Abstract:
The present invention provides a universal connector for a pneumatic tool with unlocking by air flow. A directional locating member is mounted between the sleeve and the first coupler, or the pin-joint member, so the sleeve can be securely locked when located at the first position. Available at first and second positions, the second coupler of the universal connector can be positioned in the absence of aeration, or reset automatically after aeration, thus achieving unlocked by air flow purpose. This ability provides easier and convenient assembly or disassembly of the universal connector and pneumatic tool without needing any controlling members, thus guaranteeing improved ease-of-operation and higher applicability.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0006]    The present invention relates generally to a universal connector, and more particularly to an innovative connector which is assembled between a pneumatic tool and pneumatic tube. 
         [0007]    2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
         [0008]    As the pneumatic tool and pneumatic tube are typically linked through male and female connectors, the pneumatic tube may be distorted, affecting air supply and control of the pneumatic tool, if the angle and position of pneumatic tool are changed. For this reason, a universal connector or a multi-turn connector structure is developed accordingly. 
         [0009]    The pneumatic tool is currently available with many types of universal connectors, such as those disclosed in Taiwanese Patent No. M268147, entitled “Adjustable and multi-turn connector set”, Taiwanese Patent No. M290958, entitled, “Adjustable and multi-turn connector set”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,835, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,877, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,324. As for the structure of such universal connectors, two couplers are linked by a pin-joint member. The pin-joint member and the first coupler are mated to form a first axial portion, while the pin-joint member and the second coupler are mated to form a second axial portion, thus providing two axially-rotated members for the universal connector. 
         [0010]    There still exist disadvantages for the structure of such prior art universal connectors. 
         [0011]    As universal connectors and pneumatic tools (e.g. pneumatic screwdrivers, pneumatic nailers and pneumatic grinding machines) are assembled or disassembled to meet the requirements of the operating environment, the convenient and smooth assembly or disassembly is of utmost importance. However, the operator must hold the pneumatic tool with one hand, and hold the universal connector with the other hand. Moreover, the universal connector and pneumatic tool are often screwed tightly for positioning purposes. Owing to the fact that the typical universal connector is designed with two flexible portions, simultaneous manual operation shall be required to ensure smooth assembly of the universal connector and pneumatic tool, leading to poorer applicability for assembly or disassembly of the universal connector and pneumatic tool. 
         [0012]    Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve efficacy. 
         [0013]    To this end, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    When the sleeve of the universal connector is located at the first position, the rotational action is securely locked, but when air is guided to the universal connector, rotational shift may occur to release the secure position. The advantage is that, in the absence of aeration, the second coupler can be positioned for easier manual holding and convenient assembly or disassembly of the universal connector and pneumatic tool. The securely locked position can be released automatically after aeration, without needing any controlling members, thus providing an improved ease-of-operation and higher applicability. 
         [0015]    Based upon another technical feature, the first coupler of the universal connector is provided with a hold tank to accommodate a pressure-regulating set, such that the air flow rate can be adjusted flexibly. The pressure-regulating set is assembled onto the first coupler. When the universal connector is put into operation, the first coupler is assembled fixedly onto the pneumatic tool, ensuring more stable and convenient pressure regulation. 
         [0016]    Based upon another technical feature, the universal connector contains an elastic restoring member. The sleeve of the second coupler can be automatically reset from the first position to the second position when air pressure is released. 
         [0017]    Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  shows an assembled perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  shows an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  shows an assembled sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  shows a schematic view of the assembly of the universal connector and pneumatic tool of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  shows a rotated perspective view of the universal connector of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  shows another rotated perspective view of the universal connector of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  shows a sectional view of the operation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the directional locating member of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  shows an assembled sectional view of directional locating member disclosed in  FIG. 8 , which is at a securely positioned state. 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  shows another assembled sectional view of directional locating member disclosed in  FIG. 8 , which is at a released state. 
           [0028]      FIG. 11  shows an assembled sectional view of another embodiment of the universal connector of the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 12  shows an operational view of the structure disclosed in  FIG. 11 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 13  shows an embodiment of the structure disclosed in  FIG. 11 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 14  shows an operational view of the structure disclosed in  FIG. 13 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 15  shows a sectional view of the universal connector of the present invention without pressure-regulating set. 
           [0033]      FIG. 16  shows a sectional view of the universal connector of the present invention without elastic restoring member. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0034]    The features and the advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  depict preferred embodiments of improved universal connector for a pneumatic tool with unlocking by air flow. The embodiments are provided only for explanatory purposes. 
         [0036]    The universal connector A mainly comprises a first coupler  10 , a pin-joint member  30 , and a second coupler  20 . 
         [0037]    The hollow first coupler  10  comprises a pneumatic coupling end  11 , which may be formed by a protruding tube, an extension end  12  opposite to the pneumatic coupling end  11 , first flow passage B 1  within the first coupler  10 , and a first air hole C 1  linked to the first flow passage B 1  set on the wall of the extension end  12 . 
         [0038]    The pin-joint member  30  has one end provided with a through-hole  31  to be screwed onto extension end  12  of the first coupler  10 . A locating element  32  is employed to limit the screwing position of through-hole  31  and the extension end  12 . A protruding tube  33  is arranged at one side of the pin-joint member  30 , and a second flow passage B 2  is formed within the protruding tube. One end of the second flow passage is linked to the through-hole  31 , and then to the first air hole C 1  of extension end  12  of the first coupler  10 . A second air hole C 2  linked to the second flow passage B 2  is set on the wall of the protruding tube  33 . 
         [0039]    The second coupler  20  has one end comprised of a sleeve  21  to be screwed into the protruding tube  33  of the pin-joint member  30 . A positioning member  40 , as an expanded cover mounted at the end of the protruding tube  33 , is employed to limit the relative position of the sleeve  21  and the protruding tube  33 . The other end of the second coupler  20  is provided with coupling portion  22 , wherein a third flow passage B 3  is formed. One end of the third flow passage is linked to the sleeve  21 , and then to second air hole C 2  of protruding tube  33  of pin-joint member  30 . 
         [0040]    The sleeve  21  of the second coupler  20  shifts along a predefined path of the protruding tube  33  of pin-joint member  30 , thus forming flexibly the first and second positions. The sleeve  21  is provided with a pneumatic pusher  23 , such that the sleeve  21  is driven to shift from the first position to the second position. The pneumatic pusher  23  of the preferred embodiment is non-isometric radial ring surfaces  231 ,  232  formed on the inner wall of the sleeve. 
         [0041]    A directional locating member  50  securely locks the connector by limiting the rotation of sleeve  21  as it is located at the first position. The directional locating member  50  is mounted between the sleeve  21  and first coupler  10 , or the pin-joint member  30 . The directional locating member  50  of the preferred embodiment is comprised of a flanged portion  51  on the first coupler  10  and a flush portion  52  opposite to the sleeve  21  of the second coupler  20 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , when the sleeve  21  is located at the first position, the rotational behavior is securely locked, if the flanged portion  51  of the first coupler  10  is pressed on the flush portion  52  of the sleeve  21 . 
         [0042]    A hold tank  13  is placed within extension end  12  of the first coupler  10  far away from the pneumatic coupling end  11 . In the hold tank  13 , there is a pressure-regulating set  60 , which comprises a movable main body  61 . One end of the main body is provided with a sealing portion  62  to control the switching and flow rate between the first flow passage B 1  and the first air hole C 1 . The other end of main body  61  is provided with a controlling portion  63  protruding from the extension end  12 , which can be formed by a knob to control the shift of main body  61 . 
         [0043]    Furthermore, the universal connector contains an elastic restoring member  70 , optionally formed by a spring, which enables the sleeve  21  of second coupler  20  to be reset automatically from the second position to the first position when air pressure is released. 
         [0044]    Based upon above-specified structures, the present invention is operates as follows. 
         [0045]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the universal connector A of the present invention allows the pneumatic coupling end  11  of the first coupler  10  to be assembled into a preset inlet  81  of pneumatic tool  80  (e.g. pneumatic screwdrivers, pneumatic nailers and pneumatic grinding machines). The coupling portion  22  of the second coupler  20  is mated with the connector  83  of pneumatic tube  82 . Referring also to  FIG. 5 , the second coupler  20  of the universal connector A may rotate axially as the first part, while the pin-joint member  30  and the second coupler  20  may rotate axially as the second part, as shown in  FIG. 6 , thus providing a more flexible assembly state of the pneumatic tool and pneumatic tube. 
         [0046]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , when air pressure W is guided into the third flow passage B 3  of coupling portion  22  of the second coupler  20 , air pressure W may flow from the second air hole C 2  into the second flow passage B 2  of pin-joint member. Given that said pneumatic pusher  23  comprises non-isometric radial ring surfaces  231 ,  232  at inner wall of the sleeve  21 , and the cross section of right-hand radial ring surface  232  is bigger than that of left-hand radial ring surface  231 , along with a movable sleeve  21  of the second coupler  20 , bigger air pressure W could be applied to the radial ring surface  232 , making the sleeve  21  shift rightwards. In such a case, the inner elastic restoring member  70  is pressed to accumulate restoring force, so the flanged portion  51  of directional locating member  50  is separated from the flush portion  52 , allowing the second coupler  20  to rotate freely. Conversely, when air pressure is released (e.g. universal connector is disengaged from the pneumatic tube), the sleeve  21  will be pushed by the elastic restoring member  70  back into a positioning state. 
         [0047]    Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the directional locating member  50  may also be comprised of concave and convex portions  53 ,  54  separately located at the sleeve  21  of the second coupler  20  and opposite pin-joint member  30 . The concave portion  53  is arranged at intervals onto one side of the pin-joint member  30  in the form of semicircular grooves, while the convex portion  54  is arranged at one end of the sleeve  21  of second coupler  20  in the form of semicircular granules. As such, the directional positioning of the sleeve  21  of the second coupler  20  can be achieved through embedding of said concave and convex portions  53 ,  54  (shown in  FIG. 9 ).  FIG. 10  depicts the released state of the concave and convex portions  53 ,  54 . 
         [0048]    In addition, said directional locating member could also be positioned through a structural model comprising friction surfaces or tip edges. 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , the pneumatic pusher  23  of the sleeve  21  may also be formed by the inner surface of the end cover  233  at the terminal of the sleeve  21 . Referring to  FIG. 12 , when air pressure W is inducted, the end cover  233  will be pushed to release the positioning state. Moreover, the preferred embodiment also discloses another positioning member for the sleeve  21  of the second coupler  20 , which contains a snap ring  41  at the end of protruding tube  33  of pin-joint member  30 . This snap ring  41  is fixed at one end of the elastic restoring member  70 , while the other end of the elastic restoring member  70  is fixed onto the shoulder  24  at inner wall of the sleeve  21 . During the shift of the sleeve  21 , the shoulder  24  will push the elastic restoring member  70  to generate an elastic restoring force, and the snap ring  41  will limit the elastic restoring member  70  to confine the shift of the sleeve  21 . 
         [0050]    Referring to  FIG. 13 , the positioning member  40  for the sleeve  21  of second coupler  20  also contains the expanded cover  42  assembled at the end of protruding tube  33  of the pin-joint member  30 . The expanded cover  42  is screwed at the end of protruding tube  33 , such that a baffle flange  25  on the inner wall of the sleeve  21  could be mated tightly with the expanded cover  42 . Referring to  FIG. 14 , the moving sleeve  21  could be stopped at the expanded cover  42  by the baffle flange  25 . The expanded cover  42  is provided with air hole  420  (optionally as a notched groove), such that air pressure W could flow from air hole  420  into the second flow passage B 2 , thus avoiding any instantaneous blockage of air channel. 
         [0051]      FIG. 15  depicts a sectional view of the universal connector of the present invention without the pressure-regulating set. 
         [0052]      FIG. 16  depicts a sectional view of the universal connector of the present invention without the elastic restoring member. In this preferred embodiment, the sleeve  21  must be reset manually after shifting by the pneumatic drive.