Hydraulic Appliance Feet With Throttled Auto-Leveling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliance leveling systems require manual adjustment, which is inconvenient and imprecise, especially for heavy appliances, leading to vibration and reduced service life due to unlevel placement and vibration-induced instability.
Innovation Solution
A household appliance foot featuring a hydraulic plate, sheath, and regulating foot with a hydraulic medium that automatically adjusts for balance using a communicating device with throttling structures to control fluid flow, ensuring stable and precise leveling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual adjustment of bolt feet is used for leveling, then the washing machine can be leveled, but the operation is inconvenient and time-consuming for heavy appliances
Solution Approach 1:
The leveling feet are equipped with automatic leveling mechanisms that use the appliance's own weight to trigger the leveling action. When the appliance is placed on the feet, the weight automatically activates the leveling mechanism without requiring manual intervention, making the system serve itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical adjustment system is replaced with an automatic mechanical system that uses springs, weights, or other mechanical means to automatically adjust the leveling feet based on the appliance's weight distribution, eliminating the need for manual screwing and adjusting.
2Measurement precision
If manual adjustment of bolt feet is used, then leveling can be achieved, but precision is relatively low
Solution Approach 1:
The automatic leveling mechanism incorporates feedback through level sensors or mechanical feedback systems that detect the appliance's leveling status and automatically adjust the feet until the optimal leveling position is achieved, ensuring high precision without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The leveling feet are pre-configured with adjustable mechanisms that can be preliminarily set to different heights or positions before the appliance is placed, allowing for precise leveling adjustments to be made in advance or automatically upon placement.
3Reliability
If bolt feet are used for support, then the washing machine can be stabilized, but vibration causes support failure and loosening of foot screws over time
Solution Approach 1:
The leveling feet incorporate vibration damping elements, rubber pads, or cushioning mechanisms that are pre-installed to absorb and reduce vibrations before they can cause loosening of screws or failure of the support structure, providing prior protection against vibration-induced damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration and movement that would normally cause loosening are converted into beneficial forces by using self-tightening mechanisms or friction-based locking systems that actually tighten the foot screws during vibration, transforming the harmful vibration into a force that improves rather than degrades the support stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables automatic leveling, reducing vibration and noise, improving appliance stability, and extending the service life by simplifying installation and maintaining optimal positioning.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic medium, being in the accommodation chamber and being compressed or expanding with pressure changes to drive the regulating foot to axially move in the sheath for leveling
Implementation Method 2
a throttling structure, being arranged in the communicating device for slowing down a flow velocity of the hydraulic medium
Data Source
AI summary
A household appliance foot comprises a hydraulic plate; a sheath, fixedly connected with the hydraulic plate; a regulating foot, arranged in the sheath and being axially movable relative to the sheath; an accommodation chamber, formed by the hydraulic plate, the sheath and the regulating foot; a hydraulic medium, in the accommodation chamber and being compressed or expanding with pressure changes to drive the regulating foot to axially move in the sheath for leveling; a communicating device, communicating between at least two household appliance feet for allowing the hydraulic medium to flow between the household appliance feet; and a throttling structure, arranged in the communicating device for slowing down a flow velocity of the hydraulic medium. The throttling structures are arranged in the communicating devices, so that the rapid flowing of the hydraulic medium among the household appliance feet is prevented, and a regulating process can be more stable.