GB1599304A - Inflation valve connectors - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO INFLATION VALVE CONNECTORS (71) We, SCOVILL INC., a Corporation organised under the laws of the State of Connecticut, United States of America, having a place of business at 829 Tyburn Road, Erdington, Birmingham 24, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to inflation valve connectors and is particularly concerned with connectors that can be used with more than one form of inflation valve.

According to the invention there is provided an inflation valve connector comprising a tubular body and a collar detachably securable thereto, said body being provided at an outlet end with an internally threaded connecting portion and within the body at or adjacent said threaded portion there being a valve-opening member projecting towards said outlet end. the collar being securable to the outlet end of the body by attachment means at one end of the collar and the other end of the collar forming an outlet end and being provided with a further internally threaded connecting portion, said tubular body being also provided with a non-return valve arranged to permit the passage of air through the connector to the outlet end of the body or collar.

Preferably. the internally threaded portions of said body and said collar are each adapted to fit a different size or form of valve.

Advantageously the attachment means for said collar may comprise an externally threaded portion at said one end of the collar adapted to engage said internal thread on the tubular body.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows in axial half section an inflation valve connector according to the invention Tubular body 2 of the connector has at its lower end (as viewed in the drawing) an internally threaded portion 4, adapted to fit the externally threaded outer end of the housing of a "Schrader" (Registered Trade Mark) tyre inflation valve or other inflation valve with a corresponding externally threaded housing outer end, in the bore of which housing is an internal valve stem. The lower part of the body 2 has a knurled outer surface 6 to provide a grip when screwing or unscrewing the connector.

A resilient washer 8 is retained within the body 2 adjacent the upper end of the threaded portion 4, for the lip of the inflation valve housing to seal against when the connector is fully screwed down onto a valve. A ring 10, retained immediately above the washer 8 has an integral downwardly projecting limb 12 in its central region, constituting a valve-opening member for displacing the internal valve stem of the "Schrader" valve.

The upper part of the body 2 is of smaller diameter than the lower part and includes a non-return valve comprising a bore 14 containing a valve ball 16 and provided with a seating 18 for the ball 16 at its upper end.

The ball 16 is freely movable along the bore 14 by gas pressure. The valve is thus arranged to permit the passage of gas through the body 2 in the downward direction only, and to prevent the escape of pressure from an attached inflation valve.

The exterior of the upper body part is provided with ridges 20 for sealingly securing to one end of a flexible hose 22. A spring sleeve 23 is crimped at its lower end into a circumferential groove 24 on the tubular body 2 and serves to retain the connector in the handle of an inflation hand pump (e.g.

bicycle pump) when not in use. At its other end the hose has a threaded adaptor 25 sealingly secured to it for attaching the connector to the inflation pump.

A collar 26 is detachably connected to the body 2 by an external thread 28 on its upper part fitting the internal thread 4 on the body 2, the resilient washer 8 sealing the joint between collar and body. The lower part has an internally threaded portion 30 of smaller diameter than the threaded portion 4 to fit the externally threaded outer ends of the housings of "Presta" and "Woods" type inflation valves which conventionally have the same diameter and thread as each other but different from those of a "Schrader" valve. Part of the exterior of the collar 26 is knurled at 32 in similar manner to the body 2.

In use with a "Schrader" valve, the collar 26 is removed and the body 2 is screwed down onto the valve housing, the valve opening member 12 thereby engaging and depressing the valve stemto open the valve and the ball valve preventing the escape of air from the tyre.

The "Presta" valve is of a type that differs from the type exemplified by the "Schrad er" valve in having a valve stem projecting above the top of the valve housing and carrying a nut which pulls the valve stem against an internal sealing seating when it is screwed down on the stem and which is loosened for the purpose of inflation. For use with a "Presta" valve the connector has the collar 26 in place, as illustrated, and attached to the tubular body 2. The collar internal thread 30 is engaged with the thread on the stem of the inflation valve, the valve stem and valve stem nut being accommodated within the collar 26 clear of the valve-opening member 12. In use, the ball valve functions as a non-return valve, as for the "Schrader" inflation valve.

The "Woods" valve has the same housing size and thread as the "Presta" valve, but has a sealing element that can be opened by the inflating air pressure alone. For connection to this form of valve also the collar 26 is screwed onto the tubular body 2, and the internal thread 30 is used to attach the connector to the threaded outer end of the inflation valve. The valve-opening member and the ball valve have no function when the connector is used with this form of inflation valve.

The ring 10 and valve-opening member 12 can take the form of an apertured disc, e.g.

in which an inner portion is bent downwards out of the plane of the disc to constitute the valve-opening member, or a plurality of such portions are so bent, e.g. on opposite sides of a slit-like diametrical opening in the disc. The non-return valve could be springloaded and need not be a ball valve, and other modifications of the illustrated embodiment are possible within the scope of the present invention.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An inflation valve connector comprising a tubular body and a collar detachably securable thereto, said body being provided at an outlet end with an internally threaded connected portion and within the body at or adjacent said threaded portion there being a valve-opening member projecting towards said outlet end, the collar being securable to the outlet end of the body by attachment means at one end of the collar and the other end of the collar forming an outlet end and being provided with a further internally threaded connecting portion, said tubular body being also provided with a non-return valve arranged to permit the passage of air through the connector to the outlet end of the body or collar.

2. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said internally threaded portions of the body and the collar are each adapted to fit a different size or form of valve.

3. A connector according to claim 2 wherein the body internally threaded portion has a diameter greater than the collar internally threaded portion and a valveopening element is provided adjacent the inner end of said portion projecting towards said outlet end of the body for depressing the valve stem of an inflation valve of the type having said valve stem disposed internally within a housing having an externally threaded outer end, when said body threaded portion is screwed onto said housing outer end.

4. A connector according to claim 3 wherein said collar threaded portion is arranged to be spaced sufficiently from said valve-opening element to permit the attachment to the collar of an inflation valve of the type having a housing from the outer end of which projects a valve stem carrying a pull-down nut, so that there is a clearance between said element and the inflation valve stem and nut.

5. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the collar attachment means comprise an externally threaded portion at said one end of the collar and engageable with said body internally threaded portion.

6. A connector according to any one of the precdeding claims wherein through a flexible conduit at the end opposite said outlet end of the body, a coupling element is connected to the body for coupling the connector to a bicycle hand pump.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. connector to the inflation pump. A collar 26 is detachably connected to the body 2 by an external thread 28 on its upper part fitting the internal thread 4 on the body 2, the resilient washer 8 sealing the joint between collar and body. The lower part has an internally threaded portion 30 of smaller diameter than the threaded portion 4 to fit the externally threaded outer ends of the housings of "Presta" and "Woods" type inflation valves which conventionally have the same diameter and thread as each other but different from those of a "Schrader" valve. Part of the exterior of the collar 26 is knurled at 32 in similar manner to the body 2. In use with a "Schrader" valve, the collar 26 is removed and the body 2 is screwed down onto the valve housing, the valve opening member 12 thereby engaging and depressing the valve stemto open the valve and the ball valve preventing the escape of air from the tyre. The "Presta" valve is of a type that differs from the type exemplified by the "Schrad er" valve in having a valve stem projecting above the top of the valve housing and carrying a nut which pulls the valve stem against an internal sealing seating when it is screwed down on the stem and which is loosened for the purpose of inflation. For use with a "Presta" valve the connector has the collar 26 in place, as illustrated, and attached to the tubular body 2. The collar internal thread 30 is engaged with the thread on the stem of the inflation valve, the valve stem and valve stem nut being accommodated within the collar 26 clear of the valve-opening member 12. In use, the ball valve functions as a non-return valve, as for the "Schrader" inflation valve. The "Woods" valve has the same housing size and thread as the "Presta" valve, but has a sealing element that can be opened by the inflating air pressure alone. For connection to this form of valve also the collar 26 is screwed onto the tubular body 2, and the internal thread 30 is used to attach the connector to the threaded outer end of the inflation valve. The valve-opening member and the ball valve have no function when the connector is used with this form of inflation valve. The ring 10 and valve-opening member 12 can take the form of an apertured disc, e.g. in which an inner portion is bent downwards out of the plane of the disc to constitute the valve-opening member, or a plurality of such portions are so bent, e.g. on opposite sides of a slit-like diametrical opening in the disc. The non-return valve could be springloaded and need not be a ball valve, and other modifications of the illustrated embodiment are possible within the scope of the present invention. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An inflation valve connector comprising a tubular body and a collar detachably securable thereto, said body being provided at an outlet end with an internally threaded connected portion and within the body at or adjacent said threaded portion there being a valve-opening member projecting towards said outlet end, the collar being securable to the outlet end of the body by attachment means at one end of the collar and the other end of the collar forming an outlet end and being provided with a further internally threaded connecting portion, said tubular body being also provided with a non-return valve arranged to permit the passage of air through the connector to the outlet end of the body or collar.

2. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said internally threaded portions of the body and the collar are each adapted to fit a different size or form of valve.

3. A connector according to claim 2 wherein the body internally threaded portion has a diameter greater than the collar internally threaded portion and a valveopening element is provided adjacent the inner end of said portion projecting towards said outlet end of the body for depressing the valve stem of an inflation valve of the type having said valve stem disposed internally within a housing having an externally threaded outer end, when said body threaded portion is screwed onto said housing outer end.

4. A connector according to claim 3 wherein said collar threaded portion is arranged to be spaced sufficiently from said valve-opening element to permit the attachment to the collar of an inflation valve of the type having a housing from the outer end of which projects a valve stem carrying a pull-down nut, so that there is a clearance between said element and the inflation valve stem and nut.

5. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the collar attachment means comprise an externally threaded portion at said one end of the collar and engageable with said body internally threaded portion.

6. A connector according to any one of the precdeding claims wherein through a flexible conduit at the end opposite said outlet end of the body, a coupling element is connected to the body for coupling the connector to a bicycle hand pump.

7. An inflation valve connector con

structed and arranged for use and operation substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.