Leveling Foot Assembly with Segmented Threading for Quick Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing leveling feet for equipment racks are inconvenient to adjust due to the need to rotate the entire thread of the rod, making it time-consuming and cumbersome to raise or lower the feet.
Innovation Solution
A leveling foot assembly with a rod featuring a first threaded portion, a second threaded portion, and a third threadless portion, along with a spring to bias the rod to the lowered position, allowing for efficient adjustment by rotating the rod only partially.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the leveling foot is adjusted by rotating the leveling nut from a side of the leveling foot, then the leveling foot can be adjusted to extend past the caster wheel, but the adjustment process becomes slow and inconvenient since the installer must rotate the entire rod along its entire length
Solution Approach 1:
The rod is segmented into two distinct threaded portions (first threaded portion and second threaded portion) with a threadless portion between them. The leveling nut can engage with either the first or second threaded portion depending on the desired position, eliminating the need to rotate the entire rod length and significantly reducing adjustment time and effort.
2Reliability
If the rod is rotated so that it passes through the leveling nut along an entire length of the rod, then the leveling foot can be positioned, but the process becomes time-consuming and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The rod is divided into segments with different threading configurations. The first threaded portion engages the leveling nut when the foot needs to be in a raised position, while the second threaded portion engages when the foot needs to be in a lowered position. This segmentation allows for quick repositioning without rotating the entire rod, improving both reliability of positioning and adjustment efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod is pre-configured with two threaded portions at opposite ends, allowing the leveling nut to engage with the appropriate threaded portion based on the desired foot position. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for time-consuming full rotations and enables direct positioning, significantly improving productivity while maintaining positioning accuracy.
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 leveling foot assembly enables quick and efficient adjustment of the leveling feet, reducing the time and effort required to position the equipment rack level, while avoiding the need to rotate the entire rod.
Implementation Method 1
A spring is provided to bias the leveling foot from a raised or retracted position to a lowered or extended position
Data Source
AI summary
A leveling foot assembly includes a foot and a rod secured to the foot. The rod includes a first threaded portion, a second threaded portion, and a third threadless portion positioned between the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion. The leveling foot assembly further includes a leveling nut configured to engage the first threaded portion of the rod when the foot is in a raised position and configured to engage the second threaded portion of the nut when the foot is in a lowered position.