Patent Publication Number: US-2018030975-A1

Title: Inflating device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an inflating device, and more particularly to an inflating device including a small pump unit and a large pump unit for optionally inflating an inflatable article. 
     2. The Prior Arts 
     As we all know, an inflating device is widely used in our daily life for inflating an inflatable article, like a tire of a bicycle, a motorbike and a basket ball, thereby providing much convenience to the people. It is noted that when the article to be inflated is in an entirely flat condition, a large pump unit should be applied since the same can provide high injection pressure. When the inflatable article is nearly full, a small pump unit should be applied since no high injection pressure is needed and the high injection pressure can result in undesired puncture of the article being inflated. In other words, large and small pump units are needed to facilitate inflation of an article and are beneficial that an inflating device possesses these large and same pump units at the same time. However, the conventional inflating device provides only a constant injection pressure, either large or small injection pressure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an inflating device including a small pump unit, a large pump unit integrally formed with the small pump unit and a switching structure for optionally switching into the small pump unit or the large pump unit so as to facilitate and bring convenience to the user of the inflating device of the present invention. 
     An inflating device in accordance with the present invention includes: a main body, an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, a handle, an inflating tube and a switching structure. 
     The main body has a bottom seat, an upper end and a top cover mounted on and shielding the upper end of the main body. The top cover defines a first circular hole and a first air inlet. 
     The outer cylinder is disposed movably within the main body and defines a first air chamber between in the main body and the outer cylinder. The first air chamber is in spatial communication with the first air inlet in the top cover. The outer cylinder has a lower portion slidably contacting with an inner surface of the main body and an upper portion that extends through the first circular hole in the top cover and that defines a second circular hole, a recessed chamber above the second circular hole, a second air inlet and a pair of first notches at two diametric sides of the recessed chamber. 
     The inner cylinder is disposed movably within the outer cylinder and defines a second air chamber between the inner and outer cylinders. The second air chamber is in spatial communication with the second air inlet of the outer cylinder. The inner cylinder has a lower portion slidably contacting with an inner surface of the outer body and is formed with a one-way valve, and an upper portion that extends through the second circular hole of the outer cylinder. 
     The handle has an air outlet and a lower portion for coupling with the upper portion of the inner cylinder and is formed with an engagement groove. 
     The inflating tube is connected securely with the air outlet of the handle. 
     The switching structure is provided for switching between large and small pressures, or large pump unit and small pump unit. The switching structure includes a slide unit disposed slidably to leftwise and rightwise directions and upward and downward directions within the recessed chamber of the outer cylinder and defining a third circular hole and having two opposite pulling portions, and a press cover mounted on the upper portion of the outer cylinder so as to cover the slide unit and the recessed chamber. The press cover has a fourth circular hole in alignment with the third circular hole in the slide unit and a pair of second notches in alignment with the first notches and permitting extension of the pulling portions of the slide unit through the first notches of the recessed chamber and the second notches of the press cover. 
     Preferably, the slide unit includes a slide plate having two opposite ends, from which the pulling portions extend outwardly inclinedly with respect to the slide plate and two lateral sides interconnecting the opposite ends and are formed with two protrusions. The recessed chamber has a bottom surface defining a sliding passage to permit sliding action of the slide plate in the leftwise and rightwise directions. The sliding passage is confined by two parallel side surfaces formed with a pair of restricting notches such that the protrusions respectively extend into the restricting notches to alternately engage two opposite ends of a respective one of the restricting notches when the slide plate slides within the sliding passage in the leftwise and rightwise directions. The slide unit further includes a pair of finger-grips respectively and upwardly extending from distal ends of said pulling portions to facilitate manipulation of said pulling portions in the leftwise and rightwise directions. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the recessed chamber further has two restricting posts mounted erectly on the bottom surface of the sliding passage. The slide plate is formed with a pair of slide limit slots to permit extension of the two restricting posts in order to restriction sliding action of the slide plate in the leftwise and rightwise directions. 
     Preferably, the top cover further defines an annular inner edge at a bottom side thereof. The slide plate has an extension portion below one of the pulling portions. One of the first notches is configured to permit extension of the extension portion of the slide plate prior to extending into the annular inner edge of the top cover. 
     Preferably, the second air inlet of the outer cylinder is formed through the bottom surface of the sliding passage, and is constituted by a plurality of elongated slots and a plurality of notches formed along the periphery defining the second circular hole of the outer cylinder. 
     Preferably, the first air inlet is constituted by a plurality of minor air inlets formed around a section of an outer periphery confining the top cover. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the press cover has a bottom side surface formed with two pairs of connection posts for mounting on the upper portion of the outer cylinder and a pair of confining curved plates interconnecting the pairs of connection posts so as to restrict sliding action of the slide unit in the leftwise and rightwise directions and the upward and downward directions within the recessed chamber. 
     Preferably, the one-way valve at the lower portion of the inner cylinder is constituted by an air aperture formed through the lower portion of the inner cylinder and a floating shield floatingly covering the air aperture in a normal condition. The lower portion of said inner cylinder further has a lowermost surface with the air aperture being located at an elevation above and extending through the lowermost surface while the floating shield is disposed within the inner cylinder for floatingly covering the air aperture. 
     Preferably, the lower portions of the inner and outer cylinders are respectively formed with an annular recess, in which, a seal ring is disposed to sealingly contact the respective inner surface of the main body and the outer cylinder. 
     Preferably, the press cover has an external wall surface formed with a plurality of grip-portions to facilitate gripping of the press cover during mounting of the press cover on the upper portion of the outer cylinder. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the lower portion of the handle extends slidably and axially through the fourth circular hole in the press cover and the third circular hole in the slide unit for securely coupled to the upper portion of the inner cylinder in such a manner that the engagement groove selectively engaging the periphery defining the third circular hole in the slide unit. Note that once the slide unit is moved to the leftwise direction in the slide passage, the first air inlet of the top cover is shielded, so that the inflating device of the present invention provides a small injection pressure upon operation of the handle. In the same manner, once the slide unit is moved to the rightwise direction in the slide passage, the first air inlet of the top cover is exposed to the atmosphere; the inflating device of the present invention provides a large injection pressure upon operation of the handle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an inflating device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded and perspective view of the inflating device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the inflating device of the present invention, where some portions are enlarged to clarify its structure condition such that the inflating device of the present invention serves as a small pump unit; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the inflating device of the present invention, where some portions are enlarged to clarify its structure condition such that the inflating device of the present invention serves as a large pump unit; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates how a slide unit is mounted on an upper portion of an outer cylinder employed in the inflating device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the upper portion of the outer cylinder employed in the inflating device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of the slide unit mounted on the upper portion of the outer cylinder employed in the inflating device of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective bottom view of a press cover employed in the inflating device of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , wherein  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an inflating device of the present invention; and  FIG. 2  is an exploded and perspective view of the inflating device of the present invention. As shown, an inflating device of the present invention includes a main body  10 , an outer cylinder  20 , an inner cylinder  30 , an operating handle  40 , an inflating tube  50  and a switching structure  60 . 
     The main body  10  has a bottom seat  11 , an upper end and a top cover  12  mounted on and shielding the upper end of the main body  10 . The top cover  12  defines a first circular hole  121  and a first air inlet  122 . Preferably, the top cover  12  further has a bottom side formed with an annular inner edge  123 , the purpose of which will be discussed later. In this embodiment, the first air inlet  122  is constituted by a plurality of minor air inlets formed around a section of an outer periphery confining the top cover  12  and are located adjacent to the left first notch  211  of the recessed chamber  21 . 
     The outer cylinder  20  is disposed movably within the main body  10  and defines a first air chamber  70  between in the main body  10  and the outer cylinder  20 . The first air chamber  70  is in spatial communication with the first air inlet  122  in the top cover  12 . The outer cylinder  20  has a lower portion  90  slidably contacting with an inner surface of the main body  10  and an upper portion that extends through the first circular hole  121  in the top cover  12  and that defines a second circular hole  23 , a recessed chamber  21  above the second circular hole  23 , a second air inlet  22  and a pair of first notches  211 ,  212  at two diametric sides of the recessed chamber  21 . The recessed chamber  21  has a bottom surface defining a sliding passage  213 , which is confined by two parallel side surfaces formed with a pair of restricting notches  2131 , the purpose of which will be given in the following. Note that in this embodiment, the second air inlet  22  is formed through the bottom surface of the sliding passage  213 , and is constituted by a plurality of elongated slots  221  and a plurality of notches  222  formed along the periphery defining the second circular hole  23  of the outer cylinder  20  (see  FIG. 6 ). 
     The inner cylinder  30  is disposed movably within the outer cylinder  20  and defines a second air chamber  80  between the inner and outer cylinders  30 ,  20 . The second air chamber  80  is in spatial communication with the second air inlet  22  of the outer cylinder  20 . The inner cylinder  30  has a lower portion  90  slidably contacting with an inner surface of the outer body  20  and is formed with a one-way valve  31 , and an upper portion that extends through the second circular hole  23  of the outer cylinder  20 . Preferably, the one-way valve  31  is constituted by an air aperture  311  formed through the lower portion of the inner cylinder  30  and a floating shield  312  floatingly covering the air aperture  311 . In this embodiment, the lower portions  90  of the inner and outer cylinders  30 ,  20  are respectively formed with an annular recess  91 , in which, a seal ring  92  is disposed to sealingly contact the respective inner surface of the main body  10  and the outer cylinder  20 . Note that the lower portion of the inner cylinder  30  further has a lowermost surface with the air aperture  311  being located at an elevation above and extending through the lowermost surface while the floating shield  312  is disposed within the inner cylinder  30  for floatingly covering the air aperture  311 . 
     The handle  40  has an air outlet  41  and a lower portion for coupling with the upper portion of the inner cylinder  30  and is formed with an engagement groove  42 , the purpose of which will be given in the following. 
     The inflating tube  50  is connected securely with the air outlet  41  of the handle  40 . 
     The switching structure  60  is provided for switching between large and small pressures, or large pump unit and small pump unit. The switching structure  60  includes a slide unit  61  (see  FIG. 7 ) disposed slidably to leftwise and rightwise directions and upward and downward directions within the recessed chamber  21  of the outer cylinder  20  and defines a third circular hole  615  and having two opposite pulling portions  612 , and a press cover  62  (see  FIG. 8 ) mounted on the upper portion of the outer cylinder  30  so as to cover the recessed chamber  21  and the slide unit  61  to prevent upward movement of the slide unit  61  but permitting limited upward and downward movement of the slide unit  61  within the recessed chamber  213 . Preferably, the slide unit  61  includes a slide plate  611  having two opposite ends, from which the pulling portions  612  extend outwardly inclinedly with respect to the slide plate  611  and two lateral sides interconnecting the opposite ends and are formed with two protrusions  613 . To be more specific, the recessed chamber  21  has a bottom surface defining a sliding passage  213 , in which, the slide plate  611  is disposed to slide in the leftwise and rightwise directions. The sliding passage  213  is confined by two parallel side surfaces formed with a pair of restricting notches  2131  such that the protrusions  613  of the slide plate  611  respectively extend into the restricting notches  2131  to alternately engage two opposite ends of a respective one of the restricting notches  2131  when the slide plate  611  slides within the sliding passage  213  in the leftwise and rightwise directions. The press cover  62  has a fourth circular hole  621  in alignment with the third circular hole  615  in the slide plate  611  and a pair of second notches  622  at the outer periphery of the press cover  62  in alignment with the first notches  211 ,  212  of the recessed chamber  21  and permitting extension of the pulling portions  612  of the slide plate  611  through the first notches  211 ,  212  of the recessed chamber  21  and the second notches  622  of the press cover  62 . Note that the slide unit  61  further includes a pair of finger-grips  617  respectively and upwardly extend from distal ends of the pulling portions  612  to facilitate manipulation of the pulling portions  612  in the leftwise and rightwise directions by a user&#39;s finger. 
     In this embodiment of the present invention, the recessed chamber  21  further has two restricting posts  2132  (see  FIG. 6 ) mounted erectly on the bottom surface of the sliding passage  213 . The slide plate  611  is formed with a pair of slide limit slots  614  to permit extension of the two restricting posts  2132  in order to restriction sliding action of the slide plate  611  in the leftwise and rightwise directions. 
     Preferably, the slide plate  611  has an extension portion  616  below one of the pulling portions  612 . One of the first notches  212  (see  FIG. 6 ) is configured to permit extension of the extension portion  616  of the slide plate  611  prior to extending into the annular inner edge  123  of the top cover  12 . In other words, the notch  212  has a width larger than the notch  211  to permit extension of the extension of the slide plate  611  when the latter sides in the leftwise direction for covering the first air inlet  122  of the top cover  12 , the purpose of which is further explained in the following paragraphs. 
     In this embodiment of the present invention, the press cover  62  has a bottom side surface formed with two pairs of connection posts  623  for mounting on the upper portion of the outer cylinder  20  and a pair of confining curved plates  624  interconnecting the pairs of connection posts  623  so as to restrict sliding action of the slide plate  611  in the leftwise and rightwise directions and in the upward and downward directions within the recessed chamber  21 , which in turn, provides stable sliding action of the slide plate  611  in the leftwise and rightwise directions, and along upward and downward movement of the slide plate  611  in the recess chamber  21 . In addition, the press cover  62  has an external wall surface formed with a plurality of grip-portions  625  to facilitate gripping of the press cover  62  during mounting of the press cover  62  on the upper portion of the outer cylinder  20  or dismantling therefrom. 
     In this embodiment of the present invention, the lower portion of the handle  40  extends slidably and axially through the fourth circular hole  621  in the press cover  62  and the third circular hole  615  in the slide plate  611  for securely coupled to the upper portion of the inner cylinder  30  in such a manner that the engagement groove  42  selectively engaging the periphery defining the third circular hole  615  in the slide plate  611 . 
     To further understand the saddle fastening device of the present invention, please see the following paragraphs. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 3 , note that once the slide plate  611  is moved to the leftwise direction in the slide passage  213 , the inner periphery confining the third circular hole  615  in the slide plate  611  disengages from the engagement grove  42  of the handle  40  while the extension portion  616  of the slide plate  611  covers the first air inlet  122  of the top cover  12  and the second air inlet  22  of the outer cylinder  20  is exposed to the atmosphere (permitting air to enter the second air chamber  80 ) so that the inflating device of the present invention provides a small injection pressure upon downward movement of the handle  40  together with the inner cylinder  30  with respect to the outer cylinder  20  and the main body  10 . In other words, the inflating device of the present invention serves as a small pump unit. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in the same manner, once the slide plate  611  is moved to the rightwise direction in the slide passage  213  so as to permit engagement of the inner periphery defining the third circular hole  615  in the slide plate  611  with the engagement groove  42  of the handle  40 , permitting upward movement of the handle  40  together with the slide plate  611  and exposing the first air inlet  122  of the top cover  12  to the atmosphere (permitting air to enter the first air chamber  70 ), the inflating device of the present invention provides a large injection pressure upon downward movement of the handle  40  together with the inner cylinder  30  with respect to the inner cylinder  20  and the main body  10 . In other words, the inflating device of the present invention serves as a large pump unit. 
     An important aspect to note that since the inflating device of the present invention can be switched between two different modes, the inflating ability thereof is enhanced. The user can optionally switch to a desired mode according to the circumstance requires. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.