Inflatable articles that provide long term inflation and pressure control

• US 20060205547A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Russell Brands LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Primo Sport, Inc.
• Inventors: Sandusky, Donald Allan, O'Neill, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,611,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/599
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/04 Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/12 Tools or devices for blowing up or closing balls for pricking-balls A63B39/04
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

The present invention provides an inflatable article having a gas impermeable membrane of one or more layers and a sealable valve, including a cap plug design adapted for insertion into the valve, to reduce leakage. The invention also relates to a method for inflating inflatable articles in order to obtain specific article pressure and retain such pressure for an extended period of time.

Claims

1. A pressurized inflatable article comprising:

a gas impermeable inflation membrane comprising one or more layers or chambers and an interior wall, said membrane defining a hollow cavity comprising a compressible gas and an internal symmetry; and

one or more acoustic pads adhered to said interior wall such that the internal symmetry of said article is not disrupted.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the compressible inflation gas comprises a mixture of air and at least one low permeability gas.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein the low permeability gas is selected from the group consisting of hexafluoroethane, sulfur hexafluoride, perfluoropropane, perfluorobutane, perfluoropentane, perfluorohexane, perfluoroheptane, octafluorocyclobutane, perfluorocyclobutane, hexafluoropropylene, tetrafluoromethane, monochloropentafluoroethane, 1,2-dichlorotetrafluoroethane;

1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane, chlorotrifluoroehtylene, bromotrifluoromethane, and monochlorotrifluoromethane.

4. The article of claim 3 wherein the low permeability gas is sulfur hexafluoride.

5. The article of claim 4 wherein the sulfur hexafluoride comprises from about 25 volume percent to about 50 volume percent of said cavity.

6. The article of claim 2 wherein further comprising molecules of said at least one low permeability gas imbibed within said membrane.

7. The article of claim 1 wherein the membrane comprises elastomeric and plastic materials.

8. The article of claim 1 wherein the acoustic pads comprise materials comprising lightweight and low-density properties.

9. The article of claim 1 wherein the acoustic pads comprise material having a high surface area to volume ratio, a high porosity per unit of material and an open pore structure.

10. The article of claim 1 wherein the acoustic pads comprise a material selected from the group consisting of elastomers, rubber, composites, polymers, foams, and aerogels.

11. The article of claim 1 further comprising a sealable inflation valve comprising a valve needle passageway, a recessed aperture within said passageway and a cap plug device, said cap plug device comprising a protruding profile, and wherein said cap plug device is adapted to fit within the passageway such that said protruding profile and said recessed aperture form a seal surface.

12. The article of claim 11 wherein the cap plug device is removable.

13. The article of claim 1 wherein said article comprises a sports ball.

14. The article of claim 13 wherein the sports ball is selected from the group consisting of a basketball, volleyball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, racquetball and rugby ball.

15. A method for inflating at least one inflatable article with a compressible gas, the method comprising:

A. partially deflating said article;

B. inflating said partially deflated article with atmospheric gas to a fixed absolute pressure having a bias higher than atmospheric pressure to obtain said article'"'"'s ultimate volume; and

C. inflating said atmospheric gas inflated article with at least one low permeability gas to a target pressure for said article.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, step B further comprises the step of venting said inflated article to a reduced fixed absolute pressure having a bias higher than atmospheric pressure to obtain said article'"'"'s ultimate volume.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the inflation of step C comprises the use of a metering chamber having a metering chamber pressure.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein step C further comprises the steps of inflating with said gas to a pressure level greater than the target pressure, halting said inflation until pressure within said article is equalized with the metering chamber pressure and repeating said inflation and equalizing steps until the article reaches the target pressure for said article.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said article comprises a valve comprising a valve needle passageway.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein inflation steps B and C are accomplished using an inflation needle comprising a protruding profile adapted to cause an interfering fit with said valve needle passageway, whereby said needle is not readily removable from said valve during inflation.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the atmospheric gas is air.

22. A pressurized inflatable article comprising:

a gas impermeable inflation membrane comprising one or more layers or chambers and an interior wall, said membrane defining a hollow cavity comprising a compressible gas and an internal symmetry; and

a sealable inflation valve comprising a valve needle passageway, a recessed aperture within said passageway and a cap plug device, said cap plug device comprising a protruding profile, and wherein said cap plug device is adapted to fit within the passageway such that said protruding profile and said recessed aperture form a seal surface.

23. A pressurized inflatable article comprising:

a gas impermeable inflation membrane comprising one or more layers or chambers and an interior wall, said membrane defining a hollow cavity comprising a compressible gas and an internal symmetry;

one or more acoustic pads adhered to said interior wall such that the internal symmetry of said article is not disrupted; and

a sealable inflation valve comprising a valve needle passageway, a recessed aperture within said passageway and a cap plug device, said cap plug device comprising a protruding profile, and wherein said cap plug device is adapted to fit within the passageway such that said protruding profile and said recessed aperture form a seal surface.