Abstract:
A pump unit includes a pump housing having a valve assembly positioned on a wall thereof and adapted to be coupled to an inflatable device, and an air control assembly that is housed inside the pump housing. The air control assembly includes an impeller section that houses an impeller, and has an air inlet and an air outlet. The air control assembly further includes a motor housing that houses a motor, the motor housing having an air vent that communicates the interior of the motor housing with the air inlet and the air outlet, and a vent opening that communicates the interior of the motor housing to the environment. The air outlet is aligned with the valve assembly when the pump unit is operated in the inflation mode, and the air inlet is aligned with the valve assembly when the pump unit is operated in the deflation mode.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to air pumps, and more particularly to a built-in air pump that can be deployed for inflation and deflation of an inflatable product, such as an air mattress. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Inflatable products have become very popular. In particular, inflatable air mattresses have become a very useful item that has found use at homes, camping and other applications. These inflatable air mattresses are typically inflated and deflated by air pumps. Some of these mattresses have been provided with built-in air pumps that can be stored in a socket or space that is provided in the housing of the mattress, and then pulled out and deployed for use in inflating and deflating the mattress. 
         [0005]    Many of the existing built-in air pumps suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, the construction of these built-in air pumps can be complicated which leads to increased cost and reliability issues. In addition, many of the existing pump units have their vents exposed to the environment when the product is either inflated in use or deflated for storage (i.e., when the pump unit is not in use), so that the interior of the pump units can be contaminated by water or dirt. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there remains a need for more effective built-in air pumps that can be used with inflatable products, such as mattresses, and which avoids the drawbacks of the present pump units. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0007]    In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is provided a pump unit including a pump housing having at least one wall and a cover, a valve assembly positioned on the at least one wall and adapted to be coupled to an inflatable device, and an air control assembly that is housed inside the pump housing when the pump unit is in a stand-by mode. The air control assembly is moveable through the opening of the cover to extend partially outside the pump housing in an inflation mode and a deflation mode. The air control assembly includes an impeller section that houses an impeller, and has an air inlet and an air outlet. The air control assembly further includes a motor housing that houses a motor, with the motor having a shaft that is coupled to the impeller, the motor housing having an air vent that fluidly communicates the interior of the motor housing with the air inlet and the air outlet, and a vent opening that fluidly communicates the interior of the motor housing to the environment. The air control assembly is manipulated to align the air outlet to the valve assembly when the pump unit is operated in the inflation mode, and the air control assembly manipulated to align the air inlet to the valve assembly when the pump unit is operated in the deflation mode. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a built-in pump unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, shown with the control knob assembly popped up for deployment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of a built-in pump unit according to  FIG. 1 , shown with the control knob assembly stored in the standby mode. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the pump unit of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the control knob assembly of the pump unit of  FIG. 1A  with arrows showing the air flow path during inflation, 
           [0012]    FIG,  3 B is a perspective view of the control knob assembly of the pump unit of  FIG. 1A  with arrows showing the air flow path during deflation. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of the pump unit of  FIG. 1A  in the inflation and deflation modes. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 5A-5C  are top plan views showing the control knob assembly of FIG,  1 A in the standby, inflation and deflation positions, respectively. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6A  is a cross-sectional side view of the pump unit of  FIG. 1A  with the control knob assembly stored in the standby mode. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6B  illustrates the lock button retained inside the clipping ring. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6C  illustrates the lock button disengaged from the clipping ring, 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a perspective cut-away view of the pump unit of  FIG. 1A  showing the flow of air in the inflation mode. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a perspective cut-away view of the pump unit of  FIG. 1A  showing the flow of air in the deflation mode. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a built-in pump unit according to another embodiment of the present invention, shown with the control knob assembly popped up for deployment. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of the pump unit of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 11A  is a perspective view of the control knob assembly of the pump unit of  FIG. 9  with arrows showing the air flow path during inflation. 
           [0023]      FIG. 11B  is a perspective view of the control knob assembly of the pump unit of  FIG. 9  with arrows showing the air flow path during deflation. 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional side view of the pump unit of  FIG. 9  in the inflation and deflation modes. 
           [0025]      FIGS. 13A-13C  are top plan views showing the control knob assembly of  FIG. 9  in the standby, inflation and deflation positions, respectively. 
           [0026]      FIG. 14  is a perspective cut-away view of the pump unit of  FIG. 9  showing the flow of air in the inflation mode. 
           [0027]      FIG. 15  is a perspective cut-away view of the pump unit of  FIG. 9  showing the flow of air in the deflation mode. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]    The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices and mechanisms are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail. 
         [0029]    AC Embodiment 
         [0030]      FIGS. 1-4  illustrate a built-in pump unit  100  according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is for use with AC power. The pump unit  100  has a housing that is made up of a main body  102  and a cover  104  that covers the interior of the main body  102 . The cover  104  is comprised of a surrounding frame  106  with a top panel  108  fitted inside the frame  106 . The main body  102  has two separate sections, a pump section  110  and an electrical wire storage compartment  112 . The pump section  110  is deeper than the electrical wire storage compartment  112  and is adapted to house a control knob assembly  114 , while the electrical wire storage compartment  112  is adapted to house electrical wires and other electrical components. The interior of the pump section  110  has an annular flexible clipping ring  116  that functions to grip a lock button  164  at the bottom of the control knob assembly  114 , and other locating ribs  118  that function to guide and hold the body of the control knob assembly  114  securely inside the pump section  110 . The control knob assembly  114  is retained inside the main body  102  of the housing, and can extend through an opening  120  in the panel  108 . A valve assembly  122  extends from a side wall of the main body  102  at the location of the pump section  110 . 
         [0031]    The panel  108  has another opening  124  for receiving a lid  126  that covers the electrical wire storage compartment  112 . The panel  108  has a generally rectangular shape and is adapted to be fitted into the frame  106 , which in turn is adapted to be fitted into the rectangular periphery  128  at the open top of the main body  102 . An “inflate” marker  130  and a “deflate” marker  132  are provided on the panel  108  adjacent the opening  120  to indicate the direction in which the control knob assembly  114  is to be turned for inflation and deflation. 
         [0032]    The valve assembly  122  functions to connect to the inflation/deflation port (not shown) of an inflatable product. The valve assembly  122  has a valve  136  that is seated in a valve seat  138  that covers an opening in the wall of the main body  102 . A seal ring  140  is seated on top of the valve  136 . A spring  142  is provided in the valve  136  for biasing the valve  136  and the seal ring  140  towards the valve seat  138 , and a protective cap  144  is secured to the valve seat  138  to cover the components of the valve assembly  122 . 
         [0033]    The control knob assembly  114  is the main component of the pump unit  100  and functions to divert air from the inflatable product to the external environment during deflation, and to divert air from the external environment into the inflatable product during inflation. For this reason, the control knob assembly  114  is also referred to herein as an air control assembly. Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , the control knob assembly  114  has a housing that is comprised of three sections: an air chamber section  150 , a motor frame  152  and a cover  154 . Starting from the bottom of the housing, there is a bottom lid  156  which covers the bottom of the air chamber section  150 . A bottom panel  158  is provided on the bottom surface of the bottom lid  156 . The bottom panel  158  is elongated in configuration with a hole  160  at the center between two wings  162 . A circular lock button  164  is provided below the bottom panel  158  at the location of the hole  160 . An impeller  166  is positioned for rotation inside the air chamber section  150 . The air chamber section  150  has a generally circular configuration, and has an air inlet  168  and an air outlet  170  positioned adjacent each other and separated by a small angled spacing  172 . 
         [0034]    The circular lock button  164  is adapted to be inserted into the clipping ring  116  so that the lock button  164  can be retained inside the clipping ring  116  when the control knob assembly  114  is in the standby or storage position. See  FIGS. 6A-6C . When the control knob assembly  114  is to be used to inflate or deflate the inflatable product, the control knob assembly  114  is pulled upwardly, with the lock button  164  being lifted out of the clipping ring  116 , to the orientation shown in  FIGS. 4 and 60 . 
         [0035]    The motor frame  152  is positioned above the air chamber section  150 , and is also generally circular in configuration. The motor frame  152  includes a bottom wall  174  with a hole (not shown) in the middle, through which a shaft  176  of a motor  178  can extend. The shaft  176  extends through the hole in the bottom wall  174  and is coupled to the impeller  166  to drive the impeller  166 . The motor frame  152  also includes an air vent  180 . 
         [0036]    The motor  178  is seated inside the motor frame  152 , and the cover  154  is seated on top of the motor frame  152  and covers the motor  178 . In this regard, the motor frame  152  and the cover  154  can together be considered to be a motor housing. The cover  154  has a generally cylindrical wall with a vent opening  182  provided near its top. A pull handle  186  covers part of the top of the cover  154 , and has air vent openings  188  that are aligned with the vent opening  182 . A handle lid  190  covers the pull handle  186 . 
         [0037]    A switching mechanism is provided with the cover  154  for switching the control knob assembly  114  to operate between the following three states: standby, inflation and deflation. Referring to  FIGS. 2, 5A, 5B and 5C , the switching mechanism includes a connector housing  192  that is secured to a fixed location on the bottom of the top panel  108  so that it suspends into the pump section  110 . The connector housing  192  has electrical connectors  194  and a spring  196 . The switching mechanism also includes inflation connectors  198  and deflation connectors  200  that are provided in spaced-apart manner on the exterior of the motor frame  152 . When the control knob assembly  114  is in the standby position ( FIG. 5A ), the connectors  194  are separated from the connectors  198 ,  200 , so no electrical connection exists. When the control knob assembly  114  is lifted and then turned to the inflation position ( FIG. 5B ), two things happen: (i) the connectors  194  contact the inflation connectors  198 , closing the circuit and causing the control knob assembly  114  to operate in the inflation mode, and (ii) the control knob assembly  114  pushes the valve  136  and seal ring  140  away from the valve seat  138  to open up an air passageway at the valve assembly  122  for alignment with the air outlet  170  (as described below). Finally, when the control knob assembly  114  is lifted and then turned to the deflation position ( FIG. 5C ), two similar things happen: (i) the connectors  194  contact the deflation connectors  200 , closing the circuit and causing the control knob assembly  114  to operate in the deflation mode, and (ii) the control knob assembly  114  pushes the valve  136  and seal ring  140  away from the valve seat  138  to open up an air passageway at the valve assembly  122  for alignment with the air inlet  168  (as described below). 
         [0038]    Thus, the present invention provides a single control knob assembly  114  that can be stored inside the housing of the pump unit  100  when the pump unit  100  is operating in the standby mode (Le., when it is not inflating or deflating the product), and which contains a single impeller  166  and a single motor  178 , yet is capable of operating in both the inflation and deflation modes. The construction of this control knob assembly  114  is simple yet efficient in accomplishing the dual functions of inflation and deflation, while protecting the control knob assembly  114  from external contaminants. 
         [0039]      FIG. 1B  shows the position of the control knob assembly  114  when the built-in pump unit  100  is in the standby mode. The air chamber section  150  is at the bottom of the pump section  110  of the main body  102 . The lock button  164  is retained inside the gripping ring  116 . In this position, the vent opening  182  is not exposed to the external environment. 
         [0040]    When the control knob assembly  114  is to be used for either inflation or deflation, the user grips the pull handle  186  and lifts the control knob assembly  114 , lifting the lock button  164  out of the annular ring  116 . 
         [0041]    To operate in the inflation mode, the user turns the cover  154  in the direction of the “inflate” marker  130  (see  FIG. 1A ), pushing the valve  136  and the seal ring  140  away from the valve seat  138 , and causing the connectors  194  and  198  to contact and switch on the motor  178  to rotate the shaft  176  in a first inflation direction ( FIG. 5B ). Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, 4 and 7 , air is drawn in to the vent openings  188  from the environment, and the air is directed out of the air vent  180  then via the air inlet  168  into the air chamber section  150  where the impeller  166  is positioned. From the air chamber section  150 , the air is then directed out of the air outlet  170 . The air outlet  170  is aligned with the opening at the valve seat  138  so that the air from the air chamber section  150  can be directed through the valve  136  and into the interior of the inflatable product. 
         [0042]    To operate in the deflation mode, the user turns the cover  154  in the direction of the “deflate” marker  132  (see FIG,  1 A), pushing the valve  136  and the seal ring  140  away from the valve seat  138 , and causing the connectors  194  and  200  to contact and switch on the motor  178  to rotate the shaft  176  in a second deflation direction (FIG,  50 ). Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, 3B, 4 and 8 , the air inlet  168  is aligned with the opening at the valve seat  138 , so air from inside the inflatable product is drawn through the valve  136  and the air inlet  168  into the air chamber section  150 , where the impeller  166  is positioned. From the air chamber section  150 , the air is then directed out of the air outlet  170  and via the air vent  180  into the motor frame  152  and the cover  154 , where the air exits the control knob assembly  114  via the vent openings  188 . 
         [0043]    When either inflation or deflation has been completed and the user wants to return the control knob assembly  114  to standby mode, the control knob assembly  114  is pushed in until the lock button  164  is pushed through the gripping ring  116  and retained thereat ( FIGS. 6A and 6C ), 
         [0044]    DC Embodiment 
         [0045]      FIGS. 9-15  illustrate a built-in pump unit  1000  according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is for use with AC power. The pump unit  1000  has a housing that is made up of a main body  1002  and a cover  1004  that covers the interior of the main body  1002 . A bottom lid  1005  covers the bottom of the main body  1002 . The cover  104  is comprised of a surrounding frame  1006  with a top panel  1008  fitted inside the frame  1006 . The main body  1002  has two separate sections, a pump section  1010  and a battery compartment  1012 . The pump section  1010  is deeper than the battery compartment  1012  and is adapted to house a control knob assembly  1014 , while the battery compartment  1012  is adapted to house a plurality of batteries  1090  and other electrical components for establishing the transfer of power from the battery (e.g., plates and conductors). The interior of the pump section  1010  has an annular flexible clipping ring  1016  that functions to grip a lock button  1064  at the bottom of the control knob assembly  1014 , and other locating ribs  1018  that function to guide and hold the body of the control knob assembly  1014  securely inside the pump section  1010 . The control knob assembly  1014  is retained inside the main body  1002  of the housing, and can extend through an opening  1020  in the panel  1008 . A valve assembly  1022  extends from a side wall of the main body  1002  at the location of the pump section  1010 . 
         [0046]    The panel  1008  has another opening  1024  for receiving a lid  1026  that covers the battery compartment  1012 . The panel  1008  has a generally rectangular shape and is adapted to be fitted into the frame  1006 , which in turn is adapted to be fitted into the rectangular periphery at the open top of the main body  1002 . An “inflate” marker  1030  and a “deflate” marker  1032  are provided on the panel  1008  adjacent the opening  1020  to indicate the direction in which the control knob assembly  1014  is to be turned for inflation and deflation. 
         [0047]    The valve assembly  1022  functions to connect to the inflation/deflation port (not shown) of an inflatable product. The valve assembly  1022  has a valve  1036  that is seated in a valve seat  1038  that covers an opening in the wall of the main body  1002 . A seal ring  1040  is seated on top of the valve  1036 . A spring  1042  is provided in the valve  1036  for biasing the valve  136  and the seal ring  1040  towards the valve seat  1038 , and a protective cap  1044  is secured to the valve seat  1038  to cover the components of the valve assembly  1022 . 
         [0048]    The control knob assembly  1014  is the main component of the pump unit  1000  and functions to divert air from the inflatable product to the external environment during deflation, and to divert air from the external environment into the inflatable product during inflation. Referring to  FIGS. 10-15 , the control knob assembly  1014  has a housing that is comprised of three sections: an impeller housing  1050 , a motor frame  1052  and a cover  1054 . Starting from the bottom of the housing, there is a bottom lid  1056  which covers the bottom of the impeller housing  1050 . A bottom panel  1058  is provided on the bottom surface of the bottom lid  1056 . The bottom panel  1058  is elongated in configuration with a hole  1060  at the center between two wings  1062 . A circular lock button  1064  is provided below the bottom panel  1058  at the location of the hole  1060 . An impeller  1066  is positioned for rotation inside the impeller housing  1050 . The impeller housing  1050  has a generally circular configuration, and has an air inlet  1068  and an air outlet  1070  positioned adjacent each other and separated by a small angled spacing  1072 . 
         [0049]    The circular lock button  1064  is adapted to be inserted through the clipping ring  1016  so that the lock button  1064  can be retained inside the clipping ring  1016  when the control knob assembly  1014  is in the standby or storage position. The clipping ring  1016  and the lock button  1064  operate in the same manner as the clipping ring  116  and lock button  164  shown in  FIGS. 6B and 6C . When the control knob assembly  1014  is to be used to inflate or deflate the inflatable product, the control knob assembly  1014  is pulled upwardly, with the lock button  1064  being lifted out of the clipping ring  1016 , to the orientation shown in  FIGS. 12 and 6C . 
         [0050]    The motor frame  1052  is positioned above the impeller housing  1050 , and is also generally circular in configuration. The motor frame  1052  includes a bottom wall  1074  with a hole (not shown) in the middle, through which a shaft (not shown) of a motor  1078  can extend. The shaft extends through the hole in the bottom wall  1074  and is coupled to the impeller  1066  to drive the impeller  1066 . The motor frame  1052  also includes an air vent  1080  (see  FIGS. 14-15 ). 
         [0051]    The motor  1078  is seated inside a well  1096  provided on the motor frame  1052 , and the cover  1054  is seated on top of the motor frame  1052  and covers the motor  1078 . In this regard, the motor frame  1052  and the cover  1054  can together be considered to be a motor housing. The cover  1054  has a generally cylindrical wall with a plurality of vent openings  1082  provided circumferentially near its top. A pull handle  1086  covers the top of the cover  1054 . 
         [0052]    A switching mechanism is provided with the cover  1054  for switching the control knob assembly  1014  to operate between the following three states: standby, inflation and deflation. Referring to FIGS,  10 ,  12 ,  13 A,  13 B and  13 C, the switching mechanism includes a separator  1092  that is secured to a fixed location between the pump section  1010  and the battery compartment  1012 . The separator  1092  has an electrical contact plate  1094 . The switching mechanism also includes inflation connectors  1098  and deflation connectors  2000  that are provided in spaced-apart manner on the exterior of the cover  1054 . When the control knob assembly  1014  is in the standby position (FIG,  13 A), the contact plate  1094  is separated from the connectors  1098 ,  2000 , so no electrical connection exists. When the control knob assembly  1014  is lifted and then turned to the inflation position ( FIG. 13B ), two things happen: (i) the contact plate  1094  contacts the inflation connector  1098 , closing the circuit and causing the control knob assembly  1014  to operate in the inflation mode, and (ii) the control knob assembly  1014  pushes the valve  1036  and seal ring  1040  away from the valve seat  1038  to open up an air passageway at the valve assembly  1022  for alignment with the air outlet  1070  (as described below). Finally, when the control knob assembly  1014  is lifted and then turned to the deflation position ( FIG. 130 ), two things happen: (i) the contact plate  1094  contacts the deflation connector  2000 , closing the circuit and causing the control knob assembly  1014  to operate in the deflation mode, and (ii) the control knob assembly  1014  pushes the valve  1036  and seal ring  1040  away from the valve seat  1038  to open up an air passageway at the valve assembly  1022  for alignment with the air inlet  168  (as described below). 
         [0053]    In addition, contact plates  2002 ,  2004 ,  2006  and  2008  are provided in the battery compartment  1012  to provide power from the batteries  1090  to the motor  1078 . 
         [0054]    Thus, the present invention provides a single control knob assembly  1014  that can be stored inside the housing of the pump unit  1000  when the pump unit  1000  is operating in the standby mode (i.e., when it is not inflating or deflating the product), and which contains a single impeller  1066  and a single motor  1078 , yet is capable of operating in both the inflation and deflation modes. The construction of this control knob assembly  1014  is simple yet efficient in accomplishing the dual functions of inflation and deflation, while protecting the control knob assembly  1014  from external contaminants. 
         [0055]      FIG. 13A  shows the position of the control knob assembly  1014  when the built-in pump unit  1000  is in the standby mode. The impeller housing  1050  is at the bottom of the pump section  1010  of the main body  1002 , with the lock button  1064  retained inside the gripping ring  1016  (not shown). 
         [0056]    When the control knob assembly  1014  is to be used for either inflation or deflation, the user grips the pull handle  1086  and lifts the control knob assembly  1014 , lifting the lock button  1064  out of the annular ring  1016 . 
         [0057]    To operate in the inflation mode, the user turns the cover  1054  in the direction of the “inflate” marker  1030  (see  FIG. 9 ), pushing the valve  1036  and the seal ring  1040  away from the valve seat  1038 , and causing the connector  1098  to contact the contact plate  1094  to contact and switch on the motor  1078  to rotate the shaft in a first inflation direction ( FIG. 13B ). Referring to  FIGS. 11A and 14 , air is drawn in to the vent openings  1082  from the environment, and the air is directed out of the air vent  1080  then via the air inlet  1068  into the impeller housing  1050  where the impeller  1066  is positioned. From the impeller housing  1050 , the air is then directed out of the air outlet  1070 . The air outlet  1070  is aligned with the opening at the valve seat  1038  so that the air from the impeller housing  1050  can be directed through the valve  1036  and into the interior of the inflatable product. 
         [0058]    To operate in the deflation mode, the user turns the cover  1054  in the direction of the “deflate” marker  1032  (see  FIG. 9 ), pushing the valve  1036  and the seal ring  1040  away from the valve seat  1038 , and causing the connector  2000  and the contact plate  1094  to contact and switch on the motor  1078  to rotate the shaft in a second deflation direction ( FIG. 13C ). Referring to  FIGS. 11B and 15 , the air inlet  1068  is aligned with the opening at the valve seat  1038 , so air from inside the inflatable product is drawn through the valve  1036  and the air inlet  1068  into the impeller housing  1050 , where the impeller  1066  is positioned. From the impeller housing  1050 , the air is then directed out of the air outlet  1070  and via the air vent  1080  into the cover  1054 , where the air exits the control knob assembly  1014  via the vent openings  1082 . 
         [0059]    When either inflation or deflation has been completed and the user wants to return the control knob assembly  1014  to standby mode, the control knob assembly  1014  is pushed in until the lock button  1064  is pushed through the annular gripping ring  1016  and retained thereat. 
         [0060]    The above detailed description is for the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, components, mechanisms and methods are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail.