US 6,823,905 B1Granted

Inflation valve assembly for a dunnage or cargo air bag

AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.

InventorsRodney S. Smith, Thomas C. Keenan

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Abstract

An inflation valve assembly, for a dunnage or cargo air bag, comprises an annular flange member which is adapted to be heat-sealed to an interior surface portion of one of the plies of the inflatable bladder of the air bag, and an externally threaded nipple portion for fluidic connection to a source of pressurized fluid for inflating the bladder of the dunnage or cargo air bag. A flapper valve member, having a substantially circular configuration, has an end portion which is adapted to be fixedly secured upon an arcuate portion of the upper surface portion of the annular flange member by a fixation bar which extends along a chordal extent of the annular flange member. Opposite end portions of the fixation bar project radially inwardly toward each other so as to effectively define a pair of oppositely disposed detents for maintaining the flapper valve member in its OPENED state.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An inflation valve assembly for facilitating the inflation of an inflatable article, comprising:

an annular flange member having a first surface portion which is adapted to be pneumatically sealed upon a wall surface of the inflatable article;
a nipple portion, adapted to be connected to an external source of fluid pressure, integrally connected to said first surface portion of said annular flange member and defining a fluid passageway which extends through said annular flange member for conducting pressurized air into the interior of the inflatable article;
a flapper valve member movably disposed upon a second surface portion of said annular flange member between a first OPENED position by means of which pressurized air can be fluidically conducted into and out from the interior portion of the inflatable article, and a second CLOSED position by means of which pressurized air is prevented from being fluidically conducted into and out from the interior portion of the inflatable article;
a fixation bar extending in a chordwise manner across a portion of said second surface portion of said annular flange member so as to secure said flapper valve member upon said second surface portion of said annular flange member;
and
detent means, defined upon opposite end portions of said fixation bar, for engaging said flapper valve member, as said flapper valve member is moved from said second CLOSED position to said first OPENED position, so as to retain said flapper valve member at said first OPENED position in order to permit pressurized air to be fluidically conducted into and out from the interior portion of the inflatable article.

3 more elements

In combination, an inflatable article and an inflation valve assembly for facilitating the inflation of the inflatable article, comprising:

an inflatable article;
an annular flange member having a first surface portion pneumatically sealed upon a wall surface of said inflatable article;
a nipple portion, adapted to be connected to an external source of fluid pressure, integrally connected to said first surface portion of said annular flange member and defining a fluid passageway which extends through said annular flange member for conducting pressurized air into the interior of said inflatable article;
a flapper valve member movably disposed upon a second surface portion of said annular flange member between a first OPENED position by means of which pressurized air can be fluidically conducted into and out from said interior portion of said inflatable article, and a second CLOSED position by means of which pressurized air is prevented from being fluidically conducted into and out from said interior portion of said inflatable article;
a fixation bar extending in a chordwise manner across a portion of said second surface portion of said annular flange member so as to secure said flapper valve member upon said second surface portion of said annular flange member;
and
detent means, defined upon opposite end portions of said fixation bar, for engaging said flapper valve member, as said flapper valve member is moved from said second CLOSED position to said first OPENED position, so as to retain said flapper valve member at said first OPENED position in order to permit pressurized air to be fluidically conducted into and out from said interior portion of said inflatable article.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.