Air compressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138878-B2
Application number	US-201715438564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

An improved air compressor includes a cylinder fitted with a piston body, a main frame for mounting a motor, and an air storage container. The cylinder defines at its top wall a plurality of exit holes, which are separated by a plurality of blocking walls and regulated by a resilient sheet having a plurality of branches corresponding to the exit holes. When the compressed air produced in the cylinder pushes the resilient sheet up to open the exit holes, the instantaneous high-pressure air that flows through the exit holes can be restrained by the air blocking walls to prevent the air from interfering with movements of the branches of the resilient sheet, so that the piston body can conduct reciprocating motion more smoothly and thus the performance of the air compressor can be increased.

First claim

I claim:

1. In an air compressor including a main frame for mounting a motor, and a cylinder fitted with a piston body, the motor capable of driving the piston body to conduct reciprocating motion to produce in the cylinder compressed air which can enter an air storage container via a plurality of exit holes defined at a top wall of the cylinder; wherein the improvements comprises: the top wall of the cylinder is provided with the plurality of exit holes having air blocking walls which isolate the exit holes from each other at a certain extent, and the exit holes are regulated by a control mechanism to be opened or closed, the control mechanism including a resilient sheet having a root and a plurality of branches extending from the root and corresponding to the exit holes, whereby when the compressed air produced in the cylinder pushes the branches of the resilient sheet up to open the exit holes, the instantaneous high-pressure air that flows through the exit holes can be restrained by the air blocking walls to prevent the air from interfering with movements of the branches of the resilient sheet, so that the piston body can conduct reciprocating motion more smoothly and thus the performance of the air compressor can be increased.

2. The air compressor of claim 1 , wherein the root of the resilient sheet is attached to the top wall at a central point, the branches of the resilient sheet being attached to the top wall respectively at peripheral points close to the central point, whereby each of the branches of the resilient sheet can be moved individually by the compressed air without affecting movements of the other branches, so that the piston body can conduct reciprocating motion more smoothly and thus the performance of the air compressor can be increased.

3. The air compressor of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder, including the exit holes and the air blocking walls, is formed integrally with the main frame.

4. The air compressor of claim 1 , wherein the air blocking walls are cylindrical walls respectively surrounding the exit holes, each of the cylindrical walls defining an opening facing a central axis of the cylinder.

5. The air compressor of claim 2 , wherein the control mechanism further includes a plurality of O-rings and a plurality of compression springs, the O-rings being placed around the exit holes respectively.

6. The air compressor of claim 5 , wherein the root is substantially located at a center of the resilient sheet and defines a central positioning hole; the branches extends from the root to appear as a star configuration and includes a first branch, a second branch, and a third branch, the first branch having a first neck portion, which extends from the root and terminates at a first leaf, and defining a first positioning hole at one end of the first neck portion close to the root, the second branch having a second neck portion, which extends from the root and terminates at a second leaf, and defining a second positioning hole at one end of the second neck portion close to the root, the third branch having a third neck portion, which extends from the root and terminates at a third leaf, and defining a third positioning hole at one end of the third neck portion close to the root, the central positioning hole of the root being fitted over a main boss provided at the top wall of the cylinder, the first positioning hole of the first branch being fitted over a first boss provided at the top wall of the cylinder, the second positioning hole of the second branch being fitted over a second boss provided at the top wall of the cylinder, the third positioning hole of the third branch being fitted over a third boss provided at the top wall of the cylinder, the first, second and third leaves being configured to have sizes sufficient for covering the exit holes; whereby the branches of the resilient sheet are in tight contact with the O-rings to seal the exit holes, respectively.

7. The air compressor of claim 6 , wherein the first neck portion of the first branch, the second neck portion of the second branch, and the third neck portion of the third branch are respectively fitted through the openings of the air blocking walls; the first leaf of the first branch, the second leaf of the second branch, and the third leaf of the third branch are located within the air blocking walls and in tight contact with the O-rings to seal the exit holes, respectively.

8. The air compressor of claim 6 , wherein the air blocking walls are configured to have predetermined heights greater than maximum distances that the branches of the resilient sheet can be pushed up by the compressed air to travel.

9. The air compressor of claim 5 , wherein the air blocking walls are planar walls, each planar wall being located between two adjacent exit holes and extending from the top wall towards a central axis of the cylinder, thus defining a plurality of gaps between the planar walls, each gap facing the central axis of the cylinder and corresponding to one of the exit holes, so that the branches of the resilient sheet are capable of fitting over the exit holes and being in tight contact with the O-rings to seal the exit holes, respectively.

10. The air compressor of claim 5 , wherein the cylinder has a tubular projection formed on the top wall, the tubular projection provided at its outer surface with a circular flange and defining an annular groove between the circular flange and the top wall, each of the compression springs having one end in contact with one of the branches of the resilient sheet; the air storage container is provided at an outer surface thereof with two coupling means capable of being inserted into the annular groove and engaged with the circular flange of the cylinder.

11. The air compressor of claim 10 , wherein the air storage container is provided at an inner surface thereof with a plurality of columns corresponding to the branches of the resilient sheet, each of the columns being formed at its distal end with a limiting surface which is at a predetermined angle to the top wall; each of the compression springs has another end being fitted at the distal end of one of the columns, the compressive forces of the compression springs enabling the branches of the resilient sheet to seal the exit holes, respectively; wherein each of the columns is located at a predetermined height above the corresponding branch of the resilient sheet to limit the movement of the corresponding branch so that the resilient sheet can be prevented from elastic fatigue; the branches of the resilient sheet are capable being in full surface contact with the limiting surfaces of the columns to ensure a stable operation of the branches of the resilient sheet.

12. The air compressor of claim 10 , wherein the air storage container is provided at an inner surface thereof with a plurality of hollow columns corresponding to the branches of the resilient sheet, each of the hollow columns being formed at its distal end with a limiting surface which is at a predetermined angle to the top wall; each of the compression springs has another end being fitted into the distal end of one of the hollow columns, the compressive forces of the compression springs enabling the branches of the resilient sheet to seal the exit holes, respectively; wherein each of the hollow columns is located at a predetermined height above the corresponding branch of the resilient sheet to limit the movement of the corresponding branch so that the resilient sheet can be prevented from elastic fatigue; the branches of the resilient sheet are capable being in full surface contact with the limiting surfaces of the hollow columns to ensure a stable operation of the branches.

Assignees

• Chou Wen San

Inventors

• Chou Wen-San

Classifications

• F04B39/125

  Cylinder heads · CPC title

• F04B53/1055

  more than two flexible elements oscillating around a fixed point · CPC title

• F04B39/122 Primary

  Cylinder block · CPC title

• F04B39/1073

  the members being reed valves · CPC title

• F04B39/1066

  Valve plates · CPC title