Air pump structure having driving effect

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6379124
  • Patent Number
    6,379,124
  • Date Filed
    Monday, December 18, 2000
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, April 30, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Thorpe; Timothy S.
    • Gray; Michael K.
    Agents
    • Rosenberg, Klein & Lee
Abstract
The present invention proposes an air pump structure having driving effect. The present invention is characterized in that a swing element of the air pump is connected to a driving shaft. One end of the driving shaft has a poked part protruding out of a shell body of the air pump. Except having air-supplying function, the air pump of the present invention can drive a color disk or other devices of a water lamp. Another motor is not required for driving the color disk to rotate, thereby saving the cost of another motor. Moreover, the structure of the whole water lamp can be much simplified, resulting in convenience in assembly and reduction in cost.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to an air pump structure having driving effect and, more particularly, to an air pump structure, which is applicable to a water lamp and has air-supplying and driving effects.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Air pumps are devices consuming electric power to transport air into water. Among all types of air pumps, vibration type air pumps are most commonly used. A vibration type air pump uses electromagnets to generate vibration, and then transports air into water by means of this vibration force to bring forth flow of water. Thereby, oxygen will be dissolved in water, and carbon dioxide will be discharged so that the amount of oxygen dissolved in water will increase to favor the existence of fishes.




There is already a kind of water lamp commercially available, which has a hollow container made of transparent material. Water and false fishes are arranged in the hollow container. An air pump, a color disk, a motor, and a light source are installed at the bottom of the container. The air pump can transport air into the water through an air pipe so that flow of water and air bubbles can be generated. Moreover, decorative articles such as false fishes will seem to swim in the water to build vivid visual effects. The color disk is made of transparent material, and has various kinds of variations of colors and patterns. The color disk can be driven to rotate by the motor. The light source is installed below the color disk. When the light source is turned on, light from the light source will pass through the color disk and then be projected to the container and the water so that shining effect will be exhibited in the container and the water. Therefore, novelty and variability can be obtained, and special visual effects can be exhibited. However, a prior art air pump has only the simple air-supplying function, and cannot drive the color disk of a water lamp. Another motor must be installed to drive the color disk to rotate. Therefore, except additional cost of another motor, the structure of the whole water lamp will be more complex, resulting in inconvenience in assembly and increase in cost.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary object of the present invention is to provide an air pump structure having driving effect. Except that the air pump has air-supplying functions a driving shaft protrudes to drive a color disk or other devices of a water lamp. Another motor is not required for driving the color disk to rotate, thereby saving the cost of another motor. Moreover, the structure of the whole water lamp will be much simplified, resulting in convenience in assembly and reduction in cost.




To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an air pump structure having driving effect, which comprises a shell body, a coil, a swing element, a magnet, a pump unit, and a driving shaft. The coil is installed in the shell body and is connected to a power wire. The swing element is installed in the shell body. The magnet is fixed at one end of the swing element, and adjoins the coil. The pump unit joins the swing element. The driving shaft is connected to the swing element. One end of the driving shaft has a poked part. The poked part protrudes out of the shell body. An air pump having driving effect is thus formed.




The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the air pump of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a plan view of the internal structure of the air pump of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a diagram showing the action of the air pump of the present invention;





FIG. 4

is an exploded perspective view of the air pump of the present invention when installed in a water lamp;





FIG. 5

is a partly perspective view of the air pump of the present invention when installed in a water lamp; and





FIG. 6

is a diagram showing the action of the air pump of the present invention when installed in a water lamp.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




As shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the present invention provides an air pump structure having driving effect. The air pump


1


comprises a shell body


10


, a coil


11


, a swing element


12


, a magnet


13


, and a pump unit


14


. The shell body


10


comprises a lower shell


15


and an upper shell


16


. The lower shell


16


and the upper shell


16


are joined by means of screwing so as to form the hollow shell body


10


. A rectangular groove hole


17


is formed on the upper shell


16


of the shell body


10


.




The coil


11


is fixedly installed in the shell body


10


. The coil


11


is connected to a power wire


18


for inputting electricity so that it can generate electromagnetic effect. The swing element


12


is installed in the shell body


10


. The magnet


13


is fixed at one end of the swing element


12


and adjoins the coil


11


. When power is inputted to the coil


11


to generate magnetic field so that the magnet


13


and the coil


11


will generate fast reciprocating motion, one end of the swing element


12


will be driven to generate fast swing. The swing element


12


is also properly connected to the pump unit


14


.




The pump unit


14


comprises an air room


19


and a cover body


20


made of rubber. The air room


19


is fixed in the shell body


10


and has proper valves (not shown) therein. An air outlet


21


extends from the air room


19


. The cover body


20


is telescoped at one end of the air room


19


. The pump unit


14


is connected to the swing element


12


through the cover body


20


. When the swing element


12


generates fast swing to drive the cover body


20


, air will be transported out from the air outlet


21


through the action of the air room


19


.




The present invention is characterized in that the swing element


12


of the air pump


1


is connected to a roughly L-shaped driving shaft


22


. One end of the driving shaft


22


has a connecting part


23


connected to the swing element


12


by means of welding. The other end of the driving shaft


22


has a poked part


24


. A sheathing body


25


made of rubber can telescope outside the poked part


24


. The poked part


24


of the driving shaft


22


protrudes out of the shell body


10


via the groove hole


17


. An air pump structure having driving effect of the present invention is thus formed.




As shown in

FIG. 3

, when power is inputted to the coil


11


to generate magnetic field so that the magnet


13


will be attracted to generate fast reciprocating motion, one end of the swing element


12


will be driven to generate fast swing. The cover body


20


will be driven so that air will be transported out from the air outlet


21


through the action of the air room


19


. Because the swing element


12


is connected to the driving shaft


22


, when the swing element


12


generate fast swing, the driving shaft


22


will be jointly driven to generate fast swing. Therefore, the driving shaft


22


will form a power-output unit for driving other devices such as the color disk of a water lamp.




As shown in

FIGS. 4 and 5

, the present invention can be applied to a water lamp


5


comprising a circular hollow container


50


made of transparent material. Water and decorative articles such as false fishes can be arranged in the container


5


. The top end of the container


50


is open and matches a cover body


51


. The bottom of the container


50


joins a bottom seat


52


. The bottom seat


52


is a hollow body having an open bottom end. A bottom cover


53


can be used to seal the bottom end of the bottom seat


52


by means of screwing.




The air pump


1


, a color disk


54


, and a light source


55


are installed in the bottom seat


52


at the bottom of the container


50


. The air pump


1


is fixed on the bottom cover


53


. The air outlet


21


of the air pump


1


is connected to an air pipe


56


. The other end of the air pipe


56


is connected to the bottom of the container


50


. Air can be transported into the water in the container


50


to generate flow of water and air bubbles.




The color disk


54


has a color disk shaft


57


pivotally installed in a hollow pivotal bushing


59


of a fixing seat


58


. Thereby, the color disk


54


is rotatably installed at the bottom of the container


50


. The fixing seat


58


is fixed on the bottom cover


53


by screwing a plurality of screws


60


. The light source (light bulb)


55


is inserted in a lamp seat


61


, which is fixed on the fixing seat


58


by screwing a plurality of screws


62


.




The air pump


1


can transport air into the water in the container


50


through the air pipe


56


to generate flow of water and air bubbles so that decorative articles such as false fishes (not shown) will seem to swim in the water. Thereby, vivid visual effects can be obtained. The color disk


54


can be led to rotate through the poked part


24


of the driving shaft


22


. The light source


55


is installed below the color disk


54


. When the light source


55


is turned on, light from the light source


55


will pass through the color disk


54


and then project to the container


50


and the water so that shining effect will be exhibited in the container


50


and the water. Therefore, novelty and variability can be obtained, and special visual effects can be exhibited.




To sum up, except that the air pump


1


of the present invention has air-supplying function, the driving shaft


22


protrudes to contact the color disk


54


or other devices of a water lamp so that the color disk


54


can be driven to rotate. Another motor is not required for driving the color disk to rotate, thereby saving the cost of another motor. Moreover, the structure of the whole water lamp can be much simplified, resulting in convenience in assembly and reduction in cost.




Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. An air pump structure having driving effect, comprising:a shell body; a coil installed in said shell body and connected to a power wire; a swing element installed in said shell body; a magnet fixed at one end of said swing element and adjoining said coil; a pump unit connected to said swing element; and a driving shaft connected to said swing element, one end of said driving shaft having a poked part, said poked part protruding out of said shell body.
  • 2. The air pump structure having driving effect as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shell body comprises a lower shell and an upper shell.
  • 3. The air pump structure having driving effect as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rectangular groove hole is formed on said shell body, and said poked part of said driving shaft protrudes out of said shell body via said groove hole.
  • 4. The air pump structure having driving effect as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pump unit comprises an air room and a cover body made of rubber, said air room being fixed in said shell body, an air outlet extending from said air room, said cover body being telescoped at one end of said air room, said pump unit being connected to said swing element through said cover body.
  • 5. The air pump structure having driving effect as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sheathing body can telescope outside said poked part of said driving shaft.
  • 6. The air pump structure having driving effect as claimed in claim 1, wherein said poked part of said driving shaft contacts a color disk of a water lamp for driving said color disk to rotate.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
5993021 Lin Nov 1999 A
6007307 Sonoda Dec 1999 A
6065850 Chiu May 2000 A
6276669 Yang Aug 2001 B1