Patent Publication Number: US-2011068132-A1

Title: Tire inflation device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a tire inflation device, and more particularly, to a tire inflation device for introducing pressurized air into flat bicycle or motorcycle tires. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     For bicycles or motorcycles, the wheels include tube or tubeless tires which are inflated by introducing pressurized air into the tire such that the tires absorb shocks from the ground and allow the bicycle or motorcycles to move smoothly. The tire can be flatted by foreign objects penetrating through the tire and the pressurized air leaks, once the tires are flat, the bicycle or motorcycles cannot function normally. There are different types of tire inflation devices available, the one that is commonly used includes a pedal and a hose which can be connected with the valve of the tire and the user repeatedly operates the pedal to pump air into the tire. 
     A conventional tire inflation device is shown in  FIG. 7  and generally includes a bottle  7  which has an operation head  70 . A valve  71  is located at the center of the operation head  70 . A tubular portion is mounted to the valve  71  and h as a passage  73  defined therethrough. A shoulder  72  is defined in a lower end of the tubular portion and the valve  71  is engaged with the shoulder  72 . A recess  74  is defined in a top end of the tubular portion and communicates with the passage  73 . A seal member  75  is located in the recess  74 . The recess  74  is used to accommodate the tire valve and the user pushes the bottle  7  toward the tire valve to let the valve  71  be pushed by the shoulder  72  and the pressurized air in the bottle  7  is introduced into the tire  76  to inflate the tire  76 . 
       FIG. 8  shows another conventional tire inflation device  8  and generally includes a bottle  83  which has an operation head  821  connected to the top of the bottle  83 . The operation head  821  has a recessed portion  8211  in which a flexible hose  823  and a block  822  are received. The hose  823  is connected with the tire valve and when the block  822  is pressed downward, the pressurized air in the bottle  83  is introduced into the tire. Alternatively, a knob  825  is threadedly connected to the recessed portion  8211  of the operation head  821 . By rotating the knob  825  to let the block  822  be pressed to achieve the purpose of inflation. A cap  81  is used to mount on the operation head  821  to accommodate the parts mentioned above. 
     However, the first conventional inflation device requires that the operation heads have to be close to the tire valve, in other words, the bottle are parallel to the spokes of the wheel and this position is not convenient for the operation of the inflation devices. The second conventional inflation device requires that the user rotate the knob many revolutions to keep the block to press the valve on the bottle. This is not satisfied by the users. 
     The present invention intends to provide a tire inflation device which improves all of the shortcomings of the conventional tire inflation devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a tire inflation device which comprises a bottle having a valve on a top end of the bottle and an engaging portion is formed on an outside of the bottle. A top part is mounted to the top end of the bottle and a frame is connected to a top thereof. The frame has a U-shaped groove defined therein. A passage is defined through the frame and the top part so that the valve extends through the passage and located in the frame. The top part has an annular hook which is hooked to the engaging portion of the bottle. A block is movably engaged with the U-shaped groove and has a curved path defined therethrough. A first end of the curved path is connected with a tube and a second end of the curved path is in contact with the valve on the bottle. An operation member is pivotably connected to the frame and the operation member has press end and a lever on two ends thereof. When pivoting the operation member by lifting the lever, the press end is pivoted to push the block to move along the U-shaped groove to push the valve so that the valve is pushed and releases pressurized air in the bottle to the tube via the path. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a tire inflation device which is easily operated wherein the spokes of the wheel do not impede the operation for the inflation device. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view to show the tire inflation device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view to show the tire inflation device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is partial cross sectional view to show the tire inflation device of the present invention, wherein the operation member is not pivoted; 
         FIG. 4  is a top cross sectional view taken along line A-A in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is partial cross sectional view to show the tire inflation device of the present invention, wherein the operation member is pivoted upward; 
         FIG. 6  is partial cross sectional view to show the tire inflation device of the present invention, wherein the flexible tubular portion is received in the cap; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial cross sectional view to show a first conventional tire inflation device, and 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view to show a second conventional tire inflation device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the tire inflation device of the present invention comprises a bottle  1  having a valve  11  on a top end of the bottle  1  and an engaging portion  12  is formed on an outside of the bottle  1 . The bottle  1  includes pressurized air received therein and the valve  11  is a push type valve which releases the pressurized air when it is pushed downward. 
     A top part  2  is mounted to the top end of the bottle  1  and includes an annular hook  22  formed in an inside thereof, the annular hook  22  is hooked to the engaging portion  12  of the bottle  1 . The top part  2  has a frame  21  connected to a top thereof and the frame  21  has a U-shaped groove  211  defined therein. A passage  23  is defined through the frame  21  and the top part  2  so that the valve  11  extends through the passage  23  and located in the frame  21 . Two engaging grooves  212  are defined adjacent to the U-shaped groove  211 . The top part  2  includes multiple annular grooves  24  defined in an outside thereof. 
     A block  3  is movably engaged with the U-shaped groove  211  and has a curved path  31  defined therethrough. A first end  311  of the curved path  31  is connected with a bellow member  313  which is connected with a tube  4 . A second end  312  of the curved path  31  is in contact with the valve  11  on the bottle  1 . 
     An operation member  5  has two pivots  51  extending from two sides thereof and the two pivots  51  are pivotably engaged with the two engaging grooves  212  of the frame  21 . The operation member  5  includes press end  53  and a lever  52  on two ends thereof, wherein the press end  53  is located above the block  3  and the two pivots  51  are located between the press end  53  and the lever  52 . The lever  52  has an opening  521  to reduce its weight and save material. 
     The tube  4  includes a tubular portion  45  which has a mount member  44  mounted to the first end  41  thereof and an inlet  43  is defined in the second end  42  of the tubular portion  45 . The bellow member  313  of the block  3  is engaged with the mount member  44 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , when using the inflation device, the inlet  43  of the tubular portion  45  is engaged with the tire valve and the user pivots the lever  52  upward, the press end  53  of the operation member  5  pushes the block  3  to move along the U-shaped groove  211  to push the valve  11 . Therefore, the pressurized air releases and introduced into the tire via the curved path  31  and the tube  4 . 
     It is noted that tube  4  is moved with the block  3  and tire valve is located at a distance from the bottle  1  so that the spokes of the wheel do not impede the operation of the inflation device. A cap  6  has a connection lip  61  in the inside thereof so as to be engaged with the annular grooves  24  on the top part  2 , such that all of the parts mentioned above can be accommodated in the cap  6 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the tubular portion  45  can be a flexible tubular portion  45  which can be wrapped on the frame  21  when not in use and accommodated in the cap  6 . 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.