Air compressor having tilted piston
An air compressor includes a cylinder housing having an outlet tube and an inner peripheral surface, a piston slidably received in the cylinder housing and having a piston rod, the piston is tilted relative to a longitudinal or lateral axis T of the piston rod, and a motor is coupled to the piston for moving the piston relative to the cylinder housing in a reciprocating action in order to generate pressurized air. The piston rod is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis Z of the cylinder housing, and the piston is arranged to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Z and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder housing when the piston is moved toward the outlet tube in a pumping stroke for effectively compressing and pumping the air in the cylinder housing.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air compressor, and more particularly to an air compressor having a tilted piston for effectively compressing or pumping the air in the pumping movement or stroke and/or for suitably increasing the compressing or pumping effect or operation to the air.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical air compressors comprise a cylinder housing attached or secured to a base and having a piston slidably disposed therein, and a motor secured to the base and coupled to the piston of the cylinder housing for actuating or driving the piston of the cylinder housing in a reciprocating action, in order to generate a pressurized air of a greater air pressure and a decreased flowing quantity and for supplying the pressurized air to inflate various air facilities, such as tires, air beds, air cushions, hovercrafts, etc.
The cylinder housing normally includes an outlet tube having one or more outlet ports for selectively attaching and securing or coupling various parts or elements or attachments or facilities, such as the pressure gauges, the air nozzles, the relief valves, the safety valves or the like.
The applicant has developed various kinds of typical air compressors, including at least U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,725 to Chou, U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,058 to Chou, U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,928 to Chou, U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,162 to Chou, U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,642 to Chou, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,462,018 to Chou each of which also comprise a piston slidably disposed within a cylinder housing, a spring valve having one end secured to the piston and having the other end for selectively blocking an air aperture of the piston, in order to control the air to flow through the piston, and a motor secured to the base and coupled to the piston of the cylinder housing for actuating or driving or forcing the piston of the cylinder housing to move in the reciprocating action relative to the cylinder housing.
Normally, an eccentric member is rotatably attached to the cylinder housing or a supporting plate and coupled to the piston for actuating or driving or forcing the piston to move relative to the cylinder housing, and the piston will be tilted relative to the cylinder housing particularly when the piston is forced to move into the cylinder housing in the compressing or pumping movement or stroke.
However, all the pistons of prior arts include a piston rod extended therefrom, the piston rod includes a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis perpendicular with each other and passing through the orifice of the piston rod, but the piston is always parallel to the lateral axis and is simultaneously perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, while in use, particularly when the piston is forced to move into the cylinder housing in the compressing or pumping movement or stroke, the piston will be tilted relative to the cylinder housing and may not effectively compress or pump the air in the pumping movement or stroke.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional pistons for the air compressors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe primary objective of the present invention is to provide an air compressor including a tilted piston for effectively compressing or pumping the air in the pumping movement or stroke and/or for suitably increasing the compressing or pumping effect or operation to the air.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an air compressor comprising a cylinder housing including a chamber formed therein, and including an inner peripheral surface formed therein, and including an outlet tube having a compartment formed therein and communicating with the chamber of the cylinder housing for receiving a pressurized air from the chamber of the cylinder housing, and including a supporting plate, and including a longitudinal axis Z, a piston slidably received in the chamber of the cylinder housing and having a piston rod extended therefrom, the piston rod including a longitudinal axis L and a lateral axis T perpendicular with each other, and the piston being tilted relative to the longitudinal axis L and the lateral axis T of the piston rod, and a motor attached to the supporting plate and coupled to the piston for moving the piston relative to the cylinder housing in a reciprocating action in order to generate the pressurized air.
The piston is tilted relative to the lateral axis T of the piston rod for a non-zero angle θ ranged between 0 and 45 degrees (0°<θ<45°, and preferably ranged between 2 and 10 degrees (2°<θ<10°), the piston rod is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis Z of the cylinder housing, and the piston is arranged to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Z and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder housing when the piston is moved toward the outlet tube in a pumping stroke for effectively compressing and pumping an air in the chamber of the cylinder housing.
The cylinder housing includes an end surface formed therein and tilted relative to the longitudinal axis Z and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder housing. The piston includes an air passage formed therein, and includes a valve device attached to the piston for biasing and blocking the air passage of the piston and for controlling the air to flow through the air passage of the piston. The valve device includes a first side attached to the piston, and a second side movable away from the piston.
The valve device includes an opening form in the second side thereof, and the piston includes a limiting device extended from the piston and extended through the opening of the valve device for engaging with the second side of the valve device and for limiting the second side of the valve device to move relative to the piston, and for preventing the second side of the valve device from being over bent relative to the valve device. The cylinder housing includes a cavity formed therein for selectively receiving and engaging with the limiting device.
The cylinder housing includes a valve seat provided in the outlet tube and located between the outlet tube and the cylinder housing, and a spring-biased check valve disposed in the outlet tube and engaged with the valve seat to limit the pressurized air to flow from the chamber of the cylinder housing into the compartment of the outlet tube only, and to prevent the pressurized air from flowing backwardly from the compartment of the outlet tube into the chamber of the cylinder housing.
The motor includes a spindle extended through the supporting plate, and an eccentric member coupled to the spindle and having a pin coupled to the piston rod for moving the piston relative to the cylinder housing. The supporting plate includes a gear rotatably attached thereto and having a space formed by a peripheral casing to receive the eccentric member.
The cylinder housing includes a first duct, a second duct, and at least one third duct extended outwardly from the outlet tube and communicating with the compartment of the outlet tube for receiving the pressurized air from the outlet tube, a pressure gauge attached to the first duct, a nozzle coupled to the second duct, and a relief valve attached to the at least one third duct.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
As also shown in
The cylinder housing 20 includes an outlet tube 15 extended upwardly or outwardly from the top thereof, and having a compartment 16 formed therein (
The spring-biased check valve 17 may thus be used to limit and to guide the pressurized air to flow only from the chamber 21 of the cylinder housing 20 into the compartment 16 of the outlet tube 15, and to prevent the pressurized air from flowing backwardly from the compartment 16 of the outlet tube 15 into the chamber 21 of the cylinder housing 20. A cap 19 may further be provided and attached to the outer or free end of the outlet tube 15 with such as a threading engagement (not shown) for blocking or enclosing or sealing the compartment 16 of the outlet tube 15, and for stably retaining the spring-biased check valve 17 within the compartment 16 of the outlet tube 15.
The cylinder housing 20 further includes one or more ducts 23, 24, 25, 26 extended outwardly from the outlet tube 15, and communicating with the compartment 16 of the outlet tube 15, for receiving the pressurized air from the compartment 16 of the outlet tube 15. The ducts 23, 24, 25, 26 may be coupled to various kinds of facilities that require pressurized air supplied thereto. For example, a relief valve 27 (
A pressure gauge 28 may be provided and attached to the other duct 24 for detecting and showing the air pressure within the cylinder housing 20 and/or the outlet tube 15. A nozzle 29 may be provided and attached to another duct 26 for allowing the pressurized air to be supplied from the chamber 21 of the cylinder housing 20 and the compartment 16 of the outlet tube 15 to various pneumatic facilities that require pressurized air supplied thereto, with the nozzle 29. A relief valve or safety valve 14 or the like may further be provided and attached to the other duct 25, for relieving the pressurized air when the air pressure within the cylinder housing 20 and the outlet tube 15 is over a predetermined value.
It is to be noted that the provision or the extension of the ducts 23, 24, 25, 26 from the outlet tube 15 allows the relief valve 27 and the pressure gauge 28 and the nozzle 29 to be easily and readily attached to or coupled to the outlet tube 15 with the ducts 23, 24, 25, 26, without additional or specialized coupling members or tools. One or more lids (not shown) may further be provided and attached or secured to either of the ducts 23, 24, 25, 26 with such as a threading engagement, for selectively enclosing or blocking the ducts 23, 24, 25, 26, when the ducts 23, 24, 25, 26 are not required to be used, or when the relief valve 27 and the pressure gauge 28 and the nozzle 29 are not attached or secured to the ducts 23, 24, 25, 26.
A gear 40 is rotatably attached to the lower portion of the supporting plate 11 with one or more bearings (not shown) and a shaft 41, and includes a space 43 formed therein and defined by a peripheral casing 44 for receiving and securing an eccentric member 45 therein. The eccentric member 45 may be secured to the gear 40 with such as fasteners (not shown) or with the molding or mold-injection processes and may thus be rotated in concert with the gear 40, and includes a crank or an eccentric pin 46 extended therefrom and coupled to the piston rod 31 of the piston 30, such as coupled to an orifice 39 of the piston rod 31 in order to actuate or to move the piston 30 relative to the cylinder housing 20 in reciprocating actions, the piston rod 31 includes a longitudinal axis L and a lateral axis T perpendicular with each other and passing or extended through the orifice 39 of the piston rod 31.
A motor 47 may be attached or secured to the upper portion of the supporting plate 11 with such as fasteners (not shown), and includes a spindle 48 extended through the upper hole 12 of supporting plate 11 (
In operation, as shown in
Alternatively, as shown in
As shown in
The valve device 60 is made of resilient metal or steel materials and may be forced to be bent relative to the piston 30 in order to block and to selectively open the air passage 33 of the piston 30 and to allow the air to flow through the piston 30 at one time when the air passage 33 of the piston 30 is partially opened by the spring blade or valve device 60. The piston 30 includes a limiting device or projection 35 extended upwardly from the second side 36 of the piston 30 and located opposite to the first side 61 of the valve device 60 and the fasteners 62, and preferably arranged to have the air passage 33 of the piston 30 formed and located between the fasteners 62 and the limiting device or projection 35.
The limiting device or projection 35 is extended through the opening 63 of the valve device 60 for engaging with the second side 64 of the valve device 60, and thus for limiting the second side 64 of the valve device 60 to bend or to move relative to the piston 30, and for preventing the second side 64 of the valve device 60 from being over bent or deformed relative to the first side 61 of the valve device 60. The fasteners 62 and the limiting device or projection 35 are particularly designed and provided for engaging with the valve device 60 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7-9, and for preventing the valve device 60 from being over bent or deformed relative to the first side 61 of the valve device 60. The other valve devices may be attached to the piston 30 without the fasteners 62 and the limiting device or projection 35.
As also shown in FIGS. 4 and 7-10, the piston 30 is arranged and tilted relative to the longitudinal axis L or the lateral axis T of the piston rod 31 for a non-zero angle θ ranged between 0 and 45 degrees (0°<θ<45°, and preferably ranged between 2 and 10 degrees (2°<θ<10°, and/or the piston 30 includes a flat surface or an actuating surface 37 tilted relative to the longitudinal axis L or the lateral axis T of the piston rod 31 for the non-zero angle θ for allowing the piston 30 and/or the actuating surface 37 of the piston 30 to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Z of the cylinder housing 20 or to be parallel to the lateral axis X of the cylinder housing 20 when the piston 30 is moved toward the outlet tube 15 in the pumping movement or stroke or operation, at this moment, the piston rod 31 is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis Z of the cylinder housing 20, but the piston 30 and/or the actuating surface 37 of the piston 30 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Z of the cylinder housing 20 or to be parallel to the lateral axis X of the cylinder housing 20, best shown in
As shown in
In operation, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Accordingly, the air compressor in accordance with the present invention includes a tilted piston for effectively compressing or pumping the air in the pumping movement or stroke and/or for suitably increasing the compressing or pumping effect or operation to the air.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
1. An air compressor comprising:
- a cylinder housing including a chamber formed therein, and including an inner peripheral surface formed therein, and including an outlet tube having a compartment formed therein and communicating with said chamber of said cylinder housing for receiving a pressurized air from said chamber of said cylinder housing, and including a supporting plate, and including a longitudinal axis Z,
- a piston slidably received in said chamber of said cylinder housing and having a piston rod extended therefrom, said piston rod including a longitudinal axis L and a lateral axis T perpendicular with each other, and said piston being tilted relative to the longitudinal axis L and the lateral axis T of said piston rod, and
- a motor attached to said supporting plate and coupled to said piston for moving said piston relative to said cylinder housing in a reciprocating action in order to generate the pressurized air.
2. The air compressor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said piston is tilted relative to the lateral axis T of said piston rod for a non-zero angle θ ranged between 0 and 45 degrees (0°<θ<45°, and said piston rod is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis Z of said cylinder housing, and said piston is arranged to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Z and said inner peripheral surface of said cylinder housing when said piston is moved toward said outlet tube in a pumping stroke for effectively compressing and pumping an air in said chamber of said cylinder housing.
3. The air compressor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said piston is tilted relative to the lateral axis T of said piston rod for a non-zero angle θ ranged between 2 and 10 degrees (2°<θ<10°).
4. The air compressor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cylinder housing includes an end surface formed therein and tilted relative to the longitudinal axis Z and said inner peripheral surface of said cylinder housing.
5. The air compressor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said piston includes an air passage formed therein, said piston includes a valve device attached to said piston for biasing and blocking said air passage of said piston and for controlling the air to flow through said air passage of said piston.
6. The air compressor as claimed in claim 5, wherein said valve device includes a first side attached to said piston, and a second side movable away from said piston.
7. The air compressor as claimed in claim 6, wherein said valve device includes an opening form in said second side thereof, and said piston includes a limiting device extended from said piston and extended through said opening of said valve device for engaging with said second side of said valve device and for limiting said second side of said valve device to move relative to said piston, and for preventing said second side of said valve device from being over bent relative to said valve device.
8. The air compressor as claimed in claim 7, wherein said cylinder housing includes a cavity formed therein for selectively receiving and engaging with said limiting device.
9. The air compressor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cylinder housing includes a valve seat provided in said outlet tube and located between said outlet tube and said cylinder housing, and a spring-biased check valve disposed in said outlet tube and engaged with said valve seat to limit the pressurized air to flow from said chamber of said cylinder housing into said compartment of said outlet tube only, and to prevent the pressurized air from flowing backwardly from said compartment of said outlet tube into said chamber of said cylinder housing.
10. The air compressor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motor includes a spindle extended through said supporting plate, and an eccentric member coupled to said spindle and having a pin coupled to said piston rod for moving said piston relative to said cylinder housing.
11. The air compressor as claimed in claim 10, wherein said supporting plate includes a gear rotatably attached thereto and having a space formed by a peripheral casing to receive said eccentric member.
12. The air compressor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cylinder housing includes a first duct, a second duct, and at least one third duct extended outwardly from said outlet tube and communicating with said compartment of said outlet tube for receiving the pressurized air from said outlet tube, a pressure gauge attached to said first duct, a nozzle coupled to said second duct, and a relief valve attached to said at least one third duct.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 25, 2009
Publication Date: Mar 31, 2011
Inventor: Wen San Chou (Tainan Hsien)
Application Number: 12/586,668
International Classification: F04B 35/00 (20060101); F04B 53/12 (20060101);