The present invention concerns fluid intake and exhaust fittings for compressors or pumps.
It is known in the art to utilize a fluid intake manifold assembly that has at least two ports which interface and couple to each of two compressor housing intake ports in a dual piston compressor. An example of such a manifold can be seen in
The present inventors have found that it is desirous to provide a fluid intake manifold assembly with fewer components than the standard assembly. The inventors have also found that it is desirous to provide a fluid intake manifold which reduces the amount of assemblage required to interface a dual piston pump or compressor with a fluid intake manifold.
The present inventors have also found that it is desirous to provide a port fitting that interfaces with inlets and outlets in a compressor or pump in a manner easier than fittings having threads but reliably as fittings having threads.
The present invention reduces some of the required assemblage by providing a fluid intake manifold that includes a female fitting and a male fitting slidably engaged to one another to provide a fluid intake and two ports.
The male fitting member includes a first port which interfaces with a fluid intake in the compressor housing. The male fitting's first port is also in fluid communication with the fluid intake of the fluid intake manifold. The first port is defined by a portion of the male fitting which forms a hollow plug which fits within a respective fluid intake of the compressor housing. The plug portion, or plug, is integrally molded with a longitudinal section of the male fitting member. The male fitting defines a fluid pathway.
The fluid intake manifold further includes a female fitting which defines a fluid intake pathway. In similar fashion to the male fitting, the female fitting includes a plug portion which interfaces with a fluid intake in the compressor housing. The plug portion is integrally molded with a longitudinal portion of the female fitting. The plug defines a second port which is in fluid communication with a respective fluid intake of the intake manifold. The female fitting has a female coupling portion which receives the male coupling portion on the male fitting. The male and female fittings, when assembled, provide a longitudinal fluid pathway which extends between each of the ports defined by the plugs. The pathway thus places each of the ports in fluid communication with one another and with a fluid intake of the manifold.
In one embodiment of the invention, the plug on the female member and the male member includes three extending flanges forming an integral portion of the plug. Two of the three flanges are furtherest away from the plug. These two flanges provide a contact pressure seal with portions of the compressor housing that define the fluid intakes which receive the plugs. The other one of the three flanges does not function to serve as a contact seal. It rather serves to prevent the plugs from slipping out of the fluid intakes during normal use of the fluid intake manifold. This one flange, when its respective plug is fully inserted in the intake, extends over a ledge portion of the compressor housing. The ledge acts as a backstop over which the flange, which acts as an abutment, must be pulled to remove the plug from its respective intake.
In another embodiment of the invention, the plugs of the male and female fitting include a raised insert surface defining a groove. An o-ring is disposed in the groove. The plug also has a flange integral with and extending from a surface of the plug. The o-ring provides a contact pressure seal with portions of the housing defining the compressor intake. The radially extending flange serves to inhibit the removal of the plug from the compressor intakes during normal use of the fluid manifold. The flange acts as an abutment against portions of the compressor housing forming a ledge or backstop.
In still a further embodiment of the invention, port fittings which have generally known shapes such as elbow or T fittings, include a plug portion for interface with a compressor or pump fluid intake. The plug portion has the three flanges described above or the plug configuration having the o-ring in combination with a flange. Notably, a port fitting construction having its plug portion configured to have the o-ring and flange combination will serve as a port fitting for a compressor or pump outlet.
The drawings are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention. It is envisioned that alternate configurations of the embodiments of the present invention may be adapted and be within the scope of the disclosed invention as illustrated in these drawings.
a is a front prospective view of an air compressor showing an air intake manifold assembled to the compressor, said air intake manifold embodying an example of the invention;
b is a front perspective view of the compressor and air intake manifold shown in
a is a perspective view of the male fitting member which forms a component of the air intake manifold shown in
b is a plan view looking at the front side of the male member shown in
c is a sectional view of the male member shown in
d is a rear sided plan view of the male member shown in
e is a sectional view taken along view lines E-E of the male member shown in
f is a sectional view taken along view lines F-F of the male member shown in
a is a perspective view of the female fitting member which forms a component of the air intake manifold shown in
b is a plan view looking at the front side of the female member shown in
c is a sectional view of the female member shown in
d is a rear sided plan view of the female member shown in
e is a sectional view taken along view lines E-E of the female member shown in
f is a sectional view taken along view lines F-F of the female member shown in
The various parts and components of the invention can be seen and understood with reference to the drawings and description herein. Referring now to
The fluid coupling 100 has an opening 100a therein. The opening 100a opens through an external end 100b of the fluid coupling 100. The fluid coupling 100 opens at fluid passage 104a of the longitudinal section 104. The opening can be seen at 100c. The fluid coupling 100 is a fluid intake coupling.
Male coupling 102 also has an opening 102a which opens through an external surface or end 102b of male coupling 102. The male coupling opens at longitudinal passage 104a. The opening can be seen at 102c.
The plug portion 106 has an internal orifice 106d. The plug has an external opening 106a opening at orifice 106d. Longitudinal section 104 has an opening or aperture 104b which opens at plug orifice 106d. The plug orifice is thus in fluid communication with the passage 104a. The plug 106 on its external surface has two annular grooves 106b formed therein. The annular grooves receive and support o-rings 107, 107′.
As can be appreciated from the drawings, the male fitting member 101 having portions 100, 102, 104 and 106 is a single unitary member, preferably made of plastic. Thus, the plug 106, the fluid coupling 100, and the male coupling 102 are integral with longitudinal section 104.
As can further be seen, the male fitting on its external surface towards the male coupling 102 has a groove 102d which receives an o-ring.
The female fitting or second member 201 can be seen and understood with reference to
The fluid coupling 200 has an opening 200a therein. The opening 200a opens through an external end 200b of the fluid coupling 200. The fluid coupling 200 opens at a fluid passage 204a of the longitudinal section 204. The opening can be seen at 200c.
Female coupling 202 also has an opening 202a which opens through an external surface 202b of female coupling 202. The female coupling opens at longitudinal passage 204a. The opening can be seen at 202c.
The plug portion 206 has an internal orifice 206d. The plug has an external opening 206a opening at orifice 206d. Longitudinal section 204 has an opening or aperture 204b which opens at orifice 206d. Thus fluid passage 204a and orifice 206d are in fluid communication. The plug 206, on its external surface, has two annular grooves 206b formed therein. The annular grooves receive and support o-rings 207, 207′. The female fitting consists of a single unitary member, preferably made of plastic. Thus, the plug 206, the fluid coupling 200 and the female coupling 202 are integral with longitudinal section 204.
As can further be seen, female fitting 201 has a reduced transverse length starting at 202d of the female coupling. Reducing the transverse length of the female fitting saves on material. The constriction at 202d could also act as an abutment to prevent the male coupling from extending to far into the female fitting
As can be seen in
As can best be seen by reference to
As can be seen in
The male and female fittings, when assembled, form a fluid intake fitting or manifold. The fluid intake fitting can operate as a fluid intake manifold alone or by plugging or capping one of either, fluid intake couplings 100 or 200.
As can be seen with reference to
The fluid intake fitting, when assembled to the air compressor, forms the fluid intake manifold which includes o-rings 107, 107′, 207, 207′ and can include cap 110. The air intake manifold is pressure sealed to the housing air intakes 44, 45 by o-rings 107, 207.
Although the manifold has been described as having a particular slidable engagement, the adjustment could include any type of longitudinally adjustable mating such as threads.
An alternative embodiment of plug portions 106, 206 can be seen with reference to
Plug portion 501 has a first radial flange 501c. Plug 501 has a raised insert surface 501e. An o-ring receiving groove 505 is formed in surface 501e. Groove 505 receives o-ring 507. A stop 508 is at the area where plug portion 501 joins channel portion 503. The stop 508 helps ensure fitting 500 is properly oriented relative to a pump air intake, such as 44, 45 or a pump outlet (not shown). The stop 508 acts as an abutment to prevent over insertion of the fitting 500. As seen in
As can best be seen in
Finally, although the fluid manifold 101, 201 has been described in connection with its interface with pump intakes 44, 45 it could also be used in connection with pump outlets. In this case, one would want to modify the plug portions 106, 206 so they have a construction similar to plug portions 501 or another construction suitable for a fitting on the pressure side of a pump.
Although the invention has been described in connection with a compressor it is equally applicable to a vacuum pump. Further, although there have been described embodiments of this invention, many variations and modifications will be apparent. The invention is therefore to be limited, not by the specific disclosure herein, which is exemplary, but by only the appended claims.
The present application is a 371 of international application PCT/US2007/077582, filed 5 Sep. 2007 which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application 60/824,481, filed 5 Sep. 2006.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US2007/077582 | 9/5/2007 | WO | 00 | 2/27/2009 |
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WO2008/030839 | 3/13/2008 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20100178185 A1 | Jul 2010 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60824481 | Sep 2006 | US |