Patent Publication Number: US-2018038360-A1

Title: Hand pump having needle storing structure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a hand pump or air pump, and more particularly to a hand pump including a needle storing structure or mechanism for receiving and storing various kinds of needles and for easily and quickly and readily inflating various kinds of inflatable objects, such as game balls, balloons, life buoys, tires, etc. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Various kinds of typical hand pumps or air pumps have been developed and provided for inflating various kinds of inflatable objects, such as game balls, blades, balloons, life buoys, tires, etc., and normally comprise a piston slidably received or engaged in an outer receptacle and actuatable or movable relative to the outer receptacle for generating or providing a pressurized air to inflate the inflatable objects. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,839 to Flagg, U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,577 to Chuang, U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,264 to Wu, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,768 to Wu disclose several of the typical hand pumps or air pumps each also comprising a piston slidably received or engaged in an outer receptacle and actuatable or movable relative to the outer receptacle for generating or providing a pressurized air to inflate the inflatable objects, and a needle attached or coupled to a nozzle for engaging into the inflatable objects selectively. 
     However, the needles are normally separated or spaced from the typical hand pumps or air pumps, i.e., the users have to prepare the needles by themselves in order to inflate the inflatable objects, and the typical hand pumps or air pumps do not provide the needle storing structures or mechanisms for receiving and storing the needles. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional hand pumps or air pumps. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a hand pump including a needle storing structure or mechanism for receiving and storing various kinds of needles and for easily and quickly and readily inflating various kinds of inflatable objects, such as game balls, balloons, life buoys, tires, etc. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a hand pump comprising a receptacle including a chamber formed therein, and including a mouth, a piston slidably engaged in the chamber of the receptacle and movable relative to the receptacle for generating a pressurized air and for supplying the pressurized air out through the mouth, a piston rod attached to the piston for moving the piston relative to the chamber of the receptacle, a hand grip attached to the piston rod for moving the piston relative to the receptacle, the hand grip includes a compartment formed in the hand grip, and a needle device received and engaged in the compartment of the hand grip. The needle device may be selected from a game ball needle, a tire needle, a life buoy needle, a balloon needle, or the like. 
     The hand grip includes an extension extended therefrom and attached to the piston rod, and the hand grip includes a space formed in the extension of the hand grip and communicating with the compartment of the hand grip for receiving and engaging with the needle device. 
     The hand grip includes a cover attached to the hand grip for enclosing the compartment of the hand grip and for shielding and protecting the needle device. The cover may be made with a transparent or semi-transparent material for allowing the needle device to be seen through the cover. The hand grip includes at least one reinforcing fin extended into the compartment of the hand grip for reinforcing the hand grip. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hand pump in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front plan schematic view of the hand pump; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the hand pump taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is another cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , illustrating the operation of the hand pump; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial exploded view of the hand pump, illustrating the operation of the hand pump; 
         FIGS. 6, 7  are partial exploded views similar to  FIG. 5 , illustrating the operation of the hand pump; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of the hand pump as shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan schematic view of the hand pump as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ; and 
         FIG. 10  is a front plan schematic view similar to  FIG. 2 , illustrating the operation of the hand pump. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1-5 , a hand pump in accordance with the present invention comprises an outer receptacle  10  including a compartment or chamber  11  formed therein, and including an outlet or mouth  12  formed or provided on one or first end portion  13  thereof for engaging with a needle device  4 , such as a game ball needle  40  ( FIGS. 1-9 ), a tire needle  41  ( FIGS. 6-9 ), a life buoy needle  42  ( FIGS. 4-9 ), a balloon needle  43  ( FIG. 10 ), etc., and for suitably inflating various kinds of inflatable objects (not illustrated), such as game balls, blades, balloons, life buoys, tires, etc. 
     A piston  20  is slidably received or engaged in the chamber  11  of the outer receptacle  10  and actuatable or movable relative to the outer receptacle  10  for generating or providing a pressurized air to inflate the inflatable objects (not illustrated), a piston rod  21  is attached to or extended from the piston  20 , and a knob or hand grip  30  attached or coupled to the piston rod  21  for moving the piston  20  relative to the outer receptacle  10  and for generating or providing the pressurized air. The piston rod  21  may include a recess or cavity  22  formed therein for weight reducing purposes. 
     The hand grip  30  includes a stud or extension  31  extended downwardly therefrom and attached or coupled to the piston rod  21 , and includes a chamber or compartment  32  formed in the hand grip  30 , and/or a space  33  formed in the extension  31  of the hand grip  30  and communicating with the compartment  32  of the hand grip  30  for receiving or engaging with or for storing the game ball needle  40  ( FIGS. 1-9 ), the tire needle  41  ( FIGS. 6-9 ), the life buoy needle  42  ( FIGS. 4-9 ), or the balloon needle  43  ( FIG. 10 ) of the needle device  4 . 
     The hand grip  30  further includes a peripheral flange or shoulder or engaging member  34  formed or provided thereon for selectively engaging with a cover  35  and for allowing the cover  35  to be detachably or removably attached or mounted to the hand grip  30 , and includes one or more reinforcing flanges or ribs or fins  36  extended into the compartment  32  of the hand grip  30  for reinforcing the hand grip  30  and/or for engaging with the cover  35 . The cover  35  may be provided for enclosing the compartment  32  of the hand grip  30  and for shielding and protecting the needles  40 - 43  of the needle device  4 . 
     It is preferable, but not necessary that the cover  35  is made or manufactured with a transparent or semi-transparent material or the like for allowing the needle device  4  to be seen through the cover  35 . It is to be noted that either of the game ball needle  40 , the tire needle  41 , the life buoy needle  42 , or the balloon needle  43  of the needle device  4  may be selectively used by the user and engaged with the mouth  12  at the one or first end portion  13  of the receptacle  10  for suitably inflating various kinds of inflatable objects. 
     Accordingly, the hand pump in accordance with the present invention includes a needle storing structure or mechanism for receiving and storing various kinds of needles and for easily and quickly and readily inflating various kinds of inflatable objects, such as game balls, balloons, life buoys, tires, etc. 
     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.