Valve connector

Abstract

A valve connector for connecting to inflation valves of vehicle tires. The valve connector is configured to be operable with common valve types and with existing pressure sources. The valve connector is configured to automatically adjust to the valve being used.

1 . A valve connector for connecting to inflation valves of vehicle tires, comprising:
 a housing configured to be connected to a pressure source;   within the housing, a valve coupling hole for coupling with the inflation valve to which the valve connector is to be connected, the coupling hole having a central axis and an outer opening;   within the coupling hole, an inflation valve seal situated coaxially with the central axis of the coupling hole for sealing the valve connector onto inflation valves of various types or sizes   wherein said valve coupling hole comprises at least two valve coupling hole sections which are axially displaced from each other and have different diameters and are designed for receiving inflation valves of different diameters, with the larger diameter hole section closer to the outer opening of the coupling hole than the smaller diameter hole section, and   said inflation valve seal comprises a first valve sealing portion and a second valve sealing portion which are located at different levels along the central axis, said first sealing portion disposed at and assigned to the larger diameter hole section and said second sealing portion disposed at and assigned to the smaller diameter hole section.   
     
     
         2 . Valve connector according to  claim 1 , wherein said first sealing portion and said second sealing portion are separate parts. 
     
     
         3 . Valve connector according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the sealing portions comprises an annular sealing face at the inner end of the respective coupling hole section. 
     
     
         4 . Valve connector according to  claim 1 , wherein that it comprises within the coupling hole a securing thread for securing the valve connector onto the inflation valve. 
     
     
         5 . Valve connector according to  claim 4 , further comprising a coupling bushing, which is attached on the housing rotatably around the central axis and sealed to the housing by said second sealing portion,
 wherein said coupling bushing comprises said securing thread and said first sealing portion, and the housing comprises a stopping edge for stopping the coupling movement of the inflation valve.   
     
     
         6 . Valve connector according to  claim 5 , wherein said coupling bushing is an outer bushing and comprises an inner bushing, which is non-rotatably coupled to said outer bushing by a set of ribs of said inner bushing and corresponding grooves in said outer bushing distributed around the bushing circumference, and axially movable within said outer bushing and the housing,
 wherein said second sealing portion is step-formed, embedded in a corresponding milling, so that that part of the step-formed second sealing portion with the highest step lies closest to the centerline.   
     
     
         7 . Valve connector according to  claim 6 , wherein said second sealing portion comprises a first part and a second part, of which said second part is fitting in an undercut groove of the housing and is arranged to seal said inner bushing to said housing. 
     
     
         8 . A valve connector for connecting to inflation valves of vehicle tires, comprising:
 a housing configured to be connected to a pressure source;   within the housing one valve coupling hole for coupling with the inflation valve to which the valve connector is to be connected, the coupling hole having a central axis and an outer opening and   within the coupling hole inflation valve seal situated coaxially with the central axis of the coupling hole for sealing the valve connector onto inflation valves of various types and/or sizes   wherein said valve coupling hole comprises at least two valve coupling hole sections which are axially displaced from each other and have different diameters and are designed for receiving inflation valves of different diameters, with the larger diameter hole section closer to the outer opening of the coupling hole than the smaller diameter hole section, and   said inflation valve seal comprises a first valve sealing portion and a second valve sealing portion which are located at different levels along the central axis, said first sealing portion disposed at and assigned to the larger diameter hole section and said second sealing portion disposed at and assigned to the smaller diameter hole section   wherein said first sealing portion and said second sealing portion are formed by an elastic body which is designed as a bushing of deformable material to create a temporary securing thread when radially squeezed against the thread of an inflation valve, and that a piston is movably mounted in the housing for axially compressing the elastic body when activated by a lever which is turnable from a rest position into an activating position, in which the elastic body is compressed   wherein the deformable bushing comprises at least one V-shaped incision around its outer surface close to the first and second sealing portions.   
     
     
         9 . Valve connector according to  claim 8 , wherein a longitudinal section of the deformable bushing in the direction of its longitudinal axis is H-shaped. 
     
     
         10 . Valve connector according to  claim 8 , wherein a toroidal ring is arranged in the incision. 
     
     
         11 . Valve connector according to  claim 8 , further comprising locking means of the lever cooperating with locking means of the housing in the activating position of the lever. 
     
     
         12 . Valve connector according to  claim 8 , wherein the housing comprises two portions with a predetermined angle between their respective centre axes, which angle is between 30 and 60 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . Valve connector according to  claim 11 , wherein said lever arm is arranged to return, when released from its activating position, automatically by the elastic body to said rest position, wherein
 said lever is arranged to turn around an axis with a center which lies on the central axis of the coupling hole,   the distance between said center and a surface of said lever arm which engages the top of a piston in said activating position is larger than the distance between said center and a surface of said lever arm which engages the top of said piston in said rest position.