JP7699759B2 - Air Compressor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air compressor.

At construction sites and other work sites, pneumatic tools that use compressed air as their driving energy are widely used to perform tasks such as cutting, nailing, and screwing. Well-known pneumatic tools include air drivers and nailers that drive fasteners such as staples, pins, screws, and nails. An air compressor supplies compressed air to these pneumatic tools.

In general, air compressors are configured so that the rotational motion of a motor is converted via a crankshaft into the reciprocating motion of a piston inside a cylinder, and the reciprocating motion of the piston compresses the air sucked in through the intake valve of the cylinder. The compressed air compressed inside the cylinder is discharged through a pipe from the exhaust valve of the cylinder into a tank, where it is stored. The user can then operate a pressure adjustment dial to fine-tune the pressure increase or decrease of the compressed air stored in the tank. Compressed air that has been fine-tuned to the desired pressure is then supplied to an external pneumatic tool through a compressed air supply port.

For such air compressors, mechanisms have been proposed to stop various functions of the air compressor, for example, in consideration of safety during transportation. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air compressor equipped with an installation detection means that detects whether the air compressor is installed or not installed on the installation surface. The air compressor stops functioning as an air compressor when the switch detects the not-installed state.

JP 2020-33969 A

However, the air compressor described in the above patent document stops functioning after it is detected that the air compressor has been lifted and is not in an installed state, so it is not possible to stop the compressor from functioning in advance and prevent the supply of compressed air to the pneumatic tool before the compressor body is lifted. Since it may be too late from a safety standpoint after the air compressor has been lifted, there was a problem with wanting to stop the compressor from functioning before it is lifted.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an air compressor that can reliably stop the use of a pneumatic tool when the air compressor is not installed.

An air compressor according to one aspect of the present invention is an air compressor capable of supplying compressed air to an external pneumatic tool connected to a coupler, and is equipped with a detection means for detecting an uninstalled state of the air compressor, and a supply blocking means for blocking the supply of compressed air from the coupler when the detection means detects the uninstalled state.

According to this aspect, it is possible to provide an air compressor that can reliably stop the use of a pneumatic tool when the air compressor is not installed, thereby improving safety for the user.

In the above aspect, the air compressor may further include a handle that is attached to the compressor body of the air compressor and is movable within a movable range that includes the first position, and the detection means detects that the compressor body is installed when the handle is in the first position and detects that the compressor body is not installed when the handle is in a second position different from the first position, and the supply prevention means may prevent the connection of a pneumatic tool to the coupler when the handle is in the second position.

According to this aspect, when the handle is moved to transport the air compressor, the detection means can detect the non-installed state, and the supply blocking means can prevent the connection of an air tool to the coupler.

In the above aspect, a part of the handle may prevent connection to the coupler when the handle is in the second position. The device may further include a driven member that moves in conjunction with the handle, and the driven member may prevent connection of the pneumatic tool to the coupler when the handle is in the second position.

According to this aspect, the coupler can be blocked with a handle or a driven member to more reliably stop the function as an air compressor. This makes it possible to easily and reliably stop the function as an air compressor.

In the above aspect, when the handle is in the first position, the gap between the compressor body and the handle may be equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

According to this aspect, by making the gap between the compressor body and the handle, for example, smaller than the size of a user's finger, the user cannot grasp the handle when it is in the first position, and the handle must be moved to the second position to lift the compressor, and the supply blocking means prevents the connection of a pneumatic tool to the coupler, improving safety.

In the above embodiment, the handle may be configured not to be able to move from the first position when the pneumatic tool is connected to the coupler.

According to this embodiment, since the air compressor cannot be transported by moving the handle with the pneumatic tool attached to the coupler, the pneumatic tool must be removed and the handle moved when transporting, so that the use of the pneumatic tool can be reliably stopped when the compressor body is not installed. Therefore, since the pneumatic tool and the hose connected to the pneumatic tool are not connected to the compressor, it is possible to prevent the pneumatic tool and the hose connected to the pneumatic tool from falling off the compressor during transport or being damaged by contact with a wall, etc.

In the above aspect, the air compressor may further include a handle that is attached to the compressor body of the air compressor and is movable within a movable range including the first position, and the detection means detects that the compressor body is installed when the handle is in the first position and detects that the compressor body is not installed when the handle is in a second position different from the first position, and the supply blocking means may disconnect the coupler from the pneumatic tool to stop the supply of compressed air when the handle moves from the first position to the second position.

According to this embodiment, the plug of the pneumatic tool is removed from the coupler in conjunction with the movement of the handle from the first position to the second position, so that the use of the pneumatic tool can be stopped reliably.

The present invention provides an air compressor that can reliably stop the use of a pneumatic tool when the compressor body is not installed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of an air compressor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the air compressor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the handle shown in FIG. 1 has been rotated to close the coupler. FIG. 4 is a side view that shows, in schematic form, an example of a handle that can move linearly to close a coupler. FIG. 5 is a side view that shows, in outline, an example of a driven member that can be driven by the handle to close the coupler. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the plug of the air hose is connected to the coupler. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the movable sleeve has slid to release the connection between the coupler and the plug. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a handle equipped with a connection/disconnection mechanism. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the handle shown in FIG. 8 has been moved from a first position to a second position.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, parts with the same reference numerals have the same or similar configuration. The air compressor 1 according to each embodiment of the present invention is a portable air compressor that can be powered by a battery 3 (see FIG. 2), and when the compressor body is transported, movable members such as the handle 4 move from a first position P1 to a second position P2 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). One of the features of the air compressor 1 is that when the movable members (e.g., the handle 4) are in the second position P2, the coupler 6, which is the connection part with an external pneumatic tool, cannot be used.

The movable member functions as a detection means for detecting a non-installed state in which the air compressor 1 can be lifted. Furthermore, the movable member also functions as a supply blocking means for blocking the supply of compressed air from the coupler 6 to prevent the coupler 6 from being used. The movable member functioning as the detection means and the movable member functioning as the supply blocking means may be the same movable member or may be separate movable members.

The supply blocking means may be a preventive means for preventing the connection of a pneumatic tool to the coupler 6 when the detection means detects that the housing 2 is not installed (see Figs. 3 to 5). Alternatively, the supply blocking means may be a stop means for stopping the supply of compressed air from the coupler 6 when the detection means detects that the housing 2 is not installed (see Figs. 6 to 9). Each component will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 1 to 9.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of an air compressor 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the air compressor 1 includes a housing 2, a battery 3 arranged on the outer surface of the housing 2, a handle 4, a tank 5, a coupler 6, a pressure adjustment dial 7, a pressure gauge 8, a power switch 9, and the like. Although not shown, the battery 3 may be built into the housing 2.

The compressor body (2, 10, 20) which constitutes the main part of the air compressor 1 includes the housing 2 and the tank 5, as well as the control unit 10 (shown in FIG. 2) and compression mechanism 20 (shown in FIG. 2) described below. In the illustrated example, the housing 2 is formed in a suitcase-like shape that is roughly rectangular. When the handle 4 is pulled out to the second position P2 (shown in FIG. 3) described below and the grip 41 is grasped to lift the housing 2, the housing 2 can be carried with one hand.

In the illustrated example, two detachable batteries 3 are attached to the housing 2. The number of batteries 3 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be one, or three or more. The batteries 3 do not necessarily need to be detachable, and may be connected to an electronic board built into the housing 2 by soldering or the like.

The tank 5 stores the compressed air generated by the compression mechanism 20. The coupler 6 is a supply port for high-pressure compressed air, and is connected to an external pneumatic tool. In the illustrated example, two couplers 6 are provided. The number of couplers 6 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be one, or three or more.

The pneumatic tool is, for example, an air driver or a nailer for driving fasteners such as staples, pins, screws, and nails, and is connected to a plug 100 (shown in Figures 6 and 7) that can be inserted into and removed from the coupler 6 via an air hose. The coupler 6 and the plug 100 will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 6 to 9.

The pressure adjustment dial 7 is used to adjust the compressed air supplied from the coupler 6 to a desired pressure. The pressure gauge 8 displays the pressure adjusted by the pressure adjustment dial 7. The power switch 9 is used to cut off the power circuit 13 (shown in FIG. 2), which will be described later, to stop the supply of power. The air compressor 1 may further include a connector, an operation panel, etc. (not shown) provided on the outer surface of the housing 2.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the air compressor 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the air compressor 1 includes a compression mechanism 20 that is driven by a motor 21 to generate compressed air, a control unit 10 that controls the driving of the motor 21, and the like.

The compression mechanism 20 generates compressed air by, for example, reciprocating a piston or the like using a motor 21. The motor 21 is, for example, a three-phase brushless DC motor, and is composed of a stator having three-phase windings, U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase, a rotor having a permanent magnet, etc.

The tank 5 described above is provided with a pressure sensor 23 that detects the internal pressure of the tank 5. The pressure sensor 23 is, for example, a piezoresistance type whose resistance value varies according to air pressure, or a pressure sensor whose capacitance varies according to air pressure. A coupler 6 is connected to the tank 5. The pressure adjustment dial 7 operates a valve provided in the flow path from the tank 5 to the coupler 6 to adjust the pressure of the compressed air flowing into the coupler 6.

The control unit 10 is composed of, for example, an MCU 11, a current/voltage detection circuit 12, a power supply circuit 13, etc. The current/voltage detection circuit 12 is connected to the three-phase windings that make up the motor 21. Since the current flowing through the windings varies depending on the load on the motor 21, the current/voltage detection circuit 12 can obtain information on the load state of the motor 21. The MCU 11 includes a processor and a memory element, and controls the inverter 16 of the power supply circuit 13, etc., based on information from the current/voltage detection circuit 12, the pressure sensor 23, etc.

The power supply circuit 13 is composed of an AC/DC converter 14, a power supply switching circuit 15, an inverter 16, an on-board charger 17, etc. The AC/DC converter 14 converts AC power supplied from a commercial power source such as a power outlet (plug-in connector) into DC power. The AC/DC converter 14 is composed of, for example, a rectifier circuit having a diode for converting AC voltage to DC voltage, a boost circuit including a switching element for controlling the voltage of the DC voltage, and a smoothing circuit including a capacitor for smoothing the DC voltage. The on-board charger 17 charges the battery 3 using the power supplied from the AC/DC converter 14. The on-board charger 17 may be omitted and the battery 3 may be charged by an external charger.

When the air compressor 1 is connected to an outlet or the like and power is being supplied from the AC/DC converter 14, the power source switching circuit 15 supplies the power to the inverter 16. When the air compressor 1 is not connected to an outlet or the like and power supply from the AC/DC converter 14 is stopped, the power source switching circuit 15 supplies power from the battery 3 to the inverter 16. The inverter 16 switches the DC power source supplied from the power source switching circuit 15 and supplies it to the three-phase windings of the motor 21.

The inverter 16 is composed of switching elements, for example, IGBTs (Insulted Gate Bipolar Transistors) or FETs (Field Effect Transistors) connected in a three-phase bridge between the power supply line and the ground line. The MCU 11 can execute PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control by controlling the switching elements of the inverter 16. The MCU 11 compares the motor start pressure value and motor stop pressure value set in the air compressor 1 with the internal pressure information from the pressure sensor 23, and sends a signal to the inverter 16 to drive the motor 21 until the internal pressure of the tank 5 reaches the motor stop pressure value.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which the handle 4 shown in Figure 1 has rotated to close the coupler 6. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the handle 4 attached to the compressor body can move within a movable range that includes a first position P1. The first position P1 is, for example, a position where the plug 100 of a pneumatic tool can be attached to the coupler 6, and the second position P2 is, for example, the remainder of the movable range of the handle 4 excluding the first position P1.

When the handle 4 is in the first position P1, the gap Q1 between the compressor body and the grip 41 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value at which the user cannot insert his/her fingers into the gap Q1 to grasp the grip 41. Therefore, in order to transport the compressor body, it is necessary to pull out the handle 4 and widen the gap between the compressor body and the grip 41 from Q1 shown in FIG. 1 to Q2 shown in FIG. 3. The air compressor 1 is configured such that when a pneumatic tool is connected to the coupler 6 shown in FIG. 1, the handle 4 interferes with the plug 100 of the pneumatic tool and the handle 4 cannot move from the first position P1.

The air compressor 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a detection means for detecting the non-installed state of the compressor body. The handle 4 is an example of the detection means, and when the handle is in the first position P1 shown in FIG. 1, it detects that the compressor body is installed on an installation surface such as a floor (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "installed state"). On the other hand, when the handle is in a second position different from the first position, it detects that the compressor body is in a non-installed state (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "non-installed state") in which it is being transported. The movable member constituting the detection means is not limited to the handle 4, and may be, for example, a button protruding from the bottom surface of the compressor body.

As described above, the air compressor 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a supply blocking means that, when the detection means detects an uninstalled state, disables the use of the coupler 6, thereby disabling the use of the pneumatic tool. The supply blocking means includes at least one of a prevention means and a stop means.

The prevention means, for example, closes the coupler 6 with a coupler cover 42 or the like to prevent the pneumatic tool from being connected to the coupler 6. The stopping means, for example, removes the plug 100 of the pneumatic tool from the coupler to stop the supply of compressed air. The stopping means will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 6 to 9.

The prevention means prevents connection to the coupler when the handle 4 is in the second position P2. In the illustrated example, the coupler cover 42, which is part of the handle, is closed. The coupler cover 42 is an example of the prevention means. In the illustrated example, the coupler cover 42 is provided between the rotation center 40 of the handle 4 and the grip 41. The handle 4 is an example of a movable member that constitutes the supply blocking means (prevention means).

Figure 4 is a side view showing an example of a handle 4 that can move linearly to close the coupler. The upper half of Figure 4 shows the handle 4 in a state where it is in a first position P1, and the lower half of Figure 4 shows the handle 4 in a state where it is in a second position P2. As shown in Figure 4, when the handle 4 is moved from the first position P1 to the second position P2 in an attempt to widen the gap from Q1 to Q2 in order to grasp the grip 41, the coupler cover 42 that slides up and down is configured to close the coupler 6.

Figure 5 is a side view showing an example of a driven member 43 that can close the coupler 6 in response to the handle 4. The upper half of Figure 5 shows the handle 4 in a first position P1, and the lower half of Figure 5 shows the handle 4 in a second position P2. As shown in Figure 5, when the handle 4 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the driven member 43 as shown in the figure, rather than a part of the handle 4, may be configured to close the coupler 6. The driven member 43 is another example of a movable member that constitutes the supply blocking means (prevention means).

In the illustrated example, the driven member 43 is configured as a slider that slides horizontally when pressed against the base end portion, which is the portion including the rotation center 40 of the handle 4 and its vicinity. The driven member 43 that moves in conjunction with the handle 4 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be a link or a lever.

Figure 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a plug 100 of an air hose extending from a pneumatic tool is connected to the coupler 6. Figure 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the movable sleeve 61 slides to release the connection between the coupler 6 and the plug 100. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the coupler 6 is composed of a coupler body (inner cylinder) 60 that incorporates a valve, etc., and a sleeve (outer cylinder) 61 that can slide relative to the coupler body 60. As shown in Figure 7, the plug 100 can be removed by pushing the sleeve 61 back toward the upstream side of the compressed air.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a handle 4 equipped with a disconnection mechanism. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the handle 4 shown in Figure 8 moved from the first position P1 to the second position P2. In the illustrated example, the coupler 6 is configured to disconnect from the plug 100 of the pneumatic tool when the handle 4 moves from the first position P1 shown in Figure 8 to the second position P2 shown in Figure 9. When the plug 100 is removed, the coupler 6 closes a valve built into the coupler body 60 to stop the supply of compressed air. The disconnection mechanism that removes the plug 100 from the coupler 6 is an example of a stop means.

In the illustrated example, an inclined surface 44 that functions as a disconnection mechanism is formed near the rotation center 40. The inclined surface 44 is inclined so as to press the sleeve 61 toward the housing 2 as it moves toward the second position P2. The disconnection mechanism is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, it may be configured so that the sleeve 61 is pushed back by a lever, link, etc. when the handle 4 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2.

According to the air compressor 1 of each embodiment of the present invention configured as described above, when the compressor body is not installed, the plug 100 cannot be connected to the coupler 6, so that the use of the pneumatic tool can be stopped reliably. The embodiments described above are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the interpretation of the present invention. The elements of the embodiments, as well as their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc., are not limited to those exemplified, and can be modified as appropriate. In addition, the configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined with each other.

For example, the movable member used in the detection means, supply blocking means, etc. is not limited to a handle. For example, an exterior member that slides down below the bottom surface of the compressor body when lifted from the installation surface may be attached to the compressor body and used as a substitute for a handle. The detection means may detect the non-installed state from the relative positions of the compressor body and the exterior member. The prevention means may be configured so that when the compressor body is lifted to transport the air compressor, the exterior member moves to block the coupler. The mechanism for moving the exterior member is not particularly limited. The exterior member may slide down due to gravity, or the exterior member may be moved by the biasing force of a spring.

For example, the stopping means may be configured such that when the handle is moved from the first position to the second position, the control unit stops the electric motor to stop the supply of compressed air. For example, the stopping means may include a mechanism that can mechanically operate the on-off valve without the intervention of the control unit, and is configured to close the on-off valve in conjunction with the movement of the handle to the second position. Alternatively, the stopping means may further include a solenoid valve that can block the flow of compressed air into the coupler, and the stopping means may be configured such that when the handle is moved from the first position to the second position, the control unit closes the solenoid valve to stop the supply of compressed air to the pneumatic tool.

1...air compressor, 2...casing, 3...battery, 4...handle (one example of a movable member constituting the detection means, one example of a movable member constituting the supply blocking means), 5...tank, 6...coupler, 7...pressure adjustment dial, 8...pressure gauge, 9...power switch, 10...controller, 11...MCU, 12...current/voltage detection circuit, 13...power circuit, 14...AC/DC converter, 15...power switching circuit, 16...inverter, 17...on-board charger, 20...compression mechanism, 21...motor, 23...pressure sensor, 40...center of rotation, 41...grip, 42...coupler cover, 43...driven member (one example of a movable member constituting the supply blocking means), 44...inclined surface (one example of a connection/disconnection mechanism), 60...coupler body, 61...sleeve, 100...plug, P1...first position, P2...second position, Q1, Q2...gaps.

Claims (7)

An air compressor capable of supplying compressed air to an external pneumatic tool connected to a coupler,
A detection means for detecting a non-installed state of the air compressor;
a supply blocking means for blocking the supply of the compressed air from the coupler when the detection means detects the non-installed state;
The compressor body,
A handle attached to the compressor body;
Equipped with
The handle is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position;
The detection means detects that the compressor body is in the non-installed state when the handle is in the second position,
The supply blocking means prevents the pneumatic tool from being connected to the coupler.
Air compressor. 2. The air compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the supply blocking means stops the supply of the compressed air from the coupler. 2. The air compressor of claim 1 , wherein the supply blocking means disconnects the coupler from the pneumatic tool. 2. The air compressor of claim 1 , wherein the supply blocking means prevents connection of the pneumatic tool to the coupler by causing a portion of the handle to block at least a portion of the coupler when the handle is in the second position. 2. The air compressor according to claim 1, wherein the supply blocking means has a driven member that moves in conjunction with the handle, and when the handle is in the second position, the driven member blocks at least a portion of the coupler, thereby preventing connection to the coupler . 6. The air compressor according to claim 1 , wherein when the handle is in the first position, a gap between the compressor body and the handle is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. 2. The air compressor of claim 1 , wherein the handle is configured such that it cannot be moved from the first position to the second position while the pneumatic tool is connected to the coupler.

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