Patent ID: 7063514

Claim:
An air pump adapted to inflate an inflatable object, the inflatable object having an air inlet, said air pump comprising: a housing unit having a pair of first and second intake port units, and an exhaust port unit that is adapted to be in fluid communication with the air inlet in the inflatable object; a motor installed within said housing unit and including a driving shaft journalled in said housing unit; a fan disposed within said housing unit and including a middle plate connected fixedly to said driving shaft of said motor, and a pair of first and second fan blade units extending respectively from two opposite side surfaces of said middle plate, said motor being driven to rotate said fan within said housing unit, air being sucked into said housing unit by said first and second fan blade units through said first and second intake port units, respectively, and being subsequently forced out of said housing unit by said first and second fan blade units through said exhaust port unit; a base; and a solenoid valve assembly, said solenoid valve assembly including a solenoid unit, a driving unit and a valve plate; wherein said housing unit and said solenoid unit being disposed within said base, said driving unit interconnecting said solenoid unit and said valve plate and being driven by said solenoid unit to move said valve plate between a sealing position, where flow of air from said housing unit through said exhaust port unit is prevented, and a non-sealing position, where the flow of the air from said housing unit through said exhaust port unit is allowed.