Pneumatic elastic band and inflatable system using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10674792-B2
Application number	US-201815995549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2018
Priority date	Jul 3, 2017
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A pneumatic elastic band includes an outer portion, an inflatable portion and a nozzle. The outer portion has a strip-shaped structure with elasticity. The inflatable portion includes a plurality of expansion portions and a plurality of communication portions. Each of the communication portions is connected between two of the expansion portions adjacent to each other for defining a plurality of gaps. The nozzle is disposed on a surface of the outer portion and communicated with the inflatable portion. When a gas is guided into the inflatable portion through the nozzle, the plurality of expansion portions of the inflatable portion are inflated to fill the gaps and make the inflatable portion contract inwardly, so that the outer portion contracts inwardly and deforms, wherein when the gas is guided out of the inflatable portion, the inflatable portion is deflated and loosened to return to an uninflated state to loosen the shoe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pneumatic elastic band, comprising:
an outer portion having a strip-shaped structure with elasticity;
an inflatable portion disposed within the outer portion, the inflatable portion comprising a plurality of expansion portions and a plurality of communication portions, each of the communication portions is connected between two of the expansion portions adjacent to each other for defining a plurality of gaps; and
a nozzle disposed on a surface of the outer portion and communicated with the inflatable portion,
wherein when a gas is guided into the inflatable portion through the nozzle, the plurality of expansion portions of the inflatable portion are inflated to fill the plurality of gaps and make the inflatable portion contract inwardly, so that the outer portion correspondingly contracts inwardly and deforms, wherein when the gas is guided out of the inflatable portion through the nozzle, the inflatable portion is deflated and loosened to return to an uninflated state.

2. The pneumatic elastic band according to claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic elastic band further comprises an airflow valve disposed on the nozzle, the airflow valve controls a flow of the gas in and out of the inflatable portion.

3. The pneumatic elastic band according to claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic elastic band further comprises a gas pump, the gas pump is a piezoelectric actuated gas pump communicated with the nozzle.

4. The pneumatic elastic band according to claim 3 , wherein the gas pump is a detachable gas pump.

5. The pneumatic elastic band according to claim 3 , wherein the gas pump comprises:
a resonance plate having a central aperture, wherein a movable portion of the resonance plate is disposed around the central aperture;
a piezoelectric actuator disposed corresponding to the resonance plate; and
a cover plate having at least one sidewall, a bottom plate and an opening portion disposed on the sidewall, wherein the at least one sidewall protrudes from the periphery of the bottom plate to commonly form an accommodation space for accommodating the resonance plate and the piezoelectric actuator,
wherein an interval is provided between the resonance plate and the piezoelectric actuator to form a chamber therebetween, so that when the piezoelectric actuator is driven, an airflow is guided in from the opening portion of the cover plate, transferred through the central aperture of the resonance plate and into the chamber, wherein the airflow is transferred by resonance between the piezoelectric actuator and the movable portion of the resonance plate.

6. The pneumatic elastic band according to claim 5 , wherein the piezoelectric actuator comprises:
a suspension plate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the suspension plate is permitted to undergo a bending vibration;
an outer frame disposed around the suspension plate;
at least one bracket connected between the suspension plate and the outer frame to elastically support the suspension plate; and
a piezoelectric element having a side length less than or equal to a side length of the suspension plate, and the piezoelectric element is attached on the first surface of the suspension plate, wherein when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element drives the suspension plate to undergo the bending vibration.

7. The pneumatic elastic band according to claim 6 , wherein the suspension plate is a square-shaped suspension plate having a bulge.

8. The pneumatic elastic band according to claim 7 , wherein the piezoelectric actuated gas pump comprises a conducting plate, a first insulation plate and a second insulation plate, wherein the resonance plate, the piezoelectric actuator, the first insulation plate, the conducting plate, the second insulation plate and the cover plate are sequentially stacked to be disposed.

9. The pneumatic elastic band according to claim 8 , wherein the piezoelectric actuated gas pump further comprises an inlet plate stacked on and assembled with the resonance plate, the inlet plate comprises a first surface, a second surface, at least on inlet, a central cavity and at least one convergence channel, wherein the at least one inlet penetrates through the first surface and the second surface, the at least one convergence channel is disposed on the second surface and in communication with the at least one inlet, the central cavity is also disposed on the second surface and disposed aligned with the central aperture of the resonance plate, and the central cavity is in communication with the at least one convergence channel, wherein after the gas enters the at least one inlet, the gas is collectively converged to the central cavity by the at least one convergence channel, and the gas is guided into the central aperture of the resonance plate.

10. An inflatable system, comprising:
at least one pneumatic elastic band, comprising:
an outer portion having a strip-shaped structure with elasticity;
an inflatable portion disposed in the outer portion, the inflatable portion comprising a plurality of expansion portions and a plurality of communication portions, each of the communication portions is connected between two of the expansion portions adjacent to each other for defining a plurality of gaps; and
a nozzle disposed on a surface of the outer portion and communicated with the inflatable portion, wherein when a gas is guided into the inflatable portion through the nozzle, the plurality of expansion portions of the inflatable portion are inflated to fill the plurality of gaps and make the inflatable portion contract inwardly, so that the outer portion correspondingly contracts inwardly and deforms, wherein when the gas is guided out of the inflatable portion through the nozzle, the inflatable portion is deflated and loosened to return to an uninflated state;

a gas pump in communication with the nozzle;
a switch; and
a control module electrically connected with the gas pump and the switch,
wherein when the switch is switched on, the switch sends an enable signal to the control module, the control module drives the gas pump to guide the gas from an exterior of the at least one pneumatic elastic band into the inflatable portion according to the enable signal, so that the at least one pneumatic elastic band is inflated and contracts inwardly, wherein when the switch is switched off, the switch sends a pressure relief signal to the control module, the control module guides the gas out from the inflatable portion to the exterior of the pneumatic elastic band according to the pressure relief signal, so that the at least one pneumatic elastic band is deflated and loosened to return to the uninflated state.

11. The inflatable system according to claim 10 , wherein the inflatable system further comprises a gas pressure sensing device, the gas pressure sensing device is electrically connected with the control module and disposed within the inflatable portion, when the gas pressure sensing device senses an inner pressure of the inflatable portion achieving a specific threshold value range, the gas pressure sensing device sends a disable signal to the control module, and the control module controls the gas pump to stop operating according to the disable signal.

12. The inflatable system according to claim 10 , wherein the inflatable system further comprises an airflow valve disposed on the nozzle of the at least one pneumatic elastic band, the airflow valve controls a flow of the gas in and out of the inflatable portion.

Assignees

• Microjet Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mou Hao-Jan
• Mo Li-Pang
• Chen Shih-Chang
• Huang Chi-Feng
• Lee Wei-Ming

Classifications

• A43C9/00 Primary

  Laces; Laces in general for garments made of textiles, leather, or plastics · CPC title

• A43C11/22

  Fastening devices with elastic tightening parts between pairs of eyelets, e.g. clamps, springs, bands · CPC title

• A43C11/008

  Combined fastenings, e.g. to accelerate undoing or fastening · CPC title

• F04B45/027 Primary

  having electric drive · CPC title