Claims
- 1. In combination with an appliance having a drum for holding textiles, a device for detecting properties of the textiles, the device comprising:
a sending element for sending electromagnetic radiation to a textile item; a receiving element for receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textile item; and an evaluation circuit connected to said receiving element and evaluating the electromagnetic radiation received by said receiving element.
- 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said receiving element receives electromagnetic radiation reflected by the textile item.
- 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said receiving element receives electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the textile item.
- 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein:
the drum holds the textile item; said sending element irradiates electromagnetic radiation into the drum to the textile item; and said receiving element receives electromagnetic radiation from the textile item loaded in the drum.
- 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said sending element and said receiving element are disposed in the drum.
- 6. The device according to claim 5, wherein:
the drum has a loading opening; and at least one of said sending element and said receiving element are disposed by the loading opening.
- 7. The device according to claim 6, wherein: the drum has an upper side; and
at least one of said sending element and said receiving element are disposed by the upper side.
- 8. The device according to claim 5, wherein:
the drum has a base; and at least one of said sending element and said receiving element is attached to the base of the drum.
- 9. The device according to claim 5, wherein:
the drum has a loading door with an inner side; and at least one of said sending element and said receiving element is on the loading door.
- 10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sending element is a broadband emitter.
- 11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said broadband emitter is selected from the group consisting of an incandescent bulb, a halogen lamp, and a light-emitting diode.
- 12. The device according to claim 1, wherein said receiving element is a narrowband receiver.
- 13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said narrowband receiver is selected from the group consisting of a photodiode and a phototransistor.
- 14. The device according to claim 1, wherein said receiving element is formed as an array including a plurality of receiving components.
- 15. The device according to one of claim 6, wherein the at least one of said sending element and said receiving element disposed by the loading opening is formed with an optical component.
- 16. The device according to claim 15, wherein said optical component is a focusing lens coupling the electromagnetic radiation in and out.
- 17. The device according claim 6, wherein said receiving element breaks down spectrally the received electromagnetic radiation with a filter selected from the group consisting of an optical filter, a graduated filter, a diffraction grating, and a prism.
- 18. The device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said sending element and said receiving element is equipped with an optical waveguide for coupling up or coupling in the electromagnetic radiation.
- 19. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit connected to said evaluation circuit.
- 20. The device according to claim 19, further comprising a memory for storing calibration data connected to at least one of said evaluation circuit and said control circuit.
- 21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the calibration data is selected from the group consisting of predetermined spectra and measured spectra.
- 22. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said sending element and said receiving element is equipped with a soiling protector.
- 23. The device according to claim 22, wherein said soiling protector is formed by an air stream.
- 24. The device according to claim 23, further comprising a flow duct connected to the drum; and
said air stream is circulating air fed from said flow duct.
- 25. The device according to claim 23, wherein said air stream is air sucked from outside the drum.
- 26. The device according to one of claim 19, wherein at least one of said evaluation circuit and said control circuit utilize artificial intelligence selected from the group consisting of fuzzy logic and a neural network.
- 27. A washing machine for washing textiles according to detected properties of the textiles, the washing machine comprising:
a drum; and a device connected to said drum for detecting properties of a textile item including a sending element for sending electromagnetic radiation to the textile item, a receiving element for receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textile item, and an evaluation circuit connected to said receiving element and evaluating the electromagnetic radiation received by said receiving element.
- 28. A laundry dryer for drying textiles according to detected properties of the textiles, the laundry dryer comprising:
a drum; and a device connected to said drum for detecting properties of a textile item including a sending element for sending electromagnetic radiation to the textile item, a receiving element for receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textile item, and an evaluation circuit connected to said receiving element and evaluating the electromagnetic radiation received by said receiving element.
- 29. A spin dryer for drying textiles according to detected properties of the textiles, the spin dryer comprising:
a drum; and a device connected to said drum for detecting properties of a textile item including a sending element for sending electromagnetic radiation to the textile item, a receiving element for receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textile item, and an evaluation circuit connected to said receiving element and evaluating the electromagnetic radiation received by said receiving element.
- 30. A machine for dry cleaning textiles according to detected properties of the textiles, the machine comprising:
a drum; and a device connected to said drum for detecting properties of a textile item including a sending element for sending electromagnetic radiation to the textile item, a receiving element for receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textile item, and an evaluation circuit connected to said receiving element and evaluating the electromagnetic radiation received by said receiving element.
- 31. A machine for dying textiles for drying textiles according to detected properties of the textiles, the machine comprising:
a drum; and a device connected to said drum for detecting properties of a textile item including a sending element sending electromagnetic radiation to the textile item, a receiving element for receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textile item, and an evaluation circuit connected to said receiving element and evaluating the electromagnetic radiation received by said receiving element.
- 32. A method of detecting properties of textiles in an appliance, which comprises:
providing a container; irradiating a textile item with electromagnetic radiation from a transmitting element; receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textile item with a receiving element; and evaluating the electromagnetic radiation received by the receiving element with an evaluation circuit.
- 33. The method according to claim 32, which further comprises selecting the appliance from the group consisting of a washing machine, a laundry dryer, a spin dryer, and a machine for dry cleaning, and a machine for dying textiles.
- 34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation from the textile item.
- 35. The method according to claim 32, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving transmitted electromagnetic radiation from the textile item.
- 36. The method according to claim 32, which further comprises determining chemical properties of the textile item from the received electromagnetic radiation.
- 37. The method according to claim 32, which further comprises determining wetness of the textile item from the received electromagnetic radiation.
- 38. The method according to claim 32, which further comprises determining a fill level of the drum by evaluating the radiation received by the receiving element.
- 39. A method of detecting properties of textiles in a washing machine, which comprises:
providing a container; irradiating a textile item with electromagnetic radiation from a transmitting element; receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textile item with a receiving element; and evaluating the electromagnetic radiation received by the receiving element with at least one of an evaluation circuit and a control unit to determine properties of the textile item; and determining washing properties with at least one of the evaluation circuit and the control unit based upon the determined properties of the textile item, energy consumption, water consumption, type of detergent, amount of detergent, type of mechanical treatment, and duration of treatment.
- 40. A method of detecting properties of textiles in a laundry dryer, which comprises:
providing a container; irradiating a textile item with electromagnetic radiation from a transmitting element; receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textile item with a receiving element; and evaluating the electromagnetic radiation received by the receiving element with at least one of an evaluation circuit and a control unit to determine properties of the textile item; and determining drying properties with at least one of the evaluation circuit and the control unit based upon the determined properties of the textile item, drying power used, and drying duration or the washing process in a washing machine is ascertained with regard to energy consumption, water consumption, the type and amount of detergent and the type of mechanical treatment and also the duration of treatment.
- 41. A method of determining a degree of filling in containers, which comprises:
irradiating an interior space of a container containing a textile item with electromagnetic radiation from a sending element; receiving electromagnetic radiation from the textiles in the container with a receiving element; and calculating an amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by walls of the container; and comparing the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the walls of the container to the radiation from the textiles to determine a degree of filling of the container.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
199 61 459.8 |
Dec 1999 |
DE |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of copending International Application No. PCT/EP00/12228, filed Dec. 5, 2000, which designated the United States and was not published in English.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/EP00/12228 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
10177681 |
Jun 2002 |
US |