Clothes dryer and drying control method therefor

Abstract

A clothes dryer and a drying control method therefor. The clothes dryer comprises a cabinet (20), a drum (30), an electric motor (32), a compressor (71), a fan (60), a resistive sensor (41), a capacitive sensor (42), and a processor (50), wherein the processor (50) is configured to execute a first drying task, which is configured to control the compressor (71) to operate at a first frequency, the fan (60) to operate, and the electric motor (32) to operate; when executing the first drying task, the processor (50) is further configured to control the duration of the running of the first drying task; the processor (50) is configured to execute a second drying task when a humidity value is less than a first threshold and the moisture content of the air is less than a second threshold, the second drying task being configured to control the compressor (71) to operate at a second frequency, the fan (60) to operate, and the electric motor (32) to operate continuously; and when executing the second drying task, the processor (50) is further configured to control the duration of the running of the second drying task.

Description

Clothes dryers and their drying control methods

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent applications filed on August 2, 2024, application number 202411061041.1, and on September 24, 2024, application number 202411339554.4, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Some embodiments of this application relate to home appliance technology, and more particularly to a clothes dryer and its drying control method. Background Technology

[0004] Clothes need to be air-dried after washing and spun dry before they can be used normally. However, air-drying usually takes a long time. To shorten the air-drying time, dryers are usually used, or a corresponding drying function is set in the washing machine.

[0005] To determine the end time of drying, accurate humidity detection is necessary. Related dryers typically use resistive humidity sensors. However, when clothes are tangled or piled up excessively, these sensors can only detect the surface moisture content. Moisture inside the clothes is difficult for the sensor to detect, leading to inaccurate timing of the drying process. This results in clothes being under-dried or over-dried, wasting drying resources and producing poor drying results. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Some embodiments of this application provide a clothes dryer and its drying control method, which can solve the problem that when clothes are tangled or piled up too much, the resistive humidity detection device can only detect the moisture content of the surface clothes, and the moisture inside the clothes is not easily detected by the resistive humidity detection device. This leads to the clothes dryer's inaccurate judgment of the drying end time, resulting in the clothes not being dried or being over-dried, wasting drying resources and also resulting in poor drying effect.

[0007] In a first aspect, some embodiments of this application provide a clothes dryer, the clothes dryer comprising:

[0008] The housing is configured as the outer casing of the dryer;

[0009] A cylindrical body is disposed inside the box, and a drying chamber is formed inside the cylindrical body;

[0010] An electric motor connected to the cylinder, the motor being configured to drive the cylinder to rotate relative to the housing;

[0011] compressor;

[0012] A fan configured to deliver airflow into the cylinder;

[0013] A resistance sensor, the resistance sensor being configured to at least acquire the humidity value of the clothes to be dried;

[0014] A capacitive sensor, configured to at least acquire the moisture content of the air inside the cylinder;

[0015] Processor, the processor being configured to:

[0016] The processor executes a first drying task; the first drying task is configured to control the compressor to operate at a first frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to operate; when executing the first drying task, the processor is also configured to control the duration of the first drying task; wherein, the humidity value collected by the resistive sensor is used to adjust the duration of the first drying task, and the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the first drying task.

[0017] When the humidity value is less than a first threshold and the air moisture content is less than a second threshold, a second drying task is executed. The second drying task is configured to control the compressor to operate at a second frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to operate continuously, wherein the second frequency is less than the first frequency. When the processor executes the second drying task, it is also configured to control the duration of the second drying task. The air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is used to adjust the duration of the second drying task, while the humidity value collected by the resistive sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the second drying task.

[0018] A motor drives the drum to rotate, causing the clothes to come into contact with a resistance sensor inside the drum. The sensor then measures the humidity of the clothes, indicating the moisture level of the area in contact with the sensor. Because the drum's rotation causes the clothes to shift, the resistance sensor can detect the humidity of different parts of the clothes, allowing for a rough assessment of the drying status and determining whether the first drying cycle needs to continue. However, since the clothes may become tangled or knotted during rotation, the central area of ​​these knots or tangles may not reach the resistance sensor. Therefore, a capacitive sensor is introduced to detect humidity without direct contact. This sensor measures the overall moisture content of the air inside the drum, and based on this moisture content, it indirectly determines whether the clothes are not fully dried due to knots or other special conditions, thus improving the accuracy of the drying assessment. By setting different compressor frequencies for the first and second drying tasks, clothes with high humidity can be dried quickly during the first drying task, while clothes with low humidity can be dried slowly during the second drying task. This balances drying efficiency and resource allocation, improving the quality of drying clothes. Combined with the improved accuracy of clothes drying, the drying process can be stopped under slow drying conditions, reducing unnecessary energy consumption during drying.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, the processor is configured as follows:

[0020] If the humidity value is less than the first threshold and the air moisture content exceeds the second threshold, the first drying task continues to be performed.

[0021] If the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor determines that the drying task should be changed from fast drying to slow drying, but the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor indicates that the drying task has not yet reached the conditions for slow drying, the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor should be used as the standard. Instead of slow drying, the fast drying operation should continue, thereby reducing the problem of long drying time and poor drying efficiency caused by entering slow drying too early.

[0022] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0023] When the processor meets the preset conditions, it controls the second drying task to end; when the second drying task ends, it is configured to control the compressor and the fan to stop running, and control the motor to continue running for a first preset time before stopping.

[0024] For example, the end time can be determined by using a pre-set duration control as a fallback, that is, the preset condition is the duration of the second drying task to be completed.

[0025] For example, before the end time of the backup is reached, the actual humidity state inside the drum can be determined in real time by the capacitive sensor. When the actual humidity state inside the drum meets the drying end state, the drying task can be ended directly without waiting for the end time. That is, the preset condition is that the second drying task has not been completed for a certain duration and the air moisture content is less than the third threshold, and the third threshold is less than the second threshold.

[0026] For example, before the end time controlled by a preset duration is reached, multiple air moisture contents can be obtained through real-time detection by a capacitive sensor. If these values ​​do not change much within a continuous time period, it indicates that the moisture content of the clothes does not change much, and it can be inferred that the clothes are in a drying state. Therefore, it can be determined that the drying task can be completed. That is, the preset condition is that within a third preset time period in the continuous duration of the second drying task, the change in air moisture content is less than a preset change threshold.

[0027] The moisture content of clothes during the second drying task is close to that of clothes during the first drying task. Therefore, the second drying task can be terminated in a variety of ways so that the dryer can shut down the second drying task in time when any termination condition is met, thereby reducing the waste of drying resources when the dryer fails to meet a certain termination condition due to unexpected malfunctions.

[0028] Since clock malfunctions are generally rare, the duration control scheme can be used as a fallback. When executing the duration control scheme, the detection results of the resistance and capacitance sensors do not need to be considered. Because the fallback duration control scheme is set to ensure the clothes are completely dried, this duration is usually longer than the actual drying time. Therefore, by detecting the air moisture content in real time, the actual drying time of the clothes can be more accurately determined, allowing the second drying task to end earlier and thus saving drying resources. The dielectric constant detected by the capacitance sensor needs to be converted into air moisture content through data processing. When clothes are drying, the dielectric constant hardly changes due to the low water content, meaning the air moisture content hardly changes either. Therefore, by comparing the small changes in air moisture content over a period of time, the current drying status of the clothes can be inferred, thus reducing the waste of drying resources caused by an inappropriate air moisture content threshold set at the end of the second drying task.

[0029] In other embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0030] If the duration of the second drying task has been completed and the air moisture content exceeds the third threshold, the second drying task continues to be executed.

[0031] Although the above duration scheme can determine the end time of the second drying task, it is still necessary to use the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor to determine whether the second drying task meets the end conditions. If the air moisture content exceeds the third threshold, it indicates that the clothes in the same space have a high moisture content, so the second drying task needs to be continued to reduce the risk of not drying properly and thus improve the drying quality.

[0032] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0033] Before performing the first drying task, a drying preparation task is performed; the drying preparation task is configured to control the compressor and the fan to not run, and the motor to run for a second preset time; wherein, the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor is not used to adjust the operating state of the compressor, the fan and the motor, and the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the operating state of the compressor, the fan and the motor.

[0034] By setting a drying preparation task before the drying task, a simple motor rotation drives the drum to rotate, so that the clothes to be dried can be shaken as much as possible before being dried, reducing the risk of tangling and knotting, and allowing the clothes to fully contact the air in the drying chamber, which is conducive to the removal of moisture during the drying process and improves drying efficiency.

[0035] In some embodiments, the dryer further includes a capacitive sensor configured to at least acquire an air temperature value within the drum; the processor is also configured to:

[0036] When the second drying task is being performed and the air temperature value is low, for example, less than a fourth threshold, the execution of a first drying sub-task is controlled. The first drying sub-task is configured such that the compressor operates at a second frequency, the fan operates at a first speed, and the motor operates continuously. The air temperature value collected by the capacitive sensor is used to adjust the duration of the first drying sub-task, the air temperature value collected by the capacitive sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the first drying sub-task, and the humidity value collected by the resistive sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the first drying sub-task.

[0037] The signal collected by the capacitive sensor can be separated to obtain the sensed temperature. During the drying process, the fan speed can be adjusted according to the temperature, so as to make reasonable use of the drying heat to dry the clothes, reduce the ineffective output of the fan air volume, and save drying resources.

[0038] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0039] When the first drying sub-task is being performed and the air moisture content is less than a third threshold, the compressor is controlled to stop operating. While controlling the compressor to stop operating, the processor is also configured to control the fan and motor to continue operating for a first preset duration. The third threshold is less than the second threshold. The humidity value collected by the resistance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration, the air temperature value collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration of the first drying sub-task, and the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration.

[0040] If the air moisture content is low during the first drying sub-task, the compressor can be turned off to end the first drying sub-task, reduce the compressor's energy consumption, and maintain the operation of the fan and motor for a period of time to shake the clothes to increase the contact area between different parts of the clothes and the air in the drying chamber. This will utilize residual heat and dry air to further reduce any small amount of moisture that may remain on the clothes after shaking.

[0041] In other embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0042] When the second drying task is being performed and the air temperature value is high, for example, when the air temperature value meets the fourth threshold, the execution of the second drying sub-task is controlled; the second drying sub-task is configured such that the compressor operates at a second frequency, the fan operates at a second speed, and the motor operates continuously; the second speed is less than the first speed.

[0043] In some embodiments, when the second drying sub-task is being performed and the air moisture content is less than a third threshold, the compressor is controlled to stop operating; when the processor controls the compressor to stop operating, it is also configured to control the fan and the motor to continue operating for a first preset duration; the third threshold is less than the second threshold; wherein the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration, the air temperature value collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration of the first drying sub-task, and the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration.

[0044] The second drying sub-task utilizes the relatively high air temperature within the drying chamber to maintain its drying capacity, reducing fan speed and thus saving energy. This achieves a more efficient allocation of drying resources and improves drying effectiveness. The end time of the second drying sub-task is determined by detecting the air moisture content, just as it was for the first. The compressor is then shut off to end the second drying sub-task, reducing compressor energy consumption. The fan and motor continue running for a period to shake the clothes, increasing the contact area between different parts of the clothing and the air in the drying chamber. This utilizes residual heat and dry air to further reduce any remaining moisture on the clothes after shaking.

[0045] Secondly, some embodiments of this application provide a drying control method applied to a clothes dryer, the clothes dryer comprising:

[0046] The housing is configured as the outer casing of the dryer;

[0047] A cylindrical body is disposed inside the box, and a drying chamber is formed inside the cylindrical body;

[0048] An electric motor connected to the cylinder, the motor being configured to drive the cylinder to rotate relative to the housing;

[0049] compressor;

[0050] A fan configured to deliver airflow into the cylinder;

[0051] A resistance sensor, the resistance sensor being configured to at least acquire the humidity value of the clothes to be dried;

[0052] A capacitive sensor, configured to at least acquire the moisture content of the air inside the cylinder;

[0053] The method includes:

[0054] A first drying task is executed, which is configured to control the compressor to operate at a first frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to operate; while executing the first drying task, the duration of the first drying task is controlled; wherein, the humidity value collected by the resistive sensor is used to adjust the duration of the first drying task, and the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the first drying task.

[0055] When the humidity value is less than a first threshold and the air moisture content is less than a second threshold, a second drying task is executed; the second drying task is configured to control the compressor to operate at a second frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to operate continuously, wherein the second frequency is less than the first frequency; when executing the second drying task, the duration of the second drying task is controlled; wherein the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is used to adjust the duration of the second drying task, and the humidity value collected by the resistive sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the second drying task. Attached Figure Description

[0056] To more clearly illustrate the implementation methods in the embodiments of this application or related technologies, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0057] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a clothes dryer in some embodiments of this application;

[0058] Figure 2 is a partial structural diagram of the internal structure of a clothes dryer in some embodiments of this application;

[0059] Figure 3 is a partial structural diagram of the internal structure of a clothes dryer in some embodiments of this application;

[0060] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the sensor assembly structure inside the dryer in some embodiments of this application;

[0061] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the sensor assembly structure inside the dryer in some embodiments of this application (II).

[0062] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the sensor assembly structure inside the dryer in some embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the drying principle of a clothes dryer provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0064] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of a drying control method provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of a drying control method provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0066] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a clothes dryer provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0067] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10, door; 20, cabinet; 21, front structural panel; 211, front support; 212, loading port; 213, horizontal baffle; 22, contact rail; 23, support wheel; 30, cylinder; 31, drying chamber; 32, motor; 40, sensor assembly; 41, resistance sensor; 411, sensor strip; 42, capacitance sensor; 421, sensor block; 43, sensor mounting plate; 431, fixing plate; 432, buckle; 50, processor; 60, fan; 71, compressor; 72, condenser; 73, evaporator. Detailed Implementation

[0068] To make the objectives, implementation methods and advantages of this application clearer, the exemplary implementation methods of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the exemplary embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described exemplary embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0069] It should be noted that the brief descriptions of terms in this application are only for the convenience of understanding the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. Unless otherwise stated, these terms should be understood in their ordinary and common meaning.

[0070] Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover but not exclusively include, for example, a product or device that includes a series of components is not necessarily limited to those that are explicitly listed, but may include other components that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such product or device.

[0071] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0072] The terms "first" and "second" are configured for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0073] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0074] In related technologies, dryers use resistive humidity detectors to measure the humidity of clothing. These detectors are contact-based, meaning they need to come into contact with the clothing to detect changes in resistance caused by moisture on the fabric, thus calculating the moisture content. While this method may be more accurate in detecting surface moisture, it is inaccurate for wrapped or wrapped clothing, waterproof clothing, down jackets, or clothing with insufficient moisture to reach the detector. This results in the inability to obtain the actual humidity level, forcing the clothes to dry for a preset time. This can lead to over-drying, wasting energy, or incomplete drying, reducing drying quality and impacting the user experience.

[0075] In view of this, some embodiments of the dryer provided in this application use the detection results of the resistance sensor as a benchmark and then use the detection results of the capacitance sensor to determine whether the clothes have entered the supplementary drying stage. The detection results of the capacitance sensor can also be used to help determine whether the supplementary drying time meets the actual needs, thereby reducing the situation of insufficient or over-drying caused by using only resistance. This aims to solve the above-mentioned problems in related technologies.

[0076] The dryer provided in this application is a device for removing moisture from clothes. As those skilled in the art will know, similar electrical appliances such as dryers that remove moisture and washing machines with drying functions are also suitable for being configured as the control scheme and corresponding device configuration of this application.

[0077] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, taking a clothes dryer as an example. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0078] First, it should be noted that in this embodiment, when the user faces the dryer door, the width direction of the dryer, i.e., the left-right direction, corresponds to the X-axis direction in the attached drawings; the depth direction of the dryer, i.e., the depth direction of the compartment, i.e., the front-back direction, corresponds to the Y-axis direction in the attached drawings; and the height direction of the dryer, i.e., the up-down direction, corresponds to the Z-axis direction in the attached drawings. The width of the dryer door is the dimension along the X-axis when the door is closed, the thickness of the door is the dimension along the Y-axis when the door is closed, and the height of the door is the dimension along the Z-axis.

[0079] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a clothes dryer in some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the inside of a clothes dryer in some embodiments of this application. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the clothes dryer in the embodiments of this application includes a door 10 and a housing 20, wherein the housing 20 includes a front structural panel 21, and a drum 30 is disposed inside the housing 20, forming a drying chamber 31 inside the drum 30, and the drying chamber 31 is configured to accommodate clothes to be washed and / or dried.

[0080] The door 10 is installed on the front side of the front panel 21 of the structure and is configured to open or close the drying chamber.

[0081] There may be one drying chamber 31 or multiple drying chambers 31. Multiple drying chambers 31 may be arranged at intervals along the height and / or width of the dryer housing 20.

[0082] In some embodiments, the door 10 is rotatably mounted on the housing 20 to open or close the drying chamber 31. For example, the door 10 is rotatably connected to the housing 20 via a hinge assembly.

[0083] When there are multiple drying chambers 31, there can be one door 10, and multiple drying chambers can share one door 10; or, there can be multiple door 10s, which are set up to correspond to different drying chambers 31.

[0084] In some embodiments, the door 10 may also be slidably mounted on the housing 20 to open or close the drying chamber 31.

[0085] For example, the door 10 is retractably connected to the housing 20 via a slide rail assembly. When there are multiple drying chambers 31, there can be multiple doors 10, each corresponding to a different drying chamber 31.

[0086] Figure 3 is a partial structural diagram of the interior of a clothes dryer according to some embodiments of this application. Referring to Figure 3, a sensor assembly 40 is provided on the rear side of the front panel 21, and a humidity sensor is provided on the sensor assembly 40.

[0087] For example, the front panel 21 includes a front support 211 and a loading port 212 with an opening in the middle of the front support 211. The opening size of the loading port 212 is smaller than the diameter of the cylinder 30, which reduces the possibility of clothes spilling out and increases the amount of clothes that can be loaded. At the same time, the small diameter can also be used to limit the front end of the cylinder 30, thereby improving the rotational stability of the cylinder 30 and reducing noise and other problems caused by rotational displacement.

[0088] In some embodiments, a horizontal baffle 213 is provided at the bottom of the dispensing port 212. The horizontal baffle 213 is integrally connected to the front support 211 to improve the overall support strength of the front panel 21. At the same time, the horizontal baffle 213 can also be used to further limit the clothes inside the cylinder 30, reducing the possibility of clothes automatically overflowing. Additionally, the position near the bottom of the cylinder 30 increases the contact area with the clothes, thereby facilitating contact between the humidity sensor mounted on the horizontal baffle 213 and the clothes, and thus obtaining the humidity level inside the cylinder 30 through contact.

[0089] The cabinet 20 is also equipped with a motor, the output end of which is connected to the drum 30 to drive the drum 30 to rotate, thereby causing the clothes inside the drum 30 to move continuously during the drying process, achieving the effect of shaking and increasing the drying contact area.

[0090] Referring again to Figure 3, in some embodiments, the front plate 21 of the structure is further provided with a contact rail 22 configured to be connected to the cylinder 30, and a support wheel 23 configured to support the stable rotation of the contact rail 22. The contact rail 22 and the support wheel 23 abut against each other, and both the contact rail 22 and the support wheel 23 are rotatably connected to the front plate 21 of the structure.

[0091] The support wheel 23 can be provided in two parts. The two support wheels 23 are respectively provided on the left and right sides of the rear end of the front plate 21 of the structure and located in the lower half of the contact rail 22, so as to use the support wheels 23 on both sides to support the contact rail 22 and reduce the friction loss of the contact rail 22 during the rotation support process.

[0092] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the sensor assembly structure inside the dryer in some embodiments of this application (I); Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the sensor assembly structure inside the dryer in some embodiments of this application (II); Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the sensor assembly structure inside the dryer in some embodiments of this application (III). Referring to Figures 4, 5, and 6, the humidity sensor in the embodiments of this application includes a resistance sensor and a capacitance sensor. The resistance sensor includes a sensing strip 411, and the capacitance sensor includes a sensing block 421. A sensor mounting plate 43 is also provided on the housing.

[0093] For example, the sensor mounting plate 43 includes a fixing plate 431 and buckles 432 disposed on both sides of the fixing plate 431. A connection port corresponding to the position of the buckles 432 is provided on the horizontal baffle 213 at the rear end of the front plate 21 of the structure. After the buckles 432 are engaged in the connection port, the sensor mounting plate 43 can be fixed on the horizontal baffle 213. This facilitates the use of the contact advantage between the horizontal baffle 213 and the clothing, allowing the humidity sensor on the sensor mounting plate 43 to contact the clothing.

[0094] The sensor mounting plate 43 is located at the bottom front end of the opening of the cylinder 30. Since the rolling of the cylinder 30 causes the clothing to move circumferentially, parabolically, or roll along the cylinder wall, the bottom of the cylinder is the inevitable path for the clothing. In some embodiments, the cylinder 30 is provided with lifting ribs. These ribs can increase the load inside the cylinder, such as improving the ability to shake and disperse the clothing, and can also push the clothing forward, allowing it to move towards the sensor mounting plate 43 with the assistance of the lifting ribs.

[0095] In some embodiments, a fan is also provided inside the housing 20. The fan blows from the rear to the front of the cylinder 30, causing the clothes to move towards the sensor mounting plate 43 on the front side. This facilitates the contact of the sensing strip 411 in the resistance sensor with the clothes, and then the sensing resistance value that can be obtained through the sensing strip 411 can be used to analyze the moisture content of the clothes.

[0096] In some embodiments, the sensor mounting plate 43 is configured as a semi-circular arc, and the bottom of the arc is consistent with the arc of the bottom end of the cylinder 30, thereby increasing the probability of contact between the clothes inside the cylinder and the sensor mounting plate.

[0097] The sensing strip 411 and the sensing block 421 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the sensor mounting plate 43, so that the two sensors have an equal chance to detect humidity.

[0098] For example, the sensor strip 411 and the sensor block 421 can be designed with the following distribution:

[0099] The sensor strip 411 is designed to be elongated, and the direction of the strip is inclined along the arc direction, thereby increasing the probability of contact between the sensor strip 411 and the clothing.

[0100] The sensor strip 411 can be set as one or multiple strips. Multiple sensor strips 411 can be arranged side by side to increase the probability of contact. At the same time, the accuracy of humidity recognition can be improved by using the average data processing method of multiple sensor strips 411.

[0101] The sensor block 421 is configured as a square structure, and multiple sensor blocks 421 are provided, with the multiple sensor blocks 421 being inclined along the arc direction.

[0102] In some embodiments, the distribution of the sensing blocks 421 on the sensor mounting plate 43 is symmetrical to the distribution of the sensing strips 411 on the sensor mounting plate 43.

[0103] Since water is a good conductor of electricity, wet clothes have low resistance. As the clothes gradually dry, the resistance value gradually increases. The resistance sensor 41 typically includes a voltage source, a known resistor, and a sensing strip 411. The sensing strip 411 is usually made of conductive material. When the clothes come into contact with the sensing strip 411, the moisture in the clothes changes the resistance value of the sensing strip 411. The resistance value of the sensing strip 411 is calculated by measuring the voltage drop.

[0104] The resistance value acquired by the sensor strip 411 has a certain relationship with the humidity value of the clothing. This relationship can be obtained in advance through experiments. Generally, the higher the humidity, the lower the resistance; the lower the humidity, the higher the resistance. For example, by using samples with different known humidity values, the resistance value of the sensor strip can be measured, and a calibration curve or formula between the resistance value and the humidity value can be established. In this way, based on the resistance value acquired by the sensor strip 411 and the established calibration curve or formula, the humidity value corresponding to that resistance value can be obtained. This humidity value is the data output by the resistance sensor 41 after acquisition.

[0105] The capacitive sensor 42 detects the change in dielectric constant of the medium within a certain spatial distance and utilizes the correspondence between the dielectric constant and the spatial moisture content to achieve non-contact spatial detection of moisture content. Since it is not affected by the position of clothing, the detection results are more accurate.

[0106] The relationship between dielectric constant and spatial moisture content can be obtained in advance through experiments. For example, during the pre-shipment testing phase of the dryer, clothes with different known moisture contents are placed inside the dryer drum 30, and their dielectric constants are measured using a capacitance sensor 42. A table showing the relationship between dielectric constant and moisture content is obtained. Then, the experimental data is fitted to obtain the relationship between dielectric constant and spatial moisture content, so that the dryer can directly output the corresponding spatial moisture content based on the value detected by the capacitance sensor 42.

[0107] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the drying principle of a clothes dryer according to some embodiments of this application. Referring to Figure 7, the clothes dryer includes a compressor 71, a condenser 72, an evaporator 73, and connecting pipes. The compressor 71 compresses low-pressure gaseous refrigerant into high-pressure, high-temperature gaseous refrigerant. This process generates a large amount of heat. When the high-temperature refrigerant passes through the condenser 72 (first heat exchanger), it transfers heat to the air surrounding the condenser 72. The hot air is then sent into the dryer drum 30 for drying clothes. During the drying process, the hot and humid air is guided through the evaporator 73 (second heat exchanger), where the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air, cooling the air and condensing moisture, which is collected in a water tank or discharged. The cooled refrigerant is then transported to the compressor 71 through the connecting pipes, where it is compressed again and enters the next cycle. This cycle process allows the clothes dryer to efficiently utilize heat energy and reduce energy consumption.

[0108] For example, during the drying process, the dryer can be divided into different drying stages based on the moisture content. The dryer's processor 50 needs to control different components to perform corresponding operations for each drying stage. The drying stages include:

[0109] Preparation stage: At this time, only motor 32 is started to drive the drum 30 to rotate and shake the clothes, reducing the adverse effects of clothes clumping during loading on drying. It also makes it easier for the resistance sensor 41 to come into contact with the clothes during the shaking process, thereby obtaining the initial humidity value of the clothes. Then, based on the initial humidity value, the duration of the first drying task in the main drying stage is determined.

[0110] Main drying stage: When the moisture content of the clothes is 20-30% or higher, the dryer needs to perform the main drying stage. During the main drying stage, the compressor 71 starts to deliver heat to dry the clothes into the drum 30, the fan 60 starts to deliver airflow to dry the clothes into the drum 30, and the motor 32 starts to drive the drum 30 to rotate and shake the clothes.

[0111] Ironing stage: The moisture content of the clothes is 8-15%, which is a suitable humidity for ironing. Therefore, the dryer pauses the operation of the compressor 71 and the fan 60 at this stage so that the user can take out the clothes for ironing. It should be understood that this stage is for the user to take out the clothes from the dryer for ironing. That is, if the user has an ironing need, the dryer's processor 50 pauses the operation of all components at this stage, waits for the user to iron, and only proceeds to the next step after receiving a signal from the user to continue processing. If the user does not have an ironing need, this stage can be ignored and the process can directly jump to the supplementary drying stage.

[0112] Supplementary drying stage: The moisture content of the clothes is 3-8%. At this time, the clothes have reached the end of the drying process. It is necessary to determine whether to end the drying process early or extend the drying time by using supplementary drying. This stage is also an important stage for the processor 50 of this application to identify and process. Since the clothes are in the final stage of drying during supplementary drying, in order to save energy and avoid over-drying, the frequency of the compressor 71 can be reduced, thereby reducing the heat transferred into the drum 30 and thus avoiding over-drying. The fan 60 and motor 32 will not affect the drying of the clothes, so there is no need to reduce their speed or turn them off. In some embodiments, from the perspective of energy saving, if the temperature of the clothes is high, its drying rate is also fast. At this time, the wind speed of the fan 60 can be reduced, so that the lower wind speed output can be used without affecting the drying of the clothes, further reducing energy consumption.

[0113] Cooling stage (wearing stage): Clothing moisture content is -3% to 3%. At this point, the dryer has completed the drying task. If there are no other needs, the drying function of compressor 71 is turned off, and the user waits to remove the clothes. If the detected moisture content standard deviation is less than the preset standard deviation threshold, it indicates that the moisture content is relatively stable, which also means that the clothes are dried. The dryer can then enter the cooling stage. A possible reason for a negative moisture content is that the moisture content in this application is determined based on the correspondence between the moisture content obtained from a pre-set reference parallel experiment and the dielectric constant collected by the capacitance sensor 42, rather than the absolute moisture content of the clothes. When the moisture content of the clothes set in the experiment is higher than the absolute moisture content, the moisture content of the cooling stage calculated proportionally may be negative.

[0114] The following explanation uses the dryer's processor as an example to illustrate how a dryer controls the drying process.

[0115] The technical solutions of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0116] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of a drying control method provided in some embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the method includes the following steps:

[0117] S801, Execute the first drying task and control the duration of the first drying task.

[0118] The first drying task corresponds to the main drying stage in the drying process. Executing the first drying task involves controlling the compressor to operate at a first frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to operate. The humidity value collected by the resistive sensor is used to adjust the duration of the first drying task, while the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the first drying task.

[0119] Therefore, when performing the first drying task, the processor needs to control the compressor to run at a first frequency so that the heat generated by the compressor can be transferred to the drum to dry the clothes; the processor controls the fan to run at a first speed so that the moisture on the clothes can enter the compressor circulation more quickly under the airflow, thereby improving the drying efficiency; the processor controls the motor to start so that the drum can rotate, thereby causing the clothes in the drum to be tossed and tumbled, thereby changing the contact points between the clothes and the heat and airflow, further improving the drying efficiency.

[0120] For example, during the execution of the first drying task, both the resistive and capacitive sensors are always operational, and the processor acquires the data collected by both. However, the duration of the first drying task is determined based on the humidity value collected from the resistive sensor, not on the air moisture content collected from the capacitive sensor. This allows the traditional resistive sensor to quickly determine the degree of drying of the clothes. Compared to the capacitive sensor, the resistive sensor has a wider range of humidity detection capabilities and does not require extensive experiments to obtain a fitted moisture content, unlike the capacitive sensor. Detecting and determining the humidity of clothes using a resistive sensor is relatively simple over a wide range, and it reduces the computational complexity of the processor compared to the capacitive sensor.

[0121] As the humidity inside the compressor drum continuously decreases during operation, the humidity value corresponding to the detected resistance value can be determined by using the resistance value collected by the resistance sensor, based on the pre-set correspondence between the resistance value and the moisture content.

[0122] The pre-set relationship between the sensing resistance value and the air moisture content is obtained by pre-detecting the sensing resistance values ​​of clothing with different moisture contents.

[0123] In some embodiments, the first drying task is in the main drying stage of the dryer's drying process, and the dryer is equipped with a processor for controlling the runtime of the main drying stage.

[0124] The first drying task is configured to control the compressor to compress and collect the moisture from the clothes inside the drum along with the air, thus expelling it. Because the moisture content of the clothes is high at this stage, the compressor needs to operate at a higher frequency than towards the end of the drying process to improve drying efficiency.

[0125] In addition, the first drying task is also configured to operate with a fan. The fan operation can improve the air circulation inside the drum, so that the moisture of the clothes is continuously circulated into the air, and then the compressor continuously removes the moisture from the air.

[0126] In addition, the first drying task is also configured to be operated by a motor. The motor can rotate the drum, which in turn causes the clothes to be dried inside the drum to be thrown around, increasing the contact area between the clothes and the air, thereby continuously reducing the moisture content of the clothes.

[0127] S802. When the humidity value is less than the first threshold and the air moisture content is less than the second threshold, execute the second drying task.

[0128] The second drying task corresponds to the time-added drying stage in the drying process. Executing this second drying task involves controlling the compressor to operate at a second frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to operate continuously; the second frequency is less than the first frequency.

[0129] The processor obtains the collected humidity value from the resistance sensor, which is the humidity value corresponding to the resistance value of the sensing strip in the resistance sensor after it comes into contact with the clothing.

[0130] To further improve the accuracy of detection, the processor obtains the detection results from the capacitance sensor, that is, the capacitance sensor detects the dielectric constant of the drying chamber inside the cylinder.

[0131] Since the humidity value is obtained based on the resistance sensor, the result is strongly correlated with the contact between the resistance sensor and the clothes. In order to improve the accuracy of judgment, when the humidity value detected by the resistance sensor is less than the condition for the end of the main drying stage, the air moisture content corresponding to the capacitive sensor is added as an auxiliary judgment.

[0132] Since the capacitive sensor detects the humidity in the space, which includes the portion of clothing that is not in contact with the resistive sensor, the air moisture content can be used to further determine whether the undetected portion is below the completion condition of the main drying stage in the drying operation.

[0133] Therefore, the dielectric constant collected from the capacitance sensor is obtained, and the air moisture content inside the cylinder is determined according to the pre-set correspondence between the dielectric constant and the air moisture content.

[0134] The pre-defined relationship between dielectric constant and moisture content is obtained by pre-detecting the dielectric constants of clothing with different moisture contents.

[0135] For example, the humidity signal values, such as the induced resistance value obtained by the resistive sensor and the dielectric constant obtained by the capacitive sensor, are the initial data. They need to be processed by data preprocessing methods such as filtering, averaging, statistics, and normalization to obtain the humidity signal values ​​related to the humidity inside the drying equipment. Since the resistive sensor and the capacitive sensor are of different types, they need to be processed separately to obtain the corresponding humidity values ​​and air moisture content.

[0136] Among them, filtering is the underlying algorithm's filtering of signal values ​​to enhance the output of effective signals. Mean averaging is mainly for filtering, and normalization is mainly achieved by experimentally fitting functional relationships.

[0137] It should be noted that the above-mentioned data preprocessing methods are related technologies and are not the main inventive point of this application, therefore, further processing procedures will not be described here.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first threshold is 4%, corresponding to a resistance value of 53500 ohms detected by the sensor strip. When the humidity value is less than or equal to 4%, the corresponding resistance value is greater than or equal to 53500 ohms, indicating that most of the clothes to be dried in the drum have been dried. Here, 53500 ohms is a humidity signal value related to the humidity inside the drying equipment, obtained after the induced resistance value acquired by the resistance sensor has been processed by data preprocessing methods such as filtering, averaging, statistics, and normalization.

[0139] In some embodiments, the second threshold is 10%. When the air moisture content is less than or equal to 10%, it is further determined that the air moisture in the drying chamber is low, and indirectly it is determined that the clothes to be dried in the drum have completed the main drying stage in the above-mentioned drying stages and can enter the next drying stage, such as the supplementary drying stage.

[0140] S803, Control the duration of the second drying task.

[0141] The capacitive sensor operates and collects the air moisture content, which is used to adjust the duration of the second drying task. The resistive sensor operates and collects the humidity value, which is not used to adjust the duration of the second drying task.

[0142] Since the second drying task requires a gentler drying process to avoid over-drying, the compressor can be controlled to operate at a second frequency, set lower than the first frequency. This lowers the drying temperature, reducing the risk of damage from over-drying and minimizing the impact of the high temperature on the clothes. Because the airflow does not negatively affect the drying results, it is not necessary to reduce the fan speed. The processor controls the fan to operate at the first speed, allowing moisture on the clothes to enter the compressor circulation more quickly under the influence of the airflow, thus improving drying efficiency. Similar to the first drying task, the motor is started to rotate the drum, causing the clothes inside to tumble and move, changing the contact points between the clothes and the heat and airflow, further improving drying efficiency.

[0143] For example, during the second drying task, the resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor are always in operation. The processor acquires the data collected by both sensors. However, the duration of operation of the compressor and the fan is determined based on the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor, rather than the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor. This utilizes the characteristic of the capacitance sensor to collect the air moisture content inside the drum, thus more accurately reflecting the humidity of the clothes. Compared to the resistance sensor, it can more accurately reflect the internal humidity of tangled or fluffy clothes, reducing the phenomenon of clothes not drying properly due to insufficient drying time setting.

[0144] In some embodiments, the second drying task is a supplementary drying phase in the dryer's drying process.

[0145] This embodiment simultaneously sets up a resistance sensor that can detect the humidity of the clothes and a capacitive sensor that can detect the moisture content of the drying space. The drying stage is determined based on the humidity of the clothes detected by the capacitive sensor, and the start and end times of the supplementary drying stage are determined by the moisture content of the space. This improves the accuracy of clothes drying and enhances the quality of clothes drying while reducing unnecessary drying energy consumption.

[0146] Based on the above embodiments, if during the execution of the first drying task, the humidity value collected by the processor from the resistance sensor is less than the first threshold, but the air moisture content collected from the capacitance sensor exceeds the second threshold, the duration of the first drying task can be extended to make the air moisture content collected from the capacitance sensor less than the second threshold.

[0147] In this process, when performing the first drying task, the resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor are controlled to work continuously, and the duration of the extended first drying task is determined based on the air moisture content collected from the capacitance sensor, rather than the humidity value collected from the resistance sensor, so that the extended duration can be determined more accurately.

[0148] For example, before the dryer leaves the factory, the correspondence between the remaining drying time and the moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor can be obtained through experimental testing. Then, based on the collected correspondence, the correspondence between different moisture contents and the extended running time of the first drying task can be obtained.

[0149] For example, when the moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is 15%, the remaining drying time before the end of the first drying task is recorded as 10 minutes. When the duration of the first drying task has reached 0 and the measured moisture content is 15%, it is inferred that the duration of the additional first drying task is 10 minutes.

[0150] In some embodiments, based on the above embodiments, the completion of the second drying task can be determined by the following method, and the compressor and fan can be controlled to be turned off to end the drying task. However, the motor can be kept running for a first preset time before being turned off, so that the clothes can release the heat of the tangled parts during the shaking process.

[0151] For example, after the second drying task is completed, the cold air stage in the drying stage can be entered. In the cold air stage, the processor presets the motor running time of the cold air stage, that is, the first preset time, such as 2 minutes, and the first preset time is not affected by the data collected by the resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor.

[0152] In some embodiments, during the cooling phase, since the clothes have been dried, the auxiliary drying fan is usually turned off. However, the fan can also be preset to run synchronously with the motor according to actual needs, for example, to accelerate cooling by using the fan.

[0153] Specifically, the conditions for determining the completion of the second drying task include:

[0154] Condition 1: The duration of the second drying task.

[0155] Since the duration of the second drying task is determined based on the moisture content detected by the capacitive sensor, if no control feedback is received after the determined duration of the second drying task has been completed, it can be determined that the second drying task has ended.

[0156] For example, if an abnormality occurs in the signal feedback from the capacitive sensor or other sources during the operation of the second drying task, the drying task can be terminated according to the pre-set duration of the second drying task, thereby reducing the risk of over-drying and the energy consumption caused by prolonged over-drying. In other words, time control serves as a fallback control scheme for the drying task.

[0157] It should be understood that if the air moisture content is still below the threshold when condition 1 is less than the threshold, the second drying task will not be terminated. For example, if the second drying task has been completed for the specified duration and the air moisture content exceeds the third threshold, the second drying task will continue to be executed.

[0158] Condition 2: If the duration of the second drying task has not been completed, the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is less than the third threshold, which is less than the second threshold.

[0159] Because the duration of the second drying task may differ from the actual required duration due to differences in clothing material, weight, or other factors, the remaining drying time can be determined in real time by using the air moisture content collected by a capacitive sensor to further improve the accuracy of the drying time determination.

[0160] In some embodiments, the third threshold is 3%. When the air moisture content is less than 3%, the processor controls the second drying task to end. The first preset duration is 2 minutes. After the drying task ends, the motor continues to run for 2 minutes and then shuts off. During the 2 minutes that the motor drives the drum to run, the clothes are tossed and shaken in the drying chamber, increasing the degree of shaking and further increasing the contact area between the clothes and the air in the drying chamber, thereby reducing the moisture content of the clothes.

[0161] Condition 3: During the third preset time period, the change in air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is less than the preset change threshold.

[0162] Since the change in air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is small, it can only occur when the amount of water is too low to continue drying. This indicates that the clothes are already in the drying state and the second drying task can be ended.

[0163] In some embodiments, the capacitive sensor actually detects the dielectric constant of the space. Therefore, without pre-setting a correspondence between the dielectric constant detected by the capacitive sensor and the air moisture content, it is possible to determine whether the second drying task has been completed directly by observing the change in the dielectric constant value without converting and calculating the air moisture content.

[0164] For example, based on the dielectric constant collected by the capacitance sensor within a third preset time period, the fitting mean and fitting standard deviation corresponding to the dielectric constant are determined; if the fitting mean corresponding to the dielectric constant is less than the mean threshold and the fitting standard deviation corresponding to the dielectric constant is less than the standard deviation threshold, then the compressor is turned off to complete the drying operation.

[0165] In some embodiments, the third preset duration is 2 minutes, the mean threshold is 500, and the standard deviation threshold is 100. If the fitting mean of the dielectric constant is <500 and the fitting standard deviation is <100 for 2 consecutive minutes, the time supplement can be ended early.

[0166] The above method further defines the calculation method of the time-added drying time using capacitive sensors. By fitting the mean and standard deviation, the instability of sensor sampling is reduced. The mean can filter out outliers and improve the accuracy of the calculation, while the standard deviation can help determine the uniformity of drying. That is, the higher the uniformity, the better the accuracy of the drying judgment conditions.

[0167] This embodiment limits the end time of the second drying task and uses a capacitive sensor to further accurately determine the end time, making full use of drying resources to improve the drying effect of clothes. It also uses a time fallback scheme to reduce over-drying and waste of drying resources caused by sensor failure. In addition, by optimizing the data processing method of the capacitive sensor, the computational complexity is reduced and the processor's processing efficiency is improved, thereby improving the drying effect of clothes.

[0168] Before performing S801 in the above embodiment, the method may further include the following steps:

[0169] S800: Control the compressor and the fan to stop running, and control the motor to continue working for a second preset time.

[0170] This operation corresponds to the preparation stage in the drying process. While the motor is controlled to operate continuously for a second preset duration, the processor controls the resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor to operate continuously, and neither the resistance sensor nor the capacitance sensor is used to control the operating status of the compressor, the fan, and the motor.

[0171] The continuous operation of the motor can control the drum to rotate in both forward and reverse directions, thereby reducing the risk of clothes getting tangled inside the drum and improving the drying effect.

[0172] This embodiment controls the motor to run before the drying task, causing the clothes to be shaken and dispersed inside the drum. This reduces the probability of clothes getting tangled and increases the contact area between the clothes and the drying resources during the drying task, thereby improving the drying effect.

[0173] In some embodiments, the second preset duration is 1 minute. After the dryer is started, the motor runs for 1 minute to rotate the drum, causing the clothes to rotate within the drum for 1 minute, thus achieving the shaking and completing the preparation stage. It should be understood that the motor runs in alternating forward and reverse directions for 1 minute to make the drum rotate clockwise and counterclockwise, thereby shaking and dispersing the clothes. This stage is only a pretreatment of the clothes to be dried and does not require drying the clothes, therefore it is not necessary to turn on the compressor and fan.

[0174] After executing S803 in the above embodiment, the method may further include the following steps:

[0175] S804. If the duration of the second drying task has been completed and the air moisture content collected from the capacitive sensor exceeds the third threshold, the second drying task shall continue to be executed.

[0176] During the execution of the second drying task, the processor controls the resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor to work continuously, and the resistance sensor is not used to control the duration of the second drying task, while the capacitance sensor is used to control the duration of the second drying task.

[0177] Specifically, the extended time is related to the air moisture content, reflecting that there may be undried clothes inside. This may be due to the inaccuracy of the running duration set at the initial start of the second drying task, that is, the correspondence between the dielectric constant set by the factory test and the air moisture content is not accurate enough, or the actual amount of clothes dried is significantly different from the amount of clothes at the time of the factory test, resulting in an inaccurate matching air moisture content.

[0178] Therefore, in order to further improve the accuracy of drying judgment and reduce the risk of clothes not being dried, the duration of the second drying task can be re-determined in real time based on the feedback results of the capacitive sensor during the execution of the second drying task.

[0179] In some embodiments, when the third threshold is 1%, if the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is greater than or equal to the third threshold, for example, if the air moisture content is greater than or equal to 1%, it indicates that the moisture content in the drying chamber is high at this time. Since clothing is the main water-holding medium in the drying chamber, the clothing needs further drying, and therefore the second drying task of the supplementary drying stage still needs to be performed. However, if the air moisture content is lower than the third threshold in advance, for example, if the air moisture content is less than 1% during the execution of the second drying task, the second drying task can be ended in accordance with the method in the above embodiments for determining the completion of the second drying task, and the supplementary drying stage is completed.

[0180] This embodiment improves the accuracy of drying judgment by using the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor to judge the humidity inside the drum in real time during the second drying task, thereby reducing the situation of incomplete drying caused by the second drying task ending according to the time and improving the drying effect.

[0181] In some embodiments, the capacitive sensor is also configured to at least acquire the air temperature value inside the cylinder; similarly, the air moisture content can be obtained by analyzing the spatial dielectric constant acquired by the capacitive sensor, and the air temperature value can also be obtained by analyzing the spatial dielectric constant.

[0182] Since the air temperature inside the drum also has a certain impact on drying efficiency, and the temperature is mainly determined by the working state of the compressor, in order to achieve a high-quality drying effect for clothes with less drying resources, the working state of each component of the dryer can be adjusted in combination with the air temperature.

[0183] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of a drying control method provided in some embodiments of this application. Referring to Figure 9, based on the above embodiments, when performing a second drying task, the drying task can be achieved through the following steps:

[0184] S901. Determine whether the air temperature value collected by the capacitive sensor is less than the fourth threshold; if yes, execute S902-S904; if no, execute S905-S907.

[0185] S902, control the execution of the second drying sub-task.

[0186] The second drying sub-task is configured such that the compressor operates at a second frequency, the fan operates at a second speed, and the motor operates continuously; the second speed is less than the first speed; when the second drying sub-task is executed, the processor controls the resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor to operate continuously, and the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor is not used to control the duration of the second drying sub-task, while the air temperature value collected by the capacitance sensor is used to control the duration of the second drying sub-task.

[0187] S903. Determine whether the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is less than the third threshold; if yes, execute S903; if no, continue to execute the second drying sub-task.

[0188] S904. Control the compressor to stop running and control the fan and motor to continue working for a first preset time.

[0189] Wherein, the third threshold is less than the second threshold; when the fan and the motor are controlled to work continuously for a first preset time, the processor controls the resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor to work continuously, and neither the resistance sensor nor the capacitance sensor is used to control the operating status of the fan and the motor.

[0190] S905, control the execution of the first drying sub-task.

[0191] The first drying sub-task is configured such that the compressor operates at a second frequency, the fan operates at a first speed, and the motor operates continuously. When the first drying sub-task is executed, the air temperature value collected by the capacitive sensor is used to adjust the duration of the first drying sub-task, while the humidity value collected by the resistive sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the first drying sub-task.

[0192] S903. Determine whether the air moisture content collected by the capacitive sensor is less than the third threshold; if yes, execute S903; if no, continue to execute the first drying sub-task.

[0193] S904. Control the compressor to stop running and control the fan and motor to continue working for a first preset time.

[0194] Wherein, the third threshold is less than the second threshold; when the fan and the motor are controlled to work continuously for a first preset time, the processor controls the resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor to work continuously, and neither the resistance sensor nor the capacitance sensor is used to control the operating status of the fan and the motor.

[0195] In some embodiments, the fourth threshold is 50°C, the compressor's first frequency is 60Hz, the second frequency is 45Hz, and the fan's first speed is 2500rpm and the second speed is 2300rpm. When performing the second drying task during the supplementary drying stage, if the air temperature value collected by the capacitive sensor is greater than 50°C, the compressor frequency and speed are reduced, thus reducing energy consumption in both ways. Simultaneously, due to the high-temperature assistance, the drying efficiency is not significantly affected. If the air temperature is not greater than 50°C, the compressor frequency can be reduced to avoid over-drying and its adverse effects on the clothes, while the fan speed can be maintained at its original speed, thereby improving drying efficiency using airflow that will not damage the clothes.

[0196] This embodiment further optimizes the allocation of drying resources by adding the function of internal temperature detection. It takes advantage of the high drying efficiency at high temperatures to reduce the fan speed, thereby saving energy. At low temperatures, the fan speed is maintained at a higher speed to improve drying efficiency.

[0197] In some embodiments, in addition to the above-described method, the remaining drying time can be determined more precisely based on the actual configuration of the dryer.

[0198] The dryer also includes a vision sensor configured to perform classification statistics based on the acquired images and determine the type of clothing using a preset classification model. The type of clothing includes a first type and a second type, wherein the first type has a higher water absorption rate than the second type.

[0199] Therefore, the second stage of the drying process also includes the following situations:

[0200] Scenario 1: In the second stage of the drying task, and the type of clothing is type 1, the second duration is determined as the supplementary drying duration.

[0201] Scenario 2: In the second stage of the drying task, and the type of clothing is type 2, the third duration is determined as the supplementary drying duration; the second duration is longer than the third duration.

[0202] For example, the first type is clothing with strong water absorption such as cotton and linen, and the second type is clothing with poor water absorption such as silk and polyester. In the above embodiment, the remaining drying time can be determined by the amount of clothing and the moisture content. The remaining drying time is determined based on the initially determined supplementary drying time. The initial supplementary drying time is usually determined based on the detection result of the resistance sensor or based on the preset program time, and the result is not accurate.

[0203] Therefore, before starting the second stage, the corresponding supplementary drying time can be determined according to the type of clothing, so as to process the clothing in a more precise time period and improve the clothing treatment effect.

[0204] In this embodiment, images acquired by a visual sensor can be used for further material analysis to obtain a supplementary drying time corresponding to the analyzed material. This supplementary drying time can then be used to reduce over-drying or under-drying, thereby improving the drying quality of the clothes.

[0205] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a clothes dryer provided in some embodiments of this application. Referring to Figure 10, the clothes dryer provided in this application includes a resistance sensor 41, a capacitance sensor 42, a motor 32, a compressor 71, a fan 60, and a processor 50. The processor 50 is connected to the resistance sensor 41, the capacitance sensor 42, the motor 32, the compressor 71, and the fan 60, respectively.

[0206] The resistive sensor 41 is configured to collect at least the humidity value of the clothes to be dried and send the collected humidity value to the processor 50; the capacitive sensor 42 is configured to collect at least the air moisture content inside the drum 30 and send the collected air moisture content to the processor 50.

[0207] The processor 50 is also configured to execute the methods described in the above embodiments to control the operating status of the motor 32, the compressor 71, and the fan 60.

[0208] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which may include various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. Specifically, the computer-readable storage medium stores program instructions configured as the methods described in the above embodiments.

[0209] This application also provides a program product including executable instructions stored in a readable storage medium. At least one control module of the dryer can read the executable instructions from the readable storage medium, and the at least one control module executes the executable instructions to cause the dryer to perform the methods provided in the various embodiments described above.

[0210] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0211] For ease of explanation, the above description has been provided in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, the above exemplary discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the specific forms disclosed above. Various modifications and variations can be obtained based on the above teachings. The selection and description of the above embodiments are for the purpose of better explaining the principles and practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better utilize the described embodiments and various different variations of embodiments suitable for specific use considerations.

Claims

1. A clothes dryer, comprising: a cabinet configured as an external housing of the clothes dryer; a drum provided in the cabinet, a drying cavity being formed in the drum; a motor connected with the drum, the motor being configured to drive the drum to rotate relative to the cabinet; a compressor; a fan configured to deliver air flow into the drum; a resistance sensor configured to collect at least a humidity value of clothes to be dried; a capacitance sensor configured to collect at least an air moisture content in the drum; a processor configured to: execute a first drying task, the first drying task being configured to control the compressor to operate at a first frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to operate, the processor being further configured to control a duration of the first drying task when the first drying task is executed, wherein the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor in operation is used to adjust the duration of the first drying task, and the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor in operation is not used to adjust the duration of the first drying task; execute a second drying task when the humidity value is less than a first threshold value and the air moisture content is less than a second threshold value, the second drying task being configured to control the compressor to operate at a second frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to continuously operate, wherein the second frequency is less than the first frequency, the processor being further configured to control a duration of the second drying task when the second drying task is executed, wherein the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor in operation is used to adjust the duration of the second drying task, and the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor in operation is not used to adjust the duration of the second drying task. 2.The clothes dryer of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: continue to execute the first drying task when the humidity value is less than the first threshold value and the air moisture content exceeds the second threshold value. 3.The clothes dryer of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: control the second drying task to end when the processor satisfies a preset condition, the second drying task being configured to control the compressor and the fan to stop operating, and control the motor to continuously operate for a first preset duration and then stop operating.

4. The clothes dryer according to claim 3, characterized in that: the preset condition is that the duration of the second drying task is executed.

5. The clothes dryer according to claim 3, characterized in that: the preset condition is that the air moisture content is less than a third threshold value before the duration of the second drying task is executed, the third threshold value being less than the second threshold value.

6. The clothes dryer according to claim 3, characterized in that: the preset condition is that a change amount of the air moisture content is less than a preset change threshold value within a third preset duration of the duration of the second drying task before the duration of the second drying task is executed. 7.The clothes dryer of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to: continue to execute the second drying task when the duration of the second drying task is executed and the air moisture content exceeds the third threshold value. 8.The clothes dryer of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: perform a drying preparation task before performing the first drying task; The drying preparation task is configured to control the compressor and the fan not to run, and the motor to run for a second preset time length; wherein the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor is not used to adjust the operation state of the compressor, the fan and the motor, and the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the operation state of the compressor, the fan and the motor. 9.The clothes dryer of claim 1, further comprising a capacitance sensor configured to collect at least an air temperature value in the drum, and wherein the processor is further configured to: In a case that the second drying task is executed and the air temperature value exceeds a fourth threshold value, a first drying sub-task is controlled to be executed; the first drying sub-task is configured that the compressor is operated at a second frequency, the fan is operated at a first rotating speed, and the motor is continuously operated; wherein, the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor is used to adjust the duration of the first drying subtask, the air temperature value collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the first drying subtask, and the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor is not used to adjust the duration of the first drying subtask. 10.The clothes dryer of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: control the compressor to stop operating when the first drying subtask is performed and the air moisture content is less than a third threshold value; The processor, when controlling the compressor to stop running, is further configured to control the fan and the motor to continue to work for a first preset time length; the third threshold is less than the second threshold; and the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration, the air temperature value collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration of the first drying subtask, and the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration. 11.The clothes dryer of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: control a second drying subtask to be performed when the second drying task is performed and the air temperature value is less than a fourth threshold value; the second drying subtask is configured to operate the compressor at a second frequency, operate the fan at a second rotating speed, and continuously operate the motor; and the second rotating speed is less than the first rotating speed. 12.The clothes dryer of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: control the compressor to stop operating when the second drying subtask is performed and the air moisture content is less than a third threshold value; The processor, when controlling the compressor to stop running, is further configured to control the fan and the motor to continue to work for a first preset time length; the third threshold is less than the second threshold; and the humidity value collected by the resistance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration, the air temperature value collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration of the first drying subtask, and the air moisture content collected by the capacitance sensor is not used to adjust the first preset duration. 13.A drying control method applied to a clothes dryer, the clothes dryer comprising: a cabinet configured as an external housing of the clothes dryer; a drum provided in the cabinet, the drum forming a drying cavity therein; a motor connected with the drum, the motor being configured to drive the drum to rotate relative to the cabinet; a compressor; a fan configured to deliver an air flow to the drum; a resistance sensor configured to collect at least a humidity value of clothes to be dried; a capacitance sensor configured to collect at least an air moisture content in the drum; and the method comprising: performing a first drying task, the first drying task being configured to control the compressor to operate at a first frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to operate; while performing the first drying task, controlling a duration of time for which the first drying task is performed; wherein the resistance sensor is active and the humidity value collected thereby is used to adjust the duration of time for which the first drying task is performed, and the capacitance sensor is active and the air moisture content collected thereby is not used to adjust the duration of time for which the first drying task is performed; performing a second drying task when the humidity value is less than a first threshold value and the air moisture content is less than a second threshold value; the second drying task being configured to control the compressor to operate at a second frequency, the fan to operate, and the motor to continue to operate, wherein the second frequency is less than the first frequency; while performing the second drying task, controlling a duration of time for which the second drying task is performed; wherein the capacitance sensor is active and the air moisture content collected thereby is used to adjust the duration of time for which the second drying task is performed, and the resistance sensor is active and the humidity value collected thereby is not used to adjust the duration of time for which the second drying task is performed.

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