Patent Application
20190277271
The present invention relates to an inflating device, and more particularly to a manual dual-directional inflating device that can supply compressed air in dual directions.
An inflating device is applied to inflate a tire of a bicycle or a motorcycle or a ball. To inflate an inflatable object in a flat state with an inflating device having a large volume, the inflating speed is high in a low resistance. When the inflatable object is almost completely inflated, the inflatable object has a high pressure inside, so a high resistance will occur when the object is inflated with the inflating device having a large volume. When the object is inflated with an inflating device that has a small volume, a smaller resistance is generated so that the object is easily inflated.
A conventional inflating device comprises a large pump and a small pump combined with each other, such that the conventional inflating device is convenient for use. However, the conventional inflating device can only inflate an object in a unidirectional manner, so the conventional inflating device cannot inflate an object rapidly. In addition, a switch is easily touched during the operation of the conventional inflating device, so the large pump and the small pump will be switched to each other unintentionally and the conventional inflating device is inconvenient in use.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an inflating device to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the invention is to provide an inflating device that can supply compressed air in dual directions.
The inflating device has a body, a large cylinder, a small cylinder, a handle, and a switching mechanism. The body has a first chamber, a foot step, a top cap, a first inlet, a first check valve, a second inlet, and a second check valve. The first chamber is defined in the body. The foot step is mounted on a bottom end of the body. The top cap is mounted on a top end of the body. The first inlet is defined in the top cap and communicates with the first chamber. The first check valve is mounted in the body and is disposed between the first chamber and the first inlet. The second inlet is defined in the body and communicates with the first chamber. The second check valve is mounted in the body and is disposed between the first chamber and the second inlet. The large cylinder is mounted moveably in the first chamber of the body and has a top end, a second chamber, an upper input gap, an inner bottom base, and a bottom base. The top end of the large cylinder extends out of the top cap. The second chamber is defined in the large cylinder. The upper input gap is defined between an outer surface of a bottom end of the large cylinder and an inner surface of the first chamber. The inner bottom base is mounted on the bottom end of the large cylinder and has a third inlet and a third check valve. The third inlet is defined in the inner bottom base and communicates with the second chamber. The third check valve is mounted in the third inlet. The bottom base is connected with the large cylinder, is located below the inner bottom base, and has an outer surface, an input passage, a first annular holding recess, and a first O-ring. The outer surface of the bottom base is spaced from the inner surface of the first chamber to define a lower input gap between the outer surface of the bottom base and the inner surface of the first chamber. The input passage is defined between the inner bottom base and the bottom base and communicates with the third inlet. The first annular holding recess is defined around and communicates with the input passage. The first O-ring is mounted moveably in the first annular holding recess. The small cylinder is mounted moveably in the second chamber of the large cylinder and has a top end, a third chamber, and a piston base. The top end of the small cylinder extends out of the top end of the large cylinder. The third chamber is defined in the small cylinder. The piston base is hollow, is mounted on a bottom end of the small cylinder, and has a bottom cover, a second annular holding recess, a second O-ring, a fourth inlet, and a fourth check valve. The second annular holding recess is defined around the piston base. The second O-ring is mounted in the second annular holding recess. The fourth inlet is defined in the bottom cover and communicates with the second chamber and the third chamber. The fourth check valve is mounted in the fourth inlet. The handle is mounted on the top end of the small cylinder and has an outlet defined in the handle and communicating with the third chamber of the small cylinder. The switching mechanism is mounted on the top end of the large cylinder.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
The body 10 is elongated and hollow and has a first chamber 101, a foot step 11, a top cap 12, a first inlet 102, and a second inlet 103. The first chamber 101 is defined in the body 10. The foot step 11 is mounted on a bottom end of the body 10. The top cap 12 is mounted on a top end of the body 10. The first inlet 102 is defined in the top cap 12 and communicates with the first chamber 101. A first check valve 13 is mounted in the body 10 and is disposed between the first chamber 101 and the first inlet 102. The second inlet 103 is defined in the body 10 and communicates with the first chamber 101. A second check valve 14 is mounted in the body 10 and is disposed between the first chamber 101 and the second inlet 103.
With further reference to
A bottom base 23 is mounted in the first chamber 101, is connected with the bottom of the large cylinder 20, and is located below the inner bottom base 21. The bottom base 23 has an outer surface spaced from the inner surface of the first chamber 101 to define a lower input gap 105 between the outer surface of the bottom base 23 and the inner surface of the first chamber 101. An input passage 203 is defined between the inner bottom base 21 and the bottom base 23 and communicates with the third inlet 202. A first annular holding recess 204 is defined around and communicates with the input passage 203. A first O-ring 24 is mounted moveably in the first annular holding recess 204. The upper input gap 104 and the lower input gap 105 communicate with the first annular holding recess 204.
The small cylinder 30 is mounted moveably in the second chamber 201 and has a top end, a bottom end, a third chamber 301, and a piston base 31. The top end of the small cylinder 30 is mounted through and extends out of the top end of the large cylinder 20. The piston base 31 is mounted on the bottom end of the small cylinder 30. A second annular holding recess is defined around the piston base 31, and a second O-ring 32 is mounted in the second annular holding recess. The piston base 31 is hollow and has a bottom cover 33, a fourth inlet 302 and a fourth check valve 34. The fourth inlet 302 is defined in the bottom cover 33 and communicates with the second chamber 201 and the third chamber 301. The fourth check valve 34 is mounted in the fourth inlet 302.
The handle 40 is mounted on the top end of the small cylinder 30 and is located above the top cap 12. The handle 40 has an outlet 41 and a pressure gauge 60. The outlet 41 is defined in the handle 40 and communicates with the third chamber 301. The pressure gauge 60 is mounted on the handle 40 and communicates with the third chamber 301.
With reference to
To inflate an object with the small cylinder 30, the switching block 51 is pushed to engage with the body 10 such that the larger cylinder 20 is kept from moving. At this time, the first limiting segment 531 on the first limiting member 53 is engaged with the first limiting recess 512 due to the gravity. When the handle 40 is pulled upward and the small cylinder 30 is moved upward, air will be sucked into the first chamber 101 via the first inlet 102. The air then enters into the second chamber 201 via the upper input gap 104, the first annular holding recess 204, the input passage 203, and the third inlet 202. When the handle 40 is pushed downward, the third check valve 22 is closed and the fourth check valve 34 is opened such that the air in the second chamber 201 will enter into the third chamber 301 via the fourth inlet 302. The air in the third chamber 301 will be pushed into the inflatable object via the outlet 41. While the small cylinder 30 is moved, the switching block 51 is locked and is prevented from moving. When the small cylinder 30 is moved to a lowest position, the first limiting member 53 can be pivoted to disengage the first limiting segment 531 from the first limiting recess 512. Thus, the switching block 51 is unlocked and can be moved.
With reference to
The air in the first chamber 101 above the bottom base 23 will be pushed into the third chamber 301 via the upper input gap 104, the first annular holding recess 204, the input passage 203, the third inlet 202, and the fourth inlet 302. The original air in the third chamber 301 will be pushed into the inflatable object via the outlet 41. At this time, the first O-ring 24 abuts the top surface of the bottom base 23, so the air in the first chamber 101 above the bottom base 23 is kept from passing through the lower input gap 105 and from entering the space in the first chamber 101 below the bottom base 23. The air outside the body 10 will be sucked into the space of the first chamber 101 below the bottom base 23 via the second inlet 103.
With reference to
While the small cylinder 30 is moved, the switching block 51 is locked and is prevented from moving. When the small cylinder 30 is moved to a lowest position, the second limiting member 54 can be pivoted to disengage the second limiting segment 541 from the second limiting recess 513. Thus, the switching block 51 is unlocked and can be moved.
With such an arrangement, the inflating device in accordance with the present invention can inflate an object by the large cylinder in both directions, i.e. upward and downward movements, such that the inflating efficiency of the inflating device is improved. In addition, because the switching block 51 is locked by the first limiting member 53 or the second limiting member 54 during the operation of the inflating device, the switching block 51 cannot be moved unintentionally. Furthermore, with the arrangement of the pressure gauge 60, the pressures in the third chamber 301 can be shown on the pressure gauge 60 to a user.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
