Pump with vibration isolators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10677232-B2
Application number	US-201615337470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2016
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus can include a housing defining a housing interior, an air pump positioned in the housing interior, and a plurality of resilient connectors connecting the air pump to the housing with the resilient connectors in tension so as to reduce transmission of vibration from the air pump to the housing during operation of the air pump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a housing defining a housing interior;
an air pump positioned in the housing interior; and
a plurality of resilient connectors connecting the air pump to the housing with the resilient connectors in tension so as to reduce transmission of vibration from the air pump to the housing during operation of the air pump wherein the resilient connectors comprise elastomer bands each having a first end defining a hole connected to the housing and a second end defining a tapered portion connected to the air pump by extending through a mounting hole.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of housing mounting structures each comprising a post, the air pump comprises a plurality of pump mounting structures each comprising a respective one of the mounting holes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the housing mounting structures each define a shoulder and wherein the hole at the first end of each of the resilient connectors is configured for adjacent the shoulder such that the air pump is suspended from the post via the resilient connectors.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the resilient connectors has a pad portion configured for limiting movement of the resilient connector through the mounting hole, and a thinner neck portion between the pad portion and the tapered portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the resilient connectors comprise first, second, third, and fourth resilient connectors with the first and third resilient connectors connected so as to pull in tension in substantially opposite directions and the second and fourth resilient connectors are connected so as to pull in tension in substantially opposite directions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the resilient connectors extend laterally outward from the air pump in a horizontal direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a pump manifold fluidically connected to the air pump via a tube, wherein the pump manifold is mounted to the housing and is spaced from the air pump except for a connection via the tube between the pump manifold and the air pump such that air pump vibration is isolated from the pump manifold.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the resilient connectors extend between 0.5 and 1.5 inches between mounting structures of the housing and the air pump.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a printed circuit board comprising a plurality of electronic components positioned in the housing; and
a stop sized and positioned with respect to the air pump so as to contact a structure to limit motion of the air pump when the air pump moves in a direction toward the printed circuit board by an amount that exceeds a threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein resilient connectors each comprise first and second elongated strips that extend between first and second ends of the resilient connector and wherein the resilient connectors each define a hole in a center portion between the first and second elongated strips.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the resilient connectors each comprise a tapered portion at a first end, wherein the resilient connectors each define a connector hole at a second end, wherein the resilient connectors each comprise first and second elongated strips that extend between the first and second ends, and wherein the resilient connectors each define a middle hole at a central portion between the first and second elongated strips.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the resilient connectors each define a substantially triangular shaped hole.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a pump manifold fluidically connected to the air pump;
an air mattress comprising at least one air chamber fluidically connected to the pump manifold; and
a pump controller positioned in the housing and configured to control operation of the air pump to selectively inflate the air chamber of the air mattress.

14. An apparatus comprising:
a housing defining a housing interior;
an air pump positioned in the housing interior; and
a plurality of resilient connectors connecting the air pump to the housing with the resilient connectors in tension so as to reduce transmission of vibration from the air pump to the housing during operation of the air pump;
a printed circuit board comprising a plurality of electronic components positioned in the housing; and
a stop positioned between the air pump and the printed circuit board and spaced from the air pump.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the stop is spaced and the resilient connectors are configured such that the resilient connectors dampen vibration of the motor enough to prevent contact between the motor and the stop during normal operation.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the stop is sized to limit movement by the air pump when motion of the air pump toward the printed circuit board exceeds a threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the printed circuit board is positioned below the air pump and the stop extends through a hole in the printed circuit board toward the air pump.

18. An apparatus comprising:
a housing defining a housing interior;
an air pump positioned in the housing interior; and
a plurality of resilient connectors connecting the air pump to the housing with the resilient connectors in tension so as to reduce transmission of vibration from the air pump to the housing during operation of the air pump;
a printed circuit board comprising a plurality of electronic components positioned in the housing; and
a stop extending from the air pump toward the printed circuit board, wherein the stop is sized to contact a structure when motion of the air pump toward the printed circuit board exceeds a threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , and further comprising:
a pump manifold fluidically connected to the air pump;
an air mattress comprising at least one air chamber fluidically connected to the pump manifold; and
a pump controller positioned in the housing and configured to control operation of the air pump to selectively inflate the air chamber of the air mattress.

20. An apparatus comprising:
A housing defining a housing interior;
an air pump positioned in the housing interior;
a plurality of resilient connectors connecting the air pump to the housing with the resilient connectors in tension so as to reduce transmission of vibration from the air pump to the housing during operation of the air pump, wherein each of the resilient connectors has a first connection portion defining a connector hole that extends around over a post portion of a standoff of the housing and a second connection portion that has a tapered portion extends through a mounting hole of a mounting structure of the air pump such that the resilient connection is positioned on both sides of the mounting structure of the air pump.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , and further comprising:
a pump manifold fluidically connected to the air pump;
an air mattress comprising at least one air chamber fluidically connected to the pump manifold; and
a pump controller positioned in the housing and configured to control operation of the air pump to selectively inflate the air chamber of the air mattress.

Assignees

• Sleep Number Corp

Inventors

• Shakal Anthony John
• Carlson Casey
• Douglas Ryan

Classifications

• F04B53/001

  Noise damping · CPC title

• F04B53/16

  Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections · CPC title

• F04B39/0044 Primary

  with vibration damping supports · CPC title

• F16F1/46

  loaded mainly in tension · CPC title

• F04B53/003

  by damping supports · CPC title