Inflatable object and valve therefor

Abstract

To open a one-way valve of an inflatable object with a low pressure difference.SOLUTION: An inflatable object includes an inflatable object body 12 enclosing a chamber 16 to receive air, and a valve 14 mounted on the inflatable object body 12 and including a valve body 18 defining a passageway between the chamber 16 and an ambient environment 26. The valve body 18 has a shoulder 32. The valve body 18 defines an outside end 28, which opens to the ambient environment, and an inside end 30, which opens into the chamber 16. The valve 14 includes a one-way flap that is movable between an open position to permit fluid communication between the chamber 16 and the ambient environment 26 through the passageway 24, and a closed position. The one-way flap is biased to the closed position with a closing force selected to be overcomable to move the one-way flap to the open position by an airflow having a speed less than about 48 m / s and a pressure lower than 1 atmosphere.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 034,855, filed June 4, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to inflatables, and more particularly to valves for inflatables. [Background technology]

[0003] It is known to manufacture inflatables with valves that allow a user to manually inflate and deflate the inflatable. The valves typically employ some type of one-way flow mechanism that forces air into the inflatable while preventing air from escaping from the inflatable between user exhalations. These one-way flow mechanisms sometimes require significant effort to open, which can tire the user during inflation of the inflatable. Furthermore, the volume of air that a user must blow into the inflatable can be substantial, causing fatigue or dizziness in the user. It would be advantageous to at least alleviate one or more of these or other problems noted above with inflatables. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention has been made to solve the problems in the prior art described above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In one aspect, an inflatable article is provided that includes an inflatable body enclosing a chamber that receives air to pressurize the inflatable body, and a valve attached to the inflatable body. The valve includes a valve body that defines a passageway between the chamber and the ambient environment. The valve body has a shoulder. The valve body defines an outer end of the passageway that opens to the ambient environment and an inner end of the passageway that opens to the chamber. The valve further includes a one-way flap that is movable between an open position in which the one-way flap allows fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment via the passageway and a closed position in which the one-way flap is sealed against the shoulder and prevents fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment via the passageway. The one-way flap is biased to the closed position by a closing force. The closing force is selected so that it can be overcome to move the one-way flap to the open position by airflow caused by a person blowing into the one-way flap through the passageway without engaging and forming a seal with the valve body with their mouth.

[0006] In one aspect, an inflatable article is provided that includes an inflatable body enclosing a chamber that receives air to pressurize the inflatable body, and a valve attached to the inflatable body. The valve includes a valve body that defines a passageway between the chamber and the ambient environment. The valve body has a shoulder. The valve body defines an outer end of the passageway that opens to the ambient environment and an inner end of the passageway that opens to the chamber. The valve further includes a one-way flap that is movable between an open position in which the one-way flap allows fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment through the passageway and a closed position in which the one-way flap is sealed against the shoulder and prevents fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment through the passageway. The one-way flap is biased to the closed position by a closing force. The closing force is selected so that it can be overcome to move the one-way flap to the open position by an airflow having a velocity of less than about 48 m / s and a pressure of less than 1 atmosphere. The valve further includes a cover that is removably attachable to the outer end and forms a cover seal against fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment.

[0007] In another aspect, an inflatable article is provided that includes an inflatable body enclosing a chamber that receives air to pressurize the inflatable body, and a valve attached to the inflatable body. The valve includes a valve body that defines a passageway between the chamber and the ambient environment. The valve body has a shoulder. The valve further includes a one-way flap that is movable between an open position in which the one-way flap allows fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment through the passageway and a closed position in which the one-way flap is sealed against the shoulder and prevents fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment through the passageway. The one-way flap is biased to the closed position by a closing force. The valve further includes a cover that is removably attachable to an outer end and forms a cover seal against fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment. The cover includes a contraction protrusion that protrudes away from the remainder of the cover sufficiently to move the one-way flap to the open position and insert the cover into the passageway to a contracted position that allows deflation of the inflatable article.

[0008] Other technical advantages will become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the following figures and description. For a better understanding of the embodiments described herein, and to show more clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 shows a perspective view of an inflatable according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the valve of the inflatable shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3A] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the valve shown in FIG. 2 with the one-way flap in the open position. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the valve shown in FIG. 2 with the one-way flap in the closed position. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of a user inflating the inflatable shown in FIG. 1 via a valve. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the valve shown in FIG. 2 illustrating the flow of air into the inflatable. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the valve shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the outer end of a variation of the valve shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the inner end of the valve shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the valve shown in FIG. 2 with the cover in the closed position. [Figure 10] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the valve shown in FIG. 2 with the cover in a retracted position. [Figure 11A] FIG. 3C is a perspective view of a variation of the valve shown in FIG. 2 in which the shoulder of the valve forms a recess for engagement with the one-way flap shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional perspective view of a variation of the valve shown in FIG. 11A showing a one-way flap in a recess. [Figure 12] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the valve shown in FIG. 2 with a variation of the connecting structure that holds the one-way flap to the valve body. [Figure 13A] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another variation of the valve shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13B is a side cross-sectional view of a variation of the valve shown in FIG. 13A. [Figure 14] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the valve shown in FIG. 2 showing the extension portion mating with the wall of the inflatable body of the inflatable shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Unless otherwise specified, items depicted in the drawings are not necessarily to scale. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, reference numerals may be repeated in the figures where considered appropriate to refer to corresponding or analogous elements. Additionally, numerous specific details are presented to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. While exemplary embodiments are shown in the figures and described below, it should be understood at the outset that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented using any number of technologies, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should not be limited in any way to the exemplary implementations and technologies shown in the figures and described below.

[0011] Various terms used throughout this description may be interpreted and understood as follows, unless the context dictates otherwise: "Or," as used throughout, is inclusive as if written "and / or," and singular items and nouns used throughout include their plurals, and vice versa. Similarly, gender-specific nouns include the corresponding nouns, and therefore should not be understood as limiting anything described herein to use, implementation, or performance by a single gender. "Exemplary" should be understood as "illustrative" or "exemplifying," and not necessarily as "preferred" over other embodiments. Additional definitions of terms may be provided herein. These may also apply to preceding or following instances of these terms, as will be understood from reading this description.

[0012] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, devices, and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, system and device components may be integrated or separated. Also, the operations of the systems and devices disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components, and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order. As used herein, "each" refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

[0013] Reference is made to FIG. 1, which illustrates an inflatable article 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The inflatable article 10 includes an inflatable body 12 and a valve 14. The inflatable body 12 encloses a chamber 16 that contains air for pressurizing the inflatable body 12. The valve 14 is attached to the inflatable body 12 and includes a valve body 18, a one-way flap 20, and a cover 22. The valve body 18 (FIG. 2) defines a passageway 24 between the chamber 16 and an ambient environment 26, which is the environment outside the inflatable article 10. The passageway defines a passageway axis A, which is shown in FIG. 6.

[0014] 2, the valve body 18 defines an outer end 28 of the passageway 24 that opens to the ambient environment 26 and an inner end 30 of the passageway 24 that opens to the chamber 16. The valve body 18 also includes a shoulder 32 that is a sealing surface against which the one-way flap 20 can seal. The one-way flap 20 is movable between an open position (FIG. 3A) in which the one-way flap 20 allows fluid communication between the chamber 16 and the ambient environment 26 via the passageway 18, and a closed position (FIG. 3B) in which the one-way flap 20 seals against the shoulder 32, preventing fluid communication between the chamber 16 and the ambient environment 26 via the passageway 18.

[0015] The one-way flap 20 is biased to the closed position by a closing force F in at least some circumstances. The closing force F is the sum of all forces biasing the one-way flap 20 to the closed position. This includes one or more of the following forces: 1. air pressure P1 inside the chamber 16 that is higher than the air pressure P2 of the ambient environment 26; 2. the resilience of the one-way flap 20 itself, which biases the one-way flap 20 to the closed position; and 3. a separate biasing member, such as a spring, which biases the one-way flap 20 to the closed position. In the example shown, the one-way flap 20 is not biased to the closed position by a separate biasing member. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the one-way flap 20 lacks sufficient resilience to bias itself to the closed position. In other words, when the air pressure P1 in the chamber 16 is the same as the air pressure P2 in the ambient environment 26, the one-way flap 20 may be flexible enough to flex away from the closed position (i.e., flex away from the outer end 28 of the passageway 18). In the state shown in Figure 3B, the pressure differential across the one-way flap 20 holds it at least partially in the closed position, with the inner air pressure P1 being higher than the outer air pressure P2. Early in the inflation process for the inflatable 10, the closure force F biasing the one-way flap 20 toward the closed position may therefore be zero.

[0016] The closing force is selected to be low enough that the pressure differential between P1 and P2 causes the closing force F to be non-zero during at least a first portion of the inflation process, but low enough that it can be overcome by an airflow having a velocity of less than 48 m / s and a pressure of less than 1 atmosphere to move the one-way flap to the open position. This provides several significant advantages over prior art inflatable valves. One advantage is that the velocity is selected to allow a person to generate an airflow having the aforementioned 48 m / s velocity. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, a person can blow into the valve from a distance without forming a seal with their mouth around the valve 14 to generate an airflow having a velocity of at least 48 m / s. A person (referred to as a user and designated 34) is shown holding the inflatable 10 proximal to the valve 14 and blowing into the valve 14 from a distance (i.e., so that the user's mouth (designated 36) is spaced from the valve body 18). The airflow emanating directly from the mouth 36 of the user 34 is indicated by arrows 38 and is referred to as the initial airflow 38. It will be noted that air moving at a higher velocity than the surrounding air is at a lower pressure than the surrounding air. Thus, the pressure of the initial airflow 38 moving from the mouth 36 of the user 34 to the unidirectional flap 20 is at a pressure P3 that is lower than the pressure P2 of the air in the surrounding environment 26 (and therefore certainly lower than the pressure P1 inside the chamber 16). However, even though the pressure of the air moving from the mouth 36 of the user 34 to the unidirectional flap 20 is lower, the air is still moving at a sufficient velocity to overcome the closing force F on the unidirectional flap 20, thus causing the unidirectional flap 20 to open.

[0017] 4 , as noted above, the pressure P3 of the initial airflow 38 moving toward the unidirectional flap 20 is lower than the pressure P2 of the surrounding air in the ambient environment 26. As a result, air from the ambient environment 26 is drawn into the initial airflow 38, as represented by arrow 40. As a result, the incoming airflow, shown at 42, that enters the chamber 16 (FIG. 6) as a result of a blowing action by the user 34 is comprised partly of air from the user's lungs (i.e., the initial airflow 38) and partly of air drawn into the airflow 38. This means that the inflatable object 10 can be inflated using some air that did not come directly from the person's lungs. This greatly expedites the inflation process for the inflatable object 10.

[0018] The outer end 28 of the passageway 24 has a first cross-sectional area A1. A central region 34 of the passageway 24 interior to the outer end 28 has a second cross-sectional area A2. Optionally, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B , the outer end 28 is flared, such that the second cross-sectional area A2 is smaller than the first cross-sectional area A1. This has been found to increase the amount of air from the ambient environment 26 that is drawn into the airflow that engages and passes over the unidirectional flap 20 into the chamber 16 with each blow by a person. It is theorized that this may occur because the reduction in cross-sectional area of ​​the passageway 28 as it transitions from the outer end 28 to the unidirectional flap 20 causes an increase in the velocity of the airflow and a resulting decrease in the pressure of the airflow, thus allowing more air to be drawn from the ambient environment 26 than would occur without the flared outer end 28.

[0019] Referring to Figure 6, the valve body 18 optionally includes a plurality of support ribs 43 that extend into the passageway and support the unidirectional flap 20 against flexing toward the outer end 28. More specifically, the unidirectional flap 20 may be flexible enough to flex toward and away from the outer end 28 due to a pressure differential across the unidirectional flap 20. However, the plurality of support ribs 43 prevent flexing of the unidirectional flap 20 toward the outer end 28 to maintain a seal against the shoulder 32.

[0020] Each of the plurality of support ribs 43 has a first side 44 facing the outer end 28 of the passageway 24 and a second side 46 facing away from the outer end 28 of the passageway 24. As shown somewhat in FIG. 6 and more clearly in the variation shown in FIG. 7, each of the plurality of support ribs 43 may be tapered from the second side 46 to the first side 44, thereby reducing the pressure drop experienced by the incoming airflow 42 as it passes over the support rib 43.

[0021] As noted above, the one-way flap 20 may be a flexible polymer flap that is resilient and biased to a closed position, or that is flexible enough that equal pressure on the one-way flap 20 causes the one-way flap 20 to flex away from the outer edge 28. The one-way flap 20 may be made of a suitable material, such as silicone.

[0022] The one-way flap 20 may be connected to the valve body 18 in any suitable manner. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the one-way flap 20 is connected to the valve body 18 with a connecting structure 48 (best seen in Figure 6) centered about the passageway 24. The connecting structure 48 may include a one-way flap post 50 that passes through a central annular body 52 that connects the plurality of support ribs 43 to one another. The one-way flap post 50 may be friction-fit with the inner surface of the annular body, or may be more securely connected via adhesive or other suitable means.

[0023] An optional collar 56 is provided and extends between the inflation body 12 and the valve body 18. The collar 56 is movable between an extended position (FIGS. 3A, 3B, 5) in which the collar 56 holds the valve body 18 so that the outer end 28 of the passageway 24 projects outward from the inflation body 12, and a retracted position (FIG. 9) in which the collar 56 holds the valve body 18 so that the outer end 28 of the passageway 24 is positioned closer to the inflation body 12 than when the collar 56 is in the extended position. For example, when the collar 56 is in the retracted position, the outer end 28 may be generally flush with the inflation body 12. The collar 56 is resilient and stable in both the extended and retracted positions, and is optionally (but need not be) biased toward one of the extended and retracted positions when the collar 56 is positioned between the extended and retracted positions.

[0024] The collar 56 may be connected to the inflatable body 12 in any suitable manner, such as by heat welding or with a suitable adhesive.

[0025] Optionally, the valve body 18 includes a valve body main portion 18a and a reinforcing member 18b. The valve body main portion 18a is made of a first material having a first hardness. For example, the valve body 18a may be made of a polymer material that can be easily deformed manually by a human, such as flexible PVC. The valve body main portion 18a is continuous with the collar 56.

[0026] The reinforcing member 18b is made of a second material having a second hardness greater than the first hardness. The reinforcing member 18b may be made of a rigid polymeric material such as rigid PVC. The reinforcing member 18b is connected to the valve body main portion 18a to reinforce the valve body main portion 18a. The connection to the valve body main portion 18a is by any suitable means. For example, the reinforcing member 18b may include a connecting hole 58, and the valve body 18a may be overmolded to the connecting hole 58 or may include a preformed protrusion that mates with the connecting hole 58. In embodiments in which the valve body main portion 18a is not overmolded to the reinforcing member 18b, an adhesive may be used to securely hold the two elements together.

[0027] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, it can be seen that the inner end 30 of the passageway 24 has an inner edge 60 having a plurality of peaks 62 and valleys 64, with at least the peaks 62 extending further inward than the one-way flap 20. It has been found that the peaks 62 and valleys 64 facilitate movement of the one-way flap 20 to the closed position. More specifically, the valleys 64 facilitate the inflow of air into the chamber 16 even when the one-way flap 20 is only slightly open, while the peaks 62 help protect the one-way flap 20 from mechanical damage. Furthermore, because the inner edge 60 is formed in the reinforcing member 18b, it has been found to be more effective in protecting the one-way flap 20 from damage than if it were defined in the valve body main portion 18a, which is softer than the reinforcing member 18b. It will also be noted that even when the inner end 30 of the passage 24 abuts against the wall of the inflatable body 12 inside the chamber 16, the peaks 62 and valleys 64 open and close the one-way flap 20 to allow air to flow in (or out) of the chamber 16.

[0028] The portion of the valve body 18 that extends axially beyond the one-way flap 20 into the chamber 16 (when the one-way flap 20 is in the closed position) is referred to as the extended portion 66. Thus, the peaks 62 and valleys 64 and the inner edge 60 reside in the extended portion 66.

[0029] 14 shows an example where the inner end 30 of the passageway 24 directly abuts the wall of the inflatable body 12, designated 65. As can be seen, the extension 66 moves the one-way flap 20 to the open position, and the peaks 62 and valleys 64 cooperate to define a plurality of air holes 67 for the passage of air to (or from) the chamber 16 when the one-way flap 20 is in the open position (shown in FIG. 14).

[0030] Thus, the valve body 18 can be said to have an extension portion 66 having a plurality of protrusions 62 and valleys 64 that extend beyond the one-way flap 20 into the chamber 16 to allow air to flow into the chamber 16 when the inner end 30 of the passageway 24 engages with the wall 67 of the inflatable body 18 inside the chamber, and that define a plurality of air holes 67 to allow movement of the one-way flap 20 to an open position.

[0031] 9, cover 22 is removably attachable to outer end 28 of passageway 24 to form a cover seal against fluid communication between chamber 16 and the ambient environment 26. In embodiments where one-way flap 20 is sufficiently flexible to flex when subjected to equal pressure, the seal formed by cover 22 is the only seal keeping air in chamber 16. In embodiments where one-way flap 20 is sufficiently resilient or biased closed by an external spring or the like, the seal formed by cover 22 cooperates with the seal formed by one-way flap 20 to keep air in chamber 16.

[0032] When the user 34 wishes to inflate the chamber 16, they pull out the valve 14 and open the cover 22 so that the valve 14 is in the position shown in FIG. 2. The user 34 unfolds the inflatable body 12, preparing it to receive air. The user 34 then blows into the valve 14, as shown in FIG. 4, inflating the chamber 16 with air from the user's lungs and air from the surrounding environment 26. As air enters the chamber 16 and pressurizes it slightly, the pressure differential causes the one-way flap 20, if deflected, to move to its closed position. As the user 34 blows further, the chamber 16 is inflated with air as described above. Eventually, the pressure P2 in the chamber 16 becomes high enough that the velocity of the initial airflow 38 generated by the user 34 is not high enough to open the one-way flap 20. At this point, the chamber 16 contains a large amount of air and is very close to being full. The user 34 then forms a seal with their mouth 36 around the outer end 28 of the valve body 18 and blows into the chamber 16 using pressure from their lungs instead of using air velocity. Once the chamber 16 is full, the user 34 closes the cover 22 over the outer end 28 of the valve body 18 and presses the valve 14 inward so that the collar 56 moves to the retracted position. When it is desired to open and deflate the inflatable 10, the user 34 opens the cover 22 and, if necessary, mechanically presses the one-way flap 20 to break the seal with the shoulder 32. The user 34 can hold the one-way flap 20 in this open position throughout the entire time the chamber 16 is deflated. To assist the user in deflating the chamber 16, the cover 22 optionally includes a deflation protrusion 68 that protrudes from the remainder of the cover 22 sufficiently to allow the cover 22 to be inserted into the passageway 28 to the deflated position shown in Figure 10, which moves the one-way flap 20 to the open position to allow for the deflation of the inflatable 10. As shown in Figure 8, the valve 14 includes a plurality of deflation protrusions 68 arranged to allow for bypass of one of the support ribs 43 therebetween so that the deflation protrusions 68 can engage the one-way flap 20 on either side of one of the support ribs 43.

[0033] 11A and 11B, which illustrate an alternative embodiment of the valve 14. The one-way flap 20 is not shown in FIG. 11A but is shown in FIG. 11B. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the shoulder 32 is optionally in the form of a recess 70 so that the radially inner edge of the shoulder 32 (labeled 72) is closer to the outer end 28 of the passageway 24 than the radially outer edge of the shoulder 32, labeled 74. By forming the recess, the one-way flap 20 can more easily move between the open and closed positions and is more likely to form a good seal because the one-way flap 20 is always curved in a certain direction in both the open and closed positions. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the one-way flap 20 curves away from the outer end 28, i.e., in the direction that it curves during the transfer of air into the inflatable member 10.

[0034] 11A and 11B, the second side 46 of the support rib 43 cooperates with the shoulder 32 to form a recess 70. This ensures that the unidirectional flap 20 always remains curved away from the outer edge 28 by a certain amount.

[0035] 11A and 11B, it can be seen that the valve 14 lacks an extension portion 66. However, it will be noted that the valve 14 shown in Figures 11A and 11B may be provided with an extension portion.

[0036] Referring to Figure 12, in an alternative embodiment, the connecting structure 48 is not formed by a one-way flap strut disposed in the passageway 24, but instead is external to the radial edge of the passageway 24. As a result, the connecting structure 48 shown in Figure 12 does not significantly impede the flow of air into the chamber 16. In the embodiment shown, the connecting structure 48 includes a flap extension 76 that extends radially outward from the remainder of the one-way flap 20 and is clamped (grasped) between an edge surface 78 of the valve body main portion 18a and a clamping surface 80 of the reinforcing member 18b.

[0037] This configuration of Figure 12 may also be advantageous in that the unidirectional flap 20 is supported only as a cantilever at its outermost edge and is therefore free to flex over a length spanning the entire diameter. In contrast, the unidirectional flap 20 shown in Figure 3B, for example, is supported in the center and therefore flexes over half of this length. Thus, the unidirectional flap 20 of Figure 12 moves to the open position more easily than the unidirectional flap 20 shown in Figure 3B, thereby further reducing the minimum air velocity required to move the unidirectional flap 20 to the open position.

[0038] Reference is now made to Figures 13A and 13B, which illustrate another embodiment of valve 14. In the embodiment shown in Figures 13A and 13B, in contrast to the embodiment shown in Figures 3A and 3B, in which extension portion 66 extends only axially and does not have a radially extending portion, valve 14 includes extension portion 66 that includes axially extending portion 82 and radially extending portion 84. Axially extending portion 82 can be said to include peaks 62 and valleys 64 that define air holes 67. Radially extending portion 84 at least partially radially overlaps one-way flap 20, as can be seen in detail in Figure 13B. Axially extending portion 82 has the aforementioned advantages provided by extension portion 66 shown in Figures 3A and 3B. However, it is possible that a localized protrusion present on the wall 67 of the inflatable body 12 may penetrate the extension member 66 and obstruct the opening of the one-way flap 20 during use of the valve 14 (e.g., when the inflatable 10 is inflated), or may penetrate the extension portion 66 and damage the one-way flap 20. For example, if the wall 67 of the inflatable body 12 is folded over like a curtain, it will itself form such a protrusion. As another example, if the inflatable body 12 is placed in an uninflated state on ground that has a localized protrusion below the wall 67, the wall 67 will form a localized protrusion simply by sitting on the localized protrusion in the ground below. The radial extension portion 84 provides additional protection by preventing localized protrusions inside the chamber 16 from penetrating the extension portion 66 and obstructing or damaging the one-way flap 20.

[0039] While a speed of 48 m / sec is stated, this is not necessarily a strict limitation. Those skilled in the art will understand that the one-way flap 20 (in at least some embodiments) can be constructed so that it can be moved to an open position (i.e., opened) by a person blowing into it, without engaging a mouth with the valve body 18 to form a seal therewith.

[0040] Although specific advantages are listed above, various embodiments may include some, none, or all of the listed advantages.

[0041] Those skilled in the art will recognize that many more alternative implementations and modifications are possible, and that the above examples are merely illustrative of one or more implementations. Accordingly, the scope is limited only by the claims appended hereto and any amendments made thereto. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10. Inflatables 12 Expansion body 14 Valves 16 rooms 18 Valve body 18a Valve body main part 18b Reinforcement member 20 One-way flap 22 Cover 24 aisles 26 Surrounding environment 28 Outer edge 30 Inner end 32 Shoulder 34 users 36 mouths 38 Initial airflow 40 Air 42 Inflow airflow 43 Support rib 44 1st side 46 Second side 48 Connection structure 50 One-way flap support 52 Central Circumplex 56 Color 58 Connection hole 60 Inner edge 62 Top 64 Valley 65 Wall 66 Extending part 67 Wall / Air vent 68 Contraction protrusion 70 recess 72 radial inner edge 74 Radial outer edge 76 Flap extension 78 Edge 80 Clamping surface 82 Axial extension part 84 Radial extension part A Passage axis

Claims

1. An expansion product, an inflatable body enclosing a chamber for containing air to pressurize the inflatable body; A valve attached to the inflatable body, a valve body defining a passageway between the chamber and an ambient environment, the valve body having a shoulder defining an outer end of the passageway that opens to the ambient environment and an inner end of the passageway that opens to the chamber; a one-way flap movable between an open position in which the one-way flap allows fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment via the passageway and a closed position in which the one-way flap is sealed against the shoulder to prevent fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment via the passageway, the one-way flap being biased to the closed position by a closing force, the closing force being selected so as to be overcome by an airflow having a velocity of less than about 48 m / s and a pressure of less than 1 atmosphere to move the one-way flap to the open position; a cover removably attachable to the outer end portion to form a cover seal for fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment; a valve including: An inflatable object comprising:

2. 2. The inflatable article of claim 1, wherein the outer end has a first cross-sectional area and a central region interior to the outer end having a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area.

3. The inflatable article of claim 1 , wherein the one-way flap is connected to the valve body by a connecting structure in the center of the passageway.

4. 2. The inflatable article of claim 1, wherein the one-way flap is connected to the valve body by a connecting structure that is external to the radial edge of the passage.

5. 2. The inflatable article of claim 1, wherein the valve body includes a plurality of support ribs extending into the passageway to support the one-way flap against bending toward the outer end, the one-way flap being flexible enough to bend toward and away from the outer end due to a pressure differential across the one-way flap, but prevented from bending toward the outer end by the plurality of support ribs to maintain a seal against the shoulder.

6. 6. The inflatable article of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of support ribs has a first side facing the outer end of the passageway and a second side facing away from the outer end of the passageway, and each of the plurality of support ribs tapers from the second side toward the first side.

7. 2. The inflatable article of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a contraction projection that projects from the remainder of the cover sufficiently to insert the cover into the passageway to a contracted position where the contraction projection moves the one-way flap to the open position to allow the inflatable article to contract.

8. a collar extending between the inflation body and the valve body, the collar being movable between an extended position in which the collar holds the valve body so that the outer end of the passageway projects outward from the inflation body, and a retracted position in which the collar holds the valve body so that the outer end of the passageway is positioned closer to the inflation body than when the collar is in the extended position; the collar is resilient and stable in both the extended position and the retracted position, and is biased toward one of the extended position and the retracted position when the collar is disposed between the extended position and the retracted position; The expandable material according to claim 1.

9. 9. The inflatable article of claim 8, wherein the valve body includes a valve body main portion made of a first material having a first hardness, the valve body main portion adjacent the collar, and the valve body further includes a reinforcing member made of a second material having a second hardness higher than the first hardness, the reinforcing member being connected to the valve body main portion to reinforce the valve body main portion.

10. 10. The inflatable article of claim 9, wherein the one-way flap is gripped between a first gripping surface of the valve body main portion and a second gripping surface of the reinforcing member.

11. 2. The inflatable article of claim 1, wherein the valve body has an extension portion extending beyond the one-way flap into the chamber and having a plurality of protrusions and valleys defining a plurality of air holes to allow movement of the one-way flap to the open position to admit air into the chamber when the inner end of the passage is engaged with a wall of the inflatable body inside the chamber.

12. 2. The inflatable of claim 1, wherein the one-way flap is flexible enough that equal pressure across the one-way flap causes the one-way flap to flex away from the outer end.

13. 13. The inflatable article of claim 12, wherein the extending portion includes an axially extending portion that includes the peaks and valleys, and further includes a radially extending portion that at least partially radially overlaps the unidirectional flap.

14. 2. The inflatable article of claim 1, wherein the shoulder is in the form of a recess such that a radially inner edge of the shoulder is closer to the outer end of the passage than a radially outer edge of the shoulder.

15. An expansion product, an inflatable body enclosing a chamber for receiving air to pressurize the inflatable body; A valve attached to the inflatable body, a valve body defining a passageway between the chamber and an ambient environment, the valve body having a shoulder; a one-way flap movable between an open position in which the one-way flap allows fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment via the passageway and a closed position in which the one-way flap seals against the shoulder to prevent fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment via the passageway, the one-way flap being biased to the closed position by a closing force; a cover removably attachable to the outer end portion to form a cover seal against fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment, the cover including a contraction projection projecting away from other portions of the cover sufficiently to allow the cover to be inserted into the passageway to a contracted position where the contraction projection moves the one-way flap to the open position to allow the inflatable object to contract; a valve including: An inflatable object comprising:

16. 16. The inflatable article of claim 15, wherein the valve body includes a plurality of support ribs extending into the passageway to support the one-way flap against bending toward the outer end, the one-way flap being flexible enough to bend toward and away from the outer end due to a pressure differential across the one-way flap, but the plurality of support ribs prevent bending toward the outer end to maintain a seal against the shoulder.

17. 17. The inflatable article of claim 16, wherein the contraction protrusion is a first of a plurality of contraction protrusions arranged to allow avoidance of one of the support ribs therebetween, and wherein the plurality of contraction protrusions are mateable with the one-way flaps on either side of one of the support ribs.

18. 18. The inflatable article of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of support ribs has a first side facing the outer end of the passageway and a second side facing away from the outer end of the passageway, and each of the plurality of support ribs tapers from the second side toward the first side.

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