Rear Foot Height Adjustment Mechanism for Built-In Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliances, particularly built-in models, face challenges in adjusting the height of rear feet due to limited accessibility, making it difficult for users and service personnel to adjust the rear feet after installation, and often require cumbersome tools or lifting, which can be impractical.
Innovation Solution
A height adjustment mechanism featuring an adaptor shaft that transmits motion from a worm gear to a pivotable vertical member on the foot, utilizing a cam and groove system, along with a biasing means and guide, allows for adjustable rear feet from the front side, simplifying the process and eliminating the need for complex lateral configurations on the vertical member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rear feet are adjusted from the front side using a rod extending backward, then the accessibility for height adjustment is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the transmission mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The height adjustment mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a worm gear for motion generation, a vertical member for height adjustment, and an adaptor shaft for motion transmission. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of extending a rod backward from the front to reach the rear feet, the invention inverts the approach by placing the adjustment mechanism directly at the rear foot location, accessible from the front through the housing. The worm gear and vertical member are positioned at the rear but operated from the front.
2Reliability
If a worm gear and vertical member configuration is used for height adjustment, then the stability of height adjustment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The worm gear mechanism provides self-locking capability, maintaining the adjusted height position without requiring additional locking components or continuous power. The vertical member with screw threads also provides self-holding, eliminating the need for separate position maintenance mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptor shaft serves multiple functions: it transmits rotational motion from the worm gear to the vertical member, provides structural support, and guides the vertical member's movement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
3Reliability
If the vertical member is made with lateral configurations for motion transmission, then the motion transmission reliability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the motion transmission function from complex lateral configurations on the vertical member and consolidates it into a dedicated adaptor shaft with a simple groove. This groove receives a cam from the worm gear, providing reliable motion transmission without complicating the vertical member's structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical member is designed with uniform simplicity along its length, except for the localized interaction point with the adaptor shaft. The groove on the adaptor shaft and corresponding cam on the worm gear create a focused transmission point that maintains reliability without requiring complex features throughout the entire vertical member.
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
Enables easy and effective adjustment of rear feet from the front side, improving accessibility and reducing the complexity of the production process for the foot mechanism, while ensuring stable and secure height adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
a worm gear (10) rotated by the worm (9) and that changes the movement direction thereof
Implementation Method 2
a cam (14) disposed at the inner surface of the channel (12) and a groove (15) disposed on the adaptor shaft (13), wherein the cam (14) is seated
Implementation Method 3
Screw threads are provided on the outer surface of the vertical member (7) providing the vertical member (7) to be mounted to the housing (3) from below and the height thereof to be adjusted
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a household appliance (1) comprising a height adjustment mechanism (5) providing the height of the foot (4) at the rear to be adjusted from a point at the front side of the body (2) and having an adaptor shaft (13) that provides the foot (4) to move by being rotated.