Abstract:
The invention relates to a device for sealing inflatable objects, especially tires, comprising a container ( 10 ) with sealing agent and a gas inlet ( 25 ), which can be connected to a gas pressure source, and an outlet ( 28 ) that can be coupled to an object that is to be sealed. The gas inlet and the outlet are linked to each other via the interior of the container. The gas inlet and the outlet are embodied in a discharge unit ( 20 ) that is detachably connected to the container ( 10 ).

Description:
This is a continuation of prior International application number PCT/EP99/07437 filed Oct. 5, 1999 and designating the United States of America, which International application claims priority from German patent application number 19846451.7 filed Oct. 8, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an apparatus for the sealing of inflatable articles, in particular tires, comprising a container, containing a sealant and having a gas inlet which can be connected to a gas pressure source and an outlet which can be coupled to the article to be sealed, with the gas inlet and the outlet communicating with one another via the internal space of the container. 
     Such apparatuses are known (for example from DE 196 52 546 A1) and serve to seal a leak in an inflatable article, for example in a punctured tire, or a tire damaged during travel, by introducing a special sealant into the tire via the tire valve and by subsequently pumping up the tire at least to a pressure at which it can be run. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the problem (object) underlying the invention to so further develop an apparatus of the initially named kind that is as price worthy as possible and versatile in use. 
     The solution of this object takes place through the features of claim  1  directed to an apparatus of the kind initially named and through the features of claim  14  directed to the extraction unit 
     The provision in accordance with the invention of a separate extraction unit makes it possible to exchange the container when the sealant has been used up or is time expired, without the entire sealing apparatus having to be renewed. Furthermore, the reusable extraction unit can be used with containers of different size, and the sealing apparatus of the invention can thus be ideally matched to the respective inflatable article. Since the extraction unit is provided with a standing surface at its side remote from the container, it allows an operating position with the extraction unit standing on the ground and the container inverted. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the extraction unit for the in particular bottle-like container has at least one substantially cylindrical connection stub, preferably for receiving a connection section of the container resembling a bottleneck. 
     In this way the container and the extraction unit can be connected to one another in a particularly simple manner. The connection stub can be provided with an internal thread, so that the container, in particular its connection section provided with a corresponding external thread, simply needs to be screwed into the connection stub. 
     In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention, an inlet duct and an outlet duct respectively extend, within a connection stub of the removal unit, in the region of their free end communicating with the container inner space, with the free ends of the inlet duct and of the outlet duct in each case not extending beyond the free end of the connection stub. 
     In this way the sealing apparatus of the invention can be used in two different operating positions. With the extraction unit standing on the ground, and with the container inverted with an opening disposed downwardly and connected to the connection stub of the extraction unit, the gas flows via the inlet duct into the container and—when the container is not completely full—through the sealant upwardly to the container base remote from the extraction unit. The free space above the sealant level is thereby pressurized so that the sealant is pressed through the outlet duct into the article to be sealed. 
     After a part of the sealant has been introduced into the article to be sealed, the sealing apparatus can be turned round and arranged with the extraction unit at the top. The sealant which remains in the container collects in the region of the base of the container, so that the free ends of the inlet duct and of the outlet duct are now exposed and are no longer dipped into the sealant. The gas which flows via the inlet duct into the container now fills the free space between the opening of the container and the sealant level and can thus flow directly via the outlet duct into the article to be sealed, whereby the latter is pumped up. 
     This manner of proceeding is of particular advantage in cases in which several tires of a vehicle or several chambers of an air mattress are damaged. After the introduction of a part of the sealant into, for example, the first tire to be sealed, the sealed tire can be pumped up—as explained above—by turning the sealing apparatus around, before the repair is continued with the next damaged tire. The sealing and pumping up of a plurality of damaged articles in series can be carried our particularly efficiently in this manner. 
     The fact that the gas entering into the container flows through the sealant during the introduction of the sealant into the article to be sealed furthermore ensures, in advantageous manner, a through-mixing of the sealant. Shaking of the sealing apparatus or of the container prior to use is thus not necessary. 
     When, in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the container and extraction unit are manufactured from a preferably recyclable plastic, the sealing apparatus can be easily transported as a result of its then comparatively low inherent weight and can, in particular, be sued by people of weak stature, without effort. This is especially advantageous having regard to the above explained repair of several damaged articles in series, in which the sealing apparatus is turned around several times. 
     Further preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth in the subordinate claims, in the description and also in the drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be described in the following by way of example and with reference to the drawing in which are shown: 
     FIG. 1 a sectional side view of a sealing apparatus in accordance with the invention, and 
     FIG. 2 the inventive sealing apparatus of FIG. 1 in an environment of use. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the embodiment of the invention in accordance with FIG. 1 the sealing apparatus includes a bottle-shaped, pressure-tight container  10  of recyclable plastic, which has an approximately cylindrical connection section  24  formed in the manner of a bottleneck, which will be termed the neck in the following. 
     The neck  24  is provided at its outer side with a thread, which permits the container  10  to be screwed into a connection stub  22  having a matching inner thread of a pressure-tight extraction unit  20 , likewise consisting of recyclable plastic and manufactured in one piece, in such a way that the internal space of the container is sealed off relative to the environment. 
     The neck  24  of the container  10  and the connection stub  22  of the extraction unit  20  have approximately the same length. At its inner side the neck  24  is provided with a constriction  21  in the form of a radially inwardly projecting, ring-like bead. 
     The container  10  contains a liquid sealant, such as is, for example, described in the German patent application 196 52 546. In the state shown in FIG. 1 the container  10  is less than half full of the sealant, as is shown by the broken line indicating the sealant level  40 . The container  10  can, for example, be designed to receive a volume of 700 to 800 ml. In the original state, prior to its first use, the container  10  is preferably fully filled with the sealant, without the inclusion of air, so that no disturbing skin formation can arise. The sealant level  40  indicated in FIG. 1 consequently represents an intermediate state after it has been taken into use, i.e. represents an already partly emptied container  10 . 
     The connection stub  22  forms a free end of a cylindrical connection section  32  of the extraction unit  20 , which is broadened in the radial direction to a pedestal section  34  at its end remote from the container  10 . The maximum radial dimension of the pedestal section  34  amounts to more than twice the diameter of the connection section  32 , whereby reliable standing of the sealing apparatus is ensured. 
     In the connection section  32  of the extraction unit  20  two base plates  42 ,  44  are arranged spaced apart from one another, which separate the pedestal section  34  from the connection stub  22 . In the screwed in state in accordance with FIG. 1 the edge of the connection section  24  which bounds the opening of the container  10  lies on the upper base plate  44 . 
     Between the two base plates  42 , 44 , inner section  26 ,  29  of an inlet duct  25  or of an outlet duct  28  extend in the radial direction, with their lower and upper boundary walls in each case being formed by the lower and upper base plates  42  and  44  respectively. 
     Outside of the connection section  32  of the extraction unit  20 , the inner sections  26 ,  29  each merge into an outer section  27 ,  30 . The inner sections  26 ,  29  and the outer section  27 ,  30  lie with their central axes on a common longitudinal axis  31 . 
     The outer section  27  of the inlet duct  25  is formed as a gas inlet and has, in the region of its free end, a thread  46  preferably formed as VG8-valve thread for the connection onto a gas pressure source, not shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The outer section  30  of the outlet duct  28  is provided with a portion  48  of reduced diameter, with hook-like coupling elements  49  formed onto its outer side, which serves for the connection to a filling line which will be explained in more detail in the following with reference to FIG. 2, via which the sealing apparatus can be connected to an article to be sealed. 
     Whereas the free inner cross-sectional areas of the inlet duct  25  and of the outlet duct  28  are of the same size, the outer section  30  of the outlet duct  28  has a greater wall thickness than the outer section  27  of the inlet duct  25 . In deviation from the illustrated embodiment, the free inner cross-sectional areas of the inlet duct  25  and of the outlet duct  28  can also be of different size. 
     The inner section  26  of the inlet duct  25  merges into an inflow passage  50 , the longitudinal axis of which coincides with the longitudinal axis  23  of the connection stub  22 , and the free inner cross-sectional area of which is smaller than that of the inner section  26 . The inflow passage  50  projects into the connection stub  22  of the removal unit  20 , and thus into the neck  24  of the screwed-in container  10 , with the inflow passage  50 , however, not extending beyond the free end of the connection stub  22 . 
     The inflow passage  50  is regionally arranged in the interior of a removal passage  52  of the outlet duct  28 , which concentrically surrounds the inflow passage  50  and the removal passage  52  form a coaxial line system and a ring space  54  arises, onto which the inner section  29  of the outlet duct  28  is connected. The free end of the inflow passage  50  projecting out of the extraction passage  52  and the free end of the extraction passage  52  are in each case chamfered off. 
     The neck  24  and the container  10  can be designed such that an adapter element formed as a Venturi nozzle can be introduced into the neck  24 , and in particular screwed into it. 
     In accordance with FIG. 2 a filling line  36  formed as a hose is connected onto the extraction unit  20  via the section  48  of the outlet duct  28  and is provided at its free end with a sleeve nut  56 , mating with a VG8-valve thread in order that the filling line  36  can be connected to the tire  18  which is to be sealed. The filling line  36  can either be releasably or fixedly connected to the extraction unit  20 . 
     At the left alongside the sealing apparatus of the invention, a gas pressure source  12  is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2 with a pressure display and with operating elements for the pressure regulation and has a connection line, to the free end of which a sleeve nut  58 , corresponding to the sleeve nut  56 , is arranged for the connection of the gas pressure source  12  onto the inlet duct  25  of the extraction unit  20 . 
     The gas pressure source  12  is preferably formed to make pressure air available and can, for example, be formed as a small compressor, motorcar central compressor, stationary pressure air supply system or portable pressure storage container, such as is, for example, available at filling stations, or as a hand or foot air pump. The maximum pressure which can be supplied from the gas pressure source  12  does not need to be greater than the pressure required for at least an emergency operation of the tire  18 . For the emptying of the container  10  the gas pressure source  12  does not have to be able to supply any specific minimum pressure. 
     It can be recognized from FIG. 2 that the pedestal section  34  of the extraction unit  20  includes four feet  35  which extend in star-like manner in the radial direction away from the connection section  32 . 
     The manner of operation of the sealing apparatus of the invention is described in the following with reference to the example of a tire  18  which is to be sealed. 
     First of all the filling line  36  connected to the outlet duct  28  of the extraction unit  20  is connected to the valve  38  of the tire  18  in that the sleeve nut  56  is screwed onto the valve thread. The gas pressure source  12  can in this arrangement already be connected to the extraction unit  20  or can still be separated from the latter. 
     Any possibly present residual pressure in the tire  18  can either escape via a non-illustrated valve arranged in the filling line  36 , in the extraction unit  20  or in the container  10 , or can escape through the entire sealing apparatus via the inlet duct  25 , provided the gas pressure source  12  has not yet been connected. It is also possible to first connect the filling line  36  to the tire  18  and only then to the extraction unit  20  when the residual pressure has escaped from the tire  18  via the filling line  36 . When a container  10  has not yet been screwed into the extraction unit  20 , it is also possible to allow the residual pressure in the tire  18  to escape directly via the connection stub  22 . 
     In any case, a compulsory venting of the tire consequently arises so that no non-return valve is required and, in particular when using a small compressor as a gas pressure source, a starting current which is too high is avoided. For the emptying of the container  10  the gas pressure source  12  must therefore not work against a counter-pressure applied by the tire  18 . 
     Thereafter, the gas pressure source  12  is connected, if necessary, onto the inlet duct  25  of the extraction unit  20 . 
     If the extraction unit  20  is not already provided with a container  10  filled with sealant, then the neck  24  of a new container  10  is screwed into the connection stub  22  of the extraction unit  20 , prior to or after the connection of the gas pressure source  12  onto the extraction unit  20 . The opening of the container  10  is preferably sealed by means of a foil, for example, which is broken open by the chamfered ends of the inflow passage  50  and of the outflow passage  52  on being screwed into the connection stub  22 . 
     It is also possible to provide a securing ring, formed as an extension of the connection stub  22  or as a separate component, which, on screwing in of the container  10 , is arranged between the container  10  and the extraction unit  20  in the manner of securing rings, such as are, for example, present at the lids of bottled drinks. In the case of a securing ring formed as an extension of the connection stub  22 , the latter can be connected via desired kink points, in particular in the form of film hinges, to the connection stub  22 , and can have a smaller wall thickness than the connection stub  22 . 
     A securing ring of this kind is designed so that it is first pressed apart on screwing in of the container  10  by the application of a certain minimum force via the oblique shoulder  11  of the container  10 , which acts as a wedge. The securing ring can be executed as a burstable ring, which is destroyed by full screwing in of the container  10 . 
     The provision of such a securing ring makes it possible, for the simplification of the handling of the sealing apparatus, to screw the container  10  in the context of a pre-installation at first only loosely against the securing ring, with the latter being supported in the pre-installed state on the oblique shoulder  11  of the container  10 . A single thread turn is sufficient to keep the container  10  on the extraction unit  20  in a manner secured against loss. 
     In this pre-installed state the foil which seals the opening of the container  10  is still unharmed, so that no sealant can run out. Only by overcoming the resistance offered by the securing ring to the container can the foil be broken open by the chamfered ends of the inflow passage  50  and of the extraction passage  52 . 
     In order to prevent sealant running out of the extraction unit  20  via the inlet duct  25  prior to taking the arrangement into use, a blocking device can, for example, be provided in the inlet duct  25 , or the container  10  can be screwed in the upright state to the extraction unit  20 . 
     For the introduction of the sealant preparation into the tire  18 , the sealing apparatus of the invention is placed with the extraction unit  20  on the ground, as is shown in FIG. 2, so that the container  10  is arranged with its opening to the bottom. 
     After activation of the gas pressure source  12 , the gas flows in accordance with the path indicated by arrows in FIG. 1 via the inlet duct  25 , and via its inflow passage  50  surrounded by sealant, into the container  10  and through the sealant into the region above the sealant level  40 . The gas which stands under elevating pressure in this region presses the sealant via the ring space  54  of the outlet duct  28  formed by the inflow passage  50  and by the extraction passage  52  through the filing line  36  into the tire  18 . The restriction  21  formed in the neck  24  during manufacture, preferably in one working step with the container  10 , is so designed that it advantageously acts on the course of the flow of the sealant. 
     Even in the case of a container  10  which is completely filled without an air inclusion, the sealant is driven, as a result of the pressure increase caused by the gas flowing into the container  10 , via the extraction passage  52  out of the container  10 . 
     When the sealant quantity required to overcome the tire leak has been introduced into the tire  18  and a residual quantity of sealant is still present in the container  10 , the sealing apparatus of the invention is turned through 180° and inverted. For this purpose, in deviation from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base side of the container  10  remote from the extraction unit  20  can be formed as a standing surface. 
     The sealant now collects at the side of the container  10  remote from the extraction unit  20  in the region of the container base, so that the gas which continues to flow through the inlet duct  25  into the container  10 , flows directly into the outlet duct  28  and into the tire  18 . In this manner the tire  18  can be pumped up to its operating pressure directly following introduction of the sealant, or at least to a pressure at which the relevant vehicle can travel over a certain distance. 
     After the sealing apparatus has been turned again and again placed with the removal unit  20  on the ground, then further damaged tires can optionally be sealed, with the sealant remaining in the container  10  in accordance with the above described procedure. 
     In order to be able to dissipate the residual pressure prevailing in the container  10  during use or after the conclusion of use, a valve, which is not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, can be provided in the container wall. In accordance with a particularly simple embodiment, this can be executed as a relief bore with a diameter of, for example, 0.5 mm, which is formed in the lower base plate and which opens into the inlet duct  25 . 
     For the adaptation to different conditions of use, different adapter elements can be used in conjunction with the inlet duct  25 , the outlet duct  28  and/or the filling line  36  and also filling lines of different length. 
     Furthermore, the extraction unit  20  can be combined in advantageous manner with different containers  10  which differ with respect to their shape, their size and/or the sealant contained therein. 
     Particularly having regard to the danger from passing vehicles to a person with a tire puncture, an advantage of the sealing apparatus of the invention is to be seen in the fact that the user merely needs to stand in the near vicinity of the tire  18  for the connection of the filling line  36  to the valve  38 . The operation of the gas pressure source  12 , the screwing in of the container  10 , the turning around of the sealing apparatus and also the monitoring of the sealing and pumping up processes via the display of the gas pressure source  12  can take place at a secure location remote from the tire to be sealed.