The present application claims priority to Chinese Application No. CN201921020161.1 filed Jul. 2, 2019 and to Chinese Application No. CN 201921265055.X filed Aug. 6, 2019, both entitled A HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE INTEGRATED AIR PUMP, the entire disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present disclosure relates to an inflation device, and in particular, to an air pump having a low-pressure pump and a high-pressure pump.
Inflatable products, such as inflatable beds, inflatable rubber boats, balls, etc., may require an air pump to inflate. Air pumps are generally divided into high-pressure pumps (either internal or external) and low-pressure pumps (either internal or external).
The air pressure required to fully inflate different inflatable products is not uniform. For example, the internal pressure of ball products is relatively high, and the internal pressure of inflatable beds, or inflatable rubber boats, is relatively low. Low-pressure products cannot generally be safely inflated with high-pressure air pumps; and high-pressure products cannot generally be fully inflated with low-pressure air pumps. This may cause inefficiencies, such as by forcing a pump user to purchase and maintain two pumps, one for low-pressure inflatable products, and one for high-pressure inflatable products. This increase in price and decrease in portability brings inconvenience, especially in some circumstances such as during recreational trips.
In addition, many inflatable products are large when inflated, and must be completely deflated for storage. Upon inflation, these products require a pump that will work to supply air from 0 mm WC to the optimal pressures required for specific inflatable products, which can be above 180 mm WC for some products. However, most high-pressure air pumps operate at very poor efficiencies at low pressures. On the other hand, low pressure pumps cannot reach the high pressure needed by some inflatable products such as a basketball. To overcome this deficiency, more power and design must be put into pumps. This, in turn greatly increases the cost of manufacturing and powering these electric pumps.
What is needed is an improvement over the foregoing.
The present disclosure provides a high and low-pressure integrated air pump. The pump includes a single housing including an air inlet and an air outlet. A high-pressure pump is disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the air inlet, and uses a first outlet passage to discharge to the air outlet. A low-pressure pump is also disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the air inlet, and uses a second outlet passage to discharge to the air outlet.
In one form thereof, the present disclosure provides a high and low-pressure integrated air pump, including a housing including an air inlet and an air outlet, a high-pressure pump disposed within the housing, in fluid communication with the air inlet and in fluid communication with the air outlet via a first outlet passage, and a low-pressure pump disposed within the housing, in fluid communication with the air inlet and in fluid communication with the air outlet via a second outlet passage.
In another form thereof, the present disclosure provides a high and low-pressure integrated air pump, including a housing including an air inlet and an air outlet, a high-pressure pump disposed within the housing in fluid communication with the air inlet and the air outlet, a low-pressure pump disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the air inlet and the air outlet, a pressure valve disposed between the low-pressure pump and the air outlet, and a control circuit in electrical communication with the pressure valve and configured to control the high-pressure pump and the low-pressure pump in response to signals from the pressure valve.
In yet another form thereof, the present disclosure provides a high and low-pressure integrated air pump, including a housing including an air inlet and an air outlet, a high-pressure pump disposed within the housing in fluid communication with the air inlet and the air outlet, a first high-pressure check valve separating the high-pressure pump from the air inlet, a low-pressure pump disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the air inlet and the air outlet, a first low-pressure check valve separating the low-pressure pump from the air inlet, and a second check valve separating the high-pressure pump from the low-pressure pump.
The above-mentioned and other features of the disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner.
Referring to
Housing 1 is an assembly of components including left housing cap 1A, left housing 1B, right housing 1C, and right housing cap 1D. In the illustrative embodiment of
Air inlet 11 is a round aperture which is configured to allow air to be drawn in by pump assemblies 2 or 3. In an exemplary embodiment, air inlet 11 includes a debris guard on an outer surface of left housing cap 1A which prevents debris from being sucked into and potentially damaging pumps 2 or 3. Air inlet 10 extends laterally inward from left housing cap 1A to sealingly couple with air inlet path 190 of left housing 1B.
Still referring to
As shown in
Referring again to
Fastener standoffs 166C provide attachment points for right housing 1C to be coupled to right housing cap 1D and left housing 1B. Brackets 165 are formed within right housing 1C and cooperate with similarly formed brackets in right housing cap 1D to create an indentation sized to receive portions of high-pressure pump 3, such that pump 3 is retained and protected within housing 1 during transport, storage and operation. Brackets 165 may also include fastener apertures to allow for more coupling points between right housing 1C and the other portions of housing 1.
Right housing 1C also includes switch 167. Switch 167 is a multi-position manual microswitch mounted to the exterior of housing 1 and positioned to be engaged by a user of air pump 10. Switch 167 could be any other suitable switch design as required or desired for a particular application. Switch 167 activates or deactivates air pump 10 into ON and OFF modes and also toggles low-pressure pump 2 or high-pressure pump 3 as further described below.
Still referring to
Upon assembly and as shown in
Turning to
Referring to
Turning again to
As shown in
Gear 32 includes axle bore 321 which is a throughbore at the center of gear 32. Received within axle bore 321 is axle 37. Axle 37 is a rod which is fixed within axle bore 321 at one end and rotatably received within gear base 36. Gear base 36 may be a bearing having a bearing housing fixed to a portion of housing 1 (e.g., by fasteners received in right housing 1C as shown in
As best seen in
As gear 39 is driven by second motor 31, gear 32 rotates about axle 37. This rotation causes connecting rod 33 to reciprocate with a forward and return stroke as rotating shaft aperture 323 rotates about the axis of axle bore 321. As further described in detail below, this reciprocation provides the motive force for high-pressure pump 3.
Still referring to
This coupling of the diaphragm 34 between plate 324 and connecting rod 33 allows diaphragm 34 to be resiliently deformed by the reciprocating motion of connecting rod 33. The periphery of diaphragm 34 is fixed relative to its center by a flanged outer circumference 334 which is fastened and retained between mid-frame 332 and end frame 333. In the illustrated embodiment, frames 332 and 333 are fixed to one another by bolts or screws (not shown) and thereby capture flanged outer circumference 334 therebetween.
End frame 333 includes a hemispherical cavity which faces diaphragm 34, and which combines with diaphragm 34 to form high-pressure pump cavity 35. Mid-frame 332 and end frame 333 hold diaphragm 34 in place such that as diaphragm 34 is pumped, pump cavity 35 is expanded and compressed repeatedly to pump air through high-pressure pump 3. End frame 333 also includes inlet 335 and outlet 336. Inlet 335 is fluidly connected to air inlet 11 and includes check valve 331. Check valve 331 operates to let air flow into pump cavity 35 during its expansion phase, but prevents or inhibits airflow from inside pump cavity 35 to air inlet 11 during the compression phase. Instead, the pressurized air from pump cavity 35 is expelled through outlet 12 as further described below.
Turning to
Thus, as shown in
Moreover, high-pressure airflow pathway 121 and low-pressure airflow pathway 122 are respectively provided with check valves 13 and 14 to ensure separation of air flow from high-pressure pump 3 and from low-pressure pump 2 through a common air outlet 12. As described further below, pump 10 may be controlled such that only one of pathways 121, 122 is active at any one time. Check valves 13 and 14 are used to fluidly isolate the two airflow pathways 121 and 122, such that airflow along one of the pathways 121, 122 is directed only out through outlet 12, rather than into the other (inactive) pathway 121, 122.
An alternative arrangement for high-pressure pump 3 is shown in
The second high-pressure pump 3′ includes a diaphragm pump similar to high-pressure pump 3. However, rather than using a power transmission with spur gears, as described above with respect to gears 39 and 32, high-pressure pump 3′ includes a helical gear transmission. The output shaft of motor 31′ includes a worm gear 39′ fixed thereto, which meshes with helical gear 32′. As worm gear 39′ is driven to rotate by second motor 31′, it drives rotation of helical gear 32′. The helical gear transmission of the present alternative embodiment may be larger in diameter than the spur gear transmission described above. The increase in size results in a speed reduction, which may reduce noise and vibration during use.
Still referring to
Turning again to
Trigger 160 is disposed below signal switch 151. Trigger 160 includes a hinge 160A and a stem 160B. Stem 160B extends laterally out from hinge 160A, and hinge 160A is rotatably fixed to valve core 154. Adjusting nut 157 includes throughbore 157B and threaded portion 157A. Throughbore 157B slidably receives valve core 154 and at a top end, widens out such that hinge 160A can freely rotate about its axis about 90 degrees. Threaded portion 157A is threadably engaged with upper cover 155 to coupled adjusting nut 157 to upper cover 155. Valve core 154 includes stem 154A and flange 154B. Stem 154A is partially slidably received within throughbore 157B and is coupled to hinge 160A at its end. Stem 154A extends below adjusting nut 157 and terminates at flange 154B. Flange 154B is a flat, round surface which extends laterally beyond the circumference of stem 154A. Spring 158 is engaged with and extends between stem 154A and adjusting nut 157 and biases valve core 154 away from adjusting nut 157. Upper cover 155 threadably receives adjusting nut within threaded bore 155A and extends laterally out from threaded bore 155A on both sides, then extends vertically down to engage with lower cover 156. Upper cover 155 and lower cover 156 combine to form cavity 159. Diaphragm 153 is disposed between the coupling of upper cover 155 and lower cover 156 and extends across cavity 159 to divide cavity 159 into two chambers. Diaphragm 153 is disposed below and supports stem 154A of valve core 154 such that diaphragm 153 holds valve core 154 up against the bias of spring 158. Air inlet 152 is disposed on lower cover 156 opposite upper cover 155. Air inlet 152 is an opening which allows air to flow into cavity 159.
As shown in
Because air inlet 152 of pressure valve 15 is open to volute 23, the air pressure also rises in chamber 159. The increase in air pressure in chamber 159 pushes diaphragm 153 up, which pushes valve core 154 up against the bias of spring 158. The spring constant of spring 158 is configured such that valve core 154 will move when the pressure capacity of low-pressure pump 3 has been reached or nearly reached (e.g., within 10% of the maximum pressure which can be developed by pump 2). Furthermore, adjusting nut 157 can be threaded up and down which changes the pretension force of spring 158. In this way, the spring pressure to be overcome when valve core 154 moves can be changed, thereby changing the pressure threshold set by pressure valve 15.
As valve core 154 slides up, trigger 160 moves closer to full contact with signal switch 151. When trigger 160 comes into full engagement with signal switch, signal switch 151 is signaled to output a signal to control circuit 150. Control circuit 150 is arranged to deactivate low-pressure pump 2 and activate the high-pressure pump 3 when the signal is received from switch 151. In this way, control circuit 150 cooperates with switch 151 to automatically engage the low-pressure portion of pump 10 when the pressure needed is correspondingly low, and then automatically disengage the low-pressure portion of pump 10 and automatically engage the high-pressure portion of pump 10 when higher pressure is needed to continue inflation.
Main power switch 174, which is connected to user-activated switch 167, determines whether 12V power from power source 173 may flow through switch 175 to either pump motor 21 or pump motor 31.
Circuit 150 further includes an arrangement of electrical components and connections designed to ensure reliable and safe operation of pump motors 21, 31 via switches 174, 175, including for high-power operation of high-pressure pump motor 31. These components and connections are shown in
Circuit 150 may also be implemented through microcontrollers, computers or any other suitable electrical control modality.
While this disclosure has been described as having exemplary designs, the present disclosure can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201921020161.1 | Jul 2019 | CN | national |
201921265055.X | Aug 2019 | CN | national |
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Number | Date | Country |
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Entry |
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European search report dated Sep. 24, 2020 for EP Application No. 20183668. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20210003120 A1 | Jan 2021 | US |