Inflator with sound-proof housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10214379-B2
Application number	US-201715434821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 16, 2017
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus is described herein that may generally include an air pump, a rotatable drum, a flexible hose, and first and second housings. The drum may draw in and let out the flexible hose. The pump may be connected to the flexible hose. The first housing may enclose in inner portion of the drum, and may include a first air intake. The pump may be disposed within the first housing. The second housing may surround the drum and may include a second air intake. The flexible hose may pass through the second air intake. The first intake may be aligned perpendicular to the second air intake. Alternatively, the first intake may be aligned parallel to the second air intake on a side of the drum opposite the second air intake. Sound emitted from the pump may pass over, and be absorbed by, the flexible hose within the second housing.

First claim

We claim:

1. An inflator, comprising:
a rotatable drum that draws in and lets out a flexible hose, the hose comprising a first end and a second end, the first end having a connection mechanism that connects the hose to an inflatable object;
a first housing enclosing an inner portion of the drum, the first housing comprising a first air intake;
an air pump disposed within the first housing and connected to the second end of the hose; and
a second housing surrounding the drum and comprising a second air intake, wherein the hose passes through the second air intake, and wherein first air intake is aligned at perpendicularly to the second air intake,
wherein the first and second housings are arranged such that sound emitted from the pump passes over the hose within the second housing, and is at least partially absorbed by the hose.

2. The inflator of claim 1 , the first housing, the second housing, or both comprising one or more sound attenuating materials, the sound attenuating materials having a sound transmission class of at least 25.

3. The inflator of claim 1 , the first housing, the second housing, or both comprising mass-loaded vinyl.

4. The inflator of claim 1 , the first housing, the second housing, or both comprising mass-loaded vinyl having a thickness ranging from one sixteenth of an inch to half an inch.

5. The inflator of claim 1 , wherein the second housing comprises a solid wall adjacent to the first air intake and parallel to the first housing.

6. The inflator of claim 1 , the first and second housing having complementary non-linear surfaces.

7. The inflator of claim 1 , further comprising a sound barrier disposed between the first and second housings perpendicular to the first and second housings, wherein the sound barrier closes off a shortest path between the first and second air intakes and redirects sound emitted through the first air intake over the hose and through the second air intake.

8. The inflator of claim 1 , further comprising one or more brushes disposed in the second air intake surrounding a portion of the hose passing through the second air intake, wherein the brushes clean off the hose as it is wound onto the drum, and wherein the brushes have a density, thickness, or density and thickness great enough to form a barrier having a sound transmission class of at least 10, thereby attenuating sound passing through the second air intake.

9. The inflator of claim 1 , wherein the hose comprises a layer of mass-loaded vinyl.

10. The inflator of claim 1 , wherein an interior surface of the second housing is corrugated to attenuate sound.

11. An inflator, comprising:
a drum and a hose, the hose comprising a first end and a second end, the first end having a connection mechanism that connects the hose to an inflatable object;
a first housing enclosing an inner portion of the drum, the first housing comprising a first air intake;
an air pump disposed within the first housing and connected to the second end of the hose; and
a second housing surrounding the drum and comprising a second air intake, wherein the hose passes through the second air intake, and wherein first air intake is aligned parallel to the second air intake on a side of the drum opposite the second air intake,
wherein the first and second housings are arranged such that sound emitted from the pump passes over the hose within the second housing, and is at least partially absorbed by the hose.

12. The inflator of claim 11 , further comprising a first sound barrier disposed around the drum extending from the drum to the second housing along a first end of the drum, and a second sound barrier disposed around the drum extending from the drum to the second housing along a second end of the drum opposite the first end.

13. The inflator of claim 11 , further comprising a first sound barrier disposed around the drum extending from the drum to the second housing along a first end of the drum, and a second sound barrier disposed around the drum extending from the drum to the second housing along a second end of the drum opposite the first end, wherein the first sound barrier comprises a third air intake, and wherein the second sound barrier comprises a fourth air intake.

14. The inflator of claim 11 , further comprising a first sound barrier disposed around the drum extending from the drum to the second housing along a first end of the drum, and a second sound barrier disposed around the drum extending from the drum to the second housing along a second end of the drum opposite the first end, wherein the first sound barrier comprises a third air intake, and wherein the second sound barrier comprises a fourth air intake, the third air intake disposed on a side of the drum opposite the fourth air intake.

15. The inflator of claim 11 , further comprising a first sound barrier disposed around the drum extending from the drum to the second housing along a first end of the drum, and a second sound barrier disposed around the drum extending from the drum to the second housing along a second end of the drum opposite the first end, the second housing comprising a first groove within which the first sound barrier sits, and a second groove within which the second sound barrier sits.

16. The inflator of claim 11 , wherein a portion of the second housing adjacent to the first air intake is solid and unperforated.

17. The inflator of claim 11 , wherein at least of a portion of the second housing comprises mass-loaded vinyl.

18. The inflator of claim 11 , wherein a portion of the second housing adjacent to the first air intake comprises mass-loaded vinyl.

19. The inflator of claim 11 , wherein the first air intake comprises a double-walled baffle.

20. The inflator of claim 11 , wherein the drum is conical, wherein the first air intake is adjacent to the wide end of the conical drum, and wherein the second air intake is adjacent to the narrow end of the conical drum.

Assignees

• Hall David R
• Miles Jerome
• Hyer Davido
• Knight Jedediah
• Hall Labs Llc

Inventors

• Hall David R
• Miles Jerome
• Hyer Davido
• Knight Jedediah

Classifications

• B65H75/4471 Primary

  Housing enclosing the reel · CPC title

• B65H75/4478

  relating to handling of fluids · CPC title

• B65H2701/33

  Hollow or hose-like material · CPC title

• B65H75/42

  attached to, or forming part of, mobile tools, machines or vehicles · CPC title

• B65H75/4434

  actuated by pulling on or imparting an inclination to the material · CPC title