Self-sealing valve for balloons or non elastomer articles, obtained by a mass production process

• US 6,192,917 B1
• Filed: 02/17/1999
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ernesto Antonio Ramos Loza
• Original Assignee: Ernesto Antonio Ramos Loza
• Inventors: Ramos Loza, Ernesto Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivell, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHOENFELD, MEREDITH HOPE
• Application Number:
  US09/171,068
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 137/844, 137/846, 137/847, 137/223, 137/15, 446/224
• US Class Current: 137/223
• 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 15/202 and with flexible valve member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3584 Inflatable article [e.g., tire filling chuck and/or stem]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7884 Side vent

Abstract

This invention is related to a self-sealing valve for inflatable articles, including balloons, made of non-elastomeric material of the kind of valves formed by multiple layers of thermo-plastic film joined by heat which form three sections; a nozzle, main channel and a multi-valved section. This valve design permits the production of balloons or inflatable objects with a valve without requiring sophisticated machinery for the exact placement of the valve in the article or balloon. This is characterized in that the nozzle of the article consists of four films; two external films with an outer face that is compatible with heat fusion with the material of the inflated article in which the valve is to be placed and inner faces that are compatible with each other and the inner films with outer faces that are compatible with the outer films and inner faces that are incompatible with each other and outer films.

Claims

1. A valve for inflating articles, comprising:

at least four films having proximal ends positioned at an inflation portal of said inflatable article, distal ends positioned beyond said inflation portal of said inflatable article and within said inflatable article, and peripheral edges extending between said proximal and distal ends;

at least two of said at least four films comprising outer films and at least two comprising inner films, wherein a distance between said proximal and distal ends of said at least two outer films is greater than a distance between said proximal and distal ends of said at least two inner films, said at least two inner films further being located between;

said at least two inner films, positioned substantially opposite to each other, and being incompatible to sealing with each other so as to allow passage of gas or liquid between them from the exterior to the interior of said inflatable article, and said at least two outer films positioned substantially opposite to each other, located at least partially within said inflatable article, and being compatible to sealing with each other and to an interior of said inflatable article;

wherein said at least two outer films are sealed together except for a portion thereof maintained separate by said at least two inner films positioned partially therebetween, said sealing defining a plurality of channels between said at least two outer films, which channels extend into said inflatable article at said distal ends of said at least two outer films, and wherein said peripheral edges of said at least four films are sealed together with a periphery of said inflatable article where said peripheral edges contact said inflatable article.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of channels comprise at least two parallel sealing lines positioned apart from each other at a distance in the range of approximately 4 mm to 30 mm.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein said plurality of channels comprise at least two sealing lines positioned perpendicular to each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said seals between said films are formed by applying heat to limited areas of said films.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least two inner films comprise a material selected from the group consisting of varnish, lacquer, ink and aluminum vapor.