Water balloon filling valve

• US 5,439,199 A
• Filed: 12/20/1993
• Issued: 08/08/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The National Latex Products Company
• Original Assignee: The National Latex Products Company
• Inventors: Briggs, Michael, Zach, John S., Lowe, Gerald A., Geething, Rick C., Wagonfield, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): RIVELL, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US08/170,582
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 251/324, 251/320, 137/906, 137/223
• US Class Current: 251/320
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 21/04 Self-closing valves, i.e. closing automatically after operation pneumatic tools B25B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/243 Packings F16K3/246 takes precedence

Abstract

A valve selectively dispenses noncompressible fluid from a pressurized source into a receptacle. The valve has a body with a valve spool slidingly retained in a hollow cylinder in the body. The ends of the body are communicated by an internal channel, the first end adapted to engage the source and the second end adapted to engage the receptacle. The hollow cylinder is an intermediate part of the internal channel. The valve spool has first and second enlarged portions that effectively divide the hollow cylinder into first and second noncommunicated chambers. When the valve spool is in a closed position, the first end is communicated only with the first chamber and the pressure of the fluid in the first chamber provides an outward biasing force on the valve spool, keeping it in the closed position. When the valve spool is moved to an open position by application of an external force on the valve spool overcoming the outward biasing force, the first end is communicated with both the first chamber and the second chamber, which has a link with the second end, allowing fluid flow through the valve. Release of the external applied force allows the pressure of the fluid in the first chamber to restore the valve spool to the closed position. The valve spool is retained in the cylinder by a pin seated in an aperture in the first end such that an end of the pin extends into the cylinder, or a collar fitted around the valve spool near the end.

Claims

1. A valve for selectively dispensing an essentially noncompressible fluid from a pressurized source into a receptacle, said valve comprising:

a body portion having a first end and a second end, the ends communicated by an internal channel, the first end adapted to engage the source and the second end adapted to engage the receptacle;

the internal channel having an intermediate portion comprising a hollow cylinder with a valve spool slidingly engaged therein, the valve spool having first and second enlarged portions effectively dividing the hollow cylinder into a first and a second chamber, the chambers not communicated to each other, the internal channel further having a first and a second passage communicating the hollow cylinder with the first end and a third passage communicating the hollow cylinder with the second end, the valve spool being held in the cylinder by a pin seated in an aperture in the first end such that an end of the pin extends into the cylinder sufficiently to block movement of the first enlarged portion therepast;

wherein the first and second passages communicate with the first chamber and the third passage communicates with the second chamber when the valve spool is in a first closed position, the pressure of the essentially noncompressible fluid in the first chamber providing an outward biasing force on the valve spool into the closed position; and

wherein the first passage communicates with the first chamber and the second and third passages communicate with the second chamber when the valve spool is moved to a second open position by application of an external force on the valve spool overcoming the outward biasing force, the communication of the second and third passages to the second chamber forming the internal channel and allowing fluid flow through the valve; and

wherein release of the external applied force allows the pressure of the fluid in the first chamber to restore the valve spool to the first closed position.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the hollow cylinder is positioned transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body portion.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the first end of the body portion is adapted to threadingly engage a male hose fitting.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the second end of the body portion is adapted to frictionally engage a water balloon.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the second end of the body portion has a nipple portion comprising a series of frustoconical sections of increasing diameter.