Removable Built-In Air Pump for Simple Inflation and Deflation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Built-in electric air pumps in inflatable products are complex, costly, and inconvenient for maintenance, with limited application range and cost-effectiveness due to their permanent installation, requiring replacement of the entire product upon malfunction.
Innovation Solution
A modular air pump system with a moveable air pump that can be positioned within an internal chamber of the inflatable product, allowing for easy switching between inflation and deflation states using a knob switch and shell opening, enabling detachment and reattachment for flexible use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If air passage switching devices are used to switch between inflation, deflation, and neutral states, then the air pump can perform multiple functions, but the structure becomes overly complicated and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump body is made movable within the shell rather than fixed, allowing dynamic repositioning to achieve different operational states. The air pump can be moved to align its air inlet or air outlet with the air valve on the shell, enabling inflation or deflation modes without requiring complex internal air passage switching mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The air passage switching function is extracted from the air pump's internal structure and replaced by the external movement of the air pump body itself. Instead of having complex internal valves and passages to switch air flow directions, the entire air pump is moved to different positions relative to the shell's air valve, simplifying the internal structure.
2Reliability
If the air pump is permanently fixed inside the inflatable product, then it provides stable operation, but maintenance becomes inconvenient and the entire product must be replaced upon malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump system is segmented into a removable air pump and a fixed shell structure. The air pump can be independently removed from the shell for maintenance or replacement without affecting the rest of the inflatable product, while still providing stable operation when installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The air pump transitions from a permanently fixed state to a dynamically removable and reinsertable state. This allows the air pump to be accessed for maintenance by simply removing it from the shell, while maintaining stable operation during use through secure positioning within the shell.
3Reliability
If the air pump is permanently installed, then it is fixed for a single inflatable product, but this limits the application range and cost-effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump is designed with universal applicability to work with multiple different inflatable products. The standardized interface between the air pump and shell allows the same air pump to be used across different inflatable products, expanding its application range while maintaining stable operation through consistent mounting mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
By separating the air pump from the inflatable product structure, the air pump becomes a standalone component that can be transferred and reused across multiple products. This segmentation enables one air pump to serve multiple functions with different inflatable products, improving cost-effectiveness and versatility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Simplifies operation and reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for complex air passage switching devices, allowing the air pump to be used with multiple inflatable products and improving user convenience and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
An impeller is located in the air outlet space and when it rotates, air enters the air inlet and is transferred through the inlet space through the opening to the outlet space and out of the pump body through the air outlet
Data Source
AI summary
An air pump is delineated for an inflatable product that can be selectively connected thereto. The inflatable product includes a shell located on a side wall. The shell includes an internal chamber for selective placement of the air pump and an air valve for selective communication with the air pump. When the air pump is located in the internal chamber it can be moved to switch between a first position and a second position. The air pump includes an air inlet and an air outlet such that the air inlet is in communication with the air valve in the first position to deflate the inflatable product and the air outlet is in communication with the air valve in the second position to inflate the inflatable product. The air pump can also be used externally via manual connection between the air inlet or the air outlet and other inflatable products.