METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING WATER HEATER, WATER HEATER

A method for controlling a water heater is provided. The method includes: controlling operation of a blower when a first condition is satisfied; and controlling an air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to a first parameter or a first instruction. Furthermore, a device for controlling a water heater is provided, including a processor and a memory having program instructions stored thereon. When the program instructions are executed, the processor performs the method for controlling the water heater. Moreover, the water heater is provided, including a housing, a blower, an air-out channel, a heating part, and the device for controlling the water heater.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a bypass continuation of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2020/128384, filed on Nov. 12, 2020, which is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010613756.9, filed on Jun. 30, 2020, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to the technical field of intelligent household appliances, for example, relates to a method and a device for controlling a water heater and the water heater.

BACKGROUND

Currently, a user needs to blow a wet body, a bath towel and the like dry after taking a bath with a water heater. In the related art, a human body blow-dryer can be adopted for blowing the wet body, and the bath towel dry. The human body blow-dryer is used for oven-drying a human body and the bath towel by blowing airflow through a heating element by a blower to achieve heat exchange between the airflow and the heating element, and blowing out the heated airflow from an air outlet. The starting and stopping of oven-drying are usually controlled through a simple control switch.

In a process of implementing embodiments of the present disclosure, it has been found that at least the following problems exist in the related art:

the air-out control is relatively simple, and thus the pursuit of intelligence by the user at the present stage is difficult to meet.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview, it is also not intended to determine key/critical constituent elements or to delineate the protection scope of the embodiments, and it serves as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and a device for controlling a water heater and the water heater, so as to solve the technical problem that the air-out control is relatively simple, and thus the pursuit of intelligence by the user at the present stage is difficult to meet.

In some embodiments, the water heater comprises a blower and an air outlet vertically disposed and communicated with the blower, and the method for controlling a water heater comprises: controlling operation of the blower when a first condition is satisfied; and controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to a first parameter or a first instruction.

In some embodiments, the device for controlling a water heater comprises: a processor and a memory having program instructions stored thereon, and is characterized in that the processor is configured to perform the method for controlling a water heater of the embodiment above when the program instructions are executed.

In some embodiments, the water heater comprises: a housing, a blower, an air-out channel, a heating part and the device for controlling a water heater in the embodiment above. The housing is provided with an air outlet; the blower is disposed in the housing; the air-out channel is communicated with an air-out end of the blower and the air outlet; the heating part is partially or fully disposed in the air-out channel and configured to heat airflow flowing through the air-out channel.

The method and the device for controlling a water heater and the water heater provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can achieve the following technical effects:

the air outlet is vertically disposed, the blower is started when the first condition is satisfied, and the air outlet is controlled to be partially or fully opened through the first parameter or the first instruction, so that the air-out control of the air outlet is more intelligent, and the pursuit of intelligent household appliances by the user at the present stage is met.

The foregoing general description and the following description are merely exemplary and explanatory, and are not to be construed to limit this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of examples with reference to the corresponding accompanying drawings. These exemplary description and accompanying drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments, elements having the same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are shown as similar elements, and the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a water heater provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of an air outlet and an air-out channel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural view of an air deflector provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural view of another air deflector provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural view of a heating part provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional structural view of a waste heat collecting device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural view of another water heater provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural view of a storage rack provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural view showing a top view of a second storage part provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a schematic structural view of a sliding structure provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural view of another water heater provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a schematic structural view of a sterilizing device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a water heater provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 14 is a schematic structural view of a device for controlling a water heater provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

 REFERENCE NUMERALS

100. housing; 110. air outlet; 111. air deflector; 200. inner container; 300. blower; 400. air-out channel; 410. air hole; 500. heating part; 510. heating device; 520. waste heat collecting device; 521. collecting end; 522. heat dissipating end; 523. first air passage; 524. second air passage; 600. storage rack; 610. first storage part; 620. second storage part; 621. first end; 622. second end; 700. sliding structure; 710. sliding rail; 720. sliding seat; 730. fixing part; 731. screw seat; 732. screw; 800. sterilizing device; 810. sterilizing module; 820. filtering module; 900. processor; 901. memory; 902. communication interface; and 903. bus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In order to have a more detailed understanding of features and technical contents of embodiments of the present disclosure, a detailed description of the implementation of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be rendered with reference to accompanying drawings, which are appended for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following technical description, for ease of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments can also be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices can be shown in a simplified manner in order to simplify the accompanying drawings.

The terms “first”, “second” and the like in the description and claims of the embodiments of the present disclosure and in the accompanying drawings above are used for distinguishing between similar objects and not necessarily for describing a particular order or a sequential order. It is to be understood that data used in this way are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein can be implemented. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, as well as any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

Unless otherwise indicated, the term “a plurality of” represents two or more.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the character “/” represents an “or” relationship between front and rear objects. For example, A/B represents: A or B.

The term “and/or” represents an associative relationship between described objects, meaning that there can be three relationships. For example, A and/or B represents the following three relationships: A or B, or, A and B.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, in some embodiments, a water heater comprises: a housing 100, an inner container 200, a blower 300, an air-out channel 400 and a heating part 500. The inner container 200 is vertically disposed in the housing 100; the blower 300 is disposed in the housing 100; the air-out channel 400 is parallelly disposed on one side of the inner container 200 and communicated with an air-out end of the blower 300; and the heating part 500 is partially or fully disposed in the air-out channel 400 and configured to heat airflow flowing through the air-out channel.

By adopting the water heater provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the vertical air-out channel 400 is disposed on the water heater to blow out airflow to blow wet bodies, bath towels and the like dry, and the heating part 500 is used for heating airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400, so that a temperature of the airflow blown out of the air-out channel 400 is raised, thereby improving a blow-drying effect and user experience. As a blow-drying machine does not need to be separately equipped in a bathroom, a space of the bathroom is saved, and energy consumption is reduced.

Optionally, the water heater further comprises: a dehumidifying device. The dehumidifying device is disposed in the air-out channel 400. In this way, the airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400 is dehumidified by the dehumidifying device to reduce the humidity of air.

Optionally, the dehumidifying device is an anhydrous dehumidifying device. In this way, by adopting the anhydrous dehumidifying device for dehumidifying, the influence on the temperature is less, and the dehumidifying efficiency is higher. In addition, the anhydrous dehumidifying device is a mature technology in the art, and a specific structure thereof is a technology well known to a person skilled in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

Optionally, the housing 100 is vertically disposed. In this way, the inner container 200 is vertically mounted in the housing 100 conveniently, so that an occupied area of the housing 100 when being placed is reduced.

Optionally, the air-out channel 400 is disposed parallel to the inner container 200. In this way, an overlapping area between the air-out channel 400 and the inner container 200 is larger, thereby being beneficial to the heating of the airflow in the air-out channel 400 by the heating part 500, and facilitating the blow-drying of a human body, a bath towel and the like.

Optionally, the inner container 200 comprises: a first inner container and a second inner container. In this way, by disposing the first inner container and the second inner container, the first inner container and/or the second inner container can be selectively used for heating water according to a quantity demand of hot water, so that energy conservation and emission reduction are achieved.

Optionally, the first inner container is communicated with the second inner container. In this way, hot water in the first inner container and the second inner container can be shared conveniently.

Optionally, the first inner container is positioned on an upper side of the second inner container. In this way, a space occupied by mounting the first inner container and the second inner container in the housing 100 can be reduced, and the production cost is reduced.

Optionally, the blower 300 is disposed at a top end of the inner container 200. In this way, flowing of airflow blown out by the blower 300 along the air-out channel 400 from top to bottom is facilitated, so that the airflow flows in the air-out channel 400 for a longer distance, the airflow is sufficiently heated in the air-out channel 400 conveniently, and a blow-drying effect of the blown airflow is improved.

Optionally, the housing 100 is provided with an air outlet 110 communicated with the air-out channel 400, and the air outlet 110 extends in a vertical direction of the air-out channel 400. In this way, the air outlet 110 corresponds to the vertical air-out channel 400, so that the airflow blown out of the air-out channel 400 can be blown out along the air outlet 110 conveniently, and the loss of a flow speed of the airflow is reduced, thereby facilitating the blow-drying of the human body, the bath towel and the like.

Optionally, the air outlet 110 is vertically disposed on the housing 100. In this way, hot air blown out of the air outlet 110 is wider in the vertical direction, thereby facilitating the blow-drying of the human body, the bath towel and the like.

Optionally, the air outlet 110 is provided with air deflectors 111. In this way, the air outlet 110 can be opened or closed through the air deflectors 111, and the air outlet 110 can be guided to blow air, thereby facilitating the blow-drying of the human body, the bath towel and the like.

Optionally, the air deflectors 111 are vertically disposed. In this way, the vertically disposed air deflectors 111 can guide air blown out of the air outlet 110 left and right, thereby facilitating the blow-drying of the human body, the bath towel and the like.

Optionally, the air deflectors 111 are transversely disposed. In this way, the transversely disposed air deflectors 111 can guide air blown out of the air outlet 110 up and down, thereby facilitating the blow-drying of the human body, the bath towel and the like.

Optionally, the water heater further comprises: a driving device connected with the air deflectors 111 and configured to drive the air deflectors 111 to move. In this way, the air deflectors 111 are driven to move by the driving device to open or close the air outlet 110, and guide air blown out of the air outlet 110.

Optionally, the air deflectors 111 are transversely disposed, and each air deflector 111 is correspondingly connected with an independently controlled driving device. In this way, each air deflector 111 can be independently opened or closed.

Optionally, the air outlet 110 is divided into a plurality of areas in the vertical direction, and a plurality of air deflectors 111 are disposed in each area. In this way, air can be blown out of the air outlet 110 from a plurality of areas in the vertical direction, so that the air blown out of the air outlet 110 is concentrated in an area where a user stands, thereby facilitating the blow-drying of the human body, the bath towel and the like.

Optionally, a plurality of air deflectors 111 in the same area are correspondingly connected with the independently controlled driving device. In this way, the air deflector 111 in each area in the vertical direction of the air outlet 110 can be independently opened or closed.

Optionally, a side in the vertical direction of the air outlet 110 is provided with a plurality of infrared sensors. In this way, when an infrared signal emitted by the human body is sensed by the infrared sensor in the area of the air deflector 111, the air deflector 111 in the area of the current air deflector 111 is controlled to be opened, so that the air deflectors 111 in the areas of different air deflectors 111 are selectively opened according to different heights of human bodies, and the air blown out of the air outlet 110 is concentrated in the area where the user stands, thereby facilitating the blow-drying of the human body, the bath towel and the like.

Optionally, one side, facing the air outlet 110, of the air-out channel 400 is uniformly provided with a plurality of air holes 410. In this way, air is blown from the air-out channel 400 towards the air outlet 110 through a plurality of uniformly distributed air holes 410, so that an air-out range of the air-out channel 400 is wider, and airflow blown out of the air outlet 110 is wider in range, thereby facilitating the blow-drying of the human body, the bath towel and the like.

Optionally, the plurality of air holes 410 are uniformly distributed in the vertical direction of the air-out channel 400. In this way, air blown out of the air-out channel 400 is wider in range in the vertical direction, so that airflow blown out of the air outlet 110 is wider in range, thereby facilitating the blow-drying of the human body, the bath towel and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 5-6, in some alternative embodiments, the heating part 500 comprises: a heating part 510; and/or a waste heat collecting device 520. In this way, airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400 can be heated by the heating part 510, or waste heat of the inner container 200 can be collected by the waste heat collecting device 520 to heat airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400, or the airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400 can be heated by cooperation of the heating part 510 and the waste heat collecting device 520, so that a temperature of the airflow blown out of the air outlet 110 is raised, and the human body, the bath towel and the like can be blown dry more rapidly.

Optionally, the heating part 510 is disposed in the air-out channel 400 and configured to heat airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400. In this way, the heating part 510 is disposed in the air-out channel 400, and heat exchange between the airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400 and the heating part 510 is achieved, so that the airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400 is heated, the temperature of the airflow is raised, and the human body, the bath towel and the like can be blown dry more rapidly.

Optionally, the heating part 510 is an electric heating part. In this way, a heating effect of the electric heating part is better, and the electric heating part is easy to obtain, so that the production cost is reduced.

Optionally, one end of the waste heat collecting device 520 is connected with a side wall of the inner container 200, the other end of the waste heat collecting device 520 extends into the air-out channel 400, and the waste heat collecting device 520 is configured to collect waste heat of the inner container 200 for heating airflow flowing therethrough. In this way, as a waste of heat can be caused by gradual loss of heat of the inner container 200 of the water heater through the side wall, the waste heat emitted by the side wall of the inner container 200 is collected by one end, connected with the side wall of the inner container 200, of the waste heat collecting device 520, then the other end, extending into the air-out channel 400, of the waste heat collecting device 520 heats the airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400, and the lost heat of the inner container 200 is recycled, so that the temperature of the airflow is raised, and the human body, the bath towel and the like can be blown dry more rapidly, thereby achieving energy conservation and environment protection.

Optionally, the waste heat collecting device 520 is made of a heat storage material. In this way, heat absorption performance of the heat storage material is better, the heat storage material is used for absorbing the heat emitted by the side wall of the inner container 200, the airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400 is used for blowing through the heat storage material to take away the heat inside the heat storage material, the airflow is better heated, so that the temperature of the airflow is raised, and the human body, the bath towel and the like can be blown dry more rapidly, thereby achieving energy conservation and environment protection.

Optionally, the waste heat collecting device 520 comprises: a collecting end 521 and a heat dissipating end 522. The collecting end 521 is coated on the side wall of the inner container 200; and the heat dissipating end 522 extends into the air-out channel 400. In this way, the heat emitted by the side wall of the inner container 200 is collected through the collecting end 521 coated on the side wall of the inner container 200, the heat dissipating end 522 extending into the air-out channel 400 exchanges heat with the airflow flowing therethrough to heat the airflow flowing therethrough, and the lost heat of the inner container 200 is recycled, so that the temperature of the airflow is raised, thereby achieving energy conservation and environment protection.

Optionally, the collecting end 521 has an arc-shaped platy structure, and the side wall of the inner container 200 is partially or fully coated by the collecting end 521. In this way, the waste heat collecting efficiency of the collecting end 521 can be enhanced, and the utilization rate of the heat is improved.

Optionally, the heat dissipating end 522 has a blocky structure and partially blocks a cross-section of the air-out channel 400. In this way, a contact area between the heat dissipating end 522 and the airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400 can be increased, so that the heat exchange efficiency of the airflow and the heat dissipating end 522 can be improved, and the airflow flowing therethrough can be heated more rapidly.

Optionally, the waste heat collecting device 520 comprises: a first air passage 523 and a second air passage 524. In this way, the heat collection on the side wall of the inner container 200 is facilitated, and heat exchange between the airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400 and the waste heat collecting device 520 is also facilitated, so that the utilization rate of the heat is improved.

Optionally, the first air passage 523 is disposed inside the waste heat collecting device 520 and extends from the collecting end 521 to the heat dissipating end 522. In this way, the heat collected by the collecting end 521 can be transferred into the heat dissipating end 522 through the first air passage 523 to accelerate the transfer of the heat.

Optionally, the second air passage 524 is disposed on the heat dissipating end 522, penetrates through an upper side and a lower side of the heat dissipating end 522, and is disposed parallel to a direction of the airflow in the air-out channel 400. In this way, the airflow flowing through the air-out channel 400 can pass through the second air passage 524 on the heat dissipating end 522, so that heat exchange between the airflow and the heat dissipating end 522 is accelerated, and the heat exchange efficiency is improved.

Optionally, the first air passage 523 is communicated with the second air passage 524. In this way, air in the first air passage 523 and the second air passage 524 are communicated with each other, when the airflow flows through the second air passage 524, negative pressure is formed at a position where the first air passage 523 is communicated with the second air passage 524, so that the air with heat in the first air passage 523 can smoothly flow into the second air passage 524 conveniently, the airflow can conveniently exchange heat when flowing through the second air passage 524, and the heating of the airflow can be accelerated.

Optionally, a preset angle is formed between the first air passage 523 and the second air passage 524. In this way, the heat emitted by the side wall of the inner container 200 can be better collected by the collecting end 521, and the air with heat in the first air passage 523 can smoothly flow into the second air passage 524, thereby facilitating heat exchange between the airflow and the heat dissipating end 522.

Optionally, the preset angle is a, which is greater than or equal to 30 degrees and less than or equal to 150 degrees. In this way, the heat emitted by the side wall of the inner container 200 can be better collected by the collecting end 521, and the collected heat can be smoothly transferred to the heat dissipating end 522.

Optionally, the preset angle a is equal to 90 degrees. In this way, when the preset angle between the first air passage 523 and the second air passage 524 is 90 degrees, the heat emitted by the side wall of the inner container 200 can be better collected by the collecting end 521 by using the air passages.

As shown in FIGS. 7-10, in some alternative embodiments, the water heater further comprises: a storage rack 600 connected with the housing 100. In this way, the storage rack 600 can be used for placing or hanging bathroom amenities, so that a user can conveniently take and place the bathroom amenities at any time during bathing, and the user experience is improved.

Optionally, the storage rack 600 is partially or fully positioned at the air outlet 110. In this way, airflow blown out of the air outlet 110 can be used for blowing dry the bathroom amenities placed on the storage rack 600, so that the drying of the bathroom amenities is accelerated, the use by the user is facilitated, and the user experience is improved.

Optionally, the storage rack 600 comprises: a first storage part 610; and/or a second storage part 620. The first storage part 610 is fixedly disposed on the housing 100; the second storage part 620 is disposed to be slidable up and down along the housing 100. In this way, the bathroom amenities can be placed through the first storage part 610 and/or the second storage part 620, the user can also slide and adjust the second storage part 620 to a proper height according to a height of the user, and the placed bathroom amenities can be blown dry by using the airflow blown out of the air outlet 110, so that the blow-drying and use of the bathroom amenities are facilitated, and the user experience is improved.

Optionally, the first storage part 610 is a placing table, and the second storage part 620 is a hanging rack. In this way, the placing table fixedly disposed on the housing 100 can be used for placing washing products such as toothpaste and shower gel, and the hanging rack slidable up and down along the housing 100 can be used for hanging a bath towel, underwear and the like, so that taking, placing and use by the user are facilitated, and the user experience is improved.

Optionally, the second storage part 620 is connected with the housing 100 through a sliding structure 700. In this way, the second storage part 620 can slide up and down along the housing 100, and the user can slide and adjust the second storage part 620 to a proper height according to the height of the user, so that the blow-drying and use of the bathroom amenities are facilitated, and the user experience is improved.

Optionally, the sliding structure 700 comprises: a sliding rail 710 and a sliding seat 720. The sliding rail 710 is vertically disposed on the housing 100; and the sliding seat 720 is connected with the second storage part 620 and defined to be slidable along the sliding rail 710. In this way, the second storage part 620 can slide in the sliding rail 710 through the sliding seat 720, so that the height adjustment of the second storage part 620 is facilitated, and the stability of the adjusted second storage part 620 is higher.

Optionally, the second storage part 620 comprises: a first end 621 and a second end 622. The first end 621 and the second end 622 are each provided with the sliding seat 720, and mounted in the sliding rail 710 through the sliding seat 720. In this way, the stability of the second storage part 620 can be enhanced, so that the second storage part 620 is not easy to fall off or deform.

Optionally, the first end 621 and the second end 622 are respectively positioned on two sides of the air outlet 110. In this way, the second storage part 620 is always positioned at the air outlet 110, so that the bath towel, underwear and the like hung on the second storage part 620 can be conveniently blown dry by the airflow blown out of the air outlet 110, and the use by the user is convenient.

Optionally, the sliding structure 700 further comprises: a fixing part 730 disposed on the sliding seat 720 and configured to fix the sliding seat 720. In this way, after a height of the second storage part 620 is adjusted, the sliding seat 720 is fixed in the sliding rail 710 through the fixing part 730, and the sliding seat 720 is prevented from continuing to slide.

Optionally, the fixing part 730 comprises: a screw seat 731 and a screw 732. The screw seat 731 is connected with the sliding seat 720; and the screw 732 is disposed in the screw seat 731 in a penetrating way. In this way, as the screw seat 731 is connected with the sliding seat 720, by rotating the screw 732, one end, close to the sliding rail 710, of the screw 732 is brought into contact with an inner wall of the sliding rail 710 to provide friction, so that the sliding seat 720 is fixed relative to the sliding rail 710, and the second storage part 620 is fixed.

Optionally, a distal end, away from the sliding rail 710, of the screw 732 is provided with a knob. In this way, the screw 732 can be conveniently rotated by the user by using the knob.

As shown in FIGS. 11-12, in some alternative embodiments, the water heater further comprises: a sterilizing device 800 disposed in the air-out channel 400 or at an air intake end of the blower 300 and configured to sterilize airflow flowing therethrough. In this way, air in a bathroom is sterilized through the sterilizing device disposed on the water heater, and the air in the bathroom circularly enters the sterilizing device through the blower 300, so that the circulation of the air in the bathroom is accelerated, the sterilizing efficiency of the air in the bathroom is improved, the air in the bathroom environment is purified, and the user experience is improved.

Optionally, the sterilizing device comprises: a sterilizing module 810; and/or a filtering module 820. The sterilizing module 810 is configured to inactivate bacteria in airflow flowing therethrough; and the filtering module 820 is configured to filter the bacteria in the airflow flowing therethrough. In this way, the bacteria in the airflow flowing therethrough can be directly inactivated by the sterilizing module 810, the bacteria in the airflow flowing therethrough can also be filtered by the filtering module 820, and sterilization can also be performed by cooperation of the sterilizing module 810 and the filtering module 820, so that a sterilizing effect is better, the air in the bathroom environment is purified, and the user experience is improved.

Optionally, the sterilizing module 810 is positioned on a windward side of the filtering module 820. In this way, the bacteria in the airflow can be inactivated by using the sterilizing module 810 firstly, and then residual bacteria in the airflow can be filtered by using the filtering module 820, so that a better sterilizing effect can be achieved, and the sterilizing efficiency can be improved.

Optionally, the sterilizing module 810 is disposed parallel to the air-out channel 400. In this way, the sterilizing module 810 is parallel to a flow direction of air and contacts with the airflow for a longer time, so that the bacteria in the airflow can be better inactivated, and the sterilizing efficiency is improved.

Optionally, a length of the sterilizing module 810 is greater than or equal to one-half of a length of the air-out channel 400 and less than or equal to the length of the air-out channel 400. In this way, the sterilizing module 810 contacts with the airflow for a longer time, so that a radiated sterilizing area is larger, the bacteria in the airflow can be better inactivated, and the sterilizing efficiency is improved.

Optionally, the length of the sterilizing module 810 is equal to the length of the air-out channel 400. In this way, when the airflow enters the air-out channel 400, the airflow contacts with the sterilizing module 810 immediately, so that the sterilizing efficiency is further improved.

Optionally, the filtering module 820 is detachably disposed in the air-out channel 400. In this way, when more bacteria are filtered in the filtering module 820, the filtering module 820 can be conveniently detached for cleaning.

Optionally, the filtering module 820 partially blocks a cross-section of the air-out channel 400. In this way, the airflow in the air-out channel 400 can sufficiently flow through the filtering module 820, so that a bacterial filtration capacity of the filtering module 820 is increased, and then the sterilizing efficiency is improved.

Optionally, the sterilizing module 810 is an ultraviolet lamp tube. In this way, the ultraviolet lamp tube is easy to obtain, a sterilizing effect through irradiation is better, and the production cost is reduced while the sterilizing efficiency is guaranteed.

Optionally, the filtering module 820 is an asbestos bacteria filter. In this way, the asbestos bacteria filter has a better bacteria filtering effect, and the sterilizing efficiency can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 13, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a water heater, comprising a blower and an air outlet vertically disposed and communicated with the blower, and a method for controlling the water heater comprises:

S01. controlling operation of the blower when a first condition is satisfied; and

S02. controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to a first parameter or a first instruction.

By adopting the method for controlling the water heater provided by the alternative embodiment, the air outlet is vertically disposed, the blower is started when the first condition is satisfied, and the air outlet is controlled to be partially or fully opened according to the first parameter or the first instruction, so that the air-out control of the air outlet is more intelligent, and the pursuit of intelligent household appliances by the user at the present stage is met.

Optionally, the first condition comprises: ambient relative humidity exceeding a set threshold value; or obtaining a starting instruction. In this way, the ambient relative humidity exceeding the set threshold value indicates that the ambient relative humidity is relatively high and ventilation and dehumidifying are needed, the blower is controlled to operate at the moment, and airflow flows for ventilation and dehumidifying, or obtaining the starting instruction indicates that ventilation is needed, the blower is controlled to operate at the moment for ventilation, and the demand for ventilation is better met.

Optionally, the preset threshold value is greater than or equal to 40%, and less than or equal to 50%. In this way, the blower is controlled to be started when the ambient relative humidity exceeds a range of 40%-50%, and the blower can be started when the ambient relative humidity is relatively high for ventilation and dehumidifying, so that the dehumidifying can be performed more intelligently.

Optionally, the preset threshold value is 45%. In this way, when the ambient relative humidity is greater than 45%, ambient humidity is judged to be relatively high, the blower is controlled to be started at the moment for ventilation and dehumidifying, so that the dehumidifying can be performed more intelligently.

Optionally, when the ambient relative humidity exceeds a preset threshold value, a rotational speed of the blower is controlled according to the ambient relative humidity. In this way, the blower is started when the ambient relative humidity exceeds the set threshold value, and the rotational speed of the blower is controlled according to the relative humidity, so that the humidity can be adjusted more intelligently.

Optionally, controlling the rotational speed of the blower according to the ambient relative humidity comprises: the ambient relative humidity being directly proportional to the rotational speed of the blower. In this way, the higher the ambient relative humidity is, the higher the rotational speed of the blower is, so that the airflow can be accelerated, and the humidity can be reduced more rapidly.

Optionally, obtaining a starting instruction comprises: obtaining the starting instruction when a user continuously stays in a preset range of the air outlet longer than a preset time period in an undressed state. In this way, after the user stands in the preset range of the air outlet for the preset time period in the undressed state after bathing, the user is judged to need to blow dry the body, the starting instruction is obtained at the moment, and the blower is controlled to operate, so that the demand of the user for blowing dry the body can be met more intelligently.

Optionally, a body surface temperature of the user is detected by an infrared thermal sensing device to determine whether the user is in a dressed state. In this way, the body surface temperature of the user can be reduced under the shielding of clothes, so that the temperature detected by the infrared thermal sensing device when the user is in an undressed state is higher than the temperature detected when the user is in the dressed state, and whether the user is in the dressed state can be judged more accurately by temperature sensing.

Optionally, when the body surface temperature of the user exceeds a set temperature value, the user is judged to be in an undressed state. In this way, the temperature detected by the infrared thermal sensing device being higher than a set temperature value indicates that the user is in the undressed state, and whether the user is in a dressed state can be judged more accurately.

Optionally, a preset range of the air outlet refers to a range within one meter in front of the air outlet. In this way, when the user stands in the range within one meter in front of the air outlet, the user is judged to need to blow dry the body, so that misjudgment caused by the user staying at a position far away from the air outlet is prevented, and the accuracy of judgment is improved.

Optionally, a preset time period is longer than or equal to 3 seconds and shorter than or equal to 10 seconds. In this way, whether the user needs to blow dry the body is judged within a time period of 3-10 seconds, so that misjudgment caused by the user passing by the air outlet is prevented, and the accuracy of judgment is improved.

Optionally, the preset time period is 5 seconds. In this way, when the user stays in the preset range of the air outlet for more than 5 seconds, the user is judged to need to blow dry the body, so that the user can be prevented from waiting too long while preventing misjudgment caused by the user passing by the air outlet.

Optionally, the first parameter comprises: a height of the user; or an ambient relative humidity value. In this way, a height of an opened part of the air outlet is controlled according to the height of the user, so that the opened part of the air outlet can be matched with the height of the user, an air force at the air outlet can be concentrated to better blow dry the user, or an opening size of the air outlet is controlled according to the ambient relative humidity value, so that the flow of airflow can be conveniently controlled, and the amount of dehumidification is controlled.

Optionally, controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to the height of the user comprises: controlling a portion of the air outlet below a point at a height equal to that of the user to be opened according to the height of the user. In this way, an opening height of the air outlet is the same as the height of the user, so that the whole body of the user can be blown by air blown out, and the body of the user can be conveniently blown dry by using air blown out of the water heater rapidly.

Optionally, the height of the user is detected by a plurality of infrared thermal sensing devices disposed on a side of the air outlet. In this way, the height of the user can be determined more accurately, and the opening height of the air outlet can be better controlled according to the height of the user. The technology of detecting the height by using the infrared thermal sensing device is common knowledge in the art, and the specific structure and principle thereof will not be described in detail herein.

Optionally, when the height of the user exceeds the height of the air outlet, the air outlet is fully opened. In this way, the air outlet is fully opened when the user is relatively high, the body of the user can be blown dry by using a larger area of air blown out.

Optionally, controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to the ambient relative humidity value comprises: the higher the ambient relative humidity being, the larger the opened part of the air outlet being. In this way, when the ambient humidity is relatively high, the blower is controlled to operate at relatively high power, the ventilation quantity is relatively large, and the opened part of the air outlet is relatively large at the moment, so that ventilation is facilitated.

Optionally, the first instruction comprises: a dynamic gesture instruction; and/or a static gesture instruction. In this way, the air outlet is controlled to be opened according to an instruction sent by a gesture of the user, so that the air outlet can be controlled to be opened more intelligently.

Optionally, controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to the dynamic gesture instruction comprises: controlling a portion of the air outlet at a height corresponding to a sliding distance to be opened according to a sliding distance of the gesture of the user. In this way, the opening height of the air outlet is controlled by the sliding distance of the gesture of the user, so that the air outlet can be conveniently controlled by the user according to the actual using demand more intelligently.

Optionally, the water heater is provided with a bar-shaped sensing panel configured to sense gesture sliding of the user. In this way, a sliding gesture of the user is sensed by the bar-shaped sensing panel, and the sliding distance of the gesture of the user is sensed more accurately, so that the control precision is improved. The bar-shaped sensing panel is a bar-shaped touch screen, and a structure of the touch screen is a known technology in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

Optionally, when the sliding gesture of the user is from bottom to top, the air outlet is opened layer by layer from a lower side to an upper side, and when the sliding gesture of the user stops, the opened part of the air outlet is kept in an open state. In this way, the air outlet is opened from bottom to top according to the demand of the user, so that the air outlet can be controlled to be opened by the user more intelligently, and the demand of the user can be better met.

Optionally, when the sliding gesture of the user is from top to bottom, the air outlet is opened layer by layer from the upper side to the lower side, and when the sliding gesture of the user stops, the opened part of the air outlet is kept in the open state. In this way, the air outlet is opened from top to bottom according to the demand of the user, so that the air outlet can be controlled to be opened by the user more intelligently, and the demand of the user can be better met.

Optionally, a length of the bar-shaped sensing panel corresponds to a height of the air outlet in a proportion. In this way, the air outlet with the corresponding height can be conveniently controlled by the user according to a length of gesture sliding on the bar-shaped sensing panel, so that the control precision is improved, and the demand of the user is better met. For example, the length of the bar-shaped sensing panel is 20 cm, the height of the air outlet is 2 m, and 1 cm of sliding on the bar-shaped sensing panel corresponds to the opening of the air outlet for 0.1 m.

Optionally, the air outlet with the height corresponding to the length of the bar-shaped sensing panel touched by the sliding of the user is opened when the gesture of the user sliding on the bar-shaped sensing panel. In this way, the air outlet with the corresponding height can be conveniently controlled by the user according to the sliding length of the gesture on the bar-shaped sensing panel, so that the control precision is improved, and the demand of the user is better met. For example, the length of the bar-shaped sensing panel is 20 cm, the height of the air outlet is 2 m, and when the gesture of the user slides for 50 cm downwards from a position 50 cm from an upper end of the bar-shaped sensing panel, the air outlet is opened for 0.5 m downwards from a position 0.5 m from an upper end.

Optionally, controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to the static gesture instruction comprises: controlling the air outlet to be fully opened according to a first gesture of the user; or controlling a portion of the air outlet corresponding to a preset distance at a hand of the user to be opened according to a second gesture of the user. In this way, the air outlet is controlled to be fully opened rapidly through the gestures, or parts of the air outlet corresponding to the gestures are controlled to be opened according to the gestures, so that more options are provided for the opening of the air outlet, and the air outlet can be conveniently opened according to the demand of the user to blow dry the body of the user more intelligently.

Optionally, the gesture of the user is recognized by a camera device. In this way, the technology of recognizing the gesture by the camera device is a common technology in the art, and the camera device can be directly adopted for recognition, and is simple in structure and easy to obtain.

Optionally, a fist or OK gesture made by the user is judged as the first gesture. In this way, when the fist or OK gesture is made by the user, the user is judged to need to fully open the air outlet, so that the air outlet can be fully opened conveniently and rapidly.

Optionally, a palm gesture made by the user is judged as the second gesture. In this way, when the palm gesture is made by the user, the user is judged to need to open a part of the air outlet corresponding to the hand of the user, so that the opening of the air outlet can be controlled by the user more intelligently.

Optionally, when the second gesture of the user is recognized, the height of the hand of the user is detected, and the air outlet at a preset distance at the hand of the user is correspondingly opened according to the height of the hand of the user. In this way, the opened part of the air outlet is controlled according to the recognized height of the second gesture of the user, so that the air outlet can be opened by the user more intelligently.

Optionally, the preset distance is the distance between an upper side and a lower side at positions of the air outlet corresponding to the hand.

Optionally, the preset distance is greater than or equal to 15 cm and less than or equal to 50 cm. In this way, the air outlet in a range of 15-50 cm from the hand of the user is controlled to be opened, so that the air outlet can be opened more intelligently.

Optionally, the preset distance is 30 cm. In this way, the air outlet in a range of 30 cm from the hand of the user is controlled to be opened, and the opening of the air outlet in the range of 30 cm facilitates the use by the user when blowing dry hair, thereby being more intelligent and convenient.

Optionally, a heating part is further disposed between the blower and the air outlet. In this way, airflow can be heated to blow out hot air, so that the blow-drying of the human body is facilitated.

Optionally, after controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to the first parameter or the first instruction, the method further comprises: controlling the power of the heating part according to a second parameter or a second instruction. In this way, the power of the heating part is controlled, and then heat flowing through the airflow is controlled, so that the degree of heat can be conveniently adjusted according to the actual demand of the user, and the human body can be better oven-dried.

Optionally, the second parameter comprises: a rotational speed of the blower and/or ambient relative humidity. In this way, the power of the heating part is controlled according to the rotational speed of the blower, and the rotational speed of the blower is matched with the power of the heating part, so that the airflow has a better blow-drying effect, or the power of the heating part is controlled according to the ambient relative humidity, the demands for evaporation temperatures are different when the humidity is different, and the human body can be better blow-dried by controlling the power of the heating part.

Optionally, controlling the power of the heating part according to the rotational speed of the blower comprises: the higher the rotational speed of the blower being, the higher the power of the heating part being. In this way, the rotational speed of the blower is directly proportional to the power of the heating part, when the rotational speed is relatively high, the flowing amount of the airflow per unit time is increased, and the power of the heating part is raised at the moment, so that the airflow can be better heated, the temperature of the airflow can be raised, and the airflow has a better blow-drying effect.

Optionally, controlling the power of the heating part according to the ambient relative humidity comprises: the higher the ambient relative humidity being, the higher the power of the heating part being. In this way, the higher the ambient relative humidity is, the higher the demand for the evaporation temperature is, so that the human body can be better blow-dried by controlling an increase in the power of the heating part at the moment.

Optionally, the second instruction comprises a gesture adjusting instruction and/or a key instruction. In this way, the power of the heating part is directly controlled by the instructions sent by the user, so that the heating temperature can be conveniently controlled by the user according to the actual demand, thereby being more humanized.

Optionally, controlling the power of the heating part according to the gesture adjusting instruction comprises: when an increase in a distance between the index finger and the thumb of the user is detected, the power of the heating part is controlled to be increased, and when the distance between the index finger and the thumb of the user is reduced, the power of the heating part is controlled to be reduced. In this way, the power of the heating part is controlled by simple gestures, thereby being more intelligent and convenient.

As shown in FIG. 14, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a device for controlling a water heater, comprising a processor 900 and a memory 901. Optionally, the device can also comprise a communication interface 902 and a bus 903, wherein the processor 900, the communication interface 902, and the memory 901 can communicate with one another via the bus 903. The communication interface 902 can be used for information transmission. The processor 900 can call logic instructions in the memory 901 to perform the method for controlling a water heater of the embodiment described above.

In addition, the logic instructions in the memory 901 described above can be implemented in the form of software functional units and stored in a computer-readable storage medium when being sold or used as a stand-alone product.

As a computer-readable storage medium, the memory 901 can be used for storing software programs and computer-executable programs, such as the program instructions/modules corresponding to the method in the embodiment of the present disclosure. The processor 900 executes functional applications and data processing by running the program instructions/modules stored in the memory 901, namely the method for controlling a water heater in the embodiment described above is implemented.

The memory 901 can comprise a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area can store an operating system, and an application program required by at least one function; and the data storage area can store data and the like created according to the use of terminal equipment. In addition, the memory 901 can comprise a high-speed random access memory, and can also comprise a non-volatile memory.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a water heater, comprising: a housing, a blower, an air-out channel, a heating part and the device for controlling a water heater in the embodiment described above. The housing is provided with a vertical air outlet; the blower is disposed in the housing; the air-out channel is communicated with an air-out end of the blower and the air outlet; and the heating part is partially or fully disposed in the air-out channel and configured to heat airflow flowing through the air-out channel.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to perform the method for controlling a water heater described above.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer program product, comprising computer programs stored on a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer program comprises program instructions which, when being executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method for controlling a water heater described above.

The computer-readable storage medium described above can be a transient computer-readable storage medium, and can also be a non-transient computer-readable storage medium.

The technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in one storage medium and comprises one or more instructions for causing a piece of computer equipment (which can be a personal computer, a server, or network equipment and the like) to perform all or part of the steps of the method of the embodiment of the present disclosure. The foregoing storage medium can be a non-transient storage media, including various media which can store program codes, such as a U-disk, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and can also be transient storage media.

The foregoing description and accompany drawings illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure sufficiently to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments can comprise structural, logical, electrical, procedural and other changes. Examples merely represent possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the order of operation can vary. Portions and features of some embodiments can be included in or substituted for those of other embodiments. Furthermore, the words used in this application are used for describing the embodiments only and are not intended to limit the claims. As used in the description of the embodiments and the claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to comprise the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Similarly, the term “and/or” as used in this application is meant to encompass any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated lists. In addition, the terms “comprise” and variations thereof “comprises” and/or “comprising”, when being used in this application, refer to the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or assemblies, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, assemblies and/or these groups. An element defined by the phrase “comprising a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, or equipment that comprises the element. In this document, what is emphasized in each embodiment can be the difference from other embodiments, and identical and similar portions of the respective embodiments can refer to one another. For the methods, products, and the like disclosed in the embodiments, when they correspond to the portions of methods disclosed in the embodiments, reference may be made to the description of the portions of methods in connection therewith.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various exemplary units and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented via electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented via hardware or software can depend on the particular application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality by using different methods for each particular application, but such implementation should not be interpreted as going beyond the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that for convenience and brevity of description, reference can be made to the corresponding processes in the foregoing embodiments of the methods for the specific operation processes of the systems, devices and units described above, which will not be described in detail herein.

In the embodiments disclosed herein, the disclosed methods and products (including, but not limited to, devices, equipment and the like) can be implemented in other ways. For example, the embodiments of devices described above are merely illustrative, for example, partitioning of units can be partitioning of one logical function only, and additional partitioning ways can exist in actual implementation, for example, multiple units or assemblies can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be omitted, or not performed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling or communicative connection with respect to one another shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communicative connection through some interfaces, devices or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms. The units illustrated as separate components can be physically separate or can be not physically separate, the components shown as units can be physical units or can be not physical units, namely the components can be positioned in one place, or can also be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to implement the embodiment. In addition, the respective functional units in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be integrated in one processing unit, the respective units can also separately exist physically, or two or more units can also be integrated in one unit.

The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompany drawings illustrate the system architecture, functionality and operation possibly implemented by the systems, methods and the computer program products according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams can represent a portion of one module, program segment or code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks can also occur out of the order noted in the accompany drawings. For example, in fact, two successive blocks can be performed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be performed in the reverse order, which depends on the functionality involved. In the description corresponding to the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompany drawings, the operations or steps corresponding to different blocks can also occur in an order different from that disclosed in the description, sometimes without a particular order between the different operations or steps. For example, in fact, two successive operations or steps can be performed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be performed in the reverse order, which depends on the functionality involved. Each block in the block diagrams and/or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowcharts, can be implemented by using dedicated hardware-based systems for performing the specified functions or acts, or can be implemented by using combinations of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a water heater, the water heater comprising a blower and an air outlet vertically disposed and communicated with the blower, the method comprising:

controlling operation of the blower when a first condition is satisfied; and
controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to a first parameter or a first instruction, wherein the first parameter comprises an ambient relative humidity value, and the first instruction comprises a dynamic gesture instruction and/or a static gesture instruction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first condition comprises:

ambient relative humidity exceeding a preset threshold value; or
obtaining a starting instruction.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the obtaining a starting instruction comprises:

obtaining the starting instruction when a user continuously stays in a preset range of the air outlet longer than a preset time period in an undressed state.

4. (canceled)

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to the ambient relative humidity value comprises:

controlling an opened part of the air outlet according to the ambient relative humidity value, wherein when the ambient relative humidity value is increased, the opened part of the air outlet is enlarged to increase a ventilation quantity.

6-10. (canceled)

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to the dynamic gesture instruction comprises:

controlling a portion of the air outlet at a height corresponding to a sliding distance to be opened according to a sliding distance of the dynamic gesture instruction.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling the air outlet to be partially or fully opened according to the static gesture instruction comprises:

controlling the air outlet to be fully opened according to a first gesture of the user; or
controlling a portion of the air outlet corresponding to a preset distance at a hand of the user to be opened according to a second gesture of the user.

13-18. (canceled)

19. A device for controlling a water heater, comprising a processor and a memory having program instructions stored thereon, wherein the processor is configured to perform the method according to claim 1 when the program instructions are executed.

20. A water heater, comprising:

a housing, provided with a vertical air outlet;
a blower, disposed in the housing;
an air-out channel, communicated with an air-out end of the blower and the air outlet;
a heating part, partially or fully disposed in the air-out channel and configured to heat airflow flowing through the air-out channel; and
the device according to claim 19.

21. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preset threshold value is greater than or equal to 40%, and less than or equal to 50%.

22. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a body surface temperature of the user by an infrared thermal sensing device to determine whether the user is in the undressed state.

23. The method according to claim 3, wherein the preset time period is longer than or equal to 3 seconds and shorter than or equal to 10 seconds.

24. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining the sliding distance of the dynamic gesture instruction by a bar-shaped sensing panel, wherein the bar-shaped sensing panel is a bar-shaped touch screen.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the water heater further comprises a heating part between the blower and the air outlet, and the method further comprises:

controlling a power of the heating part according to a second parameter or a second instruction.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the second parameter comprises:

a rotational speed of the blower, and/or
ambient relative humidity.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the second instruction comprises:

a gesture adjusting instruction, and/or
a key instruction.
Patent History
Publication number: 20210404680
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 13, 2021
Publication Date: Dec 30, 2021
Inventors: Shu ZHOU (Shandong), Jian WU (Shandong), Zhaojun FEI (Shandong), Zuowei YI (Shandong), Zhiqun FENG (Shandong), Hui AN (Shandong), Nanhai DAI (Shandong)
Application Number: 17/228,855
Classifications
International Classification: F24F 11/00 (20060101); A47K 10/48 (20060101); F24F 11/50 (20060101);