Nozzle adapter for Presta valve

A nozzle adapter for an inflation valve contains a connection seat, at least one control element, at least one returning element, a seal cover, and a controlling means. The connection seat includes an imaginary axis line, an inlet, an outlet, an air stop ring, a conduit, an engagement position, a coupling, and a stopping means. A respective control element has a fixing shaft, an engaging portion, and a controlled portion. The at least one returning element is arranged on the at least one control element. The seal cover is fixed outside the coupling, and an airtight space is defined in the coupling. The controlling means mounted on a center of the connection seat opposite to the inlet and in the conduit of the airtight space to move with the controlled portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a nozzle adapter connected with an air inflator valve of a tire of a vehicle to inflate air into the tire, and more particularly to connect with and remove from a Presta valve at a high pressure quickly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

To inflate air into a tire of a vehicle, an inflation valve having a check valve is fixed on the tire, and a pressurized pump inflates the air, wherein the pressurized pump has the nozzle adapter to communicate with the inflation valve. When desiring to connect the nozzle adapter with the inflation valve, a fixing device of the nozzle adapter is switched so that the nozzle adapter is connected with the inflation valve, and the fixing device is locked so that the nozzle adapter engages with the inflation valve, thus removing a hand to inflate the air.

The fixing device is used in the following three manners:

A) Rotatable engaging manner, wherein a rubber of the nozzle adapter is pressed to engage the inflation valve tightly, thus avoiding using threads of the inflation valve. But, it is poor to engage the inflation valve by using the rubber, and the rubber is removable easily at high pressure.

B) Rotatable screwing manner, wherein female threads of the nozzle adapter are rotated, and male threads of the inflation valve are rotated to screw with the nozzle adapter at the high pressure. However, rotating the female threads and the male threads are slow and troublesome.

C) Controlling a slidable block by using a fitting sleeve, wherein the slidable block has multiple teeth to engage with the male threads of the inflation valve, the fitting sleeve is pushed forward to control a movement of the multiple teeth of the slidable block, thus engaging the multiple teeth. When removing the multiple teeth from the male threads, the fitting sleeve is pulled backward to control a removal of the multiple teeth of the slidable block from the male threads when inflating the air at the high pressure. Nevertheless, such a controlling manner is operated inconveniently.

Furthermore, the nozzle adapter is operated manually to connect with the inflation valve, and it is required to operate the fixing device, thus having troublesome operation.

To overcome the above-mentioned defects, the inventor invented a joint structure of an air valve disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,166,825 B2, wherein the nozzle adapter is connected with the inflation valve to inflate the air, and the inflation valve is inserted by a conduit of an outlet segment of the nozzle adapter to inflate the air easily. Thereafter, the nozzle adapter is removed after pressing a manual operation portion of a control element to have an easy operation, and multiple teeth engage with threads of the inflation valve securely at the high pressure. However, such a joint structure is merely applicable for Schrader valve instead of Presta valve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle adapter for a Presta valve which is operated with one hand easily and conveniently to connect with the Presta valve, such that after inflating air, the nozzle adapter is removed from the Presta valve with one hand, and the Presta valve is inserted into an outlet of the nozzle adapter automatically, wherein the nozzle adapter is removed from the Presta valve by using a controlling means easily and conveniently.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle adapter for a Presta valve which is applied to inflate the air at a high pressure, wherein when an inflation pressure is excessive, the Presta valve is pushed outward by the air pressure, and two engaging portions of two control elements are pulled to a screwing portion of the Presta valve so that two engaging portions engage with a screwing portion of the Presta valve more forcefully, thus using the Presta valve to inflate the air at the high pressure appropriately.

To obtain above-mentioned aspect, a nozzle adapter for a Presta valve provided by the present invention contains: a connection seat, at least one control element, at least one returning element, a seal cover, and a controlling means.

The connection seat includes an imaginary axis line defined on a center of the connection seat, an inlet defined on a first end of the imaginary axis line, an outlet formed on a second end of the imaginary axis line, an air stop ring received in the outlet, a conduit defined between the inlet and the outlet, an engagement position defined in the conduit, a coupling defined on the connection seat, and a stopping means formed outside the coupling. The coupling has at least one controlling trench defined outside the conduit, the at least one controlling trench extends to the engagement position via the inlet, and a respective controlling trench has a trench portion extending to the outlet adjacent to the air stop ring.

The at least one control element is accommodated in the at least one controlling trench. A respective control element has a fixing shaft extending on a first end thereof and connected with the trench portion, such that the at least one control element swings along the fixing shaft arcuately, the respective control element has an engaging portion extending from a second end thereof and has a controlled portion. The engaging portion is toothed and extends out of the engagement position.

The at least one returning element is arranged on the at least one control element so that the engaging portion is pushed into the engagement position.

The seal cover is fixed outside the coupling of the connection seat, and an airtight space is defined in the coupling by mating with the stopping means.

The controlling means is mounted on a center of the connection seat opposite to the inlet and in the conduit of the airtight space to move with the controlled portion. The controlling means extends out of the connection seat and is switched manually, when the controlling means is switched manually, the controlled portion is moved so that the engaging portion of the respective control element moves outward away from the engagement position.

The nozzle adapter is applicable for the Presta valve, and the Presta valve includes an inlet portion, a screwing portion, and a neck portion. The Presta valve is inserted into the outlet, the neck portion is engaged matingly by the air stop ring of the Presta valve, and the screwing portion is engaged by the engaging portion at the engagement position. The screwing portion moves forward from the outlet to the inlet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference toFIGS.1-6, a nozzle adapter for a Presta valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a nozzle adapter1is communicated with the Presta valve2to inflate air, the Presta valve2comprises an inlet portion2A, a screwing portion2B, and a neck portion2C (as shown inFIGS.7-11). The nozzle adapter1includes a connection seat10, a cap10A, a lid20, at least one control element30, at least one returning element40, a seal cover50, and a controlling means60.

The connection seat10includes an imaginary axis line L1defined on a center thereof, an inlet11defined on a first end of the imaginary axis line L1, and an outlet12formed on a second end of the imaginary axis line L1, an air stop ring13and a locking ring13A which are received in the outlet12. The air stop ring13is made of rubber and has a protrusion131formed on an inner wall thereof, the locking ring13A has a first threaded portion13B formed on an outer wall thereof, the connection seat10has a second threaded portion121formed on an inner wall of the outlet12thereof, such that the first threaded portion13B of the locking ring13A is screwed with the second threaded portion121of the outlet12so that the locking ring13A is fixed on the air stop ring13. The connection seat10includes two grooves14defined on the first end of the imaginary axis line L1, a third threaded portion15screwed with the cap10A, and a fourth threaded portion10B formed on the cap10A, wherein the fourth threaded portion10B of the cap10A is screwed with the third threaded portion15, a conduit16defined between the inlet11and the outlet12, an engagement position161defined in the conduit16, a coupling17defined on the connection seat10, and a stopping means18formed outside the coupling slot17, wherein the stopping means18is two O-shaped rings181, and the two O-shaped rings181are engaged on the cap10A of the connection seat10. The coupling17has at least one controlling trench19defined outside the conduit16. In this embodiment, two controlling trenches19extend to the engagement position161via the inlet11, wherein a respective controlling trench19has a trench portion191extending to the outlet12adjacent to the air stop ring13.

The lid20covers the coupling17of the connection seat10to close the two controlling trenches19.

In this embodiment, two control elements30are accommodated in the two controlling trenches19, wherein a respective control element30has a fixing shaft31extending on a first end thereof and connected with the trench portion191, such that the control element30swings along the fixing shaft31arcuately. The respective control element30has an engaging portion32extending from a second end thereof and has a controlled portion33, wherein the engaging portion32is toothed and extends out of the engagement position161, and the engaging portion32has a tilted guide face321formed proximate to the outlet12.

In this embodiment, the two returning elements40are two springs arranged on the two control elements30so that two tilted guide faces321of the two control elements30are pushed into the engagement position161by the two returning elements40.

The seal cover50is fixed outside the coupling17of the connection seat10, and an airtight space X is defined in the coupling17by mating with the stopping means18. The seal cover50is fitted on an outer wall of the connection seat10and mates with the two O-shaped rings181. Furthermore, the seal cover50includes an inlet tube51received in the airtight space X and communicates with the inlet11and the conduit16, wherein the seal cover50further includes two slidable posts52mounted on an inner wall thereof, and a cylindrical actuation portion53is defined between the two slidable posts52. The cylindrical actuation portion53has two confining sections531configured to drive the two controlled portions33of the two control elements to move, and the slidable posts52are slidably received and slide in the two grooves14of the connection seat10and are limited by the cap10A.

The controlling means60is mounted on a center of the connection seat10opposite to the inlet11and in the conduit16of the airtight space X to move with the controlled portion33, wherein the controlling means60extends out of the connection seat10and is switched manually. When the controlling means60is switched manually, the controlled portion33is moved. In this embodiment, the controlling means60is to slide the seal cover50on the connection seat10. When the seal cover50moves away from the outlet12, the two confining sections531of the seal cover50push the two controlled portions33of the two control elements30outward so that two engaging portions32of the two control elements30move outward away from the engagement position161, and the two returning elements40are pressed.

When inflating the air via the Presta valve2by using the nozzle adapter1, as shown inFIGS.7and8, the Presta valve2is manually inserted into the outlet12with one hand only, and the two engaging portions32of the two control elements30are pushed by the screwing portion2B of the Presta valve2and the two returning elements40to open flexibly, and when the Presta valve2is inserted into the predetermined position, the neck portion2C of the Presta valve2is engaged matingly by the air stop ring13to produce an airtight state, and the screwing portion2B of the Presta valve2is engaged by the two engaging portions32of the two control elements30at the engagement position161. When the nozzle adapter1supplies the air, as illustrated inFIG.9, the air flow into the inlet portion2A of the Presta valve2from the inlet tube51of the seal cover50via the inlet11and the conduit16of the connection seat10to expand an air valve (not shown) in the Presta valve2by way of an air pressure, thus inflating the air.

After inflating the air, as shown inFIG.10, the seal cover50is moved away from the Presta valve2with one hand, wherein the seal cover50slides on the connection seat10, the two confining sections531of the seal cover50push the two controlled portions33of the two control elements30outward so that the two returning elements40are pressed, and the two engaging portions32of the two control elements30move away from the engagement position161outward to remove from the screwing portion2B of the Presta valve2, as illustrated inFIG.11. Thereafter, the seal cover50drives the connection seat10to move away from the Presta valve2so that the nozzle adapter1removes from the Presta valve2, the two returning elements40push the two control elements30back to an original position, and the two control elements30drive the seal cover50back to an original position for next using operation.

Thereby, the nozzle adapter for Presta valve has advantages as follows:

1. The nozzle adapter1for Presta valve2is operated with one hand easily and conveniently to connect with the Presta valve2. After inflating the air, the nozzle adapter1is removed from the Presta valve2with one hand, and the Presta valve2is inserted into the outlet12of the nozzle adapter1automatically. The nozzle adapter1is removed from the Presta valve2by using the controlling means easily and conveniently.

2. The nozzle adapter1is applied to inflate the air at a high pressure. When an inflation pressure is excessive, the Presta valve2is pushed outward by the air pressure, and the two engaging portions32of the two control elements30are pulled to the screwing portion2B of the Presta valve2so that the two engaging portions32engage with the screwing portion2B of the Presta valve2more forcefully, thus using the Presta valve2to inflate the air at the high pressure appropriately.

While various embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been shown and described, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.