US20090297365A1

US20090297365A1 - Foot air-extracting and inflating machine

Info

Publication number: US20090297365A1
Application number: US12/127,842
Authority: US
Inventors: I-Jung Cheng; Chien-Chang Cheng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-05-28
Filing date: 2008-05-28
Publication date: 2009-12-03

Abstract

A foot air-extracting and inflating machine includes a machine body having a support frame provided with a pivot support member for pivotally assembling a pedal having its underside disposed with two push-rod pivot support members. The machine body is installed inside with two pumps respectively provided with a piston having a push rod pivotally combined with the push rod pivot support member of the pedal. Each pump has its lower side juxtaposed with two one-way valves respectively positioned in the two-way direction and having its lower side bored with air holes covered with a valve plate. An air suction tube and an exhaust tube are assembled under each pump, respectively aligned to the one-way valves. An air suction manifold communicates the two air suction tubes and connected with an air suction outer tube, and an exhaust manifold communicates the two exhaust tubes and connected with an exhaust outer tube.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a foot air-extracting and inflating machine, particularly to one able to continuously carry out air extraction or air inflation by pedaling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional air inflation apparatus like an air pump can only be employed for inflating articles, such as swimming buoys, inflatable cushions, wheel tires, balloons, inflatable children swimming pools and balls, but cannot be used for sucking and extracting air. On the contrary, a conventional air extraction apparatus, such as a vacuum-pumping apparatus for keeping food fresh, a milking apparatus or a phlegm aspirator, cannot work without electricity. Although there may be some air-extracting apparatus that does need electricity for operation, yet they cannot supply a successive and steady air extraction force, inconvenient to use, or they cannot perform air inflation, either. Under the circumstances, a user has to purchase an air inflation apparatus and various kinds of specific-functional air extraction apparatuses for tallying with different uses, thus wasting money, taking too much space for storing different apparatus and causing trouble in immediately picking and using the inflation or the extraction apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is devised to offer a foot air-extracting and inflating machine able to continuously carry out air inflation or air extraction by pedaling, needless to employ electricity.
The foot air-extracting and inflating machine in the present invention includes a machine body having its upper center fixed with a support frame provided thereon with a pivotal member. A pedal pivotally assembled over the machine body is provided with a pivot to be pivotally combined with the pivot support member on the support frame of the machine body and has its underside disposed with two push-rod pivot support members. Two pumps are installed in the interior of the machine body, respectively provided inside with a piston secured thereon with a push rod extending out of the machine body and having its upper end set with a pivot to be pivotally combined with the push-rod pivot support member of the pedal. Each pump has its lower side disposed with two one-way valves arranged side by side and respectively positioned in a positive direction and in a reverse direction. An air suction tube and an exhaust tube are installed under each pump and respectively aligned to the two one-way valves. The two air suction tubes communicate with each other by means of an air suction manifold, and the two exhaust tubes communicate by means of an exhaust manifold. An air suction outer tube is connected with the air suction manifold of the two pumps and an air inflation outer tube is connected with the exhaust manifold of the two pumps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a foot air-extracting and inflating machine in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another cross-sectional view of the foot air-extracting and inflating machine in the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the foot air-extracting and inflating machine in an operating condition of air suction in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the foot air-extracting and inflating machine in another operating condition of air suction in the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the foot air-extracting and inflating machine in an operating condition of air inflation for a bike tire in the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the foot air-extracting and inflating machine in another operating condition of air inflation for a basketball in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of a foot air-extracting and inflating machine in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a machine body 1, a pedal 2, two pumps 3, an air suction outer tube 4 and an air inflation outer tube 5 as main components combined together.
The machine body 1 has its upper center fixed with a support frame 11 provided thereon with a pivotal member 110.
The pedal 2 is pivotally assembled over the machine body 1, having its center provided with a pivot 21 to be pivotally combined with the pivot support member 110 on the support frame 11 of the machine body 1 and its underside disposed with two push-rod pivot support members 22.
The two pumps 3 are positioned in the interior of the machine body 1, respectively installed inside with a piston 31 fixed thereon with a push rod 310 extending out of the machine body 1 and having its upper end set with a pivot 311 to be pivotally combined with the push rod pivot support member 22 at the underside of the pedal 2. Each pump 3 has its lower side juxtaposed with two one-way valves 32 respectively in a positive direction and in a reverse direction and bored with an air hole 320 having a valve plate 321 covered thereon. Further, the positive-direction one-way valve 32 at the lower side of each pump 3 has its underside connected with an air suction tube 33 at a location aligned to the air hole 320, while the reverse one-way valve 32 at the lower side of each pump 3 has one end opposite to the air holes 320 connected with an exhaust tube 34. The two air suction tubes 33 of the two positive-direction one-way valves 32 in the machine body 1 communicate with each other by means of an air suction manifold 35, while the two exhaust tubes 34 communicate with each other by means of an exhaust manifold 36.
The air suction outer tube 4 is connected with the air suction manifold 35 of the two pumps 3.
The air inflation outer tube 5 is connected with the exhaust manifold 36 of the two pumps 3.
By so designing, the pivotal joint of the pedal 2 and the support frame 11 of the machine body 1 will act as a fulcrum to enable the pedal 2 to be actuated to seesaw. In using, a user places his/her foot sole on the pedal 2 and treads the pedal 2 to incline backward and forward (or seesaw) and, with the pivot 21 acting as a fulcrum, actuate the pedal 2 to seesaw and drive the pistons 31 in the two pumps 3 to move up and down alternately, thus able to continuously carry out air extraction or air inflation with the cooperation of the one-way valves 32.
When the machine is to be used for air extraction, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, firstly, a sucker (A) has one end fitted on the outer end of the air suction outer tube 4 and the other end fitted with an article to be air-extracted or with an apparatus, such as a snivel aspirator, a phlegm aspirator, a milking apparatus, a cupping apparatus, a breast-plumping apparatus, a food vacuum pump and the like. Next, the pedal 2 is trodden to seesaw, letting its opposite ends swing up and down and actuate the pistons 31 in the two pumps 3 to move up and down alternately. When the pedal 2 seesaws, the upward-swinging side of the pedal 2 (a front sole portion or a heel portion, for instance) will actuate the push rod 310 and the piston 31 under to move upward to suck air. At this time, a suction force is produced to suck open the valve plate 321 in the positive-direction one-way valve 32 and air will be sucked into the pumps 3 through the air suction tube 33, and meanwhile the sucker (A) connected with the outer end of the air suction outer tube 4 will produce air suction action to suck out snivel, phlegm or milk by the suction force. Thus, merely by pedaling the pedal 2, the two pumps 3 can be actuated to operate alternately to enable the air suction outer tube 4 continuously carry out air suction or air extraction, able to elevate velocity and effect of air suction and air extraction.
When the machine is to be used for air inflation, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, an air tap (B) is first fitted with the outer end of the inflation outer tube 5 and then fitted on the inflation inlet of an article to be inflated, such as a swimming appliance, an inflatable toy, a bike wheel tire, a ball, a life buoy and a rubber boat. Next, the pedal 2 is trodden to swing and actuate the pistons 31 inside the two pumps 3 to move up and down alternately. When the pedal 2 is driven to seesaw, the downward-swinging side of the pedal 2 (a heel portion, for example) will push and press down the push rod 310 and the piston 31 at its underside to actuate the air in the pump 3 to pass through the air hole 320 and push open the valve plate 321 and then get into the exhaust tube 34. When the other side of the pedal 2 is trodden down by an operator's foot sole (a front-sole, for example), it will push and press the push rod 310 and the piston 31 of the other pump 3 under to pump the air out of the exhaust tube 34. Thus, by alternate action of the two pistons 31 in the two pumps 3, air can continuously be pumped into an article through the inflation outer tube 5, able to increase velocity and effect of air inflation.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A foot air-extracting and inflating machine comprising:

a machine body fixed with a support frame at its upper center, said support frame provided thereon with a pivot support member;

a pedal pivotally assembled over said machine body, said pedal disposed with a pivot to be pivotally combined with said pivot support member on said support frame of said machine body, said pedal having its underside provided with two push-rod pivot support members;

two pumps positioned in an interior of said machine body, each said pump installed inside with a piston, said piston provided with a push rod extending out of said machine body, said push rod having its upper end disposed with a pivot to be pivotally combined with said push-rod pivot support member of said pedal, each said pump having its lower side juxtaposed with two one-way valves respectively in a positive direction and in a reverse direction, an air suction tube and an exhaust tube positioned under each said pump and respectively aligned to each said one-way valve, said two air suction tubes communicating with each other by means of an air suction manifold, said two exhaust tubes communicating with each other by means of an exhaust manifold;

an air suction outer tube connected with said air suction manifold of said pumps; and

an air inflation outer tube connected with said exhaust manifold of said pumps.