Air compressor enclosed in shroud having tab isolator

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an air compressor enclosed in a shroud with plastic tab isolators. In an exemplary aspect of the present invention, an air compressor may include an air tank for containing air at an elevated pressure, and a shroud for enclosing the air tank. The shroud may include a ribbing and a plurality of support members. The ribbing and the plurality of support members may be in contact with the air tank to assist in holding the air tank inside the shroud.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS [0001] The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 459,804, entitled “Air Compressor Enclosed in Shroud with Plastic Tab Isolator,” filed Apr. 2, 2003. Said U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 459,804 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to air compressors and particularly to an air compressor enclosed in a shroud having tab isolators. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Air compressors are widely used in household and industrial applications for operating air powered tools such as fasteners, socket driving tools, material shapers, sanders, sprayers, inflation chucks, and the like. An air compressor typically includes an air tank for storing compressed air, a compressor for supplying compressed air to the air tank, and a manifold assembly for controlling and distributing compres...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] In an additional exemplary aspect of the present invention, a portable air compressor includes an air tank for containing air at an elevated pressure, and a shroud for enclosing the air tank. The shroud may include a ribbing and a plurality of support members. The ribbing may include a first group of ribs and a second group of ribs. The first group of ribs may be perpendicular to the second group of ribs. The ribbing and the plurality of support members may be in contact with the air tank to assist in holding the air tank inside the shroud.

Problems solved by technology

This tolerance often leads to the difficulty in designing a general-purpose shroud ribbing that may firmly hold air tanks of a range of sizes in place.

In other words, if the ribbing is designed to firmly hold a nominal tank (e.g., an air tank with a medium tolerance) in place, there would be an extra space between the tank and the shroud for a minimum tolerance tank (thus the minimum tolerance tank may move in the shroud); on the other hand, a maximum tolerance tank would not fit inside the ribbing at all.

This often leads to manufacture inefficiency.

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