FR2804490A1 - QUICK CONNECTOR FOR INFLATING A TIRE, AND BICYCLE PUMP COMPRISING SUCH A CONNECTOR - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a quick coupling intended to be fitted temporarily to a valve for inflating a tire, said coupling comprising a body (20) connected to a source of fluid such as a body (2) of a bicycle pump ( 1); According to the invention, the connection between said body and said source of fluid is made by means of a flexible part (10).

Description

"Quick coupling for inflating a tire, and bicycle pump

  comprising such a coupling "The present invention relates generally to bicycle pumps and more particularly to 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 includes a body connected to a source of fluid such as a bicycle pump body. In the 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 coupling which is adapted by any mounting means, for example by screwing, to

The end of the pump body.

  However, because the connection between the body of the quick connector and the pump body is made rigidly, the user may have difficulty orienting the quick connector of the pump relative to the valve to

  temporarily adapt it to inflate the tire.

  In order to improve the comfort and simplicity of use of a bicycle hand pump, and to give the user of the pump a more comfortable position for inflating the tire, that is to say a higher position relative to the valve position, 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 by means of a flexible part.

  This flexible part makes it possible to orient the pump body relative to the quick coupling, at an angle which can vary between 20 and 45 depending on the plane considered. Advantageously, this flexible part can be made of rubber or else of flexible thermoplastic material such as an elastomer or neoprene. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the flexible part comprises on at least part of its external surface of the ridges. This allows

  to give it even more flexibility.

  According to one embodiment of the connector according to the invention, the flexible part comprises a narrowing of section in a central part. According to this embodiment, the flexible part generally has the shape of a diabolo with two portions of ellipsoid connected by their apex to form the central part of smaller section, the external surface of one of the portions

  continuously connecting to the external surface of the fitting body.

  In addition, preferably, said flexible part being pierced with an axial fluid circulation channel, it comprises, at each end of said channel, an end piece of rigid material for its 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 bicycle hand pump comprising a handle pump body, a rod secured to the handle and carrying at one end a piston adapted to slide in the pump body, 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.

  In the appended figures: - 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 connector, - 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, - Figure 8 is a detail view of a part of the external surface of the neck of the connector shown in Figure 6, - Figure 9 is a top view of the connector of Figure 7, - Figure 10 is an axial sectional view of the connector of the pump shown in FIG. 1, with the cap of the connector in free position on the neck of the connector, and - FIG. 11 is a view in axial section of the pump fitting shown in FIG. 1, with the fitting cap tightened on the neck of said fitting. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a side view and top view, a hand pump for bicycle 1 of the mini-pump type with telescopic structure, comprising in known manner a pump body 2 substantially cylindrical 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 adapted to slide in the pump body. The pump body 2 is connected by a tube 4 (see more particularly FIGS. 10 and 11) to a body 20 of a quick connector intended to be temporarily adapted to a valve for inflating a tire, in particular of an inner tube of a bicycle tire. 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 pump 1 is advantageously carried out 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.

  It generally has here 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 an external surface which is connected continuously to the external surface of the body 20 of the quick coupling. According to the embodiment more particularly shown in FIGS. 3, 10 and 11, the body 20 here has a shape complementary to the portion of ellipsoid 11 of the flexible part 10, with a rounded lateral external surface which is connected to a surface external upper plane 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, it could be envisaged that the body 20 of the quick coupling simply has

a tubular shape.

  As shown more particularly in FIGS. 10 and 11, the flexible part 10 being pierced with an axial fluid circulation channel 4 forming the tubing for connecting the interior chamber of the pump body 2 to the 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 with respect to the axis of the axial channel 4 and on the 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.

  On the other side, body side 2 of the pump 1, the nozzle 16 is an externally threaded sleeve 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.

  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 has on at least part of its outer surface of the ridges 14, 15, giving it even more flexibility. These ridges are, in 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

  outside and in 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 21a 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, the latter has in its side wall an orifice for communication with a fluid circulation channel extending obliquely to the axis X and connecting to the axial channel of circulation of fluid 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, there are provided inside the cylindrical housing 21 of the body 20 of the quick coupling, sealed 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 sealed connection means are adapted to two types of valves, 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 comprise a valve box 30 extending along the axis X of the cylindrical housing 21 and equipped 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 thick bottom fixed by snap-fastening on an axial protuberance 40 closing the end of the valve box 30 and more particularly closing the end of a chamber containing a valve ball 33 adapted to cooperate with a headquarters of

  valve, the axial protuberance 40 being traversed by an axial air passage 41.

  Above the valve seat, in the direction of positioning of the valve box shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the valve box 30 has an internal space open to its end equipped with the elastic ring 32 of general shape. tubular 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 through 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 port at the

fluid circulation 4.

  In the position illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the axial protuberance 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 assembly of the valve box 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 type valve, it suffices to reverse the position of the valve box 30 fitted with the two sealing rings 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 at the

  through the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21.

  The quick coupling comprises means for tightening said sealed connection means explained above, and more particularly one of the sealing rings 31, 32 carried by the valve box 30 on a valve introduced into the opening 22 of the housing. cylindrical 21 of the body 20 of said fitting. 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 having 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 tubular neck 25 receiving the cap 50 so that its bottom 51 comes to 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 achieved by a cam surface cooperation 24a , following a pivoting movement of the cap 50

  around the X axis of the cylindrical housing.

  The cap 50 has two functions here. It makes it possible to close the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing 21 to prevent an untimely exit from the sealed connection means. Its bayonet mounting on the neck 25 of the body 20 of the connector allows it to be easily assembled and disassembled in order to be able to extract said connection means (the valve box 30 equipped with sealing rings 31, 32) to reverse its position. in said cylindrical housing for adaptation to another type of valve. The cap 50 also makes it possible to tighten the sealed connection means on a valve

  introduced into the opening 22 of the cylindrical housing of the body 20.

  More particularly, as shown in FIGS. 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 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 studs 54, 55 positioned diametrically opposite on the internal face 53a of the cylindrical skirt 53 of the cap 50, so that they protrude radially from this face, and are located in the vicinity from the free edge 53b of said 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 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 24a for tightening the cap 50 on said sealed 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

body 20.

  The bent part 23 of each path comprises a part extending parallel to the axis X of the cylindrical housing then a part extending substantially transversely, that is to say tangentially to the cylindrical external face 26 of the tubular neck 25. Each bent engagement part 23 of the path formed on the cylindrical external face of the tubular neck 25, and delimited by an abutment not referenced, the external surface of which forms a ramp for guiding the stud engaged in this bent engagement part so as to obtain an elastic bayonet mounting of the cap 50 on the tubular neck 25 of the body 20 of the quick coupling. This bayonet fitting simply makes it possible to secure the cap 50 to the body 20 of the quick coupling and to avoid an untimely exit from the valve box 30 provided with sealing rings of the housing.

  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 24a, it also includes at its bottom a recess 24b against which the stud engaged in the ramp is blocked to allow the locking of the cap 50 in tight 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 the latter 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 connected

  tangentially to the external face 53c 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 follows the external contours of the body 20 of the connector and of the associated ellipsoid portion 11 of 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 tangentially connects to the external surface

  53c of the cylindrical skirt 53 of said cap, it has here a straight profile.

  Of course, according to an alternative 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 lateral face 62 of the lever 60 forms a bearing surface for the thumb of an actuator of the operating lever. It should also be noted that, according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cap 50 has as a variant in its bottom 51 days 51b, 51a positioned on either side of its central opening 52 opening out from on the one hand towards the outside and on the other hand towards the inside on the side of the studs 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, by actuating the lever so as to rotate the cap 50 around the axis X 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 sealing ring 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 embodiments described and shown, but the person skilled in the art will be able to provide all of them.

variant according to his spirit.

Claims (10)

  1. Quick coupling intended to be temporarily adapted to a valve for inflating a tire, said coupling 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 made by means of a flexible part (10). 2. Connection according to claim 1, characterized in that said part   flexible (10) is made of rubber.   3. Connection according to claim 1, characterized in that said flexible part (10) is made of flexible thermoplastic material such as elastomer or neoprene.   4. Connection according to one of claims I to 3, characterized in that   said flexible part (10) has on at least part of its external surface streaks (14, 15).   5. Connection according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that   said flexible part (10) has a narrowing of section in a part central (13).   6. A connector according to claim 5, characterized in that said flexible part (10) generally has the shape of a diabolo with two portions of ellipsoid (11, 12) connected by their top to form the central part (13) of smaller section, the outer surface of one of said portions is   continuously connecting to the external surface of the body (20) of the connector.   7. Connection according to any one of the preceding claims,   characterized in that said flexible part (10) being pierced with an axial fluid circulation channel (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 connector and on the other hand to an internal chamber of the pump body.   8. Connection according to any one of the preceding claims,   characterized in that said flexible part (10) is produced by molding.   9. Connection according to any one of claims I to 7, characterized   in that said flexible part (10) is produced by machining.   10. 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 I to 9.