Miniature air compressor

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6682317
  • Patent Number
    6,682,317
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, June 20, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 27, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A miniature air compressor includes a motor, a compression cylinder, a lower valve seat, an upper valve seat, and a noise suppression cylinder. Thus, the miniature air compressor may provide a stable pressurized air flow whose noise and impurity may be eliminated by the noise suppression cylinder, thereby enhancing the usage effect of the injection pen device. In addition, the miniature air compressor has a simple construction, may be assembled and amended easily and conveniently, and may reduce the cost of production.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a miniature air compressor, and more particularly to a miniature air compressor that may provide a stable pressurized air flow whose noise and impurity may be eliminated by the noise suppression cylinder, thereby enhancing the usage effect of the injection pen device.




2. Description of the Related Art




A conventional air compressor may be used in an injection pen driven by a pneumatic tool, so that the injection pen may evenly inject various paint for coloring patterns.




The closest prior art of which the applicant is aware is disclosed in the Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 369089, entitled by “Air Compressor”. The air compressor includes a valve plug secured in a valve chamber, a spring having a first end mounted on the valve plug and a second end provided with an air valve which may be rested on the valve port for controlling the direction of the air flow. However, the air compressor has a complicated construction. In addition, the spring is pushed and moved reciprocally, so that the spring easily produces fatigue, and so that the air valve cannot seal and close the valve port completely.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional air compressor.




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a miniature air compressor that may provide a stable pressurized air flow whose noise and impurity may be eliminated by the noise suppression cylinder, thereby enhancing the usage effect of the injection pen device.




Another objective of the present invention is to provide a miniature air compressor that has a simple construction.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a miniature air compressor that may be assembled and amended easily and conveniently, and may reduce the cost of production.




In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a miniature air compressor, comprising a motor, a compression cylinder, a lower valve seat, an upper valve seat, and a noise suppression cylinder, wherein:




the motor has a central shaft for driving an eccentric cam which may drive a piston crank to move upward and downward reciprocally, so that a piston mounted in the compression cylinder may be axially moved upward and downward reciprocally;




the compression cylinder is secured on the motor;




the lower valve seat is mounted on the compression cylinder, and has a first side formed with an air inlet recess and a second side formed with an air outlet recess, the air inlet recess of the lower valve seat has a top face formed with an arcuate cavity, an air inlet valve plate is movably mounted in the arcuate cavity of the air inlet recess of the lower valve seat, the air outlet recess of the lower valve seat has a top face formed with an annular protruding push post for pushing an air outlet valve plate upward;




the upper valve seat is mounted on a top face of the lower valve seat, and has a first side formed with an air inlet and a second side formed with an air outlet, the air inlet of the upper valve seat has a bottom formed with a protruding push post for pushing the air inlet valve plate downward, the air outlet of the upper valve seat has a bottom formed with an arcuate cavity, and the air outlet valve plate is movably mounted in the arcuate cavity of the air outlet of the upper valve seat; and




the noise suppression cylinder is secured on the motor, an air inlet pipe has a fist end mounted on a top end of the noise suppression cylinder, and a second end mounted on a top face of the air inlet of the upper valve seat.




Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a miniature air compressor in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is an exploded perspective view of the miniature air compressor as shown in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a plan cross-sectional view of the lower valve seat and the upper valve seat of the miniature air compressor as shown in

FIG. 2

;





FIG. 4

is a side plan cross-sectional view of the miniature air compressor as shown in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 5

is a schematic operational view of the miniature air compressor as shown in

FIG. 4

in use; and





FIG. 6

is a perspective view of a miniature air compressor in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Referring to the drawings and initially to

FIGS. 1-4

, a miniature air compressor in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a motor


10


, a compression cylinder


20


, a lower valve seat


30


, an upper valve seat


40


, and a noise suppression cylinder


50


.




The motor


10


has a central shaft for driving an eccentric cam


11


which may drive a piston crank


12


to move upward and downward reciprocally, so that a piston


21


mounted in the compression cylinder


20


may be axially moved upward and downward reciprocally. The motor


10


is provided with a fixing seat


15


.




The compression cylinder


20


is a boosting cylinder for pushing the air to flow. The compression cylinder


20


is secured in the fixing seat


15


of the motor


10


, and is formed with a hollow air chamber


25


. The piston


21


is axially and slidably mounted in the hollow air chamber


25


of the compression cylinder


20


. The piston crank


12


is mounted on a bottom end of the piston


21


.




The lower valve seat


30


is used to control the flow direction of the air. The lower valve seat


30


is closely and sealingly mounted on a top edge of the compression cylinder


20


, and a washer


28


is mounted between the lower valve seat


30


and the top edge of the compression cylinder


20


. The lower valve seat


30


has a first side formed with an air inlet recess


32


and a second side formed with an air outlet recess


35


. The air inlet recess


32


of the lower valve seat


30


has a top face formed with an arcuate cavity


31


. An air inlet valve plate


43


is movably mounted in the arcuate cavity


31


of the air inlet recess


32


of the lower valve seat


30


. The air outlet recess


35


of the lower valve seat


30


has a top face formed with an annular protruding push post


36


for pushing an air outlet valve plate


33


upward, thereby preventing the air from flowing back reversely.




The upper valve seat


40


is an air flow control seat that is mounted on a top face of the lower valve seat


30


, and a washer


38


is mounted between the upper valve seat


40


and the top face of the lower valve seat


30


. The upper valve seat


40


has a first side formed with an air inlet


41


and a second side formed with an air outlet


47


. The air inlet


41


of the upper valve seat


40


has a bottom formed with a protruding push post


42


for pushing the air inlet valve plate


43


downward, thereby preventing the air from flowing back reversely. The air outlet


47


of the upper valve seat


40


has a bottom formed with an arcuate cavity


46


, and the air outlet valve plate


33


is movably mounted in the arcuate cavity


46


of the air outlet


47


of the upper valve seat


40


. An air outlet pipe


48


is mounted on the top end of the air outlet


47


of the upper valve seat


40


for supplying a stable pressurized air flow of the injection pen. The upper valve seat


40


and the lower valve seat


30


are screwed on the fixing seat


15


of the motor


10


by multiple bolts


49


.




The noise suppression cylinder


50


is secured on the fixing seat


15


of the motor


10


, and has an inside provided with a noise suppression cotton


51


and an air pipe


53


. An air inlet pipe


55


has a fist end mounted on the top end of the noise suppression cylinder


50


, and a second end mounted on the top face of the air inlet


41


of the upper valve seat


40


.




Thus, in the miniature air compressor in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the noise suppression cylinder


50


may eliminate the noise and impurity of the air in the air pipe


53


by the noise suppression cotton


51


.




In operation, as shown in

FIG. 4

, when the compression cylinder


20


is disposed at an air inlet state, the piston crank


12


and the piston


21


are moved downward, so that the hollow air chamber


25


of the compression cylinder


20


is disposed at a negative pressure state.




Thus, the air inlet valve plate


43


is detached from the push post


42


of the air inlet


41


of the upper valve seat


40


, and is forced to move downward to be received in the arcuate cavity


31


of the air inlet recess


32


of the lower valve seat


30


, so that the air may be supplied into the hollow air chamber


25


of the compression cylinder


20


. In addition, the air outlet valve plate


33


is forced to move downward to closely seal the annular protruding push post


36


of the air outlet recess


35


of the lower valve seat


30


, thereby preventing the air from flowing back into the air outlet


47


of the upper valve seat


40


during the air inlet process.




As shown in

FIG. 5

, when the compression cylinder


20


is disposed at an air outlet state, the piston crank


12


and the piston


21


are moved upward, so that the compressed air contained in the hollow air chamber


25


of the compression cylinder


20


may push the air inlet valve plate


43


and the air outlet valve plate


33


upward, so that the air inlet valve plate


43


may be moved upward to closely seal the push post


42


of the air inlet


41


of the upper valve seat


40


, thereby preventing the air from flowing back into the air inlet


41


of the upper valve seat


40


during the air outlet process. In addition, the air outlet valve plate


33


is detached from the annular protruding push post


36


of the air outlet recess


35


of the lower valve seat


30


, and is forced to move upward to be received in the arcuate cavity


46


of the air outlet


47


of the upper valve seat


40


, so that the pressurized compressed air may be conveyed outward through the air outlet pipe


48


along a single direction only, and may be carried and guided into the injection pen device.




As shown in

FIG. 6

, a miniature air compressor in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.




Accordingly, the miniature air compressor in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention may provide a stable pressurized air flow, wherein the noise and impurity of the air in the air pipe


53


may be eliminated by the noise suppression cotton


51


, thereby enhancing the usage effect of the injection pen device.




In addition, the miniature air compressor in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention has a simple construction, may be assembled and amended easily and conveniently, and may reduce the cost of production.




Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A miniature air compressor, comprising a motor, a compression cylinder, a lower valve seat, an upper valve seat, and a noise suppression cylinder, wherein:the motor has a central shaft that drives an eccentric cam that drives a piston crank to move upward and downward reciprocally, so that a piston mounted in the compression cylinder may be axially moved upward and downward reciprocally; the compression cylinder is secured on the motor; the lower valve seat is mounted on the compression cylinder, and has a first side formed with an air inlet recess and a second side formed with an air outlet recess, the air inlet recess of the lower valve seat has a top face formed with an arcuate cavity, an air inlet valve plate is movably mounted in the arcuate cavity of the air inlet recess of the lower valve seat, the air outlet recess of the lower valve seat has a top face formed with an annular protruding push post for pushing an air outlet valve plate upward; the upper valve seat is mounted on a top face of the lower valve seat, and has a first side formed with an air inlet and a second side formed with an air outlet, the air inlet of the upper valve seat has a bottom formed with a protruding push post for pushing the air inlet valve plate downward, the air outlet of the upper valve seat has a bottom formed with an arcuate cavity, and the air outlet valve plate is movably mounted in the arcuate cavity of the air outlet of the upper valve seat; and the noise suppression cylinder is secured on the motor, an air inlet pipe has a fist end mounted on a top end of the noise suppression cylinder, and a second end mounted on a top face of the air inlet of the upper valve seat.
  • 2. The miniature air compressor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the motor is provided with a fixing seat, and the compression cylinder is secured in the fixing seat of the motor.
  • 3. The miniature air compressor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the compression cylinder is formed with a hollow air chamber, the piston is axially and slidably mounted in the hollow air chamber of the compression cylinder, and the piston crank is mounted on a bottom end of the piston.
  • 4. The miniature air compressor in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a washer mounted between the lower valve seat and a top edge of the compression cylinder.
  • 5. The miniature air compressor in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a washer mounted between the upper valve seat and the top face of the lower valve seat.
  • 6. The miniature air compressor in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an air outlet pipe mounted on the top end of the air outlet of the upper valve seat.
  • 7. The miniature air compressor in accordance with claim 2, wherein the upper valve seat and the lower valve seat are screwed on the fixing seat of the motor by multiple bolts.
  • 8. The miniature air compressor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the noise suppression cylinder has an inside provided with a noise suppression cotton and an air pipe.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
3877842 Greene et al. Apr 1975 A
4028015 Hetzel Jun 1977 A
4995795 Hetzel et al. Feb 1991 A
5549454 Earle Aug 1996 A
6508637 Ohashi Jan 2003 B2