Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Fluent charge impelled or fluid current conveyed into receiver – Valve bag type
Reexamination Certificate
2003-08-18
2004-11-30
Maust, Timothy L. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Fluent charge impelled or fluid current conveyed into receiver
Valve bag type
C141S067000, C141S114000, C141S313000, C137S522000, C137S527800
Reexamination Certificate
active
06823905
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to dunnage air bags, and more particularly to a new and improved inflation valve assembly for facilitating the inflation of an inflatable bladder disposed interiorly of, or comprising, a dunnage air bag for use in connection with securing or bracing cargo within the holds of, for example, railroad cars, airplanes, ships, truck trailers, and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cargo or dunnage air bags are used within the cargo shipment or transportation industry as a means for readily and easily securing or bracing cargo within the holds of, for example, railroad cars, ships, airplanes, truck trailers, and the like. Such dunnage or cargo air bags conventionally comprise an inflatable bladder which is enclosed within an outer bag or envelope which is conventionally fabricated from a plurality of paper plies. The air bags are conventionally of such construction and size as to readily enable the same to be inserted into voids or spaces defined between spaced loads, or between a particular cargo load and a side or end wall of the cargo container or hold, whereupon inflation of the air bag, the air bag will expand thereby fixedly engaging the adjacent cargo loads, or the cargo load and container wall, so as to secure the cargo loads against undesirable movement during transit. Obviously, in order to achieve the inflation of the cargo or dunnage air bags to a predetermined pressurized level, such air bags are also conventionally provided with an inflation valve assembly so as to permit pressurized air or compressed air to be conducted into the interior portion of the inflatable bladder so as to inflate the same, or to permit the pressurized air or compressed air, already disposed within the inflated bladder, to be conducted out from the interior portion of the inflatable bladder so as to deflate the same.
A first conventional PRIOR ART inflation valve assembly is disclosed, for example, within
FIG. 1
which substantially corresponds to the inflation valve assembly portion of
FIG. 2
as illustrated within U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,541 which issued to Krier et al. on Aug. 27, 1991, and it is seen that this inflation valve assembly utilizes a spring-biased valve stem mechanism. More particularly, as can be readily appreciated from
FIG. 1
, a cargo air bag is generally indicated by the reference character
10
and is seen to comprise a paper bag
11
and an inflatable bladder
62
. The inflation valve assembly is generally indicated by the reference character
12
and is seen to comprise a tubular valve body
56
defining a hollow space
57
therewithin, and an annular flange portion
60
integrally fixed thereto. The tubular valve body
56
is adapted to be inserted through an aperture defined within a wall
58
of the cargo air bag
10
such that the free distal end
80
of the valve body
56
projects outwardly from the cargo air bag
10
so as to be externally accessible for fluidic communication with a suitable air inflation fixture or assembly by means of which the compressed or pressurized air can be conducted into the interior portion of the inflatable bladder
62
. An external annular shoulder portion
66
of the valve body
56
engages an outer surface of the air bag
10
, while the annular flange portion
60
is adapted to be ultrasonically welded to an interior wall portion of the inflatable bladder
62
so as to form an air-tight seal therewith.
The inflation valve assembly
12
also comprises a valve stem
70
which extends through the hollow space
57
of the valve body
56
. A closure plate
72
is disposed upon a first end of the valve stem
70
, and a spring member
76
is interposed between an internal shoulder portion of the valve body
56
and a second opposite end
78
of the valve stem
70
. An annular valve seat
64
is defined upon an interior portion of the valve body
56
, and an annular ridge
74
is defined upon the closure plate
72
. Accordingly, the spring member
76
normally biases the closure plate
72
and its annular ridge
74
onto the valve seat
64
such that the inflation valve assembly
12
may be disposed in a first CLOSED position or state whereby pressurized air or compressed air cannot be conducted into the interior of the inflatable bladder
62
, or alternatively, pressurized air or compressed air, already contained within the inflated bladder
62
, is not permitted to escape from the inflated bladder
62
. Conversely, when a force is imposed upon the free end portion
78
of the valve stem
70
, the valve stem
70
is axially moved against the biasing force of spring member
76
such that the closure plate
72
and its annular ridge
74
are moved away from the valve seat
64
such that the inflation valve assembly
12
may be disposed in a second OPENED position or state whereby pressurized air or compressed air can be conducted into the interior of the inflatable bladder
62
, or alternatively, pressurized air or compressed air already contained within the inflated bladder
62
is permitted to escape from the inflated bladder
62
.
In lieu of the spring-biased valve stem mechanism as disclosed within Krier et al., the inflation valve assembly may alternatively comprise a flapper valve member which is mounted upon the inner end portion of a tubular valve body so as to likewise be movable between, for example, a first CLOSED position or state, either by means of the inherent resiliency of, for example, a living hinge structure, or as a result of being biased to the CLOSED position or state by means of the internal pressure within the inflatable bladder when the interior portion of the inflatable bladder has actually been pressurized, whereby the internal pressurized air is able to be effectively and sufficiently retained within the interior of the inflatable bladder of the dunnage or cargo air bag until, for example, an external closure cap is able to be threadedly engaged upon the inflation valve assembly so as to effectively close and seal the inflation valve assembly, and a second OPEN state or position as a result of, for example, being manually manipulated whereby the flapper valve member is able to effectively be moved away from its valve seat formed upon a nipple portion of the inflation valve assembly so as to permit an inflation nozzle to be fluidically mated therewith whereby pressurized air or compressed can be introduced into the interior of the inflatable bladder of the dunnage or cargo air bag. A second conventional PRIOR ART inflation valve assembly, comprising a flapper valve member, is disclosed, for example, within
FIGS. 2-4
and is generally indicated by means of the reference character
10
.
More particularly, with reference being made to
FIGS. 2-4
, it is seen that the second conventional PRIOR ART inflation valve assembly
10
comprises an annular flange member
12
wherein, for example, the undersurface portion
14
of the annular flange member
12
is adapted to be heat-sealed to an interior surface portion of the inflatable bladder while an externally threaded nipple portion
16
of the inflation valve assembly
10
is adapted to project outwardly through means of a suitable aperture formed within the ply of the inflatable bladder, as well as suitable apertures formed within the one or more paper plies comprising the dunnage or cargo air bag. In this manner, when a suitable inflation nozzle, not shown, is fluidically connected to the nipple portion
16
of the inflation valve assembly
10
, pressurized air or compressed air can be conducted into the interior of the inflatable bladder so as to inflate the same. In addition to the aforenoted structure, characteristic of the second conventional PRIOR ART inflation valve assembly
10
, it is further seen that the second conventional PRIOR ART inflation valve assembly
10
also has an annular upstanding ring member
18
integrally disposed upon the upper surface portion
20
of the annular flange member
12
. As can best be appreciated from
FIG. 4
, a substantially planar, disc-type flapper valve member
Keenan Thomas C.
Smith Rodney S.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Maust Timothy L.
Schwartz & Weinrieb
LandOfFree
Inflation valve assembly for a dunnage or cargo air bag does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Inflation valve assembly for a dunnage or cargo air bag, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Inflation valve assembly for a dunnage or cargo air bag will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3314654