Air pump with internal tool storage

Abstract

An air pump (10) comprises a pump assembly (20) and an internal tool storage system. The pump assembly includes a nozzle head (21), a piston tube (22), and a cylinder (23). A tool set (30) is housed in the piston tube and includes a tubular element (31) with a first storage cavity (311) and a cap element (32) with a second storage cavity (321). The cavities maintain airflow communication while storing repair tools. A repair needle (33) can be selectively mounted on either the nozzle head or the cap element. The invention enables the integration of inflation and repair capabilities in a single device.

Description

Background of the invention The present invention relates to an air pump and in particular an air pump with internal tool storage capabilities. Tires can lose pressure or go flat while riding, affecting performance. An air pump allows riders to maintain the correct tire pressure, which is why most bicycles are equipped with portable pumps. Conventional air pumps are limited to adjusting tire pressure. Insufficient tire pressure is often due to tire damage, and dealing with such situations requires not only an air pump but also tire repair tools. Carrying both an air pump and various repair tools while driving places an unnecessary burden on users. DE 295 07 201 U1 describes a two-wheel air pump in which a tube is large enough to accommodate accessories such as puncture repair kits and in which a “keybone” can be inserted into the handle, which thus serves as an end plug. US 6 270 327 B1 describes a hand pump having a tubular pump housing with a longitudinal axis. DE 10 2020 131 936 A1 describes a bicycle tire repair device with a main body having a first end that forms a working end, which is suitable for repairing a tire to be repaired and for fluidically connecting it to the tire to be repaired. WO 2024 103303 A1 describes a portable tire repair tool consisting of a gas cylinder connection and a hollow protective housing. The present invention is therefore intended to eliminate or at least reduce the problems encountered in the prior art. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an air pump according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a perspective exploded view of the air pump of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the air pump of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the air pump of Fig. 1, showing a cylinder in an extended position; Fig. 5 shows another cross-sectional view of the air pump of Fig. 1, showing the cylinder in an extended position; Fig. 6 shows a perspective exploded view of the air pump of Fig. 1, showing a nozzle head assembly with a repair needle; and Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the air pump of Fig. 1, showing the nozzle head assembly with the repair needle. Detailed description of the invention According to Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6 to Fig. 7, an air pump 10 according to the present invention has a pump arrangement 20 and a tool set 30. The pump assembly 20 comprises a nozzle head 21, a piston tube 22, and a cylinder 23. One end of the piston tube 22 is detachably connected to the nozzle head 21, and the cylinder 23 is arranged in a sleeve-like manner on the end of the piston tube 22 opposite the nozzle head 21. The tool set 30 is located inside the piston tube 22 and is detachably connected to the nozzle head 21. The tool set 30 comprises a tubular element 31, a cap element 32, and a repair needle 33. The tubular element 31 is detachably connected to the nozzle head 21. The tubular element 31 has a hollow first storage cavity 311. The cap element 32 is detachably connected to the end of the tubular element 31 opposite the nozzle head 21. The cap element 32 has a hollow second storage cavity 321 that communicates with the first storage cavity 311. The repair needle 33 is connected to the end of the cap element 32 opposite the tubular element 31. The nozzle head 21 has an air inlet 211. The tubular element 31 is detachably connected to the air inlet 211. The first storage cavity 311 extends through the tubular element 31 and communicates with the air inlet 211. The cap element 32 has a hole 322 that connects the second storage cavity 321 to the outer circumference of the cap element 32. Air from inside the piston tube 22 can enter the first storage cavity 311 and the second storage cavity 321 through the hole 322 and reach the air inlet 211. The tubular element 31 has a first flange 312 along its radial outer circumference. The piston tube 22 has a connecting ring 221, a tubular body 222, and a piston head 223. The connecting ring 221 is arranged in a sleeve-like manner on the tubular element 31 and is detachably connected to the nozzle head 21. The connecting ring 221 has a second flange 224 on its inner circumference, which abuts the side of the first flange 312 opposite the nozzle head 21. One end of the tubular body 222 is connected to the connecting ring 221. The piston head 223 is connected to the end of the tubular body 222 opposite the connecting ring 221. The outer circumference of the piston head 223 abuts the inner circumference of the cylinder 23. The piston head 223 has a through-hole 225 and a one-way valve 226 in the through-hole 225. The one-way valve 226 allows only air from the cylinder 23 to flow through the through-hole 225 and enter the pipe body 222. The pump assembly 20 has a buffer ring 24 which is capable of elastic deformation. The buffer ring 24 is arranged in a sleeve-like manner on the outer circumference of the pipe body 222 and rests against the end of the connecting ring 221 opposite the nozzle head 21. The nozzle head 21 has an internal threaded section 212 and a piercing cone 213. The internal threaded section 212 is located on the inner circumference of the air inlet 211. The internal threaded section 212 has a specification of 3 / 8"-24UNF. The piercing cone 213 is located inside the air inlet 211 adjacent to the internal threaded section 212 and on the side opposite the tubular element 31. The tubular element 31 has an external threaded section 313 along its radial outer circumference, which engages with the internal threaded section 212. The first flange 312 is located on the side of the external threaded section 313 opposite the nozzle head 21. The nozzle head 21 has an air outlet 214 that communicates with the air inlet 211. The air outlet 214 has a first connecting section 215. The cap element 32 has a second connecting section 323 at its end opposite the tubular element 31. The repair needle 33 has a third connecting section 331 at one end. The third connecting section 331 can be selectively connected either to the first connecting section 215 or to the second connecting section 323. In the present embodiment, the first connecting section 215 and the second connecting section 323 have internal thread structures, and the third connecting section 331 has an external thread structure. The third connecting section 331 can be selectively engaged in threaded engagement with either the first connecting section 215 or the second connecting section 323. The repair needle 33 has a repair section 332 at its end opposite the third connecting section 331. The repair needle 33 has a filling hole 333 extending through it, which connects the third connecting section 331 to the repair section 332. The air pump 10 operates in two different modes. In pumping mode, air enters the cylinder 23 during the extension stroke, the one-way valve 226 allows air to enter the tube body 222, air flows through the hole 322 into the storage cavities 311 and 321, and air exits through the nozzle head 21 to inflate the tire. In repair mode, the tool set 30 is accessed by removing the piston tube 22 from the nozzle head 21. The repair needle 33 can be connected to either the nozzle head 21 or the cap element 32, and repair materials such as tire patches can be stored in the storage cavities 311 and 321. In light of the foregoing, the air pump 10 achieves efficient functionality while simultaneously maintaining internal storage space for tools, thus saving space. When the tool set 30 is stored in the pump assembly 20, compression of the cylinder 23 forces air through the through-hole 225 into the tube body 222. This air then reaches the nozzle head 21 through the hole 322, the first storage cavity 311, and the second storage cavity 321, allowing the air pump 10 to maintain its basic pumping function while the tool set 30 is stored. Tire repair strips 90 can be stored in the first storage cavity 311 and the second storage cavity 321.The air inlet 211 can be connected to a high-pressure air cylinder 91, and the repair needle 33 can be connected to the air outlet 214 to perform tire pressure top-up and repair operations simultaneously.

Claims

Air pump (10) comprising: a pump arrangement (20) with a nozzle head (21), a piston tube (22) and a cylinder (23), wherein a first end of the piston tube (22) is detachably connected to the nozzle head (21), and wherein the cylinder (23) is arranged in a sleeve-like manner on a second end of the piston tube (22); and a tool set (30) which is arranged inside the piston tube (22) and detachably connected to the nozzle head (21). Air pump (10) according to claim 1, wherein the tool set (30) comprises a tubular element (31) detachably connected to the nozzle head (21), a cap element (32) detachably connected to an end of the tubular element (31) opposite the nozzle head (21), and a repair needle (33) connected to an end of the cap element (32) opposite the tubular element (31), wherein the tubular element (31) has a first storage cavity (311), and wherein the cap element (32) has a second storage cavity (321) communicating with the first storage cavity (311). Air pump (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nozzle head (21) has an air inlet (211), wherein the tubular element (31) is detachably connected to the air inlet (211), wherein the first storage cavity (311) extends through the tubular element (31) and communicates with the air inlet (211), wherein the cap element (32) has a hole (322) that connects the second storage cavity (321) to an outer circumference of the cap element (32), and wherein air from the piston tube (22) enters the first storage cavity (311) and the second storage cavity (321) through the hole (322) and reaches the air inlet (211). Air pump (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tubular element (31) has a first flange (312) along its radial outer circumference, wherein the piston tube (22) has a connecting ring (221), a tube body (222) and a piston head (223), wherein the connecting ring (221) is arranged sleeve-like on the tubular element (31) and is detachably connected to the nozzle head (21), wherein the connecting ring (221) has a second flange (224) on its inner circumference, which abuts a side of the first flange (312) opposite the nozzle head (21), wherein an end of the tube body (222) is connected to the connecting ring (221), wherein the piston head (223) is connected to an end of the tube body (222) opposite the connecting ring (221), and wherein an outer circumference of the piston head (223) is connected to an inner circumference of the cylinder (23) is attached. Air pump (10) according to claim 4, wherein the piston head (223) has a through-hole (225) with a one-way valve (226) that allows only air from the cylinder (23) to flow through the through-hole (225) and enter the pipe body (222). Air pump (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a buffer ring (24) which is able to deform elastically, wherein the buffer ring (24) is arranged in a sleeve-like manner on the outer circumference of the tube body (222) and rests against an end of the connecting ring (221) opposite the nozzle head (21). Air pump (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nozzle head (21) has an internal threaded section (212) and a piercing cone (213), wherein the internal threaded section (212) is arranged on an inner circumference of the air inlet (211) and has a specification of 3 / 8"-24UNF, wherein the piercing cone (213) is arranged inside the air inlet (211) adjacent to the internal threaded section (212) and on one side opposite the tubular element (31), wherein the tubular element (31) has an external threaded section (313) along its radial outer circumference which engages with the internal threaded section (212), and wherein the first flange (312) is arranged on a side of the external threaded section (313) opposite the nozzle head (21). Air pump (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the nozzle head (21) has an air outlet (214) that communicates with the air inlet (211), wherein the air outlet (214) has a first connecting section (215), wherein the cap element (32) has a second connecting section (323) at an end opposite the tubular element (31), wherein the repair needle (33) has a third connecting section (331) at one end, and wherein the third connecting section (331) is selectively connected either to the first connecting section (215) or to the second connecting section (323). Air pump (10) according to claim 8, wherein the first connecting section (215) and the second connecting section (323) have internal thread structures, wherein the third connecting section (331) has an external thread structure, and wherein the third connecting section (331) can be selectively brought into thread engagement with either the first connecting section (215) or the second connecting section (323). Air pump (10) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the repair needle (33) has a repair section (332) at one end opposite the third connecting section (331), and wherein the repair needle (33) defines a filling hole (333) which extends through the repair needle (33) and connects the third connecting section (331) to the repair section (332).

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