GB2102507A - Manual pump with reducible transversable bulk - Google Patents

Abstract

A manual pump consists essentially of a cylindrical body (11) in which moves a piston (12) thrust by a stem (13) actuated by means of an external handle (14); the handle is fitted to the stem in a removable manner so as to be removably housed in the cylindrical body; the base of the cylindrical body extends as a leg (25) which terminates in a stand (26) having transversal dimensions not greater than the diameter of the body and having rest surfaces (27, 28) for the operator's feet to rest on. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Manual pump with reducible transversable bulk The present invention relates to a manual pump the transversal bulk of which can be reduced.

Manual pumps are known which consist essentially of cylindrical body in which there moves a piston thrust by a stem actuated by means of an external handle, at the base of the said body provision being made for two projecting rests on which the operator places his feet to hold the pump on the ground during the pumping operation.

Said manual pumps are normally used to inflate rubber boats, tyres, etc.

In these pumps the handle and the footrests project transversally with respect to the cylindrical body, often to a considerable extent. This is requisite in order for it to be possible to grip the handle confortably and in order to have sufficient rest surfaces for the feet of the operator.

Such transversal bulk leads, however, to certain inconveniences.

For example, for the packaging of the pump use has to be made of a container or wrapper having a volume very considerably greater than the volume ofthe cylindrical body. This obviously brings a high transportation cost for each unit of product transported.

Additionally, the user of the pump, if needing to transportthe pump or store it, has to have availability of a space larger than the bulk of the cylindrical body.

The object of the present invention is to remedy said inconveniences by proposing a manual pump the transversal bulk of which can be reduced.

Such object is attained by embodying a manual pump consisting essentially of a cylindrial body in which moves a piston thrust by a stem actuated by means of an external handle, characterized by the fact that said handle is fitted to the stem in a removable manner so that it can be housed in the cylindrical body in a removable manner, the base of said body extending as a leg terminating in a stand having transversal dimensions not greater than the diameter of the body, and with rest surfaces for the feet of the operator.

The characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly seen and understood from the following description of an exemplifying embodiment thereof illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevational view of a maual pump according to the invention in operative position; Figure 2 is a section in the direction of the line ll-ll of the pump of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an elarged partial section, in the direction of the line Ill-Ill, of the pump of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a partially section view in the direction of the arrow F, of the pump of Figure 1 in the rest position.

As a non-restricting example, in the FIGURES there is indicated by the numeral 10 in a singleacting manual pump consisting essentially of a cylinder 11 in which moves a piston 12 thrust by a stem 13 actuated by means of an external handle 14.

The cylinder 11 is closed at its top by a cover 15 screwed onto it. The cover 15 opens out centrally in a mouth 16 through which the stem 13 moves.

The handle 14 is screwed onto the upper free end of the stem 13. In said handle 14, at its threaded fitting 17 which allows it to be screwed onto the stem 13, there is formed a passage 18 which places communication with the outside, through an outlet mouth 19 of the handle 14, a longitudinal conduit 20 within the stem 13 and in tubular form for such purpose. Said conduit 20 communicates in its lower portion, through a non-return valve 21, with the lower chamber 22, of the two chambers, 22 and 23, lower and upper respectively, formed by the piston 12 in the cylinder 11. The non-return valve 21 allows air to flow from the lower chamber 22 to the conduit 20, and not vice versa.

The cylinder 11 is closed at its base by a cover 24 screwed onto it, of the same diameter as the cover 15. The cover 24 extends in its lower portion as a leg 25 which terminates in a circular stand 26. The stand 26 has two inclined surfaces 27 and 28, arranged on opposite sides of the leg 25. In the upper portion of the leg 25 there is formed an aspiration conduit 29 communicating at one end with the lower chamber 22 through a non-return valve 30 and at the other end with the outside atmosphere, through a filter 31.

The non-return valve 30 allows air to flow from the conduit 29 to the chamber 22, and not vice versa.

The maximum transversal dimension of the leg 25 stand 26 complex and represented by the diameter of the stand is equal to the maximum transversal dimension of the pump 10 without the handle 14, represented by the diameter of the covers 15 and 24 of the cylinder 11.

There is in this way embodied a pump with a transversal bulk which can in practice be reduced to the diameter of the body of the pump itself.

With the pump in the operative position, the handle 14is fitted to the stem 13asshown in Figure 1. For the purposes of pumping, the operator rests one foot on the surface 27 and one foot on the surface 28 so as to hold the pump to the ground during pumping. The operator then grips the handle 14 and, through the instrumentality of the stem 13, raises the piston 12 to the upper extremity. The air in the chamber 23 is expelled in this phase through openings 32 formed in the upper cover 15. Also in this phase, outside air is aspirated into the chamber 22 through the valve 30.The operator then pushes the handle 14 downwards, and thus also the piston 12 to the end of its stroke, and the air in the chamber 22 is sent through the valve 21, the conduit 20, the passage 18 and the mouth 19, to a tube 33, partially illustrated, fitted to the mouth 19 and connected to an air tube to be inflated, which is not illustrated.

These pumping movements are repeated until the air tube is inflated to the desired pressure.

With the pump in the rest position, the handle 14 is unscrewed from the stem 13. The upper cover 15 is then in turn unscrewed from the cylinder 11 and the handle is placed inside the cylinder in the chamber 23, where one end of it rests on the piston 12, coming to rest between the stem 13 and the inner wall of the cylinder 11. Thereafter, the cover 15 is re-screwed onto the cylinder 11 and the free end of the stem 13 is closed by a plug 34. The pump 10 is then as shown in FIGURE 4. As is seen, the transversal bulk is reduced to the diameter of the covers 15 and 24 of the cylinder 11.

This reduction of bulk is highly advantageous when the pump 10 has to be packaged, since it limits the necessary volume of the container or wrapper within which it is packed, or when the pump 10 has to be stored in a storage space and it is desirable that it should occupy a limited space.

In the upper portion of the handle 14 there is formed a threaded bore 35, normally closed by a screw-plug 36, which bore places the passage 18 into communication with the outside atmosphere.

Said bore is adapted to be connected to a corresponding screw fitting of a gauge.

With the pump in the rest position, accessories such as the connection tube 33 between the mouth 19 and the airtubeto be inflated can be placed inside the cylinder 11, as well as the handle 14.

The present exemplifying embodiment does not limit any possible variants and/or additions. In particular, the form of the handle 14, the leg 25 and the stand 26 can be apropriately modified.

Moreover, instead of realizing a delivery conduit 20 in the stem 13, provision can be made in the leg 25 for a delivery tube similar to the aspiration conduit 29 and opposed thereto, with a respective non-return valve which allows air to flow from the chamber 22 to said delivery conduit which debouches externally to the leg 25.

The leg 25 must naturally be appropriately modified so as to maintain the transversal bulk seen hitherto, when the pump 10 is in the rest position.

Aspiration and delivery conduits can also be formed in other positions, and what has been described can also be used to embody a double-acting manual pump by means of simple expedients within the grasp of persons skilled in the art.

Claims (7)

1. A manual pump consisting essentially of a cylindrical body within which moves a piston thrust by a stem actuated by means of an external handle, characterized by the fact that said handle is fitted to the stem in a removable manner so as to be removably housed in the cylindrical body, the base of said body extending as a leg which terminates in a stand having transversal dimensions not greater than the diameter of the body and having surfaces for the operator's feet to be rested on.

2. A manual pump according to claim 1, char acterized by the fact that said cylindrical body is closed at its top by a removable cover which has an opening through which the said stem moves.

3. A manual pump according to claim 2, char acterized by the fact that said handle and said cover are attached by screwing to said stem and said cylindrical body respectively.

4. A manual pump according to claim 1, char acterized by the fact that said stand features two inclined rest surfaces, disposed on opposed sides of said leg.

5.A manual pump according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that there is formed in said leg an aspiration conduit communicating within said cylindrical body, through a non-return valve, with the lower chamber of the two lower and upper chambers formed by said piston in said cylindrical body.

6. A manual pump according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that said stem is tubular in order to form within it a delivery conduit communicating at one end, through a non-return valve, with said lower chamber and at the other end communicating with a passage formed in said handle and debouching in an outlet mouth of said handle, said cylindrical body having in its upper portion venting openings for the fluid contained in said upper chamber.

7. A manual pump according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that said handle has a bore which places said passage into communication with the outside atmosphere and closed by a removable plug adapted to be connected to a pressure sensor or gauge.