Household appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to a household appliance, in particular to a household appliance, and aims to solve the problem that bottom feet of an existing household appliance are easy to wear when the household appliance is moved. In order to achieve the purpose, the household appliance comprises a main body, bottom feet and lifting wheels, the bottom feet and the lifting wheels are arranged at the bottom of the main body, and the lifting wheels can move up and down; when the lifting wheel moves upwards, the lifting wheel is separated from the supporting surface, so that the bottom feet can support the main body; when the lifting wheels move downwards, the lifting wheels can support the main body, and the bottom feet are separated from the supporting faces. When the household appliance needs to be fixed, the lifting wheel is close to the body and separated from the supporting face, the bottom feet make contact with the supporting face, and the body is supported through the bottom feet. When the household appliance needs to be moved, the lifting wheels are far away from the main body and make contact with the supporting faces, the bottom feet are separated from the supporting faces, and the lifting wheels support the main body. At the moment, the body can move through the lifting wheels, the bottom feet cannot make contact with the supporting face, and the bottom feet are prevented from being abraded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to household appliances, and specifically provides a household appliance. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, many household appliances on the market, such as garment care machines, are quite bulky. To ensure stability and ease of movement, they typically have feet and wheels at the bottom. Specifically, garment care machines usually have a rectangular bottom with wheels at the two rear corners and feet at the two front corners. The wheels and feet are designed to provide both stable support and mobility. When the machine is placed normally, both wheels and feet can contact the ground simultaneously, providing sufficient support for stability. However, when moving the garment care machine, it is usually necessary to push it from the front, tilting the front to separate the feet from the ground, allowing movement via the rear wheels. While this design seems to balance support and mobility, it has some drawbacks in practical operation.

[0003] Specifically, when the front of the garment care machine is tilted up in preparation for movement, its weight makes it difficult for the front feet to completely leave the ground. Especially during pushing, friction often occurs between the feet and the ground, leading to wear and tear. This wear not only affects the lifespan of the feet but may also reduce their support effectiveness after repeated moves. Furthermore, the excessive friction between the feet and the ground requires a greater force to push the machine, increasing the difficulty of moving it and potentially causing it to tilt or become unstable, thus affecting user safety.

[0004] Another issue is that, since the feet are typically made of hard plastic or metal and other wear-resistant materials, repeated friction between the feet and the ground can scratch or damage the floor, especially on wooden or tiled floors. Therefore, the design of the support and mobility functions of garment care machines in existing technologies has room for improvement. How to effectively reduce the contact between the feet and the ground and improve the ease of movement of the device is a pressing technical problem that the industry needs to solve. These problems not only reduce the user experience but also negatively impact the overall lifespan of the garment care machine.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a household appliance to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problem, namely, to solve the problem that the feet of existing household appliances are easily worn when moved.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a household appliance comprising a main body, a base, and lifting wheels, wherein the base and the lifting wheels are both disposed at the bottom of the main body, and the lifting wheels are capable of moving up and down;

[0008] When the lifting wheel moves upward, the lifting wheel separates from the supporting surface so that the base supports the main body;

[0009] When the lifting wheel moves downward, the lifting wheel can support the main body, and the bottom foot separates from the support surface.

[0010] In the specific embodiments of the above-mentioned household appliances, the household appliances further include:

[0011] A drive shaft is rotatably connected to the main body, and the drive shaft is connected to a power source that can drive the drive shaft to rotate;

[0012] A wheel frame, one end of which is connected to the drive shaft and the other end of which is connected to the lifting wheel, and the main body is rotatably connected to the middle of the wheel frame;

[0013] When the drive shaft rotates, it can drive the wheel frame to swing relative to the main body, so that the lifting wheel moves up and down.

[0014] In a specific embodiment of the aforementioned household appliance, one end of the drive shaft is provided with a connecting groove, which can be connected to a screwdriver or an electric gun.

[0015] In the specific implementation of the above-mentioned household appliance, the household appliance further includes a drive shaft and a slider, the drive shaft is connected to the drive shaft in a transmission connection, and the drive shaft can drive the drive shaft to rotate;

[0016] The slider is movably mounted on the drive shaft, and rotation of the drive shaft can drive the slider to move axially relative to the drive shaft. The slider and the wheel frame are hinged.

[0017] When the drive shaft drives the transmission shaft to rotate, it enables the slider to move on the transmission shaft, so that the wheel frame swings relative to the main body.

[0018] In the specific implementation of the above-mentioned household appliance, the drive shaft is provided with a threaded portion, and the slider is screwed to the threaded portion;

[0019] When the drive shaft rotates, it can drive the slider to move along the axial direction of the threaded portion.

[0020] In the specific implementation of the aforementioned household appliance, the threaded portion is a left-hand thread.

[0021] In the specific implementation of the above-mentioned household appliance, a driving gear is provided on the drive shaft, and a driven gear is provided on the transmission shaft. The driving gear meshes with the driven gear so that the drive shaft and the transmission shaft are connected for transmission.

[0022] In a specific embodiment of the above-mentioned household appliance, the household appliance further includes a connecting block, which is sleeved on the drive shaft. The transmission shaft is rotatably connected to the connecting block, and the connecting block and the transmission shaft can rotate around the drive shaft, and the transmission shaft can rotate relative to the connecting block.

[0023] In the specific implementation of the above-mentioned household appliance, the drive shaft and the connecting block are connected by bearings.

[0024] In a specific embodiment of the above-mentioned household appliance, the household appliance further includes a base wheel, the bottom of the main body is provided with a first side and a second side opposite to each other, two base feet are provided close to the first side, two base wheels are provided close to the second side, a lifting wheel is provided close to the first side, and the lifting wheel is provided between the two base feet.

[0025] With the above technical solution, the lifting wheel of the present invention can move up and down. When the household appliance needs to be fixed, the lifting wheel is brought close to the main body, the lifting wheel separates from the supporting surface, and the bottom foot contacts the supporting surface, supporting the main body. When the household appliance needs to be moved, the lifting wheel is moved away from the main body, the lifting wheel contacts the supporting surface, the bottom foot separates from the supporting surface, and the lifting wheel supports the main body. At this time, the main body can move by the lifting wheel, and the bottom foot will not contact the supporting surface, preventing wear on the bottom foot.

[0026] Furthermore, the lifting wheel is rotatably connected to the wheel frame, the wheel frame is rotatably connected to the main body, the drive shaft is connected to the power source, and the drive shaft is driven by the wheel frame. The power source can drive the drive shaft to rotate, the drive shaft can drive the wheel frame to swing, thereby driving the lifting wheel to move up and down.

[0027] Furthermore, the wheel frame is hinged to the slider, which is movably mounted on the drive shaft. The drive shaft is connected to the slider and can drive the slider to move on the drive shaft, thereby driving the wheel frame to oscillate.

[0028] Furthermore, the drive shaft has a threaded section, and the slider is screwed to the threaded section. The drive shaft is connected to the drive shaft, and the drive shaft can drive the drive shaft to rotate. When the drive shaft rotates, the slider can move along the axial direction of the threaded section. This arrangement can control the position of the slider on the drive shaft and prevent the slider from becoming loose.

[0029] Furthermore, the drive shaft is connected to the drive shaft via a connecting block, allowing the drive shaft to rotate around the drive shaft. When the slider drives the wheel carrier to rotate, the drive shaft can rotate around the drive shaft to compensate for changes in distance between the wheel carrier, the slider, and the drive shaft. Additionally, the drive shaft is rotatably connected to the connecting block, allowing it to rotate relative to the slider.

[0030] Furthermore, the main body is equipped with two feet and two casters at its bottom, with a lifting caster positioned between the two feet. When the lifting caster is close to the main body, the two feet and two casters contact the ground, ensuring the appliance is stably mounted on the ground. When the lifting caster is away from the main body, the two feet can detach from the ground, and the main body is supported by the lifting caster and the two casters, allowing the appliance to be moved. This design uses only one lifting caster to stably support the main body. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 This is a first-view structural diagram of the household appliance provided by the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a second-view structural schematic diagram of the household appliance provided by the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a first-view structural diagram of the control component provided by the present invention, the main body of which is not shown in the figure;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a second-view structural diagram of the control component provided by the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a third-view structural diagram of the control component provided by the present invention, where the drive shaft is not shown.

[0037] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0038] 1. Main body; 101. Support; 2. Base; 3. Lifting wheel; 4. Drive shaft; 401. Connecting groove; 5. Transmission shaft; 6. Slider; 7. Wheel frame; 701. U-shaped frame; 702. Connecting rod; 8. Connecting block; 9. Bearing; 10. Drive gear; 11. Driven gear; 12. Bottom wheel; 13. First hinge shaft; 14. Second hinge shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," indicating directional or positional relationships, are based on the directional or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "setting," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] To address the problem of wear and tear on the feet of household appliances when moved, this embodiment discloses a household appliance. In this embodiment, the household appliance is a garment care machine; in other embodiments, the household appliance is a cabinet air conditioner or other household appliance device placed on the ground.

[0043] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The household appliance includes a main body 1, a base 2, base wheels 12, and lifting wheels 3.

[0044] The main body 1 is the main structure of the household appliance. The structure of the feet 2 and wheels 12 is the same as that of the feet 2 and wheels 12 in the prior art, and their specific structures will not be described in detail here. Both the feet 2 and wheels 12 are set on the bottom surface of the main body 1. Specifically, the bottom surface of the main body 1 is a rectangular surface, which includes a first side and a second side arranged opposite to each other. The two feet 2 are respectively set on the two corners of the bottom surface of the main body 1 near the first side, and the two wheels 12 are respectively set on the two corners of the bottom surface of the main body 1 near the second side.

[0045] The lifting wheel 3 is located on the bottom surface of the main body 1 near the first side, and is positioned between the two base feet 2. The lifting wheel 3 can move up and down relative to the main body 1, allowing it to move closer to or further away from the main body 1. When the lifting wheel 3 moves upward, the two base feet 2 and the two base wheels 12 contact the ground to support the main body 1. When the lifting wheel 3 moves downward, the two base feet 2 do not contact the ground, while the lifting wheel 3 and the two base wheels 12 contact the ground, maintaining the stability of the main body 1 and allowing it to move. This arrangement allows the main body 1 to be fixed to the ground while also enabling it to move, and the base feet 2 do not contact the ground during movement, preventing wear on the base feet 2. Furthermore, using only one lifting wheel 3, in conjunction with two base wheels 12 to support the main body 1, ensures its stability. This arrangement also reduces costs.

[0046] Regarding the lifting wheel 3, it should be noted that although the household appliance in this embodiment includes one lifting wheel 3, this arrangement is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can employ other arrangements in other embodiments, such as: providing two or more lifting wheels 3 according to the weight of the main body and the weight distribution area; or, providing only the base 2 and the lifting wheel 3 on the bottom surface of the main body 1, without providing the base wheel 12. These technical solutions do not depart from the basic principles of the present invention and therefore fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0047] The household appliance also includes a drive shaft 4, a connecting block 8, a transmission shaft 5, a slider 6, and a wheel frame 7. The drive shaft 4, connecting block 8, transmission shaft 5, slider 6, and wheel frame 7 form a control assembly, and the lifting wheel 3 is connected to the main body 1 through this control assembly. The control assembly can control the lifting wheel 3 to move closer to or further away from the main body 1.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 The drive shaft 4 is rotatably connected to the main body 1. Specifically, the bottom surface of the main body 1 is provided with multiple brackets 101, each with a first through hole. The drive shaft 4 passes through the first through hole to allow it to rotate. The drive shaft 4 is connected to a power source. In this embodiment, one end of the drive shaft 4 is provided with a connecting groove 401, which is either straight or cross-shaped. The user can drive the drive shaft 4 to rotate by connecting the connecting groove 401 with a screwdriver or an electric screwdriver. An electric screwdriver is used for this purpose. The drive shaft 4 is provided with a drive gear 10, which rotates when the drive shaft 4 rotates.

[0049] Regarding the connection structure between the drive shaft 4 and the main body 1, it should be noted that although the drive shaft 4 in this embodiment passes through the bracket 101 at the bottom of the main body 1, this arrangement is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the principle of the present invention, those skilled in the art can use other arrangements in other embodiments. For example, a bearing seat 9 is provided at the bottom of the main body 1, and the drive shaft 4 is connected to the bearing seat 9 through the bearing 9. This does not depart from the basic principle of the present invention and therefore falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0050] Regarding the connection method between the drive shaft 4 and the power source, it should be noted that although the drive shaft 4 in this embodiment is provided with a connecting groove 401 for connecting to the power source, this arrangement is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can employ other arrangements in other embodiments. For example, a crank handle can be provided at the end of the drive shaft 4, allowing the user to rotate the drive shaft 4; or, the drive shaft 4 can be connected to a motor, which can drive the drive shaft 4 to rotate. This does not depart from the basic principles of the present invention and therefore falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0051] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The connecting block 8 is rotatably connected to the drive shaft 4. Specifically, the connecting block 8 is provided with a second through hole, through which the drive shaft 4 passes, so that the connecting block 8 can rotate around the drive shaft 4. The connecting block 8 is connected to the transmission shaft 5; in other words, the transmission shaft 5 is rotatably connected to the drive shaft 4 through the connecting block 8. When the connecting block 8 rotates around the drive shaft 4, the transmission shaft 5 can also rotate around the drive shaft 4.

[0052] Regarding the connection method between the connecting block 8 and the drive shaft 4, it should be noted that although the connecting block 8 in this embodiment is provided with a second through hole through which the drive shaft 4 passes, this arrangement is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can employ other arrangements in other embodiments, such as connecting the connecting block 8 and the drive shaft 4 via a hinge. This does not depart from the basic principles of the present invention and therefore falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0053] The connecting block 8 is rotatably connected to the drive shaft 5. Specifically, the connecting block 8 and the drive shaft 5 are connected via a bearing 9. The axial direction of the bearing 9 is collinear with the axial direction of the drive shaft 5, and the axial direction of the bearing 9 is also perpendicular to the axial direction of the drive shaft 4. In other words, the axial direction of the drive shaft 5 is also perpendicular to the axial direction of the drive shaft 4.

[0054] Reference Figure 4 A driven gear 11 is provided on the transmission shaft 5. The driving gear 10 meshes with the driven gear 11. When the driving gear 10 rotates, it can drive the driven gear 11 to rotate, thereby driving the transmission shaft 5 to rotate circumferentially along the bearing 9.

[0055] Regarding the drive shaft 5, it should be noted that although in this embodiment the drive shaft 5 is connected to the drive shaft 4 via gear transmission, this arrangement is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can employ other arrangements in other embodiments. For example, the control component may not include the drive shaft 4; the drive shaft 5 may be connected to the bracket 101 at the bottom of the main body 1 via a connecting block 8; the drive shaft 5 may be directly connected to the power source; or the drive shaft 5 may be driven by the power source. These technical solutions do not depart from the basic principles of the present invention and therefore fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0056] The drive shaft 5 has a threaded portion with external threads. The axis of the threaded portion is collinear with the axis of the drive shaft 5; in other words, the axis of the threaded portion is collinear with the axis of the bearing 9. When the drive shaft 5 rotates circumferentially around the bearing 9, the threaded portion rotates circumferentially along it. The slider 6 has a threaded hole through which the drive shaft 5 passes, and the threaded hole is screwed to the threaded portion. In this embodiment, both the thread of the threaded portion and the thread of the threaded hole are left-hand threads.

[0057] Regarding the connection structure between the drive shaft 5 and the slider 6, it should be noted that although the drive shaft 5 in this embodiment is provided with external threads and the slider 6 is provided with threaded holes, this arrangement is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the principle of the present invention, those skilled in the art can use other arrangements in other embodiments. For example, the drive shaft 5 is provided with a sleeve with internal threads inside, the outer wall of the slider 6 is provided with external threads, and the slider 6 is screwed to the sleeve. This technical solution does not depart from the basic principle of the present invention and therefore falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0058] Regarding the threaded portion and threaded hole, it should be noted that although both the threaded portion and the threaded hole in this embodiment are left-hand threads, this arrangement is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can employ other arrangements in other embodiments; for example, the threaded portion and the threaded hole could also be right-hand threads. These technical solutions do not depart from the basic principles of the present invention and therefore fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0059] The wheel frame 7 includes a U-shaped frame 701 and a connecting rod 702. The lifting wheel 3 is rotatably connected to the U-shaped frame 701. One end of the connecting rod 702 is fixedly connected to the U-shaped frame 701. The other end of the connecting rod 702 is hinged to the slider 6. Specifically, the hinge axis between the connecting rod 702 and the slider 6 is a first hinge axis 13, which is parallel to the drive shaft 4. The middle part of the connecting rod 702 is rotatably connected to the main body 1. Specifically, a support 101 is provided on the bottom surface of the main body 1, and the middle part of the connecting rod 702 is hinged to the support 101. The hinge axis between the connecting rod 702 and the support 101 is a second hinge axis 14, which is parallel to the first hinge axis 13.

[0060] Regarding the connection structure between the wheel frame 7 and the lifting wheel 3, it should be noted that although the wheel frame 7 and the lifting wheel 3 are connected by a U-shaped frame 701 in this embodiment, this arrangement is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the principle of the present invention, those skilled in the art can use other arrangements in other embodiments. For example, the connecting rod 702 is provided with a third through hole, and the wheel axle of the lifting wheel 3 is connected to the third through hole through a bearing 9. This does not depart from the basic principle of the present invention and therefore falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0061] The working principle of this control component is as follows: the power source drives the drive shaft 4 and the drive gear 10 on the drive shaft 4 to rotate. The drive gear 10 drives the driven gear 11 and the transmission shaft 5 to rotate circumferentially along the bearing 9. Due to the connection relationship between the main body 1, the wheel frame 7, and the slider 6, the slider 6 cannot rotate circumferentially along the threaded portion. When the transmission shaft 5 rotates circumferentially along the bearing 9, the slider 6 will move axially along the threaded portion. The slider 6 can drive the wheel frame 7 to swing around the second hinge axis 14, so that the lifting wheel 3 moves closer to or away from the main body 1. At the same time, when the slider 6 moves and the wheel frame 7 swings, the transmission shaft 5 can rotate around the drive shaft 4 to compensate for the change in distance between the slider 6 and the wheel frame 7.

[0062] Furthermore, the slider 6 is threadedly connected to the drive shaft 5. By controlling the rotation of the drive shaft 5, the slider 6 can be moved to bring the lifting wheel 3 closer to or away from the main body 1. When the drive shaft 5 is not rotating, the slider 6 can remain stationary relative to the drive shaft 5, thereby fixing the position of the lifting wheel 3 and preventing it from becoming loose.

[0063] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A household appliance, characterized in that, It includes a main body (1), a base (2) and lifting wheels (3). The base (2) and the lifting wheels (3) are both located at the bottom of the main body (1), and the lifting wheels (3) can move up and down. When the lifting wheel (3) moves upward, the lifting wheel (3) separates from the supporting surface so that the base (2) supports the main body (1); When the lifting wheel (3) moves downward, the lifting wheel (3) can support the main body (1), and the bottom foot (2) separates from the supporting surface.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The household appliances also include: A drive shaft (4) is rotatably connected to the main body (1), the drive shaft (4) is connected to a power source, and the power source is capable of driving the drive shaft (4) to rotate; A wheel frame (7) is connected to the drive shaft (4) at one end and to the lifting wheel (3) at the other end. The main body (1) is rotatably connected to the middle of the wheel frame (7). When the drive shaft (4) rotates, it can drive the wheel frame (7) to swing relative to the main body (1) so that the lifting wheel (3) moves up and down.

3. The household appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that, One end of the drive shaft (4) is provided with a connecting groove (401), which can be connected to a screwdriver or an electric gun.

4. The household appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that, The household appliance also includes a drive shaft (5) and a slider (6). The drive shaft (4) is connected to the drive shaft (5) in a drive-drive connection. The drive shaft (4) can drive the drive shaft (5) to rotate. The slider (6) is movably mounted on the drive shaft (5). The rotation of the drive shaft (5) can drive the slider (6) to move axially relative to the drive shaft (5). The slider (6) and the wheel frame (7) are hinged. When the drive shaft (4) drives the transmission shaft to rotate, the slider (6) can move on the transmission shaft (5) so that the wheel frame (7) swings relative to the main body (1).

5. The household appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that, The drive shaft (5) is provided with a threaded part, and the slider (6) is screwed to the threaded part; When the drive shaft (5) rotates, it can drive the slider (6) to move along the axial direction of the threaded portion.

6. The household appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that, The threaded portion is a left-hand thread.

7. The household appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive shaft (4) is provided with a drive gear (10), and the drive shaft (5) is provided with a driven gear (11). The drive gear (10) meshes with the driven gear (11) so that the drive shaft (4) and the drive shaft (5) are connected in a transmission manner.

8. The household appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that, The household appliance also includes a connecting block (8), which is sleeved on the drive shaft (4). The transmission shaft (5) is rotatably connected to the connecting block (8). The connecting block (8) and the transmission shaft (5) can rotate around the drive shaft (4), and the transmission shaft (5) can rotate relative to the connecting block (8).

9. The household appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that, The drive shaft (5) and the connecting block (8) are connected by a bearing (9).

10. The household appliance according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The household appliance also includes a base wheel (12), the bottom of the main body (1) is provided with a first side and a second side opposite to each other, the two base feet (2) are provided close to the first side, the two base wheels (12) are provided close to the second side, the lifting wheel (3) is provided close to the first side, and the lifting wheel (3) is provided between the two base feet (2).

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