US20120107157A1

US20120107157A1 - Air pump having an impeller with double-sided blades

Info

Publication number: US20120107157A1
Application number: US12/914,962
Authority: US
Inventors: Chun-Chung Tsai
Original assignee: Dongguan Tiger Point Metal and Plastic Products Co Ltd
Current assignee: Dongguan Tiger Point Metal and Plastic Products Co Ltd
Priority date: 2010-10-28
Filing date: 2010-10-28
Publication date: 2012-05-03

Abstract

An air pump having an impeller with double-sided blades is mounted outside an inflatable product, and has a body and a blower. The body has a first air chamber and a second air chamber communicating with each other, a first air inlet and a second air inlet formed at two ends of the first air chamber, and multiple first supplement air inlets formed through the body to communicate with the second air chamber. The blower has a motor and an impeller. The impeller driven by the motor has multiple double-sided blades capable of efficiently inflating air from the multiple first supplement air inlets or deflating air from the first air inlet. The air pump achieves to be more efficient in inflating and deflating the inflatable product, and structurally simplified to facilitate production and assembly of the air pump and cost reduction in production and assembly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air pump, and more particularly to an air pump mounted outside an inflatable product to be inflated or deflated, and having an impeller with double-sided blades formed on the impeller for enhancing the inflation efficiency and deflation efficiency of the air pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
Air pumps are critical parts for inflatable products such as inflatable mattress, inflatable jumping bed, inflatable sofa, inflatable toy, above ground pool and the like, and are usually mounted inside inflatable bodies of the inflatable products for the purpose of rapidly inflating and deflating and maintaining pressure of the inflatable products. Accordingly, the inflatable products can be in use or stored after being inflated or deflated. Despite having the functions of inflation, deflation and maintaining pressure, the inflatable products with air pumps are practically unsatisfactory in performing the aforementioned functions and lag far behind in achieving the expected operation effect. One of the shortcomings of the air pumps is the increasingly complicated air pump design pursuing for multi-functional features and automation. The consequence is that the number of parts constantly increases to result in a lower yield in production and rising material cost, mold cost and production cost and in turn less competitive edge in the market. Another drawback is that conventional air pumps adopt an impeller having single-sided blades which is a less efficient design setting a barrier limiting the performance of inflation and deflation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide an air pump having an impeller with double-sided blades that is mounted outside an inflatable product to be inflated or deflated, and has double-sided blades on the impeller for enhancing the inflation efficiency and deflation efficiency of the air pump.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the air pump having an impeller with double-sided blades has a body, a blower, two air valves and a power switch.
The body has a wall, a first air chamber, a second air chamber, a first air inlet, a second air inlet, multiple first supplement air inlets and a second supplement air inlet. The first air chamber is formed inside the body. The second air chamber is formed inside the body and defined by the wall. The first air inlet is formed at one end of the first air chamber. The second air inlet is formed at another end of the first air chamber. The first supplement air inlets are formed through the wall of the body and adapted to communicate with a surrounding environment. The second supplement air inlet is formed between and communicates with the first air chamber and the second air chamber.
The blower is mounted inside the body and has a motor and an impeller. The motor is mounted in the second air chamber. The impeller is mounted in the first air chamber, is connected with and driven by the motor to generate air flow, and has multiple blades and multiple air guide channels. The blades are formed on and protrude from two opposite sides of the impeller. The air guide channels respectively communicate with the first air inlet and the second supplement air inlet. Each of the air guide channels is formed between two corresponding adjacent blades.
The air valves are mounted in the body, and are activated and deactivated to respectively close and open the first supplement air inlets.
The power switch is mounted on the body, and is electrically connected with the motor.
Due to the impeller having the double-sided blades and the air guide channels, air can be efficiently inflated to an inflatable product through two paths respectively going through the first air inlet, the first air chamber and the second air inlet to the inflatable product and going through the first supplement air inlets, the second air chamber, the second supplement air inlet, the first air chamber and the second air inlet to the inflatable product, or deflated air from the inflatable product respectively through the first air inlet to the second air inlet, and through the deflation passage, the air guide channels of the impeller opposite to the first air inlet to the second air inlet. As the air flow increases in inflation and deflation, the inflation and deflation efficiency of the air pump is enhanced accordingly.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air pump having an impeller with double-sided bladed in accordance with the present invention

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the air pump in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of an impeller of the air pump in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an operational front view in partial section of the air pump in FIG. 1 when the air pump is inflating;

FIG. 5 is another operational front view in partial section of the air pump in FIG. 1 when the air pump is deflating;

FIG. 6 is an operational side view in partial section of the air pump in FIG. 1 when no inflatable product is mounted to a first air inlet and an air valve is in an open state;

FIG. 7 is another operational side view in partial section of the air pump in FIG. 1 when an inflatable product is mounted to a first air inlet and an air valve is in an closed state; and

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of the air pump in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, an air pump having an impeller with double-sided blades has a body 10, a blower 20, a power switch 30 and two air valves 40.
The body 10 has a top casing 11 and a bottom casing 12. The top casing 11 has a first air chamber 111, a first air inlet 112, a second air inlet 113 and a deflation passage 115. The first air chamber 111 is formed inside the top casing 11. The first air inlet 112 is formed at one end of the first air chamber 111, and the second air inlet 113 is formed at another end of the first air chamber 111. The first and second air inlets 112, 113 are circular openings and protrude from the body 10. The deflation passage 115 is formed inside the top casing 11 and communicates with the first air inlet 112. The bottom casing 12 is combined on a bottom of the top casing 11, and has a second air chamber 121, multiple first supplement air inlets 122, and a second supplement air inlet 114. The second air chamber 121 is defined between the bottom of the top casing 11 and the bottom casing 12. The first supplement air inlets 122 are elongated, are respectively formed through and arranged in two columns on a front and a rear of the bottom casing 12, and communicate with a surrounding environment. The second supplement air inlet 114 is formed through the bottom of the top casing 11 and communicates with the first air chamber 111, the second air chamber 121 and the deflation passage 115.
The blower 20 has a motor 21 and an impeller 22. The motor 21 is mounted in the bottom casing 12 and has a spindle 211. The impeller 22 is mounted in the first air chamber 111 of the top casing 11 and is connected with the spindle 211 of the motor 21, and is driven by the motor 21 to generate air flow. The impeller 22 has a disk 221, a rotation shaft 225, multiple blades 222 and multiple air guide channels. The rotation shaft 225 is centrally and perpendicularly formed through the disk 221. Each of the blades 222 is formed on and protrudes from the rotation shaft 225 and one of two opposite sides of the disk 221, and radially extends from the rotation shaft 225 and axially protrudes from the disk 221. Each of the air guide channels is formed between two corresponding adjacent blades 222, is radially and outwardly widened from the rotation shaft 225, and has a radial open side 223 and an axial open side 224. The radial open side 223 is defined between the two blades 222 at a position away from the rotation shaft 225, and serves to discharge air in the air guide channel therethrough. The radial open side 223 facing the second air inlet 113 communicates with the second air inlet 113. The axial open side 224 is defined between the two blades 222 at a position adjacent to the rotation shaft 225, and serves to charge air into the air guide channel therethrough. The axial open sides 224 facing the first air inlet 112 communicates with the first air inlet 112. The axial open sides 224 facing the second supplement air inlet 114 communicate with the second supplement air inlet 114.
The power switch 30 is mounted on the body 10 and electrically connected with the motor 21 in series to operate the motor 21.
The air valves 40 are mounted through the body 10, and each of the air valves 40 has a sliding board 41, a pressing member 42, and a spring 43. The sliding board 41 has multiple air vents 411 mounted through the sliding board 41 and arranged in two columns to correspond to the first supplement air inlets 122. The sliding board 41 is movable to align or misalign the air vents 411 with or from the first supplement air inlets 122 so that the second air chamber 121 selectively communicates with or is sealed from the surrounding environment. The pressing member 42 is mounted on a top of the sliding board 41, and has a top end protruding beyond the body 10 and located beside the first air inlet 112. The spring 43 is mounted underneath the top end of the pressing member 42 to keep the top end of the pressing member 42 protruding beyond the body 10 when the pressing member 42 is not pressed or is released. When the pressing member 42 is not pressed, the first supplement air inlets 122 are opened initially. When the pressing member 42 is pressed down, the spring 43 is compressed, the sliding board 41 is moved down, the air vents 411 misalign with the first supplement air inlets 122, and the second air chamber 121 is sealed from the surrounding environment. After the pressing member 42 is released, the top end of the pressing member 42 is ejected to protrude beyond the body 10 by the elastic force of the spring 43, the sliding board 41 is moved up, the air vents 411 align with the first supplement air inlets 122, and the second air chamber 121 communicates with the surrounding environment.
To inflate and deflate an inflatable product with the air pump, the operation is described as follows. When the air pump inflates the inflatable product 50, the first air inlet 112 and the first supplement air inlets 122 communicate with the surrounding environment. With further reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, the second air inlet 113 is connected to the inflatable product 50, the power switch 30 is switched on to start the motor 21. The motor 21 drives the impeller 22 to rotate and rapidly charge the inflatable product 50 with air flowing in two paths. Air flowing in the first path sequentially goes through the first air inlet 112, the first air chamber 111 and the second air inlet 113 to enter the inflatable product 50. Air flowing in the second path goes through the first supplement air inlets 122, the second air chamber 121, the second supplement air inlet 114, the first air chamber 111 and the second air inlet 113 to enter the inflatable product 50. When the inflatable product 50 is fully charged with air, the power switch 30 is switched off, and an air inlet of the inflatable product is sealed.
When the air pump deflates, the first air inlet 112 is connected to the inflatable product 50, and the second air inlet 113 communicates with the surrounding environment. With further reference to FIG. 5, the first air inlet 112 is connected to the inflatable product 50, and the pressing member 42 of the air valve 40 beside the first air inlet 112 is pressed down by the connected inflatable product 50. With further reference to FIG. 7, the sliding board 41 of the air valve 40 is moved down when the pressing member 42 is pressed down, and the air vents 41 on the sliding board 41 misalign with the first supplement air inlets 122 so that the first supplement air inlets 122 are blocked and the second air chamber 121 is sealed from the surrounding environment. The power switch 30 is switched on to start the motor 21. The motor 21 drives the impeller 22 to rotate and rapidly discharge air in the inflatable product 50 through the first air inlet 112 to the second air inlet 113. Meanwhile, air in the inflatable product 50 can also pass through the deflation passage 115 to enter the axial open sides 224 of the impeller 22 opposite to the first air inlet 112. With the double-sided axial open sides 224 on the impeller 22, the deflation efficiency of the air pump is enhanced. When air of the inflatable product 50 is fully discharged, the power switch 30 is switched off.
The features and advantages of the air pump in accordance with the present invention are as follows.
(1) With the design of the double-sided blades 222 of the impeller 22 and the air inlets 112, 113, 114, 115 and air chambers 111, 121, the structure layout of the air pump is optimized to facilitate simplification of the product structure, production and assembly of all parts of the product, thereby enhancing the production efficiency and lowering the production cost.
(2) The air pump is mounted outside an inflatable product to inflate or deflate the inflatable product. Users can properly inflate or deflate an inflatable product based on a customized air capacity demand to make the operation of the air pump simpler and more convenient.
(3) The double-sided blades 222 of the impeller 22 can enhance the performance of the blower 20 related to that provided by the single-sided blades of the impeller in a conventional air pump. The air flow capacity and speed are significantly increased. As a result, the inflation efficiency is greatly raised.
(4) The deflation passage 115 formed beside the impeller 22 to communicate with the first air inlet 112 and the second supplement air inlet 114 allows air to enter the axial open sides 224 of the impeller 22 opposite to the first air inlet 112. Accordingly, when the air pump deflates, air can be alternatively exhausted through the double-sided axial open sides 224 of the impeller 22, thereby increasing the deflation efficiency of the air pump.
(5) The first supplement air inlets 122 can be opened or closed by controlling the air valve 40. When the inflatable product 50 is mounted to the first air inlet 112, the pressing member 42 of the air valve 40 can be pressed down by the inflatable product 50 to close the first supplement air inlets.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. An air pump comprising:

a body having:

a wall;

a first air chamber formed inside the body;

a second air chamber formed inside the body and defined by the wall;

a first air inlet formed at one end of the first air chamber;

a second air inlet formed at another end of the first air chamber;

multiple first supplement air inlets formed through the wall of the body and adapted to communicate with a surrounding environment; and

a second supplement air inlet formed between and communicating with the first air chamber and the second air chamber;

a blower mounted inside the body and having:

a motor mounted in the second air chamber; and

an impeller mounted in the first air chamber, connected with and driven by the motor to generate air flow, and having:

multiple blades formed on and protruding from two opposite sides of the impeller;

multiple air guide channels respectively communicating with the first air inlet and the second supplement air inlet, each of the air guide channels formed between two corresponding adjacent blades;

two air valves mounted through the body, and activated and deactivated to respectively close and open the first supplement air inlets; and

a power switch mounted on the body, and electrically connected with the motor.

2. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the impeller further has:

a disk having two opposite sides; and

a rotation shaft centrally and perpendicularly formed through the disk;

each of the blades is formed on the rotation shaft and one of the two opposite sides of the disk, and radially extends from the rotation shaft and axially protrudes from the disk; and

each of the air guide channels is radially and outwardly widened from the rotation shaft, and has:

a radial open side defined between the two blades, and positioned away from the rotation shaft, wherein the radial open side facing the second air inlet communicates with the second air inlet; and

an axial open side defined between the two blades, and positioned adjacent to the rotation shaft, wherein the axial open side facing the first air inlet communicates with the first air inlet, and the axial open side facing the second supplement air inlet communicates with the second supplement air inlet.

3. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body further has a deflation passage formed inside the body and communicating with the first air inlet and the second supplement air inlet.

4. The air pump as claimed in claim 2, wherein the body further has a deflation passage formed inside the body and communicating with the first air inlet and the second supplement air inlet.

5. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the air valves has:

a sliding board having multiple air vents mounted through the sliding board, corresponding to the first supplement air inlets, being movable to align and misalign the air vents with the first supplement air inlets, and having a top;

a pressing member mounted on the top of the sliding board, and having a top end protruding beyond the body and located beside the first air inlet; and

a spring mounted underneath the top end of the pressing member to keep the top end of the pressing member protruding beyond the body when the pressing member is not pressed.

6. The air pump as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the air valves has:

7. The air pump as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the air valves has:

8. The air pump as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the air valves has: