Pumps – Expansible chamber type – Valved piston
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-10
2001-09-18
Thorpe, Timothy S. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Expansible chamber type
Valved piston
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290476
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand pump with an automatic inflation valve and a manual inflation valve such that the user may choose the optional one for inflation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical automatic inflation device includes a gas container containing high-pressure gas (usually carbon dioxide) therein to allow rapid inflation. The gas container can be used only once. Namely, the user must replace a new one when the original container is used (opened), yet the user often forgets to do so. The present invention is intended to provide a hand pump with both automatic and manual inflation functions that mitigates and/or obviates the above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a hand pump with an automatic inflation valve and a manual inflation valve to provide convenient optional choice to the user. The manual inflation device allows the hand pump to perform manual inflation operation when the automatic inflation malfunctions or the user forgot to replace a new gas container after previous use.
A hand pump in accordance with the present invention comprises:
a head including a compartment, a first passage communicated with the compartnent, and a second passage;
a cylinder including an inner chamber for receiving a gas container therein;
a first inflation valve mounted to the first passage;
a second inflation valve mounted to the second passage;
means for opening the gas container in the inner chamber;
means for guiding gas from the gas container to the first passage; and
a handle mounted around the cylinder to define an outer chamber between the handle and the cylinder, the handle being manually operable to slide relative to the cylinder, thereby forcing ambient air into the second passage via the outer chamber for inflation.
The inner chamber is communicated with the second passage and the outer chamber is communicated with the inner chamber via an air passage. The air passage includes a check-valve mounted therein such that air is only flowable from the outer chamber into the inner chamber. The cylinder includes a one-way valve means mounted in an outer periphery thereof such that air is only flowable from ambience into the outer chamber when the handle is moved away from the cylinder and that air is not flowable from ambience into the outer chamber when the handle is moved toward the cylinder. The cylinder includes an outer stop on the outer periphery thereof and the handle includes an inner stop on an inner periphery thereof to prevent disengagement of the handle from the cylinder.
The means for opening the gas container includes a needle securely mounted in the compartment and having a longitudinal hole. A plug is mounted around a portion of the needle and compressible to expose to the needle. The cylinder is movable toward to the head such that the gas container is moved to compress the plug and thus opened by the needle for supplying gas contained in the gas container. The cylinder and the head may be in threading connection to allow relative sliding movement therebetween upon rotation of one of the cylinder and the head.
A flow control valve is mounted in the head for controlling flow rate of gas from the gas container to the first passage. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flow control valve includes:
a control member in threading connection with the compartment of the head, the control member including a first end in the compartment of the head and a second end beyond the head for manual operation;
a valve stem slidably mounted in the compartment of the head, the valve stem including a first side and a second side;
an O-ring attached to the first side of the valve stem;
an elastic member having a first end attached to the second side of the valve stem and a second end attached to the needle, the elastic member biasing the O-ring toward the shoulder of the compartment for blocking the compartment;
whereby the control member is moved longitudinally relative to the valve stem upon rotation of the control member, the valve stem is movable by the control member away from the shoulder to open the compartment, thereby controlling flow rate of gas from the gas container to the first passage.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2016113 (1935-10-01), Lambert et al.
patent: 2828050 (1958-03-01), Engelder
patent: 2970399 (1961-02-01), Frohlich
patent: 3596799 (1971-08-01), Fairchild
patent: 3597780 (1971-08-01), Coyle
patent: 3910465 (1975-10-01), Loeffler
patent: 5628350 (1997-05-01), Gibb
patent: 6065947 (2000-05-01), Wu
Kamrath Alan D.
Rider Bennett Egam & Arundel, LLP
Rodriguez W.
Thorpe Timothy S.
LandOfFree
Hand pump with automatic and manual inflation functions does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Hand pump with automatic and manual inflation functions, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Hand pump with automatic and manual inflation functions will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2464202