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US 2004/0055641 A1Published application
Universal air valve connector
OwnerMorris Ostrowieckiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention discloses a universal air connector for an air pump which fits all three types of air valves presently found on air tires for bicycles. The universal air connector basically comprises an outer connector for connecting to an American type air valve and an inner connector for connecting to a British or French type of air valve, the inner connector slidingly fitting inside the outer connector in the axial directions thereof but not in the radial direction thereof. The universal connector further comprises means for activating an air inlet pin inside the American type air valve, and means for connecting an air hose to said connectors.
Claims20
A universal air valve connector which comprises:
- a substantially cylindrical outer connector, said outer connector having a through hole formed therethrough in the axial direction thereof and having a bigger diameter thread formed along an inner wall thereof, said bigger diameter thread extending from a front end of said outer connector, so that a Schrader type air valve may be screwed thereinto;
- a substantially cylindrical inner connector supported inside said outer connector, said inner connector having a through hole formed therein in the axial direction thereof and having a smaller thread formed along an inner wall of said through hole, said smaller thread extending from a front end of said inner connector, so that a presta or donlup type air valve may be screwed thereinto, said inner connector being able to slide inside said outer connector in the axial direction thereof;
- swivel preventing means for preventing said inner connector from swiveling inside said outer connector in the radial directions thereof;
- blocking means for preventing said inner connector from completely coming out of said outer connector;
- means for connecting an air hose to said connectors;
- activation means for pressing the air pin inside a Schrader valve when said Schrader valve is screwed into said bigger thread formed in said front end of said outer connector, so that pressurized air may be pumped into said Schrader valve;
- and
- biasing means for generating a force on said inner and outer connectors, so that said front end of said inner connector is normally protruding out of said front end of said outer connector.
5 more elements
A universal connector which comprises:
- an outer connector:
- an inner connector mounted inside said outer connector:
- means for connecting an air hose to said connectors;
- activation means for pressing the air release pin inside an American type air valve when said valve is mounted inside said outer connector;
- and
- biasing means for generating a force on said inner and outer connectors, so that a front end of said inner connector protrudes out of a front end of said outer connector,
- said outer connector comprising:
- a smaller diameter front portion (21f);
- a middle portion (21m);
- and
- a back portion (21b),
- said front, middle and back portions being integrally formed with each other and having a through hole formed therethrough in the axial direction thereof,
- said front portion (21f) of said outer connector (21) being cylindrical in shape and having a larger diameter thread (11t) formed along the front end (21f) thereof for receiving an American type of air valve (61) therein,
- said middle portion (21m) of said outer connector (21) being cylindrical in shape and having grooves (21g) formed along the outer surface thereof and corresponding ridges (21r) formed along the inner surface thereof, said grooves (21g) and ridges (21r) being formed at opposite sides of the wall of said outer connector 21,
- said back portion (21b) of said outer connector (21) being cylindrical in shape,
- the inner diameter (D11) of said through hole in said middle and back portions being greater than the inner diameter (D1) of said through hole in said front portion:
- and
- said inner connector comprising:
- a round front end portion (22f):
- and
- a flange portion (22p),
- said front end portion and said flange portion being integrally formed with each other and having a through hole (22h) formed therethrough in the axial direction thereof,
- said flange portion having slots (22s) formed along the periphery thereof in the axial direction of said inner connector, the outer diameter (D9) of said front end portion (22f) of said inner connector being slightly less than the inner diameter (D1) of said front portion of said outer connector 21, so that said front end portion (21f) of said inner connector (22) can slidingly fit inside said front end portion (22f) of said outer connector (21) in the axial direction thereof,
- the outer diameter (D9) of said flange portion (22p) of said inner connector being larger than the diameter (D1) of said through hole in said front portion (21f) of said outer connector, whereby said flange portion prevents said inner connector from sliding completely out of said outer connector,
- said front end portion of said inner connector having a smaller diameter thread (12t) formed therein for receiving a British or French type air valve therein,
- the outer diameter of said flange portion being slightly less than the inner diameter (D11) of the through hole in said middle portion (21m) and the inner diameter (D11) of the through hole in said back portion (21b) of said outer connector, so that said flange portion of said inner connector can slidingly fit only inside said middle and back portion of said outer connector, said ridges (21r) of said outer connector slidingly fitting inside said slots (22s) in said flange portion (22p) of said inner connector, whereby said inner connector 22 is prevented from swiveling inside said outer connector in the radial direction thereof.
23 more elements
A universal connector which comprises:
- a substantially cylindrical outer connector (11000) comprising:
- a larger diameter thread (11t) formed along the inner wall and in a front end of said outer connector;
- ridges (11r) formed on the inner surface of said outer connector in the axial direction thereof, said ridges extending along a middle portion of said outer connector:
- and
- a semi-cylindrical wall (11001a) formed along the inner wall of said outer connector along a back portion thereof;
- a substantially cylindrical inner connector comprising:
- a smaller diameter thread (12t) formed along the inner walls and in a front end (12f) of said inner connector:
- and
- grooves (12g) formed on the outer surface of said inner connector in the axial direction thereof:
- the through hole in the axial direction of said inner connector being larger (D5) along a front portion thereof and smaller (D6) along a back portion thereof and the wall (12c) between said larger and smaller diameter holes being cone shaped:
- an air hose mounting section (11001) comprising:
- a larger diameter round shaft portion (100f):
- a smaller diameter round shaft portion (100b) integrally formed with said larger diameter round shaft portion:
- said larger diameter round shaft portion having a larger diameter (D20) than the diameter (D30) of said smaller diameter round shaft portion,
- said round shafts having a through hole formed through the centers thereof, said through hole having a larger diameter (D2) along a front end of said shaft, a smaller diameter (D3) along a back end of said shaft and a semi-spherical surface 11v formed therebetween:
- said larger diameter through hole in said shafts having a thread (1101t) formed along a front inner surface thereof,
- said smaller diameter round shaft having a pair of cone shaped protrusions (11001p) formed along the outer surface thereof for frictionally mounting an air hose thereon, the largest outer diameter of said protrusions being less than the inner diameter of a through hole (11000a) formed at a back portion of said outer connector 11000, so that the protrusions 11001p of the air hose mounting section 11001 can fit therethrough,
- an outer wall of said larger diameter shaft along a back end thereof being semi-spherical in shape,
- said larger diameter shaft portion having an outer diameter (D20) which is slightly less than the distance between said ridges of said outer connector, so that said air hose mounting section can slidingly fit through said front end of said outer connector, so that said semi-cylindrical surfaces can be adjacent to each other and said smaller diameter portion can protrude out of the back end of said outer connector, whereby said semi-cylindrical surfaces can slidingly fit against each other in an air tight configuration while allowing said air hose connector section to swivel inside said outer connector:
- an activation shaft comprising:
- a cylindrical shaft portion (1400) having a through hole (1400h) formed therethrough in the axial direction thereof, a thread 1400t formed on the outer surface of said shaft portion at an inner end thereof, said thread having the same diameter and pitch as said thread (1001t) formed in said air hose mounting section, so that said activation shaft can be screwed into said air hose mounting section, the outer diameter (D7) of said cylindrical shaft portion being slightly less than said smaller diameter through hole (D6) in said inner connector:
- a round head portion (14001) integrally formed with a front end of said cylindrical shaft portion (1400), said head portion having a through hole formed therethrough in the axial direction thereof, the outer diameter (D8) of said head portion being greater than the outer diameter (D7) of said cylindrical shaft portion and slightly less than the inner diameter (D5) of said larger diameter through hole in said inner connector 12, so that said head portion may slidingly fit in said larger diameter (D5) through hole in said inner connector and not through said smaller diameter (D6) through hole in said inner connector, a back surface (1400c) of the head portion being cone shaped, whereby said cone shaped surfaces of said head portion and said inner connector form an air tight seal therebetween when said surfaces are against each other:
- a spring (113), the inner diameter of said spring being slightly larger than the outer diameter of said cylindrical portion of said activation shaft and the outer diameter of said spring being smaller than the distance between the inner surfaces of said ridges in said outer connector,
- said larger diameter shaft portion of said air hose mounting section being mounted inside said outer connector with the smaller diameter portion thereof protruding out of the back end of said outer connector,
- said inner connector being mounted inside said outer connector with said ridges of said outer connector slidingly fitting inside said grooves in said inner connector, said inner connector being able to slide inside said outer connector in the axial direction thereof but not in the radial direction thereof,
- said spring (113) being mounted on said cylindrical portion of said activation shaft, one end of said spring pressing against an inner wall of said larger diameter portion of said air hose mounting section and the other end of said spring pressing against an inner surface of said inner connector,
- the front surface of said head portion of said activation shaft extending partially past the inner portion of said thread (11t) formed in said outer connector, so that said front surface of said head portion of said activation shaft presses on an activation pin (9p) of an American type air valve when the American type air valve is screwed into said thread in said outer connector.
24 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.