Transporting large amounts of cargo in trucks, railroad cars, and ships is an economical way of moving goods from one location to another. The cargo is often stored in large compartments. Unfortunately, the normal movement of the trucks, railroad cars, and ships can shift the cargo during transport and damage the goods being moved. To solve this problem large dunnage or cargo bags filled with air are inserted between the goods or the containers holding the goods to prevent movement or shifting during transport. The dunnage bags are typically installed empty into the empty spaces between the goods or containers and then filled with air using a foot pump, hand pump, or compressor. After the goods arrive at the intended destination the air needs to be removed from the dunnage bags to allow the goods or containers to be removed. Typically the dunnage bags are punctured to remove the air or the air is evacuated from the dunnage bag using a vacuum device.
Puncturing the dunnage bag to evacuate the air can be difficult in the often limited space available and can take considerable time. Puncturing the dunnage bag also renders the bag as a single use dunnage bag and increases the cost of transportation.
Typically reusable dunnage bags are used. To decrease the time to deflate the dunnage bag a vacuum device is often used. The valves for such use are known in the trade. Examples of available valves include the typical one-way valve flap as used in inflatable toys. To deflate a dunnage bag with such a valve requires the valve be deformed or completely removed to allow the air to escape. Both types are problematic. The deformable valve needs to remain deformed to allow complete evacuation of air. The removable valve may be lost or difficult to reattach.
The invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,823,905 ('905 patent) attempts to solve the valve problems associated with the deformable valve and the removable valve. The '905 patent discloses a flapper valve attached to the dunnage bag. The flapper valve is biased closed and then is pushed open with a finger or the compressor nozzle. The nozzle may then be inserted into the dunnage bag and air introduced to inflate the bag. As the air pressure in the bag increases it will close the flapper valve and hold it shut to prevent the air from escaping from the dunnage bag. When the bag needs to be deflated the flapper valve must be forced open with a finger or other object to allow the air to escape or be removed. A major drawback of the flapper valve is that the flap does not allow the opening to be fully open and it extends into the dunnage bag to allow the bag to be inflated and deflated impedes the flow of air into and out of the bag increasing the time for inflation and deflation.
Therefore, what is needed is a dunnage bag valve that allows unimpeded air flow into and out of the bag to decrease the time needed to inflate and deflate the bag.
One embodiment of the invention is an inflation valve assembly having a longitudinally extending conduit, a cap, a normally closed elastic double-duckbill valve, and a hollow nozzle insert. The longitudinally extending conduit has a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end. The cap is configured and arranged for removable attachment to the first longitudinal end of the conduit. The normally closed elastic double-duckbill valve sealingly engages within the conduit with intersecting radially elongated slits extending longitudinally there through. The hollow nozzle insert is configured and arranged for longitudinal insertion into the conduit through the first longitudinal end for separating both slits and opening the double-duckbill valve so long as the nozzle insert remains inserted within the conduit.
As shown in
The conduit 20 may be made from any suitable material such as metal or plastic. The most preferred material is polyethylene. The conduit 20 may have nay suitable circumference shape such as an oval, polygon, or circle. The preferred shape is circular.
As shown in
As shown in
The double-duckbill valve 40 may be made from any suitable material such as rubber or elastic plastic. The most preferred material is a thermal plastic elastimer.
As shown in
As shown in
Preferably the positioning flange 51 on the nozzle insert 50 is attached to the outer surface 52 between the first longitudinal X end 53 and second longitudinal X end 54 such that when inserted into the conduit 20 the double-duckbill valve 40 first and second slits 46, 47 are fully open and the second longitudinal X end 54 of the nozzle insert 50 does not extend past the second longitudinal X end 54 of the nozzle insert 50 to prevent the second longitudinal X end 54 of the nozzle insert 50 from coming into contact with the dunnage bag. Preventing contact between the nozzle insert 50 and the dunnage bag may improve maximum air flow through the nozzle insert 50 into and out of the dunnage bag.
Dunnage bags (not shown) are known in the industry as a common means to stabilize cargo during transportation. The deflated dunnage bags are inserted between stacks of boxes or between pieces of merchandise or equipment. The dunnage bag needs to be inserted so as to allow access to the inflation valve assembly 10. Once the dunnage bag is in place the lid 33 of the cap 30 on the inflation valve assembly 10 may be removed from the first longitudinal X end 21 of the conduit 20 to allow access to the conduit 20.
The hollow nozzle insert 50 may then be inserted through the first longitudinal X end 21 of the conduit 20 and through the elongated first and second slits 46, 47 of the double-duckbill valve 40 until the positioning flange 51 is supported by the first longitudinal X end 21 of the conduit 20. Insertion into the conduit 20 directs the second end of the nozzle insert 50 into the first hollow duckbill structure 41 and the second duckbill structure 42 to push the first set of inclined walls 41a and the second set of inclined walls 42a laterally outward as shown in
Once the nozzle insert 50 is fully inserted into the conduit 20 and the valve 40, a pressurized air source may be attached to the first longitudinal X end 53 of the nozzle insert 50. The nozzle insert 50 may also be attached to the pressurized air source prior to insertion into the conduit 20. Pressurized air may then be forced into the dunnage bag through the nozzle insert 50 and the double-duckbill valve 40. Once the dunnage bag is inflated to the desired firmness, the nozzle insert 50 may be removed from the conduit 20 and the double duckbill valve 40. As the second end of the nozzle insert 50 is withdrawn from the conduit 20 and the valve 40, the elastic double-duckbill valve 40 returns to its normally closed position. The closed double-duckbill valve 40 may prevent air from leaving the dunnage bag.
The lid 33 on the cap 30 may then be attached to the first end of the longitudinal X end of the conduit 20 to seal the inflation valve assembly 10 incase there is leakage from the double-duckbill valve 40 and prevent escape of the pressurized air in the dunnage bag through the conduit 20 and valve 40.
Once the cargo arrives at the desired destination the dunnage bag may need to be deflated to allow the boxes or merchandise to be removed. The lid 33 may then be removed from the conduit 20. The nozzle insert 50 may then be reinserted into the conduit 20 and valve 40 to fully open the valve 40. The pressurized air may be allowed to escape on its own or a vacuum source may be attached to the first end of the nozzle insert 50 to evacuate the air from the dunnage bag in a more expedited manner. Once the air is removed, the lid 33 may again be attached to the conduit 20 to prevent debris from entering the dunnage bag until the bag needs used again.