Balloon valve and method of producing

• US 5,934,310 A
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pro-Pak Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pro-Pak Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Littlehorn, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferensic, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHOENFELD, MEREDITH HOPE
• Application Number:
  US08/775,219
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 137/844, 137/846, 137/847, 137/848, 137/223, 137/246, 446/224
• US Class Current: 137/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1025 Fabrication methods or special materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1041 Holding or sealing means, e.g. handling rods, clamps or plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1083 Valves or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/147 the closure elements having specially formed slits or being of an elongated easily collapsible form
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3584 Inflatable article [e.g., tire filling chuck and/or stem]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/788 Having expansible port
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7882 Having exit lip

Abstract

An inventive valve member, and associated method of making, for use in a bag for holding a gas or liquid, the bag including a main body having a stem portion, the main body defining an interior space and formed from a front and back sheet sealed together about a peripheral edge. The stem defines an inlet aperture at a free end thereof. A valve member has a width dimension positioned in the stem for use in inflating the main body, the valve member including a flexible front layer and a flexible back layer. The front layer is adjacent to the front sheet, and the back layer is adjacent to the back sheet. Both the front and back layers define opposing elongated edges. The front and back layers are attached together along the elongated sides to form a seal. The valve member has an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end is adjacent to the inlet aperture, and the outlet end is positioned in communication with the interior chamber of the main body. A front valve seal is formed between the top layer of the valve member and the top sheet of the stem portion. The top valve seal is positioned adjacent to the inlet end of the valve member, the front valve seal extending substantially perpendicularly from the longitudinal edges of the valve member and curves forwardly toward said inlet end of said valve member at a central location across said width dimension to define a front leading edge. A bottom valve seal is formed between the bottom layer of the valve member and the bottom sheet of the stem portion. The bottom valve seal is positioned adjacent to the inlet end of the valve member, and the back valve seal extends substantially perpendicularly from the longitudinal edges of the valve member and curves forwardly toward the inlet end of the valve member at a central location across the width dimension to define a back leading edge.

Claims

1. A bag for holding a gas or liquid comprising:

a main body having a stem portion, the main body defining an interior space and formed from a front and back sheet sealed together about a peripheral edge, said stem defining an inlet aperture at a free end thereof;

a valve member having a width dimension positioned in said stem for use in inflating the main body, said valve member comprising;

a flexible front layer and a flexible back layer, said front layer adjacent to the front sheet, and said back layer adjacent to the back sheet;

both of said front and back layers defining opposing elongated edges, said front and back layers being attached together along said elongated sides to form a seal;

said valve member having an inlet end and an outlet end, said inlet end adjacent to said inlet aperture, and said outlet end positioned being in communication with said interior chamber of said main body;

a front valve seal formed between said front layer of said valve member and said top sheet of said stem portion, said top valve seal positioned adjacent to said inlet end of said valve member, said front valve seal extending substantially perpendicularly from said enlongated edges of said valve member and curving forwardly toward said inlet end of said valve member at a central location across said width dimension to define a front leading edge; and

a bottom valve seal formed between said back layer of said valve member and said back sheet of said stem portion, said bottom valve seal positioned adjacent to said inlet end of said valve member, said bottom valve seal extending substantially perpendicularly from said longitudinal edges of said valve member and curving forwardly toward said inlet end of said valve member at a central location across said width dimension to define a back leading edge.

2. The valve of claim 1, wherein said inlet ends of said back layer and said front layer are coterminous and have free edges.

3. The valve of claim 1, wherein said forwardly curving portion of said front seal is adjacent to said inlet end of said front layer.

4. The valve of claim 1, wherein said forwardly curving portion of said back seal is adjacent to said inlet end of said back layer.

5. The valve of claim 3, wherein the forwardly curving portion of said front seal is less than approximately 5/16 inches away from said inlet end of said front layer.

6. The valve of claim 4, wherein the width of the forwardly curving portion of the back seal is less than approximately 5/16 inches away from said inlet end of said back layer.

7. The valve of claim 1, wherein the difference in extension of the forwardly curving portion of the front seal and the forwardly curving portion of the back seal is less than approximately 1/4 inches.

8. A valve member positioned for inflation of an inflatable bag, the bag having a front sheet and a back sheet, said valve member comprising:

a flexible front layer and a flexible back layer, each of said front and back layers defining opposing elongated edges defining a width dimension, said front and back layers being attached together along said elongated edges to form a seal;

said attached front and back layers defining an inlet end and an outlet end;

a front valve seal formed between said front layer of said valve member and said top sheet of the bag, said top valve seal positioned adjacent to said inlet end of said valve member, said front valve seal extending substantially perpendicularly from said elongated seals and curving forwardly toward said inlet end at a central location across said width dimension to define a front leading edge; and

a back valve seal formed between said back layer of said valve member and said bottom sheet of said stem portion, said back valve seal positioned adjacent to said inlet end of said valve member, said back valve seal extending substantially perpendicularly from said elongated seals and curving forwardly toward said inlet end at a central location across said width dimension to define a back leading edge.

9. The valve of claim 8, wherein said inlet ends of said back layer and said front layer are coterminous and have free edges.

10. The valve of claim 8, wherein said forwardly curving portion of said front seal is adjacent to said inlet end of said front layer.

11. The valve of claim 8, wherein said forwardly curving portion of said back seal is adjacent to said inlet end of said back layer.

12. The valve of claim 10, wherein the forwardly curving portion of said front seal is less than approximately 5/16 inches away from said inlet end of said front layer.

13. The valve of claim 11, wherein the width of the forwardly curving portion of the back seal is less than approximately 5/16 inches away from said inlet end of said back layer.

14. The valve of claim 8, wherein the difference in extension of the forwardly curving portion of the front seal and the forwardly curving portion of the back seal is less than approximately 1/4 inches.