Leveling device of household appliance and household appliance with same

• US 10,443,777 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. (Haier Group Company), Qingdao Haier Smart Technology R&D Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Zhao, Zhiqiang, Xu, Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): McKinnon, Terrell L
• Assistant Examiner(s): McDuffie, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/564,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20180274714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 248550, 248188, 2481881, 2481882, 2481883, 2481885, 2481888, 188151 R
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4253 Supporting arrangements for the casing, e.g. rollers or supporting legs
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/125 Supporting arrangements for the casing, e.g. rollers or legs
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/044 for balancing rotational movement of the undercarriage
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/08 Foot or support base
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 7/00 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

Abstract

A household appliance leveling device comprises at least two leveling feet mounted at the bottom of the appliance, wherein each leveling foot comprises a fixed part and a movable part, the fixed part is mounted at the bottom of the household appliance, one end of the movable part is telescopically sleeved with the fixed part while the other end is arranged on a support plane, a closed chamber is formed between the fixed part and the movable part, and the closed chamber is provided with a hydraulic medium; the closed chambers of at least two said leveling feet communicate with each other, the hydraulic medium flows between the closed chambers of the leveling feet communicating with each other, and the movable parts expand or contract along with the flowing of the hydraulic medium to perform automatic leveling.

Claims

1. A household appliance, comprising at least two leveling feet mounted at a bottom of the household appliance, wherein

each leveling foot comprises a fixed part which is a cylinder and a movable part, the fixed part is mounted at the bottom of the household appliance, one end of the movable part is telescopically sleeved by sleeves on the fixed part, another end of the movable part is arranged on a support plane, a closed chamber is formed between the fixed part and the movable part, and the closed chamber is provided with a hydraulic medium;

the closed chambers of at least two said leveling feet communicate with each other via an oil pipe set, the hydraulic medium flows under pressure between the closed chambers of the leveling feet communicating with each other, and the movable parts expand or contract along with the flowing of the hydraulic medium to perform automatic leveling; and

acting contact surfaces of the hydraulic medium in the leveling feet communicating with each other via the oil pipe set have different areas;

the cylinders of the leveling feet communicating with each other via the oil pipe set have different inner diameters;

wherein

a center of gravity of the household appliance does not coincide with a geometrical center of the household appliance, the leveling foot with the cylinder having a larger inner diameter is installed closer to the center of gravity of the household appliance.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each of the leveling feet communicating with each other via the oil pipe set is in direct proportion to a pressure value of pressure borne by the corresponding leveling foot.

3. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the movable part is a plunger structure, the cylinder is provided with a hollow chamber therein, the plunger structure is provided with a plug at one end, the plug is arranged in the hollow chamber in a relatively sliding manner and sealed to form a sealed chamber, the plunger structure is provided with a support at another end, and the support is arranged on the support plane.

4. The household appliance according to claim 3, wherein the inner diameter of the cylinder of each of the leveling feet communicating with each other via the high oil pipe set is in direct proportion to a pressure value of pressure borne by the corresponding leveling foot.

5. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the leveling device comprises a first leveling foot and a second leveling foot, the first leveling foot and the second leveling foot communicate with each other via the oil pipe set;

and

the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in the first leveling foot is larger than the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in the second leveling foot.

6. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the leveling device comprises at least two first leveling feet and at least two second leveling feet, wherein, each of the first leveling feet and the second leveling feet is connected with a communication device via the oil pipe set for mutually communicating the closed chambers of all the leveling feet;

and

the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each first leveling foot is larger than the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each second leveling foot.

7. The household appliance according to claim 6, wherein all the first leveling feet are positioned on one side of the communication device, and all the second leveling feet are positioned on another side of the communication device.

8. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the leveling device comprises one first leveling foot and at least two second leveling feet, wherein each second leveling foot communicates with the first leveling foot via the oil pipe set;

and

the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in the first leveling foot is larger than the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each second leveling foot.

9. The household appliance according to claim 5, wherein an inner diameter d1 of the cylinder of the first leveling foot and an inner diameter d2 of the cylinder of the second leveling foot meet the following condition:

a pressure borne by the first leveling foot is FA, a pressure borne by the second leveling foot is FB, and when FA=λ

FB, d1=√

{square root over (γ

)}d2.

10. The household appliance according to claim 2, wherein the leveling device comprises a first leveling foot and a second leveling foot, the first leveling foot and the second leveling foot communicate with each other via the oil pipe set;

and

the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in the first leveling foot is larger than the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in the second leveling foot.

11. The household appliance according to claim 3, wherein the leveling device comprises a first leveling foot and a second leveling foot, the first leveling foot and the second leveling foot communicate with each other via the oil pipe set;

and

the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in the first leveling foot is larger than the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in the second leveling foot.

12. The household appliance according to claim 2, wherein the leveling device comprises at least two first leveling feet and at least two second leveling feet, wherein each of the first leveling feet and the second leveling feet is connected with a communication device via the oil pipe set for mutually communicating the closed chambers of all the leveling feet;

and

the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each first leveling foot is larger than the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each second leveling foot.

13. The household appliance according to claim 3, wherein the leveling device comprises at least two first leveling feet and at least two second leveling feet, wherein each of the first leveling feet and the second leveling feet is connected with a communication device via the oil pipe set for mutually communicating the closed chambers of all the leveling feet;

and

the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each first leveling foot is larger than the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each second leveling foot.

14. The household appliance according to claim 2, wherein the leveling device comprises one first leveling foot and at least two second leveling feet, wherein each second leveling foot communicates with the first leveling foot via the oil pipe set;

and

the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in the first leveling foot is larger than the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each second leveling foot.

15. The household appliance according to claim 3, wherein the leveling device comprises one first leveling foot and at least two second leveling feet, wherein each second leveling foot communicates with the first leveling foot via the oil pipe set;

and

the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in the first leveling foot is larger than the area of the acting contact surface of the hydraulic medium in each second leveling foot.

16. The household appliance according to claim 6, wherein an inner diameter d1 of the cylinder of the first leveling foot and an inner diameter d2 of the cylinder of the second leveling foot meet the following condition:

a pressure borne by the first leveling foot is FA, a pressure borne by the second leveling foot is FB, and when FA=λ

FB, d1=√

{square root over (γ

)}d2.

17. The household appliance according to claim 7, wherein an inner diameter d1 of the cylinder of the first leveling foot and an inner diameter d2 of the cylinder of the second leveling foot meet the following condition:

a pressure borne by the first leveling foot is FA, a pressure borne by the second leveling foot is FB, and when FA=λ

FB, d1=√

{square root over (γ

)}d2.

18. The household appliance according to claim 8, wherein an inner diameter d1 of the cylinder of the first leveling foot and an inner diameter d2 of the cylinder of the second leveling foot meet the following condition:

a pressure borne by the first leveling foot is FA, a pressure borne by the second leveling foot is FB, and when FA=λ

FB, d1=√

{square root over (γ

)}d2.