TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to pump head, more particularly to a multi-valve pump head for use with multiple air valve configuration.

BACKGROUND

Air chambers, such as those found in bicycle tires and other inflatable devices, use a variety of air valves for sealing and inflating the air chamber. The most common air valves are Schrader, Presta, and Dunlop valves for interacting with a pump designed to fill the chamber to a desired air pressure. The variety of valves in the market has created a need for universal pump heads usable with any valve with minimal inconvenience to a user. Previous pump heads have used clamp jaws, tapered jaws, and tapered housings to clamp to and retain the air valve during inflation. Other pump heads have utilized interchangeable parts or separate ports for connecting to the different valve types. However, these previous efforts resulted in large, bulky pump heads, inconvenient user experiences, complex assemblies, and high costs.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure generally provides for a lightweight, compact, universal pump head for forming airtight connections with air valves. Aspects of the pump head provide a user the ability to secure and form a connection with an air valve without extensive setup or alterations to the pump or pump head. The system and method allow a user to quickly connect and disconnect the pump head to an air valve. While the present disclosure is discussed in regards to Schrader and Presta air valves, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the present disclosure will function with other types of air valves known in the art.

According to one aspect, the present disclosure provides a pump head configured to secure an air valve. The pump head may include a housing and an interior unit. The pump head may also include a lock arm for securing the air valve. The housing may include an aperture operatively sized to receive the air valve. The interior unit is located within the housing and may include a movable pin operatively configured to press against and open the air valve while the lock arm is engaged. The movable pin may be held against the air valve by a compressed elastic taper C-when the lock arm is engaged. A pin notch disposed on an exterior of the movable pin may be configured to receive the elastic taper C-ring when the lock arm is engaged. The elastic taper C-ring may operate by securing the movable pin or the air valve. The lock arm may be disengaged to release the air valve.

According to another aspect, a pump head may include a housing and an interior unit. The housing may include an aperture operatively sized to receive an air valve. A grommet may be located between the aperture and the housing. The grommet may be sized to receive a Schrader air valve while allowing a thinner air valve, such as a Presta air valve, to pass through the grommet.

The interior unit is located within the housing and may include a first taper unit and a second taper unit. An elastic taper C-ring may be located between the first taper unit and the second taper unit. A moveable pin may be mounted to a return spring used to position the movable pin in a pin rest position. While in the pin rest position, the elastic taper C-ring may be disposed about an exterior of the movable pin. A guide may be positioned along an axis of the movable pin to assist the movable pin in moving within the interior unit.

A lock arm positioned on an exterior of the housing may be operatively configured to press the second taper unit towards the first taper unit when engaged. Thereby compressing the elastic taper C-ring between the first taper unit and the second taper unit. The compressed elastic taper C-ring may secure the movable pin or the air valve.

The above summary has outlined, rather broadly, some features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described below. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the teachings of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features, which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

Further, the inventors are fully informed of the standards and application of the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6. Thus, the use of the words “function,” “means” or “step” in the Detailed Description or Description of the Drawings or claims is not intended to somehow indicate a desire to invoke the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6, to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6 are sought to be invoked to define the inventions, the claims will specifically and expressly state the exact phrases “means for” or “step for”, and will also recite the word “function” (i.e., will state “means for performing the function of [insert function]”), without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material, or acts in support of the function. Thus, even when the claims recite a “means for performing the function of . . . “or” step for performing the function of . . . ,” if the claims also recite any structure, material, or acts in support of that means or step, or to perform the recited function, it is the clear intention of the inventors not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6. Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6, are invoked to define the claimed aspects, it is intended that these aspects not be limited only to the specific structure, material, or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, material, or acts that perform the claimed function as described in alternative embodiments or forms in the disclosure, or that are well-known present or later-developed, equivalent structures, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.

The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent to those artisans of ordinary skill in the art from the DETAILED DESCRIPTION and DRAWINGS, and from the CLAIMS.

