Washing machine foot with automatic leveling function and a washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10294602-B2
Application number	US-201615558342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2016
Priority date	Aug 16, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

A washing machine foot with automatic leveling function comprises: a jacket; an adjusting foot, which is arranged in the jacket and moves axially relative to the jacket; and a flexible assembly, which is arranged in the adjusting foot and is used for accommodating a hydraulic medium; one end of the flexible assembly is mounted in the jacket in a limiting manner, and another end of the flexible assembly is a telescopic end acting on the adjusting foot; and the telescopic end of the flexible assembly extends and contracts under action of the hydraulic medium to drive the adjusting foot to move axially, thereby implementing automatic leveling. According to the hydraulic principle, the washing machine foot is provided with the hydraulic medium, the washing machine feet can automatically adjust adaptively for different pressures due to the fluidity of the hydraulic medium.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Washing machine foot with automatic leveling function, comprising:
a jacket;
an adjusting foot, which is arranged in the jacket and moves axially relative to the jacket;
and a flexible assembly, which is arranged in the adjusting foot and is used for accommodating a hydraulic medium;
one end of the flexible assembly is mounted in the jacket in a limiting manner, and another end of the flexible assembly is a telescopic end acting on the adjusting foot;
and the telescopic end of the flexible assembly extends and contracts under action of the hydraulic medium to drive the adjusting foot to move axially, thereby implementing automatic leveling;
wherein the jacket comprises a jacket body with a hollow passage, the adjusting foot is arranged in the hollow passage of the jacket body in an axially slidable manner, and one end of the adjusting foot extends out of the hollow passage of the jacket body;
one end of the jacket body is opened and flanges outwards an outer side of the hollow passage form a jacket plane, and the jacket plane fits to a base plate of the washing machine and is fixedly connected with the base plate through connectors.

2. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 1 , wherein
the flexible assembly comprises an oil press plate, a press plate and an oil bag, and an opening of the oil bag is in sealed connection with a lower wall of the oil press plate through the press plate;
an oil nipple is arranged on one side of the oil press plate, an oil hole for allowing the hydraulic medium in the oil bag to flow in is formed in the lower wall of the oil press plate, and an oil passage for communicating the oil nipple with the oil hole is formed in the oil press plate;
the oil press plate is mounted at one end of the jacket plane of the jacket body in a limiting manner, and the oil bag is arranged in the jacket and comes into contact with an inner wall of the jacket.

3. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 2 , wherein
the flexible assembly further comprises a limiting plate,
the limiting plate comprises a plurality of protruded limiting claws, and limiting grooves matching with the limiting claws to implement limiting are formed in the jacket body;
and the limiting plate, the oil press plate and the press plate are fixedly connected to limit the circumferential rotation of the flexible assembly in the adjusting foot.

4. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 2 , wherein
the oil bag comprises a corrugated structure capable of stretch, a throttling narrow neck and an opening, the throttling narrow neck communicates with the corrugated structure, and the opening is located at an end of the throttling narrow neck;
the flexible assembly further comprises an upper protection ring, a mounting hole for allowing the throttling narrow neck to pass is formed in a center of the upper protection ring, a mounting groove is formed in the upper protection ring, one end of the mounting groove is opened and across the mounting hole, and another end of the mounting groove is opened in a side wall of the upper protection ring;
the throttling narrow neck goes into the mounting hole through the mounting groove.

5. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 1 , further comprising,
an axial limiting device, wherein the axial limiting device is arranged in the jacket, one side of the axial limiting device is limited by the base plate of the washing machine, and another side acts on the flexible assembly for limiting an axial movement of the flexible assembly.

6. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 5 , wherein the axial limiting device is a circlip with an annular shape and a gap, a ring groove is formed in the inner wall of the jacket, and the circlip is clamped in the ring groove and is located above the limiting plate of the flexible assembly.

7. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 6 , wherein a limiting bulge is arranged on the upper surface of the circlip in a protrusion manner, and a hole for allowing operations of a tool is formed in the circlip.

8. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 1 , wherein
a guide limiting groove is formed in the inner wall of the jacket, a guide limiting block is arranged on an outer wall of the adjusting foot, and the guide limiting block is limited in the guide limiting groove and axially slide along the guide limiting groove;
an elastic washer is arranged on the outer side of a bottom wall of the adjusting foot, a reinforcing fitting groove is formed in the bottom wall of the adjusting foot,
a reinforcing fitting rib matching with the reinforcing fitting groove is arranged on an upper surface of the elastic washer, and a lower surface of the elastic washer is partially recessed to form a damping rib.

9. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 1 , further comprising,
an axial limiting device, wherein the axial limiting device is arranged in the jacket, one side of the axial limiting device is limited by the base plate of the washing machine, and another side acts on the flexible assembly for limiting an axial movement of the flexible assembly.

10. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 2 , further comprising,
an axial limiting device, wherein the axial limiting device is arranged in the jacket, one side of the axial limiting device is limited by the base plate of the washing machine, and another side acts on the flexible assembly for limiting an axial movement of the flexible assembly.

11. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 3 , further comprising,
an axial limiting device, wherein the axial limiting device is arranged in the jacket, one side of the axial limiting device is limited by the base plate of the washing machine, and another side acts on the flexible assembly for limiting an axial movement of the flexible assembly.

12. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 4 , further comprising,
an axial limiting device, wherein the axial limiting device is arranged in the jacket, one side of the axial limiting device is limited by the base plate of the washing machine, and another side acts on the flexible assembly for limiting an axial movement of the flexible assembly.

13. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 1 , wherein,
a guide limiting groove is formed in the inner wall of the jacket, a guide limiting block is arranged on an outer wall of the adjusting foot, and the guide limiting block is limited in the guide limiting groove and axially slide along the guide limiting groove;
an elastic washer is arranged on the outer side of a bottom wall of the adjusting foot, a reinforcing fitting groove is formed in the bottom wall of the adjusting foot,
a reinforcing fitting rib matching with the reinforcing fitting groove is arranged on an upper surface of the elastic washer, and a lower surface of the elastic washer is partially recessed to form a damping rib.

14. The washing machine foot with automatic leveling function according to claim 2 , wherein
a guide limiting groove is formed in the inner wall of the jacket, a guide limiting block is arranged on an outer wall of the adjusting foot, and the guide limiting block is limited in the guide limiting groove and axially slide along the guide limiting groove;
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Assignees

• Qingdao Haier Washing Mach Co
• Qingdao Haier Smart Tech R & D Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao Zhiqiang
• Xu Sheng

Classifications

• F16M7/00

  Details of attaching or adjusting engine beds, frames, or supporting-legs on foundation or base; Attaching non-moving engine parts, e.g. cylinder blocks (elastic or equivalent mounting for absorbing vibrations F16F, especially F16F15/04) · CPC title

• F16F9/165

  with two or more cylinders in line, i.e. in series connection (F16F9/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F15/366

  using fluid or powder means, i.e. non-discrete material · CPC title

• A47L15/4253

  Supporting arrangements for the casing, e.g. rollers or supporting legs · CPC title

• D06F39/125 Primary

  Supporting arrangements for the casing, e.g. rollers or legs · CPC title