VALVE FOR INFLATABLE OBJECTS

• US 20020083975A1
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert B. Chaffee
• Original Assignee: Robert B. Chaffee
• Inventors: Chaffee, Robert B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,508,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/223
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/081 of pneumatic type
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/03 with a hinged closure member or with a pivoted closure member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/033 spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/144 the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/148 the closure elements being fixed in their centre
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/1481 with biasing means in addition to material resiliency, e.g. spring
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/1821 for check valves with a hinged or pivoted closure member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/202 and with flexible valve member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 35/02 to be locked or disconnected by means of a pushing or pulling action
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3584 Inflatable article [e.g., tire filling chuck and/or stem]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/374 With cap
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3771 Valve manually seated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/789 Central mount
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7898 Pivoted valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87249 Multiple inlet with multiple outlet

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A self-sealing valve is used to fill, empty, and control the volume of fluid within an inflatable device. The valve includes a housing having a fluid inlet, a valve seat and a valve assembly that selectively covers the fluid inlet to provide a self-seal. The valve assembly includes a support member that suspends a flexible diaphragm in a closed position within the valve housing while allowing movement of at least part of the periphery of the diaphragm away from the valve seat to an open position and back towards the valve seat to a closed position. The support member may be manually moved to any of the multiple open positions, either to enable fluid release or to enhance fluid injection. With the injection of fluid, the diaphragm assumes an open position, allowing fluid influx. A fluid pressure created within the device assists in maintaining the diaphragm in the closed position.

Claims

1. A self-sealing valve, comprising:

2. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a container having an interior, an exterior, a port for transferring fluid between the interior and the exterior, and a wall separating the interior and the exterior, and wherein the valve housing is attached to the wall proximate to the port of the container so that fluid being transferred between the interior and the exterior of the container passes through the fluid inlet of the valve housing.

3. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a means for maintaining the flexible diaphragm within the valve housing during any of fluid injection, fluid release, pressure control and self-sealing of the valve.

4. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the valve housing has a first part that includes a lip disposed about a perimeter of the valve housing and that may be attached to the container wall, and a second part coupled to the first part and that includes the valve seat and the fluid inlet.

5. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support member and the flexible diaphragm are constructed and arranged so that an act of fluid injection into the container is sufficient to cause the at least the part of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm to move in the first direction into the open position to permit an influx of fluid into the container.

6. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a means for maintaining the flexible diaphragm in the closed position in absence of one of fluid pressure within the container and fluid injection into the container.

7. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the valve housing is flush mounted to the wall of the container so that an exterior surface of the valve housing and the valve assembly are either substantially coplanar with or beneath the wall of the container.

8. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the valve housing and the valve assembly are constructed and arranged so that a fluid pressure created within the container is sufficient to maintain the at least the part of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm against the valve seat when there is an absence of the influx of fluid.

9. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the valve housing is a single piece that includes a lip disposed about a perimeter of the valve housing and that may be directly attached to the container wall.

10. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a stiffening means for reducing a flexing of the flexible diaphragm except for the at least the part of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm.

11. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member includes a hinge assembly disposed between one end of a hanger arm that suspends the flexible diaphragm in the floating position and a wall of the valve housing so that the hanger arm and the flexible diaphragm are pivoted in the first direction and the second direction.

12. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member includes a hanger arm attached to a wall of the valve housing, the hanger arm having a slot including increased diameter openings at each end of the slot that allows a compressible handle of the flexible diaphragm to be any one of retained within the increased diameter openings and moved in the sideways direction along the slot;

and

13. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member includes a retaining rib that extends across the fluid inlet of the valve housing between the valve seat, the flexible diaphragm including a vertical support post which mates with the retaining rib and extends into the fluid inlet towards the exterior.

14. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 13, wherein the flexible diaphragm includes a target area disposed on the second surface of the flexible diaphragm that can be biased under pressure applied to the target area so that the periphery of the flexible diaphragm can be pivoted in the first direction about the vertical support post.

15. The self-sealing valve assembly as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a locking means for locking the target area of the flexible diaphragm in a locked open position to further enhance the purge of the self-sealing valve.

16. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member includes at least one rib attached to a wall of the valve assembly, the at least one rib having an aperture disposed therein and wherein the diaphragm has a mating projection from the second surface, the mating projection having a section that mates with the aperture and an enlarged section that secures the diaphragm to the at least one rib.

17. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the self-sealing valve assembly comprises two pieces, the hanger arm and the flexible diaphragm.

18. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible diaphragm is suspended from the support member so that no structure exists under the flexible diaphragm.

19. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve assembly and valve housing are constructed and arranged to provide non-axial movement of the at least the part of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in the first direction and in the second direction.

20. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve assembly and valve housing are constructed and arranged to provide axial movement of the at least one part of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in the first direction and in the second direction.

21. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve housing and the valve assembly enable a high volume of fluid transfer over a low pressure range between the interior and the exterior of the valve housing.

22. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve assembly is constructed and arranged so that substantially any part of the flexible diaphragm may be contacted to regulate the transfer of the fluid between the interior and the exterior of the self-sealing valve.

23. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve housing and the valve assembly are constructed and arranged so that the valve assembly has a plurality of interactive positions with the valve housing.

24. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve assembly and the valve housing are constructed and arranged so that the valve assembly may be removed and replaced with another valve assembly.

25. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a means for connecting and disconnecting the valve housing to a fluid injection, release, or pressure control device.

26. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, further including a protective cover assembly that selectively covers and exposes the fluid inlet.

27. The self-sealing valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member is flexible and moves axially in the first direction and in the second direction along an axis that is parallel to a length of the fluid inlet.