Valve for inflatable objects
OwnerRobert B. Chaffeeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims20
A 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 and that provides 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 position the flexible diaphragm against the valve seat so that the flexible diaphragm forms the seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position, and so that the flexible diaphragm moves at least the portion of the periphery of the diaphragm 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 contacted to allow for movement of at least the part of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm in the first direction so as to purge the self-sealing valve;
- and
- wherein the attachment member and the flexible diaphragm are arranged to provide for pivotal movement of the at least a part 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.
A self-sealing valve comprising a valve housing having a fluid conduit, a valve seat, a retaining 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 and that provides a seal of the fluid conduit in the closed position;
- wherein the retaining member retains a part of the flexible diaphragm and wherein the retaining member does not include a plurality of openings in the retaining member;
- wherein the retaining member and the flexible diaphragm are configured 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, and so that the flexible diaphragm moves at least the portion of the periphery of the flexible diaphragm 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 contacted to move at least part of the flexible diaphragm away from the valve seat so as to regulate the transfer of the fluid through the self-sealing valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.