Patent Application
20180266408
The present invention relates to an air pump and, particularly, to an air pump including a storage tank including an outlet port adapted to be opened/closed automatically.
TW Pat. No. I542786 discloses an air pump for tubeless tires. The air pump includes a pumping system and a storage tank fluidly connected to the pumping system so as to store air generated by the pumping system. The air pump further includes a closure device for selectively discharging air out of .the storage tank. However, the closure device is manually controlled.
The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
According to the present invention, an air pump includes a pumping system, a storage tank, a discharge passage, and a valve. The pumping system includes a cylinder. The storage tank is connected to the cylinder and includes an inlet port for receiving air generated by the pumping system and an outlet port. The discharge passage is connected to the outlet port and extends axially. The discharge passage includes a first section and a second section wider than the first section. The valve is movable in the discharge passage between a first position and a second position. The valve, disposed in the first position, includes a first seal end disposed in the first section and abutting a periphery thereof and includes a second seal end disposed in the second section and abutting a periphery thereof. The valve, disposed in the second position, includes the first seal end disengaging from the first section and not abutting the periphery thereof and includes the second seal end disposed in the second section and abutting the periphery thereof. The first and second seal ends respectively have first and second cross-sectional areas. The ratio of the second cross-sectional area to the first cross-sectional area is at least 2 to 1.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an air pump including a pumping system and a storage tank fluidly connected to the pumping system and including an automatic opening/closing outlet port.
Other objectives, advantages, and new features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanied drawings.
An air pump 10 includes a pumping system, a storage tank 30, a discharge passage 31, and a valve 32
The pumping system includes a cylinder 20, a plunger, and a piston coupled to an end of the plunger. The piston is disposed in the cylinder 20. The piston is reciprocally movable in the cylinder and is operated by the plunger.
The storage tank 30 is connected to the cylinder 20 and includes an inlet port for receiving air generated by the pumping system and an outlet port.
The discharge passage 31 is connected to the outlet port and extends axially. The discharge passage 31 extends axially and longitudinally along an axis L. The discharge passage 31 includes a first section 311 and a second section 312 and extends from the first section 311 to the second section 312 along the axis L. The second section 312 is wider than the first section 311 in a width direction of the discharge passage 31, which is perpendicular to the axis L.
The valve 32 is movable in the discharge passage 31 between a first position and a second position. The valve 32, disposed in the first position, includes a first seal end 321 disposed in the first section 311 and abutting a periphery thereof and includes a second seal end 322 disposed in the second section 312 and abutting a periphery thereof. The valve 32, disposed in the second position, includes the first seal end 321 disengaging from the first section 311 and not abutting the periphery thereof and includes the second seal end 322 disposed in the second section 312 and abutting the periphery thereof.
The first and second seal ends 321 and 322 respectively have first and second cross-sectional areas A1 and A2. The ratio of the second cross-sectional area A2 to the first cross-sectional area A1 is at least 2 to 1. It is also contemplated that the ratio of second cross-sectional area A2 to the first cross-sectional area A1 is at least 10 to 1.
The valve 32 has a middle portion extending between the first seal end 321 and the second seal end 322. The valve 32 includes a hole 323 extending through the middle portion and defining two open ends.
A biasing member 33 acts on the valve 32 in a direction towards the outlet port. The discharge passage 31 has an outlet end 313 defining an opening on a wall of the second section 312. The second section 312 is wider than the opening. The biasing member 33 includes an end abutting the valve 32 and another end abutting the wall.
A passage 34 allows air to flow out of the air pump. The passage 34 has a first end connected to the cylinder 20, a second end connected to the inlet port of the storage tank 30, and a third end connected to the outlet end 313. The passage 34 includes a first passage 341 having one distal end connected to the cylinder 20 and another distal end bifurcating into a second passage 342 and a third passage 343. The second passage 342 has one distal end connected to the first passage 341 and another distal end connected to the inlet port. The third passage 343 has one distal end connected to the first passage 341, a middle end connected to the outlet end 313, and another distal end that allows air to flow out of the air pump 10. The control 35 is disposed in the second passage 342. The second passage 342 includes a narrower section and a wider section and defines an orifice between the narrower and wider sections.
The passage 34 includes a control 35 disposed therein. The control 35 is operable for selectively stopping air flowing into the storage tank 30 through the inlet port. The control 35 includes plug engaging in the orifice, a second biasing member including one end abutting the plug and another end abutting a wall of the wider section, and a cam acting on the plug and counteracting the second biasing member.
A one-way seal device is disposed in the passage 34. The one-way seal device prevents air flowing in the passage 34 flowing reversely into the cylinder 20. The one way seal device includes a block and a biasing member biasing the block. The one-way seal device is located between the pumping system and the control 35.
When the control 35 is disposed in a first position, as shown in
As shown in
In view of the forgoing, the outlet port of the storage tank 30 can be opened/closed automatically by the valve 32. When the control 35 is disposed in the first position, air is pumped into the storage tank 30 upon operation of the pumping system. Furthermore, when the control 35 is disposed in the second position, air is pumped out of the air pump 10 upon operation of the pumping system.
The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
