Inflatable container packing system
AssigneeThe B. F. Goodrich Company
InventorsJohn F. Heimovics, Jr., Paul G. Tritt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The container (12) has an inflation opening (46) which is closed by a valve (56) with seals (66) compressed by spring (90) pressure during the packing process. Air is removed from the container (12) for deflation by a vacuum pump (20) and excessive vacuum necessary for deflating the container (12) in a reasonable time but which is too high for the packing process and may damage the valve (56) or seals (66) is limited by a vacuum control unit (20) adjusted to maintain the vacuum below a predetermined vacuum and then admit atmospheric air over that level. The vacuum control unit (20) may have a screw adjustment (34) engageable with a spring (36) for increasing or decreasing pressure on an inlet valve member (32).
Claims3
A packing system for an inflatable, foldable container comprising an aspirator for inflating said container, said aspirator having an inlet open to the atmosphere during operation of said aspirator, valve means to close said inlet when said aspirator is not operable, vacuum means in communication with said valve means in said inlet providing a first predetermined vacuum for removing a gaseous medium from said container at a sufficient flow to deflate said container in a reasonable period of time and vacuum control means responsive to the difference in pressure in said container and atmospheric pressure in communication with said vacuum means for admitting air at atmospheric pressure into said container at a second predetermined vacuum substantially less than said first predetermined vacuum to facilitate packing of the container in a limited space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.