PNEUMATIC INFLATOR FOR AUTOMATICALLY INFLATING INFLATABLE ARTICLES TO A DESIRED PRESSURE

摘要

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a pneumatic inflator for automatically inflating inflatable articles, such as dunnage bags, to a desired pressure. Generally, once activated, the pneumatic inflator of the present disclosure inflates an inflatable article via a compressed air source until the air pressure inside the inflatable article reaches an operator-selected desired pressure. Thereafter, the pneumatic inflator automatically stops inflating the inflatable article. In various embodiments, the pneumatic inflator also includes a manual shut-off that, when activated while the pneumatic inflator is inflating the inflatable article, causes the pneumatic inflator to stop inflating the inflatable article. The pneumatic inflator of the present disclosure thus enables automatic inflation of inflatable articles to particular, operated-selected desired pressures with limited operator input.

主权项

1. A pneumatic inflator comprising:
a housing; a first pressure regulator supported by the housing, a compressed air source being fluidically connectable to the first pressure regulator such that air may flow from the compressed air source to the first pressure regulator; an actuatable control valve supported by the housing, the control valve being fluidically connectable to an inflation hose such that air may flow from the control valve to the inflation hose; a normally open actuatable control valve supported by the housing; a second pressure regulator supported by the housing; and a pressure repeater supported by the housing, a return air hose being fluidically connectable to the pressure repeater such that air may flow from the return air hose to the pressure repeater; wherein the first pressure regulator, the control valve, the normally open control valve, the second pressure regulator, and the pressure repeater are arranged such that, when the compressed air source is fluidically connected to the first pressure regulator, the control valve is fluidically connected to the inflation hose, and the return air hose is fluidically connected to the pressure repeater: (a) when: (i) air pressure inside the return air hose is greater than a desired air pressure set by the second pressure regulator, and (ii) the control valve is actuated from its closed position to its open position, air flows from the compressed air source into the inflation hose; and (b) thereafter, when the air pressure inside the return air hose exceeds the desired air pressure, the control valve is automatically actuated into its closed position, which stops the air flow from the compressed air source into the inflation hose.