Smart clothes drying device and smart clothes drying method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10870943-B2
Application number	US-201816168929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2018
Priority date	Jan 3, 2018
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a smart clothes drying device and a smart clothes drying method. The smart clothes drying device includes a light intensity sensor, an integrated controller, an umbrella and at least one clothes hanger. The light intensity sensor is to sense light intensity and output a light intensity signal. The integrated controller is to receive the light intensity signal and control opening or closing of the umbrella according to a comparison result of comparing the light intensity signal with a closing light intensity threshold or an opening light intensity threshold in such a manner that the integrated controller controls opening the umbrella when the light intensity signal is greater than the opening light intensity threshold, and the integrated controller controls closing the umbrella when the light intensity signal is less than the closing light intensity threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart clothes drying device comprising:
a light intensity sensor;
an integrated controller;
an umbrella; and
at least one clothes hanger;
wherein the light intensity sensor is configured to sense light intensity and output a light intensity signal;
the integrated controller is configured to receive the light intensity signal and control opening or closing of the umbrella according to a comparison result of comparing the light intensity signal with a closing light intensity threshold or an opening light intensity threshold in such a manner that the integrated controller controls opening the umbrella when the light intensity signal is greater than the opening light intensity threshold, and the integrated controller controls closing the umbrella when the light intensity signal is less than the closing light intensity thresholds;
a prompter and a humidity sensor for contacting a bottom portion of clothes on the clothes hanger;
wherein the humidity sensor is configured to sense humidity information of the clothes and output a humidity signal;
the integrated controller is configured to receive the humidity signal, and compare the humidity information reflected by the humidity signal with a drying threshold; and control the prompter to send a prompt message when the humidity information reflected by the humidity signal output by the humidity sensor is less than the drying threshold.

2. The smart clothes drying device of claim 1 , further comprising a rain-and-snow sensor;
wherein the rain-and-snow sensor is configured to sense rain-and-snow information and output a rain-and-snow signal;
the integrated controller is configured to receive the rain-and-snow signal, and determine whether there is rain or snow according to the rain-and-snow information reflected by the rain-and-snow signal;
the integrated controller is further configured to control opening the umbrella when there is rain or snow, and control closing the umbrella when there is no rain or snow.

3. The smart clothes drying device of claim 1 , further comprising a remote communication circuit;
wherein the prompter is configured to send a remote prompt message through the remote communication circuit.

4. The smart clothes drying device of claim 1 , further comprising a first movement mechanism and a storage box under the clothes hanger;
wherein the clothes hanger is mounted to the first movement mechanism; an opening is defined in a top portion of the storage box, and a cover is disposed at the opening;
wherein when the humidity information reflected by the humidity signal output by the humidity sensor is less than the drying threshold, the integrated controller is configured to,
control the cover to be opened and control the first movement mechanism to drive the clothes hanger to move downward;
control the first movement mechanism to drop the clothes hanger after the clothes hanger enters into the opening;
control the cover to be closed after the first movement mechanism drops each clothes hanger;
wherein the first movement mechanism includes two vertical supporters, a horizontal supporter, and a plurality of spaced vertical telescopic poles; the two vertical supporters are disposed at two ends of the storage box; two ends of the horizontal supporter are in sliding connection with the two vertical supporters, respectively; an upper end of each vertical telescopic pole is hung on the horizontal supporter; a lower end of each vertical telescopic pole is used to mount the clothes hanger; and the humidity sensor is hung on the horizontal supporter.

5. The smart clothes drying device of claim 4 , wherein the humidity sensor is hung on the horizontal supporter through a rope.

6. The smart clothes drying device of claim 4 , further comprising a second movement mechanism in the storage box, a clamp mounted to the second movement mechanism and a distance sensor;
wherein the clamp and the distance sensor are in the storage box;
the distance sensor is configured to detect a distance between one side of the storage box where the distance sensor is located and another side of the storage box opposite to the one side of the storage box where the distance sensor is located, and output a distance signal;
when the humidity information reflected by the humidity signal output by the humidity sensor is less than the drying threshold, the integrated controller is configured to control opening the cover and control the first movement mechanism to drive the clothes hanger to move to the another side of the storage box opposite to the one side of the storage box where the distance sensor is located, and then move downward; meanwhile, the integrated controller is configured to determine whether a distance sensed by the distance sensor is varied from an initial distance between the distance sensor and the another side of the storage box opposite to the one side of the storage box where the distance sensor is located;
when the distance sensed by the distance sensor is varied, the integrated controller is configured to control the first movement mechanism to stop driving the clothes hanger to move downwards; meanwhile, the integrated controller is configured to control the second movement mechanism to drive the clamp to move to the another side of the storage box opposite to the one side of the storage box where the distance sensor is located, and control the clamp to grip the clothes on the clothes hanger;
after the clamp grips the clothes on the clothes hanger, the integrated controller is configured to control the first movement mechanism to continue driving the clothes hanger to move downward while controlling the second movement mechanism to drive the clamp to move backward; when the clamp moves back to an initial position of the clamp or the clothes hanger enters into the opening, the integrated controller is configured to control the first movement mechanism to drop the clothes hanger and control the clamp to drop the clothes on the clothes hanger;
after the clamp drops the clothes on the clothes hanger, the integrated controller is configured to control the second movement mechanism to drive the clamp and the distance sensor to move upwardly at the same time until the distance reflected by the distance signal is restored to the initial distance between the distance sensor and the another side of the storage box opposite to the one side of the storage box where the distance sensor is located;
after the first movement mechanism drops the clothes hanger, the integrated controller is configured to control the cover to be closed;
wherein the second movement mechanism includes two spaced vertical rails on each of a first side and an opposite second side of the storage box, a horizontal rail on each of the first side and the second side, and a sliding portion;
on each of the first side and the second side, the horizontal rail is slidably mounted on the two spaced vertical rails, and is movable relative to the two spaced vertical rails in a vertical direction; two ends of the sliding portion are slidably mounted at the horizontal rail on each of the first side and the second side, respectively; the sliding portion is movable along the horizontal rails in a horizontal direction; the clamp is mounted on the sliding portion; and the distance sensor is mounted on the horizontal rail on one of the first side and the second side.

7. The smart clothes drying device of claim 6 , wherein a movement speed of the clothes hanger when the integrated controller controls the first movement mechanism to continue driving the clothes hanger to move downward, is equal to a movement speed of the clamp when the integrated controller controls the second movement mechanism to drive the clamp to move backward.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Guan Enhui
• Wang Xueyun

Classifications

• D06F58/10 Primary

  Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means · CPC title

• A47G25/14 Primary

  Clothing hangers, e.g. suit hangers (A47G25/60 takes precedence; wardrobes with extensible garment holders A47B61/02) · CPC title

• D06F2103/08

  Humidity · CPC title

• D06F2105/60

  Audible signals · CPC title

• D06F58/38

  of drying, e.g. to achieve the target humidity · CPC title