IP Library Granted Patent US 12,435,918
Granted Patent B2
US 12,435,918 · App. 18/011,948 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Installation foot and refrigerator having same

Inventors: Changzhi Wang (Shandong, CN); Bin Fei (Shandong, CN); Enpin Xia (Shandong, CN); Xiaobing Zhu (Shandong, CN); Kang Li (Shandong, CN)
Assignees: QINGDAO HAIER REFRIGERATOR CO., LTD.; HAIER SMART HOME CO., LTD.
F25D23/00F25D2323/0011F25D2400/38
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,435,918
App. No.
18/011,948
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An installation foot and a refrigerator having same, the installation foot including: a support base, a part of which forms a first step portion and a second step portion; a roller wheel, rollably disposed below the second step portion; and an adjustment portion, provided with a screw rod and an adjustment rotary disc, the screw rod being rotatably disposed on the first step portion, and the adjustment rotary disc being fixedly connected to the screw rod or integrated with the screw rod to form a one-piece part so as to drive the screw rod to rotate. In an installation process, the roller wheel is able to roll along a supporting surface on which the installation foot is located, and the screw rod can rotate relative to the support base, so that the installation foot is suitable for both a leveling process and a moving process of an apparatus.

Claims (70)

1. An installation foot, comprising:

a support base, a part of which forms a first step portion and a second step portion;

a roller wheel, rollably disposed below the second step portion; and

an adjustment portion, provided with a screw rod and an adjustment rotary disc, the screw rod being rotatably disposed at the first step portion, and the adjustment rotary disc being fixedly connected to the screw rod or integrated with the screw rod to form a one-piece part so as to drive the screw rod to rotate;

wherein the roller wheel comprises a wheel shaft extending in a horizontal direction, and a wheel body rotating around the wheel shaft; and

the support base further comprises:

a vertical connecting portion, a bottom end of which is connected to one end of the first step portion, and a top end of which is connected to one end of the second step portion, an interstice being reserved between the vertical connecting portion and the adjustment rotary disc;

a lateral shaft connecting portion, extending downward from the second step portion and having a shaft hole for matching with the wheel shaft so as to enable the wheel shaft to be rotatably connected to the support base; and

an upturned fulcrum portion, used for a connection with a bottom of an apparatus on which the installation foot is installed, the upturned fulcrum portion and the adjustment portion being located on both sides of the roller wheel, respectively;

wherein the first step portion and the second step portion are disposed in turn in a horizontal direction;

the upturned fulcrum portion comprises a plurality of hanging lugs, which are disposed on the second step portion or the lateral shaft connecting portion, and the plurality of hanging lugs are spaced in the horizontal direction; and

an extending direction of the wheel shaft is parallel to a direction of a connecting line of the plurality of hanging lugs, and perpendicular to an arrangement direction of the first step portion and the second step portion.

2. The installation foot according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotation axis of the adjustment rotary disc and the screw rod is coaxial with the central axis of the adjustment rotary disc and the central axis of the screw rod; and

the adjustment rotary disc extends radially outwards from a bottom section of the screw rod.

3. The installation foot according to claim 1 , wherein

the first step portion is provided with an unthreaded hole running through a thickness direction of a main body plate surface of the first step portion;

the adjustment portion is positioned above the unthreaded hole; and

the installation foot further comprises a connecting piece, one end of which is fixedly connected to the adjustment portion or integrated with the adjustment portion to form a one-piece part, and the other end of which is matched with a lower peripheral edge of the unthreaded hole to limit the freedom of the adjustment portion to move in a straight line relative to the first step portion in its rotation axis direction.

4. The installation foot according to claim 3 , wherein

a bottom hole is reserved in the center of a bottom of the adjustment portion; and

the connecting piece comprises:

a screw having a main body portion screwed into the bottom hole, and a head portion located under the main body portion and engaged with the lower peripheral edge of the unthreaded hole; and

a washer, disposed between the head portion and the adjustment portion.

5. The installation foot according to claim 4 , wherein

a first annular flange and a second annular flange are formed on a lower surface of the adjustment portion; the central axis of the first annular flange is coaxial with that of the second annular flange; and the second annular flange is higher than the first annular flange;

the unthreaded hole allows the first annular flange to extend thereinto and rotatably fit therewith; and

the second annular flange is pressed against the first step portion.

6. The installation foot according to claim 1 , wherein

the adjustment rotary disc is disc-shaped; and

at least one groove or protrusion is formed on an outer peripheral edge of the adjustment rotary disc to match a wrench tool and/or a drive belt.

7. A refrigerator, comprising:

at least one installation foot according to claim 1 , disposed at a bottom of the refrigerator, the bottom of the refrigerator being provided with a threaded hole, and the screw rod being in a screwed connection with the threaded hole.

8. An installation foot, comprising:

a support base, a part of which forms a first step portion and a second step portion;

a roller wheel, rollably disposed below the second step portion; and

an adjustment portion, provided with a screw rod and an adjustment rotary disc, the screw rod being rotatably disposed at the first step portion, and the adjustment rotary disc being fixedly connected to the screw rod or integrated with the screw rod to form a one-piece part so as to drive the screw rod to rotate;

wherein the first step portion and the second step portion are both horizontal plate wall portions on the support base, and the second step portion is higher than the first step portion; and

wherein the adjustment rotary disc is disposed above the first step portion, and an upper surface of the adjustment rotary disc is flush with the second step portion.

9. The installation foot according to claim 8 , wherein

the rotation axis of the adjustment rotary disc and the screw rod is coaxial with the central axis of the adjustment rotary disc and the central axis of the screw rod; and

the adjustment rotary disc extends radially outwards from a bottom section of the screw rod.

10. The installation foot according to claim 8 , wherein

the first step portion is provided with an unthreaded hole running through a thickness direction of a main body plate surface of the first step portion;

the adjustment portion is positioned above the unthreaded hole; and

the installation foot further comprises a connecting piece, one end of which is fixedly connected to the adjustment portion or integrated with the adjustment portion to form a one-piece part, and the other end of which is matched with a lower peripheral edge of the unthreaded hole to limit the freedom of the adjustment portion to move in a straight line relative to the first step portion in its rotation axis direction.

11. The installation foot according to claim 10 , wherein

a bottom hole is reserved in the center of a bottom of the adjustment portion; and

the connecting piece comprises:

a screw having a main body portion screwed into the bottom hole, and a head portion located under the main body portion and engaged with the lower peripheral edge of the unthreaded hole; and

a washer, disposed between the head portion and the adjustment portion.

12. The installation foot according to claim 11 , wherein

a first annular flange and a second annular flange are formed on a lower surface of the adjustment portion; the central axis of the first annular flange is coaxial with that of the second annular flange; and the second annular flange is higher than the first annular flange;

the unthreaded hole allows the first annular flange to extend thereinto and rotatably fit therewith; and

the second annular flange is pressed against the first step portion.

13. The installation foot according to claim 8 , wherein

the roller wheel comprises a wheel shaft extending in a horizontal direction, and a wheel body rotating around the wheel shaft; and

the support base further comprises:

a vertical connecting portion, a bottom end of which is connected to one end of the first step portion, and a top end of which is connected to one end of the second step portion, an interstice being reserved between the vertical connecting portion and the adjustment rotary disc;

a lateral shaft connecting portion, extending downward from the second step portion and having a shaft hole for matching with the wheel shaft so as to enable the wheel shaft to be rotatably connected to the support base; and

an upturned fulcrum portion, used for a connection with a bottom of an apparatus on which the installation foot is installed, the upturned fulcrum portion and the adjustment portion being located on both sides of the roller wheel, respectively.

14. The installation foot according to claim 13 , wherein

the first step portion and the second step portion are disposed in turn in a horizontal direction;

the upturned fulcrum portion comprises a plurality of hanging lugs, which are disposed on the second step portion or the lateral shaft connecting portion, and the plurality of hanging lugs are spaced in the horizontal direction; and

an extending direction of the wheel shaft is parallel to a direction of a connecting line of the plurality of hanging lugs, and perpendicular to an arrangement direction of the first step portion and the second step portion.

15. The installation foot according to claim 8 , wherein

the adjustment rotary disc is disc-shaped; and

at least one groove or protrusion is formed on an outer peripheral edge of the adjustment rotary disc to match a wrench tool and/or a drive belt.

16. A refrigerator, comprising:

at least one installation foot according to claim 1 , disposed at a bottom of the refrigerator, the bottom of the refrigerator being provided with a threaded hole, and the screw rod being in a screwed connection with the threaded hole.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2022
From: WANG, CHANGZHI; FEI, BIN; XIA, ENPIN; ZHU, XIAOBING; LI, KANG
To: QINGDAO HAIER REFRIGERATOR CO., LTD.; HAIER SMART HOME CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062168/0010 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202010616653.8 · Jun 30, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230251016A1 · Aug 10, 2023
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