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Single direction air pump assembly with dual flowpaths

Single direction air pump assembly with dual flowpaths description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to fluid pumps, and more particularly, the disclosure is directed to an air pump and a control for the air pump for supplying air under pressure to an air mattress and evacuating air from an air mattress.

2. Related Art

Air beds use air mattresses to provide an adjustable level of support and comfort for the user. Air mattresses are often inflated with motor-driven blowers and pumps. Controls on the motors are used to adjust the level of inflation. This disclosure is directed to a simplified construction for a pump for an inflatable structure, such as an air mattress, that allows a user to quickly inflate and deflate the inflatable structure as needed.

In one aspect of the invention, a pump assembly for an inflatable body is provided. The pump assembly comprises a blower unit disposed in a housing that is configured to move air in a single direction from an inlet in the housing to an outlet in the housing. The pump assembly further comprises a connector in communication with the housing outlet that is adapted to connect the pump assembly to an inflatable body to allow inflation and deflation of an inflatable body. The pump assembly also comprises a base with first and second valve bodies positionable in the base for selected movement between inflate and deflate positions, where the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with the connector and the second valve body aligns the housing inlet with atmosphere in the inflate position, and where the second valve body aligns the connector in communication with the housing inlet and the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with atmosphere in the deflate position. The pump assembly also comprises a control for selectively positioning the first and second valve bodies between inflate and deflate positions.

In another aspect of the invention, an inflatable and deflatable product is provided. The inflatable product has a body with an interior adapted to hold air at pressure. The inflatable body also has a port communicating with the interior that is adapted to receive air into the interior and discharge air from the interior. The inflatable product comprises a blower unit disposed in a housing that is adapted to move air in a single direction from an inlet in the housing to an outlet in the housing. The inflatable product further comprises a base with first and second valve bodies positionable in the base for selected movement between inflate and deflate positions, where the first valve body aligns the housing outlet in communication with the port and the second valve body seals the port from the housing inlet in the inflate position, and where the second valve body aligns the port in communication with the housing inlet and the first valve body seals the port from the housing outlet in the deflate position. The inflatable product further comprises a control for selectively positioning the first and second valve bodies between inflate and deflate positions.

Further features and advantages of the apparatus of the present disclosure, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the apparatus of the disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure and together with descriptions, serve to explain the principles of the apparatus of the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a pump assembly attached to an inflatable and deflatable structure such as an air mattress;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of a blower unit, base and plug of the pump assembly of FIG. 1 removed from a casing of the pump assembly;

FIG. 3 shows a right-side view of the blower unit, base and plug of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the blower unit, base and plug of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of a solenoid actuated valve removed from a duct in the base;

FIG. 6 shows a top cross-sectional view of the blower unit, base, plug and a portion of the connector taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 shows a front-cross sectional view of the blower unit, base, plug and a portion of the connector taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 3.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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