High-pressure air reservoir

Abstract

A high-pressure air reservoir comprises a gas cylinder, an anchor fixedly mounted to the gas cylinder, a tailstock rotatably mounted to the anchor, a pressure gauge mounted on the tailstock, and a fill valve connected to the tailstock. By utilizing a design wherein the tailstock is rotatable relative to the anchor, the pressure gauge can be co-rotated to adjust the orientation of its dial face even after the gas cylinder is threadedly engaged and locked to the pressurized fluid apparatus. This ensures the dial face is maintained at a highly visible angle, thereby averting safety hazards of over-pressurization resulting from an unobservable pressure reading during inflation.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based upon and claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 120 from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63 / 792,485 filed Apr. 22, 2025, which is hereby specifically incorporated herein by this reference thereto.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a high-pressure air reservoir, especially to a pressure gauge of the high-pressure air reservoir.2. Description of the prior arts

[0003] Conventional pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air guns utilize a high-pressure air reservoir to provide the propellant for projectiles. The conventional high-pressure air reservoirs are typically equipped with a pressure gauge to monitor the internal air pressure during both operation and the refilling process.

[0004] However, in many existing designs, the pressure gauge is fixed at a specific orientation relative to the threaded connector of the conventional high-pressure air reservoir. When a user screws the conventional high-pressure air reservoir onto the airgun interface, the final seating position is determined by the thread engagement and torque. Consequently, once the conventional high-pressure air reservoir is fully tightened, the gauge face often ends up in an obstructed or downward-facing position.

[0005] This lack of adjustability poses a significant safety risk. If the user cannot clearly observe the pressure gauge while refilling the tank through a high-pressure compressor or external cylinder, they may inadvertently exceed the maximum rated operating pressure. Such over-pressurization may lead to mechanical failure of the airgun or, in extreme cases, a catastrophic rupture of the tank, endangering the user and bystanders.

[0006] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a high-pressure air reservoir to mitigate or to obviate the aforementioned problems.SUMMARY

[0007] An objective of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure air reservoir.

[0008] The high-pressure air reservoir comprises a gas cylinder, an anchor fixedly mounted to the gas cylinder, a tailstock rotatably mounted to the anchor, a pressure gauge mounted on the tailstock, and a fill valve connected to the tailstock. By utilizing a design wherein the tailstock is rotatable relative to the anchor, the pressure gauge can be co-rotated to adjust the orientation of its dial face even after the gas cylinder is threadedly engaged and locked to an pressurized fluid apparatus such as an air gun. This ensures the dial face is maintained at a highly visible angle, thereby averting safety hazards of over-pressurization resulting from an unobservable pressure reading during inflation.

[0009] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a high-pressure air reservoir in accordance with the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the high-pressure reservoir in FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the part of the high-pressure reservoir in FIG. 2;

[0013] FIG. 4 is a side view in partial section of the part of the high-pressure reservoir in FIG. 2;

[0014] FIG. 5 is an end view in partial section of the high-pressure reservoir in FIG. 1;

[0015] FIG. 6 is an operational side view in partial section of the part of the high-pressure reservoir in FIG. 2, showing that a conical piston moves inwardly;

[0016] FIGS. 7 to 9 are operational perspective view of the part of the high-pressure reservoir in FIG. 2, showing that a tailstock and a pressure gauge are rotated relatively to the anchor and the gas cylinder;

[0017] FIG. 10 is an operational side view in partial section of the part of the high-pressure reservoir in FIG. 2, showing that the tailstock and the pressure gauge are rotated relatively to the anchor and the gas cylinder; and

[0018] FIG. 11 is an operational end view in partial section of the high-pressure reservoir in FIG. 1, showing that the tailstock and the pressure gauge are rotated relatively to the anchor and the gas cylinderDETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0019] With reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is described by means of the embodiment(s) below where the attached drawings are simplified for illustration purposes only to illustrate the structures or methods of the present invention by describing the relationships between the components and assembly in the present invention. Therefore, the components shown in the figures are not expressed with the actual numbers, actual shapes, actual dimensions, or the actual ratio. Some of the dimensions or dimension ratios have been enlarged or simplified to provide a better illustration. The actual numbers, actual shapes, or actual dimension ratios can be selectively designed and disposed and the detailed component layouts may be more complicated.

[0020] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a high-pressure air reservoir in accordance with the present invention comprises a gas cylinder 10, an anchor 20, a tailstock 30, a pressure gauge 40, and a fill valve 50.

[0021] The gas cylinder 10 is hollow and has an inlet 11, an outlet 12, a connecting adapter 13, and an inner cavity 15. The connecting adapter 13 connects to the outlet 12. The gas cylinder 10 is connected to an pressurized fluid apparatus (not shown) through the connecting adapter 13. The inner cavity 15 communicates between the inlet 11 and the outlet 12.

[0022] With reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, the anchor 20 is detachably mounted fixedly in the inlet 11 of the gas cylinder 10 and includes an inserting part 21 and a head part 22. The inserting part 21 is hollow, is detachably mounted fixedly in the inlet 11 of the gas cylinder 10, and includes an outer diameter, a distal end, a proximal end, an inside wall, an outside wall, and an internal flange 215. The proximal end is inserted into the gas cylinder 10. The internal flange 215 is formed on the inside wall. A proximal surface of the internal flange 215 faces the inner cavity 15 of the gas cylinder 10. In one embodiment, the inserting part 21 is threaded into the inlet 11 of the gas cylinder 10 to be detachably mounted fixedly in the inlet 11 of the gas cylinder 10. The head part 22 is hollow, is formed on the distal end 211 of the inserting part 21, is exposed out of the inlet 11 of the gas cylinder 10, and includes an outer diameter, and a through hole 221. The outer diameter of the head part 22 may be larger than the outer diameter of the inserting part 21 so that a proximal surface 222 of the head part 22 contacts an end surface 16 of the gas cylinder 10. The through hole 221 is formed transversely through the head part 22.

[0023] The tailstock 30 is connected rotatably to the anchor 20 and includes a stock body 31 and a main retainer 32. In specific, the tailstock 30 is connected rotatably to the anchor 20 after installation.

[0024] The stock body 31 is connected rotatably to the anchor 20 and includes a protruding part 311, a shoulder 312 and a tail part 313. The protruding part 311 is hollow, is inserted sequentially into the head part 22 and the inserting part 21 of the anchor 20 and has a through hole 311a. The through hole 311a is formed transversely through the protruding part 311 and selectively aligns with the through hole 221 of the head part 22 of the anchor 20. The shoulder 312 is formed on a distal end of the protruding part 31 and includes a proximal surface 312a and a distal surface 312b. An outer diameter of the shoulder 312 is larger than an outer diameter of the protruding part 311. The proximal surface 312a is configured to abut against the distal surface 222 of the head part 22 of the anchor 20, thereby limiting a maximum inward movement of the tailstock 30 into the anchor 20. A releasing hole 312c is formed transversely through the shoulder 312. A releasing screw 312e is mounted into the releasing hole 312c. The tail part 313 is formed on the distal surface 312b of the shoulder 312 and has a pressure sensing hole 313a. The pressure sensing hole 313a is formed transversely through the tail part 313. A main air channel 314 is formed through the tail part 313 and the shoulder 312, communicates with the pressure sensing hole 313a and the releasing hole 312e. In one embodiment, the main air channel 314 may have a plurality of interconnected segments that are non-collinear with each other, such that the main air channel 314 is contoured to the tail part 313 and the shoulder 312.

[0025] The main retainer 32 is mounted securely in the protruding part 311 of the stock body 31. In one embodiment, the main retainer 32 is a screw and is threaded securely into the protruding part 311 of the stock body 31. In one embodiment, an adhesive layer is disposed between the main retainer 32 and the protruding part 311 of the stock body 31 to securely engage the main retainer 32 with the protruding part 311. A head 321 of the main retainer 32 is configured to abut against the proximal surface of the internal flange 215 of the inserting part 21 of the anchor 20, thereby preventing the stock body 31 and the main retainer 32 of the tailstock 30 from disengaging from the anchor 20. An intermediate air channel 322 is formed longitudinally through the main retainer 32 and communicates with the main air channel 314 of the tailstock 30 and the inner cavity 15 of the gas cylinder 10. An annular recess 323 is formed around the main retainer 32 and communicates with the through hole 311a of the protruding part 311 of the tailstock 30. A retaining screw 33 is threaded into the through hole 311a of the protruding part 311 of the stock body 31 and extends movably into the annular recess 323 of the main retainer 32 to additionally limit the axial movement of the main retainer 32 relative to the stock body 31. A retaining element 331 is plugged into the through hole 221 of the head part 22 of the anchor 20 to keep the dust or other objects outside from dropping into the through hole 311a of the protruding part 311 of the stock body 31 and to protect the retaining screw 33. The retaining element 331 may be a ball or a cover.

[0026] With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the pressure gauge 40 is mounted on the tailstock 30 and has a sensing stem 41 and a dial face 42. The sensing stem 41 protrudes through the pressure sensing hole 313a of the tail part 313 of the tailstock 30 and protrudes into the main air channel 314 of the stock body 31 of the tailstock 30. The dial face 42 is disposed opposite to the sensing stem 41, is exposed exteriorly to the tail part 313 of the tailstock 30, and is in fluid communication with the sensing stem 41, such that the dial face 42 receives and displays the internal air pressure of the main air channel 314 detected by the sensing stem 41.

[0027] The fill valve 50 is mounted on the tail part 313 of the tailstock 30 and comprises a hollow valve body 51 defining a front air channel therein, and a conical piston 52 movably disposed within the front air channel the hollow valve body 51. The front air channel selectively communicates with the intermediate air channel322 of the tailstock 30. The conical piston 52 is configured to be axially displaceable relative to the hollow valve body 51 between a sealing position and an open position.

[0028] With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6, when the high-pressure air reservoir as described is connected to an pressurized fluid apparatus, including but not limited to air guns, paintball systems, portable compressed air systems, and industrial gas storage, high-pressure gas may be filled into the gas cylinder 10. During an inflation operation via an external gas source, an incoming airflow exerts a positive pressure on the conical piston 52 to push the conical piston 52 away from the sealing position to the open position. This opens the front air channel, allowing the airflow to enter the inner cavity 15 of the gas cylinder 10 sequentially through the front air channel of the fill valve 50, the main air channel 314 of the stock body 31, and the intermediate air channel 322 of the main retainer 32. Upon completion of the inflation operation and removal of the external gas source, an internal air pressure within the gas cylinder 10 urges the conical piston 52 back to the sealing position to block the front air channel, thereby preventing an outward leakage of the air from the gas cylinder 10. When the releasing screw 312e is removed or loosened from the releasing hole 312c for safety purposes, the high-pressure air within the main air channel 314, the intermediate air channel 322, and the inner cavity 15 is vented, thereby relieving the air pressure therein.

[0029] When the high-pressure air reservoir as described is threadedly engaged with an interface of an pressurized fluid apparatus via the connecting adapter 13, a final orientation of the dial face 42 of the pressure gauge 40 is dictated by the thread engagement and an applied torque. The orientation of the pressure gauge 40 is adjustable independently of threaded engagement between the high-pressure air reservoir and the pressurized fluid apparatus. For instance, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the dial face 42 may initially face an adjacent surface of the pressurized fluid apparatus (not shown) upon tightening. However, since the tailstock 30 is rotatably mounted within the anchor 20, the pressure gauge 40 and the tailstock 30 can be co-rotated relative to the anchor 20 and the gas cylinder 10 as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. Consequently, the dial face 42 can be selectively repositioned to face outwardly away from the pressurized fluid apparatus for observation.

[0030] With reference to FIGS. 4, 5, 10 and 11, the head 321 of the main retainer 32 is configured to abut against the internal flange 215 of the inserting part 21 of the anchor 20. Thus, when the high-pressure gas in the gas cylinder 10 acts on the head 321, the substantially entire surface of the internal flange 215 prevents the stock body 31 and the main retainer 32 of the tailstock 30 from disengaging from the anchor 20.

[0031] In one embodiment, the high-pressure air reservoir comprises a plurality of O-rings 61, 62, 63 respectively disposed between the anchor 20 and the gas cylinder 10, between the head 321 of the main retainer 32 and the inserting part 21, and between the conical piston 52 and the valve body 51 to provide an airtight seal.

[0032] In summary, the high-pressure air reservoir as described perfectly overcomes the limitations of the prior art, providing excellent operational convenience, ultimate structural safety, and airtight reliability. Specifically, by utilizing a mechanical design wherein the tailstock 30 is rotatable relative to the anchor 20, the high-pressure air reservoir as described allows the pressure gauge 40 to be co-rotated to adjust the orientation of its dial face 42 even after the gas cylinder 10 is threadedly engaged and locked in position. This ensures the dial face 42 is maintained at a highly visible angle, thereby averting the safety hazards of over-pressurization resulting from an unobservable pressure reading during inflation.

[0033] Furthermore, to counteract the powerful outward thrust generated by the internal high-pressure gas, the high-pressure air reservoir, as described ingeniously, configures the head 321 of the main retainer 32 to abut against the internal flange 215 of the anchor 20, forming a robust mechanical limit. When the air pressure acts on the head 321, the blocking engagement between the axial surfaces of the internal flange 215 and the head 321 effectively prevents the tailstock 30 from disengaging from the anchor 30, thereby significantly enhancing safety during high-pressure operations.

[0034] Moreover, the high-pressure air reservoir as described precisely disposes a plurality of O-rings 61, 62, 63 at various critical coupling interfaces to establish an airtight seal. Supplemented by multiple fastening means such as threadable engagement and adhesives, this ensures that the device maintains a perfect airtight effect and overall structural stability even in environments subjected to extremely high pressure and frequent vibrations.

[0035] In conclusion, the high-pressure air reservoir, as described, precisely integrates ergonomic convenience with the high-protection standards of fluid mechanics, thereby demonstrating a high degree of inventive step and industrial applicability.

[0036] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A high-pressure air reservoir comprising:a hollow gas cylinder havingan inlet;an outlet;a connecting adapter connecting to the outlet; andan inner cavity communicating between the inlet and the outlet;a hollow anchor detachably mounted fixedly in the inlet of the gas cylinder;a tailstock connected rotatably to the anchor and includinga stock body connected rotatably to the anchor;a pressure sensing hole formed transversely through the stock body;a main air channel is formed longitudinally in the stock body and communicating with the pressure sensing hole;a main retainer mounted securely in the stock body and being configured to abut against the anchor to prevent the stock body and the main retainer of the tailstock from disengaging from the anchor; andan intermediate air channel formed longitudinally through the main retainer and communicating with the main air channel of the tailstock and the inner cavity of the gas cylinder;2. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe anchor including a hollow inserting part detachably mounted fixedly in the inlet of the gas cylinder and includingan inside wall;a distal end;a proximal end inserted through the inlet and into the inner cavity of the gas cylinder; andan internal flange formed on an inside wall of the anchor having a proximal surface of the internal flange facing the inner cavity of the gas cylinder; andthe main retainer including a head configured to abut against the proximal surface of the internal flange of the inserting part of the anchor to prevent the stock body and the main retainer of the tailstock from disengaging from the anchor.

3. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 2, whereinthe anchor including a hollow head part formed on the distal end of the inserting part, exposed out of the inlet of the gas cylinder, and includingan outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the inserting part of the anchor; anda through hole formed transversely through the head part;the stock body including a hollow protruding part inserted sequentially into the head art and the inserting part of the anchor and havinga through hole formed transversely through protruding part and selectively aligning with the through hole of the head part of the anchor;the main retainer including an annular recess formed around the main retainer and communicating with the through hole of the protruding part of the stock body; anda retaining screw threaded into the through hole of the protruding part of the stock body and extends movably into the annular recess of the main retainer.

4. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 3, whereinthe stock body includesa shoulder formed on a distal end of the protruding part and includinga distal surface;a proximal surface configured to abut against the distal surface of the head part of the anchor; andan outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the protruding part; anda tail part formed on the distal surface of the shoulder;the pressure sensing hole is formed transversely through the tail part;the main air channel is formed through the tail part and the shoulder of the stock body; andthe dial face of the pressure gauge is exposed exteriorly to the tail part of the tailstock.

5. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a retaining element plugged into the through hole of the head part of the anchor.

6. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 3, wherein the head part contacts an end surface of the gas cylinder.

7. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 4, whereinthe shoulder of the stock body includes a releasing hole formed transversely through the shoulder communicating with the main air channel; anda releasing screw is mounted removably into the releasing hole.

8. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 4, wherein the main air channel has a plurality of interconnected segments that are non-collinear with each other, such that the main air channel is contoured to the tail part and the shoulder.

9. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fill valve comprisesa hollow valve body defining the front air channel therein; anda conical piston movably disposed within the front air channel the valve body and configured to be axially displaceable relative to the hollow valve body between a sealing position and an open position.

10. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a O-ring disposed between the anchor and the gas cylinder.

11. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a O-ring disposed between the main retainer and the anchor.

12. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a O-ring disposed between the head of the main retainer and the inserting part of the anchor.

13. The high-pressure air reservoir as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a O-ring disposed between the conical piston and the valve body of the fill valve.

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