Patent Abstract:
Pumps and methods for inflating objects with atmospheric air employ a fan pump to quickly fill the object with air and then shunt away the air from the fan pump, and use a diaphragm pump to increase the pressure until the inflatable object attains the firmness or pressure required for the object to be useable.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to pumps for inflating differently sized objects, and more particularly to motor operated air pumps. 
     OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide improved pumps and pumping methods for inflating objects with atmospheric air. 
     Another object is to provide a portable inflator pump that can be used to inflate a variety of objects that require different inflation pressures and different volumes of air. 
     An additional object is to provide an air pump that quickly outputs a relatively large volume of air until an object being inflated is essentially full of air but not hard, and then outputs a relatively small volume of air that raises the pressure until the object is hard enough to use. 
     Another object is to provide pumps and methods of pumping that can be adjusted to change the pressure, volume of air, and time required to fully inflate various objects. 
     A further object is to provide pumps and pumping methods that do not require expensive check valves or electronic pressure valves. 
     Another object is to provide an pump that can be changed from large volume low pressure output to low volume high pressure output merely by turning the dial on a manual valve. 
     Another object is to provide a air pump in which pump means are connected to the same hose that is always connected to the object being inflated while each pump means is operating. 
     A further object is to provide a motor operated stage air pump that shunts the flow of low pressure air so as to cool the motor when the high pressure stage is operating. 
     Another object is to provide non-manual methods of quickly pumping air into inflatable objects and then raising their pressure to a useful value. 
     Another object is to provide methods of pumping large volumes of air into an object and then raising its pressure through a common outlet for pressurized air. 
     A further object is to provide a compact air pump that is durable, economical to manufacture and to operate, pleasing in appearance, easy to use and maintain, and which does not possess defects found in similar prior art pumps. 
     Other objects and advantages of the pumps and pumping methods incorporating this invention will be found in the specification and claims, and the scope of the invention will be set forth in the claims. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded, partially broken away, schematic, perspective view of an embodiment of a pump in accord with this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a partially broken away, perspective view. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged partially broken away top plan view. 
     FIG. 4 is a partially broken away, partial bottom plan view showing one position of the valve. 
     FIG. 5 is a partially broken away, partial bottom plan view showing another position of the valve. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged, partially cross sectional, perspective view showing the valve in the same position as in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged, partially cross sectional, perspective view showing the valve in the same position as in FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The drawing shows an air inflating pump  10  in accord with this invention in a plastic housing having a bottom portion  11  and a top portion  12  with a removable hatch cover  13 . The top and bottom portions  11  and  12  may be separable or permanently attached to each other. Bottom portion  11  has a circular pressurized air discharge outlet  14  that is adapted to be connected to an object being inflated. A plurality of elongated slits  8  in bottom portion  11  vent the housing to the atmosphere, and feet  7  may extend from the bottom. 
     A relatively high air volume relatively low pressure fan pump  15  of conventional structure is mounted in bottom portion  11  on supports  16 . A rotatable circular disk  17  with angled fan blades  18  sucks a high volume ambient air in through an intake opening  19  and pumps the pressurized air out through the open end of a cylindrical discharge duct  21 . The pump  15  may output up to about 600 liters per minute of air at pressures up to 1.1 psi. 
     A relatively low air volume relatively high pressure diaphragm pump  20  of conventional structure is mounted in bottom portion  11  on supports  22 . On the intake stroke, a reciprocating diaphragm  23  sucks a low volume of ambient air in through an intake opening  24  past a flap  25  into the pump body  26 . On the discharge stroke, the diaphragm  23  pumps the pressurized air out through the open end of a cylindrical discharge duct  27 . The pump  20  may output up to about 300 liters per minute of air at pressures in the range of up to 12 psi. 
     A single electric motor  28  continuously powers both of the pumps  15  and  20  simultaneously. The forward end  29  of the motor shaft is attached directly to the fan disk  17  so that the fan runs at the same number of revolutions as the motor. The rear end  30  of the motor shaft is connected to a small diameter gear  31 . A toothed belt  32  couples the gear  31  to a larger gear  33 , which is journalled on a shaft  34  that is supported by a bushing  35  on posts  36  in the bottom portion  11 . Shaft  34  is coupled to a crank  37  that reciprocates diaphragm  23  in conventional manner. The motor  28  may be permanently or removably connected to an electric plug and cord  38  of any desired length, and the cord may be stored in a hatch  39  that is accessible when the cover  13  is removed. The motor  28  may be a.c. or d. c., and may be turned on and off by an electric switch  9 . 
     Pressurized air from the pumps  15  and  20  passes through an air collection cap  40  before entering outlet opening  14 . Cap  40  has an integral, open ended, cylindrical first pipe  41  that receives the discharge duct  21  from pump  15 . The duct  21  and pipe  41  define a first pressurized air conduit  42  that connects the fan pump  15  to the discharge outlet  14 . The cap has an integral, open ended, cylindrical second pipe  43 . The discharge duct  27  of diaphragm pump  20  is connected to pipe  43  by hoses  44 . The duct  27 , hoses  44  and pipe  43  define a second pressurized air conduit  45  that connects diaphragm pump  20  to the outlet  14 . The cap  40  positions the first and second conduits directly above the outlet  14 . A low pressure air shunt or escape groove  46  through the bottom of cap  40  has an open end  47  connected to the inside of pipe  41  and a closed end  48  that is positioned above an open or unoccupied zone  49  in bottom portion  11 . Zone  49  communicates with the rest of the interior of the pump housing so as to provide a path for air discharged by pump  15 . A conventional pressurized air transfer fitting, such as a hollow cone  50 , may have one end  51  connected by a friction fit to outlet  14 . A reduced diameter end  52  may be inserted into an air inlet valve or button  53  of an inflatable object  54 . 
     The movement of the dial  59  of a valve  60  controls the flow of pressurized air between the conduits  42  and  45  and the outlet  14 . The valve  60  has a first relatively high air volume low pressure position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, and a second relatively low air volume high pressure position shown in FIGS. 3,  5  and  7 . Valve  60  includes a generally circular disk  61  that is integral with dial  59  and is mounted for rotation around its center  62 . A plurality of circular, pressurized air flow adjusting passages or holes pass through disk  61 . 
     When the valve  60  is in its first position, a first air flow adjusting hole  63  is aligned with the first conduit  42  above outlet  14 , and a second air flow adjusting hole  64 , that is identical to hole  63 , is aligned with the second conduit  45  above outlet  14 . In this position valve  60  enables the pressurized air from both pumps  15  and  20  to flow through outlet  14  into the object  54  that is being inflated. A solid portion  65  of disk  61  is located between groove  46  and zone  49 , so that no air can escape through the groove. 
     The valve  60  is moved to its second position by counterclockwise manual rotation of the dial  59 . This moves the first hole  63  out of alignment with the first conduit  42  and into alignment with the second conduit  45 . This keeps the second conduit  45  in communication with the outlet  14  so that the relatively higher pressure air from the diaphragm pump  20  is pumped into the object being inflated. The solid portion  65  of the disk  61  has been moved between the first conduit  42  and the outlet  14  so as to block or close off the first conduit and thereby to prevent the low pressure air from the fan pump  15  from being pumped into the object being inflated. 
     A smaller third air flow adjusting hole  66  through disk  61  is offset from the first and second holes  63  and  64 . When the valve is in the first or high air flow position, the third hole  66  is not used because it is not aligned with any air passage, conduit or groove. When the valve has been rotated to the second or high pressure position, the third hole  66  has been moved to a location between the air escape groove  46  and the unoccupied zone  49 . This shunts the air flowing from the fan pump  15  through the groove  46  and zone  49  into the interior of the pump housing. The shunted air flowing through the housing helps to cool the motor  28  and the moving parts of other components of the pump. Pressurized air leakage may be prevented by placing gaskets, such as O-rings  70 , where required between components located in the pump housing. 
     It has thus been shown that by the practice of this invention, a variety of inflatable objects, such as air matresses, life rafts, soccer and other types of balls, and inflatable boats, can be quickly and easily filled with ambient air and brought up to an internal pressure where the objects are usable. Simply by manually rotating the dial  59  of valve  60 , the degree of alignment between the air flow adjusting holes  63  and  64  and the first and second conduits  42  and  45  can be adjusted to control the volume of air, the pressure and the time required to fill and fully pressurize the object being inflated. By running both pumps  15  and  20  continuously, the need for expensive and complicated circuitry that includes electronic pressure and check valves has been eliminated. The electrical circuitry between the switch and motor, and the fasteners used to hold the various parts in the housing are conventional so they have not been illustrated to simplify the drawings. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, it is not intended to illustrate or describe all of the equivalent forms or ramifications thereof. Also, the words used are words of description rather than limitation, and various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the appended claim cover all such changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5