INFLATION PUMP

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of air pumps, and in particular, to an inflation pump.

BACKGROUND

A portable inflation pump is generally equipped with a battery and an air pump inside. The battery can power the air pump, thereby conveniently inflating devices that need to be inflated, such as tires. In the related art, such as a handheld portable wireless inflation pump disclosed in patent CN219911063U, a housing is generally provided with an air outlet hole, and the air outlet hole is externally connected to an air pipe to inflate an external device. It is easy for a user to miss the air pipe when carrying the inflation pump, and the convenience of use needs to be improved.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an inflation pump, improving the convenience of use of the inflation pump.

An inflation pump includes:

• • a housing, provided with a storage groove extending along an outer surface of the housing;
  • an air source, disposed in the housing;
  • a switch module, disposed in the housing; and
  • a ventilation pipe, disposed in the housing and including a first state and a second state with respect to the housing, where in the first state, the ventilation pipe is stored in the storage groove to abut against the switch module, and the air source stops working; and in the second state, an end, externally connected to a device to be inflated, of the ventilation pipe is separated from the storage groove, to remove the abutting of the ventilation pipe against the switch module, and the air source works and is in communication with the ventilation pipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or in the prior art more clearly, the following briefly describes the drawings required for describing the embodiments or the prior art. Apparently, the drawings in the following description show merely some embodiments of the present disclosure, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings from these drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an inflation pump according to an embodiment from a perspective;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an inflation pump shown in FIG. 1 from another perspective;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an inflation pump shown in FIG. 1 from a perspective;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an inflation pump shown in FIG. 3 from another perspective;

FIG. 5 is a front view of an inflation pump shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a switch module of an inflation pump according to an embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a switch module of an inflation pump shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a switch module covered with a protective member according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an inflation pump provided with a safety belt according to an embodiment.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

10: inflation pump; 11: housing: 11a: storage groove; 11a1: first groove; 11a3: second groove; 11b: heat dissipation hole; 11c: through hole; 111: first surface; 112: second surface; 113: first peripheral surface; 114: second peripheral surface; 115: third peripheral surface; 116: fourth peripheral surface; 117: front shell; 118: rear shell; 119: middle shell; 13: air source; 131: motor; 133: crank; 134: piston; 135: cylinder block; 137: fan; 15: switch module; 151: bearing member; 153: first conductor; 155: second conductor; 157: abutting arm; 16: protective member; 17: ventilation pipe; 171: pipe body; 173: connector; 181: battery; 183: circuit board; 191: button; 193: display screen; 195: light-emitting module; 197: lanyard; 198: safety belt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of the preferred embodiments is of preferred modes for carrying out the present disclosure. This description is not intended to be limiting in any way. It is presented for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, the terms “installed”, “connected”, “coupled”, and “installed” in the following description refer to the connection relationships in the drawings. For example, the term “connected” may mean permanently connected or detachably connected. In addition, the term “connected” may also mean directly connected or indirectly connected, or connected through other auxiliary components. Therefore, the above terms should not be limited on the actual connections of the elements in the present disclosure.

It should be understood that the terms “length”, “width”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “upper”, “lower”, “outside”, and “inside” refer to the orientation or positioning relationships in the drawings to facilitate the understanding of the present disclosure, and do not limit the actual positions or orientations in the present disclosure. Therefore, the above terms should not be limited on the actual positions of the elements in the present disclosure.

It should be understood that the terms “first”, “second”, “one”, “a/an”, and “one” in the following description refer to “at least one” or “one or more” in the embodiments. In particular, the term “a/an” may refer to “one” in one embodiment and to “more than one” in another embodiment. Therefore, the above terms should not be limited on the actual numerals of the elements in the present disclosure.

To facilitate the understanding of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is described more completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure is embodied in various forms without being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these examples are provided such that the disclosure of the present disclosure can be understood thoroughly and comprehensively.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an embodiment of the present disclosure discloses an inflation pump 10. The inflation pump 10 has a relatively small size, is easy to carry, and can be configured to inflate devices that need to be inflated, such as tires.

Moreover, in combination with FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the inflation pump 10 includes a housing 11, an air source 13, a switch module 15, and a ventilation pipe 17. The housing 11 is substantially in the shape of a hollow rectangular box, and is provided with a storage groove 11a extending along an outer surface of the housing 11. The air source 13 is disposed in the housing 11, and may include a motor 131, a crank 133 linked with an output end of the motor 131, a piston 134 connected to the crank 133, and a cylinder block 135 for the piston 134 to perform telescopic motion. The ventilation pipe 17 is in communication with the cylinder block 135. When the motor 131 is working, the piston 134 is driven to stretch and contract in the cylinder block 135 through the crank 133. Air is suctioned into the cylinder block 135 when the piston 134 moves outward relative to the cylinder block 135. When the piston 134 moves inward relative to the cylinder block 135, the air in the cylinder block 135 is pressed into the ventilation pipe 17. When the ventilation pipe 17 is externally connected to a device that needs to be inflated, such as a tire, the air can be inflated into the tire to achieve an inflation function. In some implementations, the inflation pump 10 may further include a fan 137 linked with the output end of the motor 131. The housing 11 may be provided with a heat dissipation hole 11b. When the motor 131 is working, the fan 137 rotates to drive the air in the housing 11 to convect with air outside the housing 11 through the heat dissipation holes 11b, thereby dissipating heat for the inflation pump 10. In other implementations, the air source 13 may also be in other forms. The air source 13 is a relatively mature technology and will not be described in detail herein.

The inflation pump 10 may further include a battery 181 and a circuit board 183 that are disposed in the housing 11. The battery 181 is electrically connected to the circuit board 183 and is configured to supply power to the air source 13, that is, the motor 131. The battery 181 may include a battery 181 that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, such as a lithium battery, to improve the convenience of use of the inflation pump 10. The circuit board 183 may integrate a control circuit of the motor 131 and the like. Furthermore, a button 191 and a display screen 193 may be disposed on the housing 11. The display screen 193 is in communication with the circuit board 183 and can be configured to display information such as power level. The display screen 193 is not limited to a digital tube or a liquid crystal screen, and may also be an OLED screen. The buttons 191 are configured to trigger corresponding functions, such as adjusting the rotation speed of the motor 131 and thus adjusting the inflation rate. In some implementations, the inflation pump 10 may further include a light-emitting module 195 electrically connected to the circuit board 183. The light-emitting module 195 is not limited to an LED lamp. The buttons 191 can implement the opening and closing of the light-emitting module 195, thereby providing functions such as lighting. In some implementations, the inflation pump 10 may further include a lanyard 197 connected to the housing 11. The lanyard 197 can form a passing space for allowing fingers or arms of a user to pass through, such that the user can carry the inflation pump 10 more conveniently, improving the convenience of use.

The switch module 15 is disposed in the housing 11 and electrically connected to the circuit board 183, and can be configured to control the start and stop of the air source 13. The ventilation pipe 17 is disposed in the housing 11 and has a first state and a second state with respect to the housing 11. In the first state, the ventilation pipe 17 is stored in the storage groove 11a to abut against the switch module 15, and the air source 13 stops working as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. In the second state, an end, externally connected to a device to be inflated, of the ventilation pipe 17 is separated from the storage groove 11a to remove abutting of the ventilation pipe 17 against the switch module 15, and the air source 13 works and is in communication with the ventilation pipe 17. In other words, when the ventilation pipe 17 is in the first state, the ventilation pipe 17 is stored in the storage groove 11a extending in a circumferential direction of the housing 11, the motor 131 of the air source 13 is powered off, and the air source 13 is in an off state. After the user pulls, the end of the ventilation pipe 17 externally connected to the device to be inflated, out of the storage groove 11a, a control circuit of the motor 131 of the air source 13 is powered on, and the user can externally connect the ventilation pipe 17 to the device to be inflated, to inflate the device to be inflated.

This structure of triggering the switch module 15 through the ventilation pipe 17 can implement the start and stop control of the air source 13 by the on and off of a simple mechanical switch structure, without setting up a complex control circuit or employing a controller combined with a complex control strategy to control the start and stop of the air source 13. For example, there is no need to detect the abutting force of the ventilation pipe 17 against the housing 11 through a pressure sensor, and the controller controls the start and stop of the air source 13 in response to the detection signal. For another example, there is no need to detect the voltage or current at the trigger position through a voltage or current detection circuit, and the controller controls the start and stop of the air source 13 in response to the detection signal. This simplification of the control circuit and control components improves the convenience of use of the inflation pump 10 while allowing the inflation pump 10 to have relatively high working reliability and relatively long service life. Moreover, the cost of the device can be reduced, thereby reducing the costs of the inflation pump 10, making the inflation pump 10 acceptable to more consumers.

The above inflation pump 10 includes a housing 11, an air source 13, a switch module 15, and a ventilation pipe 17. The housing 11 is provided with a storage groove 11a extending along an outer surface of the housing 11. The air source 13 is disposed in the housing 11. The switch module 15 is disposed in the housing 11. The ventilation pipe 17 is disposed in the housing 11 and has a first state and a second state with respect to the housing 11. In the first state, the ventilation pipe 17 is stored in the storage groove 11a to abut against the switch module 15, the air source 13 stops working, the housing 11 can achieve limiting and protecting effects on the ventilation pipe 17 stored in the storage groove 11a, and the overall appearance of the inflation pump 10 is relatively simple. In the second state, an end, externally connected to a device to be inflated, of the ventilation pipe 17 is separated from the storage groove 11a to remove abutting of the ventilation pipe 17 against the switch module 15, and the air source 13 works and is in communication with the ventilation pipe 17. The user can connect the ventilation pipe 17 to an external device that needs to be inflated, and the inflation pump can be used without externally connecting other air pipes, thereby improving the convenience of use. The settings of the switch module 15 implement automatic triggering of the start and stop of the air source 13, further improving the convenience of use.

Furthermore, in some implementations, the storage groove 11a extends in the circumferential direction of the housing 11. In the first state, the ventilation pipe 17 exposed outside the housing 11 is completely embedded in the storage groove 11a and extends along the storage groove 11a. That is, in the first state, the ventilation pipe 17 can be better hidden in the storage groove 11a. Referring to FIG. 5, for example, when the user looks directly at the front of the inflation pump 10, the ventilation pipe 17 is completely shielded by the housing 11. With this structural arrangement, when the ventilation pipe 17 is in the first state, the ventilation pipe 17 is prevented from protruding from the outer contour of the housing 11. During the transportation of the inflation pump 10, a flexible portion of the ventilation pipe 17 can be prevented from colliding or rubbing against an external object and causing accidental damage, thereby prolonging the service life of the ventilation pipe 17 and further prolonging the service life of the inflation pump 10. Certainly, in other implementations, the ventilation pipe 17 can slightly protrude from the outer contour of the housing 11. The housing 11 of this structure can also protect the ventilation pipe 17, and the appearance of the inflation pump 10 is also relatively simple.

Still referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the housing 11 may include a first surface 111 and a second surface 112 that are opposite to each other, and a peripheral surface connected between the first surface 111 and the second surface 112. The peripheral surface includes a first peripheral surface 113 and a second peripheral surface 114 that are opposite to each other, and a third peripheral surface 115 and a fourth peripheral surface 116 that are connected between the first peripheral surface 113 and the second peripheral surface 114 and are opposite to each other. The storage groove 11a extends from the first peripheral surface 113 to the third peripheral surface 115. With this structural arrangement, the storage groove 11a at the transition between the first peripheral surface 113 and the second peripheral surface 114 can have a relatively small curvature, such that the flexible portion of the ventilation pipe 17 can better fit the wall of the storage groove 11a, preventing the ventilation pipe 17 from bending excessively and reducing the service life thereof. Furthermore, the storage groove 11a can extend to the fourth peripheral surface 116, and the ventilation pipe 17 extends into the housing 11 from the side where the fourth peripheral surface 116 is located. After the user pulls the ventilation pipe 17 away from the storage groove 11a, the ventilation pipe 17 can be bent relative to the fourth peripheral surface 116 from the connection between the fourth peripheral surface 116 and the first peripheral surface 113, such that the part of the ventilation pipe 17 exposed outside the housing 11 has a relatively long length, which is convenient for the user to use.

Certainly, in other implementations, the storage groove 11a may have other structural forms in the housing 11, such as extending along an outer surface having a larger surface area of the housing 11, or extending from the fourth peripheral surface 116 to other surfaces. These deformations should be regarded as simple deformations of the storage groove 11a in the present disclosure and should not be excluded from the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Still referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, for example, in the implementations of the present disclosure, the housing 11 may include a front shell 117 and a rear shell 118 that are opposite to each other, and a middle shell 119 connected between the front shell 117 and the rear shell 118. The front shell 117 has at least the first surface 111, the rear shell 118 has at least the second surface 112, and the middle shell 119 has part or whole of the peripheral surface. The buttons 191 can be disposed on the front shell 117, the air source 13 and the switch module 15 are respectively disposed at the middle shell 119, and the storage groove 11a extends in the circumferential direction of the middle shell 119. The battery 181 and the circuit board 183 are respectively fixed to the middle shell 119 to achieve reliable fixation in the housing 11. The front shell 117 and the rear shell 118 can be assembled and fixed on two opposite sides of the middle shell 119 by snapping together, to improve the assembly convenience of the inflation pump 10 and improve the assembly efficiency of the inflation pump 10. In other implementations, the middle shell 119 may be omitted, and the air source 13, the battery 181, the circuit board 183 and other devices may be disposed at the front shell 117 or the rear shell 118, and the storage groove 11a may be located at the front shell 117 or the rear shell 118.

Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, for example, the switch module 15 may include a bearing member 151 disposed in the middle shell 119, a first conductor 153 and a second conductor 155 that are provided on the bearing member 151, and an abutting arm 157 rotatably connected to the bearing member 151. In combination with FIG. 4, the middle shell 119 is provided with a through hole 11c that is in communication with the storage groove 11a. In the second state, the abutting arm 157 of the switch module 15 passes through the through hole 11c and is at least partially exposed to the storage groove 11a. In the first state, an end, externally connected to the device to be inflated, of the ventilation pipe 17 abuts against the abutting arm 157 of the switch module 15. In other words, in this implementation, the switch module 15 may be directly exposed to the storage groove 11a, such that when the ventilation pipe 17 is embedded, the ventilation pipe 17 is directly in contact with the switch module 15 and abuts against the switch module 15, thereby improving the triggering sensitivity of the switch module 15. Referring to FIG. 8, in other implementations, the inflation pump 10 may include a protective member 16 connected to the middle shell 119. The protective member 16 may be a flexible silicone sheet or rubber sheet. The abutting arm 157 of the switch module 15 is covered with the protective member 16 to protect the switch module 15 and prevent liquid or dust from easily entering the housing 11 through a gap between the switch module 15 and the wall of the storage groove 11a.

Still referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the first conductor 153 and the second conductor 155 may be in the shape of long thin sheets, respectively, and may be made of metals having relatively good electrical conductivity, such as copper. The first conductor 153 and the second conductor 155 are electrically connected to the circuit board 183 separately. In the first state, the ventilation pipe 17 abuts against the abutting arm 157, the abutting arm 157 drives the first conductor 153 and the second conductor 155 to be in contact conduction, and the motor 131 of the air source 13 is in a powered-off state. In the second state, the first conductor 153 and the second conductor 155 are kept in a separated state, and the motor 131 of the air source 13 is in a powered-on state. The switch module 15 of this structure is relatively simple in structure, and the abutting arm 157 can be made of an insulating material having relatively high insulation properties under normal conditions, such as plastic or ceramic. Compared with the solution of directly exposing the conductors to the storage groove 11a, this structure can prevent the conductors from being exposed and oxidized, worn and causing poor contact, and can also prevent the exposed conductors from accidentally conducting and causing electric shock, thereby improving the safety of use and ensuring the reliability and service life of the inflation pump 10.

In some implementations, in the second state, the end of the ventilation pipe 17 externally connected to the device to be inflated is clamped in the storage groove 11a. For example, one of the end, externally connected to the device to be inflated, of the ventilation pipe 17 and the wall of the storage groove 11a is provided with a protrusion, and the other one is provided with a slot capable of being snap-fitted with the protrusion. After the end of the ventilation pipe 17 externally connected to the device to be inflated is pressed into the storage groove 11a, the protrusion and the slot cooperate to reliably limit the ventilation pipe 17 in the storage groove 11a and prevent the ventilation pipe 17 from easily escaping from the storage groove 11a. Particularly, the snap-fitting effect between the end of the ventilation pipe 17 externally connected to the device to be inflated and the wall of the storage groove 11a can ensure the abutting of the ventilation pipe 17 against the switch module 15, such that the air source 13 is reliably kept in a stop state, and the ventilation pipe 17 is prevented from being easily separated from the storage groove 11a and causing accidental start of the air source 13. In other implementations, the ventilation pipe 17 can be reliably limited in the storage groove 11a by means of interference fit, hooking, or magnetic attraction, such that the ventilation pipe 17 can be stably kept in the second state.

In combination with FIG. 4, the ventilation pipe 17 may include a pipe body 171 and a connector 173 connected to the pipe body 171. One end of the pipe body 171 passes through the housing 11 and extends to the storage groove 11a, and the connector 173 is connected to another other end of the pipe body 171. The connector 173 is generally harder than the pipe body 171. The pipe body 171 may have a certain degree of flexibility to facilitate adjustment of the posture of the housing 11 during inflation, and the connector 173 may have appropriate rigidity to ensure reliable fixation to an inflation interface of the device to be inflated. For example, the connector 173 is provided with a component that can rotate relative to the pipe body 171. The component can be provided with internal threads, which can be screwed into the inflation interface of the device to be inflated when docked with the inflation interface, thereby ensuring reliable fixation of the ventilation pipe 17 and the inflation interface. The connector 173 may be wider than the pipe body 171. The storage groove 11a may include a first groove 11al and a second groove 11a3 that are in communication with each other, the second groove 11a3 is wider than the first groove 11al, the first groove 11al matches the pipe body 171 in shape, and the second groove 11a3 matches the connector 173 in shape. The first groove 11al and the second groove 11a3 having different widths may form a transition region having a gradually decreasing width at the connection between the first groove 11al and the second groove 11a3. The transition region can also limit the movement range of the connector 173 to prevent the connector 173 from being easily pulled into the first groove 11al under the elastic force of the pipe body 171 having elasticity and causing the air source 13 to be accidentally started, thereby ensuring the safety of the inflation pump 10.

Certainly, referring to FIG. 9, in other implementations, an openable/closable safety belt 198 can also be provided at the second groove 11a3 of the housing 11. The safety belt 198 has one end fixedly connected to the housing 11 and another other end, that is, a free end buckled into the housing 11 or pulled away from the housing 11, that is, the safety belt 198 includes a free end detachably connected to the housing 11. After the connector 173 of the ventilation pipe 17 is inserted into the second groove 11a3, the free end of the safety belt 198 is buckled onto the housing 11. The safety belt 198 is arranged across the storage groove 11a, and the end of the ventilation pipe 17 externally connected to the device to be inflated is limited into the storage groove 11a. This can prevent the connector 173 from easily detaching from the housing 11, thereby more effectively preventing the connector 173 from detaching from the housing 11 due to accidents such as collision, vibration or falling, causing the inflation pump 10 to start up accidentally, thereby further improving the safety of use.

The technical features of the foregoing embodiments can be employed in arbitrary combinations. For brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features of the foregoing embodiments are described. However, the combinations of the technical features should be construed as falling within the scope described in this specification as long as there is no contradiction in the combinations.

The above embodiments only express several implementations of the present disclosure, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be thereby interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that those of ordinary skill in the art can further make several variations and improvements without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, and all of these fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be subject to the protection scope defined by the claims.