U.S. patent application number 11/393810 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-11 for air pump for aquariums.
This patent application is currently assigned to Meiko Pet Corporation. Invention is credited to Chiao-Ming Wang.
Application Number | 20070237653 11/393810 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38575490 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070237653 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang; Chiao-Ming |
October 11, 2007 |
Air pump for aquariums
Abstract
An air pump for aquariums to reduce noise and shrink the casing
includes at least one air pump assembly in the casing. The air pump
assembly has an air delivery duct communicating with a muffling
chamber located on an outer bottom side of the base of the casing.
Air discharged by the air pump assembly passes through a circuitous
path in the muffling chamber. Thus noise can be reduced. The casing
also can be shrunk to a smaller size.
Inventors: |
Wang; Chiao-Ming; (Taichung
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BRUCE H. TROXELL;SUITE 1404
5205 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Assignee: |
Meiko Pet Corporation
|
Family ID: |
38575490 |
Appl. No.: |
11/393810 |
Filed: |
March 31, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/312 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B 39/0033 20130101;
F04B 45/022 20130101; F04B 45/027 20130101; F04B 39/0061
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/312 |
International
Class: |
F04B 39/00 20060101
F04B039/00 |
Claims
1. An air pump for an aquarium comprising a casing and at least one
air pump assembly located in the casing, wherein: the casing
includes: a upper cap which has a hollow housing chamber; and a
base which is coupled with the upper cap to form the casing, and
has an inner side to install the air pump assembly, at least one
opening and a muffling chamber located on an outer bottom side, the
muffling chamber having a hollow chamber formed by indenting the
outer bottom side and covered by a bottom lid, and having a
plurality of partitions to divide the chamber into a plurality of
small air compartments, the neighboring air compartments
communicating with each other through vents to form at least one
circuitous path for airflow which is discharged through an air
discharge duct.
2. The air pump of claim 1, wherein the air pump assembly includes
at least one air inlet and at least one air delivery duct which
runs through a plug and anchored in the opening of the base.
3. The air pump of claim 1, wherein the upper cap has an inner wall
which has a plurality of fastening struts located therein, each of
the fastening struts having an internal screw thread.
4. The air pump of claim 1, wherein the upper cap has at least one
cavity dock to install at least one adjusting knob.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to an air pump for aquariums and
particularly to a noise-reducing air pump that has a smaller size
to supply air for aquariums.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] The general aquarium requires an air pump to supply oxygen
to the living things bred therein. The air pump compresses air to
generate air suction and discharge operations. It is a high speed
reciprocal operation and produces irritating noise which becomes an
annoyance in the house. Many schemes have been proposed in the
prior art trying to resolve this problem. For instance R.O.C.
patent publication Nos. 519194 and 416488 (called prior references
hereinafter) have a plurality of enlarged air discharge chambers on
one side of an air pump to form a muffling chamber to overcome the
noise problem.
[0005] While the prior references can reduce the noise, they create
other problems, notably: [0006] 1. Adding the muffling chambers
increases the size of the air pump. The casing of the air pump
assembly also is larger. As a result, fabrication cost is higher.
The product is not competitive. [0007] 2. The larger air pump takes
a lot of space in the aquarium. The overall appealing of the
aquarium is affected. [0008] 3. The muffling chamber is located on
one side of the air pump assembly. It is constrained by the limited
space and cannot provide desired noise reducing function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In view of the aforesaid problems, it is an object of the
present invention to provide an air pump for aquariums that can
reduce noise and can be made at a smaller size. It has an air pump
casing which houses at least one air pump assembly. The air pump
assembly has an air delivery duct communicating with a muffling
chamber located on an outer bottom side of the base of the air pump
casing. Air delivered by the air pump assembly passes through a
circuitous path in the muffling chamber. Thus noise can be reduced.
The size of the casing also is smaller.
[0010] The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and
advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the
following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the circuitous path on the
outer bottom side of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the
invention.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
invention.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the
invention.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the circuitous path on the
outer bottom side of another embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, the air pump for aquariums
of the present invention includes a casing 1 and at least one air
pump assembly 2 located in the casing 1.
[0020] The casing 1 includes:
[0021] a upper cap 11 which has a hollow housing chamber 110, an
inner wall 111 with a plurality of fastening struts 112, 113 and
114 located thereon that have respectively an internal screw hole.
The center of the upper cap is fastened to a top plate 115 through
a bolt 116 which runs through a center hole 1151 and engages with a
fastening bolt 114; and
[0022] a base 12 which is coupled with the upper cap 11 to form the
casing 1. It has a plurality of apertures 1211 and 1212
corresponding to the fastening struts 112 and 113 to be fastened by
a plurality of bolts 1221 and 1222. The base 12 has at least one
anchor plate 124 on an inner side 120 to install at least one air
pump assembly 2, and at least one opening 123 communicating with a
muffling chamber 126 on an outer bottom side 125 of the base 12.
The muffling chamber 126 has a hollow chamber 1260 formed by
indenting the outer bottom side 125 and is covered by a bottom lid
128. The hollow chamber 1260 has a plurality of partitions T formed
in a crisscross manner to divide the chamber into a plurality of
small air compartments B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5. The neighboring air
compartments B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5 communicate with each other
through vents C1, C2, C3 and C4 to form a circuitous path L for
airflow. Air is discharged through an air discharge duct 127.
[0023] The air pump assembly 2 includes an air pump 21 and an
electromagnetic induction means 22 (this is a structure known in
the art).The air pump 21 has a magnetic crank shaft 211 to compress
a cap 212 so that air is drawn through an air inlet 2131 of an air
chamber 213 and discharged through an air delivery duct 2132. The
air delivery duct 2132 runs through a plug 2133 and is anchored in
the opening 123 of the base 12.
[0024] By means of the construction set forth above, when in use,
the crank shaft 211 of the air pump 21 is driven by the
electromagnetic induction means 22 to compress and restore the cap
212 reciprocally to generate air suction and air discharge
operations alternately. Hence air is continuously delivered through
the air delivery duct 2132 and the opening 123 into the muffling
chamber 126, and enters the small air compartments B1, B2, B3, B4
and B5 in this order through the vents C1, C2, C3 and C4 along the
circuitous path L. The noise can be reduced. Finally the air is
discharged through the air discharge duct 127 to supply the air to
an aquarium.
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 5 through 8 for another embodiment of the
invention. The casing 3 of an air pump set A' houses two sets of
air pumps 41 and 42 that is formed by coupling a upper cap 31 and a
base 32. The base 32 has an inner side 320 to hold the air pumps 41
and 42. The air pumps 41 and 42 have respectively an air delivery
duct 411 and 421. During operation of the air pumps 41 and 42, air
is discharged through openings 321 and 322 of the base 32, enters a
muffling chamber 326 on an outer bottom side 325 of the base 32.
The muffling chamber 326 has a hollow chamber 3260 formed by
indenting the outer bottom side 325. The hollow chamber 3260 has
two circuitous paths L1 and L2 to direct airflow, and is fastened
to a bottom lid 329. The circuitous paths L1 and L2 correspond to
the air pumps 41 and 42. The circuitous paths L1 and L2 have
respectively a plurality of partitions T' to form a plurality of
smaller air compartments E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7 and E8 that are
communicated by vents f1, f2, f3, f4, f5 and f6. Hence air passes
through and is discharged through air discharge ducts 327 and 328
to supply the air for an aquarium.
[0026] In yet another embodiment of the invention, the upper cap 31
of the air pump A' has at least one cavity dock 313 and 314 to hold
at least one adjusting knob 311 and 312. They are used to adjust
and control intake airflow passing through air inlets 412 and 422
of the air pumps 41 and 42, thereby to control the discharged
airflow.
[0027] In short, the invention adopts a muffling chamber located on
an outer bottom side of the air pump base to reduce noise without
increasing the size of the air pump assembly. As a result, the
casing can also be shrunk.
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