Flexible Tubular Air Storage for Portable Pneumatic Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional compressed air storage tanks are large, bulky, and heavy, making them difficult to move and store due to their rigid metal construction and high internal pressures, which limits their portability and usability in hand-held pneumatic tools.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, tubular compressed air storage device with variable diameters along its length, featuring larger diameter portions for increased air storage capacity and smaller diameter portions for enhanced flexibility, allowing for a more compact and lightweight design that can be easily maneuvered.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a conventional rigid metal storage tank is used, then the compressed air storage capacity is sufficient, but the device becomes heavy and difficult to move
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid metal storage tank with a flexible hose that has a collapsed configuration when not in use and an expanded configuration when storing compressed air. This flexible shell approach eliminates the need for heavy metal construction while maintaining sufficient air storage capacity, directly resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and weight.
2Volume of moving object
If a large diameter storage tank is used, then the compressed air storage volume is increased, but the device becomes bulky and less flexible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hose that dynamically changes its configuration between collapsed (low volume, high flexibility) and expanded (high volume, lower flexibility) states. This dynamic adaptability allows the device to provide sufficient air storage volume when needed while maintaining ease of operation and portability during transport, resolving the contradiction between storage volume and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible hose can be collapsed or coiled into a compact form that nests within or alongside the compressor unit, allowing the expanded hose to provide large storage volume while the collapsed state maintains compactness and flexibility for easy storage and transport.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple curved three dimensional shape tank is used, then the manufacturing is simple, but the device is rigid and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex rigid metal tank manufacturing with flexible hose assembly, which can be manufactured using simpler extrusion or molding processes and then configured into the desired shape. This approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while eliminating the weight penalty of rigid metal construction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The tubular design provides sufficient compressed air storage for hand-held pneumatic tools while being significantly lighter and more portable, reducing the challenges associated with the size and weight of conventional tanks.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible, elongated tubular configuration in which the tube is configured to store compressed air
Data Source
AI summary
A compressed air storage device has a flexible, elongated tubular configuration in which the tube has an internal volume that is configured to store sufficient compressed air to drive a hand-held pneumatic tool. The compressed air storage device has a variable diameter along its length and an internal space that extends between and communicates with couplings disposed at opposed ends of the device.