1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air pump, especially to an air pump that supplies air automatically.
2. Description of the Prior Art(s)
Air pumps are critical to all kinds of inflatable articles, such as airbeds, inflatable bouncers, inflatable sofas, inflatable toys, and the like. The air pump is mounted on an inner surface of the inflatable article, inflates the inflatable article and holds air inside the inflatable article at a constant pressure for use, and deflates the inflatable article for storage. Currently, some conventional air pumps can inflate and deflate the inflatable articles, and hold the air inside the inflatable articles at a constant pressure. Meanwhile, other conventional air pumps further have auto-stop controllers that stop the air pumps automatically. The auto-stop controller is mounted in a housing of the conventional air pump, and has a sensing film, a micro switch, a driving rod, a button, and a compression spring. The button is operated in a single stage, which means that when the button is pressed, the driving rod is driven to move upwardly to push the sensing film. Accordingly, the sensing film deforms upward to switch the micro switch on. When the button is released, the compression spring pushes the driving rod to move downwardly. Accordingly, the sensing film deforms downward to switch the micro switch off. The micro switch controls an operation of the conventional air pump. Moreover, the conventional air pump may further have a main switch. The main switch independently controls the conventional air pump. To operate the conventional air pump, the main switch must be first switched on.
The auto-stop controller allows the conventional air pump to stop working automatically, which is a great convenience to users; however, performance of the conventional air pump is still inadequate to achieve a best usage effect and a best working performance. The shortcomings of the conventional air pump are described as follows. The conventional air pump only stops working automatically, but does not supply the air to the inflatable article automatically. Thus, when the inflatable article is deflated, the micro switch should be manually switched on in order to supply the air to the inflatable article. Furthermore, since the conventional air pump can only inflate the inflatable article to a specific hardness, the hardness of the inflatable article cannot be adjusted according to the user's need. Thus, the conventional air pump is inconvenient for use and operation.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides an air pump capable of automatic air supplement to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide an air pump capable of automatic air supplements. The air pump has a housing, and a low-pressure blower, a high-pressure blower, a first auto-stop controller, and a second auto-stop controller mounted in the housing. The low-pressure blower is used to inflate an inflatable article with low-pressure air and allows the air pump to stop working during inflation automatically. The high-pressure blower is used to inflate an inflatable article with adjustable high-pressure air so that the inflatable article can have hardness suitable for a user's need, and allows the air pump to stop working automatically during inflation or to supply air automatically during inflation. The air pump can stop working automatically and can supply air automatically without manual work, and can inflate the inflatable article to the hardness suitable for the user's need conveniently.
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.
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The housing 10 has a base 11, a cover 12, and a mounting chamber. The cover 12 is mounted on the base 11 and has multiple slots. The mounting chamber is defined in the housing 10, is surrounded by the base 11 and the cover 12, and communicates with an exterior of the housing 10 via the slots of the cover 12. The mounting chamber is used for receiving the low-pressure blower 20, the high-pressure blower 30, the first auto-stop controller 40, and the second auto-stop controller 50.
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The air pump further comprises a main inflating switch 61, a main deflating switch 62, and a trigger element 63. The main inflating switch 61 and the main deflating switch 62 are disposed beside the second control mechanism 26. The trigger element 63 is mounted on the bolt 262, is driven to move by the bolt 262 of the second control mechanism 26, and has a first triggering arm 631 and a second triggering arm 632. The first triggering arm 631 selectively triggers the main inflating switch 61. The second triggering arm 632 selectively triggers the main deflating switch 62.
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Moreover, the second casing 51 of the second auto-stop controller 50 further has multiple clutching portions 504. The clutching portions 504 are arranged along a moving path of the pushing button 552. The pushing button 552 further has multiple engaging protrusions. Each of the engaging protrusions of the pushing button 552 selectively engages with one of the clutching portions 504 of the second casing 51. Thus, the pushing button 552 can be moved in multiple stages. Accordingly, the second auto-stop controller 50 can control the high-pressure blower 30 in multiple stages.
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The air pump capable of automatic air supplements of the present invention works as follows.
For inflation, a position of the second micro switch 53 can be adjusted according to a demand for hardness of the inflatable article. Specifically, the pushing button 552 is pushed to one of the clutching portions 504 of the second casing 51. With the second inclined surface 503 of the pushing button 552 guiding the first inclined surface 502 of the moving element 551, the moving element 551 is moved. Accordingly, the second micro switch 53 moves along with the moving element 551 to a suitable position. As the distance defined between the second micro switch 53 and the second sensing film 54 is longer, the inflatable article is harder after inflating. As the distance defined between the second micro switch 53 and the second sensing film 54 is shorter, the inflatable article is softer after inflating. When the pushing button 552 is moved to a specific position, the switching switch 52 is triggered and is switched on simultaneously.
Then, the turning button 261 is turned to drive the bolt 262 to rotate. As the bolt 262 rotates, the switching casing 23 is driven to move downward to allow the air channel 207 of the switching casing 23 to communicate with the outlet port 206 of the third casing 21 and the fourth air port 201 of the low-pressure blower 20. Thus, the inlet port 205 of the third casing 21 of the low-pressure blower 20 communicates with the exterior of the housing 10.
Meanwhile, the trigger element 63 is rotated along with the bolt 262, such that the first triggering arm 631 of the trigger element 63 presses against the main inflating switch 61. Consequently, the low-pressure blower 20 begins working. The motor 24 drives the impeller 22 to rotate and to suck air outside the housing 10, thereby forming an air current. The air current pushes and opens the first one-way valve 13 and inflates the inflatable article. With an air pressure inside the inflatable article increases, an air pressure inside the first enclosed chamber 401 of the first auto-stop controller 40 increases accordingly, and the first sensing film 43 of the first auto-stop controller 40 deforms upward. When the air pressure inside the inflatable article achieves a pre-set low pressure, the first micro switch 42 is triggered by the first sensing film 43, and the low-pressure blower 20 stops working.
Meanwhile, as the switching switch 52 is triggered and is switched on, the high-pressure blower 30 begins working. The electromagnetic assembly 32 drives the open-close mechanisms 33 to open or to close relative to each other and to compress air into the inflatable article. Thus, the air pressure inside the inflatable article increases continuously, an air pressure inside the second enclosed chamber 501 of the second auto-stop controller 50 increases accordingly, and the second sensing film 54 of the second auto-stop controller 50 deforms upward. When the air pressure inside the inflatable article achieves a pre-set high pressure, the second micro switch 53 is triggered by the second sensing film 54, and the high-pressure blower 30 stops working.
As the inflatable article is deflated slightly, the second sensing film 54 of the second auto-stop controller 50 departs from the second micro switch 53, the high-pressure blower 30 is switched on automatically to inflate the inflatable article with high pressure air. When the air pressure inside the inflatable article achieves the pre-set high pressure again, the second micro switch 53 is triggered by the second sensing film 54, such that the high-pressure blower 30 stops working. Consequently, the air pressure inside the inflatable article is kept at the pre-set high pressure.
As for deflation, the pushing button 552 is pushed to one of the clutching portions 504 that is disposed at a closed position. Thus, the pushing button 552 departs from the switching switch 52. Then, the turning button 261 is turned to rotate the bolt 262. As the bolt 262 is rotated, the switching casing 23 is driven to move downward to allow the air channel 207 of the switching casing 23 to communicate with the inlet port 205 of the third casing 21 and the fourth air port 201 of the low-pressure blower 20. Thus, the outlet port 206 of the third casing 21 of the low-pressure blower 20 communicates with the exterior of the housing 10.
Meanwhile, the pressing portion 231 of the switching casing 23 presses against the driving rod 131 of the first one-way valve 13 to open the first one-way valve 13. Thus, air inside the inflatable article discharges through the first air port 101 of the housing 10, the fourth air port 201 of the low-pressure blower 20, the air channel 207 of the switching casing 23, the inlet port 205 of the third casing 21, the inlet chamber 202 of the third casing 21, the outlet chamber 203 of the third casing 21, and the outlet port 206 of the third casing 21 in sequence.
Meanwhile, the trigger element 63 is rotated along with the bolt 262, such that the second triggering arm 632 of the trigger element 63 presses against the main deflating switch 62. Consequently, the low-pressure blower 20 begins working. The motor 24 drives the impeller 22 to rotate to suck and to discharge the air inside the inflatable article.
When the air pressure inside the inflatable article decreases, the air pressure inside the first enclosed chamber 401 of the first auto-stop controller 40 decreases accordingly, and the first sensing film 43 of the first auto-stop controller 40 deforms downward. When the air inside the inflatable article is discharged completely, the third micro switch 44 of the first auto-stop controller 40 is triggered by the first sensing film 43, and the low-pressure blower 20 stops working. When there is gas flowing into the inflatable article, the first sensing film 43 departs from the third micro switch 44, and the low-pressure blower 20 begins working automatically to deflate the inflatable article. Once the third micro switch 44 is triggered by the first sensing film 43, the low-pressure blower 20 stops working again, such that the inflatable article is kept at an airless status.
The air pump as described has the main technical features as follows. With the low-pressure blower 20 inflating the inflatable article with low pressure air, and with the first micro switch 42 disposed apart from the first sensing film 43, the low-pressure blower 20 stops working as soon as the air pressure inside the inflatable article achieves the pre-set low pressure to allow the first sensing film 43 to press against the first micro switch 42. The air pump can stop working when inflating with low pressure air automatically.
With the high-pressure blower 30 inflating the inflatable article with high pressure air, and with the second micro switch 53 adjustably disposed apart from the second sensing film 54, the inflatable article can be inflated with the high pressure air in order to have hardness suitable for a user's need. Moreover, as the air pressure inside the inflatable article achieves the pre-set high pressure, the second sensing film 54 presses against the second micro switch 53, such that the air pump can stop working when inflating with high pressure air automatically.
When the air pressure inside the inflatable article decreases, the second sensing film 54 departs from the second micro switch 53 to allow the high-pressure blower 30 to begin working automatically. The air pump can supply air when inflating with high pressure air automatically.
In sum, the air pump can stop working automatically and can supply air automatically without manual work. Furthermore, the air pump can inflate the inflatable article to the hardness suitable for the user's need conveniently. With the switching casing 23 driven by the second control mechanism 26, the air channel 207 of the switching casing 23 selectively communicates with the inlet port 205 or the outlet port 206 of the third casing 21. When the air channel 207 communicates with the inlet port 205, the first one-way valve 13 is open so as to inflate the inflatable article. Thus, the air pump not only can inflate the inflatable article, but also can deflate the inflatable article rapidly.
Meanwhile, with the third micro switch 44 mounted in the first enclosed chamber 401 of the first auto-stop controller 40, the third micro switch 44 switches the low-pressure blower 20 on or off, such that the air pump can stop working automatically and supply air automatically when deflating.
The air pump as described is convenient for use, is intelligent with user-friendly and humanized design. Furthermore, the air pump has simplified structure, is convenient for assembling, and can achieve high manufacturing efficiency and low manufacturing cost.
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 features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, 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.