US20070160485A1

US20070160485A1 - Air pump with air noise reduction structure

Info

Publication number: US20070160485A1
Application number: US11/642,776
Authority: US
Inventors: T. C. Huang
Original assignee: TRICORE Corp
Current assignee: TRICORE Corp
Priority date: 2006-01-06
Filing date: 2006-12-21
Publication date: 2007-07-12
Also published as: TWM292016U; DE202007000117U1; GB0625866D0; DE102006061039A1; GB2433966A; FR2897906A1

Abstract

An air pump operably by a motor to pump air is disclosed to include a body, an airbag unit, which is mounted in the body has multiple airbags each having an air chamber, a lifting mechanism rotatable by the motor to move the airbags to pump air, and an air control unit coupled to the airbag unit for exhaust of air from the airbags, said air control unit comprising a partition plate having inlet holes and outlet holes respectively disposed in air communication with the air chambers of the airbag of the airbag unit, an air control valve having inlet flaps to control air into or stop out via said inlet holes of the partition plate, and a top cap having a cap body formed an exhaust hole, air intake tunnels in communication between the inlet flaps and outer lateral peripheral of the cap body and opened air intake openings.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air pumps and more particularly, to an air pump having an improved air noise reduction structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional air pump is known comprising an airbag unit, which defines therein a plurality of air chambers, a partition plate, which has inlet holes and outlet holes respectively disposed in communication with the air chambers, a control valve, which has air inlet flaps and outlet flaps corresponding to the inlet holes and the outlet holes, a top cap, which has air inlets and air outlets respectively corresponding to the air inlet flaps and the outlet flaps, and an exhaust hole. The airbags are moved to suck in air through the air inlets and to force air out of the exhaust hole.
The aforesaid prior art air pump has a complicated structure formed of a big number of parts, the noise of air suck in and/or air exhaust out from the air pump too laud, resulting in an uncomfortable in use; further, the conventional air pump complicated installation procedure and high manufacturing cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide an air pump, which has an air inlet structure for reducing the noise during an air sucking into the air pump. It is another objects of the present invention to provide an air pump, which has an air outlet structure for reducing the noise during an air exhausting out the air pump.
To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the air pump is coupled to a motor and adapted to pump air upon rotation of the motor. The air pump comprises a body; an airbag unit mounted in the body, the airbag unit comprising an airbag, the airbag having an air chamber; a lifting mechanism rotatable by the motor, the lifting mechanism having an arm connected to the airbag and adapted to move the airbag to pump air; and an air control unit coupled to the airbag unit, said air control unit comprising a partition plate having an inlet hole disposed in air communication with the air chamber of the airbag of the airbag unit, an air control valve having an inlet flap to control air into or stop out via said inlet hole of the partition plate, and a top cap having a cap body formed an exhaust hole, an air intake tunnel radially in communication between the inlet flap and an outer lateral peripheral of the cap body and opened an air intake opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an air pump in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plain view in an exploded status of the air pump according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view in an exploded status of a part of the air pump according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a part of the air pump according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is another exploded view of a part of the air pump according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is still another exploded view of a part of the air pump according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a top end assembly view of the air pump according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1˜6, an air pump in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown movable with the shaft M2 of a motor M to pump air.
The air pump comprises a body formed of a holder 10 and a cover 20, an airbag unit 30, a lifting mechanism formed of a crank 40 and a rotary member 50, and an air control unit formed of a partition plate 70 and an air control valve 80 and a top cap 90.
The holder 10 is affixed to the motor M with two screw bolts B1, having a holder body 11 defining a receiving open chamber 12, a through hole 14 cut through the center of the bottom wall thereof in communication with the receiving open chamber 12 for the passing of the shaft M2 of the motor M, and three mounting portions (mounting holes) 19.
The cover 20 has a cover body 21 covered on the holder body 11 of the holder 10 to close the receiving open chamber 12, three mounting portions (mounting holes) 29 formed in the cover body 21 corresponding to the mounting portions 19 of the holder 10, and three airbag receiving portions (airbag receiving holes) 23 formed in the cover body 21.
The airbag unit 30 has a mounting plate 31, and three airbags 33 connected to the mounting plate 31 and respectively received in the airbag receiving portion 23 of the cover 20. Each airbag 33 has an air chamber 34, a coupling portion 35.
The crank 40 has a shaft 41, which has an axial hole 42, three arms 43 extended from the shaft 41 and respectively connected to the coupling portions 35 of the airbags 33 of the airbag unit 30. Each arm 43 has a head 45 coupled to the coupling hole 35 of one airbag 33.
The rotary member 50 has a base 51 connected to the shaft M2 of the motor M for rotation with the shaft M2, and an oblique shaft 53 obliquely extended from the base 51 and coupled with a steel ball 55 to the axial hole 42 of the shaft 41 of the crank 40.
The partition plate 70 has a body 71 connected to the top side of the mounting plate 31 of the airbag unit 30, three inlet holes 73 and three outlet holes 74 respectively disposed in air communication with the air chambers 34 of the airbags 33 of the airbag unit 30, and three mounting portions 79 respectively fastened to the mounting portions 29 of the cover 20.
The air control valve 80 has a valve body 81 fastened to the partition plate 70, three inlet flaps 83 and three outlet flaps 84 respectively protruded from the valve body 81 and adapted to close/open the inlet holes 73 and outlet holes 74 of the partition plate 70, and three mounting portions 89.
The top cap 90 has a cap body 91 mounted on the air control valve 80, a chamber 92 defined in the cap body 91 corresponding to the outlet flaps 84 of the air control valve 80, an exhaust barrel 93 formed an exhaust hole 94 in air communication with the chamber 92, three air intake tunnel 95 of penetrating holes radially in communication between the chamber 92 and an outer lateral peripheral of the cap body 91 and opened an air intake opening 96, each air intake tunnel 95 intake the air from the corresponding inlet flap 83 individually, three flap rooms 97, three air outlet tunnels 98 formed of a continuous arched shape route in air communication with the chamber 92 and exhaust hole 94, each outlet tunnel 98 exhaust the air to the exhaust hole 94, and three mounting portions 99.
Further, three screw bolts B3 are inserted through the mounting portions 99, 89, 79 and 29 of the top cap 90, air control valve 80, partition plate 70 and cover 20 and fastened to the mounting portions 19 of the holder 10 to affix the related parts together.
Referring to FIG. 5, when the motor M is started to rotate the rotary member 50, the oblique shaft 53 of the rotary member 50 drives the crank 40, causing the arms 43 of the crank 40 to reciprocate the airbags 33 alternatively.
When one airbag 33 is moved downwards, it breathes in air, and the associating outlet flap 84 is forced by the suction force to close the associating outlet hole 74 of the partition plate 70, and at the same time the associating inlet flap 83 curved apart the opening of the air intake tunnel 95 for allowing air to pass through the associating inlet hole 73 into the associating air chamber 34.
The air intake opening 96 opened on the outer lateral peripheral of the cap body 91 capable of sucking more air at a predetermine time, and the elongated air intake tunnel 95 let the air flow smooth; therefore, the air pump achieve reducing the air noise during air suck into the air pump.
On the contrary, when one airbag 33 is moved upwards, the associating inlet flap 83 is forced by air pressure to stop the wall of the chamber 92 and to further block the passage between the air intake tunnel 95 and the associating air chamber 34, and at the same time the associating outlet flap 84 is forced by the air pressure to open the associating outlet hole 74 of the partition plate 70 for enabling air to pass through the air outlet tunnel 98 of the top cap 90 and the chamber 92 of the top cap 90 to the outside via the exhaust hole 94.
Because the air outlet tunnel 98 is formed of a continuous arched shape route, it reduce the air friction to the inner wall of the air outlet tunnel 98, therefore, the air pump achieve reducing the noise of the air flow during air exhaust out the air pump via going through the air outlet tunnels 98 of the top cap 90.
In the aforesaid embodiment of the present invention, said top cap and partition plate can made integrally to less the assembly and reduce the cost; further, the inlet flap and outlet flap are individual for convenient replacement; further more, the top cap can further comprises a plurality of auxiliary intake holes in communication with said air intake tunnel to enabling more reduction or air noise during sucking air innerwards.
As indicated above, the air pump of the present invention has the following benefits:
1. The air intake structure of the air pump capable of reducing the air noise during an air sucking into the air pump.
2. The air outlet structure of the air pump capable of reducing the air noise during an air exhausting out the air pump.

Claims

1. An air pump coupled to a motor and adapted to pump air upon rotation of said motor, the air pump comprising:

a body;

an airbag unit mounted in said body, said airbag unit comprising an airbag, said airbag having an air chamber;

a lifting mechanism rotatable by said motor, said lifting mechanism having an arm connected to said airbag and adapted to move said airbag to pump air, and an air inlet in air communication with the air inlet of said airbag;

an air control unit coupled to said airbag unit, said air control unit comprising a partition plate having an inlet hole disposed in air communication with the air chamber of the airbag of the airbag unit, an air control valve having an inlet flap to control air into or stop out via said inlet hole of the partition plate, and a top cap having a cap body formed an exhaust hole, an air intake tunnel radially in communication between the inlet flap and an outer lateral peripheral of the cap body and opened an air intake opening.

2. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air intake tunnel of the top cap is formed of a penetrating hole.

3. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top cap further having a plurality of auxiliary intake holes in communication with said air intake tunnel.

4. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said partition plate of the air control unit further having an outlet hole in air communication with said the air chambers of the airbag unit.

5. The air pump as claimed in claim 4, wherein said air control valve further having an outlet flap for closing/opening the outlet hole of said partition plate of the air control unit.

6. The air pump as claimed in claim 5, wherein said top cap of the air control unit further having a flap room for receiving said outlet flap of the air control valve.

7. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top cap further having an air outlet tunnel in air communication between said chamber and exhaust hole.

8. The air pump as claimed in claim 7, wherein said outlet tunnel of the top cap is formed of a continuous arched shape route.

9. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top cap further having a chamber concaved from a bottom of the cap body, said chamber being provided receiving of the air control valve.

10. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top cap and partition plate are made integrally.