Air dryer unit

Claim 1

An air dryer unit adapted for use in a pneumatic circuit of a vehicle, comprising: (a) an air storage tank including an elongated hollow body of a one-piece construction which is disposed horizontally, having a partition wall disposed therewithin to divide the interior of said tank body into a first chamber and a second chamber in an air-tight manner, said second chamber having an outlet connectable to a pneumatic circuit, and an opening being formed at the bottom of the tank body and surrounded by an annular base, said annular base being fixed to the bottom wall of the tank; (b) an air dryer device comprising a dryer including a tubular dryer housing containing a desiccant and extending through said opening into said first chamber, and a hollow cover member detachably coupled to said dryer housing to cover that portion of said dryer housing extending outwardly through said opening, said cover member being detachably coupled to an outer surface of said tank body and having an inlet connectable to an air compressor, said cover member having at its upper portion a tubular portion which defines a central bore, the tubular portion being fit into said annular base wherein tubular housing of the dryer is received in the central bore of the cover member at a lower end thereof, one ene of said tubular dryer housing communicating with said first chamber while the other end communicates with said cover member, and compressed air from said air compressor being introduced into said inlet and passed through said cover member and said tulular dryer housing into said first chamber; (c) means for communicating said first chamber with said second chamber for flowing the compressed air from said first chamber to said second chamber; and (d) a check valve associated with said communicating means to prevent a backflow of the compressed air from said second chamber to said first chamber.