Portable Air Pump Hidden Pressure Gauge Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable air pumps require users to hold the pump body and operate the handle with both hands, leading to fatigue, and the pressure gauge is not easily viewable when the pump is used in a floor type design with the body vertical.
Innovation Solution
A portable air pump with a hidden pressure gauge that can be moved between an exposed and hidden position using a footplate-controlled auto-ejection mechanism, allowing users to view pressure readings conveniently during operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pump body is kept vertical and stopped against the floor, then the user can operate the pump with one hand, but the user cannot view the readings of the pressure gauge
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure gauge is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to change position from a hidden state during operation to an exposed state for viewing. The gauge can be pushed out by a footplate or spring mechanism, enabling the user to view readings without changing the vertical pump orientation that enables one-hand operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A footplate or spring mechanism serves as an intermediary between the user's foot and the pressure gauge, allowing the gauge to be exposed for viewing without requiring the user to use their hands. This intermediary mechanism resolves the conflict between maintaining one-hand operation and enabling gauge visibility.
2Device complexity
If the pressure gauge is installed in the pump body, then the structure is compact, but the gauge cannot be viewed when the pump is in vertical position
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure gauge transitions from a static installed position to a dynamic movable position. It can be pushed outward by a footplate or spring mechanism to become visible, maintaining structural compactness when hidden while enabling readability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure gauge can be automatically exposed by a spring mechanism when the footplate is pressed, or it can be manually pushed out by the user's foot. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex additional structures while solving the visibility problem.
3Loss of information
If a mirror is used to reflect the pressure gauge readings, then the gauge can be viewed from certain angles, but the cover must be at a specific angle to facilitate viewing
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a mirror reflection system that requires precise angular positioning, the pressure gauge is extracted from its hidden position and directly exposed to view. The gauge can be pushed out by a footplate or spring mechanism, allowing users to view readings without needing to adjust cover angles or positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable air pump includes a pump body, a base member affixed to the pump body and defining therein an accommodation chamber, a casing movable in and out of the accommodation chamber between an exposed position and a hidden position, a pressure gauge mounted in the casing and kept in air communication with the pump body, a footplate pivotally pivoted to the pump body and biasable between a received non-operative position and an extended operative position, a spring member set between the casing and the base member and adapted for forcing the casing from the hidden position to the exposed position, locking device adapted for locking the casing in the hidden position or unlocking the casing to allow the spring member to force the casing to move from the hidden position to the exposed position when the footplate is biased from the received non-operative position to the extended operative position.