EP1122433A1 - Rapid connector for inflating a tyre and bicycle pump with connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The connector body (20) is joined through a flexible intermediate section (10) to the e.g. pump (or other source of compressed air). The intermediate section is centrally constricted (13).

Description

The present invention relates generally to the pumps of bicycles and more particularly a quick coupling of such a pump intended for be temporarily adapted to a valve for inflating a tire.

In particular, it relates to a connector which comprises a body connected to a source of fluid such as a bicycle pump body.

In quick couplings of this type already known, the connection between the quick coupling and the bicycle pump body is generally made by a rigid part which is the extension of the body of the quick connector coming from adapt by any mounting means, for example by screwing, to the end of the pump body.

However, the fact that the connection between the body of the quick coupling and the pump body is made rigidly, the user can have difficulty orienting the quick coupling of the pump with respect to the valve for temporarily adapt it to inflate the tire.

To improve the comfort and simplicity of using a hand pump to give the user of the pump a more comfortable position comfortable for inflation of the tire, i.e. a more comfortable position raised relative to the position of the valve, the present invention provides a new quick coupling characterized in that the connection between the body of the connection and the fluid source is produced via a flexible part which has a narrowing section in a central part.

This flexible part makes it possible to orient the pump body relative to the quick coupling, at an angle that can vary between 20 and 45 ° depending on the plan considered.

Advantageously, this flexible part can be made of rubber or in flexible thermoplastic material such as an elastomer or neoprene.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the flexible part has streaks on at least part of its outer surface. This allows to give it even more flexibility.

Preferably, the flexible part of said connector generally has the shape of a diabolo with two portions of ellipsoid connected by their top to form the central part of smaller section, the external surface of one of the portions continuously joining the external surface of the body of the fitting.

In addition, preferably, said flexible part being pierced with a channel axial fluid circulation, it comprises, at each end of said channel, a end cap made of rigid material for connection on the one hand to an internal channel of the fitting body and on the other hand to an interior chamber of the pump body.

Thus, the flexible part allows the guidance of compressed air between the body pump and the fitting body on the valve of the tire to be inflated. It also makes it possible to produce a seal between the body of the fitting and the pump body.

Advantageously also, said flexible part of the quick connector according to the invention can be produced by molding or by machining.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a hand pump of bicycle comprising a pump body with handle, a rod integral with the handle and carrying at one end a piston adapted to slide in the body of pump, said pump body being connected by tubing to a fitting fast as mentioned above.

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, given as non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be achieved.

• les figures 1 et 2 sont des vues de côté et de dessus d'une pompe à main de bicyclette selon l'invention ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective de trois quarts du raccord rapide de la pompe représentée sur la figure 1, avec un arrachement partiel au niveau du capuchon du raccord de pompe ;
• la figure 4 est une vue de dessous du capuchon du raccord de pompe ;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe selon le plan B-B du capuchon de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue de côté du raccord de pompe de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 7 est une vue selon la flèche A du raccord de la figure 6 ;
• la figure 8 est une vue de détail d'une partie de la surface externe du col du raccord représenté sur la figure 6 ;
• la figure 9 est une vue de dessus du raccord de la figure 7 ;
• la figure 10 est une vue en coupe axiale du raccord de la pompe représentée sur la figure 1, avec le capuchon du raccord en position libre sur le col du raccord ; et
• la figure 11 est une vue en coupe axiale du raccord de la pompe représentée sur la figure 1, avec le capuchon du raccord serré sur le col dudit raccord.

In the accompanying drawings:

• Figures 1 and 2 are side and top views of a bicycle hand pump according to the invention;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of three quarters of the quick connector of the pump shown in Figure 1, with a partial cutaway at the cap of the pump connector;
• Figure 4 is a bottom view of the cap of the pump fitting;
• Figure 5 is a sectional view along the plane BB of the cap of Figure 4;
• Figure 6 is a side view of the pump connector of Figure 1;
• Figure 7 is a view along arrow A of the connector of Figure 6;
• FIG. 8 is a detailed view of part of the external surface of the neck of the connector shown in FIG. 6;
• Figure 9 is a top view of the connector of Figure 7;
• Figure 10 is an axial sectional view of the pump fitting shown in Figure 1, with the fitting cap in the free position on the neck of the fitting; and
• Figure 11 is an axial sectional view of the pump fitting shown in Figure 1, with the fitting cap tightened on the neck of said fitting.

In Figures 1 and 2 there is shown side view and top view, a hand pump for bicycle 1 of the mini-pump type with telescopic structure, comprising, in known manner, a substantially cylindrical pump body 2 of revolution with handle 3, said handle 3 carrying a rod (not shown) engaged in the inner chamber of the pump body 2 and carrying a piston suitable for sliding in the pump body. Pump body 2 is connected by a tube 4 (see more particularly Figures 10 and 11) to a body 20 a quick connector intended to be temporarily adapted to a valve for inflation of a tire, in particular of an inner tube of a tire bicycle.

As shown more particularly in Figures 3, 10 and 11, the connection between the body 20 of the quick coupling and the body 2 of the bicycle 1 is advantageously produced by means of a flexible part 10.

This flexible part 10 can be made of rubber or a flexible thermoplastic material such as an elastomer or neoprene.

Here it generally has the shape of a diabolo with two portions of ellipsoid 11, 12 connected by their top to form a central part 13 of the flexible part 10 of smaller section.

In addition, one of the portions 11 of the flexible part 10 has a surface external which is connected continuously to the external surface of the body 20 of the connector fast.

According to the embodiment more particularly represented on the Figures 3, 10 and 11, the body 20 here has a shape complementary to the portion of ellipsoid 11 of flexible part 10, with a lateral external surface rounded which connects to a flat upper external surface forming a continuity of external surface with that of the portion of ellipsoid 11 of the part flexible 10.

Thus the body 20 constitutes an extension of the general shape in diabolo of the flexible part 10.

Of course, according to an alternative embodiment not shown, we could consider that the body 20 of the quick coupling simply presents a tubular shape.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 10 and 11, the part flexible 10 being pierced with an axial fluid circulation channel 4 forming the connecting pipe of the interior chamber of the pump body 2 to quick coupling, it comprises at each end of said channel 4 an end piece 16, 17 made of rigid material for its connection on the one hand to an internal channel of the quick coupling starting obliquely to the axis of the axial channel 4 and other leaves to an interior chamber, not shown, of the pump body.

These ends made of rigid material 16, 17 can be made of material metallic such as brass.

The end piece 17 located on the side of the body 20 can be a simple striated sleeve for its attachment to the ellipsoid portion 11 of the flexible part 10. This end piece 17 also advantageously comprises an internal thread for the mounting by screwing of a threaded end piece 18 secured to the body 20 of the fitting fast.

On the other side, body side 2 of the pump 1, the nozzle 16 is a sleeve externally threaded for screw mounting of the pump body bicycle.

This threaded end piece 16 has at the rear part an annular groove for its connection with the ellipsoid portion 12 of the flexible part 10.

The mounting by screwing of said flexible part 10, at both ends of its channel 4, is particularly advantageous because it allows disassembly fast of this flexible part 10.

In addition, advantageously, the thread provided in the body 2 of the pump 1 for its mounting by screwing on the end piece 16 is such that it can receive also by screwing the threaded end piece 18 of the body 20 of the quick coupling.

Thus, in the event of damage to the flexible part 10, it can be easily disassemble and directly screw the body 20 of the connector quick to body 2 of pump 1 to continue using said pump without flexible part.

Said flexible part 10 can be produced by molding, and more particularly can be molded onto the ends of rigid material 16, 17.

It can also be produced by machining the flexible material.

According to the advantageous embodiment shown in Figures 3, 10 and 11, the flexible part 10 comprises on at least part of its surface external of the ridges 14, 15, giving it even more flexibility. These streaks are, by series, parallel to each other, and have a depth adapted to the flexibility that we want to give to this flexible part.

Furthermore, the body 20 of the quick coupling is provided with a cylindrical housing 21, here cylindrical of revolution about an axis X. This cylindrical housing 21 has, at one end, a circular opening 22 opening out to the outside and into which is intended to engage the tire valve. At its other end, the cylindrical housing 21 is blind and has at its bottom a centering stud 21 a in the shape of a cross (see more particularly Figures 9, 10 and 11), for the axial positioning of a valve box 30 as will be described in more detail later.

In addition, near the bottom of the cylindrical housing 21, it has in its side wall an orifice for communication with a channel circulation of fluid extending obliquely to the X axis and connecting to the axial fluid circulation channel 4 of the flexible part 10 forming the connection between the body 20 of the quick coupling and the interior chamber of the pump body 2.

In addition, it is provided inside the cylindrical housing 21 of the body 20 quick coupling, tight connection means to the valve (not shown) introduced into the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21 of the body 20 of the quick coupling.

Here, according to the preferred version shown in the figures, said means sealing connections are suitable for two types of valve, the type SCHRADER and the PRESTA type.

They are suitable for this purpose to be positioned in said cylindrical housing 21 in two inverted positions.

These sealed connection means more particularly a valve box 30 extending along the axis X of the housing cylindrical 21 and fitted at its two ends with two sealing rings 31, 32, elastically deformable of different shapes.

The ring 31 has a substantially bowl shape with a bottom thick fixed by snap-fastening on an axial protuberance 40 closing the end of the valve box 30 and more particularly sealing the end of a chamber containing a valve ball 33 adapted to cooperate with a seat valve, the axial protuberance 40 being traversed by an axial air passage 41. Above the valve seat, depending on the direction of positioning of the box valve shown in Figures 10 and 11, the valve box 30 has a internal space open to its end equipped with the elastic ring 32 of general tubular shape centered on the X axis and projecting from the body 20 of the fitting through the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21.

The open internal space of the valve box 30 communicates by lateral openings 30a provided in said piston with an annular space 21 ' formed between the wall of the cylindrical housing 21 and the valve box 30, said annular space 21 'being connected via the communication orifice to the channel of fluid circulation 4.

In the position illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the axial protuberance 40 carried by the valve box 30 is positioned against the pin 21a provided in the bottom of the cylindrical housing 21 so as to center the whole of the box valve 30 and sealing rings 31 and 32 in the cylindrical housing 21 along the axis X of the cylindrical housing 21.

The position shown in Figures 10 and 11 allows the adaptation of the quick connection to a PRESTA type valve.

To adapt the quick coupling to a SCHRADER valve, simply to reverse the position of the valve box 30 fitted with two rings sealing 31, 32 so that the axial protuberance 40, carried by said valve box, is oriented upwards, that is to say towards the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21, with the sealing ring 31 projecting from the through the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21.

The quick coupling comprises means for clamping said means of tight connection explained above, and more particularly of one of the sealing rings 31, 32 carried by the valve box 30 on a valve introduced into the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21 of the body 20 of said connection.

These clamping means will now be described in detail in reference more particularly to FIGS. 3 to 9.

Said clamping means comprise a cap 50 comprising a bottom 51 pierced in its center with an opening 52 covering said opening end 22 of the cylindrical housing 21 of the body 20 of the quick coupling.

More particularly, here the body 20 of the quick coupling comprises a neck tubular 25 receiving the cap 50 so that its bottom 51 comes fit on the peripheral edge of the tubular neck 25 with its central opening 52 centered on the axis X of the cylindrical housing 21 of the body 20 of the quick coupling.

The cap 50 has a cylindrical skirt 53 adapted to cover the cylindrical outer face 26 of the neck 25.

The cap 50 comprises mounting means cooperating with corresponding mounting means provided at the end opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21, so that the attachment of the cap 50 to the body 20 of the quick coupling is achieved by a bayonet mounting and tightening of the cap 50 on the connection means, and more particularly on one of the sealing rings 31, 32 carried by the valve box 30 of the connection means, is produced by a cam surface cooperation 24 a , following a pivoting movement of the cap 50 around the axis X of the cylindrical housing.

The cap 50 has two functions here. It closes the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21 to avoid an untimely exit of the means of waterproof connection. Its bayonet mounting on the neck 25 of the body 20 of the fitting allows it to be easily assembled and disassembled in order to be able to extract said connection means (the valve box 30 fitted with rings sealing 31, 32) to reverse the position in said cylindrical housing with a view to their adaptation to another type of valve. The cap 50 allows also to tighten the tight connection means on a valve introduced into the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing of the body 20.

More particularly, as shown in Figures 3 to 9, the means for mounting the cap 50 are provided on the internal face 53a of the cylindrical skirt 53 and the corresponding mounting means 23, 24 provided at level of the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21 are positioned on the face cylindrical outer 26 of the tubular neck 25.

Said means for mounting the cap 50 here comprise two pins 54, 55 positioned diametrically opposite on the internal face 53 a of the cylindrical skirt 53 of the cap 50, so that they form a radial projection from this face, and are located close to the free edge 53 b of the cylindrical skirt 53 of the cap.

The corresponding mounting means, provided on the cylindrical external face 26 of the tubular neck 25 of the body of the quick coupling, comprise two diametrically opposite paths, each path receiving a stud 54, 55 and comprising a first bent portion 23 for engaging said stud for the bayonet mounting of the cap 50 on the tubular neck 25 of the body 20 of the quick coupling, and a second part 24 constituted by a ramp provided with said cam surface 24 a for tightening the cap 50 on said sealing connection means and in particular on a sealing ring 31 or 32 carried by the valve box 30.

Each path receiving a nipple comes from formation with the tubular neck 25 of body 20.

The bent portion 23 of each path has a portion extending parallel to the axis X of the cylindrical housing then a part extending substantially transversely, that is to say tangentially to the external face cylindrical 26 of the tubular neck 25. Each bent engagement portion 23 of the path formed on the cylindrical external face of the tubular neck 25 is delimited by an unreferenced stop whose external surface forms a guide ramp of the nipple engaged in this bent portion of engagement so as to obtain a elastic bayonet mounting of the cap 50 on the tubular neck 25 of the body 20 of the quick coupling. This bayonet mount simply allows secure the cap 50 to the body 20 of the quick coupling and avoid an exit untimely valve box 30 provided with housing sealing rings cylindrical interior 21 of the body 20 of the quick coupling.

Regarding the part 24 of the path formed by a ramp and provided with said cam surface 24 a , it also includes in its bottom a recess 24 b against which the stud engaged in the ramp is blocked to allow the locking of the cap 50 in the clamped position on the tubular neck 25 of the body 20 of the quick coupling.

The pins 54, 55 of the cap 50 advantageously come from cap formation 50.

In addition, the cap 50 comprises an operating lever 60 for driving it according to the pivoting movement around the axis X of the cylindrical housing 21 for tightening on a sealing ring 31 or 32 carried by the valve box 30 constituting said sealed connection means. This operating lever 60 extends in the plane of the bottom 51 of the cap 50 and has two lateral faces 61, 62 which are tangentially connected to the external face 53 c of the cylindrical skirt 53 of the cap 50.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lever 60 has an external lateral face 61 whose shape matches the external contours of the body 20 of the connector and of the portion of ellipsoid 11 associated with the flexible part 10, so that that when the cap is in the clamped position on the tubular neck 25 of the body 20 of the quick coupling, it melts in the general shape of the quick coupling associated with the flexible part 10 for connecting the quick coupling to the body of the bicycle pump 1. The other lateral face 62 of the lever 60, in addition to the fact that it is tangentially connected to the external surface 53 c of the cylindrical skirt 53 of said cap, it has here a straight profile.

Of course, according to a variant embodiment not shown, the lever may have at one end a flat to allow better support of the thumb on said lever so as to actuate the latter. The right side face 62 lever 60 forms a thumb support surface of a lever actuator maneuver.

It should also be noted that, according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cap 50 has, as a variant, at its bottom 51 days 51 b , 51 a positioned on either side of its central opening 52 opening out. on the one hand towards the outside and on the other hand towards the inside on the side of the pins 54, 55 carried by the internal face of the cylindrical skirt 53 of said cap.

Thus, as shown more particularly in FIGS. 10 and 11, in operating the lever so as to rotate the cap 50 around the X axis of the cylindrical housing 21, the cap is lowered axially by cooperation of the pins 54, 55 which it carries with the cam surfaces 24 of the ramps provided on the external face 26 of the tubular neck 25 of the body 20 of the quick coupling, so as to compress the sealing ring, here the ring sealing 32, located between the tubular neck 25 and the inner face of the bottom 51 of the cap 50, the free edge of the sealing ring 32 then tightening the valve (not shown here) introduced into the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21, via the opening 52 of the cap.

Of course, the present invention is in no way limited to the modes of realization described and represented, but the person skilled in the art will be able to bring it all variant according to his spirit.

Claims (9)

Quick coupling intended to be temporarily adapted to a valve for inflating a tire, said connector comprising a body (20) connected to a source of fluid such as a bicycle pump body (2) (1), characterized in that the connection between said body (20) and said source of fluid is produced by means of a flexible part (10) which includes a section narrowing in a central part (13). Fitting according to claim 1, characterized in that said part flexible (10) is made of rubber. Fitting according to claim 1, characterized in that said part flexible (10) is made of flexible thermoplastic material such as elastomer or neoprene. Fitting according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said flexible part (10) has on at least part of its external surface streaks (14, 15). Fitting according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said flexible part (10) generally has the shape of a diabolo with two ellipsoid portions (11, 12) connected by their vertex to form the portion central section (13) of smaller cross section, the external surface of one of said portions is continuously connecting to the external surface of the body (20) of the connector. Fitting according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flexible part (10) being pierced with an axial channel of circulation of fluid (4), it comprises at each end of said channel an end piece (16, 17) of rigid material for its connection on the one hand to an internal channel of the body (20) of the fitting and on the other hand to an interior chamber of the body of pump. Fitting according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flexible part (10) is produced by molding. Fitting according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said flexible part (10) is produced by machining. Bicycle hand pump (1) comprising a pump body (2) with handle (3), a rod integral with the handle and carrying at one end a piston adapted to slide in the pump body, said pump body (2) being connected by tubing to a quick connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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