JP2012112281A - Air compressor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air compressor for supplying compressed air to an air tool such as a nailing machine, wherein assemblability of an electric motor or a compression unit being a main component to a body case is improved as compared with a conventional bolt fixing structure, in a relatively small air compressor having high portability.SOLUTION: A body case 10 has a right/left half split structure. Main components such as an electric motor 21 and a compression unit 23 are assembled as a compression unit 20, and are supported in the body case 10 by holding support boss parts 24a-24a provided in a unit case 24 between right and left half split cases while interposing elastic members 24b. Accordingly, the assemblability is improved while reducing vibration.

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air compressor for supplying compressed air to an air tool such as a compressed air driven nail driver or an air tacker, and mainly relates to a simple air compressor that is relatively small and excellent in portability. .

Although this simple air compressor has a smaller discharge capacity than a large stationary air compressor, it is relatively small and easy to carry, so it offers great convenience for simple light work using an air tool. . Techniques relating to this simple air compressor are disclosed in the following patent documents.
This simple air compressor has a resin case with an electric motor and a compression part, and a rechargeable battery pack is used as a power source. The compression unit is configured to convert the rotational output of the electric motor and reciprocate the piston in the cylinder to discharge the compressed air, and supply and store the discharged compressed air directly to the air tool. The weight is reduced by omitting the tank.
According to the simple type air compressor disclosed in the above, it can be used while being carried on an operator's shoulder or on his / her shoulder, so that it is used in a construction work site where a power outlet is not prepared. Compressed air can be supplied to an air tool such as a nail driver without being restricted by the above-described restrictions, and thus light work such as repair work can be efficiently performed.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,845 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-108878

However, various improvements have been required for the conventional air compressor. For example, in the above-described conventional air compressor, in order to mainly suppress vibration of a vibration generating source such as an electric motor or a compression unit, a fixing screw is provided with a vibration absorbing cushioning material interposed between them and the main body case. For example, these main parts are fixed to the main body case. For this reason, in the process of assembling these main parts to the main body case, it is necessary to interpose a shock absorbing material for vibration absorption and to fix it with fixing screws. In this respect, the number of processes is reduced and the air compressor is assembled. It was necessary to improve the sex.
An object of the present invention is to improve the assemblability of the air compressor of this type while reducing vibration during operation.

The above problems are solved by the following invention.
In a first aspect of the present invention, a main body case having a half case structure is provided with an electric motor, a speed reducing portion for reducing the rotational output of the electric motor, and the rotational output of the speed reducing portion is converted into a reciprocating motion of a piston in the cylinder. An air compressor having a compression part for discharging compressed air, and assembling the electric motor, the speed reduction part and the compression part as one compression part unit, and providing at least three support boss parts on the compression part unit In this air compressor, an elastic body is attached to the support boss, and the elastic body is sandwiched between the half cases of the main body case to support the compression unit in the main body case.
According to the first invention, since the compression unit is elastically supported (floating support) by the main body case via the elastic body, the vibration generated in the compression unit is absorbed by the elastic body, and thereby the vibration of the compressor Can be reduced. In addition, since the elastic body is attached to at least three support bosses provided in the compression unit and the elastic body is sandwiched between the half cases, the compression unit is supported in the main body case. At the stage where the main body case is assembled by abutting the cases, the attaching operation of the compression unit to the main body case is completed at the same time. From this, it is possible to omit the screwing operation for the main body case of the conventional compression unit, and to improve the assembling property of the air compressor.
As for the half structure of the main body case, in addition to the half structure divided into right and left, it may be divided into upper and lower parts, and the main parts are assembled by joining the separated half cases together. What is necessary is just the structure by which the support boss | hub part (elastic body) of a compression part unit is inserted | pinched and supported in a step.
According to a second invention, in the first invention, the main body case has a half case structure divided into right and left, and a support boss portion is provided along a separation line of the left and right half cases, and this support is provided. The air compressor is configured to support the compression unit in the main body case by interposing an elastic body between the left and right half cases with respect to each of the boss portions.
According to the second invention, the compression unit is supported in the main body case by sandwiching the support boss of the compression unit via the elastic body when the left and right half cases are butted against each other. Assembling property of the compression unit can be improved. Further, if the left and right half cases are separated from each other, the compression unit can be easily removed, and the maintainability of the air compressor can be improved.
A third invention is the air compressor according to the first or second invention, wherein the support boss portion is covered with a rubber cap as an elastic body. According to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to improve the assembly property of the elastic body to the support boss portion, and in this respect, the configuration of the air compressor can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

It is a whole perspective view of the air compressor of this embodiment. This figure has shown the state seen from the back diagonally right. It is a whole perspective view of the air compressor of this embodiment. This figure has shown the state seen from the diagonally left front. It is a whole top view of the air compressor of this embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the air compressor of this embodiment. This figure has shown the state seen from the diagonally left front. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the air compressor of this embodiment. This figure is a left side view of the internal structure with the left half case removed. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line (VI)-(VI) in FIG. 5, and is a longitudinal sectional view of a compression unit. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line (VII)-(VII) of FIG.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the air compressor 1 according to the present embodiment has a structure that is relatively small and excellent in portability that can be easily carried. In the upper center of the main body case 10 of the air compressor 1, a handle portion 2 is provided for gripping when the user carries it. Belt handle portions 3 and 4 for hooking a shoulder belt (not shown) when carrying the air compressor 1 on the shoulder are provided in front and rear of the handle portion 2. Further, a discharge joint 30 for connecting an air tool via an air hose is provided on the rear surface of the main body case 10, and a battery pack 6 is mounted as a power source below the discharge joint 30. The battery pack 6 can be removed by sliding backward, and can be repeatedly used by being removed and charged by a separately prepared charger.
Further, on the upper surface of the main body case 10 and behind the handle portion 2, an operation panel 5 having push buttons 5a and 5b for start / stop operation and a pressure adjustment dial 5c and a pressure gauge 42 to be described later are provided. Yes. In addition, elastic rubber legs 7 are attached to the four corners of the bottom of the main body case 10.
As shown in FIG. 4, the main body case 10 of the air compressor 1 has a half-case structure that is divided into right and left. Each of the left half case 10L and the right half case 10R manufactured by resin molding abuts each other and is screwed at a plurality of locations, so that the main body case 10 includes a compression unit 20 described later. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the code | symbol D is attached | subjected to the mutual abutting part (separation line) of the left and right half cases 10L and 10R. The left and right half cases 10L and 10R are separated into left and right by the separation line D. As shown in FIG. 4, the left and right half cases 10L and 10R are coupled to each other by a plurality of case fixing screws 11-11.

FIG. 5 shows details of the internal structure housed in the main body case 10. The compression unit 20 is accommodated in the front side of the main body case 10. The compression unit 20 is a drive unit for the air compressor 1, and includes an electric motor 21, a speed reduction unit 22, a compression unit 23, and a unit case 24 that houses and assembles them. The unit case 24 includes a motor case portion 24c that accommodates the electric motor 21, a gear case portion 24d that accommodates the gear train of the speed reduction portion 22, and a crankcase portion 24e that mainly accommodates the crank disc 23a of the compression portion 23. Yes.
The electric motor 21 is a drive source of the air compressor 1 and starts up using power supplied from the battery pack 6 as a power source. In the figure, the wiring (power supply circuit) and the power supply circuit for this purpose are not shown. A cooling fan 21 b and a drive gear 21 c are attached to the output shaft 21 a of the electric motor 21. The drive gear 21c is meshed with a larger-diameter driven gear 22a. Engagement of the drive gear 21c and the driven gear 22a constitutes the speed reduction unit 22. The rotational output of the electric motor 21 is decelerated by the meshing of the gear train of the speed reducing unit 22.
The reduced rotational output of the electric motor 21 is output to the compression unit 23 via the output shaft 25 to which the driven gear 22a is fixed. A crank disk 23 a of the compression unit 23 is attached to the output shaft 25. A base end portion of a crank rod 23c is supported on the crank disc 23a via a crank shaft 23b so as to be relatively rotatable. The crankshaft 23 b is eccentric with respect to the output shaft 25 of the speed reduction unit 22. A piston 23d is attached to the tip of the crank rod 23c. The piston 23d is held so as to be capable of reciprocating in the cylinder 23e. The cylinder 23e is airtightly attached to the upper part of the crankcase portion 24e. The upper chamber of the cylinder 23e and the piston upper chamber communicates with the exhaust port 26 through the exhaust hole 23f.

When the electric motor 21 is activated, the rotational output is decelerated by the speed reduction unit 22 and output to the output shaft 25, whereby the crank disk 23a rotates. When the crank disk 23a rotates, the crankshaft 23b revolves around the output shaft 25, so that the crank rod 23c moves up and down, thereby causing the piston 23d to reciprocate up and down in the cylinder 23e. As the piston 23d reciprocates in the cylinder 23e, outside air is supplied to the upper chamber of the piston, and compressed air is supplied from the exhaust hole 23f to the exhaust port 26.
A discharge hose 28 is connected to the exhaust port 26 via an L-shaped joint 27. The discharge hose 28 is routed from the front side of the compression part 23 to the rear side of the main body case 10 through the side. The discharge hose 28 is connected to a discharge joint 30 attached to the rear portion of the main body case 10 through a straight joint 29 and a pressure display unit 40 described later. The air flow path including the discharge hose 28 and extending from the compression portion 23 to the discharge joint 30 functions as a discharge flow path 31 for flowing compressed air.
Support boss portions 24 a to 24 a for supporting the unit case 24 with respect to the main body case 10 are integrally provided on the outer surface of the unit case 24. In the present embodiment, support boss portions 24a to 24a are provided at a total of four locations including a lower portion of the motor case portion 24c, an upper portion of the gear case portion 24d, a lower portion of the crankcase portion 24e, and the front surface. A rubber cap 24b as an elastic body is put on the support boss portions 24a to 24a. Each support boss part 24a-24a is hold | maintained in the state fitted by the holding rib 10a provided in the main body case 10 (10L, 10R) via the rubber cap 24b. The holding rib 10a is provided in a state of facing both the left and right half cases 10L and 10R. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, each support boss portion 24a is sandwiched and held with the rubber cap 24b interposed between the holding ribs 10a, 10a of the left and right half cases 10L, 10R.
In the present embodiment, the four support boss portions 24 a to 24 a are all arranged along the separation line D of the main body case 10. For this reason, as described above, when the main body case 10 is assembled by abutting the left and right half cases 10L and 10R, all the four support boss portions 24a to 24a are respectively left and right half cases 10L and 10R via the rubber caps 24b. It is configured to be sandwiched between them.

Thus, the compression unit 20 as the main vibration source is floating supported (elastically supported) on the main body case 10 via the rubber caps 24b to 24b as elastic bodies. For this reason, the vibration generated in the electric motor 21 and the compression portion 23 is absorbed by the rubber cap 24b of each support boss portion 24a, and the vibration of the main body case 10 and thus the air compressor 1 is reduced.
As shown in FIG. 5, the battery pack 6 is mounted on the bottom rear end side of the main body case 10. Further, the electric motor 21 is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom portion of the main body case 10 in the substantially front-rear direction center. Furthermore, the speed reduction part 22 is arrange | positioned in the front side of the electric motor 21, and the compression part 23 is arrange | positioned in the front side.
For this reason, the compression part 23 is arrange | positioned in the bottom part near the front end of the main body case 10. Thus, among the components constituting the air compressor 1, the relatively heavy battery pack 6, the electric motor 21, and the compression portion 23 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction (motor axial direction) near the bottom. Therefore, the center of gravity G of the air compressor 1 is set to be approximately in the middle in the front-rear direction near the bottom. Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the battery pack 6 and the compression unit 20 are arranged along the separation line D between the left and right half cases 10L and 10R in the center in the left-right width direction of the main body case 10. As a result, the center of gravity G of the air compressor 1 is located at the center in the left-right direction.
As described above, the center of gravity G of the air compressor 1 is set at a middle position in the front-rear direction and the left-right width direction at a low position near the bottom of the main body case 10, so that the air compressor 1 is less likely to fall. In addition, the center of gravity G is positioned below the handle portion 2 disposed substantially in the center in the front-rear direction of the main body case 10, so that stability during carrying is enhanced.

Next, the compressed air discharged from the compression unit 20 is supplied to the discharge joint 30 through the discharge flow path 31 including the discharge hose 28. The discharge joint 30 is disposed above the battery pack 6 and in the middle of the rear surface of the main body case 20 in the height direction. By connecting an air tool such as a nail driver to the discharge joint 30 via an air hose (not shown), the air tool can be operated. The air compressor 1 of the present embodiment does not include a tank for accumulating compressed air discharged from the compression unit 20. For this reason, the compressed air discharged from the compression unit 20 is directly supplied to the air tool as it is. As a result, air pressure fluctuation (pressure fluctuation) in the discharge hose 28 becomes relatively large due to air consumption by the air tool. This large pressure fluctuation causes a decrease in durability of a pressure gauge or a pressure switch that displays the air pressure of the compressed air to be discharged.
In this regard, the air compressor 1 of the present embodiment is devised in the pressure display unit 40. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pressure display unit 40 of this embodiment is interposed in the middle of the discharge flow path 31. The pressure display unit 40 includes a base block 41, a pressure gauge 42 as a flow path auxiliary device, and a pressure switch 43. The base block 41 is held in a state of being sandwiched between holding ribs 10b and 10b provided to face the left and right half cases 10L and 10R. The pressure of compressed air discharged from the compression unit 20 (air pressure in a discharge passage 31 to be described later) is displayed on the pressure gauge 42, and when this air pressure reaches a set pressure, this is detected by the pressure switch 43. . When the pressure switch 43 detects the set pressure, this is output to the motor control circuit, the electric motor 21 is stopped, and therefore the compression unit 20 is stopped. When the supplied air pressure falls below the set pressure, this is detected by the pressure switch 43 and the electric motor 21 is restarted, so that the compressed air starts to be supplied again from the compression unit 20.
The base block 41 is provided with four connection ports 41a to 41d. A discharge hose 28 is connected to the first connection port 41 a on the upstream side of the discharge flow path 31 via a joint 29. The discharge joint 30 is connected to the second connection port 41b on the downstream side of the discharge flow path 31. Between the first connection port 41a and the second connection port 41b, the third connection port 41c and the fourth connection port 41d are communicated with the discharge flow path 31 through a small-diameter variation adjustment hole 41e. In the present embodiment, the fluctuation adjusting hole 41e is set to a hole diameter of about 1.5 mm at the maximum, and the flow path area is a discharge flow path between the first connection port 41a and the second connection port 41b. It is set to approximately 10% or less of the flow path area of 31.
The third connection port 41 c is opened on the upper surface of the base block 41. A pressure gauge 42 is attached to the third connection port 41c as a flow path auxiliary device. The fourth connection port 41d communicates with the third connection port 41c in a state where it intersects. The fourth connection port 41 d is opened on the front side surface of the base block 41. A pressure switch 43 is attached to the fourth connection port 41d as another flow path auxiliary device. Thus, the third connection port 41c to which the pressure gauge 42 is connected and the fourth connection port 41d to which the pressure switch 43 is attached communicate with the discharge flow path 31 via the small-diameter variation adjustment hole 41e. For this reason, the pressure fluctuation in the discharge flow path 31 is not directly transmitted to the third and fourth connection ports 41c and 41d but is transmitted in a state suppressed by the fluctuation adjusting hole 41e. Can increase the durability.

According to the air compressor 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the electric motor 21 serving as the main vibration source, the compression unit 23, and the speed reduction unit 22 are housed in one unit case 24 and assembled as the compression unit 20. The compression unit 20 is floatingly supported by the main body case 10 via rubber caps 24b to 24b as elastic bodies. For this reason, the vibration which generate | occur | produces in the electric motor 21 and the compression part 23 is absorbed by the rubber caps 24b-24b, and the vibration during the action | operation of the said compressor 1 can be reduced.
Moreover, in the air compressor 1 of this embodiment, the main body case 10 is a case of a half structure in which the left and right half cases 10L and 10R are butted against each other. Therefore, in the assembling operation of the air compressor 1 and the assembling process of the left and right half cases 10L and 10R, the support boss portions 24a of the compression unit 20 are sandwiched between the holding ribs 10a and 10a via the rubber caps 24b. As a result, the assembling work of the compression unit 20 into the main body case 10 can be completed at the same time. In this respect, the assembly of the compression unit 20 and thus the air compressor 1 can be improved. Further, if the left and right half cases 10L and 10R are separated from each other, the compressing unit 20 can be easily removed, so that the maintainability of the air compressor 1 can be improved.
Further, in the present embodiment, rubber caps 24 b to 24 b are used as elastic bodies for absorbing the vibration of the compression unit 20. Each rubber cap 24b can be attached by a simple operation that covers the support boss portion 24a. In this respect, the assembly property of the elastic body to each support boss portion 24a can be improved. Simplification and cost reduction can be achieved.
Further, as a result of supporting the compression unit 20 in the main body case 10 by sandwiching four support boss portions 24a to 24a between the left and right half cases 10L and 10R, the main body case is provided around the compression unit 20 as a result. It becomes easy to have a moderate gap between the two, and the contact area of the compression unit to the main body case when screwed as in the prior art can be reduced and the gap between the two can be made wider. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the heat generated in the compression unit to be transmitted to the main body case, and in this respect, it is possible to improve the handleability of the user.
Furthermore, since the compression unit 20 is configured to support the supporting boss portions 24a to 24a by sandwiching them between the left and right half cases 10L and 10R, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with a configuration using a conventional fixing screw. Can do.

Various modifications can be made to the embodiment described above. For example, although the structure which provided the support boss | hub parts 24a-24a for supporting the compression part unit 20 with respect to the main body case 10 in four places of the unit case 24 was shown, three places may be sufficient and five places It is good also as a structure provided above. In short, at least three support boss portions are provided in the unit case, an elastic body is attached to each support boss portion, and each elastic body is brought into contact with the main body case to elastically support the compression unit in the main body case 10. By adopting such a configuration, the vibration of the air compressor 1 can be reduced.
Moreover, although the structure which provided the support boss | hub parts 24a-24a integrally in the outer surface of the unit case 24 was illustrated, as a structure which attaches an elastic body to this support member by screwing etc. the cylindrical support member prepared separately. Also good. Furthermore, although the structure which covers the rubber cap 24b prepared separately on each support boss | hub part 24a was illustrated, this is carried out by screwing etc. the cylindrical-shaped elastic rubber prepared separately at least 3 places or more of the outer surface of the unit case 24. A configuration in which the elastic rubber itself is the support boss portion (a configuration in which the support boss portion and the elastic body are integrated) may be employed.
Further, four support boss portions 24a to 24a are provided in the unit case 24 along the separation line D between the left and right half cases 10L and 10R, and the left and right half cases 10L are respectively provided for the four support boss portions 24a to 24a. , 10R is illustrated as an example, but left and right sides of the unit case are paired with left and right support bosses, elastic members are attached to each, and the left support boss is supported by the left half case 10L. In addition, while the right support boss is supported by the right half case 10R, the compression unit may be supported by being sandwiched between the left and right half cases 10L and 10R, or a combination thereof. Good.
Furthermore, although the rubber cap 24b was illustrated as an elastic body attached to each support boss | hub part 24a, it is good also as a structure which replaces with this and uses a compression spring, a leaf | plate spring, etc. as an elastic body instead.
Moreover, although the main body case 10 of the half structure comprised by abutting and joining the right and left half cases 10L and 10R was illustrated, the compression part of the elastic support structure illustrated also about the main body case divided into two parts up and down, for example Unit 20 can be applied.
Moreover, although the air compressor 1 of the form which is not provided with the tank for storing the compressed air discharged from the compression part unit 20 was illustrated, the elastic support structure of the compression part unit 20 illustrated also about the air compressor provided with a storage tank. Can be applied.
Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to a stationary type or large-sized air compressor that does not include the handle portion 2 or the belt hanging portions 3 and 4 for shoulder.
Moreover, although the direct power supply type air compressor 1 which uses a rechargeable battery pack as a power source has been illustrated, it can also be applied to an AC power supply type or engine type air compressor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Air compressor G ... Center of gravity 2 ... Handle part 3, 4 ... Belt hook part 5 ... Operation panel, 5a, 5b ... Push button, 5c ... Pressure adjustment dial 6 ... Battery pack 7 ... Leg part 10 ... Main body case, 10a, 10b ... Holding rib D ... Separation line 10L ... Left half case 10R ... Right half case 11 ... Case fixing screw 20 ... Compression unit 21 ... Electric motor 22 ... Deceleration part 23 ... Compression part 23a ... Crank disc, 23b ... Crankshaft, 23c ... Crank rod 23d ... Piston, 23e ... Cylinder, 23f ... Exhaust hole 24 ... Unit case 24a ... Support boss part, 24b ... Rubber cap (elastic body)
24c ... motor case portion, 24d ... gear case portion, 24e ... crankcase portion 25 ... output shaft 26 ... exhaust port 27 ... joint 28 ... discharge hose 29 ... joint 30 ... discharge joint 31 ... discharge flow path 40 ... pressure display portion 41 ... Base block 41a ... 1st connection port, 41b ... 2nd connection port, 41c ... 3rd connection port, 41d ... 4th connection port 41e ... Fluctuation adjustment hole 42 ... Pressure gauge (flow path auxiliary equipment)
43 ... Pressure switch (channel auxiliary device)

Claims (3)

An electric motor, a speed reduction part that decelerates the rotational output of the electric motor, and a rotational output of the speed reduction part converted into a reciprocating motion of a piston in the cylinder are discharged into a main body case having a half case structure. An air compressor with an internal compression part,
The electric motor, the speed reduction part, and the compression part are assembled as one compression part unit, and at least three support boss parts are provided on the compression part unit, and an elastic body is attached to the support boss part, An air compressor configured to support the compression unit in the body case by sandwiching the support boss portion between the half cases of the body case through a body. The air compressor according to claim 1, wherein the main body case has a half case structure divided into right and left, and the support boss portion is provided along a separation line of the left and right half cases, An air compressor configured to support the compression unit in the body case by sandwiching the elastic body between the left and right half cases for each of the support boss portions. The air compressor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a rubber cap as the elastic body is covered on the support boss portion.

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