Air inlet structure for an air pump and an air pump

Abstract

An improved air inlet structure of an air pump is provided. The air inlet structure may include a pump body and a housing. An air passageway formed between the housing and the pump body improves heat transfer from the pump body by transporting external air through a side wall of the pump body.

1 . An air inlet structure of an air pump comprising:
 a pump body, and   a housing only partially surrounding the pump body, wherein an air passage is formed between the housing and the pump body, one end of the air passage is connected to an inlet end of the pump body, and the other end passes through a side wall of the pump body to form an air inlet such that the external air enters the pump body through the air inlet end after entering the air passage from the air inlet and undergoes heat exchange with the pump body when it passes along the side wall of the pump body.   
     
     
         2 . The air inlet structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a sponge is arranged at the inlet end of the pump body. 
     
     
         3 . The air inlet structure according to  claim 1 , wherein an outlet end of the pump body is connected to an elbow of the air pump through an air pump upper cover and a check valve. 
     
     
         4 . The air inlet structure according to of  claim 1 , further comprising an air nozzle adapted to connect the air inlet and a product to be deflated so as to deflate the product to be deflated by the suction generated by the pump body at the air inlet. 
     
     
         5 . The air inlet structure according to  claim 4 , wherein the air inlet is disposed with a connecting plate extending along a suction direction of the air inlet, the connecting plate is used to connect the air inlet to the air nozzle. 
     
     
         6 . The air inlet structure according to  claim 5 , wherein the air nozzle has an extension portion for inserting into the air inlet, and a hook is arranged on the extension portion, the air nozzle moves around an axis between a first position and a second position, when the air nozzle is in the first position, the hook is separated from the connecting plate, and the air nozzle is translatable within the air inlet along an axial direction, and when the air nozzle is in the second position, the hook is connected to the connecting plate, and the air nozzle is held in place within the air inlet. 
     
     
         7 . The air inlet structure according to  claim 4 , wherein a side of the air nozzle away from the air inlet is provided with a threaded interface for connecting to the product to be deflated. 
     
     
         8 . An air pump comprising the air inlet structure according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . An air pump comprising:
 a housing comprising an inlet and an outlet,   a pump body only partially disposed in the housing, the pump body having an inlet end in fluid communication with the inlet and an outlet end in fluid communication with the inlet end and the outlet,   an air passageway extending between the inlet and the inlet end, the air passageway extending adjacent to the pump body, and   a nozzle removably coupled to the housing at the inlet.   
     
     
         10 . The air pump of  claim 9 , wherein the inlet comprises a connecting plate extending along a suction direction of the inlet. 
     
     
         11 . The air pump of  claim 10 , wherein the nozzle comprises a lock member which cooperates with the connecting plate of the air inlet to couple the nozzle to the inlet. 
     
     
         12 . The air pump of  claim 11 , wherein the nozzle is rotatable within the inlet to rotate from a first position to a second position. 
     
     
         13 . The air pump of  claim 12 , wherein, in the first position, the lock member is spaced apart from the connecting plate such that the nozzle is translatable within the inlet. 
     
     
         14 . The air pump of  claim 12 , wherein, in the second position, the lock member is positioned behind the connecting plate such that the nozzle is held in place within the inlet. 
     
     
         15 . The air pump of  claim 10 , wherein the connecting plate extends from one side of the inlet to a second side of the inlet to define a plurality of openings through the inlet. 
     
     
         16 . The air pump of  claim 15 , wherein the nozzle includes an extension portion and a hook, the hook formed on the extension portion and cooperating with the connecting plate to couple the nozzle to the inlet. 
     
     
         17 . The air pump of  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle is rotatable within the air inlet to rotate from a first position to a second position. 
     
     
         18 . The air pump of  claim 17 , wherein, in the first position, the hook extends through one of the plurality of openings and is spaced apart from the connecting plate such that the nozzle is translatable within the inlet. 
     
     
         19 . The air pump of  claim 17 , wherein, in the second position, the hook extends through one of the plurality of openings and is positioned behind the connecting plate such that the nozzle is held in place in the inlet. 
     
     
         20 . The air pump of  claim 9 , wherein the pump body comprises an upper cover and a lower cover couplable to the upper cover. 
     
     
         21 . The air pump of  claim 20 , wherein the inlet end is formed in the lower cover and the outlet end is formed in the upper cover. 
     
     
         22 . An air pump for an inflatable product, the air pump comprising:
 a pump body comprising an upper cover, a lower cover, an inlet end formed in the lower cover and an outlet end in fluid communication with the inlet end, the outlet end formed in the upper cover,   a housing partially surrounding the pump body, the housing comprising an inlet in fluid communication with the inlet end and an outlet in fluid communication with the outlet end,   a passageway defined by an exterior of the pump body and the housing, the passageway extending between the inlet and the inlet end such that air enters the inlet of the housing, flows through the passageway to the inlet end, enters the pump body through the inlet end, exits the pump body through the outlet end, and exits the housing through the outlet into the inflatable product.   
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The air pump of  claim 22 , wherein air exits the housing into the inlet end of the pump body. 
     
     
         25 . The air pump of  claim 22 , wherein air enters the housing from the outlet end of the pump body.