Patent Application
20060280628
The invention relates to an air compressor tool kit for providing ready access to air compressors for low pressure, high volume inflation, and to higher pressure low volume inflation and accessories, and to parts for such a kit, in a single location.
Air compressors are known to be required for various purposes. In some cases, they may be required for inflating high volume, low pressure items such as inflatable boats, tents, mattresses and the like. In these cases, a compressor will be required to supply a high volume of air at low air pressure so as to provide inflation in a reasonably short time span, with a minimum of manual effort.
In other cases, air compressors are required for higher air pressures but lower volumes. These cases may include inflating tires of vehicles, balls used for sports games such as soccer, football, basketball and the like. Both of these functions are often required around the home where it is not always possible to access a large, expensive air compressor installation meeting all of these needs. Accordingly, for house use, it has been proposed in the past to provide two forms of air compressors. One provides a low pressure, high volume supply and the other which supplies a high pressure, low volume supply of air. The two compressors were designed differently for their particular purposes.
Preferably, such compressors are operated by electrical power. Preferably the electrical power will be supplied from a battery source, a re-chargeable battery being particularly suitable. Such batteries in common experience, must be inserted into the tool for use and must be removed and placed on a charging set for re-charging. Such battery-operated compressor tools are more suitable for domestic use purposes and can be manufactured in large quantities at lower costs so that they may be available at a price which is affordable by the home owner. Such air compressor hand tools are also useful since they are portable and may be carried to various locations. Ideally they might be useful for holiday travelling, camping and fishing or inflating a tire on the road.
There are, however, various disadvantages with what has been available in the past. In the first place, for complete compressor applications where two portable compressors were required. Storage of these compressors was not always secure or convenient for a home owner. The re-charging of batteries required a re-charger which must also be stored. One battery, or the other, would be on charge at one time. In addition to these factors, the portability of such units have lent themselves to use away from the home, as suggested above, for use on vacations or travelling holidays such as camping. However, the use of the battery charger is not always possible in remote locations. It is therefore desirable for such portable compressors to be powered by alternate means such as the electrical supply system of a vehicle. In addition, it is desirable that such portable compressors shall be provided with a variety of accessories, by means of which they can be used for various different articles. For example, inflation of camping or floating mattresses may require one type of nozzle and the inflation of vehicle tires may require an adaptor connecting to the tire valve. The inflation of a recreational sports ball may require the use of a needle. Other forms of adaptors may be required for various other purposes.
All of these accessories and adaptors may be provided, but the storage and retrieval of them at any given moment may be a problem for the home owner.
With a view to overcoming the various disadvantages mentioned above, the invention comprises an air compressor tool kit for providing a low pressure, high volume portable compressor and a high pressure, low volume portable compressor unit and a single stand for these two compressors, both compressors having rechargeable batteries, and providing electrical re-charging connections within the stand for each compressor and providing electrical re-charging connection in the battery of each compressor, so that when the two compressors are placed in position in the stand, they may both be continuously on charge simultaneously and ready for use.
It is a further and related objective of the invention, to provide such a kit with a set of accessories and adaptors which allows these two compressors to function for a wide variety of different applications and having recesses in the stand for storing such accessories.
It is a further and related objective of the invention to provide such a kit and incorporating an adaptor for supplying power from a vehicle electrical system, which can be connected to either of the compressors.
Preferably, in this case, an electrical adaptor will be provided for connection to the vehicle's electrical system and the electrical adaptor will be capable of fitting into one or other of the compressors and replacing the re-chargable battery unit normally contained within the compressor.
Preferably, the re-chargable batteries of the two compressors will have exposed terminals for re-charging and the stand will have electrical terminals adapted to inter-connect with the terminals on the two batteries of the two compressors simultaneously so that they may both be kept on charge permanently while stored on the stand.
Preferably, the stand will be provided with supports by means of which it may be stood at a convenient angle on a table and which supports may be interchangeably attached to the stand, for mounting it at a convenient angle on a wall. Preferably, the attachments will be the same attachments suitable for both table and wall mount purposes.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with more particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
As is described generally above, the air compressor kit is illustrated in
Also stored nested in the same stand (16) are accessory nozzles (18), (20), and (22) to be described below and an electrical adaptor (24) for connecting either of the compressors to a vehicle's electrical system.
It can thus be seen that the kit provides all of the components necessary for use of the two compressors in a variety of different applications and situations where compressed air may be required in a convenient, comprehensive single location ready to hand. The home owner may place such a kit in a basement or in a garage, for example, and always have all these components readily available to him.
The air compressors (12) and (14) are of type, which is known per se, as are also in the details of the interior components. The interior construction of the compressors will not be described in detail and may vary from design to design without affecting the scope of the invention.
Each of the air compressors (12) and (14) is readily portable and hand operated and is free of electrical wiring. For this purpose, each of the air compressors (12) and (14) contains a re-chargable storage battery unit (26). The rechargeable battery unit (26) is received in a cavity in the handle of the air compressor (12) or (14) and is held in position by means such as resilient clips (28) on the battery units (26). Each of the battery units (26) is provided with electrical connection terminals (30) at its base, which are exposed and are ready for connection with a source of electrical charging power at the correct voltage. A battery unit is normally standing on charge while installed in the compressor stand.
While it may seem superfluous to make provision for the removal of the rechargeable battery units (12) from the compressors, the purpose of such removable battery units (26) will become apparent when it is considered that the kit also makes provision for the connection of either of the compressors to low voltage electrical system from a vehicle. Conventionally, such vehicle systems are 12 volts. A separate form of adapter (24) is provided for that purpose, to be described below.
The separate form of adapter (24) for either of the compressors (12) and (14) to a vehicle system consists simply of an exterior shell of a shape generally similar to the shape of either of the removable batteries, and having clips (28) by which it may be releasably inserted into the handles of either of the compressors (12) and (14). An electrical connection cord (32) for adapter (24) has a plug (not shown) suitable a cigarette lighter of a vehicle. In this way, when the adapter unit (24) is inserted into the handle of one of the compressors (12) or (14), and the plug is inserted, power will be supplied to that compressor enabling it to be used directly off the electrical power system of the vehicle and without using the rechargeable batteries.
In order to expand the uses of the entire kit, a plurality of different nozzles and adaptors are provided indicated as (18), (20) and (22). These may be connected to the outlet (38) of either of the compressors as required. In addition, in order to make provision for controllably and precisely inflating, for example, the tires of a vehicle or a ball such as a basketball or the like (not shown), a further hose connector (40) is provided for connecting to the outlet (38) of the high-pressure compressor ( ). The connector (40) provides a hose and also a pressure gauge (42). This way the pressure of the object being inflated can be read off precisely.
In accordance with the objects of the invention, all of these components are nested in a stand, in this case a single stand (16). The stand (16) is typically formed of moulded thermo-plastic material. It is formed with first and second compressor recesses (44) and (46) for receiving the low and high pressure compressors respectively. Each of the two recesses (44) and (46) are formed with a platform (48) at the lower end, the lower end being that which will support the weight of the compressor when the stand is erected as shown or is placed on a wall. In each of these platforms (48), there are provided projecting electrical terminals (50) and (52). These connect with the electrical terminals (30) at the base of each compressor. Thus when a compressor (12) or (14) is placed in its recess, it will be continuously charged by contact with the electrical terminals (50) and (52) in the platform at the lower end of the recess. It will be appreciated that within the interior of the stand (16), there may be a transformer (not shown), for transforming main electrical power to a suitable DC voltage for powering the battery. Alternatively, a simple transformer plug such as is well known in the art (not shown), may be provided for plugging into a wall receptacle at the standard household voltage, and a low voltage wire may extend from such a transformer (not shown) to the terminals in the stand (16). The stand (16) is closed at the rear by a closure panel (54).
In order to accommodate the electrical adaptor (24), a third recess (56) is provided in the stand which can receive the adaptor (24) and its associated wiring.
A narrow slot-like recess (58) is also provided in the stand (16) for receiving the high pressure connector hose (40) and its associated pressure gauge (42).
Generally cylindrical recesses (60) are provided in the stand (16) for receiving the various adaptor nozzles provided in the stand. In order to support the stand (16) at an angle on a table as shown in
In the event that it is desired to mount the stand (16) on a wall, then the legs (62) may be reversed and screwed by suitable fastenings (not shown) to a wall. Suitable screw holes (70) are provided in the legs (62) for the purpose.
When mounted in this way, on a wall, the stand (16) may be secured to the keys (64) and (66) on the legs (62). For this purpose further key hole slots (72) are provided in the stand.
It will thus be seen that the kit according to the invention provides an installation consisting of a stand, two compressors, a low voltage adaptor and various accessories all of which are contained in a homogenous location, convenient for use. The two compressor batteries are kept constantly under charge, so long as the electrical cord from the stand is plugged into an electrical supply. Thus the two compressors are always ready for immediate use for whatever purpose may be required.
In the event that the owner takes a vacation or makes a trip, he may take the two compressors with him and take along the adaptor (24). This will then enable him to use either the low pressure or the high pressure compressors (12) or (14), by powering it from the electrical system of the vehicle, for whatever purposes are required. Batteries (26) may also be charged up independently of the stand, by a cord (74) and a plug (76),
The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is given here by way of example only. The invention is not to be taken as limited to any of the specific features as described, but comprehends all such variations thereof as come within the scope of the appended claims.
