Self-closing valve structure

Abstract

There is provided a self-sealing valve structure. The structure has a first sheet of thermoplastic material and a second sheet of thermoplastic material in face-to-face relationship with each other and are secured together along a portion of the longitudinal edges of the sheets and define a passageway therebetween. In one embodiment, the passageway has an air inlet end and an air outlet end. The air outlet end has at least a pair of air outlets located at each of the longitudinal edges of the valve and directing the incoming air through each of the longitudinal edges near the outlet end of said valve. The air outlets are formed by an air deflector blocking the end of the outlet which is preferably of a U-shape or a V-shape. In another embodiment, the passageway directs air through only one longitudinal edge of the valve. The invention also provides for an inflatable packaging cushion which includes a pair of air impermeable flexible walls welded together at their edge, and a self-closing valve of the type described.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.