Air Compressor With Multiple Air Tank Pressure Sections

Abstract

An air compressor includes a compressor unit having a motor, a pump operably coupled to the motor and a primary tank fluidly coupled to the pump to receive pressurized air from the pump when operated by the motor. Air compressor also includes a secondary tank connected to the first tank. The secondary tank having a different air pressure than the primary tank and the air pressure in the secondary tank being controlled by fluidly connected valves to the primary tank.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An air compressor used for supplying high air pressure for operating air tools and other pneumatic devices, that builds high air pressure quickly and also supplies a continuous output of high air pressure.

Standard air compressors consist of a motor that drives an air compressor pump that fills a pressurized storage tank with compressed air. This compressed air in the pressurized storage tank is then used to operate pneumatic air tools such as air nailers, impact wrenches and tire inflation devices. When using such tools and devices the required air flow to power them requires a large compressed air storage tank to power them for an extended period of time. Making the compressed air storage tank large requires the air compressor pump to run for more than several minutes in order to fill the tank with an adequate air pressure to run the power tools and devices. During this start up time the air pressure is not high enough to use tools or devices. This causes an undesirable wait time before using tools.

Current market options for air compressors operating pneumatic air tools and devices are the following.

Air compressors with a small pressurized air tank that will build up working pressure for the tools quickly because of the small size of the tank but then run out of working air pressure quickly because of the small size tank.

Air compressors with large pressurized air tanks build up working pressure for the tools slowly because of the large size of the tank, but will run for a continuous length of time because of the large tank's reserve of air pressure.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

New solution of pre compressor.

What is needed is an air compressor that incorporates both the quick startup of a small pressurized tank and required reserve of high pressure air in a large pressurized tank in the same system. These two tanks allow for both a quick achieving of working air pressure and also allow for the connected pneumatic tools and devices to run for an extended time and not run out of working air pressure.

Advantage

No wasted labor time waiting for compressed air to become available.

The ability to complete a small task quickly such as inflating a tire.

The ability to have compressed air quickly when required in need of an emergency.

No waiting for working air pressure to be restored after a long period of tool use.

The savings of energy due to running the compressor for a minute as opposed to several minutes when doing small tasks.

Reduced operating hours on the compressor, extending the life cycle of the unit and reducing maintenance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEW OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic design of the pre compressor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Air Compressor With Multiple Air Tank Pressure Sections design is the following. A motor 101 of either electric or gas drives an air pump 102. The air pump 102 supplies pressurized air to the primary air tank 106. An air pressure switch 103 regulates turning off and on the motor 101 turning off or on the air pump 102. The air pressure regulator 104 is connected to the primary air tank 106 and determines the air pressure supplied to the air outlet 105 to which tools and devices are connected to. The larger secondary air tank 109 is connected to the primary air tank 106 with two air valves. The air flow control valve 107 allows pressurized air to flow from the primary tank to the secondary tank 109. This flow of pressurized air is turned off and on by adjusting the one-way port in the air flow control valve 107. The second air valve that connects the primary tank to the secondary air tank 109 is a one way check valve 108. This one way check valve 108 allows pressurized air to flow from the secondary air tank 109 back to the primary air tank 106 when air pressure is higher in the secondary tank 109 than the primary tank 107.

Flow of pressurized air through this system is the following: the air pump 102 supplies pressurized air to the primary air tank 106. Pressurized air from the primary air tank 106 flows to the secondary air tank 109 through the air flow control valve 107 when a set air pressure is reached in the primary air tank 106. The set pressure in the air flow control valve 107 is always less than the set air pressure in the air pressure switch 103. Air will continue to flow from the primary air tank 106 to the secondary air tank 109 through the air flow control valve 107 until a minimum air pressure setting is reached in the primary air tank 106. When this minimum air pressure setting is reached the air flow control valve 107 turns off stopping flow to the secondary air tank 109 allowing pressure to build up in the primary tank 107.

The continued cycling of air pressure rising and lowering in the primary air tank 106 will cycle the air flow control valve 107 off and on which in turn will build air pressure in the secondary air tank 109. When the air pressure in the secondary air tank 109 is higher than the air pressure in the primary air tank 106 the one way check valve 108 will open allowing pressurized air to flow from the secondary air tank 109 to the primary air tank 106. This flow of pressurized air from the larger secondary tank to the primary tank achieves the desired result of effectively making the smaller primary air tank 106 function with the characteristics of a larger pressurized air tank, i.e. allowing a larger flow of pressurized air out of the air compressor to the tool or device needing air pressure to operate for an extended time.

Claims

1. An air compressor comprising: a compressor unit includinga motor having a motor housing,a pump operably coupled to the motor, the pump having a pump housing formed as a single piece with a portion of the motor housing, anda first tank fluidly connected to the pump to receive pressurized air from the pump when operated by the motor; anda secondary tank fluidly connected to the first primary tank to receive and send pressurized air to the first primary tank.

2. The air compressor of claim 1, further comprising: A fluid outlet port exiting the first primary tank, and this outlet port connected to an air control valve, and this air control valve connected to an inlet port connected to the secondary tank.

3. The air control valve of claim 2, being adjustable to set the air pressure of the air passing through the control valve to the outlet port, and into the secondary tank.

4. The air control valve of claim 2, having an adjustable pressure that opens the control valve, and a lower adjustable air pressure that closes the control valve.

5. The air compressor of claim 1, further comprising: A fluid outlet port exiting the secondary tank, and this outlet port connected to an one way check valve, and this one way check valve connected to an inlet port connected to the first primary tank.

6. The air check valve of claim 5, Only allowing airflow from the secondary tank to the primary tank, and only allowing airflow when the pressure in the secondary tank is higher then the primary tank.