Bead seater supply line accessory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346331-B2
Application number	US-201313750633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2013
Priority date	Aug 17, 2012
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A pneumatic connector is provided. The pneumatic connector includes: a body having two ends; a first connecting structure at one end of the body; a second connecting structure at the other end of the body, wherein the first and second connecting structures are substantially in line with each other; and a third connecting structure located in between the first and second connecting structures at an angle that is not in line with the first and second connecting structures, wherein the first second and third connecting structures are fluidly connected to an interior of the body, wherein the first, second and third connecting structures are adapted to permit substantially leak free connections between pneumatic components. A method of creating an accessory connection for a bead seater is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bead seater system comprising:
a pneumatic connector comprising:
a body having two ends;
a first connecting structure at one end of the body;
a second connecting structure at the other end of the body, wherein the first and second connecting structures are substantially in line with each other;
a third connecting structure located in between the first and second connecting structures at an angle that is not in line with the first and second connecting structures, wherein the first, second and third connecting structures are fluidly connected to an interior of the body, wherein the first, second and third connecting structures are adapted to permit substantially leak free connections between pneumatic components;

a pneumatic accessory coupled to the third connecting structure;
a bead seater valve coupled to the second connecting structure; and
a tire bead seater unit attached to the bead seater valve;
wherein the tire bead seater unit includes a hollow pipe closed on both ends, the pipe including a plurality of holes, the second connecting structure coupled to the pipe at a first side of the pipe and configured to introduce air into the pipe, and two or more protrusions from the pipe at a second side of the pipe, the second side being on a different side of a cross-sectional plane of the body from the first side of the pipe, a handle coupled to the pipe forming an angle of less than 90 degrees with a plane formed by the protrusions, and the handle is positioned on the pipe such that, when the two or more protrusions are positioned on a rim, a user holding the handle applies downward and forward pressures to the two or more protrusions against the rim to counteract blow back from venting of the air into the tire; and
wherein the bead seater valve includes a valve plug, an actuator shaft, and an actuation control, the actuation control pivotally mounted to a body structure of the bead seater valve, wherein rotational movement of the actuation control exerts an axial force against the actuator shaft to move the valve plug through a valve cylinder portion, wherein the valve cylinder portion includes an upper valve chamber having a first internal diameter and a lower valve chamber having a second internal diameter smaller than the first internal diameter of the upper valve chamber, a step being formed at a junction of the concentrically arranged upper and lower valve chambers.

2. The bead seater system of claim 1 , the pneumatic connector further comprising a compressed gas source fluidly connected to the first connecting structure.

3. The bead seater system of claim 2 , wherein the pneumatic accessory is a pneumatic chuck fluidly connected to the third connecting structure.

4. The bead seater system of claim 3 , wherein the pneumatic chuck is a hands free pneumatic chuck.

5. The bead seater system of claim 1 , the pneumatic accessory further comprising a male pneumatic connector releasably attached to a locking ring of a female pneumatic connector of the third connecting structure, wherein the locking ring slides in an axial direction along the female pneumatic connector.

6. The bead seater system of claim 5 , wherein the female pneumatic connector further comprises an attaching nut.

7. The bead seater system of claim 6 , wherein the attachment nut couples the female pneumatic connector to an attachment stem of the third connecting structure.

8. The bead seater system of claim 5 , wherein the pipe is formed as a bent tube with a straight portion in a middle and bent portions at each end, the pipe being closed at the bent portions, wherein when the two or more protrusions are placed on the rim, the straight portion of the pipe is closer to the tire than the bent portions of the pipe, the bent portions of the pipe are closer to the rim than the straight portion of the pipe, and wherein the plurality of holes is disposed on the second side of the pipe in each of the straight and bent portions.

9. The bead seater system of claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a hex flat with at least one flat exterior portion substantially in line with the first and second connecting structures.

10. A method of creating an accessory connection for a bead seater, comprising:
providing a connector having a first and second connecting structure substantially aligned with each other;
providing a third connecting structure located in between the first and second connecting structure and at an angle so as to not be in line with the first and second connecting structure;
fluidly connecting all three connecting structures;
releasably attaching a pneumatic accessory to the third connecting structure;
connecting one of the connecting structures to an air source and another of the connecting structures to a bead seater valve; and
connecting the bead seater valve to a bead seating tool;
the bead seating tool includes a hollow pipe closed on both ends, the pipe including a plurality of holes, the second connecting structure coupled to the pipe at a first side of the pipe and configured to introduce air into the pipe, and two or more protrusions from the pipe at a second side of the pipe, the second side being on a different side of a cross-sectional plane of the body from the first side of the pipe, a handle coupled to the pipe, wherein the pipe forming an angle of less than 90 degrees with a plane formed by the protrusions, and the handle is positioned on the pipe such that, when the two or more protrusions are positioned on a rim, a user holding the handle applies downward and forward pressures to the two or more protrusions against the rim to counteract blow back from venting of the air into the tire; and
wherein the bead seater valve includes a valve plug, an actuator shaft, and an actuation control, the actuation control pivotally mounted to a body structure of the bead seater valve, wherein rotational movement of the actuation control exerts an axial force against the actuator shaft to move the valve plug through a valve cylinder portion, wherein the valve cylinder portion includes an upper valve chamber having a first internal diameter and a lower valve chamber having a second internal diameter smaller than the first internal diameter of the upper valve chamber, a step being formed at a junction of the concentrically arranged upper and lower valve chambers.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pneumatic accessory is a pneumatic chuck.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pneumatic chuck is a hands-flee pneumatic chuck.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein two of the connecting structures include external threads and one of the connecting structures includes internal threads.

Assignees

• Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Lundberg Dyland
• Barrios Jose

Classifications

• F16L41/021

  T- or cross-pieces (F16L41/025, F16L41/026, F16L41/028 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/602

  Pivoting levers, e.g. single-sided (F16K31/605 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/0447

  Including joint or coupling · CPC title

• B60C25/12 Primary

  for only seating the beads · CPC title

• F16L25/00

  Construction or details of pipe joints not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F16L13/00 - F16L23/00 (adjustable or allowing movement F16L27/00; with fluid cut-off means F16L29/00; quick-acting F16L37/00; for double-walled or multi-channel pipes F16L39/00; connecting arrangements or other fittings specially adapted to be made of plastics or to be used with pipes made of plastics F16L47/00; specially adapted for pipes of brittle material F16L49/00) · CPC title