Internal valve and methods of use for inflatable objects
OwnerZhengping Zhanginventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An internal valve (10, 10′ or 10″) and its methods of use for stabilizing and reinforcing inflatable objects are disclosed. The internal valve is a novel, simple modification to conventional check valves with the addition of a discharging means for external control (14, 22 or 28). An internal supplemental chamber comprises one or more partitions that are secured, directly or by I-beams (40′), to main chamber's walls (40) of an inflatable object and stretched when the main chamber is inflated. With the internal valve as the passage to and from the main chamber, the enclosed or isolated supplemental chamber (30, 30′, 32, 34, 36 or 38) functions as a stabilizing or reinforcing component. A plurality of chambers 36 can form cylinder beams for an inflatable mattress.
Claims20
An internal valve for use inside a main chamber of an inflatable object, wherein said main chamber is in fluid communication with the environment, a supplemental chamber has an opening to said main chamber, and said internal valve seals said opening, comprising:
- (a) a check valve for inflatable objects, and
- (b) a discharging means for externally controlling said check valve,
- whereby a fluid can flow into said supplemental chamber from said main chamber through said check valve while said fluid can be confined in said supplement chamber by said check valve and released with said discharging means.
An inflatable mattress, comprising:
- (a) one or a plurality of internal valves each including a check valve with an external discharge control, and
- (b) a plurality of separate chambers each in fluid communication with the first chamber through only one of said internal valves enclosed in said first chamber, wherein the rest chambers are secured to said first chamber such that predetermined volumes of said rest chambers cannot be significantly reduced by a higher fluid pressure in said first chamber and said first chamber in fluid communication with the environment through a valve means.
A method of stabilizing and reinforcing an inflatable object with an internal valve, wherein said internal valve comprises a conventional check valve for inflatable objects with an addition of a discharging means for externally controlling said check valve, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing said internal valve,
- (b) providing a sheet of flexible airtight durable material,
- (c) cutting a desired piece with predetermined shape and size off said sheet,
- (d) building a supplemental chamber around a desired area of said inflatable object by welding or securing said piece to the wall of said inflatable object and optionally sealing any free edges of said piece to enclose said supplemental chamber such that fluid in said inflatable object cannot significantly reduce or depress the predetermined volume of said supplemental chamber,
- (e) making an opening in said one piece or a common wall of said inflatable object and supplemental chamber, and
- (f) sealing said opening with said internal valve such that a fluid can freely flow from said inflatable object into said supplemental chamber while said fluid in said supplemental chamber is prevented from flowing out by said check valve and can only be released by operating said discharging means,
- whereby inflated supplemental chamber can stabilize and reinforce said area and therefore can strengthen said inflatable object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.