US20060117489A1

US20060117489A1 - Built in air blower to automatically open/close an air channel to inflate/deflate an air-cushioned bed

Info

Publication number: US20060117489A1
Application number: US11/006,553
Authority: US
Inventors: Chun-Chung Tsai
Original assignee: Ho Lee Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ho Lee Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-12-08
Filing date: 2004-12-08
Publication date: 2006-06-08

Abstract

A built in air blower for inflation/deflation an of air bed includes a casing adapted to be received in a side face of the air bed in an air tight manner. The casing has a body with a through hole defined in a side face of the body. An air blower having a mouth extends into the through hole and has an engaging plate formed inside the mouth. A nozzle assembly is sealingly connected to the through hole of the casing and has a hollow cylinder with two open ends and an annular flange to engage with the periphery of the through hole in an air tight manner. A crossbar is formed inside the hollow cylinder and a membrane is operably connected to the engaging plate to selectively close one of the two open ends of the hollow cylinder.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a built-in air blower inside an air-cushioned bed, and more particularly to a built-in air blower inside the air bed to inflate or deflate the air-cushioned bed.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional air-cushioned bed has a large air cell with air contained therein. Due to the cushion effect provided by the air in the air cell, the user lying on the air-cushioned bed is able to have excellent support. In order to facilitate the inflation and deflation of the air cell, the air cell is provided with an air nozzle communicating the interior of the air cell with surrounding air. The user is able to use an air compressor or the like to inflate or deflate the air cell via the air nozzle.
However, it is well known in the art that even if the size of the air compressor is small, it is still difficult to find suitable storage space for it. Furthermore, because airbeds tend to be used infrequently, such as only once or twice in the summer, it is easy for the compressor to become hidden from view by other things stored around it.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved built in air blower for an air-cushioned bed to mitigate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved built-in air blower for an air-cushioned bed so that the built in air blower is able to automatically open an air channel for inflating/deflating the air bed.
Another objective of the present invention is that the air blower is detachably received in a container such that either inflation or deflation of the air cell of the air-cushioned bed is easily accomplished.
Other objects, 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 schematic perspective view showing that an air blower is received in a casing;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the relation between the air blower and the casing;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a nozzle assembly mounted on the casing of the present invention; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the application of the air blower to activate movement of the nozzle assembly so as to inflate or deflate an air bed connected to the air blower of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, the air-blower of the present invention includes a casing (10) having a through hole (11) defined in a side face of the casing (10) so that an interior of the casing (10) is able to communicate with ambient air.
With reference to FIG. 2, it is noted that the air blower (60) is capable of sucking air from surrounding atmosphere into the through hole (11) and blowing air out of the air blower (60) via the through hole (11) so as to inflate or deflate an object, e.g. an air bed.
The casing (10) has a U-shaped cross section and further includes a body (not numbered), a sliding seat (24) formed on an inner side face of the body and a position plate (25) slidable with respect to the sliding seat (24).
The sliding seat (24) includes two oppositely formed ledges (241) each having a notch (2411) defined therein, a recessed area (242) defined centrally in a side face defining the sliding seat (24) and a limiting groove (243) defined in a top portion of a bottom face defining the recessed area (242). Two tracks (244) are respectively formed between the two ledges (241).
The position plate (25) includes two oppositely formed side walls (251) each having a position ear (2511) integrally extending out therefrom to correspond to the notches (2411) and a truncated edge (2512) formed on a lower portion of the side wall (251), a cap (252) formed between the two side walls (251), a U-shaped cut (253) defined in a lower portion of the position plate (25) to form therein a tongue (254) which has two bosses (2541) oppositely formed on a rear side face of the tongue (254) to correspond to the limiting groove (243). It is noted that the position plate (25) has two extensions (255) oppositely formed on the position plate (25) to correspond to the tracks (244) of the sliding seat (24).
It is to be noted that the casing (10) has a flange (not numbered) which is to be securely connected to a side face of the air-cushioned bed by any appropriate method known in the art. Therefore, when the flange is received in the air cushioned bed, the connection between the flange of the casing (10) and the side face of the air-cushioned bed is air tight and the through hole (11) communicates with the interior of the air-cushioned bed.
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a nozzle assembly is to be mounted on the casing (10) to connect to a periphery defining the through hole (11) of the casing (10). The nozzle assembly includes a base (30), a linkage (40) and a membrane (50).
The base (30) is a hollow cylinder with two open ends. An annular flange (300) is formed on a peripheral edge of one of the two open ends. A crossbar (31) is securely formed inside and across the base (30). The crossbar (31) has a central hole (32) centrally defined in the crossbar (31) and two positioning holes (33) (only one is shown in the drawing) defined in the crossbar (31) and spaced apart from each other by the central hole (32).
The linkage (40) includes a substrate (45), a central rod (41) centrally formed on a top face of the substrate (45) to correspond to and extend into the central hole (32) and two auxiliary rods (42) formed on the substrate (45) and spaced apart from each other by the central rod (41) to respectively correspond to and extend into the two positioning holes (33), a spring (43) compressibly mounted on an outer periphery of the central rod (41) and an annular stop (44) securely connected to a free end of the central rod (41) to position the spring (43) on the central rod (41). Besides, the linkage (40) has two apertures (46) oppositely formed on the substrate (45) relative to the auxiliary rods (42).
The membrane (50) has two extensions (51) formed on a side face of the membrane (50) to correspond to and extend into the two apertures (46) of the linkage (40).
With reference to FIG. 4, it is noted that when the nozzle assembly of the present invention is assembled, the central rod (41) and the two auxiliary rods (42) are respectively extended into the central hole (32) and the positioning holes (33). Then the two extensions (51) are extended into and securely received in the two apertures (46) of the linkage (40). Thereafter, the spring (46) is mounted onto the central rod (41) and the annular stop (44) is securely connected to the central rod (41) to securely sandwich the spring (43) with the crossbar (31).
Therefore, when the nozzle assembly is assembled with the casing (10), the annular flange (300) is securely engaged with the periphery defining the through hole (11) of the casing (10) in an air tight manner. An air blower (60) having a mouth (61), a axle (62), and blades (64) operably connected to the air blower (60), is received in the casing (10). Then after the mouth (61) is extended into the through hole (11), an engaging plate (601) securely formed inside the mouth (61) is able to engage with and push the annular stop (44), which compresses the spring (43) to store a recovery force in the spring (43). Because the annular stop (44) is securely connected to the central rod (41), after the annular stop (44) is pushed by the engaging plate (601), the linkage (40) together with the membrane (50) is moved away from a periphery defining the through hole (11) of the casing (10) so that a gap (70) is defined between the membrane (50) and a periphery defining the through hole (11). After the inflation/deflation process is finished, the force applied to the annular stop (44) is removed so that the membrane (50) together with the linkage (40) is returned to its original position, which seals the through hole (11) in an air tight manner.
Thereafter, with the change of rotation direction of the blades (64), the air blower (60) is able to expedite inflation and deflation to the air bed without involvement of any additional labor after inflation or deflation is finished.
It is to be understood, however, that 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, and 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. A built in air blower for inflation/deflation an air bed, the air blower comprising:

a casing adapted to be received in a side face of the air bed in an air tight manner, the casing having a body with a U-shaped cross section and a through hole defined in a side face of the body;

an air blower having a mouth extending into the through hole and having an engaging plate formed inside the mouth; and

a nozzle assembly sealingly connected to a periphery defining the through hole of the casing and having a hollow cylinder with two open ends and an annular flange to engage with the periphery of the through hole in an air tight manner, a crossbar formed inside the hollow cylinder and a membrane operably connected to the engaging plate to selectively close one of the two open ends of the hollow cylinder thereby allow air from the air blower to escape from the air bed or to enter the air bed; and

a securing device securely formed in the body to selectively retain the air blower inside the casing.

2. The air blower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle assembly further has a linkage sandwiched between the membrane and the engaging plate to drive movement of the membrane.

3. The air blower as claimed in claim 2, wherein the linkage includes a substrate, a central rod formed on top of the substrate and two auxiliary rods formed on top of the substrate and spaced apart from each other by the central rod, the crossbar has a central hole defined through the crossbar to correspond to and receive an extension of the central rod, two positioning holes defined in the crossbar and spaced apart from each other by the central hole to correspond to and securely receive therein the two auxiliary rods, an annular stop securely connected to a top portion of the central rod to sandwich a spring with the crossbar such that the linkage is able to move relative to the hollow cylinder.

4. The air blower as claimed in claim 3, wherein the substrate further has two apertures defined in the substrate to correspond to and receive therein two extensions formed on the membrane so that the movement of the linkage is able to drive the membrane to move and the through hole of the casing is selectively closed/opened.

5. The air blower as claimed in claim 4, wherein the securing device includes:

a sliding seat with two oppositely defined tracks each provided with a notch defined therein, a recessed area defined between the two tracks; and

a position plate slidably connected to the sliding seat along the tracks and having two position ears respectively and oppositely formed on a side wall and a cap formed between the two side walls to engage and secure the air blower inside the body after the two position ears are received in the two notches.

6. The air-cushioned bed assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein a limiting groove is defined in a top portion of the recessed area, the position plate has a U-shaped cut to form a tongue having two opposed bosses formed to correspond to the limiting groove.

7. The air-cushioned bed assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein each side wall has a truncated edge formed on a lower portion thereof such that when the position plate is moved along the tracks, the two truncated edges of the two side walls engage with the air blower to force the outlet of the air blower to be received in the through hole.

8. The air-cushioned bed assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein a bottom face defining the recessed area is tilted so that when the tongue is moved along the recessed area, the tongue is abutted by the bottom face of the recessed area due to the bosses and the bosses will be received in the limiting groove while the air blower is being removed from the body.