KASCHKO MICHAEL (US)
BARCHET CHRISTOPHER (US)
STERK JEFFERY (US)
| WO2005116496A1 | 2005-12-08 |
| US20060016489A1 | 2006-01-26 | |||
| US20140209184A1 | 2014-07-31 | |||
| US20060162779A1 | 2006-07-27 | |||
| US20140209185A1 | 2014-07-31 |
| What is claimed is: 1. A valve for enabling inflation and deflation of an inflatable body, the inflatable body having an interior and exterior, the valve comprising: a cap configured to be disposed on the exterior of the body and comprising one or more fastening devices; a barrel coupled to the cap and having a first interior chamber, the cap having at least one inlet allowing fluid communication between the first interior chamber and the ambient, the barrel having an outer surface on which a first groove is formed, the first groove being configured to engage the one or more fastening devices allowing the cap to rotate around the barrel between an open cap position in which the first interior chamber is in fluid communication with the ambient and a closed cap position in which the first interior chamber is fluidly sealed off from the ambient; and a check valve coupled to the barrel and configured to be disposed within the interior of the inflatable body. 2. The valve of claim 1, further comprising a boat portion configured to be disposed within the interior of the inflatable body and having a second interior chamber in which at least a portion of the barrel is situated. 3. The valve of claim 2, wherein: the boat portion has a first bypass hole and the barrel has a second bypass hole; the barrel is configured to rotate relative to the boat portion to a first position in which the first bypass hole and second bypass hole are aligned permitting fluid communication between the interior of the inflatable body and the first interior chamber; and the barrel is configured to rotate relative to the boat portion to a second position in which the first bypass hole and second bypass hole are unaligned preventing fluid communication between the interior of the inflatable body and the first interior chamber. 4. The valve of claim 3, wherein the cap is coupled to the barrel such that the barrel is moved to the first position by rotating the cap in a first direction, and the barrel is moved to the second position by rotating the cap in a second direction. 5. The valve of claim 3, further comprising a handle coupled to the barrel, wherein the handle is coupled to the barrel such that the barrel is moved to the first position by moving the handle in a first direction, and the barrel is moved to the second position by moving the handle in a second direction. 6. The valve of claim 5, further comprising stop elements coupled to the boat portion, the stop elements positioned to constrain movement of the handle. 7. The valve of claim 1, wherein the cap further comprises an outer surface in which a second groove is formed, the second groove being configured to couple with an air pump. 8. The valve of claim 1, wherein the check valve, when the cap is in the open position, is configured to permit fluid flow into the inflatable body via the first interior chamber and inlets and prevent fluid flow out of the inflatable body via the first interior chamber and inlets. 9. A mattress, comprising: an inflatable body having an interior and exterior; and a valve, comprising: a cap configured to be disposed on the exterior of the inflatable body and comprising one or more fastening devices, a barrel coupled to the cap and having a first interior chamber, the cap having at least one inlet allowing fluid communication between the first interior chamber and the ambient, the barrel having an outer surface on which a first groove is formed, the first groove being configured to engage the one or more fastening devices allowing the cap to rotate around the barrel between an open cap position in which the first interior chamber is in fluid communication with the ambient and a closed cap position in which the first interior chamber is fluidly sealed off from the ambient, and a check valve coupled to the barrel and configured to be disposed within the interior of the inflatable body. 10. The mattress of claim 9, further comprising a boat portion configured to be disposed within the interior of the inflatable body and having a second interior chamber in which at least a portion of the barrel is situated. 11. The mattress of claim 10, wherein: the boat portion has a first bypass hole and the barrel has a second bypass hole; the barrel is configured to rotate relative to the boat portion to a first position in which the first bypass hole and second bypass hole are aligned permitting fluid communication between the interior of the inflatable body and the first interior chamber; and the barrel is configured to rotate relative to the boat portion to a second position in which the first bypass hole and second bypass hole are unaligned preventing fluid communication between the interior of the inflatable body and the first interior chamber. 12. The mattress of claim 11, wherein the cap is coupled to the barrel such that the barrel is moved to the first position by rotating the cap in a first direction, and the barrel is moved to the second position by rotating the cap in a second direction. 13. The mattress of claim 11, further comprising a handle coupled to the barrel, wherein the handle is coupled to the barrel such that the barrel is moved to the first position by moving the handle in a first direction, and the barrel is moved to the second position by moving the handle in a second direction. 14. The mattress of claim 13, further comprising stop elements coupled to the boat portion, the stop elements positioned to constrain movement of the handle. 15. The mattress of claim 9, wherein the cap further comprises an outer surface in which a second groove is formed, the second groove being configured to couple with an air pump. 16. The mattress of claim 9, wherein the check valve, when the cap is in the open position, is configured to permit fluid flow into the inflatable body via the first interior chamber and inlets and prevent fluid flow out of the inflatable body via the first interior chamber and inlets. |
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 62/686,585 titled“Valve for Inflatable Objects” filed June 18, 2018, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Most modem portable inflatable mattresses, such as those used for camping, employ a twist valve for inflation or deflation. However, such twist valves only enable such inflation/deflation via clockwise and counterclockwise twisting of a ventilated cap with no other means of controlling airflow into or out of the mattress.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional illustration of a valve according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0004] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the valve of FIG. 1 in which the barrel is in a first position according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0005] FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the valve of FIG. 1 in which the barrel is in a second position according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0006] FIG. 4 is a front view of the valve of FIG. 1 in which the barrel is in the first position according to an embodiment of the invention; [0007] FIG. 5 is a front view of the valve of FIG. 1 in which the barrel is in the second position according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0008] FIG. 6 is a partial top perspective view of the valve of FIG. 1 in which the cap is detached from the barrel; and
[0009] FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the cap according to an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] This patent application is intended to describe one or more embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the use of absolute terms, such as“must,” “will,” and the like, as well as specific quantities, is to be construed as being applicable to one or more of such embodiments, but not necessarily to all such embodiments. As such, embodiments of the invention may omit, or include a modification of, one or more features or functionalities described in the context of such absolute terms.
[0011] Referring to FIGS. 1-7, a valve 10 includes a cap 20 having an interior chamber 30. Cap 20 is disposed on the exterior of an inflatable body 25 and has internal bayonet fasteners 40 that engage with at least one groove 55 on an outer surface of a barrel 50 having an interior chamber 60 allowing the cap to rotate about the barrel. The cap 20 may be configured to couple with an air pump (not shown) via, for example, a groove 70 around the perimeter of the cap to aid in inflation of the inflatable body 25.
[0012] The valve 10 further includes a check valve 80 disposed within the interior of the inflatable body 25 that permits fluid flow into the inflatable mattress via the barrel 50 and inlets 90 on top of the cap and prevents fluid flow out of the inflatable mattress via the cap and barrel. [0013] The valve 10 further includes a boat portion 100 closed at one end by the check valve 80, disposed within the interior of the inflatable body 25 and having an interior chamber 110, which is concentric with chamber 60 and in which a portion of the barrel 50 is situated. As best shown in FIGS. 2-5, both the boat portion 100 and barrel 50 have bypass holes 120, 130 that, through rotation of the barrel 50 relative to the boat portion, can be aligned so as to permit fluid communication between the interior of the inflatable body 25 and the interior chamber 60 of the barrel or unaligned so as to prevent fluid communication between the interior of the inflatable mattress and the barrel interior.
[0014] As best illustrated in FIG. 4, clockwise rotation of the cap 20 around the barrel 50 allows the user to position the cap in a closed/lowered position in which the barrel interior chamber 60 is fluidly sealed off from the ambient 65. Additional clockwise rotation of the cap 20 will cause, as a result of engagement of the bayonet fasteners 40 with the barrel 50, the barrel to rotate clockwise to a predetermined first position thereby aligning the barrel bypass holes 130 with the boat bypass holes 120. Consequently, fluid communication between the barrel interior chamber 60 and the interior of the inflatable body 25 is allowed without requiring fluid to pass into the inflatable mattress via the check valve 80.
[0015] As best illustrated in FIG. 5, counter-clockwise rotation of the cap 20 around the barrel 50 allows a user to position the cap in an open/raised position in which the barrel interior chamber 60 is in fluid communication with the exterior of the inflatable body 25. Additional counter-clockwise rotation of the cap 20 will cause, as a result of engagement of the bayonet fasteners 40 with the barrel 50, the barrel to rotate counter-clockwise to a predetermined second position thereby unaligning the barrel bypass holes 130 with the boat bypass holes 120. Consequently, fluid communication between the barrel 50 and the interior of the inflatable body 25 is prevented, thereby requiring fluid to pass into the inflatable matress solely via the check valve 80.
[0016] Alternatively, the user can rotate the barrel 50 by applying rotational pressure to handles in the form of wing elements 140 coupled to the barrel, and the boat portion 100 has stop elements 150 formed thereon that aid in the alignment of the bypass holes 120, 130.
[0017] While the preferred embodiment of the disclosure has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the described systems and techniques is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the described systems and techniques should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
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