Support for washing machine with automatic leveling function and washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10939760-B2
Application number	US-201716325227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 16, 2016
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

A support for washing machine with automatic leveling function comprises: a sheath; a regulating mechanism, arranged in the sheath and axially movable relative to the sheath; and a flexible body assembly, which is arranged in the regulating mechanism and accommodates a hydraulic medium; one end of the flexible body assembly is limited and arranged in the sheath, another end is a stretchable end which acts on the regulating mechanism, the stretchable end expands and contracts under the action of the hydraulic medium and drives the regulating mechanism to move axially for automatic leveling. The flexible body assembly comprises a flexible accommodating body, a mounting, and a protection mechanism between the mounting assembly and the flexible accommodating body. The flexible body assembly is arranged in the sheath to avoid any damage, and the arrangement of the protection mechanism avoids the flexible accommodating body from directly contacting with the mounting assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A support for a washing machine with automatic leveling function comprising
a sheath;
a regulating mechanism being arranged in the sheath and axially movable relative to the sheath; and
a flexible body assembly being arranged in the regulating mechanism and accommodating a hydraulic medium; wherein
one end of the flexible body assembly is limited and arranged in the sheath, another end is a stretchable end which acts on the regulating mechanism, the stretchable end expands and contracts under an action of the hydraulic medium and drives the regulating mechanism to move axially for automatic leveling;
the flexible body assembly comprises a flexible accommodating body, a mounting assembly for mounting the flexible accommodating body, and a protection mechanism provided between the mounting assembly and the flexible accommodating body for protecting the flexible accommodating body,
the flexible accommodating body comprises a telescopic corrugation structure, a throttling fine diameter part and an opening, and the opening is mounted on the mounting assembly in a sealed manner;
the protection mechanism is an upper protection ring and the upper protection ring sleeves on the throttling fine diameter part, an upper end surface of the upper protection ring is configured for limited movement below the mounting assembly, a lower end surface is provided with a curved surface matched with the corrugation structure.

2. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to claim 1 , wherein the upper protection ring comprises an annular body and a mounting hole at a center of the annular body for the throttling fine diameter part going through;
the annular body is provided with a mounting groove cutting through the mounting hole, a width of the mounting groove is smaller than an outer diameter of the throttling fine diameter part;
the throttling fine diameter part deforms under pressure, and then enters the mounting hole through the mounting groove.

3. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to claim 2 , wherein a chamfering structure is provided at a cap, facing outside of the annular body, of the mounting groove.

4. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to claim 1 , wherein a limiting hole which goes up and down is formed in the upper protection ring, and a limiting protrusion used for being matched with the limiting hole is arranged on the mounting assembly.

5. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to a claim 1 , wherein a limiting column is arranged on the mounting assembly, and the limiting column is arranged corresponding to a mounting groove of the upper protection ring.

6. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting assembly comprises a hydraulic plate and a pressing plate, an opening of the flexible accommodating body is hermetically connected to a lower wall of the hydraulic plate through the pressing plate;
an oil nozzle is arranged on one side of the hydraulic plate, an oil hole used for enabling the hydraulic medium in an oil bag to flow into is formed in the lower wall of the hydraulic plate, an oil passage for allowing the oil nozzle to communicate with the oil hole is arranged in the hydraulic plate;
a lower end surface of the pressing plate abuts against an upper end surface of the protection mechanism.

7. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to claim 6 , wherein a limiting protrusion is provided on the lower end surface of the pressing plate.

8. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to claim 7 , wherein a limiting column is provided on the lower end surface of the pressing plate, and the limiting column and the limiting protrusion are located at two ends of a same diameter.

9. A washing machine comprising a plurality of supports with automatic leveling function according to claim 1 , comprising a shell, and the plurality of supports being mounted on a bottom of the shell, wherein the hydraulic medium provided in the supports of the washing machine flows between the plurality of supports for leveling.

10. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to claim 2 , wherein a limiting hole which goes up and down is formed in the upper protection ring, and a limiting protrusion used for being matched with the limiting hole is arranged on the mounting assembly.

11. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to a claim 2 , wherein a limiting column is arranged on the mounting assembly, and the limiting column is arranged corresponding to the mounting groove of the upper protection ring.

12. The support for the washing machine with automatic leveling function according to claim 2 , wherein the mounting assembly comprises a hydraulic plate and a pressing plate, an opening of the flexible accommodating body is hermetically connected to a lower wall of the hydraulic plate through the pressing plate;
an oil nozzle is arranged on one side of the hydraulic plate, an oil hole used for enabling the hydraulic medium in an oil bag to flow into is formed in the lower wall of the hydraulic plate, an oil passage for allowing the oil nozzle to communicate with the oil hole is arranged in the hydraulic plate;
a lower end surface of the pressing plate abuts against an upper end surface of the protection mechanism.

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Zhao Zhiqiang
• Xu Sheng

Classifications

• D06F39/125 Primary

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

• A47B91/16 Primary

  Self-levelling legs · CPC title

• D06F37/20 Primary

  Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations · CPC title

• D06F39/12

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title