Air ejection mechanism

Abstract

To provide an air injection mechanism which can effectively supply compressed air while using a low amount of compressed air with a simple structure.SOLUTION: An air injection mechanism comprises: a case portion formed in a cylindrical shape, and having an air flow-in port as an inlet of compressed air at one end and an air injection port as an outlet of compressed air at the other end; a valve which is located in the case portion and allows variation in a distance between the air flow-in port of the case portion and itself to change a degree of compressed air which enters the case portion and passes through the inside of the case portion to be injected from the air injection port; and an elastic member located in the case portion for energizing the valve in a direction of the air flow-in port. The compressed air injected from the air injection port of the case portion pulsates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air ejection mechanism for supplying compressed air. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Conventionally, air blowing that removes dust and dirt by jetting compressed air has been used. Various methods have been proposed to reduce the amount of compressed air used for air blowing. For example, the intermittent air generator of Patent Document 1 is an intermittent air blowing device including: a pneumatic pressure source; an air nozzle provided with a trigger valve; a pilot-type on-off valve provided in a passage leading from the output of the pneumatic pressure source to the air nozzle; and a pneumatic oscillation unit having an inlet port connected to the output of the pneumatic pressure source and an outlet port that supplies intermittent pilot pressure to the pilot-type on-off valve, wherein a pilot-type control valve is provided in the passage leading to the inlet port of the pneumatic oscillation unit, and when the trigger valve is closed, the pilot-type control valve is closed using pressure generated in the passage between the on-off valve and the air nozzle, thereby cutting off the supply of pneumatic pressure to the pneumatic oscillation unit. [[Prior Art Literature]] [[Patent Literature]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-75377 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] However, conventional intermittent air generators have a complicated structure and many mechanical components, so it is difficult to directly mount them to an air gun, and even if direct mounting can be achieved, there is a problem that the increase in weight and size makes the air gun difficult to handle.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide an air ejection mechanism that has a simple structure, can effectively supply compressed air while reducing the amount of compressed air used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 1 includes a cylindrical case portion having an air inlet at one end which is an inlet for compressed air and an air nozzle at the other end which is an outlet for compressed air, a valve located inside the case portion whose distance from the air inlet of the case portion varies and which changes the degree to which compressed air enters the case portion, passes through the case portion, and is ejected from the air nozzle, and a valve located inside the case portion, Contacting the valve The device comprises an elastic member that biases the valve toward the air inlet, and when compressed air attempts to enter the case from the air inlet while the valve is in a position close to the air inlet, the force of the entering compressed air pushes the valve inward toward the case, increasing the distance between the case and the air inlet, increasing the amount of compressed air entering the case. As the distance between the case and the air inlet increases, the amount of compressed air ejected from the air outlet of the case increases, weakening the force pressing the valve from the air inlet side, and the biasing force of the elastic member causes the valve to return to a position close to the air inlet. The repeated fluctuations in the position of the valve cause the compressed air ejected from the air outlet of the case to pulsate.

[0007] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the air ejection mechanism according to claim 1, the elastic member comprises a first elastic member that biases the valve toward the air inlet, and a second elastic member that biases the first elastic member toward the air inlet from the side of the air outlet.

[0008] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the air ejection mechanism according to claim 1, it has a valve travel distance adjustment means for arbitrarily determining the movable distance of the valve.

[0009] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in the air ejection mechanism according to claim 3, the valve travel distance adjustment means is a contact means that contacts the valve from the direction of the air inlet to arbitrarily determine the movable distance of the valve.

[0010] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the air ejection mechanism according to claim 2, it has a valve travel distance adjustment means for arbitrarily determining the movable distance of the valve.

[0011] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 6 is characterized in that, in the air ejection mechanism according to claim 5, the valve travel distance adjustment means is a contact means that contacts the valve from the direction of the air inlet to arbitrarily determine the movable distance of the valve.

[0012] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 7 is characterized in that, in the air ejection mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the case portion is integrally formed with the components of a device that requires pulsating compressed air.

[0013] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 8 is characterized in that, in the air ejection mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, it is formed inside an air coupler for supplying compressed air to a device that requires pulsating compressed air.

[0014] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 9 is characterized in that, in the air ejection mechanism according to claim 1 or claim 2, the valve is capable of sealing the air inlet.

[0015] The air ejection mechanism according to claim 10 is characterized in that, in the air ejection mechanism according to claim 9, it is formed inside an air coupler for supplying compressed air to a device that requires pulsating compressed air. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to supply compressed air effectively with a simple structure while reducing the amount of compressed air used. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing a longitudinal section of an example of the air ejection mechanism according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory diagram showing the external appearance of a coupler using said air ejection mechanism. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of use of a coupler using said air ejection mechanism. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of said air ejection mechanism. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of said air ejection mechanism. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram that graphically shows the operational state of said air ejection mechanism. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a longitudinal section of an example of the air ejection mechanism according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the external appearance of a coupler using said air ejection mechanism. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of use of a coupler using said air ejection mechanism. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of said air ejection mechanism. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of said air ejection mechanism. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram that graphically shows the operational state of said air ejection mechanism.

[0019] The air ejection mechanism 30 according to the present invention is for supplying compressed air to devices requiring compressed air, such as an air gun 5. However, the supply of compressed air is not limited to the case where compressed air is merely flowed into a device requiring compressed air; as described later, it also includes the case where the device becomes the side that supplies compressed air (the side that directly ejects air), such as when compressed air is ejected outward from the device.

[0020] The air ejection mechanism 30 is used to supply compressed air to devices that require compressed air, such as the air gun 5. Among applications of this mechanism, it is particularly preferable to use it for applications where pulsation of compressed air achieves significantly higher effects than conventional mechanisms; however, the present invention is not limited to, for example, the air gun 5 that injects compressed air onto an object to remove foreign matter from the surface of the object. However, the following description will be given with an example of the air gun 5.

[0021] The air gun 5 has a pistol-shaped shape, and compressed air is supplied from a grip end 50a. When a trigger 52 is pulled while holding the grip 50, compressed air is ejected from an air ejection portion 54. The air coupler 10 is attached to the grip end 50a of the air gun 5.

[0022] The air coupler 10 is a joint for facilitating connection and disconnection of fluid piping for fluids such as compressed air. The air coupler 10 of the present embodiment is screwed into the grip end 50a of the air gun 5, and allows a hose for supplying compressed air from a compressed air supply source to be relatively easily and detachably connected. The compressed air supply source is, for example, a compressor or the like. For this reason, the air coupler 10 has, on one end side that is the air gun 5 side, a bolt portion 14 with screw threads formed on the outer circumference thereof, and a nut portion 16 is formed beside the bolt portion 14 to facilitate screwing the air coupler 10 into the grip end 50a of the air gun 5. The other end side of the air coupler 10 has a shape that allows relatively easy insertion and removal of the hose for supplying compressed air from the compressed air supply source, and functions as an original coupler.

[0023] The air coupler 10 includes a coupler housing 12 having the above-described outer shape, a through hole 12b is formed through the center axis of the coupler housing 12, and the coupler housing 12 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape. The air ejection mechanism 30 of the present invention is provided inside the through hole 12b of the air coupler 10.

[0024] The air ejection mechanism 30 consists of a case portion 32, a valve 40, and an elastic member 42. The case portion 32 forms the housing of the air ejection mechanism 30 and is formed in a cylindrical shape. In the air coupler 10 of this embodiment, this cylindrical air ejection mechanism 30 is inserted into the through hole 12b of the coupler housing 12.

[0025] The case portion 32, which is the basic configuration of the air ejection mechanism 30, has an air inlet at one end, which is the inlet for compressed air, and an air outlet at the other end, which is the outlet for compressed air. In the air ejection mechanism 30 of this embodiment, a ring-shaped adjustment nut 34, which has the same diameter as the case portion 32 but is thicker, is provided just outside one end of the case portion 32. A substantially cylindrical adjustment bolt 20 is screwed into the inside of the adjustment nut 34. The opening at the end of the adjustment bolt 20 on the case portion 30 side is the air inlet 20b, which is the inlet for compressed air in the case portion 32 (the end opposite the air inlet 20b is the coupler inlet 20a of the air coupler 10 itself).

[0026] Furthermore, in the air ejection mechanism 30 of this embodiment, a disc-shaped cap-shaped stopper 36 with a hole penetrating through its axis is fitted to the other end of the case portion 32. The hole penetrating the stopper 36 serves as the air ejection port 36a, which is the outlet for compressed air.

[0027] The valve 40, which is the basic component of the air ejection mechanism 30, is located inside the case portion 32, and its distance from the air inlet 20b of the case portion 32 changes, thereby changing the degree to which compressed air enters the case portion 32, passes through the case portion 32, and is ejected from the air outlet 36a.

[0028] Furthermore, the elastic member 42, which is a basic component of the air ejection mechanism 30, is located inside the case portion 32 and biases the valve 40 toward the air inlet 20b. The elastic member 42 has a biasing force, and preferably, it is shaped such that compressed air passes through a gap in the elastic member 42 itself. Specifically, the elastic member 42 can be, for example, a spring, a sponge, or a leaf spring.

[0029] Furthermore, the elastic member 42 is not limited to being composed of a single member, but can also be composed of multiple elastic members, and in this embodiment, it is composed of multiple biasing forces. That is, in this embodiment, the elastic member 42 is composed of a spring 46, which is a first elastic member that biases the valve 40 toward the air inlet 20b inside the case portion 32, and a spring 44, which is a second elastic member that biases the first elastic member (spring 46) toward the air inlet 20b from the side of the air outlet 36a.

[0030] More specifically, there is a locking groove 36b between the stopper 36 inside the case portion 32 and the case portion 32, and a spring 44 is provided extending from the air outlet 36a to the air inlet 20b such that one end fits into the locking groove 36b. The other end of the spring 44 is provided with a cylindrical joint 38 having parts with different diameters in the axial direction. The narrower diameter part of the joint 38 faces towards the air outlet 36a, and the other end of the spring 44 fits into this narrower diameter part.

[0031] Furthermore, a stepped portion is provided on the inner side of the larger diameter portion of the joint 38 on the air inlet 20b side, and one end of the spring 46 is locked to this stepped portion. The spring 46 is positioned so as to extend from the inside of the other end of the joint 38 toward the air outlet 36a.

[0032] A roughly cylindrical valve 40 is fitted to the other end of the spring 46, and the valve 40 is supported only by the spring 46. The valve 40 is located inside the case portion 32, and the side facing the air inlet 20b has a larger diameter than the air inlet 20b, making it possible to seal the air inlet 20b. In this embodiment (Figure 1), the valve surface 40a of the valve 40 is shown sealing the air inlet 20b, but depending on how the air ejection mechanism 30 is used, it may not be necessary to seal the air inlet 20b with the valve 40. By making the structure such that the air inlet 20b can be sealed by the valve 40, it becomes possible to use the valve 40 as an air valve.

[0033] The air ejection mechanism 30, having this structure, is inserted into the through-hole 12b of the coupler housing 12 so that the entire air ejection mechanism 30 fits inside. The air outlet 36a side of the air ejection mechanism 30 abuts against a step inside the through-hole 12b, and a snap ring 22 is provided on the inner wall of the through-hole 12b outside the adjustment nut 34, fixing the air ejection mechanism 30 inside the through-hole 12b.

[0034] A hose for supplying compressed air from a compressed air supply source (not shown) is detachably connected to the outside of the adjustment bolt 20 of the coupler housing 12, and compressed air is supplied to the air coupler 10, or air gun 5.

[0035] Next, the operation of the air gun 5 and air ejection mechanism 30 with this structure will be explained (this explanation assumes that compressed air is already being supplied from a compressed air source not shown). First, when the trigger 52 of the air gun 5 is pulled, the valve 40 in Figure 1 is in a position close to the air inlet 20b due to the biasing force of the elastic member 42 (in Figure 1, the valve surface 40a of the valve 40 is sealing the air inlet 20b), and the air outlet 36a side becomes negative pressure compared to the air inlet 20b side, causing compressed air to try to enter the case 32 from the air inlet 20b. Then, the force of the incoming compressed air pushes the valve 40 inward against the biasing force of the elastic member 42. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the distance between the valve 40 (valve surface 40a) and the air inlet 20b increases, the air inlet 20b is opened, and compressed air flows into the case 32. The compressed air that enters the case section 32 passes through the case section 32, goes through the air outlet 36a, and is sent into the air gun 5 from the coupler outlet 12a of the air coupler 10, and is ejected from the air outlet 54 of the air gun 5.

[0036] Next, as the amount of compressed air entering the case portion 32 increases and the distance between the valve surface 40a of the valve 40 and the air inlet 20b widens, the amount of compressed air ejected from the air outlet 36a of the case portion 32 increases, and the force pressing the valve 40 from the air inlet 20b side weakens. As a result, the valve 40 returns to a position closer to the air inlet 20b due to the biasing force of the elastic member 42 (Figure 5).

[0037] When the valve 40 returns to a position close to the air inlet 20b due to the biasing force of the elastic member 42, the valve surface 40a receives a strong force from the compressed air coming from the air inlet 20b. Again, as shown in Figure 4, the distance between the valve 40 (valve surface 40a) and the air inlet 20b widens, the air inlet 20b opens wide, and a large amount of compressed air flows into the case portion 32. In this way, the repeated fluctuations in the position of the valve 40 (valve surface 40a) cause the compressed air ejected from the air outlet 36a of the case portion 32 to pulsate (see the waveform of the compressed air ejected by the air ejection mechanism 30 shown in Figure 6a). In particular, in the air ejection mechanism 30, the biasing force of the elastic member 42 is adjusted so that the compressed air pulsates repeatedly while it is being ejected and the ejection of compressed air is not interrupted.

[0038] The air ejection mechanism 30, with the configuration and operation described above, allows for effective supply of compressed air with a simple structure while reducing the amount of compressed air used. The air ejection mechanism 30 can reduce the amount of compressed air used compared to conventional types that do not intermittently or pulsate the ejection of compressed air at all. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the movement a of the compressed air ejected by the air ejection mechanism 30 is not monotonous compared to the movement c of conventional types that do not intermittently or pulsate the ejection of compressed air at all, and the movement b assumed in the intermittent air generator of conventional Patent Document 1. This allows for a higher pulsation frequency, which can be used to remove foreign matter from the surface of an object, for example, making removal more effective.

[0039] In this embodiment, the air ejection mechanism 30 is provided on the air coupler 10 that supplies compressed air to the air gun 5. However, it is not limited to this configuration. For example, it can be provided separately from the air gun 5, or it can be provided on the side of the air ejection unit 54. Because the air ejection mechanism 30 has a simple structure and can be made compact, its placement can be determined relatively freely, and it is less likely to get in the way.

[0040] Furthermore, the case portion 32 can be formed integrally with the components of a device that requires pulsating compressed air (for example, the air gun 5) (for example, the grip in the case of the air gun 5), and by integrating them, it becomes possible to make the structure of the air ejection mechanism smaller.

[0041] Furthermore, by changing the overall biasing force of the elastic member 42, the biasing forces of the first elastic member spring 46, and the second elastic member spring 44, it is possible to arbitrarily set the degree of pulsation of the compressed air ejected from the air outlet 36a. Possible methods for changing the overall biasing force of the elastic member 42, the biasing forces of the first elastic member spring 46, and the biasing forces of the second elastic member spring 44 include replacing them with parts with different elastic forces or applying a mechanical load to the elastic member 42.

[0042] Furthermore, the air ejection mechanism can also be provided with a valve travel distance adjustment means that allows the movable distance of the valve 40 to be arbitrarily determined. By providing this valve travel distance adjustment means, the overall biasing force of the elastic member 42, the biasing forces of the first elastic member spring 46 and the second elastic member spring 44 can be adjusted, and the degree of pulsation of the compressed air ejected from the air outlet 36a can be arbitrarily set.

[0043] The specific structure of the valve travel distance adjustment means can be a contact means that contacts the valve 40 from the direction of the air inlet 20b and arbitrarily determines the movable distance of the valve 40. In other words, in this embodiment, the adjustment bolt 20 can contact the valve 40 from the direction of the air inlet 20b by changing the depth to which the adjustment bolt 20 is screwed into the valve travel distance adjustment means, thereby arbitrarily determining the movable distance of the valve 40.

[0044] This invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the invention. In other words, the scope of the invention is indicated by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent scope of the meaning of the invention are considered to be within the scope of this invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0045] As described above, the present invention provides an air ejection mechanism that has a simple structure, can effectively supply compressed air while reducing the amount of compressed air used, and can supply compressed air effectively. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 5. Air gun 10..Air coupler 12.. Coupler enclosure 12a...Coupler nozzle 12b... Through hole 14.. Bolt section 16...Nut part 20...Adjusting bolt 20a...Coupler inlet 20b...Air inlet 22...Snap ring 30. Air ejection mechanism 32..Case section 34. Adjusting nut 36..Stopper 36a...Air outlet 36b...Latching groove 38...joint 40...valve 40a... Valve surface 42...Elastic member 44.. Spring 46... Spring 50... Grip 50a... Grip end 52...Trigger 54..Air ejection section

Claims

1. In an air ejection mechanism for supplying compressed air, A case portion having a cylindrical shape, with an air inlet at one end which is the entrance for the compressed air, and an air outlet at the other end which is the exit for the compressed air, A valve located inside the case portion, whose distance from the air inlet of the case portion varies, and which changes the degree to which the compressed air enters the case portion, passes through the case portion, and is ejected from the air outlet, The case portion comprises an elastic member located inside the case portion, which contacts the valve and biases the valve toward the air inlet, When the valve is positioned close to the air inlet, and compressed air attempts to enter the case from the air inlet, the force of the incoming compressed air pushes the valve inward towards the case, increasing the distance between the case and the air inlet, and increasing the amount of compressed air entering the case. As the distance between the case and the air inlet increases, the amount of compressed air ejected from the air outlet of the case increases, reducing the force pressing the valve from the air inlet side, and the biasing force of the elastic member causes the valve to return to a position closer to the air inlet. An air ejection mechanism characterized in that the compressed air ejected from the air outlet of the case pulsates as the position of the valve repeatedly changes.

2. The elastic member, The air ejection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a first elastic member that biases the valve toward the air inlet, and a second elastic member that biases the first elastic member toward the air inlet from the side of the air outlet.

3. The air ejection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a valve travel distance adjustment means for arbitrarily determining the movable distance of the valve.

4. The air ejection mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that the valve movement distance adjusting means is a contact means that contacts the valve from the direction of the air inlet to arbitrarily determine the movable distance of the valve.

5. The air ejection mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that it has a valve travel distance adjustment means for arbitrarily determining the movable distance of the valve.

6. The air ejection mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that the valve movement distance adjusting means is a contact means that contacts the valve from the direction of the air inlet to arbitrarily determine the movable distance of the valve.

7. The air ejection mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the case portion is integrally formed with the components of the device that requires pulsating compressed air.

8. The air ejection mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is formed inside an air coupler for supplying compressed air to a device that requires pulsating compressed air.

9. The air ejection mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the valve is capable of sealing the air inlet.

10. The air ejection mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that it is formed inside an air coupler for supplying compressed air to a device that requires pulsating compressed air.

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