VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR INFLATABLE BLADDER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20150192212A1
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NSI International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NSI International, Inc.
• Inventors: Landi, Frank J. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,408,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/04 Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/4252 Auxiliary operations prior to the blow-moulding operation not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/20 specially designed for inflatable bodies, e.g. tyres connecting valves to inflatable bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/202 and with flexible valve member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0486 Specific valve or valve element mounting or repairing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3584 Inflatable article [e.g., tire filling chuck and/or stem]

Abstract

The present invention relates to inflatable bodies or systems with bounding walls or bladder structures and at least one valve assembly thermally bonded thereto. More particularly, the present invention provides a valve assembly for inflatable bodies typically made from a thermoplastic rubber material or the like, which will exhibit significantly increased strength and durability during inflation and while inflated, especially at and around the interface between the air valve assembly and the bounding wall of the inflatable body because of the enhanced strength of the interface through thermal sealing.

Claims

1. An air valve assembly for an inflatable body, said air valve assembly comprising:

a generally flexible body member having an inner and an outer surface, and

a generally cylindraceous projection extending from said inner surface of said body member;

wherein said outer surface is substantially smooth,

wherein said projection is generally positioned proximate a central region of the central region of said body member, and has a self sealing opening extending longitudinally therethrough for the passage of air from said outer surface to said inner surface upon inflation by an external inflating device positioned within said projection during a use thereof, and

wherein a generally radially region of said of said body member distal said cylinddraceous projection is thermally bonded to a surface of said inflatable body proximate an opening in said inflatable body.

2. The air valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said body member, said inflatable body, and both said body member and said inflatable body is made from a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), polyester-based polyurethane, polyether-based polyurethane, polyvinyls, polyesters, polyethers, rubber, latex, nylon, vinyl, polychloroprene, synthetic fabric, synthetic rubber, natural rubber, Mediprene®

, Dryflex®

, Dynalloy® and

Versaflex®

.

3. The air valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said body member is substantially formed from a same material as said inflatable body.

4. The air valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein a flange region of said body member is affixed to said inflatable body using a bonding technique selected from the group consisting of adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, element or tie bonding, and co-bonding.

5. The air valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said body member is made using injection molding.

6. The air valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said body member has a generally cylindrical ring member extending from the inner surface bounding said cylindraceous projection at a fixed distance therefrom.

7. The air valve assembly according to claim 6, wherein a region of said body member extending radially outward from said ring member the region of said body member that is thermally bonded to the surface of said inflatable body.

8. An air valve assembly for an inflatable body, said air valve assembly comprising:

a generally flexible body member having an inner and an outer surface, said body member made from the material Mediprene®

, and

a generally cylindrical projection extending from said inner surface of said body member;

wherein said outer surface is substantially flat,

wherein said projection is generally positioned at a central region of the central region of said body member, and has a self sealing opening extending longitudinally therethrough for the passage of air upon inflation by an inflating device position within said projection, and

wherein a radially exterior region of said inner surface of said body member is thermally bonded to a surface of an inflatable body proximate to an opening in said inflatable body, wherein said inflatable body is made from the material Mediprene®

.

9. The air valve assembly according to claim 8, wherein said body member is substantially formed from a same material as said inflatable body.

10. The air valve assembly according to claim 8, wherein a flange region of said body member is affixed to said inflatable body using a bonding technique selected from the group consisting of adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, element or tie bonding, and co-bonding.

11. The air valve assembly according to claim 8, wherein said body member is made using injection molding.

12. The air valve assembly according to claim 8, wherein said body member has a generally cylindrical ring member extending from the inner surface such that it encircles said projection at a fixed distance therefrom.

13. The air valve assembly according to claim 12, wherein a region of said body member extending radially outwad from said ring member the region of said body member that is thermally bonded to the surface of said inflatable body.

14. An air valve assembly for an inflatable body, said air valve assembly comprising:

a valve member for attaching to said inflatable body,

said valve member including a generally cylindrical body having a bore formed therein for receiving an air inflating valve coupling and for supplying air into said inflatable body, and a slot valve extending therefrom in fluid communicating with said bore;

an o-ring integrally bonded within said cylindrical body of said valve member such that said o-ring encircles a portion of said bore;

said o-ring member having an elastomeric coefficient less than an elastomeric coefficient of said inflatable body; and

a peripheral sealing flange extended radially therefrom for attaching to said inflatable body.

15. The air valve assembly according to claim 14, wherein said valve member is made of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), polyester-based polyurethane, polyether-based polyurethane, polyvinyls, polyesters, polyethers, rubber, latex, nylon, vinyl, polychloroprene, synthetic fabric, synthetic rubber, natural rubber, Mediprene®

, Dryflex®

, Dynalloy® and

Versaflex®

.

16. The air valve assembly according to claim 14, wherein said o-ring is made of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), polyester-based polyurethane, polyether-based polyurethane, polyvinyls, polyesters, polyethers, rubber, latex, nylon, vinyl, polychloroprene, synthetic fabric, synthetic rubber, and natural rubber.

17. The air valve assembly according to claim 14, wherein said o-ring being substantially formed from the same material as said valve member, said material of said o-ring being of a higher density than said material of said valve member.

18. The air valve assembly according to claim 14, wherein said o-ring provides a snap-in fit for a pump valve coupling during filling of said inflatable body.

19. The air valve assembly according to claim 14, wherein said flange of said valve member is attached to said inflatable body using a bonding technique selected from the group consisting of adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, element or tie bonding, co-bonding.

20. The air valve assembly according to claim 14, wherein said valve member is made using injection molding.

21. A method of manufacturing an inflatable body, said method comprising the steps of:

securing an outer flange region of a valve member to an outer circumference of a cylindrical heating rod;

inserting said heating rod with said valve member into a bounding wall of said inflatable body, said valve member and said bounding wall being substantially formed from a thermoplastic rubber material;

securing said valve member to said bounding wall with a sealing collar, said sealing collar being generally cylindrical so as to fit around said outer circumference of said heating rod; and

using said heating rod to heat said valve member and said bounding wall so as to seal a surface of said bounding wall to a surface of said valve member.

22. The method according to claim 21, further including the step of:

co-bonding an o-ring within said valve member, said o-ring being substantially formed from a thermoplastic rubber material.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said thermoplastic rubber material of said o-ring is of a higher density than said thermoplastic rubber material of said valve member.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein said peripheral flange is secured to an exterior circumference of a first end of said cylindrical heating rod.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said peripheral flange is secured to an exterior circumference of a first end of said cylindrical heating rod using said sealing collar.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein said heating rod has a diameter substantially the same as a diameter of a ring member protruding from an inner surface of said valve member.