Abstract:
A portable compressor for a tire repair kit comprises an adaptor mobile or removable from a force transmitting use position, the adaptor having an upper edge projecting with respect to an outer side wall of the compressor and defining a seat for a container of sealing fluid, the upper edge being spaced in use from a surface on which the compressor rests; and being configured to define a side support by means of a force transmission to the compressor to oppose an excessive inclination of the container of sealing fluid during the injection of sealing fluid by means of pressurized air.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from Italian Patent Application No. 102016000043664 filed on Apr. 28, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an improved portable compressor for a tire repair kit. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    According to one embodiment, a repair kit comprises a compressor and a container for a sealing fluid injected in the tire by the compressor. 
         [0004]    Subsequently, the compressor is coupled to the tire for inflating and restoring the conditions of use. In this way, the vehicle can circulate and, for example, safely reach a workshop for further controls. The container of sealing fluid and the compressor may be separately found on the market, for instance because identical spares of the container of sealing fluid originally supplied with the compressor are no longer available, e.g. when the expiration date of the sealing fluid has been surpassed. The fluid usually expires after  5  years, and the original containers of sealing fluid may be difficult to find. 
         [0005]    Furthermore, if purchased separately from the compressor for which they had been designed, some containers of sealing fluid can be unstable and not keep a position suitable for the injection of sealing fluid. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The object of the present invention is to provide a universal compressor to be used in combination with containers of sealing fluid having different configurations. 
         [0007]    The object of the present invention is achieved by means of a compressor according to claim  1 . 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing some non-limiting embodiments, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are perspective views of a kit comprising a compressor according to the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the compressor of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment of a kit comprising a compressor according to the present invention; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of a container designed to be coupled to the compressor of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    In  FIG. 1 , the reference number  1  indicates in its whole a kit for repairing and inflating tires comprising a portable compressor  2  and a container of sealing fluid  3 . The container  3  comprises an inlet  4 , which can be coupled to the compressor through a pipe or duct  5  for sending pressurized air to the container  3 , and an outlet  6 , which can be coupled to a tire through a pipe or duct  7  for sending sealing fluid and/or pressurized air to the tire (not shown). The container  3  can comprise one or both pipes  5 ,  7  by means of a suitable fixed fluid connection. Alternatively, the pipes  5  and  7  can be coupled to the container  3  immediately before use, i.e. immediately before the injection of sealing fluid. In any case, the fixed or removable fluid connections between the compressor  2 , the container  3 , the tire and the pipes  5 ,  7  are known and not further specified. In the non-limiting example shown in  FIG. 1 , the pipe  5  is fixedly coupled to the portable compressor  2  and is removably coupled to the inlet  4 , and the pipe  7  is fixedly coupled to the outlet  6  to be replaced after using the container  3 . 
         [0014]    The portable compressor  2  comprises an adaptor  8 , projecting with respect to an outer side wall  9  of the compressor  2  for laterally supporting the container  3  and for opposing any excessive inclinations of the container in use. The adaptor  8  defines a seat  10  by means of an edge  11  and the container  3  is housed in the seat  10  at least during the injection of sealing fluid, so that the edge  11  faces a side surface  12  of the container  3  when this latter is housed in the seat  10 . 
         [0015]    According to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the adaptor  8  is slidingly removable to be hidden inside the compressor  2  in its retracted position (not shown). To be extracted by hand and brought in the extracted position shown in  FIG. 1 , the outer side wall  9  defines a recess  13  inside which the adaptor  8  projects even in the retracted position so as to be manually extracted by means of one or two fingers. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows the kit in use, namely ready for the injection of sealing fluid. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the container  3  rests on the ground or on another surface on which the compressor  2  lies, and the adaptor  8  defines an exclusively lateral support for the container  3 . The weight of the container  3  is therefore applied on the ground. This support allows keeping the container  3  in the use position, i.e. the vertical one in the example, even during the injection of sealing fluid. In particular, the adaptor  8  is so rigid that it transmits the action of the container  3  to the compressor  2 , which, with its own mass, opposes the inclination of the container  3  in use. The adaptor  8  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  is a rigid body and, in the extracted position, rigidly transmits any loads applied by the side wall  12  of the container  3 . The adaptor  8  or the connection with the compressor  2  may be elastic. In any case, the adaptor  8  transfers the load applied by the side surface  12  to the compressor  2 . This latter, through its mass and/or through the position of the mass centre and/or of the supports  15  of the compressor on the ground or on any other surface, provides a sufficient contrasting action to keep the container  3  in a suitable use position. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows the adaptor  8  in the use position, where the edge  11  is spaced by the distance D from the supporting surface of the compressor  2  and the seat  10  is defined. The edge  11  of the adaptor  8  is preferably interrupted and/or open along a periphery of the seat  10 . The edge  11  then follows a C-shaped path, possibly defined by a broken line path and/or by circumference arcs having variable bending radii. The C-shape of the edge  11  facilitates the insertion of the container  3  in the seat  10  and prevents any interference with the pipe  7 . 
         [0018]    In particular, the adaptor  8  comprises a pair of arms  16 , preferably opposite with respect to the seat  10 . The arms  16  are substantially rigid so that the adaptor  8  is a substantially rigid single body and is, for example, made of a polymeric material. Alternatively, the arms  16  may be elastically deformable to apply a load on the side wall  12  when the container  3  is housed in the seat  10 , thus closing any possible play. 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows a kit  1 ′ identical to the kit  1 , with the exception of what indicated in the following paragraphs. For consistency&#39;s sake, the same reference numbers already used in the preceding paragraphs indicate hereinafter the elements of the kit  1 ′ functionally identical to the ones of the kit  1 . Furthermore, unless explicitly indicated, what stated hereinafter also applies to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         [0020]    According to the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the compressor  2  comprises an adaptor  8 ′ removable when the compressor  2  is used for the inflation only, and not for the injection of sealing fluid. The adaptor  8  is therefore mechanically coupled to the outer side wall  9 . More generally, the adaptor  8 ′ may be removably coupled to an outer shell or casing of the compressor  2 , in particular the shell or casing caught by the user to lift and arrange the compressor  2  in the use position or in the stowage position. The shell or casing further houses an electric motor, a piston driven by the electric motor and a compressor body housing the piston and having an outlet coupled to the pipe  5 . For example, the form coupling between the adaptor  8 ′ and the outer side wall  9  comprises a male element M that can be inserted in a female element F. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the male element M is supported by the adaptor  8  and the female element F is defined by the outer side wall  9 . 
         [0021]    Preferably, the adaptor  8  is further configured to keep a lower end portion  20  of the container  3  hovering above the ground at a distance ‘d’ smaller than the distance ‘D’ of the upper edge  11 . Preferably, the lower end portion  20  comprises one of the inlet  4  and the outlet  5  or both, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0022]    For this purpose, beside the arms  16 , which are arranged in a C-shape around the side wall  12 , the adaptor  8 ′ comprises an abutment  21 , which in use is arranged below the edge  11  and supports the weight of the container  3 . Preferably, the abutment  21  is coupled to the arms  16  and/or to the male element M. According to the embodiment of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the adaptor  8 ′ defines side and lower windows  22  between the arms  16  and the abutment  21 . The windows  22  are opposite with respect to the seat  10 . 
         [0023]    The abutment  21  is open at the bottom to house and/or be vertically crossed by the end portion  20  to improve the stabilizing action of the adaptor  8 ′. In this way, the end portion  20  is suspended in use and the abutment  21  contacts a portion of the container arranged above the end portion  20  when the container  3  is in a use position. This portion has a cross section whose maximum dimension is larger than the one of the end portion  20 . In particular, this latter must not consider the pipe(s) possibly fixedly coupled to the container. According to the example in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the end portion  20  is cylindrical, with a diameter D 1  smaller than the diameter D 2  of the side wall  12 . Furthermore, the cross section is defined by a horizontal plane, since the compressor  2  rests on another horizontal plane and the use position of the container is such that the axis of the side wall  12  is vertical. 
         [0024]    Preferably, also the abutment  21  is open in a lateral direction on the same side of the edge  11 , so that the container  3  can be arranged in the seat  10  by the user both with a substantially vertical movement downward and with a lateral approaching movement toward the outer side wall  9 . 
         [0025]    According to the embodiment of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the container  3  hovers above the ground and this is possible because the mass of the compressor is larger than the one of the container  3 . Moreover, this is enhanced by the fact that at least one between the electric motor and/or the piston and/or the compressor body is as spaced apart as possible from the form coupling M, F. Preferably, at least the compressor body is adjacent to an outer side wall of the compressor  2  opposite the outer side wall  9  of the form coupling M, F. 
         [0026]    Preferably, in order to obtain a sufficient hindrance to an excessive inclination during the injection of sealing fluid, the minimum distance between the ground support of the end portion  20  and the edge  11  or between the abutment  21  and the edge  11  is equal to or greater than 3 cm. 
         [0027]    Finally, it is clear that the portable compressor  2  here described and shown can be subject to modifications and variations without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. 
         [0028]    For instance, the edge  11  of the adaptor  8  can be closed along its periphery. In this case, the user places on the ground the container  3  provided with the pipe  7  and then raises or tilts the portable compressor  2  so that the container enters the seat  10  upward. 
         [0029]    Alternatively, the edge  11  can be closed and comprise, for instance, a belt with a releasable and possibly adjustable closure, which can be adjusted, in the closed position, to different shapes or transverse dimensions of the container  3 . 
         [0030]    The portable compressor  2  can be provided with adjusting inserts to allow the pressurized air-tight fluid connection with the inlet  4  of the container  3 . 
         [0031]    The sliding guide of the adaptor  8  can be replaced by a swinging connection to obtain a configuration similar to the one of  FIG. 3  in the open position and a closed position due to the overturning of the adaptor. 
         [0032]    It is possible that the edge  11  is two-dimensional as shown in the figures, or that it follows a three-dimensional path. In this latter case, the minimum distance from a supporting surface on which the weight of the container  3  is applied must be of at least 3 cm.