height of the first port and the second port.

[0023] The drain hole is located at the connected position.

[0024] By employing this implementation method, two inclined pipes are used in the steam conveying pipeline to form a position lower than the first port and the second port, that is, the position where the first inclined pipe and the second inclined pipe are connected, which helps to simplify the structural complexity of the steam conveying pipeline.

[0025] In conjunction with the first aspect, in an optional implementation of the embodiments of this application, the water collection part includes a baffle, the baffle is disposed in the steam conveying pipeline and connected to the inner lower wall of the steam conveying pipeline, and there is a gap between the baffle and the inner upper wall of the steam conveying pipeline for steam to flow through.

[0026] The baffle is closer to the second port than the first port;

[0027] A drain hole is provided on the steam conveying pipeline on the side of the baffle facing away from the second port. The drain hole is used to discharge the condensate collected by the baffle.

[0028] The steam mechanism also includes a water pump for conveying condensate from the water collection section through the drain hole to the steam generator.

[0029] By using this method, baffles are installed in the steam conveying pipeline to collect the liquid, which allows for a more flexible design of the shape of the steam conveying pipeline and reduces the space occupied by the steam conveying pipeline.

[0030] In conjunction with the first aspect, in an optional implementation of the embodiments of this application, the steam mechanism further includes a water storage box and a liquid delivery pipeline. The outlet of the water storage box is connected to the inlet, the water pump is located between the outlet and the inlet, one end of the liquid delivery pipeline is connected to the drain outlet, and the other end is connected between the outlet and the water pump.

[0031] Using this implementation method, only one water pump can be used to transport water for steam treatment and to recover condensate collected in the steam transport pipeline, reducing the number of hardware components and thus lowering the cost of the steam mechanism.

[0032] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one optional implementation of the embodiments of this application,

[0033] The steam mechanism also includes a water storage box and an infusion pipeline, with the outlet of the water storage box connected to the inlet; the water pump includes a first water pump and a second water pump, with the first water pump located between the outlet and the inlet; one end of the infusion pipeline is connected to the drain port, and the other end is connected to the water storage box, with the second water pump installed on the infusion pipeline.

[0034] Using this implementation method, two water pumps can be used, namely the first water pump and the second water pump, which respectively control the delivery of steam care water and the recovery of liquid collected in the steam delivery pipeline, thereby improving the flexibility of control.

[0035] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a garment treatment device is provided, including the steam mechanism described above, the garment treatment device having a garment steam care program, the steam required for the garment steam care program coming from the steam mechanism.

[0036] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, a steam control method is provided, applied to the steam mechanism described above, the steam control method comprising:

[0037] Obtain operating information from the steam generator;

[0038] Based on the matching of the operating information with the preset return liquid conditions, the condensate collected in the water collection section is selectively transported to the steam generator.

[0039] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a steam control method is provided, comprising:

[0040] Obtain operating information from the steam generator;

[0041] Based on the matching of the operating information with the preset liquid return conditions, the condensate collected in the water collection section is selectively transported to the steam generator;

[0042] The operating information includes the number of operating cycles, and the liquid return condition includes the number of operating cycles being an integer multiple of a preset value;

[0043] The step of selectively transporting the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator based on the matching of the operating information with the preset return liquid conditions includes:

[0044] When the number of operating cycles is an integer multiple of the preset value, the second water pump is controlled to start for a preset target duration to transport the condensate collected in the water collection section to the water storage box, thereby indirectly transporting the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator.

[0045] In conjunction with the first aspect, in an optional implementation of the embodiments of this application, the steam generator is provided with a first liquid level probe and a second liquid level probe, wherein the detection part of the first liquid level probe is at a lower height than the detection part of the second liquid level probe;

[0046] The runtime information includes runtime;

[0047] Before selectively delivering the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator based on the matching of the operating information and preset return liquid conditions, the method further includes:

[0048] Acquire the first detection state of the first liquid level probe and the second detection state of the second liquid level probe;

[0049] If the first detection state indicates that the first liquid level probe is in an off state, then control the first water pump to start.

[0050] If the second detection state indicates that the second liquid level probe is not disconnected, then control the first water pump to shut down;

[0051] If the running time is greater than or equal to the preset steam delivery time, it is determined whether the first water pump is turned on. If so, the first water pump is turned off. Otherwise, the condensate collected in the water collection section is selectively delivered to the steam generator based on the matching of the running information and the preset return liquid conditions.

[0052] The technical effects achieved by the second and third aspects mentioned above are similar to those achieved by the corresponding technical means in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0053] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the steam mechanism of a garment processing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 2This is another structural schematic diagram of the steam mechanism of a garment processing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the steam generator in the steam mechanism of a garment processing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a steam control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a steam control method provided in this application in a specific application.

[0058] Labeling Explanation: 1-Water collection box; 2-Water storage box; 3-First water pump; 4-First water delivery pipeline; 5-Steam generator; 6-U-tube; 7-Steam condensate collection chamber; 8-Second water delivery pipeline; 9-Jet nozzle; 10-Clothing treatment chamber; 11-Second water pump; 12-First liquid level probe; 13-Second liquid level probe; 14-Steam generator inlet; 15-Steam generator outlet. Detailed Implementation

[0059] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0060] It should be understood that "multiple" as mentioned herein refers to two or more. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first," "second," etc., do not necessarily imply differentness.

[0061] Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0062] A clothes dryer is a household appliance that uses heat to evaporate the moisture from washed clothes, greatly improving people's quality of life and allowing them to wear clothes immediately after drying. However, clothes often develop wrinkles after drying, directly affecting the user's wearing experience. Therefore, users are increasingly concerned about the garment care functions of dryers. Since most dryers lack a water inlet, users need to manually add water to the water tank used for storing steam. However, due to the limited capacity of the water tank, multiple runs of the garment care program may require users to add water to the tank, resulting in a poor user experience. Furthermore, too much or too little water in the steam generator during operation, and condensation of steam in the pipes, can affect the program's operation and even pose safety risks.

[0063] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a steam mechanism for a garment processing device, a garment processing device, and a steam control method, which at least solves one of the following technical problems:

[0064] 1. Some of the steam is converted into condensate in the pipes before entering the garment processing chamber. This water is not used for steam treatment of the garments, resulting in water waste.

[0065] 2. Using the condensate from the dryer for steam care of clothes requires a water filtration system, which is complex and increases costs.

[0066] 3. Both excessively low and excessively high liquid levels in the steam generator will negatively impact the operation of the program. Low water levels can cause safety issues, while excessively high water levels will affect the garment care effect and waste water.

[0067] It has at least the following technical effects:

[0068] This structure and control scheme can collect steam condensate from the pipeline and use two level probes to detect the liquid level in the steam generator, thus making reasonable and full use of the water added by the user to the water storage box. This effectively reduces the number of times the user needs to add water to the water storage box, improving the user experience. Moreover, the collected steam condensate can be reused for steam care of clothes. Compared with using dryer condensate for steam care of clothes, there is no need for a filtration device, making the structure simpler and saving costs.

[0069] It has at least the following characteristics:

[0070] A U-shaped pipe is installed between the steam generator and the nozzle, and a steam condensate collection chamber is installed at the bottom of the U-shaped pipe to collect residual water in the pipeline. This water is then collected and used for steam treatment of clothes. Two liquid level probes are installed in the steam generator to detect the preset minimum and maximum water levels, respectively, to ensure the safe operation of the program and to make reasonable and full use of the water added by the user to the water storage box.

[0071] Next, the steam mechanism of the clothing treatment equipment provided in the embodiments of this application will be described, referring to... Figure 1-3 The steam mechanism of the garment processing equipment includes:

[0072] A steam generator is used to produce steam required for garment steam care procedures. The steam generator has a water inlet and an air outlet. The water inlet is connected to a water supply device, and the air outlet is used to extract the steam generated by the steam generator.

[0073] The steam delivery pipeline has a first port and a second port. The first port is connected to the air outlet, and the second port is connected to the processing cylinder of the clothing processing equipment. Steam flows out from the air outlet and enters the processing cylinder through the steam delivery pipeline.

[0074] The steam transmission pipeline includes a water collection section, which is used to collect the condensate generated in the steam transmission pipeline.

[0075] The condensate conveying mechanism can selectively transport the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator to generate steam.

[0076] In one embodiment, the condensate is delivered to the steam generator either directly into the steam generator or indirectly into the steam generator via a water supply device.

[0077] In one embodiment, the water collection section can be a structure formed in the steam conveying pipeline, such as a trough structure or a perforated structure; in another embodiment, the water collection section can be a component independent of the steam conveying pipeline, which is installed in the steam conveying pipeline later.

[0078] In this embodiment, after steam enters the steam delivery pipeline from the outlet, it undergoes liquefaction due to the pipeline temperature being lower than the steam temperature, resulting in liquid in the pipeline. The water collection unit collects this condensate, and the condensate delivery mechanism can controllably transport it to the steam generator. This allows the condensate to be collected and utilized, reducing the frequency of adding water to the steam generator and improving the user experience. Simultaneously, the collected condensate is reused for steam treatment without filtration, simplifying the steam structure and saving costs. The steam generator receives water replenishment, ensuring a consistent steam supply and improving the treatment effect on clothing. Furthermore, because the water collection unit collects the liquid in the steam delivery pipeline, it prevents liquid from flowing into the treatment cylinder from the second port, avoiding wetting the clothing and further enhancing the treatment effect.

[0079] In one possible embodiment of this application, the water collection section includes a low-level pipe located at a height lower than that of the first port and the second port;

[0080] A drain hole is provided on the low-level pipeline to drain the condensate collected in the low-level pipeline.

[0081] The condensate delivery mechanism includes a water pump, which is used to deliver condensate from the water collection section through the drain hole to the steam generator.

[0082] In one embodiment, the condensate delivery mechanism may also include structures such as water pipes and water valves; however, this embodiment does not specifically limit these components.

[0083] With this implementation, the water collection section is a low-level pipeline located at a height lower than the first and second ports, so that no additional hardware is needed when collecting condensate from the steam delivery pipeline, thus reducing the cost and space occupation of the steam mechanism.

[0084] Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the low-level pipeline is a downwardly curved arc-shaped pipe, and the lowest position of the arc-shaped pipe is lower than the height of the first port and the second port.

[0085] The drain hole is located at the lowest point of the arc-shaped tube;

[0086] Below the drain hole is a liquid collection chamber that communicates with the drain hole.

[0087] Using this method, the downward-bending arc-shaped pipe naturally forms a lower position, and this characteristic of the arc-shaped pipe can be used to collect condensate in the steam transmission pipeline.

[0088] Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the steam conveying pipeline includes a first pipeline, a second pipeline, a low-level pipeline, a third pipeline, and a fourth pipeline;

[0089] The first and fourth pipelines are both installed horizontally, while the second and third pipelines are both installed vertically.

[0090] The first pipeline, the second pipeline, the low-level pipeline, the third pipeline, and the fourth pipeline are connected in sequence, with the port of the first pipeline furthest from the second pipeline connected to the air outlet, and the port of the fourth pipeline furthest from the third pipeline connected to the processing cylinder.

[0091] By adopting this implementation method, the setting direction and connection relationship of the first pipeline, the second pipeline, the low-level pipeline, the third pipeline and the fourth pipeline make the steam conveying pipeline form a U-shaped structure at the position of the low-level pipeline, which is conducive to the collection of condensate in the steam conveying pipeline and does not easily obstruct the flow of steam.

[0092] Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the low-level pipeline includes a first inclined pipe and a second inclined pipe, the first inclined pipe and the second inclined pipe are connected and the connection position is the lowest point of the first inclined pipe and the second inclined pipe, and the height of the connection position is lower than the height of the first port and the second port.

[0093] The drain hole is located in a connected position.

[0094] By employing this implementation method, two inclined pipes are used in the steam conveying pipeline to form a position lower than the first port and the second port, that is, the position where the first inclined pipe and the second inclined pipe are connected, which helps to simplify the structural complexity of the steam conveying pipeline.

[0095] Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the water collection part includes a baffle, which is disposed in the steam conveying pipeline and connected to the inner lower wall of the steam conveying pipeline, and there is a gap between the baffle and the inner upper wall of the steam conveying pipeline for steam to flow through.

[0096] The baffle is closer to the second port than the first port;

[0097] A drain hole is provided on the steam delivery pipeline on the side of the baffle facing away from the second port. The drain hole is used to discharge the condensate collected by the baffle.

[0098] The steam mechanism also includes a water pump, which is used to transport condensate from the water collection section through the drain hole to the steam generator.

[0099] By using this method, baffles are installed in the steam delivery pipeline to collect condensate, which allows for more flexible design of the shape of the steam delivery pipeline and reduces the space occupied by the steam delivery pipeline.

[0100] Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the steam mechanism further includes a water storage box and a liquid delivery pipeline. The outlet of the water storage box is connected to the inlet, the water pump is located between the outlet and the inlet, one end of the liquid delivery pipeline is connected to the drain outlet, and the other end is connected between the outlet and the water pump.

[0101] This implementation method allows for the delivery of steam care water and the recovery of condensate collected in the steam delivery pipeline using only one water pump, reducing the amount of hardware and thus lowering the cost of the steam system. Alternatively, two water pumps can be used, namely a first water pump and a second water pump, which control the delivery of steam care water and the recovery of condensate collected in the steam delivery pipeline, respectively, improving control flexibility.

[0102] Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the steam mechanism further includes a water storage box and a liquid delivery pipeline, with the outlet of the water storage box connected to the inlet; the water pump includes a first water pump and a second water pump, with the first water pump located between the outlet and the inlet; one end of the liquid delivery pipeline is connected to the drain outlet, and the other end is connected to the water storage box, with the second water pump installed on the liquid delivery pipeline.

[0103] Using this implementation method, two water pumps can be used, namely the first water pump and the second water pump, which respectively control the delivery of steam care water and the recovery of liquid collected in the steam delivery pipeline, thereby improving the flexibility of control.

[0104] Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the steam mechanism further includes a water collection box, which is arranged side by side with the water storage box and can transport water from the collection box to the water storage box.

[0105] By adopting this implementation method, the condensate in the clothing processing equipment is collected by setting up a water collection box, which helps to provide a sufficient amount of liquid in the water storage box.

[0106] This application provides a garment processing device, including the aforementioned steam mechanism. The garment processing device is equipped with a garment steam care program, and the steam required for the garment steam care program comes from the steam mechanism.

[0107] This application provides a steam control method applied to the aforementioned steam mechanism, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the steam control method includes:

[0108] S100: Obtain the operating information of the steam generator;

[0109] S102. Based on the matching of operating information and preset return liquid conditions, selectively transport the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator.

[0110] Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the steam mechanism further includes a water storage box and an infusion pipeline, with the outlet of the water storage box connected to the inlet; the water pump includes a first water pump and a second water pump, with the first water pump located between the outlet and the inlet; one end of the infusion pipeline is connected to the drain outlet, and the other end is connected to the water storage box, with the second water pump installed on the infusion pipeline;

[0111] The operation information includes the number of operation cycles, and the liquid return condition includes the number of operation cycles being an integer multiple of a preset value;

[0112] Based on the matching of operating information with preset return liquid conditions, the condensate collected in the water collection section is selectively transported to the steam generator, including:

[0113] When the number of operating cycles is an integer multiple of a preset value, the second water pump is controlled to start for a preset target duration to transport the condensate collected in the water collection section to the water storage box, thereby indirectly transporting the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator.

[0114] Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the steam generator is provided with a first liquid level probe and a second liquid level probe, and the detection part of the first liquid level probe is at a lower height than the detection part of the second liquid level probe.

[0115] The runtime information includes runtime;

[0116] Before selectively delivering the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator based on the matching of operating information and preset return liquid conditions, the method further includes:

[0117] Acquire the first detection state of the first liquid level probe and the second detection state of the second liquid level probe;

[0118] If the first detection state indicates that the first liquid level probe is in an off state, then control the first water pump to start.

[0119] If the second detection status indicates that the second liquid level probe is not disconnected, then the first water pump is controlled to shut down;

[0120] If the running time is greater than or equal to the preset steam delivery time, it is determined whether the first water pump is turned on. If so, the first water pump is turned off. Otherwise, based on the matching of the running information and the preset return liquid conditions, the condensate collected in the water collection section is selectively delivered to the steam generator.

[0121] In the above embodiments of this application, the descriptions of each embodiment have their own emphasis. Parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment can be referred to in the relevant descriptions of other embodiments. The steps illustrated in the related flowcharts can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions. Furthermore, although a logical order is shown in the flowcharts, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order than that shown here. In other words, the order of steps described in the foregoing embodiments is merely an example. Reasonable adjustments to the order of steps based on the content of the embodiments of this application are also within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0122] In one specific implementation of this application embodiment, the steam mechanism and steam control method of the garment processing equipment include the following:

[0123] The key structural components involved in this example include a water storage box 2, a first water pump 3, a water delivery pipeline, a steam generator 5, a liquid level sensor, a U-shaped pipe 6, a steam condensate collection chamber 7, a jet nozzle 9, and a clothing processing chamber 10, etc. Figure 1 As shown, the water storage box 2 and the water collection box 1 are placed side by side. The first water pump 3 can transport the water in the water storage box 2 to the first water delivery pipeline 4, and then into the steam generator 5. Under the action of the steam generator 5, the water is converted into steam, and then enters the clothing treatment chamber 10 through the U-shaped pipe 6 and the nozzle 9. However, during operation, some steam will condense into water in the pipeline. In order to make full use of the steam condensate in the pipeline, a U-shaped pipe 6 is set, and a steam condensate collection chamber 7 is set at the bottom of the U-shaped pipe 6. The steam condensate collection chamber 7 is connected to the water storage box 2 through the second water delivery pipeline 8, and a second water pump 11 is set in the pipeline, so that the water in the steam condensate collection chamber 7 can enter the water storage box 2 through the second water delivery pipeline 8 under the action of the second water pump 11, and then be used for clothing steam care. This structure can make full use of the water added by the user to the water storage box 2, and compared with using the drying condensate for clothing steam care, no additional filtration device is required, the structure is simpler, and the cost is saved.

[0124] like Figure 3 As shown, a steam generator inlet 14 and a steam generator outlet 15 are respectively set on both sides near the top of the steam generator 5, with the steam generator inlet 14 being slightly higher than the steam generator outlet 15. Two liquid level probes are installed in the steam generator 5. The first liquid level probe 12 is used to detect the preset minimum water level of the steam generator 5, and the second liquid level probe 13 is used to detect the maximum water level of the steam generator 5. If the water level in the steam generator 5 is too low, it may cause the steam generator 5 to dry-burn, posing a safety hazard. If the water level in the steam generator 5 is too high, water in the steam generator 5 may overflow from the steam generator outlet 15, or even enter the clothing treatment chamber 10 from the spray nozzle 9, affecting the clothing care effect and wasting water.

[0125] like Figure 4 As shown, the control method includes, after determining that the steam care mode has started, real-time detection of the operating status of the first liquid level probe 12 and the second liquid level probe 13. First, it is determined whether the first liquid level probe 12 is in an open state. If the first liquid level probe 12 is in an open state, the first water pump 3 is turned on, and then the second liquid level probe 13 is determined to be in an open state. If the first liquid level probe 12 is in a closed state, the process directly proceeds to determining whether the second liquid level probe 13 is in an open state. If the second liquid level probe 13 is in an open state, the program running time is compared to whether it is greater than or equal to the preset steam stage time of the steam care program. If the second liquid level probe 13 is in a closed state, the first water pump 3 is turned off, and then the process proceeds to determining whether the program running time is greater than or equal to the preset steam stage time of the steam care program. If the program running time is less than the preset steam stage time of the steam care program, the process returns to determining whether the first liquid level probe 12 is in an open state. If the program running time is greater than or equal to the preset steam stage time of the steam care program, the process determines whether the first water pump 3 is in an open state. If the first water pump 3 is on, then turn it off and determine if the cumulative operating cycle of the steam care program is an integer multiple of n. If the first water pump 3 is off, proceed directly to the step of determining if the cumulative operating cycle of the steam care program is an integer multiple of n. If the cumulative operating cycle of the steam care program is an integer multiple of n, then turn on the second water pump 11 and turn it off after m minutes; otherwise, do not turn on the second water pump 11.

[0126] like Figure 2 As shown, the second water pump 11 is eliminated, and the steam condensate collection chamber 7 is connected to the first water pump 3 via the second water delivery pipeline 8. When the first water pump 3 is turned on, the water in the steam condensate collection chamber 7 can be delivered to the first water delivery pipeline 4 for use in steam care of clothes. Compared with using drying condensate for steam care of clothes, this embodiment does not require additional water pumps and filtration devices, resulting in a simpler structure and cost savings.

[0127] The sequence numbers or order of description of the embodiments in this application are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0128] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed technical content can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units can be a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For instance, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the displayed or discussed mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between units or modules may be electrical or other forms.

[0129] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0130] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0131] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid state disk (SSD)). It is worth noting that the computer-readable storage medium mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a non-volatile storage medium; in other words, it can be a non-transient storage medium.

[0132] It should be noted that the information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.), data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.), and signals involved in the embodiments of this application are all authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use, and processing of related data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations, and standards of the relevant countries and regions. For example, the scene data of the current frame in the 3D virtual scene involved in the embodiments of this application, the client's device information, and the scene interaction information are all obtained with full authorization.

[0133] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A steam mechanism for a garment processing device, characterized in that, include: A steam generator, which is at least used to generate steam required for a garment steam care procedure, has a water inlet and an air outlet, the water inlet being connected to a water supply device and the air outlet being used to draw out the steam generated by the steam generator; The steam delivery pipeline has a first port and a second port. The first port is connected to the air outlet, and the second port is connected to the processing cylinder of the clothing processing equipment. The steam flows out from the air outlet and enters the processing cylinder through the steam delivery pipeline. The steam delivery pipeline includes a water collection section for collecting the condensate generated in the steam delivery pipeline. The condensate conveying mechanism can selectively convey the condensate collected by the water collection section to the steam generator for steam generation.

2. The steam mechanism of the garment processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water collection section includes a low-level pipe located at a height lower than that of the first port and the second port; A drain hole is provided on the low-level pipeline to drain the condensate collected in the low-level pipeline. The condensate delivery mechanism includes a water pump, which is used to deliver the condensate in the water collection section from the drain hole to the steam generator.

3. The steam mechanism of the clothing processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The low-level pipeline is a downward-curved arc-shaped pipe, and the lowest position of the arc-shaped pipe is lower than the height of the first port and the second port. The drain hole is located at the lowest point of the arc-shaped tube; Below the drain hole is a liquid collection chamber that communicates with the drain hole.

4. The steam mechanism of the clothing processing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steam transmission pipeline includes a first pipeline, a second pipeline, the low-level pipeline, a third pipeline, and a fourth pipeline; The first and fourth pipelines are both horizontally arranged, while the second and third pipelines are both vertically arranged. The first pipeline, the second pipeline, the low-position pipeline, the third pipeline, and the fourth pipeline are connected in sequence, and the port of the first pipeline away from the second pipeline is connected to the air outlet, and the port of the fourth pipeline away from the third pipeline is connected to the processing cylinder.

5. The steam mechanism of the garment processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The low-level pipeline includes a first inclined pipe and a second inclined pipe. The first inclined pipe is connected to the second inclined pipe, and the connection point is the lowest point of the first inclined pipe and the second inclined pipe. The height of the connection point is lower than the height of the first port and the second port. The drain hole is located at the connected position.

6. The steam mechanism of the garment processing equipment according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The steam mechanism also includes a water storage box and a liquid delivery pipeline. The outlet of the water storage box is connected to the inlet. The water pump is located between the outlet and the inlet. One end of the liquid delivery pipeline is connected to the drain outlet, and the other end is connected between the outlet and the water pump.

7. The steam mechanism of the garment processing equipment according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The steam mechanism also includes a water storage box and an infusion pipeline, with the outlet of the water storage box connected to the inlet; the water pump includes a first water pump and a second water pump, with the first water pump located between the outlet and the inlet; one end of the infusion pipeline is connected to the drain port, and the other end is connected to the water storage box, with the second water pump installed on the infusion pipeline.

8. A garment processing device, characterized in that, The garment processing equipment includes the steam mechanism according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the garment steam care program is provided, and the steam required for the garment steam care program comes from the steam mechanism.

9. A steam control method, characterized in that, The steam control method, applied to the steam mechanism according to any one of claims 1-6, comprises: Obtain the operating information of the steam generator; Based on the matching of the operating information with the preset return liquid conditions, the condensate collected in the water collection section is selectively transported to the steam generator.

10. A steam control method, characterized in that, The steam control method, applied to the steam mechanism of claim 7, comprises: Obtain the operating information of the steam generator; Based on the matching of the operating information with the preset liquid return conditions, the condensate collected in the water collection section is selectively transported to the steam generator; The operating information includes the number of operating cycles, and the liquid return condition includes the number of operating cycles being an integer multiple of a preset value; The step of selectively transporting the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator based on the matching of the operating information with the preset return liquid conditions includes: When the number of operating cycles is an integer multiple of the preset value, the second water pump is controlled to start for a preset target duration to transport the condensate collected in the water collection section to the water storage box, thereby indirectly transporting the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator.

11. The steam control method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The steam generator is equipped with a first liquid level probe and a second liquid level probe, wherein the detection part of the first liquid level probe is at a lower height than the detection part of the second liquid level probe. The runtime information includes runtime; Before selectively delivering the condensate collected in the water collection section to the steam generator based on the matching of the operating information and preset return liquid conditions, the method further includes: Acquire the first detection state of the first liquid level probe and the second detection state of the second liquid level probe; If the first detection state indicates that the first liquid level probe is in an off state, then control the first water pump to start. If the second detection state indicates that the second liquid level probe is not disconnected, then control the first water pump to shut down; If the running time is greater than or equal to the preset steam delivery time, it is determined whether the first water pump is turned on. If so, the first water pump is turned off. Otherwise, the condensate collected in the water collection section is selectively delivered to the steam generator based on the matching of the running information and the preset return liquid conditions.

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