Inflation valve for balloons and the like
First Claim
1. A balloon having an inflatable chamber defined therein and an inflation valve of the manual or mechanically operated type for selectively filling said chamber with a fluid, said inflation valve comprising a stem having a rigid inner wall defining a filling passage therethrough communicating with said chamber, said filling passage having an inlet and an outlet, and elastomeric plug means, having an outer surface and a durometer hardness in the range of from thirty to eighty, reciprocally mounted in said passage for movement in a first direction toward said chamber and in a second, opposite direction away from said chamber for (1) openly communicating said passage with said chamber solely through a passageway defined between the outer surface of said plug means and the inner wall of said stem to permit filling of said chamber with said fluid when said plug means is moved to a first predetermined distance in said first direction, and (2) closing said passageway and sealing said passage to prevent escape of said fluid from said chamber when said plug means is moved a second predetermined distance in said second direction to compress the outer surface of said elastomeric plug means against the rigid inner wall of said stem to form an annular static seal therebetween, said plug means being disposed for reciprocal movement along a longitudinal axis of said valve and wherein said passage is defined by an at least generally annular inner wall of said stem that is disposed at an angle within the approximate range of from 0°
- to 10°
relative to said longitudinal axis, when viewed in longitudinal cross-section and in said second direction, and the inner wall of said stem converging at an angle within the approximate range of from 2°
to 10°
relative to said axis and in said second direction.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A toy balloon has an inflation valve secured thereon to selectively fill a chamber of the balloon with a fluid, such as helium. The valve comprises a stem defining a filling passage therethrough for communicating a pressurized fluid source with the inflatable chamber of the balloon and an elastomeric plug reciprocally mounted in the passage for movement in a first direction towards the chamber to openly communicate the passage with the chamber to permit filling thereof and for further movement in a second, opposite direction away from the chamber to seal the passage to prevent escape of the fluid from the balloon. The inner surface of the stem and/or the outer surface of the elastomeric plug may be suitably sized and tapered to permit the sleeve to compress the plug for sealing purposes when it is moved in its second closing direction. An annular bead may be formed internally on the sleeve to compress the plug to form an annular static seal between the sleeve and the plug.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A balloon having an inflatable chamber defined therein and an inflation valve of the manual or mechanically operated type for selectively filling said chamber with a fluid, said inflation valve comprising a stem having a rigid inner wall defining a filling passage therethrough communicating with said chamber, said filling passage having an inlet and an outlet, and elastomeric plug means, having an outer surface and a durometer hardness in the range of from thirty to eighty, reciprocally mounted in said passage for movement in a first direction toward said chamber and in a second, opposite direction away from said chamber for (1) openly communicating said passage with said chamber solely through a passageway defined between the outer surface of said plug means and the inner wall of said stem to permit filling of said chamber with said fluid when said plug means is moved to a first predetermined distance in said first direction, and (2) closing said passageway and sealing said passage to prevent escape of said fluid from said chamber when said plug means is moved a second predetermined distance in said second direction to compress the outer surface of said elastomeric plug means against the rigid inner wall of said stem to form an annular static seal therebetween, said plug means being disposed for reciprocal movement along a longitudinal axis of said valve and wherein said passage is defined by an at least generally annular inner wall of said stem that is disposed at an angle within the approximate range of from 0°
- to 10°
relative to said longitudinal axis, when viewed in longitudinal cross-section and in said second direction, and the inner wall of said stem converging at an angle within the approximate range of from 2°
to 10°
relative to said axis and in said second direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- to 10°
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11. An inflation valve of the manual or mechanically operated type comprising
a stem having a generally cylindrical rigid inner wall, a filling passage defined by said inner wall through said stem and having inlet means for communicating a pressurized fluid source through said passage and outlet means for passing said fluid thereby, and sealing means, including elastomeric plug means having a generally cylindrical outer surface and reciprocally mounted in said passage for reciprocal movement along a longitudinal axis of said valve in a first direction towards said outlet means and in a second, opposite direction towards said inlet means, for openly communicating said inlet means with said outlet means solely through a passageway defined between the outer surface of said plug means and the inner wall of said stem defining said passage when said plug means is moved a first predetermined distance in its first direction and for closing said passageway and sealing said passage to block communication between said inlet means and said outlet means when said plug means is moved a second predetermined distance in its second direction to compress the outer surface of said elastomeric plug means against the rigid inner wall of said stem to form an annular static seal therebetween, said plug means being composed of an elastomeric material having a durometer hardness within the range of from thirty to eighty, said stem being composed of a plastic material which is relatively rigid compared to that of said plug means, the inner wall of said stem and the outer surface of said plug means each converging in said second direction towards said longitudinal axis and each being disposed at an angle within the approximate range of from 2° - to 10°
relative to said longitudinal axis, when viewed in longitudinal cross-section, and the angle of the inner wall of said stem being at least as large as the angle of the outer surface of said plug means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
- to 10°
Specification