TIRE VALVE CONNECTOR

BACKGROUND

Portable containers of pressurized gas for emergency tire re-inflation have become common. Because of its cost and the amount of space it occupies, the traditional spare tire mounted on a wheel and stored inflated is being replaced by a much less bulky mounted emergency tire and container of compressed gas. Most commonly, the container takes the form of a conventional aerosol pressurized dispenser can filled with a liquefied gas such as a fluorocarbon or butane under relatively low pressure.

The connection or adaptor between the tire valve and the pressurized gas container should be capable of swift attachment and detachment to avoid loss of gas, should be free of leakage, should be simple enough in manner of use to be self-evident to the user who may be inexperienced, or working under stress, or working in the dark, and should be adequately secure once connected to resist inadvertent disconnection during inflation. While aerosol containers with tire valve connection adaptors long have been sold, prior adaptors fail to some degree to meet one or more of the foregoing criteria.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention provides a connector or adaptor for quick, simple and secure connection of a portable pressurized gas container to a tire valve for inflation of the tire, float, or other inflatable object having a tire valve. A tire valve includes a short pipe, threaded on the outside. The valve mechanism is surrounded by the pipe. The valve mechanism includes a stem or pin which is depressed to open the valve. The connector or adaptor of the present invention includes an internally lugged portion for engaging the external threads of the tire valve. The lugged portion of the adaptor is segmented by axially extending slots. An axially reciprocable sleeve slides over the lugged portion to prevent the segments from diverging and slides in retreat to allow divergence for swift attachment or detachment.

THE DRAWINGS

FIGURE 1 is a view, partly in section of one embodiment of the connector device of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view, partly in section of another embodiment;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the connector of FIGURE 1 at the end of a flexible tube attached to a container;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the connector of FIGURE 2 mounted directly on a container;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective, exploded view of portions of the device; and

FIGURE 6 is a view taken along the line VI-VI of FIGURE 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The device of the present invention is a connector or adaptor, preferably inexpensively molded of a suitable plastic such as nylon or polypropylene, for connecting a tire valve to a pressurized aerosol dispenser containing a charge of gas for inflation of the tire or other inflatable object.

Figure 1 shows the adaptor device generally designated as 10 in an embodiment attached to a flexible tube 50 which leads to a pressurized aerosol dispenser. The device 10 is shown connected to a tire valve 60 having a pipe 62 with external threads 64 at its outer end. A valve stem or pin 66 of the tire valve 60 is depressed by the device 10 to open the valve for inflation. Gas such as a fluorocarboή or butane flows through the tube 50 and a passage 12 in the device 10 and then through the tire valve 60 as is indicated by flow arrows. The adaptor device comprises a tubular body 20 and an axially slideable sleeve 30. The body 20 includes a flow passage 12 in communication with radial ports 13 in a peg 22 which contacts and depresses the tire valve stem pin 66. The peg 22 is central of a cavity 24 defined by a skirt 26 having lugs 25 for mating with the threads 64 of the tire valve. Figures 1, 5 and 6 show that the

skirt 26 is segmented by a plurality of radial slots 27 which extend axially to divide the skirt into a plurality of segments 21 each integral with the body. It is these segments which are provided with lugs 25. The outside of the skirt 26 includes a sloping conical surface 28. The interior of the sleeve 30 conforms to the exterior of the skirt 26 and includes a similar conical surface 32.

A flat annular gasket 40 serves to seal the connector device 10 to- the tire valve pipe 62 when connected together. A metal ferrule 52 secures a flexible tube 50 to the body 20 of the device.

In operation, the sleeve 30 is withdrawn by moving it upward to the right in Figure 1, thereby allowing the skirt segments 21 freedom to diverge radially outwardly. The device is slipped into place on the tire valve, the freedom of the skirt segments allowing the internal lugs 25 to slip past the tire valve threads 64 with ease. Sleeve 30 then is moved toward the tire valve 60 (down to the right in Figure 1). Conical ramp surface 32 of the sleeve wedges against conical ramp surfaces 28 of the skirt segments 21 to urge the skirt segments inwardly to bring the skirt lugs 25 into engagement with the valve threads 64 to thereby lock the adaptor device 10 securely on the valve 60. The peg 22 drives the valve stem inwardly to open the valve and gasket 40 seals the connector device to the valve. Pressing the actuator 72 of the pressurized aerosol container (see Figure 3) opens the container valve to allow the pressurized gas within the container to flow through the tube 50 and through the passages 12, 13 of the adaptor into the tire valve 60.

Axial movement of the sleeve 30 is facilitated by a collar 34 for grasp by the fingers. A lever control easily can be added to the simple version of the device chosen for illustration. When inflation is complete, tlϊe device 10 quickly can be disconnected from the valve 60 by withdrawing sleeve 30 to restore freedom of movement to the skirt segments. The ability to remove the connector device quickly and easily insures against loss of inflation pressure through unwanted leakage. This is particularly important when the device is used with low volume, high pressure bicycle tires. Of course, the sleeve- can be left in the advanced position and the device screwed on and unscrewed off the valve 60 if circumstances warrant.

Figures 2 and 4 refer to another embodiment. This embodiment serves as a direct connection between the tire valve 60 and the pressurized aerosol dispenser container 70. In this embodiment the sleeve 130 extends to embrace the pedestal 74 of the valve mounting cup of the aerosol container 70. The valve stem 76 of the container valve is received in a socket 14 formed in the distal end of the body 120 which otherwise is identical with body 20 of the embodiment of Figure 1. The valve stem receiving socket communicates with gas flow passage 12 as before described. In other respects this embodiment is the same as that described in connection with Figure 1.

In operation, the spring of the container valve maintains the container valve stem in the outward extended position of a normally closed

aerosol valve. The body 120 thereby normally is extended from the sleeve 130 far enough to allow the skirt segments the freedom to diverge. The user slips the skirt over the tire valve pipe 62 and presses against the bottom of the aerosol container thereby driving the sleeve 130 over the skirt segments 21 to secure the connector to the tire valve threads 64 and to press tire valve stem 66 with the peg 22 to open the tire valve 60 while at the same time driving the container valve stem 76 inwardly to open the container valve. Gas flow will continue until the user ceases pressing the container. Disconnection is accomplished by pulling the container and connector assembly away from the tire valve 60.