Patent Application
20230265975
In general, the present invention relates to a portable pressurized gas cylinder, and in particular to a handle assembly for a portable pressurized gas cylinder.
A pressure tank containing a pressurized gas, a shutoff valve, and a tilt valve can be used for filling balloons. The tank is used to store a gas under a pressure, and the tank, the shutoff valve, and the tilt valve are placed in fluid communication with one another. The gas passes from the tank, through the shut off valve, through the tilt valve, and into the balloon in an effort to establish pressure equilibrium.
The pressure tank and the shutoff valve can be of unitary construction. The shutoff valve generally provides a measure of safety that ensures that the pressurized gas inside the tank does not leak out unwantedly or is not dispensed inadvertently or accidentally. For example, the shutoff valve is typically closed to prevent the loss of gas when the device is being stored or transported or when the device is not being used to fill balloons.
The tilt valve is placed in fluid communication with the shutoff valve by threading the tilt valve onto a mating threaded outlet port of the shutoff valve, the shutoff valve and the tilt valve having corresponding male and female threads, respectively. To fill a balloon, a consumer opens the shutoff valve, slides the neck of the balloon over the end of the tilt valve and presses against the side of the tilt valve, opening the tilt valve, transferring a portion of the pressurized gas stored in the pressure tank into the balloon to expand the balloon.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, a handle assembly for a cylinder is provided. The handle assembly includes a handle support configured to couple to a valve of the cylinder, the handle support including a body having first and second ends circumferentially spaced from one another to define a gap and a longitudinal passage opening to a top and bottom of the body for receiving the valve, and first and second deflectable arms projecting from the body, and a handle rotatably coupled to the handle support, the handle including a top portion, first and second side portions, and an attachment member coupled to the first and second deflectable arms of the handle.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present application, a portable cylinder for filling a balloon is provided. The portable cylinder includes a tank having a valve port, a valve coupled to the valve port, the valve including a handle and an outlet port, a nozzle coupled to the outlet port, the nozzle configured to receive the balloon, and a handle assembly including a handle support coupled to the valve and a handle coupled to the handle support.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present application, a handle assembly for a cylinder is provided. The handle assembly includes a handle support configured to couple to a valve of the cylinder, the handle support including a body having first and second ends circumferentially spaced from one another to define a gap and a longitudinal passage opening to a top and bottom of the body for receiving the valve, and first and second deflectable arms projecting from the body, each deflectable arm including an inner arm member and an outer arm member laterally spaced from one another, and each inner and outer arm member including a slot opening to a bottom of the handle support, and a handle rotatably coupled to the handle support, the handle including a grip area and an attachment member including a plurality of laterally spaced projections projecting radially outwardly from the attachment member and a spacer on each side of each of the plurality of projections, each spacer being received in one of the slots via a snap connection to couple the attachment member to the handle.
These and other objects of this application will be evident when viewed in light of the drawings, detailed description and appended claims.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein:
Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and apparatuses that relate to a portable cylinder for filling a balloon. The portable cylinder includes a tank having a valve port, a valve coupled to the valve port, the valve including a handle and an outlet port, a nozzle coupled to the outlet port, the nozzle configured to receive the balloon, and a handle assembly including a handle support coupled to the valve and a handle coupled to the handle support. The handle assembly includes a handle support configured to couple to a valve of the cylinder, the handle support including a body having first and second ends circumferentially spaced from one another to define a gap and a longitudinal passage opening to a top and bottom of the body for receiving the valve, and first and second deflectable arms projecting from the body, and a handle rotatably coupled to the handle support, the handle including a top portion, first and second side portions, and an attachment member coupled to the first and second deflectable arms of the handle.
With reference to the drawings, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views. However, the inclusion of like elements in different views does not mean a given embodiment necessarily includes such elements or that all embodiments of the invention include such elements. The examples and figures are illustrative only and not meant to limit the invention, which is measured by the scope and spirit of the claims.
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Referring now to the attachment member 60 in detail, the attachment member 60 is substantially cylindrical in shape and includes at least one projection, and as shown a plurality of projections, such as first, second, and third projections 70, 72, and 74 projecting radially outwardly from the attachment member 60 along its length. The projections 70, 72, and 74 are laterally spaced from the inner surfaces 62 and 64 of the body 50 of the handle 42 and laterally spaced from one another. As shown, the projections 70, 72, and 74 have substantially the same diameter but it will be appreciated that the projections could be designed with varying diameters. For example, the second projection 72 may be designed with a diameter larger or smaller than the diameter of the first and third projections 70 and 74.
The first projection 70 may be spaced from the inner surface 62 of the body 50 by a first spacer 76 of the attachment member 60 and from the second projection 72 by a second spacer 78, and the third projection 74 may be spaced from second projection 72 by a third spacer 80 and from the inner surface 64 of the body 50 by a fourth spacer 82. The first and third projections 70 and 74 have substantially the same thickness as one another in a direction extending between the inner surfaces 62 and 64, and the projection 72 has a thickness that is greater than the thicknesses of the first and third projections 70 and 74. Similarly, the first and fourth spacers 76 and 82 have substantially the same thickness as one another in the direction extending between the inner surfaces 62 and 64, and the second and third spacers 78 and 80 have a thickness that is substantially the same as one another and that is greater than the thicknesses of the first and fourth spacers 76 and 82. The first, second, and third projections 70, 72, and 74 and the first, second, third, and fourth spacers 76, 78, 80, and 82 may have a substantially cylindrical shape to allow for rotation of the handle 42 relative to the handle support 40.
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The handle support 40 also includes first and second deflectable arms 110 and 112 projecting rearward from the body 92 at the first and second ends 94 and 96, the first and second deflectable arms 110 and 112 being laterally spaced from one another at the gap 98. The first and second deflectable arms 110 and 112 are substantially J-shaped with a vertical portion extending in a direction along the longitudinal axis and a curved portion projection rearward of the vertical portion. The first deflectable arm 110 includes an inner arm member 114 projecting rearward from the first end 94 and an outer arm member 116 laterally outwardly spaced from the inner arm member 114, and the second deflectable arm 112 includes an inner arm member 118 projecting rearward from the second end 96 and an outer arm member 120 laterally outwardly spaced from the inner arm member 118. The outer arm members 116 and 120 each include a slot 122, 128 opening to a bottom of the respective arm member 116, 120 for receiving the first spacer 76 and fourth spacer 82 respectively. Similarly, the inner arm members 114 and 118 each include a slot 124, 126 opening to a bottom of the respective arm member 114, 118 for receiving the second spacer 78 and third spacer 80 respectively. The slots 122, 124, 126, and 128 are aligned with one another in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal passage, and each slot 122, 124, 126, and 128 has a substantially circular portion for receiving the first, second, third, and fourth spacers 76, 78, 80, and 82 respectively and a substantially square portion extending therefrom defining an opening 130, 132, 134, and 136 of each slot 122, 124, 126, and 128. The opening 130, 132, 134, and 136 of each slot 122, 124, 126, and 128 is smaller than the diameter of the circular portion of the slots 122, 124, 126, and 128 to hold the first, second, third, and fourth spacers 76, 78, 80, and 82 in the respective slot via a snap connection.
The inner and outer arm members 114 and 116 define therebetween a cavity 140 positioned above the slots 122 and 124 for receiving the projection 70 of the attachment member 60, and the inner and outer arm members 118 and 120 define therebetween a cavity 142 positioned above the slots 126 and 128 for receiving the projection 74 of the attachment member 60. The projection 72 is received in an area between the inner arm members 114 and 118 and configured to abut the sides of the inner arm members 114 and 118. The positioning of the projections 70 and 74 in the cavities 140 and 142, the positioning of the projection 72 between the inner arm members 114 and 118, and the positioning of the inner surfaces 62 and 64 abutting outer surfaces of the outer arm members 116 and 120 prevents lateral movement of the handle 42 relative to the handle support 40. In an embodiment, the projections 70 and 74 can snap into the respective cavities 140 and 142 to provide extra attachment of the handle 42 to the handle support 40.
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It will be appreciated that the tilt nozzle 28 may be attached to the outlet 24 via the threaded connection at any suitable time. For example, the tilt nozzle 28 may be attached to the outlet 24 after the handle support 40 has been coupled to the shutoff valve 22 or after the handle 42 has been coupled to the handle support 40. The tilt nozzle 28 prevents removal of the handle support 40 from the shutoff valve 22.
The aforementioned systems, components, (e.g., tank, handle, among others), and the like have been described with respect to interaction between several components and/or elements. It should be appreciated that such devices and elements can include those elements or sub-elements specified therein, some of the specified elements or sub-elements, and/or additional elements. Further yet, one or more elements and/or sub-elements may be combined into a single component to provide aggregate functionality. The elements may also interact with one or more other elements not specifically described herein.
While the embodiments discussed herein have been related to the apparatus, systems and methods discussed above, these embodiments are intended to be exemplary and are not intended to limit the applicability of these embodiments to only those discussions set forth herein.
The above examples are merely illustrative of several possible embodiments of various aspects of the present invention, wherein equivalent alterations and/or modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, systems, circuits, and the like), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component, such as hardware, software, or combinations thereof, which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated implementations of the invention. In addition although a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Also, to the extent that the terms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used in the detailed description and/or in the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that are not different from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
In the specification and claims, reference will be made to a number of terms that have the following meanings. The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify a quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term such as “about” is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Moreover, unless specifically stated otherwise, a use of the terms “first,” “second,” etc., do not denote an order or importance, but rather the terms “first,” “second,” etc., are used to distinguish one element from another.
As used herein, the terms “may” and “may be” indicate a possibility of an occurrence within a set of circumstances; a possession of a specified property, characteristic or function; and/or qualify another verb by expressing one or more of an ability, capability, or possibility associated with the qualified verb. Accordingly, usage of “may” and “may be” indicates that a modified term is apparently appropriate, capable, or suitable for an indicated capacity, function, or usage, while taking into account that in some circumstances the modified term may sometimes not be appropriate, capable, or suitable. For example, in some circumstances an event or capacity can be expected, while in other circumstances the event or capacity cannot occur—this distinction is captured by the terms “may” and “may be.”
The best mode for carrying out the invention has been described for purposes of illustrating the best mode known to the applicant at the time and enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, including making and using devices or systems and performing incorporated methods. The examples are illustrative only and not meant to limit the invention, as measured by the scope and merit of the claims. The invention has been described with reference to preferred and alternate embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of the specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differentiate from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
