Adjustable roller assembly

Abstract

An adjustable roller assembly for a household appliance includes a mounting base, an adjustable foot, and a height adjusting ring. The mounting base is configured to attach to a household appliance. The adjustable foot is configured to slidably engage the mounting base, and the height adjusting ring is configured to threadably engage the adjustable foot. Based at least on a rotation of the height adjusting ring, the height adjusting ring is configured to adjust a position of the adjustable foot relative to the mounting base to at least one of raise and lower a household appliance relative to the adjustable foot. A household appliance including an adjustable roller assembly is also provided as are methods of assembling an adjustable roller assembly in a household appliance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adjustable roller assembly for a household appliance comprising:
 a mounting base configured to attach to a household appliance;   an adjustable foot configured to slidably engage the mounting base; and   a height adjusting ring configured to engage the adjustable foot; wherein, based at least on a rotation of the height adjusting ring, the height adjusting ring is configured to adjust a position of the adjustable foot relative to the mounting base to at least one of raise and lower the household appliance relative to the adjustable foot.   
     
     
         2 . The adjustable roller assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable foot comprises a roller configured to contact a surface to permit rolling movement of the household appliance on the surface. 
     
     
         3 . The adjustable roller assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting base comprises a channel within which the adjustable foot is configured to slide. 
     
     
         4 . The adjustable roller assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the adjustable foot comprises at least one protrusion configured to engage at least one slot formed on an inner surface of the channel. 
     
     
         5 . The adjustable roller assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the slot comprises an end against which the at least one protrusion is configured to contact to prevent the adjustable foot from sliding completely out of the channel. 
     
     
         6 . The adjustable roller assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the height adjusting ring comprises a plurality of projections arranged around an exterior perimeter thereof, the plurality of projections being configured to permit a user to grip the height adjusting ring to impart a rotational force thereon. 
     
     
         7 . The adjustable roller assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting base comprises a surface to which foamed-in insulation is configured to adhere to secure the mounting base to a household appliance. 
     
     
         8 . The adjustable roller assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the surface comprises additional structure to provide increased surface area to which the foamed-in insulation is configured to adhere. 
     
     
         9 . The adjustable roller assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the additional structure comprises a honeycomb pattern. 
     
     
         10 . The adjustable roller assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the mounting base further comprises a recess formed on a side thereof to which foamed-in insulation is configured to adhere to further secure the mounting base to a household appliance. 
     
     
         11 . A household appliance comprising an adjustable roller assembly, wherein the adjustable roller assembly comprises:
 a mounting base attached to the household appliance;   an adjustable foot slidably engaged with the mounting base; and   a height adjusting ring threadably engaged with the adjustable foot; wherein, based at least on a rotation of the height adjusting ring, the height adjusting ring adjusts a position of the adjustable foot relative to the mounting base to at least one of raise and lower the household appliance relative to the adjustable foot.   
     
     
         12 . The household appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the household appliance comprises:
 at least one of a frame and cabinet, and wherein the at least one of a frame and cabinet comprises an aperture within which at least a portion of the mounting base is positioned.   
     
     
         13 . The household appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the adjustable foot comprises a roller configured to contact a surface to permit rolling movement of the household appliance on the surface. 
     
     
         14 . The household appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the mounting base comprises a surface to which foamed-in insulation adheres to secure the mounting base to the household appliance. 
     
     
         15 . The household appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the surface comprises additional structure to which the foamed-in insulation adheres. 
     
     
         16 . The household appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the mounting base comprises a channel within which the adjustable foot is configured to slide, and wherein the adjustable foot comprises at least one protrusion configured to engage at least one slot formed on an inner surface of the channel. 
     
     
         17 . A method of assembling an adjustable roller assembly in a household appliance comprising:
 providing a household appliance having an aperture formed therein   positioning a mounting base into the aperture   foaming insulation in the household appliance wherein at least a portion of the insulation contacts a surface of the mounting base to, at least in part, secure the mounting base to the household appliance, the adjustable roller assembly comprising   an adjustable foot configured to slidably engage the mounting base; and   a height adjusting ring configured to threadably engage the adjustable foot;   
       wherein, based at least on a rotation of the height adjusting ring, the height adjusting ring is configured to adjust a position of the adjustable foot relative to the mounting base to at least one of raise and lower the household appliance relative to the adjustable foot. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the aperture is formed in at least one of a frame and a cabinet of the household appliance. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: attaching the mounting base to the household appliance with a fastener prior to foaming insulation in the household appliance. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising removing the fastener after foaming insulation in the household appliance, wherein removing the fastener provides an attachment location on the household appliance, and then attaching a component of the household appliance to the household appliance with at least one of the removed fastener and another fastener at the attachment location.