Cam driven piston compressor apparatus

Abstract

A compressor apparatus for compressing fluids includes a compression vessel having a collapsible vessel internal space having an expanded size and a compressed size, the compression vessel having intake structure for passing fluid into the vessel internal space from a fluid source and output structure for passing fluid out of the vessel internal space; a rotatable cam structure having a cam structure rotational axis and at least one radial cam protrusion positioned to periodically abut the compression vessel and compress the vessel internal space; a rotational drive mechanism drivably connected to the rotatable cam structure for rotatably driving the cam structure and the cam protrusion about the cam structure rotational axis; and a compression vessel expansion mechanism for expanding the vessel internal space to its expanded size subsequent to each compression of the vessel internal space.

1 . A compressor apparatus for compressing fluids, comprising: 
 a compression vessel having a collapsible vessel internal space having an expanded size and a compressed size, the compression vessel having intake means for passing fluid into the vessel internal space from a fluid source and output means for passing fluid out of the vessel internal space;    a rotatable cam structure having a cam structure rotational axis and at least one radial cam protrusion positioned to periodically abut said compression vessel and compress the vessel internal space;    rotational drive means drivably connected to the rotatable cam structure for rotatably driving the cam structure and the cam protrusion about the cam structure rotational axis;    and a compression vessel expansion means for expanding the vessel internal space to its expanded size subsequent to each compression of the vessel internal space;    such that compression of the vessel internal space drives fluid within the vessel internal space out of the vessel through the output means, and then the compression vessel return means expands the vessel internal space, thereby drawing fluid through the intake means into the vessel internal space from the fluid source, in a repeating cycle.    
   
   
       2 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said compression vessel comprises a cylinder and piston assembly having a cylinder interior and said vessel internal space comprise the cylinder interior.  
   
   
       3 . A compressor apparatus for compressing fluids, comprising: 
 at least one cylinder and piston assembly comprising a cylinder having a cylinder head and a tubular cylinder side wall and a piston structure slidably retained within said cylinder, said cylinder having an intake port fitted with an intake valve for passing fluid into said cylinder from a fluid source and an output port fitted with an output valve for passing fluid out of said cylinder;    valve operating means in operational relation with said intake valve and said output valve;    a rotatable cam structure having a cam structure rotational axis and at least one radial cam protrusion positioned to periodically abut and displace said piston structure inwardly toward said cylinder head;    rotational drive means drivably connected to said rotatable cam structure for rotatably driving said cam structure and said cam protrusion about said cam structure rotational axis;    and a piston structure return means for displacing said piston structure outwardly and away from said cylinder head subsequent to each piston structure inward displacement;    such that said valve operating means opens said output valve and said cam protrusion abuts and displaces said piston structure toward said cylinder head, driving fluid within said cylinder out of said cylinder through said output port, and then said valve operating means closes said output valve and opens said intake valve and said piston structure return means displaces said piston structure outwardly, away from said cylinder head and said intake port, thereby drawing fluid through said intake port into said cylinder from the fluid source, in a repeating cycle.    
   
   
       4 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said cylinder and piston assembly and said cam structure are both fastened to an apparatus framework to position said cylinder and piston assembly and said cam structure in operational relation with each other.  
   
   
       5 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said apparatus framework comprises an apparatus housing.  
   
   
       6 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said intake port is covered by an air filter means.  
   
   
       7 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said at least one cam protrusion is at least one cam arm and wherein said cam structure comprises a cam wheel having a cam wheel circumferential surface to which said at least one cam arm is mounted.  
   
   
       8 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3  additionally comprising a flywheel mounted to rotate in unison with said cam structure to provide smooth cam structure rotation.  
   
   
       9 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said piston structure comprises a piston connected to a piston rod extending out of said cylinder opposite said cylinder head having a piston rod abutment end.  
   
   
       10 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said piston is fitted with at least one piston ring seated in a circumferential piston ring groove to slide sealingly along said cylinder side wall.  
   
   
       11 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said cylinder comprises a cup-shaped cylinder bottom wall opposite said cylinder head with a central piston rod passing port for funneling blow-by oil to said piston rod such that said piston rod is lubricated by the oil and carries oil out of the cylinder with each cylinder and piston assembly cycle.  
   
   
       12 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said piston rod comprises at least one oil receiving depression for receiving and retaining oil to carry oil out of said cylinder through said piston rod passing port.  
   
   
       13 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said rotational drive means comprises an electric drive motor connected to said cam structure with a drive connection.  
   
   
       14 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said drive connection comprises a drive belt engaging a motor pulley mounted on the motor drive shaft and a cam structure pulley mounted on a cam structure axle.  
   
   
       15 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said piston structure return means comprises a piston rod biasing spring mounted to be compressed between a framework.  
   
   
       16 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said piston rod biasing spring is a coil spring encircling said piston rod and having a progressively narrowing, conical configuration.  
   
   
       17 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said piston structure return means comprises a piston return lever pivotally mounted on a lever fulcrum pin secured to said apparatus framework, having a return lever first end engaging said piston structure and a return lever second end positioned for periodic displacement by said at least one cam protrusion.  
   
   
       18 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said cam protrusions are selectively movable out of rotational alignment with said piston structure such that a desired number of said cam protrusions can be selected to displace said piston structure for each cam structure rotation; 
 such that the volume of fluid compressed per cam structure rotation can be altered to accommodate requirements of any of a wide variety of applications.    
   
   
       19 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein each said cam arm comprises an expanded mounting end which fits engagingly into any of a plurality of cam arm channels each having an outwardly narrowing arm engaging channel outward channel opening and extending laterally across the width of and spaced periodically around said cam wheel circumferential surface; 
 such that each cam arm is slidably retained within a corresponding said cam arm channel.    
   
   
       20 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said cam wheel circumferential surface is sufficiently wide and said cam arm channels therefore sufficiently long that one said cam arm can be slid to a first channel end of the given said cam arm channel and thus to a first side of said cam wheel circumferential surface to align with and abut said piston structure during cam wheel rotation, and slid to a second channel end and thus to a second side of said cam wheel circumferential surface to be out of registration with said piston structure during cam wheel rotation; 
 such that a selected number of said cam arms can be slid to said first channel end to register with said piston structure as needed for a given apparatus application.    
   
   
       21 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein said cam arms are each moved to one of said first side of said cam wheel circumferential surface and said second side of said cam wheel circumferential surface by electro magnets mounted adjacent opposing faces of said cam wheel and adjacent to the cam wheel circumferential surface; 
 such that activation of either said electro magnet pulls each immediately adjacent cam arm to the adjacent said side of said cam wheel circumferential surface, and the given said electro magnet can be activated and deactivated as said cam wheel is rotated by said drive means such that only selected said cam arms are moved to a given side of said cam wheel circumferential surface to provide a desired number of said cam arms in registration with said at least one cylinder and piston assembly associated with said cam wheel.    
   
   
       22 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising a plurality of said cylinder and piston assemblies positioned to extend radially and equidistantly from said cam structure, such that said at least one cam protrusion abuts and displaces each said piston structure in sequence with each said cam structure rotation.  
   
   
       23 . The compressor apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising multiple said cam structure and cylinder units mounted on a common axle and thus driven by a common motor drive means, and individual clutch means for each cam structure, 
 such that only a selected number of said cam structures rotate with said drive means.