Single Direction Air Pump Assembly with Dual Flowpaths
A pump assembly for an inflatable structure comprises a blower unit disposed in a housing configured to move air in a single direction from an inlet in the housing to an outlet in the housing. A connector is in communication with the housing outlet. The connector is adapted to connect the pump assembly to an inflatable structure to allow inflation and deflation of the inflatable structure. A base is provided with first and second valve bodies positionable in the base for selective movement between inflate and deflate positions. The first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with the connector and the second valve body aligns the housing inlet with atmosphere in the inflate position. The second valve body aligns the connector in communication with the housing inlet and the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with atmosphere in the deflate position.
Latest Patents:
1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to fluid pumps, and more particularly, the disclosure is directed to an air pump and a control for the air pump for supplying air under pressure to an air mattress and evacuating air from an air mattress.
2. Related Art
Air beds use air mattresses to provide an adjustable level of support and comfort for the user. Air mattresses are often inflated with motor-driven blowers and pumps. Controls on the motors are used to adjust the level of inflation. This disclosure is directed to a simplified construction for a pump for an inflatable structure, such as an air mattress, that allows a user to quickly inflate and deflate the inflatable structure as needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect of the invention, a pump assembly for an inflatable body is provided. The pump assembly comprises a blower unit disposed in a housing that is configured to move air in a single direction from an inlet in the housing to an outlet in the housing. The pump assembly further comprises a connector in communication with the housing outlet that is adapted to connect the pump assembly to an inflatable body to allow inflation and deflation of an inflatable body. The pump assembly also comprises a base with first and second valve bodies positionable in the base for selected movement between inflate and deflate positions, where the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with the connector and the second valve body aligns the housing inlet with atmosphere in the inflate position, and where the second valve body aligns the connector in communication with the housing inlet and the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with atmosphere in the deflate position. The pump assembly also comprises a control for selectively positioning the first and second valve bodies between inflate and deflate positions.
In another aspect of the invention, an inflatable and deflatable product is provided. The inflatable product has a body with an interior adapted to hold air at pressure. The inflatable body also has a port communicating with the interior that is adapted to receive air into the interior and discharge air from the interior. The inflatable product comprises a blower unit disposed in a housing that is adapted to move air in a single direction from an inlet in the housing to an outlet in the housing. The inflatable product further comprises a base with first and second valve bodies positionable in the base for selected movement between inflate and deflate positions, where the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with the port and the second valve body seals the port from the housing inlet in the inflate position, and where the second valve body aligns the port in communication with the housing inlet and the first valve body seals the port from the housing outlet in the deflate position. The inflatable product further comprises a control for selectively positioning the first and second valve bodies between inflate and deflate positions.
Further features and advantages of the apparatus of the present disclosure, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the apparatus of the disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure and together with descriptions, serve to explain the principles of the apparatus of the disclosure. In the drawings:
In an alternative construction (not shown), the pump assembly may be formed with a plurality of connectors so that one pump assembly unit may inflate a plurality of inflatable bodies. For instance, the inflatable product may comprise a two-chamber air mattress. Accordingly, the pump assembly may be formed with two connectors for inflation of each chamber of the air mattress. A conduit may extend from each connector to the port associated with each chamber of the air mattress so that one pump unit can inflate and/or deflate both chambers of the air mattress simultaneously and remotely. Alternatively, a single pump unit may be associated with each chamber of an air mattress to allow independent inflation and deflation of each chamber of the air mattress. In such an embodiment, one pump assembly may be dedicated to a specific chamber in an air mattress.
As shown in
Referring to
The connector 24 is preferably integrally formed with the cover 148 for instance as a union-type connector which releasably interlocks with the port by tightening the threaded collar. The connector's attachment to the port secures the pump assembly to the inflatable structure. A wide strap 170 extending from an exterior of the inflatable structure 26 may be lashed around the pump assembly 20 and releasably secured back on the strap 170 with snaps 172 or to the pump assembly itself (not shown) to support the pump assembly against the inflatable structure.
As described in more detail below, a solenoid valve 180 (
The operation of the solenoid valves 180a, 180b will be described in greater detail below with reference to
Through action of the blower unit 80, inflation air is drawn into the pump assembly at the rear 30 of the pump assembly and then through the second set of apertures 124 formed in the perforated plate 120 of the rear of the base. Inflation air then flows through the second duct 114 across the second solenoid 180b. Inflation air is then drawn across the rear valve seat 140 into the second passage 132 and into the motor compartment 86 via the housing inlet 96. Inflation air flows through the motor compartment 86 across the motor 92 where it cools the motor. Inflation air then flows through the divider wall flow holes 90 and into the impeller compartment 84. The impeller 94 pressurizes the inflation air, discharging it from the outlet 98, through the first passage 130 across the front valve seat 156 into the first nipple 152 through the chamber 150 and out of the plug 170 and pump assembly connector 24. From the pump assembly connector, inflation air may inflate the air mattress directly via the port of the air mattress or indirectly via a conduit operatively connected to the port of the air mattress.
Once the inflatable body is inflated, the latch switch 64 is returned to the “off” position. Once in the “off” position, the blower unit 80 and first solenoid valve 180a de-energize and the first valve body 182a is returned to its normal position sealing against the front valve seat 156 in the first duct 112. With the first and second solenoid valves 180a, 1 80b in the normal position, the front faces of each of the valve bodies 182a, 1 82b seal against their respective front valve seats 156,158 under spring pressure (down in
For power-assisted evacuation or deflation of the air mattress (deflation using the blower unit), the latch switch 64 is switched from the “off” position 68 to the “empty” position 70. In the empty or deflate mode, the blower unit 80 and the second solenoid valve 180b are energized. The first solenoid valve 180a remains in the normal position with the valve body front face 188a sealing against the front valve seat 156 in the first duct 112. The energized second solenoid valve 180b retracts, sealing the valve body 182b against the rear valve seat 140 in the second duct 114, thereby aligning the inlet 96 and second passage 132 in communication with the plug/connector via the second nipple 154 and chamber 150, and sealing the passage 132 from the second set of apertures 124 formed in the perforated plate 120 of the rear 116 of the base.
Evacuation air is then drawn from the mattress interior through the port 32 through the pump assembly connector 24 into the chamber 150 and into the second nipple 154. Once in the second nipple 154, the evacuation air flows across the front valve seat 156 into second passage 132 through the inlet 96 and into the motor compartment 86 where the air flows across the motor 92 cooling the motor. Evacuation air then flows through the divider wall flow holes 90 and into the impeller compartment 94. In the impeller compartment, the evacuation air is pressurized and directed through the outlet 98 into the first passage 130 and into the first duct 112. Evacuation air then flows over the rear valve seat 138 across the first solenoid 180a and out of the base through the first set of apertures 122 formed in the perforated plate 120 of the rear of the base. Once the inflatable body is deflated as desired, the latch switch 64 is returned to the “off” position 68 thereby returning the second solenoid valve 180b to its normal position with the second valve body front face 188b sealing against the front valve seat 158 in the second duct 114.
The push button control 60 on the controller moves the solenoid valves 180a, 180b to its deflate position as described above. However, pressing the “deflate” push button 60 does not energize the blower unit but only repositions the solenoid valves to allow deflation through a natural pressure differential created through the pump assembly. In an alternate embodiment, a “deflate” push button is provided on the control as well as an “inflate” push button which operates in a manner similar to the “inflate” position of the latch switch, energizing the blower when the push button is depressed.
Although the embodiment described herein uses two solenoids each with its respective valve body, it is contemplated that one solenoid operatively connected to valve stem with two spaced-apart valve bodies may be positionable in the base, for instance in a spool valve arrangement, to align the housing outlet in communication with the connector in the inflate mode and the housing inlet in communication with the connector in the deflate mode.
In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the several advantages of the invention are achieved and attained. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A pump assembly for an inflatable structure comprising:
- a blower unit disposed in a housing and configured to move air in a single direction from an inlet in the housing to an outlet in the housing;
- a connector in communication with the housing outlet, the connector being adapted to connect the pump assembly to an inflatable structure to allow inflation and deflation of an inflatable structure;
- a base with first and second valve bodies positionable in the base for selected movement between inflate and deflate positions, where the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with the connector and the second valve body aligns the housing inlet with atmosphere when in the inflate position, and where the second valve body aligns the connector in communication with the housing inlet and the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with atmosphere when in the deflate position; and
- a control for selectively positioning the first and second valve bodies between the inflate and deflate positions.
2. The pump assembly of claim 1 further comprising a chamber arranged in communication with the base in a manner such that the first valve body seals the chamber from the housing outlet and the second valve body aligns the connector in communication with the housing inlet via the chamber in the deflate position, and the first valve body aligns the connector in communication with the housing outlet via the chamber and the second valve body seals the chamber from the housing inlet in the inflate position.
3. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the control positions the valve bodies in the deflate position without energizing the blower.
4. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector is a releasably securable connector.
5. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the control comprises a control pendant.
6. The pump assembly of claim 5, wherein the control is arranged on an exterior of the pump assembly.
7. The pump assembly of claim 5, wherein the control selectively energizes or de-energizes the blower unit with the first and second valve bodies in the deflate position.
8. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the base comprises first and second solenoids operatively connected to the first and second valve bodies.
9. The pump assembly of claim 8, wherein the first and second solenoids seal the connector from the housing outlet when de-energized.
10. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the blower unit comprises a single rotational direction impeller to move air from the housing inlet through the housing outlet.
11. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein cooling air is directed over a motor for the blower unit when the blower unit motor is energized with the first and second valve bodies in either the inflate position or the deflate position.
12. An inflatable device comprising:
- an inflatable structure having an interior adapted to hold air at pressure, the structure having at least one port communicating with the interior, the at least one port being adapted to receive air into the interior and discharge air from the interior;
- a blower unit disposed in a housing and being adapted to move air in a single direction from an inlet in the housing to an outlet in the housing;
- a base with first and second valve bodies positionable in the base for selected movement between inflate and deflate positions, where the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with the at least one port and the second valve body seals the at least one port from the housing inlet when in the inflate position, and where the second valve body aligns the at least one port in communication with the housing inlet and the first valve body seals the at least one port from the housing outlet when in the deflate position; and
- a control for selectively positioning the first and second valve bodies between inflate and deflate positions.
13. The inflatable device of claim 12, wherein the inflatable structure is a portable air mattress.
14. The inflatable device of claim 12, further comprising a chamber arranged in communication with the base in a manner such that the first valve body seals the chamber from the housing outlet and the second valve body aligns the at least one port in communication with the housing inlet via the chamber in the deflate position, and the first valve body aligns the chamber in communication with the housing outlet via the chamber and the second valve body seals the chamber from the housing inlet in the inflate position.
15. The inflatable device of claim 14, wherein the chamber further comprises a connector that releasably secures to the at least one port.
16. The inflatable device of claim 15, wherein the connector connects directly to the at least one port.
17. The inflatable device of claim 15, wherein the connector is a threaded connector.
18. The inflatable device of claim 12, wherein the control comprises a control pendant.
19. The inflatable device of claim 12, wherein the blower unit comprises a single rotational direction impeller to move air from the housing inlet through the housing outlet.
20. The inflatable device of claim 12, wherein the base comprises first and second solenoids operatively connected to the first and valve second bodies.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 22, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 25, 2008
Applicant: (Maryland Heights, MO)
Inventors: Dennis M. Boyd (Maryland Heights, MO), John J. Shoenhair (Victoria, MN)
Application Number: 11/689,812
International Classification: F04B 37/00 (20060101);