This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application 102018000003733 filed Mar. 19, 2018, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
This invention relates to an alternative twin cylinder air compressor.
Air compressors are used in many different fields of application, both in professional and household contexts.
Whilst, in fact, the professional use of compressed air is well known, it is increasingly being used also in the home, for example with respect to hobby applications or even for more common activities such as washing/suction.
There is a very wide range of constructional architectures for volumetric air compressors but, excluding, for the sake of this invention, those more strictly used in professional contexts (screw, lobe, vane compressors), the most widespread are without doubt alternative compressors.
Alternative air compressors compress the air by means of a piston movable in alternating motion inside a cylinder.
Alternative compressors are both single cylinder and multi-cylinder and the multi-cylinder ones can be both single stage (the cylinders operate in parallel) and multi-stage (the cylinders operate in series).
In particular, in the case of alternative twin cylinder compressors, amongst the possible architectures there is one, which is very widespread, comprising two cylinders arranged in line, spaced from each other and with the electric motor axially interposed between the two cylinders, at the base of them.
More in detail, the two cylinders are located at the opposite ends of an electric motor equipped with a through transmission shaft which engages at its two opposite longitudinal ends with the respective crank of each of the two piston-cylinder pumping units.
Moreover, each cylinder has a respective valve plate positioned at the head.
Although this architecture is functional from the different points of view, it has been shown that it can be improved both in operational and construction terms.
The aim of this invention is to provide a volumetric air compressor which is simple and practical to make.
A further aim of this invention is to provide a volumetric air compressor which is effective and practical to use.
The technical features of the invention according to the above-mentioned objects may be easily inferred from the contents of the appended claims, especially claim 1, and, preferably, any of the claims that depend on this claim.
The advantages of the present invention are more apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention provided merely by way of example without restricting the scope of the inventive concept, and in which:
With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety an alternative twin cylinder air compressor made in accordance with the invention.
As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the alternative twin cylinder air compressor 1 comprises a base 2 and a central body 3 supported by the base 2.
The central body 3 extends longitudinally along a first predetermined direction D1 and houses, centrally, an electric motor EM, shown in the partially disassembled configuration of
The above-mentioned electric motor EM has an axis of rotation A which is parallel to the above-mentioned first predetermined direction D1.
The architecture of the air compressor 1 comprises a first 4 and a second 5 pumping unit positioned on opposite sides of the electric motor EM which, therefore, is interposed between the two pumping units 4, 5.
As is known, the electric motor EM has the relative through drive shaft, in such a way as to activate both the first and second pumping units 4, 5, even though positioned on opposite sides of the same electric motor EM.
The first and second pumping units 4, 5 are arranged in line.
The central body 3 and the base 2 are advantageously made in a single piece, in a single casting, which is divided into two portions 3a, 3b, one for each pumping unit 4, 5.
The two portions 3a, 3b are side by side in the predetermined direction D1 and are rigidly assembled together.
Each first and second pumping unit 4, 5 has a respective cylinder 40, 50 inside of which moves, with reciprocating motion, a respective piston is not visible in the accompanying drawings.
As clearly illustrated in
Respective heads 41, 51, equipped with fins for the purposes of their effective cooling, are positioned on the top of the cylinders 40, 50.
Below the heads 41, 51 each cylinder 40, 50 comprises a respective valve plate, not illustrated in detail, of known type and not described further.
At its opposite longitudinal ends, also defining the longitudinal ends of the air compressor 1, the first and second pumping units 4, 5 have respective cooling fans, not shown in the accompanying drawings, keyed on opposite longitudinal ends of the above-mentioned and not illustrated shaft of the electric motor EM.
With reference in particular to
The covers 6 have a respective octagonal-shaped zone 6c with slits defining an aeration grille designed for the passage of air moved by the fans.
The covers 6 extend in the direction of above-mentioned cylinders 40, 50 and are configured to convey at least a part of the flow of air generated by the fans to the top of said cylinders 40, 50, at the respective heads 41, 51.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in detail in
The tray 70 comprises a first chamber 71, a second chamber 72 and a third chamber 73.
The first chamber 71 defines a housing for a filter 8 for the air entering towards the cylinders 40, 50.
An opening facing the above-mentioned filter 8 is formed on a side wall of the first chamber 71.
The filter 8 is also in pneumatic connection with both the heads 41, 51 by means of the respective conduit 74 designed to feed air to both the cylinders 40, 50.
The air entering which passes through the filter 8 is fed to the conduit 74 by means of a curved pipe, not visible in the accompanying drawings, passing beneath the second chamber 72.
A pipe 75 for pneumatic connection between the heads 41, 51 is positioned inside the second chamber 72 of the tray 70.
As illustrated in
The cap 76 is designed to provide a hermetic seal at least for the first chamber 71.
As illustrated in
An air intake conduit 9 is formed on the guard 77a located in the proximity of the first chamber 71.
The air intake conduit 9 is in common for both the cylinders 40, 50 and leads inside the first chamber 71, for feeding air from the outside to the filter 8.
The intake conduit 9 extends transversally relative to the above-mentioned axis of rotation A of the electric motor EM.
The intake conduit 9 is positioned at a mid-point zone M between the cylinders 40, 50 so as to be suitably spaced from them.
An inlet opening 78 of the above-mentioned intake conduit 9 is defined on the lateral guards 77a on which said air intake conduit is made.
Advantageously, the inlet opening 78 protrudes in a cantilever fashion relative to the cylinders 40, 50.
This circumstance, together with said above-mentioned positioning at the mid-point of the intake conduit 9 and therefore also of the relative inlet opening 78, means that the air drawn in to convey it to the filter 8 is picked up far as possible from the cylinders 40, 50 and from their heads 41, 51 and therefore not heated by them.
Moreover, another advantageous aspect is the fact that the intake conduit 9 is made as a single conduit, thus minimizing its overall size and allowing an optimum positioning in terms of distance from the sources of heat constituted by the cylinders 40, 50.
As illustrated in
The capacitor 10 is advantageously supported by one of the lateral guards 77a, 77b.
The two lateral guards 77a, 77b are advantageously made the same, for the purposes of optimizing costs, even though the intake conduit 9 and its respective opening 78 are only operational inside the lateral guard 77a facing the first chamber 71, whilst in the lateral guard 77b, even though they are present physically they are not connected to any and, therefore, are not operational.
Respective slots 11 configured to define a zone for circulation of air from the outside to the inside of the containment body 7, designed for cooling the above-mentioned electric motor EM are made in the lower part of each lateral guard 77a, 77b.
With reference to
The above-mentioned connecting pipe 75 and first chamber 71 define, for the air compressor 1 according to the invention, pneumatic connection means 13 designed to allow the flow of air towards and away from the cylinders 40, 50.
In use, as illustrated in
From the filter 8 the sir sucked is conveyed towards both the cylinders which, in known manner, compress it by the pumping action of the respective pistons moving with alternating movement.
According to the single-stage configuration illustrated, the compressed air in the cylinder 50 is transferred to the head 41 of the cylinder 40 using the pneumatic connection pipe 73; from the head 41 of the cylinder 40, the compressed air in both cylinders 40, 50 is discharged outside through the above-mentioned outlet connector 12.
The air compressor unit 1 according to the invention achieves the preset aims and brings important advantages.
A first advantage linked to the invention is due to the fact that by adopting the containment body 7, the space interposed between the cylinders 40, 50 is used to house components of the compressor 1, thereby optimizing the overall dimensions.
A further advantage is due to the fact that by means of the containment body 7 and its lateral guards 77a, 77b a protection is actuated regarding the accidental contact with electrical elements contained inside.
Another advantage is due to the arrangement and shape of the intake conduit 9 which, by optimizing the relative distance from the cylinders of the compressor, makes it possible to draw in cool air, not heated by contact with the heads of the cylinders.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102018000003733 | Mar 2018 | IT | national |