Pump With Vibration Isolators

Abstract

An apparatus can include a housing defining a housing interior, an air pump positioned in the housing interior, and a plurality of resilient connectors connecting the air pump to the housing with the resilient connectors in tension so as to reduce transmission of vibration from the air pump to the housing during operation of the air pump.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a housing defining a housing interior;   a plurality of vertical posts positioned in the housing interior and extending vertically from a portion of the housing;   an air pump positioned in the housing interior; and   a plurality of resilient connectors each connecting the air pump to one of the plurality of vertical posts in the housing, wherein each of the resilient connectors is in tension so as to reduce transmission of vibration from the air pump to the housing during operation of the air pump.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient connectors comprise elastomer bands each having a first end connected to the housing and a second end connected to the air pump. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical posts each comprise a vertical standoff that defines a shoulder and wherein each of the resilient connectors has a first end defining a hole configured for connecting to the vertical standoff adjacent the shoulder such that the air pump is suspended from the vertical standoff via the resilient connectors. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the air pump comprises a plurality of pump mounting structures each comprising a hole and wherein each of the resilient connectors has a second end that is tapered and configured for extending into the hole and pulling against the pump mounting structure. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the second end of the resilient connector has a cross section with a first wide portion adjacent a narrow neck, wherein the narrow neck is adjacent a second wide portion, and wherein the second wide portion tapers to a second narrow portion at a tip of the second end of the resilient connector. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical posts comprise first, second, third, and fourth vertical posts with the first and third vertical posts positioned on first and third opposite sides of the air pump and the second and fourth posts positioned on second and fourth opposite sides of the air pump, wherein the resilient connectors comprise first, second, third, and fourth resilient connectors with the first and third resilient connectors connected to the first and third vertical posts so as to pull in tension in substantially opposite directions and the second and fourth resilient connectors are connected to the second and fourth vertical posts so as to pull in tension in substantially opposite directions. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a printed circuit board comprising a plurality of electronic components positioned in the housing; and   a stop positioned between the air pump and the printed circuit board and spaced from the air pump.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the stop is spaced and the resilient connectors are configured such that the resilient connectors dampen vibration of the motor enough to prevent contact between the motor and the stop during normal operation. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the stop is sized and positioned to limit movement by the air pump when motion of the air pump toward the printed circuit board exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the printed circuit board is positioned below the air pump and the stop is a rigid structure positioned to prevent the air pump from contacting the printed circuit board when the resilient connectors are stretched. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a printed circuit board comprising a plurality of electronic components positioned in the housing; and   a stop extending from the air pump toward the printed circuit board, wherein the stop is sized to contact a rigid structure when motion of the air pump toward the printed circuit board exceeds a threshold.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient connectors comprise four resilient connectors extend laterally outward from the air pump in a substantially horizontal direction such that the air pump hangs from the vertical posts via the four resilient connectors. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a pump manifold fluidically connected to the air pump, wherein the pump manifold is mounted to the housing and is spaced from the air pump via a curved tube such that pump vibration is substantially isolated from the pump manifold.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a pump manifold fluidically connected to the air pump;   an air mattress comprising first and second air chambers, each fluidically connected to the pump manifold; and   a pump controller positioned in the housing and configured to control operation of the air pump to selectively inflate the first and second air chambers of the air mattress.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient connectors extend between 0.5 and 1.5 inches between mounting structures of the housing and the air pump. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the resilient connectors has a first connection portion defining a hole that extends over a portion of a standoff of a respective one of the vertical posts and a second connection portion that extends through a hole of a respective one of a plurality of mounting structures of the air pump such that the air pump hangs from the vertical posts. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a housing top and a housing bottom that combine to enclose the housing interior, wherein the vertical posts extend perpendicular from the housing bottom. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a housing top and a housing bottom that combine to enclose the housing interior, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:
 a manifold having first and second nozzles extending through holes in the housing that are positioned between the housing top and the housing bottom.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the vertical posts has a first portion with a first diameter and a second portion with a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter, wherein the resilient connectors connect to the vertical posts at the first portion of the vertical posts. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the resilient connectors includes a first connection portion with a first hole connected to one of the vertical posts, a second connection portion with a pad portion, a neck portion, and a tapered portion connected to the air pump.