Patent Publication Number: US-6655928-B2

Title: Air compressor assembly having different motors

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an air compressor, and more particularly to an air compressor assembly having two or more motors of different powers or diameters selectively attachable to the base thereof. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical air compressors comprise a cylinder attached or secured to a base, and a motor secured to the base and coupled to the cylinder for actuating or driving the cylinder. The applicant has developed various kinds of air compressors, one of which has been issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,112 to Chou, and also includes a single motor secured to the base for driving the cylinder. The cylinder may not be driven by another motor of different driving power or of different diameter. Another set of air compressor is further required and also includes a cylinder and a motor secured to the base and coupled together for allowing the cylinder to be actuated or driven by the other motor of different driving power or of different diameter. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional air compressors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an air compressor assembly including two or more motors of different powers or diameters that may be selectively attachable to the base for providing different driving powers to the air compressor assembly. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an air compressor assembly comprising a base including an upper portion and a lower portion, a cylinder attached to the base, a first motor secured to the upper portion of the base and including a spindle extended through the upper portion of the base, a first coupling means for coupling the spindle of the first motor to the cylinder, a second motor selectively secured to the lower portion of the base and including a spindle extended through the lower portion of the base, and a second coupling means for selectively coupling the spindle of the second motor to the cylinder. The motors may include different driving powers or different diameters for selectively actuating or driving the cylinder with different driving powers. 
     The first coupling means includes a pinion secured to the spindle of the first motor, a gear engaged with the pinion, a weight secured to the gear and rotated in concert with the gear and coupled to the cylinder. The weight may be rotatably secured to the base. 
     The cylinder includes a piston rod, the weight includes a shaft rotatably secured to the base, and includes an eccentric pin secured to the piston rod of the cylinder. 
     The base includes an opening formed therein, and a bearing engaged in the opening of the base, the shaft of the weight is secured to the bearing. 
     The base includes a peripheral flange extended outward therefrom and provided around the opening thereof, and foldable relative to the base for engaging with the bearing and for retaining the bearing in the opening of the base. 
     The second coupling means includes a weight secured to the spindle of the second motor and having an eccentric pin secured to the piston rod of the cylinder. 
     The upper portion of the base includes an aperture formed therein and at least one pair of first holes formed around the aperture of the base for selectively securing the second motor to the upper portion of the base, the lower portion of the base includes an orifice formed therein and at least one pair of second holes formed around the orifice of the base for selectively securing the first motor to the lower portion of the base. 
    
    
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of an air compressor assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear partial perspective view showing a base of the air compressor assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the air compressor assembly; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the other embodiment of the air compressor assembly; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view illustrating the attachment of the other motor to the base of the air compressor assembly; 
     FIGS. 6,  7  are enlarged partial cross sectional views illustrating the attachment of different motors to the base of the air compressor assembly; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial exploded view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the other embodiment of the air compressor assembly; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a further embodiment of the air compressor assembly; and 
     FIGS. 10,  11 ,  12 ,  13  are plan schematic views illustrating the attachment of different motors to the base of the air compressor assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, an air compressor assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing or a cylinder  1  including one or more extensions  11  extended therefrom, and a base  2  including one or more barrels  20  engaged into or onto and secured to the extensions  11  of the cylinder  1  respectively with fasteners  12 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, the cylinder  1  may also be solidly secured to or formed as a one-integral-piece with the base  2 . The base  2  includes an aperture  21  formed in the upper portion thereof, an orifice  22  formed in the lower and front portion thereof, and an opening  27  (FIG. 2) formed in the lower and rear portion thereof and communicating with the orifice  22  thereof, for forming or defining a peripheral shoulder  28  therein. The base  2  includes a peripheral flange  29  extended rearward therefrom and provided around the opening  27  thereof. 
     A motor  3  is secured to the upper portion of the base  2  with such as the fasteners  13 , and includes a spindle  31  extended through the aperture  21  of the base  2 , and includes a pinion  32  secured to the spindle  31  thereof. The fasteners  13  may engage through the holes or screw holes  23  of the base  2  and may be secured to the motor  3  (FIG.  10 ). A gear  33  is engaged with the pinion  32  and includes a chamber  34  and a hole  35  of different diameters formed therein and communicating with each other. A bearing  14  (FIG. 3) is engaged or secured in the opening  27  of the base  2 . A weight  36  is received or secured in the chamber  34  of the gear  33  and rotated in concert with the gear  33 , and includes a shaft  37  engaged through the hole  35  of the gear  33  and engaged into and secured to the bearing  14  with such as a fastener  38 , such that the shaft  37  and thus the weight  36  and the gear  33  may be smoothly and rotatably secured to the base  2 . The weight  36  includes a crank or an eccentric pin  39  extended therefrom and coupled to a piston rod  19  of the cylinder  1  (FIGS.  3 - 5 ). 
     Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the shaft  37  of the weight  36  may be rotatably secured to the base  2  with a gasket  15  or the like. The peripheral flange  29  of the base  2  may be folded or forged to engage with the bearing  14  (FIG. 3) or the gasket  15  (FIG.  4 ), for stably retaining the bearing  14  or the gasket  15  within the opening  27  of the base  2 , and for preventing the bearing  14  or the gasket  15  from being disengaged from the opening  27  of the base  2 . The piston rod  19  of the cylinder  1  may thus be actuated or driven by the motor  3  via the pinion  32  and the gear  33  and the weight  36 . 
     As best shown in FIGS.  1  and  10 - 13 , the base  2  may include one or more pairs of holes or screw holes  23 ,  25  formed or provided around the aperture  21  thereof, and may include one or more pairs of holes or screw holes  24 ,  26  formed or provided around the orifice  22  thereof, for allowing the motors of different powers or diameters to be selectively attached to the base and coupled to the cylinder  1  for providing different driving powers to the cylinder  1 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, the base  2  may include only one pair of holes or screw holes  23  formed or provided around or beside the aperture  21  thereof, and may include only one pair of holes or screw holes  24  formed or provided around or beside the orifice  22  thereof. 
     Referring next to FIGS. 5 and 6, another motor  4  includes a greater power or a greater diameter than that of the motor  3 , and is secured to the lower portion of the base  2  with such as the fasteners  70 , and includes a hub  41  secured or engaged in the opening  27  of the base  2 , and includes a spindle  43  extended from the hub  41  and extended outward through the orifice  22  of the base  2 . The fasteners  70  may engage through the holes or screw holes  24  of the base  2  and may be secured to the motor  4  (FIG.  13 ). The weight  36  is secured to the spindle  43  of the motor  4  with such as a key, a fastener, a latch or the like, and includes a crank or an eccentric pin  39  extended therefrom and coupled to the piston rod  19  of the cylinder  1  (FIGS.  3 - 5 ), such that the motor  4  of different power or of different diameter may be selectively secured to the base  2  and coupled to the cylinder  1  and such that the cylinder  1  may also be actuated or driven by the motor  4  via the spindle  43  and the weight  36 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 7 and 12, the motor  3  includes such as a smaller diameter than that of the motor  4  and includes a hub  30  of a smaller diameter than that of the hub  41  of the motor  4 . The hub  30  of the motor  3  may also be engaged into the opening  27  of the base  2  and the spindle  31  of the motor  3  may also be extended outward through the orifice  22  of the base  2  for securing to the weight  36  and for selectively driving the cylinder  1 . The motor  3  may be secured to the base  2  with the fasteners  13  (FIG. 12) which may engage through the holes or screw holes  26  of the base  2  and may be secured to the motor  3 . Referring next to FIG. 11, the motor  4  of a greater diameter than that of the motor  3  may also be secured to the upper portion of the base  2  with such as the fasteners  70  which may engage through the holes or screw holes  25  of the base  2  and may be secured to the motor  4  (FIG.  11 ). 
     In operation, as shown in FIGS. 3,  4 ,  10 , the smaller motor  3  may be secured to the upper portion of the base  2 , or may be secured to the lower portion of the base  2  (FIG.  12 ), for selectively driving the cylinder  1 . As shown in FIGS. 5,  6 ,  13 , the greater motor  4  may be secured to the lower portion of the base  2 , or may be secured to the upper portion of the base  2  (FIG.  11 ), for selectively driving the cylinder  1 . Two or more motors  3 ,  4  may be selectively secured to the same base  2  and coupled to the same cylinder  1 , for providing different driving powers to the cylinder  1 , and for allowing the users to have different powers of cylinder  1  with less parts or elements and with less expenses or costs. 
     Accordingly, the air compressor assembly in accordance with the present invention includes two or more motors of different powers or diameters that may be selectively attachable to the base for providing different driving powers to the air compressor assembly. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.