Method for determining a mechanical effect on pieces of laundry and laundry care machine for carrying out the method

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining a mechanical effect on laundry items 12 during their care treatment in a laundry care machine 1, which has a drum 4 arranged therein and rotated about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation 5 by means of a motor 13, with an interior space 6 in which the laundry items 12 are received, wherein the drum 4 has an approximately cylindrical shell 7 on which at least one driver 11 for taking the laundry items 12 along when the drum 4 is rotated, and in which method a power value of the motor 13 is detected by means of a power sensor 14, which is evaluated to determine the mechanical effect on the laundry items 12.Additionally, a video image sensor 15 captures a video image 16 of the laundry items 12 moving inside the interior 6, and data on the movements of the laundry items 12 are determined from the video image 16 and evaluated to determine the mechanical impact on the laundry items 12. The invention relates to a laundry care machine 1 for carrying out this method.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for determining a mechanical effect on laundry items during their care treatment in a laundry care machine.

[0002] The invention also relates to a laundry care machine for carrying out such a method.

[0003] The document US 2012 / 0118022 A1 discloses a method of the type defined above and a laundry care machine in which such a method can be carried out.

[0004] The effectiveness of a laundry washing process is fundamentally measured by four parameters: chemical, mechanical, temperature, and time, which are typically represented in a pie chart, the so-called Sinner circle. Of these four parameters, the parameter relating to the mechanical system is the most difficult to quantify in a conventional laundry care machine. Specifically, in a laundry care machine with a cylindrical drum rotating about a substantially horizontal axis, which holds the laundry items to be washed, the mechanical system is determined by the lifting, rolling, and dropping of the laundry items by carriers mounted on the inner sides of the cylindrical drum shell.In order to be able to determine the contribution of such mechanics to a washing process, a method must be provided for determining a mechanical effect on laundry items during their care treatment in a laundry care machine.

[0005] Document US 2012 / 0118022 A1 discloses a laundry care machine in which a parameter significant for the rotation speed of the associated drum is determined, and from this parameter, the drum's laundry load is determined. This parameter can be determined by evaluating a corresponding video image.

[0006] Document DE 10 2020 202 341 A1 discloses a laundry care machine whose drum is rotatable by an electric motor. A power sensor for measuring the electrical power consumed by the motor is associated with the motor. The power sensor can detect at least one electrical power parameter, from which the movement behavior of the laundry items in the drum can then be determined. The rotation speed of the drum can be controlled depending on the at least one power parameter.

[0007] Document WO 2009 / 112222 A1 discloses a laundry care machine in which a signal describing an interaction between the laundry and the drum in which the laundry is being treated is detected and evaluated. This signal is detected, in particular, by an acceleration sensor attached to the tub of the laundry care machine. The acceleration sensor is intended to provide a signal from which the falling of a laundry item, which was lifted up by a carrier located in the drum as the drum rotates, can be reconstructed. In principle, a camera is also intended to be suitable for detecting such a signal, although the cited document does not disclose any details in this regard. Control of the rotational speed of the drum as a function of the signal is described.

[0008] Each of the documents CN 110699912 A and WO 2020 / 215777 A1 discloses a laundry care machine in which a camera is provided for determining the movement of laundry items. According to the former document, the laundry care machine also includes a lockable suspension for the tub to enable the movement of the laundry items to be determined independently of operational vibrations of the tub. According to the latter document, the camera is used to determine the movement of the center of gravity of all the laundry items to be treated.

[0009] Document EP 2 217 752 B1 discloses a laundry care machine in which the oscillating movements of the tub are measured during the care of laundry items. The rotation speed of the drum containing the laundry items is adjusted to maximize the oscillating movements. The oscillating movements are measured, in particular, by determining and evaluating the power consumed by the motor driving the drum as a function of these oscillating movements.

[0010] Document EP 2 199 449 B1 discloses a laundry care machine in which a pressure measurement of a lye used to treat laundry items in the lye container of the laundry care machine is provided. In particular, a temporal profile of the pressure is determined and compared with a predetermined typical profile. Based on deviations of the determined temporal profile from the typical profile, a period of time is determined for which the treatment of the laundry items is to be continued.

[0011] Each of the documents KR 2021 0096347 A and US 2019 390392 A1 discloses a washing machine which, in addition to the torque or motor current sensor, uses video recordings of the laundry treatment chamber in the process for determining the amount of laundry.

[0012] The known methods for determining the mechanical impact on laundry items during their care treatment in a laundry care machine only determine signals derived from the actual mechanical impact, which describe this impact only imperfectly and summarily, particularly as an average value averaged across all laundry items present. This is the case, for example, for a signal indicating a performance parameter of the motor driving the drum and also for a signal corresponding to the variation in the center of gravity of all laundry items during a care process.

[0013] The overall effectiveness of a washing process can be determined by treating laundry items, which are specified according to the relevant standard and to which specific soiling has been specifically applied, with the process and evaluating the results after treatment. By deliberately varying individual process parameters, the influence of these parameters on the process's effectiveness can be estimated. However, such a procedure is complex and inaccurate given the inevitable scatter in measurement results when evaluating treated laundry items.

[0014] There is therefore a need for a generic method and a corresponding laundry care machine in which the determination of a mechanical effect on laundry items during their care treatment can be carried out more precisely and with consideration of the movements of individual laundry items, and it is an object of the invention to provide such a method and such a laundry care machine.

[0015] To achieve this object, the invention provides a method having the generic features listed at the outset and in the preamble of the corresponding independent patent claim, which method additionally has the features of the characterising part of this independent patent claim.

[0016] To achieve this object, a laundry care machine for carrying out the method according to the invention is also specified according to the corresponding independent patent claim.

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the invention are listed in the dependent claims and in the following description and can also be used in combination with one another, as long as they remain within the scope of protection defined by the claims. Preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention correspond to preferred embodiments of the laundry care machine according to the invention, and vice versa, even if this is not explicitly stated herein.

[0018] To achieve the object, the invention accordingly provides a method for determining a mechanical effect on laundry items during their care treatment in a laundry care machine, which has a drum arranged therein and rotated by a motor about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and has an interior in which the laundry items are received, wherein the drum has an approximately cylindrical shell on which at least one driver is arranged for driving the laundry items when the drum rotates, and in which method a power value of the motor is recorded, which is evaluated to determine the mechanical effect on the laundry items. In addition, a video image of the laundry items moving in the interior is recorded and data on the movements of the laundry items are determined from the video image and evaluated to determine the mechanical effect on the laundry items.The recording of the power value and the recording of the video image are each carried out over a period of time which corresponds to several complete rotations of the drum, and over the period of time, synchronous series of individual values ​​of the power value and partial images of the video image are recorded and in which synchronous individual values ​​and partial images are correlated with each other, whereby contributions of each item of laundry to the individual values ​​are estimated.

[0019] To achieve the object, the invention accordingly also provides a laundry care machine which is designed to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0020] According to the invention, precise detection of the movement of the laundry items is thus possible, whereby essentially each individual item of laundry can be observed and the mechanical impact on this item can be determined. This also makes it possible to evaluate a given laundry care process with regard to the associated mechanical impact on the laundry items being cared for. This also makes it possible to optimize a given laundry care process, in particular by introducing predetermined changes or by controlling it depending on the mechanical impact continuously determined during the process. Optimization can be carried out according to various criteria. A first possibility is to maximize the mechanical impact during the process in order to be able to reduce other process parameters such as temperature, chemicals and time accordingly.A second possibility is to monitor a washing process for delicate textiles such as wool and silk fabrics for mechanical impact and to minimize mechanical impact. Furthermore, determining mechanical impact can also support the determination of the quantity, mass, and type of laundry items present in a laundry care process.

[0021] The power value can comprise one or more values ​​describing the power supplied to move the drum. In particular, the motor speed, as a measure of the drum's rotational speed, and the motor current, as a measure of the torque acting on the drum, are determined and evaluated together. The power output by the motor can be determined by multiplying these two values. The term "power value" thus encompasses both scalar and vector values. Furthermore, the term "power value" also includes other physical values ​​or derived values ​​that clearly correlate with the aforementioned power value. For example, instead of the motor current, the torque, slip, and voltage induced by the motor could also be recorded and evaluated as a "power value."

[0022] A particular advantage of the invention is that the mechanical impact on a piece of laundry during treatment in a laundry care process can be determined directly and immediately. This allows the mechanical impact and its influence on the effectiveness of the laundry care process to be determined independently and relatively accurately.

[0023] In principle, the invention can be applied to any type of laundry care machine, especially since the effort required to apply the invention is quite minimal. In addition to conventional washing machines, tumble dryers and washer-dryers are also suitable. The intended orientation of the drum's rotational axis is not necessarily important. The rotational axis can be aligned horizontally, as described in detail below, but it can also be oriented at an angle—particularly an acute angle—to the horizontal, not least to allow the user easier access to the interior of the drum.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mechanical action is determined while the drum is rotated by the motor at a substantially constant rotational speed. With further preference, the rotational speed for washing the laundry items is determined. With additional preference, the data on the movements of the laundry items include locations, directions of movement, and accelerations of the laundry items. By appropriate specifications, the process for treating the laundry items runs largely stationary and, if it is not already a designated washing process or the precursor to such a washing process under development, can at least model such a washing process. It is also advisable to record data on the movements of the laundry items as completely as possible, for which the invention provides the best prerequisites.

[0025] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the period of time for recording the power value and the video image corresponds to approximately three complete rotations of the drum, wherein the drum is rotated at a substantially constant rotational speed.

[0026] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, to determine the mechanical impact, the movement of each item of laundry is classified into one of the classes "rolling", "rolling-falling", "falling", "falling-adjacent", "adjacent" and "undefined", whereby in the classes "rolling" and "rolling-falling", the item of laundry rolls completely or partially over the casing during its movement, in the classes "rolling-falling" and "falling", it partially or completely falls upwards from the casing after transport, and in the classes "falling-adjacent" and "adjacent", it partially or completely adheres to the casing, and in the class "undefined", it cannot be assigned to any of the other classes.This allows the laundry handling process to run in a stationary manner for a period of time that is appropriate and reasonable for the necessary measurements, allowing sufficient time for recording the movement data of the laundry items. Even averaging the data is possible to improve the accuracy and meaningfulness of the analysis. Furthermore, the movement sequences of the laundry items can be determined and evaluated relatively accurately by correlating the synchronous individual values ​​and partial images with each other. Classifying the mechanical impact on the laundry items offers a simple and practical way to describe and evaluate their movements, as well as to further evaluate the data to determine the mechanical impact.

[0027] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the mechanical impact is determined by means of a machine learning process, wherein the machine learning process is carried out by means of a support vector machine, logistic regression, decision trees or a trained neural network.

[0028] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the determination of the mechanical action is used in a laundry treatment process, wherein the rotation speed of the drum is controlled, at least temporarily, as a function of the mechanical action on the laundry items. Further preferably, the rotation speed is controlled such that the mechanical action corresponds to a predetermined target value. In this way, the laundry treatment process can be controlled and possibly optimized depending on the load of laundry items in the drum and depending on further specifications, such as the degree of soiling of the laundry items or limitations of the mechanical action due to the composition of the laundry items, as specified by a user.

[0029] According to the invention, the corresponding laundry care machine comprises a tub for receiving a process liquid, wherein the drum is arranged in the tub and the casing forms a gap with the tub, an inlet arrangement for admitting the process liquid into the tub, an outlet arrangement for discharging the process liquid from the tub, a power sensor associated with the motor for recording the power value, a video image sensor directed into the interior for recording the video image, and a control device to which the power value and the video image can be fed and which is configured to determine the mechanical effect from the power value and the video image, wherein the recording of the power value and the recording of the video image each takes place over a period of time corresponding to several complete rotations of the drum,and synchronous series of individual values ​​of the power value and partial images of the video image are recorded over the period of time, and in which synchronous individual values ​​and partial images are correlated with each other, whereby contributions of each item of laundry to the individual values ​​are estimated. Such a laundry care machine is particularly suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention.

[0030] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the tub is connected to the housing via a movable collar and can be closed by a door, with the video image sensor located in the door. This allows the video image sensor, in particular a video camera, to have a particularly good field of view of the interior of the drum, allowing a video image to be generated that is particularly advantageous for evaluation within the scope of the invention.

[0031] In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the motor is an electric motor, and the power sensor is designed to measure the electrical power consumed by the motor. In such an embodiment, generating the necessary measurement signal is particularly simple.

[0032] In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the corresponding laundry care machine is configured to wash and dehumidify the laundry items. It is also preferably a washing machine.

[0033] According to the invention, the mechanical action on a piece of laundry during treatment in a laundry care process can be determined directly and immediately. This allows the mechanical action and its influence on the effectiveness of the laundry care process to be determined independently and relatively precisely and, if necessary, evaluated as a function of the drum speed, the power consumption of the motor driving it, and other process parameters. This creates a possibility for measuring this mechanical action, which can be helpful in the development or analysis of a washing process. Within the framework of an appropriately controlled laundry care process, the rotation of the drum can be controlled such that an optimized mechanical action occurs, whereby this optimized mechanical action can be maximized or minimized depending on the requirements of the respective individual case.Maximization may be desirable in a laundry treatment process designed for a short duration or high overall care effect, for example, a quick wash process or a wash process for treating heavily soiled laundry. Minimization may be desirable for a laundry treatment process for delicate laundry, such as woolen fabrics, especially knitted woolen fabrics, or silk fabrics.

[0034] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Fig. 1 shows a schematic frontal view of a vertical section of a laundry care machine; Fig. 2 shows a schematic side view of a vertical section of an upper part of a laundry care machine; Fig. 3 shows an illustration of the classification process for the movements of the laundry items; Fig. 4 shows an exemplary result of signal processing; and Fig. 5 shows a motor current signal.

[0035] Figure 1 shows a schematic embodiment of the laundry care machine 1 according to the invention with a housing 2 and a tub 3 arranged therein for holding a process liquid, in particular washing and rinsing liquor for textiles, partially cut open in a front view. The laundry care machine 1 is designed as a washing machine 1. A drum 4 rotatable about a rotational axis 5 is arranged in the tub 3. The rotational axis 5 appears in Figure 1 as an X, surrounded by a curved arrow as a symbol of rotation.

[0036] The drum 4 has an interior 6 for receiving laundry items 12 to be treated with the process liquid (in Figure 1 not visible) and also has an approximately cylindrical perforated casing 7, which forms a gap 10 with the tub 3. The casing 7 is in Figure 1 not explicitly indicated, but recognizable as a dashed line.

[0037] An inlet arrangement 20, 21, 22, 23 serves to let the process liquid into the lye container 3, and an outlet arrangement 24, 25, 26 serves to let the process liquid out of the lye container 3. The inlet arrangement 20, 21, 22, 23 shows Figure 1 schematically depicts a dispenser tray 20 into which a user can pour detergent and washing aids, and in which the detergent and washing aids are mixed with fresh water to then be fed to the tub 3. The latter occurs via an inlet siphon 21, which acts as a barrier to separate the air space in the tub 3 from the environment. This prevents moist air from escaping from the tub 3 into the environment. The inlet siphon 21 leads to a first inlet 22 in the rear area of ​​the tub 3.

[0038] From the outlet arrangement 24, 25, 26 shows Figure 1an outlet 24 formed directly onto the suds container 3, which is located in a central region of the suds container 3, a pump 25 for discharging process liquid from the suds container 3 and an outlet siphon 26, through which the process liquid pumped by the pump 25 exits the laundry care machine 1.

[0039] The tub 3 is suspended in the housing 2 via springs and shock absorbers (not shown for clarity) so that imbalances, which can occur particularly during rapid rotation of the drum 4 with laundry items 12 inserted, can be compensated without the housing 2 moving. The tub 3 is sealed to the housing 2 and to a Figure 1connected to a lockable door 18 that is not visible. By opening the door 18, the interior 6 is accessible to a user to bring in or take out laundry items 12.

[0040] Figure 2 shows a schematic and cutaway side view of the Figure 1 laundry care machine 1 shown. In addition to the Figure 1 shows Figure 2 a second inlet 23 for process liquid, which does not lead to the first inlet 22 at a rear end of the tub 3, but to the sleeve 19. Also in Figure 2 The door 20 is shown schematically, without hinges, latches, operating elements, and transparent parts for the sake of clarity. Also shown schematically is the motor 13 for the drum 4, to which motor 13 a transmission and bearing and sealing devices for the drum 4 may be assigned. Also shown are the laundry items 12 resting on the perforated casing 7 of the drum 4. Figure 2 The rotation axis 5 is also clearly visible.

[0041] Fig. 1 also shows drivers 11 attached to the casing 7, through which the Fig. 2The laundry items 12 shown can be lifted when the drum 4 rotates, so that they move as a result of the rotation of the drum 4. This movement can be a rolling movement on the casing 7, in which the laundry items 12 roll in and out of the casing 7, as is the case when the drum rotates rather slowly. The movement can also be a falling movement, in which, when the drum 4 rotates somewhat faster, one of the laundry items 12 is lifted a distance by a follower until it falls off the follower 11 and back onto the casing 7. When the drum 4 rotates sufficiently quickly, as occurs during spinning, the laundry items lie largely firmly against the casing 7 without falling off. Intermediate movements between rolling and falling, as well as falling and lying flat, are also possible, depending on the centrifugal forces caused by the rotation of the drum 4.

[0042] To determine a mechanical effect on laundry items 12 during their care treatment in the laundry care machine 1, a power value of the motor 13 is recorded by means of a power sensor 14, which is evaluated to determine the mechanical effect on the laundry items 12. The motor 13 is in particular and according to common practice an electric motor 13. The power sensor 14 is in Fig. 2 To clarify the functionality, it is shown directly on the motor 13. This need not be the case in practice. The power sensor 14 can be an electrical sensor inserted at any suitable point in the electrical supply lines to the motor 13. It can also be included as a subroutine in the program that controls the laundry care machine 1 and derive the power value indirectly from other available data.

[0043] The power value can comprise one or more values ​​describing the power supplied to move the drum 4. In this case, the motor speed 27 of the motor 13 is determined as a measure of the rotational speed of the drum 4, and the motor current 28 is determined as a measure of the torque acting on the drum 4. The power output by the motor 13 can be determined by multiplying these two values.

[0044] In addition, a video image sensor 15 is arranged on the door 18, by means of which a video image 16 of the laundry items 12 moving in the interior 6 is additionally recorded, wherein data of the movements of the laundry items 12 are determined from the video image 16 and evaluated to determine the mechanical effect on the laundry items 12.

[0045] The mechanical impact is determined while the drum 4 is rotated by the motor 13 at a substantially constant rotational speed, wherein this rotational speed is intended for washing the laundry items 12, i.e., is identical to such a speed. The data relating to the movements of the laundry items 12 include locations, directions of movement, and accelerations of the laundry items 12. The recording of the power value and the recording of the video image 16 each take place over a period of time corresponding to several complete rotations of the drum 4. Specifically, this period may correspond to approximately three complete rotations of the drum 4, wherein the drum 4 is rotated at a substantially constant rotational speed.During this period, synchronous series of individual values ​​of the power value and partial images of the video image are recorded and synchronous individual values ​​and partial images are correlated with each other, whereby contributions of each piece of laundry 12 to the individual values ​​are estimated.

[0046] To determine the mechanical impact for each item of laundry 12, the movement is classified into one of the classes "rolling", "rolling-falling", "falling", "falling-adjacent", "adjacent" and "undefined", whereby the item of laundry 12 in the classes "rolling" and "rolling-falling" rolls completely or partially over the casing 7 during its movement, in the classes "rolling-falling" and "falling" partially or completely falls off the casing 7 after transport upwards, and in the classes "falling-adjacent" and "adjacent" partially or completely adjoins the casing 7 and in the class "undefined" cannot be assigned to any of the other classes.

[0047] The mechanical impact is determined using a machine learning process, whereby the machine learning process is carried out using a support vector machine, logistic regression, decision trees or a trained neural network.

[0048] The method for determining the mechanical action on laundry items 12 is used in particular in a laundry treatment process, wherein the rotation speed of the drum 4 is controlled, at least temporarily, as a function of the mechanical action on the laundry items 12. This is done in particular such that the mechanical action corresponds to a predetermined target value. However, the method is not limited to application in an actual laundry treatment process and can also be applied in the context of developing a laundry treatment process or a corresponding laundry care machine 1. Use is also conceivable in a context in which textiles are examined for their suitability for laundry items that are usually cared for in a standard household laundry care machine 1, or in which a laundry care process is designed for a specific textile material.

[0049] In the present case, the laundry care machine 1 is designed for washing and dehumidifying the laundry items 12, and is thus particularly configured as a washing machine 1. This does not preclude the application of the teachings presented above to a laundry care machine 1 which is additionally or exclusively designed for drying laundry items 12.

[0050] Figure 3shows a representation of the classification process for the movements of the laundry items 12 and the resulting determination of the mechanical impact on the laundry items 12. Accordingly, a signal of a video image 16 of the drum 4 rotating with the laundry items 12, a signal of the motor speed 27 - as a measure of the rotational speed of the drum 4 - and a signal of the motor current 28 - as a measure of the torque acting on the drum 4 - are fed to a measured value recording unit 29 in the control device 17.From the measured value recording unit 29, these signals reach a pre-processing unit 30 in the control device 17, which subjects the supplied signals to a pre-processing, the signals of the motor speed 27 and the motor current 28, for example, to a smoothing, the signal of the video image 16 to an analysis for laundry items 12 present in the drum 4 and their movement recognizable from the video image 16, and all signals and the information derived from them to a temporal correlation as described above.

[0051] The corresponding further processed signals finally reach an evaluation unit 31 in the control device 17, which delivers the six classifications 32 of the laundry items 12 with the classes "rolling," "rolling-falling," "falling," "falling-adjacent," "adjacent," and "undefined." From these classifications, the mechanical effects on each laundry item 12 can then be derived from an observation of the corresponding trajectory (possibly described as a model and evaluated in advance). This can be achieved by using the classes as coordinates of a correspondingly multidimensional matrix, which contains the values ​​of the respective mechanical stresses as matrix elements.Instead of such a matrix, the mechanical impact can be determined using a machine learning process, whereby the machine learning process is carried out in particular using a support vector machine, logistic regression, decision trees or a trained neural network.

[0052] Figure 4 shows an exemplary result of processing the signals of the motor speed 17, the motor current 18, and the video signal 16 and the resulting classification of the laundry items 12 for four different load quantities, with the classification being represented by different shading of the data points. The classes shown are "rolling" ("rolling" in Fig. 4 ), "rolling-falling" ("roll-fall" in Fig. 4 ), "falling" ("falling" in Fig. 4 ), "falling-lying" ("roll-fall red" in Fig. 4 ) and "rotating" in Fig. 4 ), where the class "rolling" in Fig. 4does not appear—it would be located at the top right edge of the figure. The diagram's units are arbitrary and determined by the specifically selected data scaling. The title of the diagram identifies the diagram as the result of a "Principal Component Analysis" (PCA), where "Principal Component 1" plotted on the abscissa is the motor speed 27, and "Principal Component 2" plotted on the ordinate is the motor current 28, each in arbitrary units specified by the data processing. On the abscissa, high motor speeds are on the left, low motor speeds on the right; on the ordinate, high motor currents are at the bottom, low motor currents at the top. The differently shaded data points on the left-hand rising edges belong to the "applied" class—high motor current at high motor speed.From the respective left maximum to half of the falling edge, data points of the "falling-adjacent" class appear, followed to the right by data points of the "falling" class and - on the right rising edge - by data points of the "rolling-falling" class. The diagram shows that the relationship between motor current and motor speed is not clear, but when the video data is used to evaluate the movements of individual laundry items, it becomes clear and allows for corresponding conclusions. In particular, locations within the drum 4 where laundry items 12 are located during the recording of the video data can be determined from a partial image of the video images. By correlating individual partial images, a change in the determined locations can be determined, whereby the movements of the laundry items 12 can be derived with regard to the location, direction of movement, speed, and / or acceleration of the detected laundry items 12.

[0053] Figure 5 Finally, the signal of the motor current 28 alone shows and thus proves that the motor current 28 has signatures that indicate the movement of the laundry items 12 in the drum 4 and, due to their strong structure, allow conclusions to be drawn about individual laundry items 12 and their movements in the drum 4. It becomes noticeable in the motor current 28 when a laundry item 12 rests on the casing 7 of the drum 4 and is conveyed upwards, and when it falls off the drum 4 upon reaching a certain height, as can also be seen from the diagram of the Figure 4is recognizable. However, drawing conclusions about the movements of an individual item of laundry 12 from the motor current 28 alone—or from the motor speed 27 alone, or from the combination of motor speed 27 and motor current 28—is difficult, if not even practical. However, viewing both performance values ​​of the motor 13 with the video image 16 provides a correlation between structures in the course of the motor speed 27 and the motor current 28 and individual items of laundry 12, thus allowing unambiguous and clear statements about the mechanical impact on the items of laundry 12.

[0054] According to the invention, the movement of the laundry items is precisely recorded, whereby essentially each individual item of laundry can be observed and the mechanical impact on that item can be determined. This makes it possible to evaluate a given laundry care process with regard to the associated mechanical impact on the laundry items being cared for. This also makes it possible to optimize a given laundry care process, in particular by introducing predetermined changes or by controlling it depending on the mechanical impact continuously determined during the process. List of reference symbols

[0055] 1 Laundry care machine, washing machine 2 Housing 3 Tub 4 Drum 5 Rotation axis 6 Interior 7 Shell 8 Front end 9 Rear wall 10 Gap 11 Carrier 12 Laundry items 13 Motor 14 Power sensor 15 Video image sensor 16 Video image 17 Control device 18 Door 19 Cuff 20 Inlet arrangement, dispenser tray 21 Inlet arrangement, inlet siphon 22 Inlet arrangement, first inlet 23 Inlet arrangement, second inlet 24 Outlet arrangement, outlet on the tub 25 Outlet arrangement, pump 26 Outlet arrangement, outlet siphon 27 Motor speed 28 Motor current 29 Measured value recording unit 30 Pre-processing unit 31 Evaluation unit 32 Classifications

Claims

1. Method for determining a mechanical effect on pieces of laundry (12) during their careful handling in a laundry care machine (1), which has a drum (4), with an internal space (6), arranged therein and rotated about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation (5) by means of a motor (13), in which internal space the pieces of laundry (12) are accommodated, wherein the drum (4) has an approximately cylindrical casing (7), upon which at least one agitator (11) for agitating the items of laundry (12) upon rotation of the drum (4) is arranged, and in which method a power value (16, 17) of the motor (13) is captured, which is evaluated in order to determine the mechanical effect on the pieces of laundry (12), wherein in addition a video image (16) of the pieces of laundry (12) moving in the internal space (6) is captured and data of the movements of the pieces of laundry (12) is determined from the video image (16), wherein the data determined from the video image (16) is evaluated in order to determine the mechanical effect on the pieces of laundry (12), characterised in that the capture of the power value and the capture of the video image (16) is carried out in each case over a period of time which corresponds to a number of complete rotations of the drum (4), and series of individual values, which are in synchrony with one another, of the power value and partial images of the video image (16) are captured over the period of time and during which synchronous individual values and partial images are correlated with one another, wherein contributions of each piece of laundry (12) to the individual values are estimated.

2. Method according to claim 1, in which the determination of the mechanical effect is carried out while the drum (4) is rotated by the motor (13) with a substantially constant rotational speed.

3. Method according to claim 2, in which the rotational speed for washing the pieces of laundry (12) is determined.

4. Method according to one of claims 2 and 3, in which the data of the movements of the pieces of laundry (12) comprise locations, directions of movement and accelerations of the pieces of laundry (12).

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the period of time corresponds to approximately three complete rotations of the drum (4), wherein the drum (4) is rotated with a substantially constant rotational speed.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which in order to determine the mechanical effect for each piece of laundry (12), the movement is classified into one of the categories "rolling", "rolling-dropping", "dropping", "dropping-resting", "resting" and "undefined", wherein the piece of laundry (12) in the categories "rolling" and "rolling-dropping" rolls off entirely or partially over the casing (7) upon its movement, in the categories "rolling-dropping" and "dropping" drops partially or entirely from the casing (7) after upward transportation and in the categories "dropping-resting" and "resting" rests partially or entirely on the casing (7) and in the category "undefined" cannot be assigned to any of the other categories.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the determination of the mechanical effect is carried out by means of a machine learning process, wherein the machine learning process proceeds by means of a support vector machine, logistical regression, decision trees or a trained neural network.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, which is used in a laundry treatment process, wherein the rotational speed of the drum (4) is controlled at least occasionally as a function of the mechanical effect on the pieces of laundry (12).

9. Method according to claim 8, in which the rotational speed is controlled so that the mechanical effect corresponds to a predetermined target value.

10. Laundry care machine (1), comprising an outer tub (3) for receiving a process liquid, wherein the drum (4) is arranged in the outer tub (3) and the casing (7) with the outer tub (3) forms a gap (10), an inlet arrangement (20, 21, 22, 23) for admitting the process liquid into the outer tub (3), an outlet arrangement (24, 25, 26) for discharging the process liquid out of the outer tub (3), a power sensor (14), assigned to the motor (13), for capturing the power value, and a control facility (17) to which the power value can be supplied and which is designed to determine the mechanical effect from the power value, wherein the laundry care machine comprises a video image sensor (15) directed into the internal space (6) for capturing a video image (16) and the video image (16) can be supplied to the control device (17), characterised in that the laundry care machine is designed to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims .

11. Laundry care machine (1) according to claim 10, in which the outer tub (3) is connected to the housing (2) by way of a moveable collar (19) and can be closed off by a door (18), wherein the video image sensor (15) is arranged in the door (18).

12. Laundry care machine (1) according to one of claims 10 and 11, in which the motor (13) is an electric motor and in which the power sensor (14) is determined in order to measure an electrical power received by the motor (13).

13. Laundry care machine (1) according to one of claims 10 to 12, which is designed to wash and dehumidify the pieces of laundry (12), and is in particular a washing machine (1).

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