Air chuck with leak-prevention and single rotary attachment function

An air-chuck system with single rotary attachment, sealing and valve-actuation function for use with a tire stem having a Schrader valve, the air-chuck system comprising:

• an air chuck that includes:
• a twist-on cap;
• a pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core held partially within the twist-on cap;
• an O-ring made of an elastomeric material;
• and
• a retaining clip,
• wherein the twist-on cap includes:
• a central channel having a first section having a cylindrical inner wall and a second section having a cylindrical inner wall that has a slightly larger diameter than first cylindrical inner wall, and a third section having a threaded inner wall that matches corresponding outer threads of the tire stem, wherein the first section, the second section and the third section are each centered on a central longitudinal axis,
• an inner planar ledge located at a junction between the cylindrical inner wall of the first section and the cylindrical inner wall of the second section, and
• wherein the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core includes:
• an air-hose attachment section that facilitates attachment of an air hose,
• a first cylindrical section that is sized to fit into, and easily rotate in the first section of the twist-on cap,
• a second cylindrical section that is sized to fit into, and easily rotate in the second section of the twist-on cap,
• an outer planar ledge located at a junction between the first cylindrical section and the second cylindrical section of the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core, wherein the inner planar ledge of the twist-on cap presses against, and rotates relative to, the outer planar ledge of the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core as the twist-on cap is rotated to advance on threads of the tire stem,
• a circumferential groove formed in the first cylindrical section of the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core that receives and retains the retaining clip,
• a third cylindrical section that is sized to fit into an inner portion of the tire stem, wherein the third cylindrical section includes an O-ring groove, wherein the O-ring is positioned at least partially in the O-ring groove, wherein the third cylindrical section includes a cylindrical depression formed in a bottom portion of the third cylindrical section, and wherein the cylindrical depression has a valve-actuation top surface that is recessed within the third cylindrical section of the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core further than a proximal edge of the O-ring groove, and
• an air passageway formed by a first hole drilled from a top end of the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core, and one or more spaced-apart bottom-drilled holes through the valve-actuation top surface of the cylindrical depression, wherein the one or more spaced-apart bottom-drilled holes open into the first hole to extend the air passageway from the bottom cylindrical depression to the first hole, wherein the valve-actuation top surface of the cylindrical depression, through which the spaced-apart one or more bottom-drilled holes are made, provides an actuating surface that presses against a piston of the Schrader valve in the tire stem as the twist-on cap advances on threads of the tire stem after the O-ring seals the air passageway to an inner portion of the tire stem.

An air-chuck system for use with a tire stem having a Schrader valve, the air-chuck system comprising:

• an air chuck that includes:
• a twist-on cap, wherein the twist-on cap has an open first end, and interior threads that engage outer threads of the tire stem enabling attachment of the air chuck to the tire stem through rotational motion of the twist-on cap;
• and
• a pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core held partially within the twist-on cap,
• wherein the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core includes an air passageway extending from an outer end to an inner end of the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core,
• wherein a first portion of the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core includes an elastomeric O-ring positioned around the first portion and configured to seal against an inner circumference of the tire stem thereby sealing the air passageway to the tire stem,
• wherein the first portion of the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core includes a Schrader-valve actuation surface that is recessed within the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core at a position further from the open first end of the twist-on cap than is a proximal edge of the elastomeric O-ring, and
• wherein the first portion of the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core is configured to be progressively urged into the tire stem as the twist-on cap is rotated relative to the tire stem engaging successive outer threads of the tire stem, such that:
• upon rotation of the twist-on cap by a sufficient number of turns, the elastomeric O-ring seals to an inner circumference of the tire stem before the Schrader-valve actuation surface opens the Schrader valve, and
• upon further rotation of twist-on cap, the pneumatic seal-and-valve-actuator core actuates the Schrader valve to open after the seal is established.