Valve for inflatable objects
First Claim
1. A self-sealing valve for providing fluid to and releasing fluid from an inflatable bladder, the self-sealing valve comprising a valve housing having a fluid conduit, a valve seat, an attachment member, and a flexible diaphragm;
- the valve housing being configured to pass fluid through the fluid conduit; and
the flexible diaphragm having a periphery that engages against the valve seat in a closed position to provide a seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position;
wherein the attachment member secures a part of the flexible diaphragm to the valve housing;
wherein the attachment member and the flexible diaphragm are configured to suspend a portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in a floating position in absence of sufficient fluid pressure against a first side of the flexible diaphragm, to position the flexible diaphragm against the valve seat with sufficient fluid pressure against the first side of the flexible diaphragm so that the flexible diaphragm forms the seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position of the flexible diaphragm, and so that the portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm pivotally moves-in a first direction away from the valve seat to an open position under a fluid bias against a second side of the diaphragm;
wherein the valve housing, the attachment member, and the flexible diaphragm are arranged so that a part of the flexible diaphragm can be directly contacted by a finger of a user to allow for the pivotal movement of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in the first direction so as to purge the inflatable bladder; and
wherein the attachment member and the flexible diaphragm are arranged to provide for the pivotal movement of the portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in the first direction away from the valve seat to the open position and in the second direction to the closed position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A self-sealing valve comprises a valve housing having a fluid conduit, a valve seat, a diaphragm and an attachment member. The valve housing is configured to pass fluid through the fluid conduit. The diaphragm provides a seal of the fluid conduit. The attachment member is configured to attach portion of the diaphragm to the valve housing. The attachment member and diaphragm are configured to position the flexible diaphragm against the valve seat to seal the fluid conduit in a closed position of the self-sealing valve, and to facilitate pivotal movement of the diaphragm under a bias in a first direction away from the valve seat to an open position.
50 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A self-sealing valve for providing fluid to and releasing fluid from an inflatable bladder, the self-sealing valve comprising a valve housing having a fluid conduit, a valve seat, an attachment member, and a flexible diaphragm;
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the valve housing being configured to pass fluid through the fluid conduit; and the flexible diaphragm having a periphery that engages against the valve seat in a closed position to provide a seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position; wherein the attachment member secures a part of the flexible diaphragm to the valve housing; wherein the attachment member and the flexible diaphragm are configured to suspend a portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in a floating position in absence of sufficient fluid pressure against a first side of the flexible diaphragm, to position the flexible diaphragm against the valve seat with sufficient fluid pressure against the first side of the flexible diaphragm so that the flexible diaphragm forms the seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position of the flexible diaphragm, and so that the portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm pivotally moves-in a first direction away from the valve seat to an open position under a fluid bias against a second side of the diaphragm; wherein the valve housing, the attachment member, and the flexible diaphragm are arranged so that a part of the flexible diaphragm can be directly contacted by a finger of a user to allow for the pivotal movement of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in the first direction so as to purge the inflatable bladder; and wherein the attachment member and the flexible diaphragm are arranged to provide for the pivotal movement of the portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in the first direction away from the valve seat to the open position and in the second direction to the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A self-sealing valve comprising a valve housing having a fluid conduit, a valve seat, a retaining member, and a flexible diaphragm;
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the valve housing being configured to pass fluid through the fluid conduit; and the flexible diaphragm having a periphery that engages against the valve seat in a closed position to provide a seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position; wherein the retaining member retains a part of the flexible diaphragm to affix the flexible diaphragm to the housing; wherein the retaining member and the flexible diaphragm are configured to suspend a portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in a floating position in absence of sufficient fluid pressure against a first side of the flexible diaphragm, to position the flexible diaphragm against the valve seat so that the flexible diaphragm forms-a seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position of the flexible diaphragm with sufficient fluid pressure against the first side of the flexible diaphragm, and so that the portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm pivotally moves in a first direction away from the valve seat to an open position under a fluid bias against a second side of the flexible diaphragm; and wherein the valve housing, the retaining member and the flexible diaphragm are arranged so that, in the absence of the fluid bias on the second side of the flexible diaphragm and with the flexible diaphragm in the closed position, a part of the flexible diaphragm can be directly contacted by a finger of a user to pivotally move at least the part of the flexible diaphragm away from the valve seat so as to regulate the transfer of the fluid through the self-sealing valve. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A self-sealing valve for providing fluid to and releasing fluid from an inflatable bladder, the self-sealing valve comprising:
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a valve housing including a fluid conduit and a valve seat, the valve housing being configured to pass fluid through the fluid conduit; an attachment member that is configured to retain a portion of a flexible diaphragm to affix the flexible diaphragm to the valve housing; and the flexible diaphragm having a portion that is configured to be retained by the attachment member and a periphery that is arranged to engage against the valve seat in a closed position to provide a seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position; wherein the attachment member and the flexible diaphragm are configured to suspend a portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in a floating position in absence of sufficient fluid pressure against a first side of the flexible diaphragm, to position the flexible diaphragm against the valve seat so that the flexible diaphragm forms the seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position of the flexible diaphragm with sufficient fluid pressure against the first side of the flexible diaphragm, and so that a portion of the flexible diaphragm pivotally moves in a first direction away from the valve seat to an open position under a fluid bias against a second side of the diaphragm and so that the flexible diaphragm moves in the second direction in the absence of the fluid bias to the closed position; and wherein the valve housing, the attachment member, and the flexible diaphragm are arranged so that portion of the flexible diaphragm can be directly contacted by a finger of a user to allow for pivotal movement of the portion of the flexible diaphragm in the first direction so as to purge the inflatable bladder through the self-sealing valve.
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Specification