Hydraulic lifting support, washing machine with the hydraulic lifting support, and controlling method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10808348-B2
Application number	US-201715778698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a hydraulic lifting support, washing machine and controlling method. The hydraulic lifting support comprises a hydraulic support, a communicating device and a liquid storage device. The hydraulic support comprises a fix section installed at a bottom of a household appliance, a movable adjustment section sleeved with the fix section and axially movable relative to the fix section; an accommodation chamber is arranged between the fix section and the movable adjustment section; at least two hydraulic supports and a liquid storage device are communicated with each other by a communicating device; the hydraulic medium flows between the hydraulic supports along with the pressure changing, and the hydraulic medium drives the movable adjustment section to move axially for leveling under pressure; the hydraulic medium is injected into/sucked from the hydraulic supports through the liquid storage device to control the lifting and lowering adjustment of the hydraulic supports.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hydraulic lifting support for supporting and leveling a household appliance, comprising a hydraulic support, a communicating device and a liquid storage device, wherein: the hydraulic support comprises:
a fix section, installed at a bottom of the household appliance;
a movable adjustment section, sleeved on/in the fix section and axially movable relative to the fix section;
an accommodation chamber for containing a hydraulic medium is arranged between the fix section and the movable adjustment section;
at least two hydraulic supports and a liquid storage device are communicated with each other by a communicating device; the hydraulic medium flows between the hydraulic supports along with the pressure changing, and the hydraulic medium drives the movable adjustment section to move axially for leveling under pressure; the hydraulic medium is injected into/sucked from the hydraulic supports through the liquid storage device to control the lifting and lowering of the hydraulic supports.

2. The hydraulic lifting support according to claim 1 , wherein the communicating device comprises a hydraulic pipe and a communicating member; one end of the hydraulic pipe connects with the hydraulic support or the liquid storage device, another end connects with a same communicating member; a liquid flow channel communicated with each other is arranged in the communicating member for communicating between the hydraulic supports, and between the hydraulic support and the liquid storage device.

3. The hydraulic lifting support according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid storage device comprises a liquid storage tank containing the hydraulic medium and a driving device for driving the hydraulic medium in the liquid storage tank to flow into the hydraulic support.

4. The hydraulic lifting support according to claim 3 , wherein the driving device comprises a motor and a piston mechanism;
the piston mechanism is disposed in the liquid storage tank, and an output end of the motor is connected with the piston mechanism to drive the piston mechanism to slide inside the liquid storage tank;
the motor is energized to drive the piston mechanism to compress the hydraulic medium in the liquid storage tank, and the hydraulic medium in the liquid storage tank is injected into the hydraulic support.

5. The hydraulic lifting support according to claim 1 , wherein the fix section comprises a hydraulic plate and a sheath fixedly connected with the hydraulic plate;
a hollow chamber is arranged in the sheath and extends axially through the sheath; the movable adjustment section is a regulating element, and an inner chamber with one opening end is arranged inside the regulating element; one end of the sheath is sleeved inside the regulating element and is capable of moving axially relative to the regulating element; the hollow chamber and the inner chamber form the accommodation chamber together;
the hydraulic plate is internally provided with a hydraulic plate flow channel for allowing the hydraulic medium to flow, and the hydraulic plate flow channels of the hydraulic supports are connected by the communicating device for allowing the hydraulic medium to flow between the hydraulic supports.

6. A washing machine with the hydraulic lifting support according to claim 1 , the washing machine being a drum washing machine, comprising a shell and a door mounted on the shell and capable of being opened/closed;
the shell comprises a front plate and a bottom plate; the front plate is provided with a door opening, and the door is mounted on the front plate to close/open the door opening; the hydraulic lifting support is installed on the bottom plate and is disposed in an edge where the bottom plate intersects with the front plate.

7. The washing machine according to claim 6 , further comprising a control device, wherein the motor of the liquid storage device is electrically connected with the control device, and the control device controls the operation of the motor to enable the hydraulic medium to flow into the hydraulic support.

8. The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein two hydraulic supports are respectively installed on two corners of the bottom plate near the front plate; the two hydraulic supports and the liquid storage device are communicated with each other by the communicating device; two bolt supports are respectively installed on the other two corners of the bottom plate.

9. A controlling method of the washing machine according to claim 6 , comprising:
if the washing machine detects that users need to open the door for adding clothes in the halfway and a water level is higher than the door opening, controlling the liquid storage device to inject the hydraulic medium into the hydraulic support to raise a support height of the hydraulic support, so that a side with the door of the washing machine rises along with the lifting of the hydraulic support;
if the water level is detected lower than the door opening, then the door is allowed to open.

10. The controlling method according to claim 9 , wherein, if the washing machine detects that users finish adding clothes, the door is closed and the motor of the liquid storage device is controlled to be power off;
the hydraulic medium in the hydraulic support is gradually returned to the liquid storage tank under the gravity of the washing machine; and the hydraulic support implements automatic leveling during the flowing of the hydraulic medium.

11. The hydraulic lifting support according to claim 2 , wherein the communicating member is a three-way communicating member, and three connection ends of the three-way communicating member are respectively connected with two hydraulic supports and the liquid storage device through the hydraulic pipe.

12. The hydraulic lifting support according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid storage device comprises a liquid storage tank containing the hydraulic medium and a driving device for driving the hydraulic medium in the liquid storage tank to flow into the hydraulic support.

13. The hydraulic lifting support according to claim 2 , wherein the fix section comprises a hydraulic plate and a sheath fixedly connected with the hydraulic plate;
a hollow chamber is arranged in the sheath and extends axially through the sheath; the movable adjustment section is a regulating element, and an inner chamber with one opening end is arranged inside the regulating element; one end of the sheath is sleeved inside the regulating element and is capable of moving axially relative to the regulating element; the hollow chamber and the inner chamber form the accommodation chamber together;
the hydraulic plate is internally provided with a hydraulic plate flow channel for allowing the hydraulic medium to flow, and the hydraulic plate flow channels of the hydraulic supports are connected by the communicating device for allowing the hydraulic medium to flow between the hydraulic supports.

14. The hydraulic lifting support according to claim 3 , wherein the fix section comprises a hydraulic plate and a sheath fixedly connected with the hydraulic plate;
a hollow chamber is arranged in the sheath and extends axially through the sheath; the movable adjustment section is a regulating element, and an inner chamber with one opening end is arranged inside the regulating element; one end of the sheath is sleeved inside the regulating element and is capable of moving axially relative to the regulating element; the hollow chamber and the inner chamber form the accommodation chamber together;
the hydraulic plate is internally provided with a hydraulic plate flow channel for allowing the hy

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Zhao Zhiqiang
• Xu Sheng

Classifications

• D06F33/48

  Preventing or reducing imbalance or noise · CPC title

• D06F34/20 Primary

  Parameters relating to constructional components, e.g. door sensors · CPC title

• D06F33/30

  Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control  (controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50) · CPC title

• D06F39/081

  Safety arrangements for preventing water damage · CPC title

• D06F2105/54

  Changing between normal operation mode and special operation modes, e.g. service mode, component cleaning mode or stand-by mode · CPC title