Claims
- 1. An air compressor unit comprising:multiple compartments within the air compressor unit including at least first and second compartments, an air compressor disposed in the first compartment and a motor, configured to drive the air compressor, disposed within the second compartment; a rotary blower that draws air into the unit and generates an air flow through the unit; an air intake port entering the unit; a discharge aperture exiting the unit; wherein the multiple compartments are configured such that a single initial air flow enters the unit through the intake port, the multiple compartments divide the initial air flow into at least first and second distinct intermediate air flows with the first intermediate air flow flowing through the first compartment and the second intermediate air flow flowing through the second compartment, the distinct intermediate air flows converge to a single final air flow that exits the unit through the discharge aperture.
- 2. The unit of claim 1, wherein the multiple compartments include an intake compartment, the first compartment, the second compartment, and a discharge compartment.
- 3. The unit of claim 2, wherein the air intake port is in fluid flow communication with the intake compartment, and the initial air flow enters the intake compartment through the air intake port.
- 4. The unit of claim 2, wherein the discharge aperture is in fluid flow communication with the discharge compartment, and the final air flow exits the discharge compartment through the discharge aperture.
- 5. The unit of claim 1, wherein the compressor is a reciprocating compressor.
- 6. An air compressor unit comprising:multiple compartments within the air compressor unit including at least first and second compartments, an air compressor disposed in the first compartment and a motor disposed within the second compartment; a rotary blower the draws air into the unit and generates an air flow through the unit; an air intake port entering the unit; a discharge aperture exiting the unit; wherein the multiple compartments are configured such that a single initial air flow enters the unit through the intake port, the multiple compartments divide the initial air flow into at least first and second distinct intermediate air flows with the first intermediate air flow flowing through the first compartment and the second intermediate air flow flowing through the second compartment, the distinct intermediate air flows converge to a single final air flow that exits the unit through the discharge aperture, and wherein the multiple compartments include an intake compartment, the first compartment, the second compartment, and a discharge compartment and the first intermediate air flow passes through the first compartment and the discharge compartment; the second intermediate air flow passes through the first compartment, the second compartment, and the discharge compartment; and the first intermediate air flow and the second intermediate air flow converge into the final air flow in the discharge compartment.
- 7. An air compressor unit comprising:multiple compartments within the air compressor unit including at least first and second compartments and a discharge compartment, an air compressor and a motor disposed within the air compressor unit; a rotary blower that draws air into the unit and generates an air flow through the unit; an air intake port entering the unit; and a discharge aperture exiting the unit; wherein the multiple compartments are configured such that a single initial air flow enters the unit through the intake port, the multiple compartments divide the initial air flow into at least first and second distinct intermediate air flows with the first intermediate air flow flowing through the first compartment and the second intermediate air flow flowing through the second compartment, the distinct intermediate air flows converge to a single final air flow in the discharge compartment and exits the unit through the discharge aperture and wherein an aftercooler is disposed between the first compartment and the discharge compartment and defines a fluid passage from the first compartment to the discharge compartment.
- 8. An air compressor unit comprising:multiple compartments within the air compressor unit including at least first and second compartments, an air compressor disposed in the first compartment and a motor disposed within the second compartment; a rotary blower that draws air into the unit and generates an air flow through the unit; an air intake port entering the unit; a discharge aperture exiting the unit; wherein the multiple compartments are configured such that a single initial air flow enters the unit through the intake port, the multiple compartments divide the initial air flow into at least first and second distinct intermediate air flows with the first intermediate air flow flowing through the first compartment and the second intermediate air flow flowing through the second compartment, the distinct intermediate air flows converge to a single final air flow that exits the unit through the discharge aperture, and wherein the multiple compartments include an intake compartment, the first compartment, the second compartment, and a discharge compartment and the rotary blower is disposed in the intake compartment.
- 9. An air compressor unit comprising:multiple compartments within the air compressor unit including at least first and second compartments and a discharge compartment, an air compressor a motor disposed within the air compressor unit; a rotary blower that draws air into the unit and generates an air flow through the unit; an air intake port entering the unit; and a discharge aperture exiting the unit; wherein the multiple compartments are configured such that a single initial air flow enters the unit through the intake port, the multiple compartments divide the initial air flow into at least first and second distinct intermediate air flows with the first intermediate air flow flowing through the first compartment and the second intermediate air flow flowing through the second compartment, the distinct intermediate air flows converge to a single final air flow in the discharge compartment and exits the unit through the discharge aperture and wherein a partition at least partially separates the first compartment from the second compartment, and the partition at least partially separates the second compartment from the discharge compartment.
- 10. The unit of claim 9, wherein the partition includes a layer of noise absorbing foam.
- 11. An air compressor unit comprising:an intake compartment having an air intake permitting air to enter the air compressor unit; a blower disposed within the intake compartment drawing air into the intake compartment through the air intake, and generating an air flow through the unit; a primary inlet permitting fluid flow between the intake compartment and a first compartment; a secondary inlet permitting fluid flow between the intake compartment and a second compartment; a first passage permitting fluid flow between the first compartment and a discharge compartment; a second passage permitting fluid flow between the first compartment and a second compartment; a third passage permitting fluid flow between the second compartment and the discharge compartment; and a discharge aperture in fluid flow communication with the discharge aperture permitting air to exit the unit.
- 12. The unit of claim 12, further comprising a compressor disposed within the first compartment.
- 13. The unit of claim 12, wherein the compressor is a reciprocating compressor.
- 14. The unit of claim 11, further comprising a motor disposed within the second compartment.
- 15. The unit of claim 11, further comprising an aftercooler disposed near the first passage.
- 16. The unit of claim 11, wherein a partition at least partially separates the first compartment from the second compartment, and the partition at least partially separates the second compartment from the discharge compartment.
- 17. The unit of claim 16, wherein the partition includes a layer of noise absorbing foam.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/777,210 filed Feb. 5, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,264, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0732511 |
Sep 1996 |
EP |
1305655 |
Feb 1973 |
GB |
01-313694 |
Dec 1989 |
JP |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/777210 |
Feb 2001 |
US |
Child |
10/045521 |
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US |