BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate components of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional rotating joint utilized in an air compression pump and a pneumatic device;
FIG. 2 is a 3-D view of the conventional rotating joint;
FIG. 3 is a 3-D assembly view of a universal joint in accordance with a preferred example of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a 3-D view of an assembled universal joint in accordance with the preferred example of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the universal joint of the present invention utilized in an air compression pump and a pneumatic device;
FIG. 6 demonstrates the universal joint in practice;
FIG. 7 is another example of showing the universal joint in practice.
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the assembled universal joint as shown in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIGS. 3 and 4 there are 3-D assembly views of various components of a universal joint and an integrated universal joint in accordance with a preferred example of the present invention. The universal joint of the present invention is comprised of a screw cap 31, in which the screw cap has a first stop portion 311 locating at one of openings, and a first seal pad 312 provided in an inner part of the screw cap 31. Rotating portion 32 is comprised of rotating head 321 with a central hollow, and connecting pipe 322 connected to the rotating head 321, wherein the rotating head 321 and the connecting pipe 322 are connected and the rotating head 321 has a hole 323 provided on a upper half of the rotating head 321. The connecting pipe 322 and the rotating head 321 passes through a locking part 324, causing the rotating head 321 to be covered within screw cap 31. The surface area of the a lower half (which resembles a half-circle ball) of the rotating head 321 is in contact with the first seal pad 312 in order to support the first stop portion 311 of the screw cap 31.
The screw tube 33 is comprised of a second stop portion 331 with an external threading pattern, in which a second seal pad 332 is provided on the second stop portion 331. A first tube opening 333 of the screw tube 33 is screwed into the screw cap 31, and the screw cap 31 is sealed with the second stop portion 331 so that the first tube opening 333 of the screw tube 33 and the hole 323 of the rotating head 321 are securely closed off.
In FIG. 5, a schematic view shows a universal joint of the present invention utilized in an air compression pump and a pneumatic device. The air compression pump 1 is connected to an air pipe 11. One free end of air pipe 11 is comprised of valve joint 12 that is connected to a pneumatic device 2 which is capable of providing various functions. An end of the pneumatic device 2 can rotate toward the second stop portion 331 on the screw tube 33 of the universal joint 3 through a handle (not shown in the drawings). The screw tube 33 can then be locked into the corresponding end of the pneumatic device 2. The locking part 324 of the connecting pipe 322 is inserted tightly into the corresponding valve joint 12.
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate various examples of the universal joint utilized in practice in respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. When the user operates the pneumatic device 2 to disintegrate other devices, the operation angles of the pneumatic device 2 have to be adjusted according to various structures of the device. The end of the pneumatic device 2 can be rotated in an upward or downward direction with various angles through the rotating head 321 of the universal joint 3. Even in an environment with limited space, the pneumatic device 2 can still be utilized and bent in accordance with various angles to disintegrate components. As a result, the air pipe 11 of the air compression pump 1 can be connected to the pneumatic device 2 via the universal joint 3 to allow pneumatic device 2 to rotate in various directions without being restricted due to a connection to an air pipe. The pneumatic device 2 can move or rotate freely according to the needs of the operation.
Other embodiments of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples to be considered are exemplary only, with a true scope of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
Patent Application
20070296210
