LAUNDRY CARE MACHINE AND METHOD FOR CARING LAUNDRY BY USING THE SAME

Abstract

 The present invention discloses a method for caring laundry by using a laundry care machine 1. The laundry care machine 1 includes a care drum 5 and a motor 4 for driving the care drum 5 to rotate. The method includes running, by a control apparatus 13, a laundry heating program, and the program includes: heating, by a heating apparatus 11, 12, air in space in which the care drum 5 is located; and turning off the heating apparatus 11, 12 after meeting a preset criterion by the heating. A laundry care machine 1 that can care laundry by using the method is also disclosed.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to laundry care machines, and in particular, to a method for caring laundry by using the laundry care machine.

[0002] In addition to a requirement for frequent operations such as washing or drying, sometimes laundry need to be heated. For example, in some service occasions, a wet hot towel is needed; in a cold season such as winter, warm laundry, in particular clothes, towels, pillows, bedding, and the like are needed, especially when they are provided to infants, the elderly or frail patients.

[0003] An existing program cannot satisfy such a heating need. In an existing drying program, laundry can be heated. However, if the entire drying program is running to heat the laundry, a waste of energy is caused, and obviously, an objective of a user who intends to obtain wet hot laundry cannot be achieved. If the program is stopped during running of the drying program, due to a design of high temperature protection of a machine, a door of the machine cannot be opened, and even if the door is forced to be opened, there exists a risk of being burned by a high temperature. In addition, in the drying program, a temperature of the laundry cannot be set by the user, and therefore is uncontrollable as well.

[0004] An objective of the present invention is to enable a user to conveniently obtain laundry after heating.

[0005] To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides a method for caring laundry and a related laundry care machine as defined in the respective independent claim. Preferred and facultative implementations of the invention are subjects of dependent claims, the subsequent description and the figures of the accompanying drawing. Preferred implementations of the method correspond to preferred implementations of the laundry card machine, and vice versa, even if not specified herein in detail.

[0006] Accordingly there is specified, in accordance with the invention, a method for caring laundry by using a laundry care machine, where the laundry care machine includes a care drum and a motor for driving the care drum to rotate, where the method includes running, by a control apparatus, a laundry heating program, and the program includes: heating, by a heating apparatus, air in space in which the care drum is located; and turning off the heating apparatus after meeting a preset criterion by the heating.

[0007] The heated air heats laundry in the care drum, and makes a temperature of the laundry increase, which can achieve a heating effect for either wet laundry or dried laundry. Moreover, a degree of the heating can be controlled according to a time or a temperature, thereby satisfying an expectation of a user.

[0008] In accordance with a preferred implementation of the invention the criterion to be met for turning off the heating apparatus is that the heating apparatus has been turned on for a preset time.

[0009] In accordance with a preferred implementation of the invention as an alternative to the foregoing the criterion may be met as a temperature detecting apparatus detects that a temperature of the air in the space in which the care drum is located has reached a preset temperature, thus turning off the heating apparatus after that temperature has reached the preset temperature.

[0010] For more accurate control, the preset time is determined by the control apparatus according to a laundry volume detected or preset by the user. The control apparatus prestores a correspondence between a laundry volume and a preset heating time. A larger laundry volume indicates a longer preset heating time. Preferably in addition, the preset time for which the heating apparatus has been turned on is further associated with a temperature expected and preset by the user, and is controlled by the control apparatus. A specific method may be that the control apparatus prestores laundry volumes and preset heating times that correspond to different heating temperatures. Therefore, when a laundry volume and a heating temperature, that is, a final temperature that the user expects the laundry to be reached after the heating, are determined, a corresponding preset heating time may be found, so as to control the heating apparatus. The laundry volume may be automatically detected by the laundry care machine, and the heating temperature may be set by the user.

[0011] In addition, in a possible preferred implementation of the present invention, the control apparatus allows a user to set an expected temperature of laundry, and the control apparatus sets the preset temperature according to the expected temperature. The expected temperature that may be set falls within a range of safe temperatures. Therefore, the user is avoided from being burned when the user opens the door to take out the laundry after the heating ends.

[0012] To implement more even heating, during a heating period of the heating apparatus, the motor drives the care drum to rotate. For laundry needing special care, the laundry may alternatively be kept still in the care drum, for example, be disposed on a shelf placed fixedly in the care drum.

[0013] After a heating process ends, if the user does not take out the laundry in time, the laundry may gradually cool down. To avoid finally take out laundry that gets cold by the user, after the heating apparatus is turned off, the temperature detecting apparatus preferably continues to detect the temperature of the air in the space in which the care drum is located, and restarts the heating apparatus when the temperature of the detected air decreases to a critical temperature.

[0014] The heating apparatus may be located at the bottom of the care drum, to directly heat the air in the space in which the care drum is located. Because the heating apparatus approaches the care drum, the heating apparatus has high heating efficiency, and is also applicable to a laundry care machine having only a laundry washing function.

[0015] For a laundry care machine having a laundry drying function, the heating apparatus may be alternatively located in an air circulation channel in spatial communication with the care drum, and a fan in the air circulation channel is started during heating by the heating apparatus.

[0016] The temperature detecting apparatus is installed near an inlet of the air circulation channel. The temperature detected in such as manner is relatively close to a temperature of laundry.

[0017] For a laundry care machine having a laundry drying function, the laundry care machine includes a condensing apparatus, and the condensing apparatus does not run during running of the laundry heating program. Because the laundry heating program has only an objective of heating, the laundry do not need a drying operation, and because a condenser does not does not run, the condenser does not take out heat. Therefore, a heating speed is high.

[0018] The laundry heating program is set to enable a user to select to independently run the laundry heating program; or is set to in a manner that the laundry heating program can be selected together with a washing program or a drying program, and is executed after the washing program or the drying program ends. Therefore, the user may make a corresponding selection according to an actual need, and the heating has a wider application range. For example, the heating may be performed directly on the laundry, or on washed laundry such as a towel, or on dried laundry, and is maintained within a proper temperature range, until the user takes out the laundry.

[0019] The laundry heating program is available for a reservation. A combination of a reservation function and the laundry heating program is especially helpful. For example, a user may put laundry to be worn on a next day into the care drum in the evening, and make a reservation to complete heating of the laundry in the morning of the next day; therefore, warm laundry can be obtained in the morning of the next day.

[0020] A door lock is released after the heating apparatus is turned off. A temperature of the care drum is ensured to fall within the range of safe temperatures before the door lock is released.

[0021] The present invention further provides a laundry care machine that can care laundry by using the foregoing method.

[0022] The following further describes preferred implementations of the present invention with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawing, by using specific implementation manners as examples.

FIG. 1

is a schematic diagram of a laundry care machine; and

FIG. 2

shows line charts of a fan, an inner drum, a heating apparatus, and a temperature of air in a laundry heating program.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, a laundry care machine 1 has a case body 2, an inner drum 5 that is located in case body 2 and is driven by the motor 4 to rotate, and an outer barrel 6 sleeved outside the inner drum 5. The outer barrel 6 is separately connected to an inlet end 71 and an outlet end 72 of an air circulation channel 7. Along an air flowing direction, a condensing apparatus 9, a fan 10, and a first heating apparatus 11 are sequentially disposed in the air circulation channel 7. A second heating apparatus 12 is disposed at the bottom of the outer barrel 6, and usually heats water in outer barrel 6 during a washing program. To detect a temperature of water or air, a first temperature sensor 21 is installed near the inlet end 71 of the air circulation channel 7, a second temperature sensor 22 is installed near the outlet end 72, and /or a third temperature sensor 23 is installed on an inner wall of the outer barrel 6. The control apparatus 13 receives an electrical signal, and controls running of electrical elements according to a program setting and the received electrical signal.

[0024] When a user needs to heat laundry, the user may select a laundry heating program, set an expected temperature of the laundry, and then start the program. The expected temperature that may be set falls within a range of safe temperatures, to avoid the user from being burned when the user takes out the laundry.

[0025] In line charts shown in FIG. 2, a curve Sf is a curve of a rotational speed of the fan, a curve Sd is a curve of a rotational speed of the rotatable drum, Th is a working curve of the first heating apparatus 11, T1 is a curve of temperatures detected by the first temperature sensor 21, and T2 is a curve of temperatures detected by the second temperature sensor 22.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, in a first implementation manner, after the program starts, a heating phase first starts to run, and the first heating apparatus 11 located in the air circulation channel 7 starts to perform heating. In this case, the fan 10 starts to rotate, so as to force air to flow through the air circulation channel 7, the inner drum 5, and the outer barrel 6. Air heated by the first heating apparatus 11 enters the inner drum 5 and the outer barrel 6, and comes into contact with laundry in the inner drum, to increase a temperature of the laundry.

[0027] In this period, the inner drum 5 is driven by the motor 4 to rotate at a relatively low rotational speed, and turn the laundry in the inner drum 5, making air enters the laundry better, thereby improving heating efficiency, and making the laundry heated evenly. For laundry needing special care, the laundry may alternatively be kept still in the care drum, for example, be disposed on a shelf in the care drum. Therefore, after selecting the laundry heating program, the user may associatively select an operation type of laundry needing to be heated or an option of preventing the inner drum 5 from rotation.

[0028] When a temperature of air that is detected by the first temperature sensor 21 located near the inlet end 71 of the air circulation channel 7 reaches a preset temperature th, the first heating apparatus 11 is turned off, and the door lock is released. Therefore, the user may take out laundry after the heating. The preset temperature th is associated with the expected temperature of laundry that is set by the user. The control apparatus 13 prestores correspondence between different expected temperatures and preset temperatures th. During running of the laundry heating program, the preset temperature may be set according to the expected temperature set by the user.

[0029] Especially, the condensing apparatus 9 does not run during running of the laundry heating program.

[0030] After the first heating apparatus 11 is turned off, a waiting phase is entered, and in the period, the first temperature sensor 21 continues to detect the temperature of the air. When the temperature of the air detected by the first temperature sensor 21 decreases to a critical temperature tl, the first heating apparatus 11 is restarted, the inner drum 5 rotates, and the fan 10 is turned on to force air to flow. When a temperature value detected by the first temperature sensor 21 reaches the preset temperature th again, the first heating apparatus 11 is turned off, and the waiting phase is reentered.

[0031] To avoid laundry from crinkles when the laundry are kept still in the waiting phase for a long time, in the waiting phase, the inner drum 5 may also rotate from time to time.

[0032] In addition to that in the foregoing implementation manner, it is determined whether to turn off the first heating apparatus 11 according to whether the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 21 reaches the preset temperature th, in another implementation manner, the first heating apparatus 11 may also be turned off after the first heating apparatus has been turned on for a preset time.

[0033] The preset time is determined by the control apparatus 13 according to a laundry volume. The control apparatus 13 prestores a correspondence between a laundry volume and a preset heating time. A larger laundry volume indicates a longer preset heating time. Preferably, the preset time for which the first heating apparatus 11 has been turned on is further associated with a temperature expected by the user, and is controlled by the control apparatus 13. A specific method may be that the control apparatus 13 prestores laundry volumes and preset heating times that correspond to different heating temperature. Therefore, when a laundry volume and a heating temperature, that is, a final temperature that the user expects the laundry to be reached after the heating, are determined, a corresponding preset heating time may be found, so as to control the first heating apparatus 11. The laundry volume may be automatically detected by the laundry care machine, and the heating temperature may be set by the user.

[0034] In another implementation manner, the second heating apparatus 12 may also be turned on during the laundry heating program, to directly heat air in the outer barrel 6. In this case, the fan 10 does not need to be turned on. This method is also applicable to a laundry care machine having only a laundry washing function, and therefore has a wider application range. For a laundry care machine having only a laundry washing function that includes no air circulation channel 7, the control apparatus 13 controls the second heating apparatus 12 according to a detection result of the third temperature sensor 23.

[0035] The laundry heating program is set to enable a user to select to independently run the laundry heating program; or is set to in a manner that the laundry heating program can be selected together with a washing program or a drying program, and is executed after the washing program or the drying program ends. Therefore, the user may make a corresponding selection according to an actual need. For example, the heating may be performed directly on the laundry, or on washed laundry such as a towel, or on dried clothes, and is maintained within a proper temperature range, until the user takes out the laundry.

[0036] In another useful improvement, the laundry heating program is available for a reservation. Various specific embodiments described in the foregoing and shown in accompanying drawings are only used for illustrating the present invention, and are not regarded as the entirety of the present invention. Within the scope of the basic technical thought of the present invention, any types of modifications for the present invention made by persons ordinarily skilled in the art fall within the scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0037] 

1

Laundry care machine

2

Case body

4

Motor

5

Inner drum

6

Outer barrel

7

Air circulation channel

71

Inlet end

72

Outlet end

9

Condensing apparatus

10

Fan

11

First heating apparatus

12

Second heating apparatus

13

Control apparatus

21

First temperature sensor

22

Second temperature sensor

23

Third temperature sensor

Claims

1. A method for caring laundry by using a laundry care machine (1), wherein the laundry care machine (1) comprises a care drum (5), and a motor (4) for driving the care drum (5) to rotate, characterized in that: the method comprises running, by a control apparatus (13), a laundry heating program, and the program comprises:

heating, by a heating apparatus (11, 12), air in space in which the care drum (5) is located; and

turning off the heating apparatus (11, 12) after meeting a preset criterion by the heating.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the criterion to be met for turning off the heating apparatus (11, 12) is that the heating apparatus (11, 12) has been turned on for a preset time.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the criterion to be met for turning off the heating apparatus (11, 12) is that a temperature detecting apparatus (21, 22, 23) detects that a temperature of the air in the space in which the care drum (5) is located reaches a preset temperature.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: the preset time is determined by the control apparatus (13) according to a laundry volume.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: the control apparatus (13) allows a user to set an expected temperature of laundry, and the control apparatus (13) sets the preset temperature according to the expected temperature.

6. The method according to any preceding claim, characterized in that: during a heating period of the heating apparatus (11, 12), the motor (4) drives the care drum (5) to rotate.

7. The method according to any of claims 3 and 5, characterized in that: after the heating apparatus (11, 12) is turned off, the temperature detecting apparatus (21, 22, 23) continues to detect the temperature of the air in the space in which the care drum (5) is located, and restarts the heating apparatus (11, 12) when the temperature of the detected air decreases to a critical temperature.

8. The method according to any preceding claim, characterized in that: the heating apparatus (11, 12) is located at the bottom of the care drum (5), to directly heat the air in the space in which the care drum (5) is located.

9. The method according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: the heating apparatus (11, 12) is located in an air circulation channel (7) in spatial communication with the care drum (5), and a fan (10) in the air circulation channel (7) is started during heating by the heating apparatus (11, 12).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that: the temperature detecting apparatus (21, 22, 23) is installed near an inlet (71) of the air circulation channel (7).

11. The method according to any of claims 9 and 10, characterized in that: the laundry care machine (1) comprises a condensing apparatus (9), and the condensing apparatus (9) does not run during running of the laundry heating program.

12. The method according to any preceding claim, characterized in that: the laundry heating program is set to enable a user to select to independently run the laundry heating program; or is set to in a manner that the laundry heating program can be selected together with a washing program or a drying program, and is executed after the washing program or the drying program ends.

13. The method according to any preceding claim, characterized in that: the laundry heating program is available for a reservation.

14. The method according to any preceding claim, characterized in that: a door lock is released after the heating apparatus (11, 12) is turned off.

15. A laundry care machine (1), characterized in that: laundry can be cared by using the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

Drawing