Patent Publication Number: US-2013236333-A1

Title: Bicycle Pump with Universal Head

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a bicycle pump and, more particular, to a bicycle pump with a universal head. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Due to the rising of oil prices and the prevalence of exercise, many people use bicycles as a transport means for commuting and recreation. Riding a bike can bring benefits to the environment and achieve the effect of fitness. However, after a period of time, an inflated tire would gradually become flat. Thus, a user may prepare a floor bike pump at home. For enjoining the fun of riding a bike, a handheld bike pump is needed, which can be easily put into bags, pockets or can even be strapped to the bike. On the go, the handheld bike pump can be used to inflate a tire or help replacement of a tire whenever necessary. 
     As to a conventional handheld bike pump, a tire should be turned to a position for easy connection to a valve of the tire, and then the tire can be pumped up properly. However, turning a bike&#39;s tire is not always convenient. In such condition, a proper connection between the bike pump and the tire&#39;s valve cannot be made easy. 
     To facilitate a bicycle pump to fit to a tire of a bike, a Taiwan&#39;s utility model patent 463878 was disclosed, wherein a joint member is employed so that the head of the bike pump can be rotated universally for easy connection to the bike&#39;s tire. However, the joint member is constructed of a ball with a threaded rod, which has difficulty in the manufacturing and to reach a precision requirement. It is difficult to increase the quantity of acceptable joint members for final assembly. Thus, the manufacturing cost of this bike pump is relatively high. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle pump with a universal head, which allow the cylinder to be angled with respect to the head, so that the pump can be conveniently connected to the valve of a tire and the pumping operation can be conducted smoothly. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle pump with a universal head, which is simple in structure and can be manufactured easily, and has a lower cost. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a bicycle pump, which comprises a head, a socket, a ball, a retaining collar, a cylinder, and a piston unit. The head includes a housing provided with a connection portion and defining an air inlet and an air outlet that communicates with the air inlet. The socket is provided in the head and defines a round recess and a through hole communicating with the air inlet of the head. The ball, which is partially disposed in the round recess of the socket, defines a through hole communicating with the through hole of the socket, and has a connection portion. The retaining collar has an inner curved surface mated with an outer surface of a part of the ball located outside of the socket, and has a connection portion attached with the connection portion of the head, so that the ball can be retained between the socket and the retaining collar and rotated about its center in all directions. The cylinder defines a chamber therein. Also, the cylinder has a first connection portion at one end thereof and defines an air outlet at a center of the first connection portion, the air outlet of the cylinder communicating with the chamber, the first connection portion being attached with the connection portion of the ball, to allow the air outlet of the cylinder to communicate with the through hole of the ball. The piston unit is provided for conducting reciprocating motion along the chamber of the cylinder, so that air in the chamber can be forced out of the air outlet of the cylinder and finally forced out of the air outlet of the head to inflate a tire. 
     Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows another exploded view of the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a 3-dimensional assembled view of the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a sectional view of the embodiment of the present invention, wherein the lever is at the first position. 
         FIG. 5  shows another sectional view of the embodiment of the present invention, wherein the lever is at the second position, and the cylinder is angled relative to the head. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     To allow the features and advantages of the present invention to be fully understood, one embodiment of the present invention will be illustrated in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1  though  5 , a bicycle pump  100  according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown, which generally comprises a head  10 , a socket  20 , a ball  30 , a retaining collar  40 , a cylinder  50 , a piston unit  60 , an end cap  70 , and a handle  80 . 
     The head  10  includes a housing  11 , a nozzle  133 , a pressing unit  13 , and a lever  12 , wherein the housing  11  is provided with a connection portion  114 , which is formed on an annular member  113  at a side of the housing  11 . Furthermore, the housing  11  defines an air inlet  111  at a center of the annular member  113  of the housing  11  and an air outlet  112  at a bottom end of the housing  11 . The nozzle  133 , which defines an air passage communicating with the air inlet  111  and the air outlet  112 , is mounted in the housing  11  and located at a bottom portion of the housing  11 . The air outlet  112  and the nozzle  133  are capable of accommodating a valve of a tire of a bike. The nozzle  133  can be made of resilient material. The pressing unit  13  is hermetically and movably mounted in the housing  11  and placed above the nozzle  133 . The lever  12  is pivotally mounted to the housing  11  in cooperation with the pressing unit  13 , whereby when the lever  12  is pivotally moved from a first position (see  FIG. 4 ) to a second position (see  FIG. 5 ), the pressing unit  13  can be urged by the lever  13  to secure a valve on a tire of a bike. 
     Furthermore, the pressing unit  13  includes a pressing cup  131  and a plunger  132  fixed to the pressing cup  131 , where in the plunger  132  is inserted into the nozzle  133 ; the pressing cup  131  is engaged with the lever  12 , whereby when the lever  12  is located at the first position (see  FIG. 4 ), the pressing cup  131  is not urged by the lever  12 ; when the lever is located at the second position (see  FIG. 5 ), the lever  12  can urge the pressing cup  131 , which in turn drive the plunger to press the nozzle  133  and the tip of the valve  99 , thereby securing the valve  99  in the nozzle  133 . 
     The socket  20 , which is provided in the annular member  113  of the head  10 , defines a round recess  21  and a through hole  22  communicating with the round recess  21  and the air inlet  111  of the head  10 . 
     The ball  30  is partially disposed in the round recess  21  of the socket  20 , wherein the ball  30  defines a through hole  32  communicating with the through hole  22  of the socket  20  and has a connection portion  31 . 
     The retaining collar  40  has an inner curved surface  42 , which is mated with an outer surface of a part of the ball  30  located outside of the socket  20 , and a connection portion  41  attached with the connection portion  114  of the head  10 , so that the ball  30  can be retained between the socket  20  and the retaining collar  40  and rotated about its center in all directions or universally. 
     Particularly, the connection portion  114  of the head  10  can be formed as external threads, whereas the connection portion  41  of the retaining collar  40  can be formed as internal threads, which can be threadedly engaged with the external threads of the head  10 . 
     The cylinder  50  defines a chamber  51  therein. Also, the cylinder  50  has a first connection portion  52  at one end thereof and has a second connection portion  54  at the other end thereof. Also, the cylinder  50  defines an air outlet  53  at a center of the first connection  52  and an opening  55  at the other end thereof; wherein both of the air outlet  53  and the opening  55  communicate with the chamber  51 . The second connection portion  54  is provided at an outer surface of the end that defines the opening  55 . The first connection portion  52  is attached with the connection portion  31  of the ball  30  to allow the air outlet  53  of the cylinder  50  to communicate with the through hole  32  of the ball  30 . 
     Preferably, an airtight ring  90 , such as an O-ring, is provided between the through hole  32  of the ball  30  and the air outlet  53  of the cylinder  50 , to prevent air leakage. 
     Particularly, the connection portion  31  of the ball  30  can be formed as internal threads, whereas the first connection portion  52  of the cylinder  50  can be formed as external threads, which can be threadedly engaged with the internal threads of the ball  30 . 
     The piston unit  60  is provided for conducting reciprocating motion along the chamber  51  of the cylinder  50 , so that air in the chamber  51  can be forced out of the air outlet  53  of the cylinder  50  and finally forced out of the air outlet  12  of the head  10  to inflate a tire. The piston unit  60  includes a piston  61  and a connecting rod  62 , wherein the piston  61  is mounted in the chamber  51  of the cylinder  50 ; the connecting rod  62  has a first end connected to the piston  61  and a second end extending through the opening  55  of the cylinder  50 . 
     The end cap  70  defines a through hole  72  at a center thereof and a connection portion  71  attached with the second connection  54  of the cylinder  50 , wherein the second end of the connecting rod  62  extends through the through hole  72  of the end cup  70 , the through hole  72  having a dimension less than the piston  61  to prevent the piston  61  from going out the chamber  51  of the cylinder  50 . 
     Particularly, the second connection portion  54  of the cylinder  50  can be formed as external threads, whereas the connection portion  71  of the end cap  70  can be formed as internal threads, which can threadedly engaged with the external threads of the cylinder  50 . 
     Furthermore, a handle  80  can be connected to the second end of the connecting rod  62  that extends through the through hole  72  of the end cap  70  for ease of operating the bicycle pump. 
     In operation, since the head  10  of the present invention can be rotated relative to the cylinder  50  through the structure of the ball  30  and the socket  20 , the head  10  can be first rotated to be aligned with the valve  99  of a tire, and then the air outlet  112  of the head  10  can be fitted over the valve  99 . Thereafter, the lever  12  can be turned upwardly, allowing it to move from the first position (see  FIG. 4 ) to the second position (see  FIG. 5 ). 
     To facilitate the operation, the user may further rotate the cylinder  50  relative to the head  10  through the structure of the ball  30  and the socket  20 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , so that the pumping action can be conducted more smoothly. 
     With the handle  80 , the user may drive the piston  61  of the piston unit  60  to conduct reciprocating motion along the chamber  51  of the cylinder  50 . Therefore, air in the chamber  51  can be forced out of the air outlet  53  of the cylinder  50 , the through hole  32  of the ball  30 , the through hole  22  of the socket  20 , the air inlet  111  of the head  10  and finally forced out of the air outlet  112  of the head  10  to flow into the valve  99  of the tire, thereby inflating the tire. 
     With the present invention, the cylinder  50  can be rotated in all directions relative to the head  10  to facilitate operation of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is simple in structure, which allows easy manufacturing and precision control in assembling parts, thereby reducing the cost. 
     Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure is made by way of example only and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention hereinafter claimed.