Hydraulic Foot Arrangement for Automatic Appliance Leveling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliance leveling systems require manual adjustment, which is inconvenient and prone to instability, especially for heavy appliances like washing machines, leading to vibration and reduced service life due to uneven placement and vibration-induced noise.
Innovation Solution
A foot arrangement with a control device that uses hydraulic medium flow between adjustable feet to automatically level the appliance, allowing for piston-like extension and retraction to achieve equal internal pressure, simplifying the leveling process and providing stable support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual adjustment of bolt feet is used for leveling, then the washing machine can be leveled, but user operation is extremely inconvenient and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The foot arrangement enables automatic leveling through hydraulic medium flow between feet, eliminating the need for manual user adjustment. The system self-regulates by allowing hydraulic medium to flow from higher to lower feet, automatically extending or retracting adjustable feet to achieve equal internal pressure and stable placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical adjustment system with a hydraulic system. Instead of users manually screwing and unscrewing bolt feet, the invention uses hydraulic medium flow to automatically adjust foot positions through pressure equalization, substituting mechanical manual operation with hydraulic automation.
2Reliability
If manual adjustment of bolt feet is used for leveling, then the washing machine can be leveled, but the precision is relatively low and supporting failure easily occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system provides continuous feedback through pressure equalization. As hydraulic medium flows between feet, the system automatically detects and corrects level differences until internal pressure is equalized across all feet, ensuring precise and stable leveling without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic medium flow to achieve precise automatic leveling. The hydraulic system allows smooth, controlled adjustment of foot positions through fluid pressure transmission, providing superior precision compared to manual mechanical adjustment while ensuring stable supporting.
3Weight of stationary object
If the washing machine is heavy (about 80 Kg), then it provides adequate washing capacity, but user operation for adjustment is extremely inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The automatic hydraulic leveling system eliminates the need for users to manually adjust heavy washing machines. The system self-regulates by allowing hydraulic medium to flow between feet, automatically extending or retracting adjustable feet to achieve equal internal pressure and stable placement without user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment with an automatic hydraulic system that uses pressure equalization to level the heavy washing machine, substituting user physical effort with automated hydraulic actuation.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the washing machine is not properly leveled, then great vibration is caused during spin-drying, but manual adjustment cannot guarantee optimal leveling state
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system provides continuous feedback through pressure equalization, automatically detecting and correcting level differences until internal pressure is equalized across all feet. This ensures precise leveling that prevents vibration during spin-drying operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic medium flow system provides smooth, controlled adjustment of foot positions through fluid pressure transmission, achieving precise automatic leveling that eliminates the vibration problems associated with improper manual adjustment.
5Duration of action of stationary object
If vibration causes screws to loosen and feet to move vertically, then the horizontal state changes and more intense vibration occurs, but this vicious cycle shortens service life
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable feet are designed as replaceable components that can be easily replaced when worn or damaged. This allows the system to maintain long service life through component replacement rather than discarding the entire leveling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic medium flow system provides continuous stabilization by automatically equalizing pressure between feet, preventing the vertical movement and loosening that leads to vibration-induced instability and extended service life.
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 of household appliances, reducing vibration and noise, and extending the service life by eliminating the need for manual adjustment and ensuring precise stabilization.
Implementation Method 1
the hydraulic medium flows between the feet for household appliance communicating with each other, so that the adjustable feet can extend or retract like pistons to achieve the same internal hydraulic pressure in the feet for household appliance
Implementation Method 2
a hydraulic medium, arranged in the accommodating chamber, wherein the hydraulic medium is compressed or expanded depending on pressure changes to drive the adjustable foot to move axially in the sheath for leveling
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A foot for household appliance (100) and a household appliance are provided. The foot for household appliance (100) includes: a hydraulic plate (101); a sheath (103), fixedly connected with the hydraulic plate (101); an adjustable foot (104), arranged in the sheath (103) and capable of axially moving relative to the sheath (103), wherein an accommodating chamber is formed by the hydraulic plate (101), the sheath (103) and the adjustable foot (104); a hydraulic medium (102), arranged in the accommodating chamber, and the hydraulic medium (102) is compressed or expanded depending on pressure changes to drive the adjustable foot (104) to move axially in the sheath (103) for leveling. At least two feet for household appliance (100) are communicated with each other to allow the hydraulic medium (102) to flow between the feet for household appliance (100). A liquid flowing passage for allowing the hydraulic medium (102) to flow is arranged in the hydraulic plate (101). A control device (1100) for controlling the liquid flowing passage to open or close is arranged on at least one of the communicating feet for household appliance (100). The control device (1100) is arranged on the foot for household appliance (100), so that better leveling and supporting effects are achieved by controlling starting and stopping of the flowing of liquid of the foot for household appliance (100).