Fluid handling – Inflatable article – With coupling means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2002-02-19
Rivell, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Inflatable article
With coupling means
C137S223000, C137S002000, C251S149900, C285S303000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06347642
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air pump adapter assembly which includes an air pump adapter used in conjunction with an air pump adapter slide.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In general, adapters for air pumps are well known and are generally used to allow air to be pumped from the nozzle of the air pump into the air valve of an air furniture (e.g., airbed, airboat, etc.) where the size or diameter of the nozzle is different from the size or diameter of the air valve. These adapters generally consist of a straight elongated tube which connects on one end to the nozzle of the air pump and on the other end into the opening of the air valve (i.e., which is attached to an airbed, airboat or any other type of air filled furniture). One inconvenience with these conventional air pump adapters is that after a particular air furniture has been filled with air to a desired pressure, an excess amount of air often leaks out of the air valve as the adapter is being pulled out from the air valve of the air furniture before the cap can be replaced onto the valve. This excess leakage causes the air furniture to deflate somewhat, and often requires a repumping of air to inflate the air furniture back to the desired pressure.
Additionally, when using the conventional air pump adapter with the air pump, the user may accidentally pull the air pump off the air pump adapter instead of pulling the adapter out of the air valve, thereby leaving the air pump adapter on the air valve and causing excess air leakage before the cap can be replaced onto the valve. Once again, this excess leakage would result in the user having to reinflate the air furniture back to its desired pressure.
Moreover, many conventional air pump adapters are often limited to working with one particular type of air valve since each adapter is sized to fit one particular valve size. Thus, if the user wanted to use the same air pump to inflate different air furniture with different air valve sizes, the user would need to purchase a separate air pump adapter to fit each particular air valve size.
Other air pump adapters, instead of having only a single piece of elongated tube, have a first tube and a set of two second tubes in which each of the different second tubes is of a different size to correspond to a different size valve opening. The first tube is attached to the nozzle of the air pump and one of the second tubes (either of the second tubes may be used depending on the size of the valve), is inserted on one end into the first tube via a snug fit and then on the other end into the air valve of the air furniture. Like the previous single piece design, these two tube air pump adapters also have air leakage problems which occur when attempting to pull the adapter out of the air valve of the air furniture because the second tube tends to separate from the first tube and remain on the air valve. Thus, the user would have to reinflate the air furniture again to the desired pressure.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, air leakage problems and usage limitations of the prior art are overcome by providing, for example, an air pump adapter assembly including an air pump adapter used in conjunction with an air pump adapter slide.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air pump adapter assembly which minimizes or reduces air leakage when disconnecting the air pump adapter from the air valve.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an air pump adapter assembly which may be used with multiple types or sizes of air valves for multiple types of air furniture.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an air pump adapter assembly which reduces the need to reinflate the air furniture upon disengaging the air pump from the air furniture by reducing the excess air leakage upon such disengagement.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air pump adapter assembly which reduces excess air leakages caused by the air pump adapter being accidentally detached from the air pump while the the adapter is still in the air valve of the air furniture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an air pump adapter assembly which conveniently allows the user to disengage the air pump adapter from the air valve by turning the air pump adapter slide in one direction.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an air pump adapter assembly which allows the user to secure the air pump adapter to the nozzle of the air pump.
An air pump adapter assembly is hereby provided which includes an air pump adapter used in conjunction with an air pump adapter slide. The air pump adapter slide moves cooperatively along the air pump adapter via a series of corresponding ramps on the air pump adapter and and the air pump adapter slide to address the air leakage problems of the prior art.
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Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
Rivell John
Schoenfeld Meredith H
The Coleman Company Inc.
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