Abstract:
An air pump having an impeller with double-sided blades is mounted outside an inflatable product, and has a body and a blower. The body has a first air chamber and a second air chamber communicating with each other, a first air inlet and a second air inlet formed at two ends of the first air chamber, and multiple first supplement air inlets formed through the body to communicate with the second air chamber. The blower has a motor and an impeller. The impeller driven by the motor has multiple double-sided blades capable of efficiently inflating air from the multiple first supplement air inlets or deflating air from the first air inlet. The air pump achieves to be more efficient in inflating and deflating the inflatable product, and structurally simplified to facilitate production and assembly of the air pump and cost reduction in production and assembly.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an air pump, and more particularly to an air pump mounted outside an inflatable product to be inflated or deflated, and having an impeller with double-sided blades formed on the impeller for enhancing the inflation efficiency and deflation efficiency of the air pump. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Air pumps are critical parts for inflatable products such as inflatable mattress, inflatable jumping bed, inflatable sofa, inflatable toy, above ground pool and the like, and are usually mounted inside inflatable bodies of the inflatable products for the purpose of rapidly inflating and deflating and maintaining pressure of the inflatable products. Accordingly, the inflatable products can be in use or stored after being inflated or deflated. Despite having the functions of inflation, deflation and maintaining pressure, the inflatable products with air pumps are practically unsatisfactory in performing the aforementioned functions and lag far behind in achieving the expected operation effect. One of the shortcomings of the air pumps is the increasingly complicated air pump design pursuing for multi-functional features and automation. The consequence is that the number of parts constantly increases to result in a lower yield in production and rising material cost, mold cost and production cost and in turn less competitive edge in the market. Another drawback is that conventional air pumps adopt an impeller having single-sided blades which is a less efficient design setting a barrier limiting the performance of inflation and deflation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    An objective of the present invention is to provide an air pump having an impeller with double-sided blades that is mounted outside an inflatable product to be inflated or deflated, and has double-sided blades on the impeller for enhancing the inflation efficiency and deflation efficiency of the air pump. 
         [0006]    To achieve the foregoing objective, the air pump having an impeller with double-sided blades has a body, a blower, two air valves and a power switch. 
         [0007]    The body has a wall, a first air chamber, a second air chamber, a first air inlet, a second air inlet, multiple first supplement air inlets and a second supplement air inlet. The first air chamber is formed inside the body. The second air chamber is formed inside the body and defined by the wall. The first air inlet is formed at one end of the first air chamber. The second air inlet is formed at another end of the first air chamber. The first supplement air inlets are formed through the wall of the body and adapted to communicate with a surrounding environment. The second supplement air inlet is formed between and communicates with the first air chamber and the second air chamber. 
         [0008]    The blower is mounted inside the body and has a motor and an impeller. The motor is mounted in the second air chamber. The impeller is mounted in the first air chamber, is connected with and driven by the motor to generate air flow, and has multiple blades and multiple air guide channels. The blades are formed on and protrude from two opposite sides of the impeller. The air guide channels respectively communicate with the first air inlet and the second supplement air inlet. Each of the air guide channels is formed between two corresponding adjacent blades. 
         [0009]    The air valves are mounted in the body, and are activated and deactivated to respectively close and open the first supplement air inlets. 
         [0010]    The power switch is mounted on the body, and is electrically connected with the motor. 
         [0011]    Due to the impeller having the double-sided blades and the air guide channels, air can be efficiently inflated to an inflatable product through two paths respectively going through the first air inlet, the first air chamber and the second air inlet to the inflatable product and going through the first supplement air inlets, the second air chamber, the second supplement air inlet, the first air chamber and the second air inlet to the inflatable product, or deflated air from the inflatable product respectively through the first air inlet to the second air inlet, and through the deflation passage, the air guide channels of the impeller opposite to the first air inlet to the second air inlet. As the air flow increases in inflation and deflation, the inflation and deflation efficiency of the air pump is enhanced accordingly. 
         [0012]    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. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an air pump having an impeller with double-sided bladed in accordance with the present invention 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the air pump in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of an impeller of the air pump in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an operational front view in partial section of the air pump in  FIG. 1  when the air pump is inflating; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is another operational front view in partial section of the air pump in  FIG. 1  when the air pump is deflating; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is an operational side view in partial section of the air pump in  FIG. 1  when no inflatable product is mounted to a first air inlet and an air valve is in an open state; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is another operational side view in partial section of the air pump in  FIG. 1  when an inflatable product is mounted to a first air inlet and an air valve is in an closed state; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a circuit diagram of the air pump in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 8 , an air pump having an impeller with double-sided blades has a body  10 , a blower  20 , a power switch  30  and two air valves  40 . 
         [0022]    The body  10  has a top casing  11  and a bottom casing  12 . The top casing  11  has a first air chamber  111 , a first air inlet  112 , a second air inlet  113  and a deflation passage  115 . The first air chamber  111  is formed inside the top casing  11 . The first air inlet  112  is formed at one end of the first air chamber  111 , and the second air inlet  113  is formed at another end of the first air chamber  111 . The first and second air inlets  112 ,  113  are circular openings and protrude from the body  10 . The deflation passage  115  is formed inside the top casing  11  and communicates with the first air inlet  112 . The bottom casing  12  is combined on a bottom of the top casing  11 , and has a second air chamber  121 , multiple first supplement air inlets  122 , and a second supplement air inlet  114 . The second air chamber  121  is defined between the bottom of the top casing  11  and the bottom casing  12 . The first supplement air inlets  122  are elongated, are respectively formed through and arranged in two columns on a front and a rear of the bottom casing  12 , and communicate with a surrounding environment. The second supplement air inlet  114  is formed through the bottom of the top casing  11  and communicates with the first air chamber  111 , the second air chamber  121  and the deflation passage  115 . 
         [0023]    The blower  20  has a motor  21  and an impeller  22 . The motor  21  is mounted in the bottom casing  12  and has a spindle  211 . The impeller  22  is mounted in the first air chamber  111  of the top casing  11  and is connected with the spindle  211  of the motor  21 , and is driven by the motor  21  to generate air flow. The impeller  22  has a disk  221 , a rotation shaft  225 , multiple blades  222  and multiple air guide channels. The rotation shaft  225  is centrally and perpendicularly formed through the disk  221 . Each of the blades  222  is formed on and protrudes from the rotation shaft  225  and one of two opposite sides of the disk  221 , and radially extends from the rotation shaft  225  and axially protrudes from the disk  221 . Each of the air guide channels is formed between two corresponding adjacent blades  222 , is radially and outwardly widened from the rotation shaft  225 , and has a radial open side  223  and an axial open side  224 . The radial open side  223  is defined between the two blades  222  at a position away from the rotation shaft  225 , and serves to discharge air in the air guide channel therethrough. The radial open side  223  facing the second air inlet  113  communicates with the second air inlet  113 . The axial open side  224  is defined between the two blades  222  at a position adjacent to the rotation shaft  225 , and serves to charge air into the air guide channel therethrough. The axial open sides  224  facing the first air inlet  112  communicates with the first air inlet  112 . The axial open sides  224  facing the second supplement air inlet  114  communicate with the second supplement air inlet  114 . 
         [0024]    The power switch  30  is mounted on the body  10  and electrically connected with the motor  21  in series to operate the motor  21 . 
         [0025]    The air valves  40  are mounted through the body  10 , and each of the air valves  40  has a sliding board  41 , a pressing member  42 , and a spring  43 . The sliding board  41  has multiple air vents  411  mounted through the sliding board  41  and arranged in two columns to correspond to the first supplement air inlets  122 . The sliding board  41  is movable to align or misalign the air vents  411  with or from the first supplement air inlets  122  so that the second air chamber  121  selectively communicates with or is sealed from the surrounding environment. The pressing member  42  is mounted on a top of the sliding board  41 , and has a top end protruding beyond the body  10  and located beside the first air inlet  112 . The spring  43  is mounted underneath the top end of the pressing member  42  to keep the top end of the pressing member  42  protruding beyond the body  10  when the pressing member  42  is not pressed or is released. When the pressing member  42  is not pressed, the first supplement air inlets  122  are opened initially. When the pressing member  42  is pressed down, the spring  43  is compressed, the sliding board  41  is moved down, the air vents  411  misalign with the first supplement air inlets  122 , and the second air chamber  121  is sealed from the surrounding environment. After the pressing member  42  is released, the top end of the pressing member  42  is ejected to protrude beyond the body  10  by the elastic force of the spring  43 , the sliding board  41  is moved up, the air vents  411  align with the first supplement air inlets  122 , and the second air chamber  121  communicates with the surrounding environment. 
         [0026]    To inflate and deflate an inflatable product with the air pump, the operation is described as follows. When the air pump inflates the inflatable product  50 , the first air inlet  112  and the first supplement air inlets  122  communicate with the surrounding environment. With further reference to  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the second air inlet  113  is connected to the inflatable product  50 , the power switch  30  is switched on to start the motor  21 . The motor  21  drives the impeller  22  to rotate and rapidly charge the inflatable product  50  with air flowing in two paths. Air flowing in the first path sequentially goes through the first air inlet  112 , the first air chamber  111  and the second air inlet  113  to enter the inflatable product  50 . Air flowing in the second path goes through the first supplement air inlets  122 , the second air chamber  121 , the second supplement air inlet  114 , the first air chamber  111  and the second air inlet  113  to enter the inflatable product  50 . When the inflatable product  50  is fully charged with air, the power switch  30  is switched off, and an air inlet of the inflatable product is sealed. 
         [0027]    When the air pump deflates, the first air inlet  112  is connected to the inflatable product  50 , and the second air inlet  113  communicates with the surrounding environment. With further reference to  FIG. 5 , the first air inlet  112  is connected to the inflatable product  50 , and the pressing member  42  of the air valve  40  beside the first air inlet  112  is pressed down by the connected inflatable product  50 . With further reference to  FIG. 7 , the sliding board  41  of the air valve  40  is moved down when the pressing member  42  is pressed down, and the air vents  41  on the sliding board  41  misalign with the first supplement air inlets  122  so that the first supplement air inlets  122  are blocked and the second air chamber  121  is sealed from the surrounding environment. The power switch  30  is switched on to start the motor  21 . The motor  21  drives the impeller  22  to rotate and rapidly discharge air in the inflatable product  50  through the first air inlet  112  to the second air inlet  113 . Meanwhile, air in the inflatable product  50  can also pass through the deflation passage  115  to enter the axial open sides  224  of the impeller  22  opposite to the first air inlet  112 . With the double-sided axial open sides  224  on the impeller  22 , the deflation efficiency of the air pump is enhanced. When air of the inflatable product  50  is fully discharged, the power switch  30  is switched off. 
         [0028]    The features and advantages of the air pump in accordance with the present invention are as follows. 
         [0029]    (1) With the design of the double-sided blades  222  of the impeller  22  and the air inlets  112 ,  113 ,  114 ,  115  and air chambers  111 ,  121 , the structure layout of the air pump is optimized to facilitate simplification of the product structure, production and assembly of all parts of the product, thereby enhancing the production efficiency and lowering the production cost. 
         [0030]    (2) The air pump is mounted outside an inflatable product to inflate or deflate the inflatable product. Users can properly inflate or deflate an inflatable product based on a customized air capacity demand to make the operation of the air pump simpler and more convenient. 
         [0031]    (3) The double-sided blades  222  of the impeller  22  can enhance the performance of the blower  20  related to that provided by the single-sided blades of the impeller in a conventional air pump. The air flow capacity and speed are significantly increased. As a result, the inflation efficiency is greatly raised. 
         [0032]    (4) The deflation passage  115  formed beside the impeller  22  to communicate with the first air inlet  112  and the second supplement air inlet  114  allows air to enter the axial open sides  224  of the impeller  22  opposite to the first air inlet  112 . Accordingly, when the air pump deflates, air can be alternatively exhausted through the double-sided axial open sides  224  of the impeller  22 , thereby increasing the deflation efficiency of the air pump. 
         [0033]    (5) The first supplement air inlets  122  can be opened or closed by controlling the air valve  40 . When the inflatable product  50  is mounted to the first air inlet  112 , the pressing member  42  of the air valve  40  can be pressed down by the inflatable product  50  to close the first supplement air inlets. 
         [0034]    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 function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, 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.