Fluid handling – Line condition change responsive valves – Direct response valves
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-30
2003-01-21
Lee, Kevin (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Line condition change responsive valves
Direct response valves
C137S512000, C137S852000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508270
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shut-off valve for use in a compression sack.
2. Description of Background Art
Compression sacks provided with a shut-off valve for compactly packing clothing or bedding therein have long been known in the art.
Typically, to pack clothing in such a compression sack, a zipper disposed on an access port for contents is closed, and the compression sack is manually compressed, or a vacuum connected by a nozzle to the shut-off valve is actuated to draw out air inside the sack and to expel same through the shut-off valve. Since the shut-off valve may function to limit airflow to a single or outward direction, air may be prevented from reentering the compression sack. As a result, extremely low air pressure can be maintained.
The volume of such stored goods as clothing or bedding contained in the compression sack can be decreased by removing air within the sack. As a result of this decreased volume, more compact packaging can be achieved.
Shut-off valves may take various shapes. For example, the shut-off valve may have a flat, cylindrical body made of a flexible synthetic resin film provided with an opening. The cylindrical body may include a bent passage formed, e.g., by hot-pressing part of the film.
When such a shut-off valve is mounted on the compression sack designed for maintaining a low internal air pressure, the compression sack is in such a state that air can be easily introduced into the sack via the shut-off valve during deaeration. However, since the passage remains crushed flat, it does not allow the entry of air to flow from outside into the sack. Thus, the air pressure within the compression sack remains low.
However, even though such a shut-off valve has a simple structure, the passage itself may not remain closed, and the introduction of some air from the outside may not be avoided completely. Thus, air may gradually reenter the sack with the lapse of time.
Therefore, the goal of the present invention is to provide a shut-off valve having a simple structure and a function which serves to prevent the entry of air in an effective manner. The shut-off valve of the present invention is not only capable of removing air from the sack, but is also capable of charging the sack with air or allowing air to reenter the sack when desired.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
To achieve this goal, a first aspect of the present invention provides a shut-off valve in which an air passage
41
having a flat and substantially cylindrical shape in cross section is formed by closing both sides of opposed cladding sheets
43
a
,
43
b
by means of closing members
43
e
,
43
f
. The air passage
41
has openings
43
c
,
43
g
at the both ends, and a valve body sheet
42
inside thereof. The valve body sheet
42
includes a fixed member
42
a
secured to said cladding sheet
43
b
, a first flap member
42
b
, and a second flap member
42
c
, with the fixed member
42
a
disposed in a central position therebetween. Both of the flap members are movable about the fixed member
42
a
. The first flap member
42
b
serves to prevent air from flowing from opening
43
c
at one end to opening
43
g
at the other end of said air passage
41
by maintaining close contact between the first flap member
42
b
and a surface
43
i
of the other cladding sheet
43
a
at the air passage side
41
. Similarly, the second flap member
42
c
serves to prevent air from flowing in the reverse direction from opening
43
g
to opening
43
c
of the air passage
41
by maintaining close contact between the second flap member
42
c
and the surface
43
i
of the other cladding sheet
43
a
at the air passage side
41
.
Thus, a shut-off valve is provided which alternatively can perform the function of removing air from the sack at one time and, at a later time, charging the sack with air again.
In a second aspect of the present invention, the shut-off valve as described above has opposed cladding sheets
43
a
,
43
b
, the cladding sheet
43
a
also serving as a sheet
11
from which a sealable sack may be made.
This makes it possible to produce a shut-off valve formed integrally with a sack, thereby avoiding use of redundant materials and reducing production costs.
In a third aspect of the present invention, a shut-off valve is provided wherein the air passage
41
having a flat and substantially cylindrical shape in cross section is formed with an opening, either
43
c
,
43
g
, disposed at each end in one axial direction and along at least one of the opposed cladding sheets
43
a
,
43
b
. The closing members
43
e
,
43
f
cross at right angles to said one axial direction and are disposed at both ends in the other axial direction and along at least one of said cladding sheets. A valve body sheet
42
is secured to a surface
43
h
of one cladding sheet
43
b
at the air passage side, which surface is located midway in the air passage
41
and extends along the cladding sheet
43
b
from one closing member
43
e
to the other closing member
43
f
. The closing member
43
f
is the origin of first and second check valves. The first check valve serves to prevent air from flowing from opening
43
c
at one end to opening
43
g
at the other end of the air passage
41
by maintaining close contact between a part of the valve body sheet
42
and the surface
43
i
of the cladding sheet
43
a
at the air passage side
41
. Similarly, the second check valve serves to prevent air from flowing in the reverse direction from opening
43
g
to opening
43
c
. A rod
5
can be inserted into the air passage
41
in such a manner that openings
43
c
,
43
g
at either end of the air passage
41
may communicate with each other by virtue of the rod
5
. As a result, contact between a part of the valve body sheet
42
and the surface
43
i
of the cladding sheet
43
a
at the air passage side
41
will be severed, allowing air to run through the air passage. The air passage
41
is closed again by pulling out the rod
5
.
Thus, a shut-off valve is provided which performs the dual function of removing air from the sack and filling the sack with air. In other words, the operating mode can be switched from one mode of allowing the passage of air, to the other mode of preventing the introduction of air.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5165449 (1992-11-01), Yoon
patent: 5209264 (1993-05-01), Koyanagi
patent: 5456284 (1995-10-01), Ryan et al.
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Kabushiki Kaisha Kashiwara Seitai
Lee Kevin
LandOfFree
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