Reciprocal pumps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11660626-B2
Application number	US-202117492365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2021
Priority date	Oct 6, 2020
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed are a pressure regulator for reciprocating pumps comprising an audible low pressure blow off and pumps comprising the pressure regulator. Also described is a pump comprising a larger diameter barrel with a higher volume for inflating an inflatable object at a lower pressure and a smaller diameter barrel with a lower volume for inflating an inflatable object at a higher pressure, wherein the pump is switchable to operate using either the larger diameter barrel or the smaller diameter barrel using a single lever attached to an end cap of the smaller diameter barrel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pump comprising a pressure regulator comprising a first air passage wherein a first end of the first air passage is configured to be in fluid communication with an outlet of the pump and a second end of the first air passage forms a junction with a second air passage having a first end and a second end wherein the junction of the first air passage with the second air passage is disposed between the first and second ends of the second air passage;
wherein the first end of the second air passage is configured to be in fluid communication with an inflatable object;
wherein the second end of the second air passage comprises
a piston disposed therein, wherein the piston is slidingly engaged with an interior surface of the second end of the second air passage and a distal end of the piston passes through an opening in the distalmost end of the second end of the second air passage and is attached to an inner surface of a base of a cap having a side wall attached to at least a portion of the base and disposed overlying and slidingly engaged with at least a portion of an exterior surface of the second end of the second air passage;
a coil spring disposed around the piston and inside the second end of the second air passage;
an opening in the side wall of the second end of the second air passage in fluid communication with a vent to air external to the pressure regulator;
wherein the cap and the piston are configured to move distally away from the junction as pressure inside the second end of the second air passage increases, wherein the coil spring is in a non-compressed state when an interior of the pressure regulator is not pressurized and is in a compressed state when the interior of the pressure regulator is pressurized; when pressure inside the second air passage is at or below a defined set point, the opening is blocked by the piston, and when pressure inside the second air passage is above the defined set point, the opening is not blocked by the piston and the air from inside the second air passage is vented to the air external to the pressure regulator.

2. The pump of claim 1 wherein venting of the air through the opening in the sidewall of the second end of the second air passage produces a sound audible to a user of the pump.

3. The pump of claim 2 comprising a vibratory element that augments the sound of the air venting through the opening in the sidewall of the second end of the second air passage.

4. The pump of claim 1 wherein decompression of the spring during venting the air out of the pressure regulator pushes a proximal end of the piston back toward the junction, thereby covering the opening in the sidewall and blocking venting.

5. The pump of claim 1 comprising a visual indicator wherein the sidewall of the cap overlays the entire length of the second end of the second air passage when the pressure regulator is not pressurized and the cap slides distally along the exterior surface of the second end of the second air passage and exposes indicia under the sidewall of the cap indicating a pressurized state as pressure increases.

6. The pump of claim 1 wherein the cap is configured to rotate about an axis defined by the second end of the second air passage, wherein
when the cap is rotated to be disposed at a first position the cap is slidable along the second end of the second air passage and an audible low pressure blow off is enabled, and
when the cap is rotated to be disposed at a second position the cap is not slidable along the second end of the second air passage and the audible low pressure blow off is disabled.

7. The pump of claim 1 wherein the set point of the pressure regulator is in a range from 30 to 100 psi.

8. The pump of claim 7 wherein the set point of the pressure regulator is 40 psi.

9. The pump of claim 7 wherein the set point of the pressure regulator is 70 psi.

10. The pump of claim 1 wherein the pressure regulator comprises a plurality of different pressure set points.

11. The pump of claim 10 wherein the pressure regulator comprises a first pressure set point of 40 psi and a second pressure set point of 70 psi.

12. The pump of claim 1 further comprising a larger diameter barrel for inflating an inflatable object with a higher volume at a lower pressure and a smaller diameter barrel for inflating an inflatable object with a lower volume at a higher pressure, wherein the pump is switchable to operate using either the larger diameter barrel or the smaller diameter barrel.

13. The pump of claim 12 wherein the smaller diameter barrel is configured to be telescopically disposed inside the larger diameter barrel and is switchable to be
selectively attached to a plunger shaft attached to a handle so that the smaller diameter barrel operates reciprocally in the larger diameter barrel; or
selectively attached to the larger diameter barrel so that the plunger shaft operates reciprocally in the smaller diameter barrel.

14. The pump of claim 13 wherein the pump comprises a lever rotatably attached to an upper end cap of the smaller diameter barrel;
wherein when the lever is rotated to a first position wherein the lever is engaged with a portion of the circumference of the surface of the handle and an upper face of a flange on the plunger shaft proximate to the handle to lock the lever and the upper end cap of the smaller diameter barrel to the plunger shaft, whereby moving the plunger shaft up and down moves the smaller diameter barrel reciprocally within the larger diameter barrel and the pump is effective as a larger volume lower pressure device; and
wherein when the lever is rotated to a second position wherein the lever is engaged with a portion of the circumference of a surface of an upper end cap of the larger diameter barrel and a lower face of a flange on the upper end cap of the larger diameter barrel to lock the lever and the upper end cap of the smaller diameter barrel to the upper end cap of the larger diameter barrel, whereby moving the plunger shaft up and down moves a plunger at the bottom of the plunger shaft reciprocally within the smaller diameter barrel and the pump is effective as a smaller volume higher pressure device.

15. The pump of claim 14 wherein venting of the air through the opening in the sidewall of the second end of the second air passage produces a sound audible to a user of the pump.

16. The pump of claim 15 comprising a vibratory element that augments the sound of the air venting through the opening in the sidewall of the second end of the second air passage.

17. The pump of claim 14 wherein decompression of the spring during venting the air out of the pressure regulator pushes thea proximal end of the piston back toward the junction, thereby covering the opening in the sidewall and blocking venting.

18. The pump of claim 14 comprising a visual indicator wherein the sidewall of the cap overlays at least a portion of the length of the second end of the second air passage when the pressure regulator is not pressurized and the cap slides distally along the exterior surface of the second end of the second air passage and exposes indicia under the sidewall of the cap indicating a pressurized state as pressure increases.

19. The pump of claim 14 wherein the cap is configured to rotate about an axis defined by the second end of the second air passage, wherein
when the cap is rotated to be disposed at a first position the cap is slidable along the second end of the second air passage and an audible low pressure blow off is enabled, and
when t

Assignees

• Bell Sports Inc

Inventors

• Park Stephen C

Classifications

• F04B33/00 Primary

  Pumps actuated by muscle power, e.g. for inflating · CPC title

• F04B49/08 Primary

  Regulating by delivery pressure · CPC title

• F04B39/0027

  Pulsation and noise damping means · CPC title

• F04B33/005

  specially adapted for inflating tyres of non-motorised vehicles, e.g. cycles, tricycles · CPC title

• B05B11/106 Primary

  in a retracted position, e.g. in an end-of-dispensing-stroke position · CPC title