FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention generally relates to the field of portable air compressors and more particularly to lightweight, hand-portable air compressors with improved portability.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Air compressors are routinely employed in the various building trades to provide pressurized air for use with tools such as nailers, staplers, grinders, sanders, impact wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. Until recently, the air compressors with durability, pressure output and/or flow capacity that were sufficient for use in the various building trades were relatively bulky, heavy and cumbersome for a tradesperson to transport. The development of improved portability innovations which are described in co-pending U. S.

Patent Application Serial No. 10/154,416 entitled"Air Compressor With Improved Hand Portability", the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, and the introduction of commercially- available air compressors utilizing these improved portability innovations, such as the DeWalt D55155 air compressor, has done much to improve the portability and compact-ness of the general purpose air compressors that are available to the tradesperson.

[0004] Despite these improvements, our research has shown that there remains several niche markets that are not wholly served by the general purpose air compressors that are presently marketed to the building trades.

One such niche market relates to finish carpenters and their use of finish and brad nailers (hereinafter collectively referred to as"finishing nailers"), which typically consume relatively small amounts of compressed air during their operation. Our research has led us to believe that finish carpenters would be generally better served by an extremely lightweight, highly portable air compressor having the capacity to power several finishing nailers simultaneously. Such an air compressor would permit the finish carpenter to more easily transport the air compressor from worksite to worksite or from the

worksite to an area (e. g. , a truck or job-box) where the air compressor is to be stored during off-shift times.

[0005] Our research has also led us to believe that finish carpenters would be generally better served by an air compressor that is relatively quieter in operation so that the overall level of noise at a given worksite is less than that which would otherwise be encountered when a general purpose air compressor is in use. This is important not only in situations involving the remodeling of a residence or business that is occupied, but also in new constructions where there are typically very little or no materials (e. g., furnishings) at the site to absorb the noise that is generated by the equipment and construction activities.

[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved air compressor that is particularly well suited to the finish carpentry trades. It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved air compressor that is extremely lightweight, highly portable and yet has the capacity to power several finishing nailers simultaneously. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved air compressor that is relatively quieter than that which has heretofor been available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] In one form, the present teachings provide a portable air compressor having a compressor, a motor and a housing. The motor is coupled to the compressor and provides a source of power thereto. The housing defines an air compressor storage cavity in which the compressor and motor are stored. The housing has a first portion and a second portion that are hingedly coupled to one another to permit access to at least a portion of the interior of the housing.

[0008] In another form, the present teachings provide pneumatically- powered tool kit having an air compressor with a compressor and a motor, a pneumatically-powered tool, a case and a handle. The case includes first and second portions that cooperate to define an air compressor storage cavity and a tool storage cavity. The air compressor is housed in the air compressor storage cavity, while the pneumatically-powered tool is removably housed in the tool storage cavity. The first and second portions are positionable in a first position, which closes at least the tool storage cavity, and a second portion, which

permits access to at least the tool storage cavity. The handle is coupled to at least one of the case and the air compressor and is configured to be grasped by a hand of a user to permit the pneumatically-powered tool kit to be hand carried.

[0009] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010] Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: [0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary air compressor constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention illustrating the housing in a closed condition; [0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the air compressor of Figure 1 illustrating the housing in an open condition; [0013] Figure 3 is a schematic view of a portion of the air compressor of Figure 1; [0014] Figure 4 is a side view of a second air compressor constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; [0015] Figure 5 is a section view of a third air compressor constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention illustrating the incorporation of a sound damping material ; [0016] Figure 6 is a partial section view of a fourth air compressor constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention illustrating the incorporation of a sound damping material into the housing; [0017] Figure 7 is a side elevation view of a fifth air compressor constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention illustrating the incorporation of resilient feet for dampening vibrations; [0018] Figure 8 is a perspective view similar to that of Figure 2 but illustrating the air compressor without a dedicated storage tank;

[0019] Figure 9 is a schematic view of the air compressor of Figure 8; and [0020] Figure 10 is a perspective view of another air compressor constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0021] With reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, an air compressor constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The air compressor 10 may include a motor 12, a compressor 14, a storage tank 16, a control package 18 and a housing 20. The motor 12 may be of any known type, such as an induction motor or a universal motor and in the example provided, includes a power cord 22 that permits the motor 12 to be coupled to a source of alternating current power, such as a conventional outlet 24. The compressor 14 may likewise be of any suitable type, such as a piston-type compressor having an aluminum or plastic body 26. The compressor 14 may employ one or more sleeves (not shown), such as cast iron sleeves, to line the piston bores (not shown) for increased durability.

[0022] The storage tank 16, which is optional, may be of any desired shape and preferably has a capacity that is less than about 1.5 gallons and more preferably has a capacity of about one-sixteenth of a gallon to about 1 gallon. In the particular example provided, the storage tank 16 has a somewhat cylindrical shape and is formed from a tubular material, such as an appropriate steel, that has been worked in a swaging or spinning operation to neck down the opposite ends of a tubular blank (not shown) to form an inlet 30, which is coupled in fluid connection to the compressor 14, and an outlet 32, which is coupled in fluid connection to the control package 18. The inlet 30 and outlet 32 may include a threaded bushing or nipple that is welded to the body of the storage tank 16, or may be directly threaded, if a threaded connection is desired to either of the inlet 30 and the outlet 32. Those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that the storage tank 16 may be fabricated in any desired shape from any appropriate material, including, spun fiber.

[0023] With reference to Figure 3 the control package 18 may include a first pressure gauge 40, a regulator 42, a second pressure gauge 44, a fluid

conduit 46, which may interconnect the regulator 42 and the first pressure gauge 40 to the outlet 32 of the storage tank 16 (or to the compressor 14 if the air compressor 10 lacks a storage tank 16), one or more pressure taps 48, a manifold 50, which may be coupled in fluid connection to the regulator 42, the second pressure gauge 44 and the pressure taps 48, and a controller 52.

Air may be distributed from the storage tank 16 through the fluid conduit 46 to the regulator 42, the pressure of the air is reduced to a desired maximum working pressure at the regulator 42 and passed to the manifold 50 where it may be distributed to the pressure taps 48. The first pressure gauge 40 may permit a user to determine the pressure of the air entering the regulator 42, while the second pressure gauge 44 may permit the user to determine the pressure of the air exiting the regulator 42. Each of the pressure taps 48 may be a commercially available female quick-connect fitting of a type that is well known in the art.

[0024] The controller 52 may be operable for controlling the operation of the motor 12 and in its simplest form, may consist of a power switch 54 for turning the motor 12 on and off. In the particular example provided, the controller 52 also includes a mode selector 56 and a pressure switch 58, which senses the pressure of the air in the storage tank 16 and responsively generates a full tank signal if the pressure of the air in the storage tank 16 is greater than a predetermined first threshold pressure, such as 120 p. s. i. g., and/or a low tank signal if the pressure of the air in the storage tank 16 is less than a predetermined second threshold pressure, such as 100 p. s. i. g. The mode selector 56 may permit the user to select between two or more control modes in which the air compressor 10 may be operated, such as a start-stop mode and a continuous run mode.

[0025] The start-stop mode may employ the signals from the pressure switch to automatically deactivate and activate the motor 12 based on the pressure of the air in the storage tank 16. In this regard, the controller 52 may cause the motor 12 to turn on and provide power to the compressor 14 in response to receipt of the low tank signal and/or may cause the motor 12 to turn off in response to receipt of the full tank signal.

[0026] The continuous run mode may cause the motor 12 to run continuously at a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed may be

relatively slower than the speed of the motor 12 the air compressor 10 is operated in the start-stop mode so that the air compressor 10 is relatively quieter than when operated in the start-stop mode. The pressure switch 58 may not be used at all in the continuous run mode, or it may be configured to generate a high pressure signal that is used to temporarily turn off the motor 12 if the pressure of the air in the storage tank 16 exceeds a predetermined pressure, which may be about 150 p. s. i. g. , for example. Alternatively, the predetermined pressure may be equal to one of the predetermined first or second threshold pressures. The control package 18 may include a valve, such as a relief valve 62, or other means for exhausting air in the system so that the pressure of the air in the storage tank 16 does not exceed a predetermined maximum air pressure.

[0027] The controller 52 may also include an optional orientation switch 68 in those situations where the air compressor 10 should not be operated in certain orientations, as when, for example, the compressor 14 is not an oil- free compressor. The orientation switch 68 may comprise a ball bearing or mercury switch that is sensitive to the placement of the air compressor 10 in an undesirable orientation and responsively generates an orientation signal in response thereto which is subsequently employed by the controller 52 to inhibit the transmission of electrical power to the motor 12.

[0028] Returning to Figure 2, the housing 20 may include first and second housing structures 80 and 82, respectively, a hinge 84, a handle 86 and a plurality of latches 88. The first and second housing structures 80 and 82 may be formed from any appropriate material, such as ABS plastic. The hinge 84 may pivotally couple the first and second housing structures 80 and 82 to one another so that the second housing structure 82 may be moved between a closed position (Figure 1), which substantially closes the first housing structure 80, and an open position (Figure 2), which substantially clears the first housing structure 80. The handle 86 may be integrally formed with the first and/or second housing structures 80 and 82 or may be a discrete component that is coupled (e. g., pivotally coupled) to one of the first and second housing structures 80 and 82. The latches 88 may include first and second latch portions 88a and 88b, respectively, that may be associated with a corresponding one of the first and second housing structures 80 and 82 and

which may cooperate to permit the second housing structure 82 to be latched in the closed position. The latches 88 in the example illustrated are conventional over-center-camming latches.

[0029] In the particular example provided, the first housing structure 80 may define one or more power tool storage cavities 94 and an air compressor storage cavity 96, which may be sized to receive therein the motor 12, compressor 14, storage tank 16 and at least a portion of the control package 18. In the example provided, the first housing structure 80 includes two power tool storage cavities 94, each of which being configured to receive therein an associated power tool, such as an angled finish nailer 100 and a straight finish nailer 102. Although finish nailers are described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that the scope of the present invention need not be limited in this manner. Accordingly, it is contemplated that any type of fastening tool, including staplers, brad nailers, finish nailers and framing nailers, as well as any pneumatically-powered tool, may be stored in the power tool storage cavity or cavities 94.

[0030] An optional cover 108 may be employed to cover a substantial portion of the air compressor storage cavity 96 to thereby hinder access to components, such as the motor 12 and the compressor 14, which may become somewhat hot during the operation of the air compressor 10, and/or to protect various components of the air compressor 10 from being damaged in the event that an object were to be dropped onto the air compressor 10, for example. Apertures 110 in the cover 108 permit the user to view the first and second gauges 40 and 44 and to adjust the regulator 42.

[0031] The pressure taps 48 and the power cord 22 may also extend through apertures (not shown) in the cover 108 or may extend through apertures (not shown) in the first housing structure 80. In such cases, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that the pressure taps 48 may be positioned in a fixed location relative to the housing 20.

[0032] However, the pressure taps 48 are shown in Figures 2 and 3 as being rotatable in the particular example provided between a retracted position (shown in phantom line), wherein they are disposed within the housing 20, and an extended position (shown in solid line), wherein they extend outwardly of the housing 20. To facilitate the pivoting movement of the

pressure taps 48, the manifold 50 employs a first manifold component 50a, which may be fixedly coupled to the regulator 42, and a second manifold component 50b, which may be pivotally coupled to the first manifold component 50a. As the pressure taps 48 are fixedly coupled to the second manifold component 50b, the pressure taps 48 are able to rotate about an axis that is defined by the centerline of the second manifold component 50b.

[0033] In the particular embodiment illustrated, power cord 22 may be manually wound about a pair of spaced apart cord feet 112, when the air compressor 10 is not in use. The cord feet 112 may be coupled to any suitable structure that permits the electric cord to preferably be entirely housed within the housing 20 when the air compressor 10 is not in use.

Examples of suitable structures include the housing 20, the motor 12 the compressor 14, and the cover.

[0034] Depending on the amount of interior space that is available within the housing 20, the housing 20 may be employed for the storage of various power tool accessories, such as hoses, oil, user manuals, tools and/or <BR> <BR> fasteners (e. g. , finish nails or brads of various sizes). Alternatively, as schematically illustrated in Figure 4, the housing 20 may be employed to house various retractors, such as first and second hose reactors 150 and 152, respectively, and an electrical cord retractor 154. Each of the retractors 150, 152 and 154 may include a spool 158 upon which the hose or electrical cord is wound. The retractors 150,152 and 154 may be operable in a first mode, wherein the spool 158 is permitted to rotate in the first rotational direction to thereby wind the hose or electrical cord around the spool, and a second mode, which inhibits movement of the spool 158 in the first rotational direction so that the hose or electrical cord may be stripped from the spool 158 or <BR> <BR> maintained in a desired state of unwind off (i. e. , removal from) the spool 158.

[0035] The hinged configuration of the housing 20 and pivoting pressure taps 48 permit the second housing structure 82 to be positioned in the closed position during the operation of the air compressor 10, which serves to greatly reduce the noise associated with the operation of the motor 12 and compressor 14. If desired, additional improvements to any of the embodiments described herein may be made through the incorporation of one or more sound damping materials into the housing 20 as is illustrated in the

examples of Figures 5 through 7. In Figure 5, pads 170 of a noise damping material may be adhesively secured to the first and second housing structures 80 and 82 in a location that may be proximate the motor 12 and compressor 14, for example.

[0036] In the example of Figure 6, each of the first and second housing structures 80 and 82 may be formed by a pair of shells 180, with each pair of shells 180 defining an interior cavity 182 that is filled with a sound damping foam 184. The foam 184 may additionally strengthen the first and second housing structures 80 and 82.

[0037] In Figure 7, a plurality of resilient feet 190 are coupled to the bottom surface 192 of the first housing structure 80. Although the oil-free nature of the compressor 14 permits it to operate in any orientation, the ability to orient the air compressor 10 such that its center of gravity is close to the ground provides improved stability relative to other orientations. The resilient feet 190 dampen vibrations that are transmitted between the ground and the air compressor 10 to thereby aid in rendering the operation of the air compressor 10 less noisy.

[0038] While the air compressor 10 has been described thus far as including a storage tank 16 and a housing 20 with a full size hinged cover <BR> <BR> (i. e. , second housing structure 82), those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention, in its broader aspects may be constructed somewhat differently.

For example, the air compressor may be configured without a storage tank as is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. In this arrangement, the air compressor 10'is otherwise identical to the air compressor 10 of Figures 1 and 2, except that the controller 52'is only operable in the continuous run mode, since the air compressor 10'lacks a storage tank that would make the start-stop mode practical.

[0039] In the arrangement of Figure 10 the air compressor 10"is generally similar to the air compressor 10 of Figures 1 and 2, except that the housing 20"may include a second housing structure 200, which is fixedly coupled to the first housing structure 80, and a third housing structure 200, which is pivotally coupled to the first housing structure 80 via the hinge 84".

The second housing structure 82"is operable for closing the air compressor storage cavity 96 and shrouding the motor 12 and compressor 14 to thereby

inhibit routine access thereto, whereas the third housing structure 200 is pivotally coupled to the first housing structure 80 to permit the user to access or close the power tool storage cavities 94. In this embodiment, the first and second pressure gauges 40 and 44, the pressure taps 48 and the power switch 54 extend through apertures 210 in the second housing structure 82"to provide access for the user thereto.

[0040] Alternately, the first housing structure 80"may be formed in two discrete sections, with one of the sections being coupled to the second housing structure 82"to thereby form a first kit box (not shown), and the other being hingedly coupled to the third housing structure 200 to thereby form a second kit box. The first and second kit boxes may be configured to be detachable from one another to provide the tradesperson with the option of transporting one of the first and second kit boxes to a desired location or both of the first and second kit boxes to the desired location simultaneously.

Configuration of the housing 12 in this manner provides the tradesperson with increased flexibility in their selection of tools. For example, the tradesperson may have two different second kit boxes, with one of the second kit boxes being used for the storage of finish nailers (e. g. , an angled and a straight finish nailer), while the second one of the second kit boxes is used for the storage of brad nailer. Depending on the work tasks that the tradesperson will encounter, they may selectively couple a desired one of the second kit boxes to the first kit box so that they may transport only those tools and equipment that are needed to the worksite.

[0041] While the invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any embodiments falling within the foregoing description and the appended claims.