JP2012177356A - Air compressor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air compressor capable of supplying the compressed air of a large quantity even in an undesirable place of a power source environment.SOLUTION: The air compressor 1 includes a compressed air generating part 110, a driving part, a pair of air tanks 130a and 130b, and a battery 150. The compressed air generating part 110 generates the compressed air by being driven by an electric motor of the driving part. The pair of air tanks 130a and 130b are positioned so that axes in the longitudinal direction become substantially parallel to each other, and store the compressed air generated by the compressed air generating part 110. The battery 150 is arranged between the pair of air tanks 130a and 130b, and supplies a power source to the driving part.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air compressor that supplies compressed air to a pneumatic tool such as a nail driver.

  In construction sites and the like, portable air tools that use nails and screws to drive into wood or the like with the pressure of compressed air are used. Compressed air, which is a power source for such a pneumatic tool, is often supplied by an air compressor that is driven by electric power from a temporary power source provided at a construction site where the work is performed. As such an air compressor, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air compressor including a double-trunk air tank.

  Further, in order to enable work in a place where the power supply environment is bad such that a temporary power supply cannot be installed, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a portable air compressor including a battery for driving a motor. .

JP 2006-188954 A US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0181794

  However, in the air compressor described in Patent Document 1, the power consumption is often 1.0 kw or more. Therefore, when used in an environment where the power line is extended with an extension cord or the like when used outdoors or on an environment away from a temporary power supply installed on the first floor, the power line voltage drop increases, and the power that can be supplied to the main unit This causes a problem that the driving performance deteriorates.

  Moreover, since the air tank provided with the battery of patent document 2 has the small air tank, it cannot be used for the operation | work which requires a lot of compressed air.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide an air compressor capable of supplying a large amount of compressed air even in a place where the power supply environment is bad.

In order to achieve the above object, an air compressor according to the present invention includes:
A compressed air generating section for generating compressed air;
A drive unit having an electric motor for driving the compressed air generation unit;
A pair of cylindrical air tanks that are positioned so that the longitudinal axes thereof are substantially parallel to each other and store the compressed air generated by the compressed air generation unit;
One or a plurality of batteries disposed between the pair of air tanks and supplying power to the driving unit;
It is characterized by providing.

A fan directly connected to the output shaft of the electric motor;
The battery may be provided below the electric motor via a space through which cooling air generated by the fan flows.

  You may further provide the control circuit part which is located so that the said compressed air production | generation part and the said electric motor may be pinched | interposed with the said fan, and controls the said electric motor.

A frame provided between the pair of air tanks;
The battery may be detachably attached to the frame.

A detection unit for detecting the number of batteries mounted on the frame;
A control unit for controlling a power supply voltage supplied to the driving unit based on the number of batteries detected by the detection unit;
May be further provided.

A battery information acquisition unit for acquiring battery information indicating a state of the battery from a battery mounted on the frame;
When the battery information acquired by the battery information acquisition unit indicates an abnormality of the battery, a notification unit that notifies that the battery is abnormal;
May be further provided.

  According to the present invention, an air compressor capable of supplying a large amount of compressed air even in a place where the power supply environment is bad can be provided.

It is a front view of the air compressor concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a side view of the air compressor concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a side view of the air compressor concerning Embodiment 2 of the present invention. It is a front view of the battery which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a bottom view of the fixed frame in the state where the battery which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention is not mounted | worn. It is an example of the circuit block diagram of the air compressor which concerns on the modification of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a front view of the alerting | reporting part which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

(Embodiment 1)
An air compressor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are a front view and a side view of an air compressor 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air compressor 1 includes a compressed air generation unit 110, a drive unit 120, air tanks 130 a and 130 b, a control circuit unit 140, and a battery 150. Each part of the air compressor 1 is covered with a cover 160. Moreover, the air compressor 1 is provided with the handle 161 gripped when carrying.

  The compressed air generation unit 110 generates compressed air by reciprocating the piston in the cylinder by the drive unit 120 and compressing the air drawn into the cylinder from the intake valve of the cylinder. The compressed air generator 110 is provided above the air tanks 130a and 130b so that the sliding direction of the pistons and the longitudinal direction of the air tanks 130a and 130b are substantially orthogonal. The compressed air generation unit 110 is fixed to the upper part of the fixed frame 131 using bolts 114.

  Specifically, the compressed air generation unit 110 includes a first-stage compression device 111 and a second-stage compression device 112. The first-stage compression device 111 and the second-stage compression device 112 are arranged to face each other via the crankcase 113. The first stage compression device 111 compresses the external air (atmospheric pressure) that flows in via the inside of the crankcase 113 and supplies the compressed air to the second stage compression device 112. The second stage compressor 112 compresses the compressed air supplied from the first stage compressor 111 to an allowable maximum pressure of, for example, 3.0 to 4.5 MPa, and supplies the compressed air to the air tanks 130a and 130b.

  The drive unit 120 includes an electric motor 121 that drives the compressed air generation unit 110, and a cooling fan 122 attached to the rotating shaft of the electric motor 121. The electric motor 121 reciprocates the piston of the compressed air generation unit 110 via a crankshaft 123 attached to the rotating shaft. The cooling fan 122 is positioned so as to sandwich the compressed air generation unit 110 and the electric motor 121, and cools the compressed air generation unit 110, the electric motor 121, the control circuit unit 140, and the like as will be described later. The drive unit 120 is controlled by the control circuit unit 140 to start and stop its operation.

  The air tanks 130 a and 130 b are a pair of cylindrical tanks that store the compressed air generated by the compressed air generation unit 110. The air tanks 130a and 130b are provided below the compressed air generation unit 110, and are welded and fixed to the fixed frame 131 so as to be positioned substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction with a predetermined space therebetween. As shown in FIG. 2, the predetermined interval is such that the combined length of the air tanks 130 a and 130 b in the sliding direction of the piston of the compressed air generating unit 110 is substantially equal to the length of the compressed air generating unit 110. In addition, when the air tanks 130a and 130b are disposed, the gap is formed between the air tanks 130a and 130b, for example, about 100 mm. The air tank 130a and the air tank 130b communicate with each other through a connecting pipe, and the pressures in the air tank 130a and the air tank 130b are kept substantially the same, for example, a pressure of 3.0 to 4.5 MPa. The compressed air in the air tanks 130a and 130b is depressurized by a pressure reducing valve and is supplied to a coupler 132 which is a compressed air outlet for supplying compressed air to an air tool (not shown). The coupler 132 supplies the compressed air decompressed by the pressure reducing valve to the pneumatic tool connected through the air hose.

  Moreover, the leg part 133 for mounting the air compressor 1 on a floor is provided in the lower part of air tank 130a, 130b. The leg 133 is formed in a cylindrical shape from a resin material such as rubber, for example. The leg 133 is provided at four corners of the air tanks 130 a and 130 b and absorbs vibrations received from the compressed air generator 110 by the air tanks 130 a and 130 b that support the compressed air generator 110.

  The control circuit unit 140 houses a power switch 141, a substrate 142 configured with various circuits such as a power circuit and a drive circuit for converting the power from the battery 150 into a power source for driving the electric motor 121, and the substrate 142. And controls the operation of the drive unit 120 based on an operation signal from the power switch 141 or the like. The substrate 142 is provided such that circuit elements constituting a power supply circuit and a drive circuit that generate a large amount of heat are located below. The case 143 is formed of a metal material having high thermal conductivity such as aluminum, and dissipates heat generated from the circuit elements.

  The battery 150 is provided between the air tanks 130 a and 130 b and supplies power to the driving unit 120 and the control circuit unit 140. The battery 150 includes a plurality of battery cells 151, a battery cover 152, a connection connector 153, and a fixed frame 154.

  The plurality of battery cells 151 are lithium-ion batteries, for example, and are chargeable / dischargeable batteries. The plurality of battery cells 151 are connected in series or in parallel, and can output a DC voltage of 100 V, for example. The battery cover 152 covers the battery cell 151 and is detachably attached to the fixed frame 155. The connection connector 153 is connected to the control circuit unit 140 via the connection cable 155. The battery is not limited to a lithium ion battery, and may be a battery such as a nickel cadmium battery or a nickel metal hydride battery as long as the battery capacity can be used as a driving power source for the air compressor 1.

  The fixed frame 154 is a frame for fixing the battery 150 between the air tanks 130a and 130b. The fixed frame 154 includes a frame member 154a and a plate member 154b. The frame member 154a is fixed to the air tanks 130a and 130b by welding or the like so as to be positioned between the air tanks 130a and 130b. The plate member 154b is fixed to the frame member 154a with screws 154c. On the upper surface of the plate member 154b, a plurality of projecting portions 154d extending along the longitudinal direction of the air tanks 130a and 130b and projecting upward are provided. By the protrusion 154d, the cooling air from the cooling fan 122 flows along the protrusion 154d and is guided to the control circuit part 140, so that the control circuit part 140 can be efficiently cooled. Further, the heat generated from the battery 150 can be efficiently dissipated by the protrusion 154d.

  Next, the flow of cooling air in the air compressor 1 configured as described above will be described. In FIG. 2, the solid line arrows indicate the flow of cooling air. The cooling fan 122 takes in external air as cooling air from an inflow port (not shown) formed at a position facing the cooling fan 122 of the cover 160. The taken cooling air cools the compressed air generation unit 110 and the driving unit 120. The cooling air flows through a space formed between the compressed air generation unit 110, the driving unit 120, and the fixed frame 154 of the battery 150, and cools the protrusion 154 d and the control circuit unit 140. Then, the cooling air is discharged from an outlet (not shown).

  As described above, in the air compressor 1 according to this embodiment, the battery 150 that supplies power to the drive unit 120 is provided between the pair of air tanks 130a and 130b. Therefore, a large amount of compressed air can be supplied even in a place where the power supply environment is bad.

  Further, the compressed air generation unit 110 is provided above the air tanks 130a and 130b so that the sliding direction of the piston and the longitudinal direction of the air tanks 130a and 130b are substantially orthogonal. And if the air tanks 130a and 130b are arrange | positioned according to the length of the sliding direction of the piston of the compressed air production | generation part 110, a clearance gap will be formed between the air tanks 130a and 130b. By providing the battery 150 in the gap, the dead space can be used effectively, and downsizing and transportation can be facilitated.

  Further, since the battery 150 is provided between the air tanks 130a and 130b, the position of the center of gravity of the air compressor 1 is lower than the case where the battery 150 is provided above the air compressor 1 such as on the air tanks 130a and 130b. Become. Therefore, the distance between the position of the center of gravity of the air compressor 1 and the leg 133 is shortened, and the noise of vibration of the air compressor 1 due to the vibration of the compressed air generation unit 110 can be reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the configuration in which one battery 150 supplies power to the drive unit 120 has been described. However, in the present invention, a plurality of batteries may supply power to the driving unit 120. Hereinafter, as Embodiment 2, an air compressor 1a to which three batteries 170a to 170c can be attached will be described as an example of a plurality of batteries. In addition, about the structure similar to the air compressor 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1, the code | symbol is used the same and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In FIG. 3, the side view of the air compressor 1a which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention is shown. As shown in FIG. 3, the air compressor 1a includes a compressed air generation unit 110, a drive unit 120, air tanks 130a and 130b (only the air tank 130b is shown in FIG. 3), batteries 170a to 170c, A control circuit unit 180 and a notification unit 190 are included.

  The batteries 170 a to 170 c are provided between the air tanks 130 a and 130 b and supply power to the driving unit 120. The batteries 170a to 170c are configured to be connected in series and output a DC voltage 100V, for example. FIG. 4 shows a front view of the battery 170a. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the batteries 170a to 170c include a plurality of battery cells 171a to 171c, battery covers 172a to 172c, a power terminal 173a, a signal terminal 174a, and a fixed frame 175, respectively. Consists of The batteries 170b and 170c are configured in the same manner as the battery 170a. The batteries 170a to 170c are housed in a battery case 176. The battery case 176 is fixed to the fixed frame 175 with screws 177.

  The plurality of battery cells 171a to 171c are, for example, lithium ion batteries, and are chargeable / dischargeable batteries. The battery covers 172a to 172c cover the battery cells 171a to 171c and are detachably attached to the fixed frame 175. The battery is not limited to a lithium ion battery, and may be a nickel cadmium battery or a nickel metal hydride battery as long as the battery capacity can be used as a driving power source for an air compressor.

  The signal terminal 174a is a terminal for detecting the state of the batteries 170a to 170c such as the internal resistance and temperature of the plurality of battery cells 171a to 171c and outputting it as battery information.

  As such batteries 170a to 170c, for example, a lithium ion battery having a voltage of 36 V and a battery capacity of 2.6 Ah used as a power source for an electric tool or the like can be used.

  The fixed frame 175 is a frame for fixing the batteries 170a to 170c between the air tanks 130a and 130b. The fixed frame 175 includes a frame member 175a and a plate member 175b. The frame member 175a is fixed to the air tanks 130a and 130b, for example, by welding or the like so as to be positioned between the air tanks 130a and 130b. The plate member 175b is fixed to the frame member 175a with screws 175c. The upper surface of the plate member 175b includes a plurality of projecting portions 175d extending along the longitudinal direction of the air tanks 130a and 130b and projecting upward. By the projecting portion 175d, the cooling air from the cooling fan 122 flows along the projecting portion 175d and is guided to the control circuit unit 140, so that the control circuit unit 140 can be efficiently cooled.

  FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the fixed frame 175 in a state where the batteries 170a to 170c are not attached. As shown in FIG. 5, the plate member 175b includes an opening 175e into which the batteries 170a to 170c are inserted, a power supply terminal 175f connected to the power supply terminal 173a of the batteries 170a to 170c, and a signal for the batteries 170a to 170c. A signal terminal 175g connected to the terminal 173a. The power supply terminal 175 f and the signal terminal 175 g are connected to the connection connector 153 and connected to the control circuit unit 140 via the connection cable 155.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control circuit unit 180 includes a power switch 141, a substrate 182 on which various circuits to be described later are formed, and a case 143 that accommodates the substrate 182. Operation signals from the power switch 141, and the like. Based on the above, the operation of the drive unit 120 is controlled. In addition, the control circuit unit 180 of the present embodiment controls the power supply voltage supplied to the driving unit based on the number of batteries 170a to 170c that are installed. In addition, when the battery information acquired from the batteries 170a to 170c indicates a battery abnormality, the control circuit unit 180 notifies the fact by the notification unit 190.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a circuit configuration diagram of the control circuit unit 180 of the air compressor 1a. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the control circuit unit 180 includes a power switch 141, a power circuit 184, a drive circuit 185, a control unit 186, and a power switch 187. The control unit 186 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory) serving as a work area, and a ROM (Read-Only Memory) that stores a program for controlling each unit of the air compressor 1a. And. The control unit 186 switches the power switch 187 based on the battery information acquired from the batteries 170a to 170c. In addition, when the battery information acquired from the batteries 170a to 170c indicates a battery abnormality, the control unit 186 notifies the fact by the notification unit 190.

  Specifically, the control unit 186 determines the number of the batteries 170a to 170c attached to the fixed frame 175 based on signals acquired from the batteries 170a to 170c. Then, based on the determination result, switching is performed so that the S0 terminal of the power supply selector switch 187 is connected to one of S1 to S3. For example, when it is determined that the two batteries 170a and 170b are attached, the control unit 186 switches so that the S0 terminal of the power switch 187 is connected to the S2 terminal.

  In addition, the control unit 186 acquires the internal resistance and temperature of the batteries 170a to 170c as battery information from the batteries 170a to 170c. For example, when the internal resistance or temperature of the batteries 170a to 170c exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit 186 determines that the batteries 170a to 170c that output battery information exceeding the predetermined threshold are abnormal, A signal to notify the abnormality of the batteries 170 a to 170 c is output to the notification unit 190.

  The notification unit 190 notifies the abnormality of the batteries 170a to 170c based on the output signal from the control unit 186. As shown in FIG. 7, for example, the notification unit 190 includes a plurality of LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) 191 a to 191 c and is disposed on the upper surface of the air compressor 1 a together with the power switch 141. Specifically, the notification unit 190 turns on the LEDs 191a to 191c corresponding to the batteries 170a to 170c determined to be abnormal by the control unit 186 based on an output signal from the control unit 186, thereby causing the batteries 170a to 170c to turn on. Announce the abnormality. For example, when it is determined that the battery 170b is abnormal based on the acquired battery information, the control unit 186 outputs a control signal indicating that the LED 191b corresponding to the battery 170b is turned on to the notification unit 190. And the alerting | reporting part 190 makes LED191b light based on the control signal of the control part 186b.

  As described above, in the air compressor 1a according to this embodiment, since a plurality of batteries 170a to 170c can be mounted, it is possible to use a combination of highly versatile batteries used for electric tools and the like. it can. In addition, the power supply voltage can be changed by changing the type and number of batteries according to the work contents. Therefore, for example, when the amount of work is small or an air tool with a small amount of air consumption is used, the number of batteries 170a to 170c to be mounted is reduced, thereby reducing the power supply voltage and the number of rotations of the electric motor 121. In this state, the air compressor 1a can be operated, and use of a battery more than necessary can be prevented.

  Further, in the air compressor 1a according to the present embodiment, when the battery information acquired from the batteries 170a to 170c indicates an abnormality, the LEDs 191a to 191c are turned on to notify that the batteries 170a to 170c are abnormal. Therefore, the operator can know the abnormal batteries 170a to 170c from the lit LEDs 191a to 191c, and can immediately take measures such as replacement of the batteries 170a to 170c. In addition, maintenance and replacement costs of the batteries 170a to 170c can be reduced.

1, 1a Air compressor 110 Compressed air generator 111 First stage compressor 112 Second stage compressor 113 Crankcase 120 Drive unit 121 Electric motor 122 Cooling fan 123 Crankshafts 130a, 130b Air tank 131 Fixed frame 132 Coupler 140 Control Circuit part 141 Power switch 142 Substrate 143 Case 150 Battery 151 Battery cell 152 Battery cover 153 Connector for connection 154 Fixed frame 154a Frame member 154b Plate member 154c Screw 154d Projection part 160 Cover 161 Handles 170a to 170c Battery 171a to 171b Battery cell 172a to 172c Battery cover 173a Power terminal 174a Signal terminal 175 Fixed frame 175a Frame member 175b Plate member 175c Screw 175d Projection Portion 175e Opening portion 175f Power terminal 175g Signal terminal 176 Battery case 177 Screw 180 Control circuit unit 182 Substrate 184 Power circuit 185 Drive circuit 186 Control unit 187 Power switch 190 Notification unit 191a to 191c LED

Claims (6)

A compressed air generating section for generating compressed air;
A drive unit having an electric motor for driving the compressed air generation unit;
A pair of cylindrical air tanks that are positioned so that the longitudinal axes thereof are substantially parallel to each other and store the compressed air generated by the compressed air generation unit;
One or a plurality of batteries provided between the pair of air tanks and supplying power to the driving unit;
An air compressor comprising: A fan directly connected to the output shaft of the electric motor;
The battery is provided below the electric motor via a space through which cooling air generated by the fan flows.
The air compressor according to claim 1. A control circuit unit that is positioned so as to sandwich the compressed air generation unit and the electric motor together with the fan and further controls the electric motor,
The air compressor according to claim 2. A frame provided between the pair of air tanks;
The battery is detachably attached to the frame.
The air compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air compressor is provided. A detection unit for detecting the number of batteries mounted on the frame;
A control unit for controlling a power supply voltage supplied to the driving unit based on the number of batteries detected by the detection unit;
The air compressor according to claim 4, further comprising: A battery information acquisition unit for acquiring battery information indicating a state of the battery from a battery mounted on the frame;
When the battery information acquired by the battery information acquisition unit indicates an abnormality of the battery, a notification unit that notifies that the battery is abnormal;
The air compressor according to claim 4, further comprising:

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