Device for coupling a tire pump to a valve of a tire, a set of the device and pump nipples and a method for increasing the pressure in a tire

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for coupling a tire pump to a valve of a tire and for providing a fluid flow path from said pump to said valve, comprising a pump nipple for covering said valve. The device comprises an elastic band coupled to a body of said device, said band being embodied for positioning around said tire under elastic force. A preferred embodiment comprises a set of device and at least two pump nipples for use with the device. The invention also relates to a method of inflating a tire.

Claims

1. A device for coupling a tire pump to a valve of a tire and for providing a fluid flow path from said pump to said valve, wherein the device comprises a body, a pump nipple for covering said valve and an elastic band directly coupled to said body, said elastic band being embodied for positioning around said tire under elastic force, and said elastic band comprising two or more openings corresponding to a notch in said body, wherein said elastic band then exerts an axial pressure to obtain an airtight closure of the pump nipple on the valve and to maintain the airtight closure during inflation of the tire without further adjustment.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said pump nipple comprises a recess with an access opening for receiving said valve.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said recess has an inner wall tapering towards a position away from said access opening.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein an inner wall of said recess is covered with a compressible material.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said pump nipple is embodied as a single piece with said body.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said pump nipple is embodied as an insertable piece in a recess provided in said body.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the abutting walls of said body and said insertable piece is provided with a compressible material.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a connector for coupling a tire pump to said device, the connector being in fluid connection with the pump nipple.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said elastic band is coupled at opposite sides of said device.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic band is removably coupled at at least one position of said device via said two or more openings in said elastic band.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the elastic band is provided with at least two coupling positions for removably coupling same at at least a first or a second position to the device.

12. A kit comprising a device according to claim 1, comprising said device and at least two pump nipples, wherein a diameter of an access opening of a first pump nipple is larger than a diameter of an access opening of another pump nipple, each pump nipple having a differently sized diameter of access opening.

13. The kit according to claim 12 comprising at least three pump nipples.

14. A method for increasing pressure in a tire, comprising the steps of positioning a device according to claim 1 on a valve of said tire, placing the elastic band around the tire and coupling same to the device and operating said pump.

15. The method according to claim 14 additionally comprising coupling the elastic band at opposite sides of the device.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the pump nipple is embodied as an insertable piece in a recess provided in the body, additionally comprising the step of applying the pump nipple with an access opening that fits the tire's valve.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the elastic band is removably coupled at at least one position of the device.

Description

(1) Hereafter, the invention will be further described by means of a drawing. The drawing shows in:

(2) FIG. 1 a side view of the device according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 a sectional view of the device according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 3 a perspective explosion view of the device according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4 an explosion view from the side of the device according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 a sectional explosion view of the device according to the invention, and

(7) FIG. 6 a perspective view of the device according to the invention, a tire and a pump.

(8) The same and similar parts and features have been denoted by the same reference numerals in the figures. However, for ease of understanding the figures, not all parts that are required for a practical embodiment have been shown in the figures.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a side view of the device 1 according to the invention. The device 1 comprises a body 2 with a connector 3 for a hose of a pump (not shown in this figure). The hose may be clampingly fitted as such or a hose clamp may be applied. An elastic band 4 is coupled to the body 2. A first end 5 of the band 4 is coupled to a first side 6 of the body 2 whereas the band 4 is coupled to the body 2 at a remote position 7 to an opposite side 8 of the body 2. Hence, the elastic band 4 forms a loop.

(10) Coupling of the band 4 to the body 2 is easily obtained by means of notches 9, for example at the body 2, for mutual cooperation with openings 10, for example in the elastic band 4. As shown also in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the band 4 may comprise a notch 19 for positioning behind a shoulder 20 of a coupling member at the body 2.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1. The parts as referred to in the description of FIG. 1 can be easily recognized. In addition, FIG. 2 shows the fluid flow path 11 (indicated by a dashed line) gas will flow when operating the pump referred to above for inflating a tire (not shown). The flow path extends from the connector 3 to an opening 13 in the body 2 for receiving a valve of a tire.

(12) The band 4 comprises a plurality of openings 10 so as to be able to increase or decrease the length of the loop.

(13) FIG. 2 shows an insertable piece 12 in the body 2. This insertable (and removable) piece 12 comprises a pump nipple 12 for receiving a valve (not shown) of the tire to be inflated. The tire's valve is to be received in the recess 13 through access opening 14, as shown in FIG. 5. Since the inside wall 15 (also as shown in FIG. 5) of pump nipple 12 is tapering towards the inside, the depth to which the valve is inserted depends on the diameter of said valve and said inside wall 15. Valves of many different sizes can be used with the present pump nipple 12 due to the tapering wall 15.

(14) In FIG. 3 an explosion view of the device 1 has been shown. The body 2 and the insertable pump nipple piece 12 as well as the elastic band 15 are clearly distinguishable in this drawing.

(15) FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show an explosion view of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, respectively.

(16) Finally, FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the device 1 in operation. A valve of a bicycle tire 16 is inserted in the recess 13 of the pump nipple 12. A hose 17 of a pump (not shown) is connected to the connector 3 of the device 1, such that when operating the pump air will be moved through the fluid flow path 11, inflating the tire 16. The elastic band 4 is guided over the tire 16 and rim 18 and is coupled to the device 1.

(17) The invention is not limited to the embodiments as mentioned above and as shown in the drawings. The invention is limited by the claims only.

(18) The invention also relates to all combinations of features described here independently of each other.