Valve assembly for inflatable bladder and method of manufacturing the same
First Claim
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1. An air valve assembly for an inflatable body, said air valve assembly comprising:
- a valve member for attaching to said inflatable body, said valve member including;
a cylindrical body having a bore formed in said cylindrical body for receiving an air inflating valve coupling and for supplying air into said inflatable body; and
a slot valve extending from said valve member in fluid communication with said bore;
a self-sealing-sealing opening extending orthogonally relative to the bore, the self-sealing opening closing in response to pressure from the inflatable body upon inflation to prevent air loss to an exterior of the inflatable body, wherein the opening remains in the closed state upon the insertion of a pump needle and transitions to an open state during inflation;
an o-ring integrally bonded within said cylindrical body of said valve member such that said o-ring encircles a portion of said bore;
a peripheral sealing flange extended radially from said valve member for attaching to said inflatable body; and
wherein said o-ring being substantially formed from a same material as said valve member, said material of said o-ring being of a higher density than said material of said valve member.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to inflatable bodies or systems with bounding walls or bladder structures and at least one valve assembly thermally bonded thereto. More particularly, the present invention provides a valve assembly for inflatable bodies typically made from a thermoplastic rubber material or the like, which will exhibit significantly increased strength and durability during inflation and while inflated, especially at and around the interface between the air valve assembly and the bounding wall of the inflatable body because of the enhanced strength of the interface through thermal sealing.
29 Citations
6 Claims
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1. An air valve assembly for an inflatable body, said air valve assembly comprising:
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a valve member for attaching to said inflatable body, said valve member including; a cylindrical body having a bore formed in said cylindrical body for receiving an air inflating valve coupling and for supplying air into said inflatable body; and
a slot valve extending from said valve member in fluid communication with said bore;a self-sealing-sealing opening extending orthogonally relative to the bore, the self-sealing opening closing in response to pressure from the inflatable body upon inflation to prevent air loss to an exterior of the inflatable body, wherein the opening remains in the closed state upon the insertion of a pump needle and transitions to an open state during inflation; an o-ring integrally bonded within said cylindrical body of said valve member such that said o-ring encircles a portion of said bore; a peripheral sealing flange extended radially from said valve member for attaching to said inflatable body; and wherein said o-ring being substantially formed from a same material as said valve member, said material of said o-ring being of a higher density than said material of said valve member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification