Air compressor

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6783333
  • Patent Number
    6,783,333
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, January 15, 2003
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 31, 2004
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Yu; Justine R.
    • Solak; Timothy P.
Abstract
An air compressor includes a machine base, a transmission device, a cylinder, a valve, an automatic pressure-releasing valve and a manual pressure-releasing valve. When a pressure gauge indicates that air pressure is excessive, surplus pressure can be released either by the automatic pressure-releasing valve or by the manual pressure-releasing valve, able to protect the components in the air compressor from damaged and ensure safety of a tire receiving compressed air from the air compressor.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




This invention relates to an air compressor, particularly to one composed of a machine base, a transmission device, a cylinder, a valve body, an automatic pressure-releasing valve and a manual pressure-releasing valve. The transmission gear of the transmission device is driven by a motor to rotate and actuate a subordinate gear to rotate together with a cam, which, by its eccentric acceleration of gravity, makes a connecting rod and a piston move up and down repeatedly in the cylinder. When the piston rod together with the piston is moved downward, air will get into the cylinder through the air hole of the piston; when the piston is moved upward, air in the cylinder will be compressed to get into the valve body, and then exhaust out of the valve body through an air outlet and be guided by an air duct to be pumped into the tyre, thus the pressure of the exhausted air being very steady. Besides, when the pressure gauge of the air compressor indicates that the air pressure is excessive, surplus pressure can be released by the automatic pressure-releasing valve or by the manual pressure-releasing valve so as to protect the components inside the air compressor from damaged and ensure safety of a tire receiving compressed air from the air compressor.




2. Description of the Prior Art




A conventional air compressor, as shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, includes a motor


10


assembled on a fixing base


11


in the front. A transmission gear


12


is fixed on the shaft of the motor


10


, and a subordinate gear


13


is provided on the fixing base


11


and meshed with the transmission gear


12


. The subordinate gear


13


has an eccentric shaft


14


connected with a piston rod


15


, which has its upper end assembled with a piston


16


positioned in a cylinder


17


. The cylinder


17


is secured on the upper portion of the fixing base


11


, having an intake valve


18


and an exhaust valve


19


. The motor


10


is started to drive the transmission gear


12


to rotate together with the subordinate gear


13


, and synchronously the eccentric shaft


14


of the subordinate gear


13


actuates the connecting rod


15


and the piston


16


to move up and down in the cylinder


17


. When the piston


16


is moved downward, external air will be sucked into the cylinder


17


through the intake valve


18


, but when the piston


16


is moved upward, air in the cylinder


17


will be compressed to get out of the exhaust valve


19


.




However, the subordinate gear


13


of the conventional air compressor is directly rotated by the transmission gear


12


, therefore the moving distance of the piston rod


15


is comparatively short and consequently its driving force is comparatively small, unable to suck in and exhaust out a large quantity of air. Besides, the conventional air compressor provides with no manual pressure-releasing valve to release surplus pressure from the interior of the compressor, possible to damage the components inside the compressor.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The objective of the invention is to offer an air compressor provided with an automatic pressure-releasing valve and a manual pressure-releasing valve, able to automatically or manually release surplus pressure from the interior of the compressor to ensure safety of a tyre.




The air compressor in the present invention includes a machine base having a chamber formed inside and a through opening bored in the topside and communicating with the chamber, the machine base is further provided in one side with a vertical opening defined by two opposite side walls respectively bored with a shaft hole having a recess formed outside for receiving a bearing, with a through hole bored above the cut groove, the machine base fixed thereon with a motor seat having a shaft hole. The air compressor also has a transmission device composed of a motor, a transmission gear, a subordinate gear, a cam, an eccentric shaft, a piston rod, a piston, a covering member, a piston air ring and a gasket. The motor is assembled on the motor seat of the machine base, with the transmission gear secured on the shaft of the motor and positioned in the through hole of the machine base. The subordinate gear is inserted by a transmission shaft and positioned in the cut groove of the machine base to mesh with the transmission gear. The cam is fitted on one end of the transmission shaft and having a shaft hole in the center, and an insert hole bored under the shaft hole and fixed therein with an eccentric shaft. The piston rod is provided with an accommodating hole at the bottom for receiving a bearing, which is secured on the eccentric shaft, the piston assembled on the upper end of the connecting rod and having an air hole in the center, with the cover fastened on the piston and having a C-shaped hole formed therebetween with a openable stop sheet for covering the air hole of the piston. The gasket is fitted in the piston air ring and together disposed on the piston, and a cylinder is fixedly assembled on the machine base and having an air hole in the topside, with a valve combined on the cylinder and having a vertical air passage passing through its bottom side, and a lower side provided with a connecter for connecting a pressure gauge and the other lower side provided with an automatic pressure-releasing holder and an air outlet. The valve is further provided with a manual pressure-releasing holder at an upper portion, with an automatic pressure-releasing valve fitted in the automatic pressure-releasing holder of the valve body and composed of a stuffing member, a spring and a regulating member. A manual pressure-releasing valve is fitted in the manual pressure-releasing holder of the valve body and composed of a stuffing member, a spring, a push needle and a fixing cap.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS




This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:





FIG. 1

is a cross-sectional view of a conventional air compressor, indicating air sucked into a cylinder;





FIG. 2

is a cross-sectional view of the conventional air compressor, indicating air compressed and exhausted out of the cylinder;





FIG. 3

is an exploded perspective view of an air compressor in the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of the air compressor in the present invention;





FIG. 5

is a lengthwise cross-sectional view of the air compressor in the present invention;





FIG. 6

is a lateral cross-sectional view of the air compressor in the present invention; and,

FIG. 7

is a lengthwise side cross-sectional view of the air compressor in the present invention, indicating the piston moved upward.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




A preferred embodiment of an air compressor in the present invention, as shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

, includes a machine base


2


, a transmission device


3


, a cylinder


4


, a valve body


5


, an automatic pressure-releasing valve


6


and a manual pressure-releasing valve


7


as main components combined together.




The machine base


2


has a chamber


20


formed in the interior, a through opening


21


bored in the topside to communicate with the chamber


20


and a plurality of fixing studs


22


provided around the outer circumference of the through opening


21


and respectively having a threaded hole


220


. The machine base


2


is further provided at one side with a vertical opening


23


defined by two opposite side walls respectively formed with a shaft hole


24


, with a recess


25


provided at the outer side of each shaft hole


24


for receiving a bearing


250


therein. A motor seat


27


is secured on one upper side of the machine base


2


, having a horizontal shaft hole


28


formed inside and two fixing holes


29


respectively bored at the opposite sides of the shaft hole


28


for bolts


290


to be inserted therethrough.




The transmission device


3


is composed of a motor


30


, a transmission gear


31


, a subordinate gear


32


, a cam


33


, an eccentric shaft


34


, a piston rod


35


, a piston


36


, a cover


37


, a piston air ring


38


and a gasket


39


. The motor


30


is fixedly assembled on the motor seat


27


of the machine base


2


by the bolts


290


. The transmission gear


31


is fixed on the shaft


301


of the motor


30


and positioned in the through hole


26


of the machine base


2


. The subordinate gear


32


is inserted by a transmission shaft


320


and received in the vertical opening


23


of the machine base


2


meshing with the transmission gear


31


. The cam


33


is secured on one end of the transmission shaft


320


and received in the chamber


20


of the machine base


2


. The cam


33


has a shaft hole


330


in the center and an insert hole


331


under the shaft hole


330


for an eccentric shaft


34


to be fixed therein. The piston rod


35


is bored with an accommodating hole


351


at the lower end for receiving a bearing


350


, which is fixed on the eccentric shaft


34


. The piston


36


assembled on the piston rod


35


is provided at the topside with an air hole


360


and two studs


361


. The cover


37


disposed on the piston


36


is bored in the topside with two insert holes


370


and a C-shaped hole


371


having a stop sheet


372


defined by the C-shaped hole


371


for covering the air hole


360


of the piston


36


. The piston air ring


38


is fixed on the upper side of the piston


36


for the gasket


39


to be fitted therein.




The cylinder


4


is fixedly assembled on the machine base


2


, having its topside bored with an air hole


40


and provided with a plurality of studs


41


respectively having a threaded hole


410


. Besides, the cylinder


4


has its bottom side provided with a plurality of fixing members


42


respectively having an insert hole


420


for bolts


43


to be respectively inserted therethrough and secure the cylinder


4


on the machine base


2


.




The valve


5


assembled on the cylinder


4


is formed inside with a vertical air passage


50


passing through the bottom side, provided at the bottom with a fixing base


51


having plural insert holes


510


for bolts


511


to be respectively inserted therethrough and secure the valve


5


on the cylinder


4


. Further, the valve


5


is provided with a connector


52


at one side near the bottom for connecting a pressure gauge


53


and an automatic pressure-releasing holder


54


with an air outlet at the other side. In addition, the valve


5


has a manual pressure-releasing holder


56


provided on one upper side.




The automatic pressure-releasing valve


6


received in the automatic pressure-releasing holder


54


is composed of a stuffing member


60


, a spring


61


and a regulating member


62


.




The manual pressure-releasing valve


7


received in the manual pressure-releasing holder


56


is composed of a stuffing member


70


, a spring


71


, a push needle


72


and a fixing cap


73


.




In assembling, as shown in

FIGS. 3

,


4


and


5


, firstly, the subordinate gear


32


is received in the vertical opening


23


of the machine base


2


, and the transmission shaft


320


is inserted through both the shaft hole


24


of the machine base


2


and the subordinate gear


32


, and then the two bearings


250


are respectively received in the two recesses


25


of the machine base


2


and fitted on the opposite ends of the transmission shaft


320


. Next, the transmission gear


31


is fixed on the shaft


301


of the motor


30


, which is then installed on the motor seat


27


, letting the transmission gear


31


located in the through hole


26


of the machine base


2


and meshed with subordinate gear


32


. Then, the cam


33


is received in the chamber


20


of the machine base


2


and fixed on the transmission shaft


320


, and the bearing


350


is fitted in the accommodating hole


351


of the piston rod


35


and the eccentric shaft


34


is inserted through both the insert hole


331


of the cam


33


and the bearing


350


in the accommodating hole


351


of the piston rod


35


, letting the lower end of the piston rod


35


connected with one side of the cam


33


and the upper end extend out of the through opening


21


of the machine base


2


. Afterward, the piston


36


is assembled on the topside of the connecting rod


35


, and the cover


37


is fixed on the piston


36


, with the piston air ring


38


together with the gasket


39


secured on the upper side of the piston


36


. Then, the piston


36


is received in the cylinder


4


, which is subsequently secured on the machine base


2


by the means of bolts


43


. Lastly, the stuffing member


60


, the spring


61


and the regulating member


62


of the automatic pressure-releasing valve


6


are orderly fitted in the automatic pressure-releasing holder


54


of the valve


5


, and the stuffing member


70


, the spring


71


, the push needle


72


and the fixing sleeve


73


of the manual pressure-releasing valve


7


are orderly fitted in the manual pressure-releasing holder


56


. Then the pressure gauge


53


is combined with the connector


52


of the valve


5


, thus finishing the assembly of the air compressor.




In using, as shown in

FIGS. 6 and 7

, the motor


30


is started to drive the transmission gear


31


to rotate together with the subordinate gear


32


, with the transmission shaft


320


of the subordinate gear


32


actuated to rotate the cam


33


, which, by its eccentric acceleration of gravity, will make the piston rod


35


together with the piston to move up and down repeatedly in the cylinder


4


. Thus, when the piston


36


is moved down, air will slightly push up the stop sheet


372


of the cover


37


through the air hole


360


of the piston


36


and get into the cylinder


4


. On the contrary, when the piston


36


is moved up, air in the cylinder


4


will be compressed to get into the valve


5


through the air hole


40


of the cylinder


4


and then exhaust out of the valve body


5


through the air outlet


55


and be guided by an air duct


8


to be pumped into a tyre. By so designing, the pressure of the air exhausted is quite stable. Besides, when the pressure gauge


53


indicates that the air pressure is excessive, surplus pressure can be automatically released by the automatic pressure-releasing valve


6


or be manually released by the manual pressure-releasing valve


7


in case the automatic pressure-releasing valve


6


fails to carry out pressure releasing, able to protect the components in the air compressor from damaged and also ensure safety of the tyre.




While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. An air compressor comprising:a machine base formed with a chamber in the interior, said machine base bored in a topside with a through opening communicating with said chamber, said machine base formed with a vertical opening at one side, said vertical opening defined by two opposite side walls respectively bored with a shaft hole, each said shaft hole having its outer side provided with a recess for receiving a bearing therein, a through hole bored above said vertical opening, a motor seat fixed on one upper side of said machine base, said motor seat bored with a shaft hole; a transmission device composed of a motor, a transmission gear, a subordinate gear, a cam, an eccentric shaft, a piston rod, a piston, a cover, a piston air ring and a gasket, said motor fixed on said motor seat of said machine base, said transmission gear fixed on a shaft of said motor and positioned in said through hole of said machine base, said subordinate gear inserted by a transmission shaft and received in said vertical opening of said machine base, said subordinate gear meshed with said transmission gear, said cam secured on one end of said transmission shaft, said cam having a shaft hole in the center and an insert hole under said shaft hole, said insert hole of said cam fixed therein with an eccentric shaft, said piston rod provided with an accommodating hole for receiving a bearing, said bearing fixedly fitted on said eccentric shaft, said piston assembled on said connecting rod and having an air hole in the center, said covering member disposed on said piston and having a C-shaped through hole, said C-shaped hole defining a stop sheet for covering said air hole of said piston, said gasket received in said piston air ring which is fixed on the upper side of said piston; a cylinder secured on said machine base and having an air hole in its topside; a valve firmly assembled on said cylinder, said valve formed inside with a vertical air passage passing through its bottom side, said valve provided with a connector at one bottom side for connecting a pressure gauge and with an automatic pressure-releasing holder and an air outlet at the other bottom side, said valve further provided with a manual pressure-releasing holder at an upper portion; an automatic pressure-releasing valve fitted in said automatic pressure-releasing holder of said valve, said automatic pressure-releasing valve composed of a stuffing member, a spring and a regulating member; and, a manual pressure-releasing valve disposed in said manual pressure-releasing holder of said valve, said manual pressure-releasing valve composed of a stuffing member, a spring, a push needle and a fixing sleeve.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
3645651 Bills Feb 1972 A
5655887 Chou Aug 1997 A
6059542 Chou May 2000 A
6171071 Tzeng et al. Jan 2001 B1
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
WO 8502893 Jul 1985 WO