Patent Publication Number: US-2018051691-A1

Title: Air supply device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 201610459894.X, filed Jun. 23, 2016, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an air supply device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The conventional air compressor, such as an air supply device, has some technical problems with large size, heavy weight, noise, complex air output control, and inconvenience in use and maintenance. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention is to solve the above mentioned problems. 
     In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides an air supply device, comprising: 
     a motor, a reducer connected to a spindle of the motor, a driving shaft connected to an output shaft of the reducer, and a connecting rod connected to the driving shaft; 
     a cylinder having a piston disposed therein, the connecting rod being sealed inside the cylinder and connected to the piston; 
     a control circuit, the motor being connected to an output end of the control circuit through wires; 
     a storage battery connected to the motor and the control circuit through the wires to supply power thereto; 
     the piston including an adjusting lever penetrated therethrough and being movable with respect to the piston, the adjusting lever having an air supplement hole. 
     Wherein a surface of the piston ( 206 ) contacting with a cylinder wall is covered with a piston seal ring ( 215 ) 
     Compared to the prior art, the present invention has advantages of small size, light weight, and convenience in use; the power supplied by storage battery can be used at any place where no electricity exists; power saving, without long-term pressure on the air, little noise; the volume of the output air can be easily adjusted by the adjusting lever, which is used for air nail gun, tire inflation, and different applications. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1 a    is a schematic view of an air supply device which shows when an adjusting lever is in an upper limit position, an piston moves to an lower limit position; 
         FIG. 1 b    is a schematic view of the air supply device which shows when the adjusting lever is in the upper limit position, the piston just moves through an air supplement hole; 
         FIG. 1 c    is a schematic view of the air supply device which shows when the adjusting lever is in the upper limit position, the piston moves to the highest position; 
         FIG. 2 a    is a schematic view of the air supply device which shows when the adjusting lever is in the lower limit position, the piston moves to the lowest position; 
         FIG. 2 b    is a schematic view of the air supply device which shows when the adjusting lever is in the lower limit position, the piston just moves through the air supplement hole; 
         FIG. 2 c    is a schematic view of the air supply device which shows when the adjusting lever is in the lower limit position, the piston moves the highest position; 
         FIG. 3 a    shows the air supply device applied in an air nail gun (prior to nailing); and 
         FIG. 3 b    shows the air supply device applied in the air nail gun (complete nailing). 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Detailed descriptions of the present invention are provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the preferred embodiments. 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 1 a -2 c   , an air supply device ( 2 ) comprises: 
     a motor ( 201 ), a reducer ( 202 ) connected to a spindle of the motor ( 201 ), a driving shaft ( 203 ) connected to an output shaft of the reducer ( 202 ), and a connecting rod ( 204 ) connected to the driving shaft ( 203 ); 
     a cylinder ( 205 ) having a piston ( 206 ) disposed therein, the connecting rod ( 204 ) being sealed inside the cylinder ( 205 ) and connected to the piston ( 206 ); 
     a control circuit ( 207 ), the motor ( 201 ) being connected to an output end of the control circuit ( 207 ) through wires ( 3 ); 
     a storage battery ( 208 ) connected to the motor ( 201 ) and the control circuit ( 207 ) through the wires ( 3 ) to supply power thereto. 
     The cylinder ( 205 ) further comprises an end cap ( 210 ) disposed at a top end thereof, a windpipe ( 4 ) connected with an exit of the end cap ( 210 ) and configured to connect to an external gas appliance, such as an air nail gun shown in  FIGS. 3 a   - 3   b.    
     The piston ( 206 ) disposed inside cylinder ( 205 ) includes an adjusting lever ( 211 ) penetrated therethrough and being movable with respect to the piston ( 206 ), the adjusting lever ( 211 ) having an air supplement hole ( 209 ) and configured with threads ( 213 ), the cylinder ( 205 ) having a threaded hole ( 214 ) disposed therein, the adjusting lever ( 211 ) having a lower part thereof inserted into the threaded hole ( 214 ). The adjusting lever ( 211 ) can move up and down by adjusting an adjustment nut ( 212 ). The maximum movement distance is L. In this way, the size of the confined space enclosed by the piston ( 206 ), a cylinder wall and the end cap ( 210 ) can be adjusted, so as to control the volume of output air every time the piston ( 206 ) makes a reciprocating movement; under the control of the control circuit ( 207 ), whenever a signal is sent to the motor ( 201 ), the piston ( 206 ) can make either continuous movement or just a reciprocating movement. 
     Preferably, the surface of the piston ( 206 ) contacting the cylinder wall is covered with a piston seal ring ( 215 ) to reinforce the sealing performance of the space enclosed by the piston ( 206 ), cylinder wall and end cap ( 210 ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 a -3 b   , the air supply device of the present invention can be used in an air nail gun ( 1 ). The air nail gun ( 1 ) is housed inside a shell ( 101 ), comprising: 
     a gun body ( 107 ), wherein said gun body ( 107 ) includes a cylinder cap ( 102 ) disposed at a top thereof and a cylinder cap seal ring ( 104 ) disposed between the gun body ( 107 ) and the cylinder cap ( 102 ); the gun body ( 107 ) further includes an empty chamber; the inner wall of the cylinder cap ( 102 ) and the inner wall of the gun body ( 107 ) encloses a first confined space ( 115 ), while the inner wall of the cylinder cap ( 102 ) and the outer wall of the gun body ( 107 ) enclose a second confined space ( 116 ); the cylinder cap ( 102 ) includes a spring base ( 103 ) disposed between an inner bottom thereof and a top of the empty chamber; the empty chamber includes a cushion ( 106 ) disposed at a bottom thereof; the spring base ( 103 ) is fixed with a piston assembly ( 105 ) disposed therein; the piston assembly ( 105 ) includes a striker ( 105 - 1 ) disposed at a lower part thereof; the gun body ( 107 ) includes a nail cartridge component ( 109 ) disposed at a bottom thereof; said nail cartridge component ( 109 ) includes a steel nail holding chamber ( 109 - 1 ) and a steel nail holding chamber ( 109 - 2 ), the steel nail holding chamber ( 109 - 2 ) includes an opening thereof being aligned to the striker ( 105 - 1 ); 
     a first switch component, wherein said first switch component includes a first switch ( 112 ) and a safety frame ( 108 ), with a linkage mechanism provided between the first switch ( 112 ) and the safety frame ( 108 ); 
     a second switch component, wherein said second switch component includes a second switch ( 110 ) and a trigger ( 111 ), with a linkage mechanism provided between the second switch ( 110 ) and the trigger ( 111 ); the first switch ( 112 ) and second switch ( 110 ) are connected to the control circuit ( 207 ) through wires ( 3 ); 
     and a clicking-striking changeover switch ( 113 ), said clicking-striking changeover switch  113  is connected to an input end of the control circuit ( 207 ) through wires ( 3 ). 
     The gun body ( 107 ) further includes a pair of vent holes ( 118 ) disposed at a chamber wall thereof. Said vent holes ( 118 ) are covered by gun body seal rings ( 117 ). When the air pressure delivered from the air supply device ( 2 ) to the first confined space ( 115 ) is too high, excessive air can push out the gun body seal ring ( 117 ) and be exhausted from the vent holes ( 118 ) along with the down-pressing of the piston assembly ( 105 ); when the piston assembly ( 105 ) returns upward, the gun body seal ring ( 117 ) will seal the vent holes ( 117 ), so that the piston assembly ( 105 ) will conduct vacuum pumping while it returns to the slot of the spring base ( 103 ). 
     When the air supply device ( 2 ) is used in the air nail gun ( 1 ), there are two working modes, which can be interchanged through the clicking-striking changeover switch ( 113 ): 
     1. Clicking Mode 
     Only when the safety frame ( 108 ) presses down the first switch ( 112 ), the trigger ( 111 ) is pulled to press down the second switch ( 110 ), and the control circuit ( 207 ) receives a signal that both switches are pressed down and the clicking-striking changeover switch ( 113 ) is under the clicking state, it will output a signal to the motor ( 201 ), to start the motor ( 201 ) to drive the connecting rod ( 204 ) to rotate a circle, and to drive the piston ( 206 ) to complete an up-and-down movement. When the piston ( 206 ) moves upward, it pressurizes the sealed air inside the second confined space  116  between the piston assembly ( 105 ) and the piston ( 206 ), and transmits energy to the piston assembly ( 105  through the windpipe ( 4 ). When the pressure applied on the piston assembly ( 105 ) is higher than the locking force applied by the spring base ( 103 ) on the piston assembly ( 105 ), the piston assembly ( 105 ) will move downward in a high speed along with continuous pressurization of the piston ( 206 ), till it touches the cushion ( 106 ). Meanwhile, the striker ( 105 - 1 ) mounted on the piston assembly ( 105 ) will shoot out the nail disposed inside the steel nail holding chamber ( 109 - 1 ) in the nail cartridge component ( 109 ), and complete the nailing action; when the piston ( 206 ) moves downward, the space between the piston  206  and the piston assembly ( 105 ), i.e., the second confined space ( 116 ) will become larger to generate a negative pressure. Under the pulling by the piston ( 206 ), the piston assembly ( 105 ) will move upward, and the upper end of the piston assembly ( 105 ) will be again caught inside the spring base ( 103 ), getting ready for the next striking. By now, one cycle of the nailing operation is completed. 
     2. Striking Mode 
     Apart from the nailing operation in the clicking mode, the user can also pull the trigger ( 111 ) to press down the second switch ( 110 ) and remain unreleased, and then strike the safety frame  108  against the working surface to activate the first switch ( 112 ). When the control circuit ( 207 ) receives the signal that both switches are pressed down and the clicking-striking changeover switch ( 113 ) is under the striking state, it will output a signal to the motor ( 201 ) to start the motor ( 201 ) to drive the connecting rod ( 204 ) to rotate a circle, and to drive the piston ( 206 ) to complete an up-and-down movement, to push the piston assembly ( 105 ) to complete a nailing and returning action. 
     In the above two modes, the exit of the end cap ( 210 ) is connected to the second confined space ( 116 ) through the windpipe ( 4 ). When the piston ( 206 ) moves upward, the volume of the confined space enclosed by the piston ( 206 ), cylinder wall and end cap ( 210 ) is compressed, i.e., it is a process of pressurization; when the piston ( 206 ) moves downward, the volume of the confined space enclosed by the piston ( 206 ), cylinder wall and end cap ( 210 ) is enlarged, i.e., it is a process of vacuum pumping. When the piston ( 206 ) moves downward till the air supplement hole ( 209 ) goes into the confined space enclosed by the piston ( 206 ), cylinder wall and end cap ( 210 ), the process of vacuum pumping is stopped. Air is filled in from the air supplement hole ( 209 ) to get ready for the next compression. And such cycles go on and on. 
     The air supply device ( 2 ) of the present invention can also be used to charge automobile tires. The exit of the end cap ( 210 ) can be connected to the automobile tire through a windpipe ( 4 ), and under the control of the control circuit ( 207 ), the motor ( 201 ) can be started for the charging operation. The working principle is similar to the above and is not repeated here. 
     It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrated embodiments and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.