CN114525657A - Detergent liquid level reflecting device, detection device, system and method - Google Patents

Detergent liquid level reflecting device, detection device, system and method Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CN114525657A
CN114525657A CN202210146582.9A CN202210146582A CN114525657A CN 114525657 A CN114525657 A CN 114525657A CN 202210146582 A CN202210146582 A CN 202210146582A CN 114525657 A CN114525657 A CN 114525657A
Authority
CN
China
Prior art keywords
detergent
piston
voltage
value
level
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
CN202210146582.9A
Other languages
Chinese (zh)
Inventor
秦志超
周琦
程海松
赵梓晨
孙岩
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Gree Electric Appliances Inc of Zhuhai
Original Assignee
Gree Electric Appliances Inc of Zhuhai
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Gree Electric Appliances Inc of Zhuhai filed Critical Gree Electric Appliances Inc of Zhuhai
Priority to CN202210146582.9A priority Critical patent/CN114525657A/en
Publication of CN114525657A publication Critical patent/CN114525657A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • DTEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06FLAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F34/00Details of control systems for washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F34/14Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters
    • DTEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06FLAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F33/00Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers 
    • D06F33/30Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control 
    • D06F33/32Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry
    • D06F33/37Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry of metering of detergents or additives
    • DTEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06FLAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F39/00Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 
    • D06F39/02Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
    • D06F39/022Devices for adding soap or other washing agents in a liquid state
    • DTEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06FLAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2105/00Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2105/58Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Detail Structures Of Washing Machines And Dryers (AREA)

Abstract

A detergent level detection device comprising: a voltage divider circuit having first and second impedance elements connected in series, one of the first and second impedance elements having a slider for varying the impedance value of the voltage divider circuit, the slider being arranged to follow a piston of a detergent level reflecting device, the voltage divider circuit having a voltage output between the first and second impedance elements; and the signal processing circuit is electrically connected with the voltage output end to acquire the output voltage value of the voltage division circuit and convert the output voltage value into a corresponding liquid level value. By adopting the scheme of the invention, the liquid level of the detergent can be accurately detected, and the method has wide application value.

Description

Detergent liquid level reflecting device, detection device, system and method
Technical Field
The invention relates to the field of electronic detection, in particular to a detergent liquid level reflecting device, a detergent liquid level detecting device, a detergent liquid level reflecting system and a detergent liquid level reflecting method.
Background
With the popularization of washing machines with automatic detergent feeding, how to detect the detergent residual amount becomes a concern in the field. Most current washing machines can not accurately calculate the detergent surplus, and a certain number of machine types only send out the surplus shortage early warning when the detergent is used up.
With the continuous improvement of the requirements of users on the clothes washing experience, the accurate measurement of the detergent allowance can provide better clothes washing plans for people, for example, the clothes washing machine can determine the detergent consumption rate by judging the clothes washing habits of the users, and remind the users of supplementing the detergent in time, and the like.
There is known a method for detecting the detergent residue by a probe, which includes disposing probes at three different heights, wherein the three probes and a common probe at the bottom form a conductive loop, and the conductive loops of the three different probes can indirectly calculate the liquid levels at the three different heights. However, this method can only indicate the liquid level at the height of three fixed probes, and cannot achieve the purpose of accurate measurement.
The above information disclosed in the background section is only for further understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
Disclosure of Invention
The invention provides a detergent liquid level reflecting device, a detergent liquid level detecting device, a detergent liquid level reflecting system, a detergent liquid level reflecting method and the like, which can effectively solve the problem that the quantity of detergent cannot be accurately measured.
To this end, the present invention provides a detergent level reflection device, a detergent box, a detergent level detection device, a detergent level detection system, a detergent level detection method and a washing machine. The scheme of the invention has at least one of the following advantages compared with other methods: the precision of detecting the liquid level of the detergent is improved, the power consumption of related devices/circuits is low, the stability is high, the problem that water and electricity of a measuring part (such as a probe) are not isolated in the traditional scheme is solved, and the problem that the measuring part (such as the probe) is corroded in the traditional scheme is solved.
A first aspect of the present invention provides a detergent level reflecting device comprising: the piston pipe is communicated with a box body of a detergent box for containing detergent; a piston hermetically and slidably disposed in the piston tube and having a first surface for receiving a pressure of the detergent and a second surface opposite to the first surface; an elastic member disposed at a position opposite to the second face of the piston, for providing the piston with an elastic force against the detergent pressure and holding the piston within the piston tube.
According to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the piston tube is located below the bottom wall of the box; or the piston pipe is positioned at the outer side of the bottom of the side wall of the box body.
According to an embodiment of the invention, when the piston tube is located below the bottom wall of the box, the first face of the piston is flush with the bottom wall in a state where no detergent is present in the detergent box.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the piston tube communicates with the detergent box through a bottom wall of the box body; or the piston tube is communicated with the box body through the bottom area of the side wall of the box body.
According to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the piston tube extends horizontally with respect to the bottom wall of the box; or the piston tube extends obliquely downwards relative to the bottom wall of the box body; or the piston tube is perpendicular to the bottom wall of the box body.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus further comprises: and the piston rod is connected with the piston, and in the moving process of the piston, one end of the piston rod, which is far away from the piston, is always positioned outside the piston tube.
According to an embodiment of the invention, wherein one end of the elastic member is adapted to abut/connect with the second face of the piston; or one end of the elastic component is used for being abutted/connected with a piston rod of the piston; or, the elastic component has a first end with a fixed position and a second end with a variable position and opposite to the first end, and the second end is used for abutting/connecting with the second surface of the piston or the piston rod of the piston.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the elastic member is a spring or a pneumatic telescopic rod.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a detergent box for containing detergent, the detergent box comprising a box body and a liquid level reflection device according to the first aspect of the present invention or an embodiment thereof.
A third aspect of the present invention provides a detergent level detection device for detecting level information reflected by a level reflection device according to the first aspect of the present invention or an embodiment thereof, the detection device comprising: a voltage divider circuit having a first impedance element and a second impedance element connected in series, one of the first and second impedance elements having a slider for varying a value of impedance connected to the voltage divider circuit, the slider being arranged to be slaved to a piston of the detergent level reflection device, a voltage output of the voltage divider circuit being located between the first and second impedance elements; and the signal processing circuit is electrically connected with the voltage output end to acquire the output voltage value of the voltage division circuit and convert the output voltage value into a corresponding liquid level value.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, one of the first and second resistance elements having the slider is a resistance wire or a sliding rheostat.
According to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the sliding member is a good electrical conductor; or, an end of the slider in contact with the one of the first and second resistance elements is needle-shaped.
According to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the slider is wired to the voltage output.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the slider is fixedly connected to the piston or a piston rod of the piston.
A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a detergent level detecting device, comprising: a voltage dividing circuit having a first impedance element and a second impedance element connected in series, one of the first impedance element and the second impedance element having a slider for changing an impedance value of the voltage dividing circuit, a voltage output terminal of the voltage dividing circuit being located between the first impedance element and the second impedance element; the signal processing circuit is electrically connected with the voltage output end to acquire an output voltage value of the voltage division circuit and convert the output voltage value into a corresponding liquid level value; wherein the slider is adapted to be fixed to a movable object that moves in response to a change in a level of detergent in the detergent box to change an output voltage of the voltage dividing circuit in response to movement of the movable object.
A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a detergent level detection system, the system comprising: a detergent level reflecting device according to the first aspect of the invention or an embodiment thereof and a detergent level detecting device according to the third aspect of the invention or the fourth aspect of the invention and an embodiment thereof; or, comprising a detergent box according to the second aspect of the invention or an embodiment thereof and a detergent level detecting device according to the third or fourth aspect of the invention or an embodiment thereof.
A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a detergent level detection method, the method comprising:
establishing a communication mechanism in fluid communication with the detergent box, a movable member disposed within a passage of the communication mechanism, the movable member configured to: movable in a first direction within said communication mechanism with increasing detergent in said detergent box and movable in a second direction within said communication mechanism with decreasing detergent in said detergent box; establishing a linkage relationship between the movable member and the adjustable impedance element such that an impedance value of the adjustable impedance element is changed with movement of the movable member; the adjustable impedance element is used as one of the impedances of the voltage division circuit, and the adjustable impedance element is connected to the voltage division circuit in a mode that the change of the impedance value of the adjustable impedance element can influence the output voltage of the voltage division circuit; and determining the detergent liquid level by detecting the output voltage of the voltage division circuit.
A seventh aspect of the present invention provides a detergent level detecting method, comprising: detecting a detergent level value in real time by using the detergent level detecting device according to the third or fourth aspect of the present invention and the embodiments thereof; or further comprising: and comparing the detected detergent level value with the target level value, and outputting reminding information related to the amount of the detergent according to the numerical relationship between the detected detergent level value and the target level value.
An eighth aspect of the present invention provides a washing machine having the detergent level reflecting device, the detergent box, or the detergent level detecting device provided by the present invention.
The invention can detect the detergent liquid level (equivalent to the detergent amount) with high precision, and greatly improves the precision of relevant reminding (for example, reminding to increase the detergent), counting (for example, counting the detergent consumption in washing) or controlling (for example, controlling the automatic addition of the detergent) based on the detergent liquid level.
Drawings
In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious for those skilled in the art that other drawings can be obtained according to the drawings without creative efforts.
Fig. 1a is a schematic view of a simple structure of a detergent box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
fig. 1b is a schematic view of a simple structure of a detergent box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
fig. 2a is a schematic view of a simple structure of a detergent box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2b is a simplified structural schematic diagram of a pneumatic telescoping pole according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a simplified configuration of a detergent level detection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a simplified structure of a detergent level detecting apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a simplified configuration of a detergent level detection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic flow diagram of a detergent level detection method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a schematic flow diagram of a detergent level detection method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT (S) OF INVENTION
As used herein, the terms "first," "second," and the like may be used to describe elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, and the inherent features or order of the corresponding elements and the like are not limited by the terms. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, are to be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their context in the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods of the present invention described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and that the scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. Features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, a detailed description of related known functions or configurations is omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the technical points of the present invention. In addition, the same reference numerals refer to the same circuits, modules or units throughout the description, and repeated descriptions of the same circuits, modules or units are omitted for brevity.
Further, it should be understood that one or more of the following methods or aspects thereof may be performed by at least one control system, control unit, or controller. The term "control unit", "controller", "control module" or "main control module" may refer to a hardware device including a memory and a processor, and the term "laundry machine" may refer to a device similar to a washing machine. The memory or computer-readable storage medium is configured to store program instructions, while the processor is specifically configured to execute the program instructions to perform one or more processes that will be described further below. Moreover, it is to be appreciated that the following methods may be performed by including a processor in conjunction with one or more other components, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Fig. 1a is a schematic structural view of a detergent box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The detergent box 1 is shown for containing detergent. In the present specification, the term "detergent" is used in a general sense, and includes "detergents" that can be used for washing clothes such as pure detergents, softeners, and care agents.
As shown in fig. 1a, the detergent box 1 includes a box body 11 and a detergent level reflecting device 12. The detergent level reflecting device 12 reflects the change of the liquid level, that is, the change of the amount of the detergent, by exhibiting a certain change. The detergent box 1 in fig. 1a is in a state where no detergent is added.
The detergent level reflecting device 12 includes a piston tube 121, a piston 122, and an elastic member 123. Wherein, the piston tube 121 is in fluid communication with the case body 11 of the detergent case 1; the piston 122 is sealingly and slidably disposed within the piston tube 121, and has a first face for receiving the pressure of the detergent and a second face opposite to the first face (i.e., a second face remote from the detergent with respect to the first face). The elastic member 123 is located at a position opposite to the second face of the piston 122 for providing an elastic force against the detergent pressure to the piston 122 and holding the piston 122 within the piston tube 121. In other words, the piston 122 is enabled to move in the first direction (the direction of compressing the elastic member 123) within the piston tube 121 as the amount of the detergent increases (the liquid level rises) and in the second direction (the extending direction of the elastic member 123) within the piston tube 121 as the amount of the detergent decreases (the liquid level falls) by the elastic member 123.
With the detergent level reflecting device 12 provided in the present embodiment, the variation of the detergent level can be intuitively and accurately reflected by the movement of the piston 122 in response to the variation of the detergent level. And provides a basis for the subsequent accurate detection of the detergent liquid level.
In the present embodiment, the specific shapes of the piston tube 121 and the piston 122 are not limited as long as they can cooperate to achieve the functions described above. For example, the piston tube 121 may be a square tube, a straight tube, a bent tube, or the like.
Alternatively, in one implementation of this embodiment, as shown in fig. 1a, the piston tube 121 is located below the bottom wall of the case 11, and the piston tube 121 communicates with the case 11 through the bottom wall of the case 11.
In this implementation, when there is no detergent in the cartridge 11, at least the second face of the piston 122 is maintained in the piston tube 121 by the elastic member 123. For example, the first face of the piston 122 is higher, flush with, or lower than the bottom wall (i.e., located within the piston tube 121). Wherein, when the first surface of the piston 122 is flush with the bottom wall (as shown in fig. 1a, the gravity of the piston 122 and the piston rod 124 and the elastic force of the elastic component 123 balance each other), the detergent level reflecting device 12 can not only completely reflect the complete process from the absence of the detergent to the full state, but also facilitate the cleaning of the detergent box 1. Of course, from an application point of view, different applications have different requirements as to whether they need to reflect the complete process of detergent from none to a part to full.
Alternatively, in one implementation of this embodiment, as shown in fig. 2a, the piston tube 121 is located outside the bottom of the sidewall of the case 11, and the piston tube 121 communicates with the case 11 through the bottom area of the sidewall of the case 11. Wherein, the more the communication position of the piston tube 121 and the side wall is close to the bottom wall, the earlier the detergent level reflecting device 12 reflects the liquid level change of the detergent.
In this implementation, when there is no detergent in the housing 11, at least the second face of the piston 122 is maintained in the piston tube 121 by the elastic member 123. For example, a first face of the piston 122 extends into the sidewall, is flush with the sidewall, or is located within the piston tube 121.
Alternatively, in one implementation of this embodiment, as shown in fig. 1a, the piston tube 121 is perpendicular to the bottom wall of the case 11. Alternatively, the piston tube 121 may extend obliquely downward with respect to the bottom wall of the case 11 (not shown). Alternatively, as shown in fig. 2a, the piston tube 121 extends horizontally with respect to the bottom wall of the case 11. Other arrangements are of course possible and the invention is not particularly limited in this regard.
It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present invention and their various implementations, it is not necessarily required that the complete process of detergent from absence to presence is reflected exactly. In other words, in certain embodiments or implementations, it is within the scope of the present disclosure to accurately reflect only a certain segment of the complete process from the absence to the completion of the detergent. For example, it is only an accurate reflection of the course of a detergent from reaching a certain amount to being full.
Optionally, in one implementation of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1a, the detergent level reflecting device 12 may further include a piston rod 124 connected to the piston 122.
Further alternatively, the end of the piston rod 124 remote from the piston 122 may be located outside the piston tube 121 at all times during the movement of the piston 122.
Alternatively, in one implementation of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1a, the elastic member 123 is a spring, one end of which is used for abutting/connecting with the second surface of the piston 122 or with the piston rod 124 of the piston 122. In this way, the piston 122 may be provided with an elastic force against the detergent pressure by the elastic member 123.
Optionally, in one implementation of the present embodiment, the elastic member 123 has a first end with a fixed position and a second end with a variable position and opposite to the first end, and the second end is used for abutting/connecting with the second surface of the piston 122 or with the piston rod 124 of the piston 122. As shown in fig. 1a, the first end of the elastic member 123 may be connected to a fixed object or a fixed position of the washing machine.
Optionally, in an implementation manner of the present embodiment, the elastic component 123 is a spring or other elastic structure similar to the force-bearing characteristic of the spring, for example, a pneumatic telescopic rod.
Exemplarily, referring to fig. 2b, the pneumatic telescopic rod includes an air chamber wall a, a piston b sealing air in the air chamber wall a and being slidable relative to the air chamber wall a, and a piston rod c movable with the piston b. The function of the pneumatic telescopic rod is the same as that of the spring, and the description is omitted here. Although not shown, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that in this implementation, the piston rod c may be integral with or fixedly connected to the piston rod 124, both of which, when viewed as a whole, at least a portion of the whole remains outside of the piston tube 121 and the chamber wall a throughout its movement with the piston 122 for the purpose of moving the slider described below via the piston rod.
Fig. 1b is a schematic structural view of a detergent box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1b presents the changed state of the piston 122 when detergent is added to the body 11 of the detergent box. The difference of this embodiment compared to the embodiment shown in fig. 1a is that the detergent level reflecting device 12 provided in this embodiment further includes a slider 133 in addition to the position of the piston 122 caused by the detergent added. The slider 133 may be coupled to the piston rod 124 of the piston 122 or may be directly coupled to the piston 122 (e.g., the slider 133 may be bent at a right angle, in which case the piston rod 124 may be omitted)
Since the sliding member 133 can be used as a part of the detergent level reflecting device 12 and a part of the detergent level detecting device mentioned below, for a detailed description of the sliding member 133, refer to the following description of the detergent level detecting device.
With reference to fig. 1a and 1b, in an embodiment of the present invention, when the slider 133 is fixed on the piston rod 124, as the piston 122 moves, an end of the piston rod 124 far away from the piston 122 is always located outside the piston tube 121 to ensure that a sliding amplitude of the slider 133 is consistent with a moving amplitude of the piston 122, thereby ensuring accurate reflection and measurement of the liquid level.
Fig. 3 is a schematic structural view of a detergent level detecting apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The detergent level detecting device 13 is used for detecting the level information reflected by the detergent level reflecting device provided by the invention. Referring to fig. 3, the detergent level detecting device 13 includes a voltage dividing circuit 131 and a signal processing circuit 132. The details will be described below.
In the present embodiment, the voltage dividing circuit 131 has a first impedance element RS and a second impedance element R2 connected in series. One of the first resistance element RS and the second resistance element R2 (the first resistance element RS is taken as an example in the present embodiment) has a slider 133 (the shape of which is only schematically shown in the figure) for changing the resistance value of the voltage divider circuit 131, and the slider 133 is configured to follow the piston 122 of the detergent level reflecting device 12. In particular, the slider 133 is arranged to produce a first sliding movement with a first movement of the piston 122 or its piston rod 124 of the detergent level reflecting device 12, which is proportional to the distance of said first sliding movement. The voltage output terminal Vout of the voltage divider circuit is located between the first impedance element RS and the second impedance element R2.
And the signal processing circuit 132 is electrically connected with the voltage output end Vout to acquire an output voltage value of the voltage dividing circuit 131 and convert the output voltage value into a corresponding level value.
By adopting the detergent liquid level detection device provided by the embodiment, the detergent liquid level information reflected by the detergent reflection device can be accurately detected. Besides, related circuits and electronic components are low in power consumption and high in stability, and are isolated from the detergent, so that the problems that water and electricity of measurement parts (such as probes) are not isolated and corrosion is easy to occur in the traditional scheme are solved.
Optionally, in an implementation manner of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, the voltage dividing circuit 131 may further have a resistor R1 (optionally) for voltage division, one end of which is connected to the power source, and the other end of which is connected to Rs in series, and the Rs is further connected to R2 in series.
In this embodiment, R2 is used as a voltage sampling point, and its resistance value cannot be 0. If in other implementations R2 is the variable resistance element whose resistance is adjusted by slider 133, it should be designed so that the sliding of slider 133 in response to the movement of piston 122 does not adjust the resistance of R2 less than the set value.
Alternatively, in one implementation of the present embodiment, one of the first resistance element RS and the second resistance element R2 having the slider 133 (the first resistance element RS in the present embodiment) is a resistance wire. In other implementations, a sliding varistor may be used instead. The first and second resistance elements RS and R2 may each be a resistance element.
Alternatively, in one implementation of the present embodiment, the sliding member 133 is a good electrical conductor, in other words, the sliding member 133 has a negligible resistance value (i.e., the resistance value should not affect the establishment of the condition that the output voltage of the voltage divider circuit can reflect the level value), and on the basis of the establishment logic of the condition described in detail below in the present invention, one skilled in the art can design the resistance values of the sliding member 133, the impedance elements RS and R2 as required, for example, to be 0.
Optionally, in an implementation manner of this embodiment, an end of the sliding member 133, which is in contact with the first impedance element RS, is needle-shaped, so as to further ensure that a change in resistance value of the first impedance element RS can accurately reflect the displacement of the piston 122, thereby improving the accuracy of the liquid level detection result. Of course, the slider 133 may be formed in a thimble shape as a whole as shown in fig. 3.
Optionally, in an implementation manner of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, the sliding element 133 is wire-connected to the voltage output terminal Vout.
Optionally, in an implementation manner of the present embodiment, the sliding element 133 is fixedly connected to the piston 122 or the piston rod 124 of the piston 122 (refer to fig. 1 b).
Optionally, in one implementation manner of the present embodiment, the signal processing circuit 132 includes a current limiting resistor R3 electrically connected to the voltage output terminal Vout and an integrated chip IC connected in series with R3. The current limiting resistor R3 is used to prevent the current from being too large and damaging the integrated chip. The integrated chip is used for acquiring the output voltage value of the voltage division circuit and converting the output voltage value into a liquid level value.
The detailed description about the operation principle of the detergent level detecting device is as follows:
the Rs access circuit has a different resistance when the slider 133 (alternatively called a thimble because it is needle-shaped) is displaced up and down. For example, in the case of an empty liquid level (as shown in fig. 1 a), the thimble points to the upper end of Rs, the analysis circuit may find that the thimble and the lead short-circuit Rs, and the whole power supply loop returns to GND through resistors R1 and R2 from Vcc, at this time, the voltage value collected by the chip IC is U1 ═ Vcc · R2/(R1+ R2), that is, the liquid level 0 corresponds to the voltage value U1 ═ Vcc · R2/(R1+ R2);
when the liquid level is not 0 (as shown in fig. 1b), the pressure at the top of the piston assembly is P ═ ρ gh, where ρ is the liquid density, g is the gravitational acceleration, and h is the liquid height at the top of the piston. Assuming that the piston area is s, the weight of the fluid received by the piston is F1 ═ Ps ═ ρ ghs, and the downward displacement of the piston is Δ x, i.e., the spring displacement. The spring is used for balancing the liquid gravity borne by the piston to increase the elastic force F2 which is k.DELTA.x, k is the spring elastic coefficient, and F1 which is F2. Under the liquid level, the piston and the spring both move downwards by delta x, and meanwhile, the ejector pin is driven to move downwards by delta x. The resistance value of the resistor is in direct proportion to the length of the resistor, assuming that the total resistance value of the resistance wire is R, when the thimble displaces delta x, the resistance value of the part of the resistance wire connected to the circuit system is R connection-R delta x/L, and the voltage value collected by the chip IC is U1 Vcc R2/(R1+ R2+ R connection) -Vcc R2/(R1+ R2+ R connection-delta x/L). Due to the fact that piston displacement delta x is different under different liquid level heights, sampling voltages U1 are different, namely the liquid level heights correspond to the values of the sampling voltages U1 in a one-to-one mode.
The Vcc voltage is selected according to actual design requirements. As can be seen from fig. 3, the maximum voltage U1 sampled by the IC chip in the empty state is U1 ═ Umax ═ Vcc · R2/(R1+ R2), and the design may be selected so that Umax is smaller than the chip operating voltage.
Fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of a detergent level detecting apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The detergent level detecting device 14 is used for detecting the level information reflected by the detergent level reflecting device provided by the invention. Referring to fig. 4, the detergent level detecting apparatus includes a voltage dividing circuit 131 and a signal processing circuit 132. The details will be described below.
In the present embodiment, the voltage dividing circuit 131 has a first impedance element RS and a second impedance element R2 connected in series. One of the first resistance element RS and the second resistance element R2 (the first resistance element RS is taken as an example in the present embodiment) has a slider 133 for changing a resistance value of the voltage dividing circuit 131. The voltage output terminal Vout of the voltage divider circuit is located between the first impedance element RS and the second impedance element R2. And the signal processing circuit 132 is electrically connected with the voltage output end Vout to acquire an output voltage value of the voltage dividing circuit 131 and convert the output voltage value into a corresponding level value.
In this embodiment, the slider 133 may be adapted to be fixed to a movable object that is movable in response to a change in the level of detergent in the detergent box to change the output voltage of the voltage dividing circuit 131 in response to the movement of the movable object.
In the present embodiment, the "movable object moves as the level of detergent in the detergent box changes" means that the position of the movable object can represent the level of detergent. And, "the movable object moves as the level of detergent in the detergent box changes" includes: the movable object moves along with the complete process from the absence of the detergent to the full of the detergent; also includes: the movable object moves with it at least during a part of the entire process from the absence to the partial filling of the detergent. In other words, for different purposes, it is not necessarily necessary to perform a precise detection of the level at certain phases of the detergent level variation. For example, when a small amount of detergent has been added initially but the amount of detergent is significantly insufficient to complete a wash cycle, the movable object may be set to be immobile (e.g., due to friction), where accurate detection is not required but the same purpose of alerting of the lack of detergent may be achieved. This principle applies equally to the previously mentioned follower manner of the slider 133 and the piston 122.
Exemplarily, the movable object in this embodiment may be the piston 122 of the detergent level reflecting device or the piston rod 124 of the piston 122 as described above.
For detailed descriptions of the effects of the detergent level detecting device 14 and related circuits and components thereof provided in this embodiment, please refer to the embodiment shown in fig. 3 and related descriptions thereof, which are not repeated herein.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention also provides a detergent level detecting system, as shown in fig. 5, which includes the detergent level reflecting device and the detergent level detecting device provided by the embodiment of the present invention, or includes the detergent box and the detergent level detecting device provided by the embodiment of the present invention.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention also provides a washing machine having the detergent level reflecting device, the detergent box, the detergent level detecting device, or the detergent level detecting system provided by the embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic flow diagram of a detergent level detection method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 6, the method includes:
600: a communication mechanism is established in fluid communication with the detergent box. Specifically, a communication mechanism is established (below, outside or outside bottom of the detergent box) in fluid communication with the detergent box, a movable member is provided in a passage of the communication mechanism, the movable member is configured to: is movable in a first direction within the communication mechanism with increasing detergent in the detergent box and movable in a second direction (opposite the first direction) within the communication mechanism with decreasing detergent in the detergent box.
Optionally, in one implementation of this embodiment, the movable member may move due to buoyancy of the detergent.
Alternatively, in one implementation of this embodiment, the communication mechanism may be the detergent level reflecting device mentioned above (e.g., fig. 1), and the movable member may be a piston.
602: and establishing a linkage relation between the movable piece and the adjustable impedance element. Such that the impedance value of the adjustable impedance element changes with movement of the movable member. More specifically, reference may be made to the previous description regarding the piston 122, the slider 133, and the first resistance element Rs.
604: a voltage divider circuit is established that includes the adjustable impedance element. Specifically, the adjustable impedance element is one of impedances of a voltage dividing circuit, and the adjustable impedance element is connected to the voltage dividing circuit in such a manner that a change in the impedance value of the adjustable impedance element affects an output voltage of the voltage dividing circuit. More specifically, reference may be made to the foregoing description regarding the voltage dividing circuit.
606: and determining the detergent liquid level by detecting the output voltage of the voltage division circuit.
FIG. 7 is a schematic flow diagram of a detergent level detection method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 7, the method includes 700: and detecting the liquid level value of the detergent in real time by adopting a detergent liquid level detection device. For the description of the detergent level detecting device, reference is made to the foregoing description, and the description thereof is omitted.
Optionally, the method further comprises 702: and comparing the detected detergent level value with the target level value, and outputting reminding information related to the amount of the detergent according to the numerical relationship between the detected detergent level value and the target level value. For example, when the target level value is the historical maximum detergent dosage (actual dosage at the time of washing) collected and saved by the integrated chip IC, when the detergent level value detected in real time is less than 2 times the target level value, the user is reminded that the current detergent dosage may not be sufficient for the user to wash twice in the future.
More specifically, after the washing machine is started, the chip is powered on, the chip can collect the voltage value of the sampling point in real time in the starting state and automatically convert the voltage value into a liquid level value, wherein the corresponding relation between the voltage value and the liquid level value is determined by the type selection of a liquid level detection system device, and the voltage value and the liquid level value can be summarized and sorted according to data measured in a laboratory. If the detected liquid level value is not enough for the user to wash twice in the future, the display module reminds the user to replenish the washing liquid.
The judgment basis of whether the liquid level is enough for the user to wash twice in the future is as follows: the washing machine controller chip can record the maximum dosage of historical detergent put by a user, if the washing liquid put amount of the washing process exceeds the maximum value of the historical put amount, the numerical value of the detergent put amount of the washing process covers the previous numerical value, and the washing machine can automatically judge whether the current liquid level value is less than 2 times of the numerical value, so that the current liquid level value is used as a basis for judging whether the liquid level is enough for the user to wash twice in the future.
Of course, since the solution provided by the present invention can accurately collect the detergent level (or the amount of detergent) in real time, the value based on the accurate collection can satisfy many applications, such as the reminding of the amount of detergent to be added in real time, the statistics of the historical usage habits, the prediction of the future usage amount, and the like. This also represents the application value of the scheme provided by the invention.
Optionally, in an implementation manner of this embodiment, the target level value represents a level value that needs to be reached in a single washing, and according to the level value acquired in real time, whether the requirement of n times of washing is met may be output, and n may be set as needed.
The drawings referred to above and the detailed description of the invention, which are exemplary of the invention, serve to explain the invention without limiting the meaning or scope of the invention as described in the claims. Accordingly, modifications may be readily made by those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Further, those skilled in the art may delete some of the constituent elements described herein without deteriorating the performance, or may add other constituent elements to improve the performance. Further, the order of the steps of the methods described herein may be varied by one skilled in the art depending on the environment of the process or apparatus. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined not by the embodiments described above but by the claims and their equivalents.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. A detergent level reflecting device, said device comprising:
the piston pipe is communicated with a box body of a detergent box for containing detergent;
a piston hermetically and slidably disposed in the piston tube and having a first surface for receiving a pressure of the detergent and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
an elastic member disposed at a position opposite to the second face of the piston, for providing the piston with an elastic force against the detergent pressure and holding the piston within the piston tube.
2. The apparatus of claim 1,
the piston tube is positioned below the bottom wall of the box body; or
The piston pipe is positioned at the outer side of the bottom of the side wall of the box body; or
When the piston tube is positioned below the bottom wall of the box body, the first surface of the piston is flush with the bottom wall under the state that no detergent exists in the detergent box.
3. The apparatus of claim 1,
the piston pipe is communicated with the box body through the bottom wall of the box body; or
The piston tube is communicated with the box body through the bottom area of the side wall of the box body; or
The piston tube extends horizontally relative to the bottom wall of the box body; or
The piston tube extends obliquely downwards relative to the bottom wall of the box body; or
The piston tube is perpendicular to the bottom wall of the box body.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
and the piston rod is connected with the piston, and in the moving process of the piston, one end of the piston rod, which is far away from the piston, is always positioned outside the piston tube.
5. The apparatus of claim 1,
one end of the elastic component is used for abutting against/connecting with the second surface of the piston; or the like, or, alternatively,
one end of the elastic component is used for abutting/connecting with a piston rod of the piston; or the like, or, alternatively,
the elastic member has a first end with a fixed position and a second end with a variable position opposite to the first end, the second end being adapted to abut/connect with a second face of the piston or with a piston rod of the piston.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a spring or a gas-powered telescopic rod.
7. A detergent box for containing detergent, which is characterized by comprising a box body and a detergent liquid level reflection device according to any one of claims 1-6.
8. A detergent liquid level detection device for detecting liquid level information reflected by a detergent liquid level reflection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the detection device comprising:
a voltage divider circuit having a first impedance element and a second impedance element connected in series, one of the first and second impedance elements having a slider for varying a value of impedance connected to the voltage divider circuit, the slider being arranged to be slaved to a piston of the detergent level reflection device, a voltage output of the voltage divider circuit being located between the first and second impedance elements;
and the signal processing circuit is electrically connected with the voltage output end to acquire the output voltage value of the voltage division circuit and convert the output voltage value into a corresponding liquid level value.
9. The apparatus of claim 8,
one of the first impedance element and the second impedance element, which is provided with the sliding part, is a resistance wire or a sliding rheostat; or
The sliding part is a good electric conductor; or the like, or, alternatively,
an end of the slider in contact with the one of the first and second resistance elements is needle-shaped; or
The sliding piece is connected with the voltage output end through a lead.
10. The apparatus of claim 8,
the slider is fixedly connected to the piston or a piston rod of the piston.
11. A detergent level detection device, characterized in that said detection device comprises:
a voltage dividing circuit having a first impedance element and a second impedance element connected in series, one of the first impedance element and the second impedance element having a slider for changing an impedance value of the voltage dividing circuit, a voltage output terminal of the voltage dividing circuit being located between the first impedance element and the second impedance element;
the signal processing circuit is electrically connected with the voltage output end to acquire an output voltage value of the voltage division circuit and convert the output voltage value into a corresponding liquid level value;
wherein the slider is adapted to be fixed to a movable object that moves in response to a change in a level of detergent in the detergent box to change an output voltage of the voltage dividing circuit in response to movement of the movable object.
12. A detergent level detection system, the system comprising:
the detergent liquid level reflection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the detergent liquid level detection device according to any one of claims 8 to 11; or
A detergent box according to claim 7, and a detergent level detecting device according to any one of claims 8 to 11.
13. A detergent level detection method, the method comprising:
establishing a communication mechanism in fluid communication with the detergent box, a movable member disposed within a passage of the communication mechanism, the movable member configured to: movable in a first direction within said communication mechanism with increasing detergent in said detergent box and movable in a second direction within said communication mechanism with decreasing detergent in said detergent box;
establishing a linkage relationship between the movable member and an adjustable impedance element such that an impedance value of the adjustable impedance element is changed with movement of the movable member;
the adjustable impedance element is used as one of the impedances of the voltage division circuit, and the adjustable impedance element is connected to the voltage division circuit in a mode that the change of the impedance value of the adjustable impedance element can influence the output voltage of the voltage division circuit;
and determining the detergent liquid level by detecting the output voltage of the voltage division circuit.
14. A detergent level detection method, the method comprising:
detecting the detergent level value in real time by using the detergent level detecting device as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11;
alternatively, the method further comprises: and comparing the detected detergent level value with the target level value, and outputting reminding information related to the amount of the detergent according to the numerical relationship between the detected detergent level value and the target level value.
15. A washing machine, characterized in that the washing machine has:
the detergent level reflecting device of any one of claims 1 to 6; or the like, or, alternatively,
the detergent box of claim 7; or the like, or, alternatively,
a detergent level detection apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11; or
The detergent level detection system of claim 12.
CN202210146582.9A 2022-02-17 2022-02-17 Detergent liquid level reflecting device, detection device, system and method Pending CN114525657A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202210146582.9A CN114525657A (en) 2022-02-17 2022-02-17 Detergent liquid level reflecting device, detection device, system and method

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202210146582.9A CN114525657A (en) 2022-02-17 2022-02-17 Detergent liquid level reflecting device, detection device, system and method

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN114525657A true CN114525657A (en) 2022-05-24

Family

ID=81622027

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CN202210146582.9A Pending CN114525657A (en) 2022-02-17 2022-02-17 Detergent liquid level reflecting device, detection device, system and method

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CN (1) CN114525657A (en)

Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB589405A (en) * 1945-03-21 1947-06-19 Girling Ltd New or improved means for lubrication
CN101389372A (en) * 2004-12-03 2009-03-18 梅德拉股份有限公司 Fluid delivery system including a fluid path set with sterile check valve connector
CN104846593A (en) * 2015-04-29 2015-08-19 无锡小天鹅股份有限公司 Washing machine
CN106504921A (en) * 2016-10-31 2017-03-15 国网山东省电力公司济南市长清区供电公司 The automatic exhaust alarm device of breaker
CN106595799A (en) * 2016-12-26 2017-04-26 李长财 Device for monitoring water level of water tank for firefighting
CN107036675A (en) * 2017-05-10 2017-08-11 无锡飞翎电子有限公司 Washing machine and its detergent liquid level detection device and method
CN210375329U (en) * 2019-07-12 2020-04-21 南安梦诗服饰有限公司 Electro-optical integrated panel type liquid level meter
CN211990856U (en) * 2020-04-20 2020-11-24 沧州中铁装备制造材料有限公司 Liquid level display device for accident water tower of continuous casting machine
CN212058970U (en) * 2020-06-19 2020-12-01 张家港市江能仪表机械设备有限公司 Automatic water level gauge
CN212314246U (en) * 2020-05-27 2021-01-08 郑州一安水性高分子材料有限公司 Water-based antibacterial paint packaging barrel
CN112900010A (en) * 2021-01-15 2021-06-04 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 Detergent feeding device, washing machine and control method
CN113324618A (en) * 2021-05-27 2021-08-31 深圳市纵维立方科技有限公司 Liquid level detection circuit, device and method
CN214731506U (en) * 2020-10-29 2021-11-16 陕西长业油气综合服务有限公司 Petroleum barrel with liquid level display function
CN215104084U (en) * 2021-07-12 2021-12-10 无锡思迈尔物联科技有限公司 Automatic equipment disinfectant adding device compatible with 5G self-service washing platform

Patent Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB589405A (en) * 1945-03-21 1947-06-19 Girling Ltd New or improved means for lubrication
CN101389372A (en) * 2004-12-03 2009-03-18 梅德拉股份有限公司 Fluid delivery system including a fluid path set with sterile check valve connector
CN104846593A (en) * 2015-04-29 2015-08-19 无锡小天鹅股份有限公司 Washing machine
CN106504921A (en) * 2016-10-31 2017-03-15 国网山东省电力公司济南市长清区供电公司 The automatic exhaust alarm device of breaker
CN106595799A (en) * 2016-12-26 2017-04-26 李长财 Device for monitoring water level of water tank for firefighting
CN107036675A (en) * 2017-05-10 2017-08-11 无锡飞翎电子有限公司 Washing machine and its detergent liquid level detection device and method
CN210375329U (en) * 2019-07-12 2020-04-21 南安梦诗服饰有限公司 Electro-optical integrated panel type liquid level meter
CN211990856U (en) * 2020-04-20 2020-11-24 沧州中铁装备制造材料有限公司 Liquid level display device for accident water tower of continuous casting machine
CN212314246U (en) * 2020-05-27 2021-01-08 郑州一安水性高分子材料有限公司 Water-based antibacterial paint packaging barrel
CN212058970U (en) * 2020-06-19 2020-12-01 张家港市江能仪表机械设备有限公司 Automatic water level gauge
CN214731506U (en) * 2020-10-29 2021-11-16 陕西长业油气综合服务有限公司 Petroleum barrel with liquid level display function
CN112900010A (en) * 2021-01-15 2021-06-04 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 Detergent feeding device, washing machine and control method
CN113324618A (en) * 2021-05-27 2021-08-31 深圳市纵维立方科技有限公司 Liquid level detection circuit, device and method
CN215104084U (en) * 2021-07-12 2021-12-10 无锡思迈尔物联科技有限公司 Automatic equipment disinfectant adding device compatible with 5G self-service washing platform

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
李能飞: "《汽车传感器检测与维修快速入门60天 第2版》", 北京机械工业出版社, pages: 111 *

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CN101297180A (en) Capacitive gauge for fuel tank
CN102980630B (en) A kind of intelligent digital capacitive liquid level sensor
CN107782408A (en) Liquid level detection circuit, liquid-level detecting method and wall-breaking machine
KR20110034581A (en) Test apparatus
CN105318918A (en) A non-magnetic flow metering device and a metering method thereof
CN111829613A (en) Bipolar mutual capacitance liquid sensing
CN114525657A (en) Detergent liquid level reflecting device, detection device, system and method
CN106092252A (en) A kind of experiment high-precision digital automatic water level tests system
CN107449489A (en) A kind of fuel level sensor and oil level measuring device for vehicle
CN106073808A (en) A kind of urinary flow detection toilet and detection method thereof
CN101287969A (en) Capacitive gauge
CN204945288U (en) A kind of capacitance testing device
CN209331934U (en) Floor cleaning machine
CN201237520Y (en) Level detector
CN110146143A (en) A kind of oil-level measurement system based on Hall effect
CN102928048A (en) Non-contact electronic liquid level detector and operation method of non-contact electronic liquid level detector
CN201892559U (en) Liquid level detector
CN201255648Y (en) Liquid level detecting device
CN102012248B (en) Capacitance type water level sensor
CN112161673B (en) Accurate capacitive liquid level detection circuit and adjustment mode
CN207263261U (en) A kind of fuel level sensor and oil level measuring device for vehicle
CN218960646U (en) Water tank and clean basic station
CN214667112U (en) Automatic evaporation capacity measuring device
CN208999247U (en) Mud balance measuring instrument
CN202994244U (en) Intelligent digital capacitance liquid level sensor

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PB01 Publication
PB01 Publication
SE01 Entry into force of request for substantive examination
SE01 Entry into force of request for substantive examination
RJ01 Rejection of invention patent application after publication

Application publication date: 20220524

RJ01 Rejection of invention patent application after publication