Patent Publication Number: US-2005125904-A1

Title: Nozzle structure in combination with a bidirectional air pump

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE  
      This is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of patent application Ser. No. 10/733,082, filed on Dec. 11, 2003 by the same applicant of this application. The content thereof is incorporated for reference hereinafter. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a nozzle structure, and more particularly to a nozzle structure for a bi-directional air pump to readily facilitate pumping/drawing air into/out of an inflatable object.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      The existing inflatable objects normally are respectively embedded with an air pump to pump the air into the inflatable object when required. After the inflatable objected is inflated, a unidirectional valve in the air pump is used as a stop for preventing air from leakage from the inflatable object. When the inflatable object is not in use, the user will have to deflate the inflatable object manually so as to minimize the space occupied by the deflated object. However, deflating the inflated object by hand is exhausting and too time consuming.  
      To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved nozzle structure to mitigate the aforementioned problems.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved nozzle structure and a bi-directional air pump to facilitate inflating and deflating the inflatable object.  
      In order to accomplish the aforementioned objective, the nozzle structure of the present invention is provided with a guiding seat movably attached to a peripheral edge defining an outlet of an air pump casing and a resilient plate securely engaged with a side face of the guiding seat such that when the air pump is actuated, the air pumped by the air pump will push the guiding seat together with the resilient plate away from the outlet of the air pump casing and when the inflatable object is inflated and the air pump stops functioning, the air pressure inside the inflatable object will push the resilient plate and the guiding seat back to engage with the peripheral edge of the outlet to seal the outlet. Thus air leakage is prevented.  
      Another objective of the present invention is that the air pump axle is able to abut a free end of a pole on the guiding seat when the bi-directional air pump is activated to draw the air inside the inflatable object out of the inflatable object such that the deflating process is facilitated.  
      Other objects, 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  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle structure of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the nozzle structure when the elements in  FIG. 1  are assembled;  
       FIG. 3  is a partially cross sectional view showing the that the guiding plate and the resilient plate are attached to the peripheral edge of the outlet to stop air leakage; and  
       FIG. 4  is a schematic cross sectional view showing that the guiding plate and the resilient plate are pushed away from the outlet to allow air flow through the outlet of the air pump casing. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the nozzle structure in accordance with the present invention has an air pump casing ( 10 ) to receive therein an air pump ( 20 ).  
      The air pump casing ( 10 ) has an outlet ( 11 ) defined in a bottom face of the air pump casing ( 10 ) and a bar ( 12 ) extending from two points on a peripheral edge defining the outlet ( 11 ). The bar ( 12 ) has two positioning holes ( 121 ) and an extension hole ( 122 ) defined through the bar ( 12 ). The extension hole ( 122 ) is centrally defined between the two positioning holes ( 121 ). A guiding element ( 13 ) is provided to the nozzle structure and includes a guiding bar ( 131 ), a spring ( 132 ) and a guiding plate ( 133 ).  
      The guiding bar ( 131 ) has an extension ( 1311 ) extendable through the extension hole ( 122 ) and a head ( 1312 ) formed on a distal end of the extension ( 1311 ). The guiding plate ( 133 ) has a disk ( 1331 ) with multiple holes ( 1332 ) defined through a face of the disk ( 1331 ), two positioning rods ( 1333 ) extending outward from the face of the disk ( 1331 ) to correspond to and extend through the two positioning holes ( 121 ) of the bar ( 12 ) and a tube ( 1334 ) formed on the face of the disk ( 133 ) to correspond to and receive therein a free end of the extension ( 1311 ).  
      A resilient plate ( 14 ) made of rubber or a similar material is provided with two bosses ( 141 ) to correspond to two securing holes ( 1335 ) defined through the face of the disk ( 1331 ).  
      With reference to  FIG. 3 , it is noted that after the nozzle structure of the present invention is assembled, the two bosses ( 141 ) are extended through the two corresponding securing holes ( 1335 ) to secure engagement between the resilient plate ( 14 ) and the disk ( 1331 ). The two positioning rods ( 1333 ) are extended through the two positioning holes ( 121 ) of the bar ( 12 ) and the tube ( 1334 ) is extended through the corresponding extension hole ( 122 ) to securely receive the free end of the extension ( 1311 ) before the spring ( 132 ) is mounted around the tube ( 1334 ). Thus, after the spring ( 132 ) is mounted around the tube ( 1334 ) and the free end of the extension ( 1311 ) is securely received in the tube ( 1334 ), two distal ends of the spring ( 132 ) are compressed between the head ( 1312 ) and the disk ( 1331 ).  
      With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , it is noted that when the air pump ( 20 ) is activated, the air pumped by the air pump ( 20 ) forces the guiding element ( 13 ) to move away from the outlet ( 11 ). Thus the air is able to be pumped out of the air pump casing ( 10 ) and into an inflatable object (not shown). Furthermore, when the inflatable object is not in use, the air pump axle ( 21 ) is extended out to abut a free end of the head ( 1312 ) to force the disk ( 1331 ) together with the resilient plate ( 14 ) to move away from the outlet ( 11 ). As a consequence of the moving away from the outlet ( 11 ) of the disk ( 1331 ) and the resilient plate ( 14 ), the air inside the inflatable object is able to flow out of the inflatable object.  
      In summary, the nozzle structure of the present invention is able to facilitate the inflating and deflating processes of the air pump to the inflatable object and manual work is entirely not involved. Therefore, the user is able to readily complete the required work.  
      It is to be understood, however, that 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, and 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.