Patent Application
20250082113
The invention is directed generally to the field of aligning and positively locating respective inner and outer portions of a two or more-piece inflatable structure. More specifically, the invention is directed to the field of sporting inflatables wherein an outer resilient enveloping cover, typically made of a treated woven fabric or cloth vinyl, surrounds, and contains an inflatable bladder having inflation cuff(s) and one or more gas valves associated therewith.
In many sporting and leisure settings, an inflatable structure is often present. It could be an article like a mattress, or structure, i.e., bouncy house, or kiddie pool, etc. In the instance of watersports, the structure may be a floating island, a paddleboard or seat, a tube for floating or for towing behind another watercraft.
Regardless of what the inflatable item is or how it is used, where the structure is made of two or more pieces, wherein an outer envelope loosely contains an inner gas valve equipped bladder, a problem arises when the inner bladder and the outer envelope/cover begin to misalign vis-à-vis the valve and cover through-passage to access that valve, and with regard to the overall cooperating and complementary respective shapes of the inner bladder and outer cover/envelope. When first used, the bladder and cover may approximately align owing to the manufacturing technique and packing requirements of the shipped and packed object. But, once inflated and put to use, the jostling between the respective inner bladder and outer cover shapes and the provision of a soaking water and tugging and towing forces can stretch the outer cover and make it lengthen in some or all directions, whereupon the inner bladder shifts as it maintains a more consistent size and is liberated from the friction between the bladder and cover that keeps it in a constant position. Initially, when the looseness becomes apparent, further bladder inflation may be necessary. This can often result in a frustrating search for the gas valve associated with the bladder which is no longer in alignment with the passageway provided in the cover to access that valve. This misalignment can be minor, i.e., a few inches, or it can be that an inner tubular shape has literally moved 180 degrees around the inside of the cover and is wholly inaccessible and appears to have gone missing altogether.
The issue of misalignment is only compounded when the device is deflated following use and stored. This can be for a few hours, overnight, or until next season. But where the inner bladder recedes from the outer cover, often slumping inside the outer cover, the actual location of the bladder gas valve becomes an intriguing mystery. If the access hole through the cover is fairly small, the process of trying to realign the respective bladder and cover only worsens inasmuch as shaking and tossing and external manipulation of the cover is the only technique for trying to discover the inflation valve for the bladder. This can take an unknowable amount of time, and if many inflatable objects are being used, a great amount of delay and frustration can result. In addition, even if the valve is located, the resulting orientation of the bladder vis-à-vis the outer cover may be completely wrong resulting in further inflation frustration.
The present invention is a system and method for maintaining alignment between an inner bladder and an outer cover of an inflatable object. The invention is either an originally installed or aftermarket installed patch system of VELCRO, or other hook and loop fabric fastener or mechanical fastener wherein, respectively, opposed fastener equipped patches of material are attached to the facing surfaces of the outer cover and inner bladder such that the inner surface of the outer cover and the outer surface of the bladder maintain alignment by virtue of the respective opposed fastener equipped patches maintaining interlocking contact. This fastened attachment between the respectively aligned patches is maintained regardless of inflation or use or storage of the inflatable object. The number and location of the alignment patches is dependent upon the size and respective shapes of the inner bladder and outer cover. A single patch or a pair of patches near the air valve cuff is at least required for satisfactory alignment. Generally, smaller objects will require fewer patches, larger objects will require more and objects with multiple compartments and separate bladders will require patch kits for each respective bladder and cover shape. And, often-times, a flexibly connected patch positioned well away from the air valve cuff helps make larger bladder and outer cover combinations more easily inflated without creating wrinkles and creases in the inflatable once appropriate inflation has been achieved.
The system and inflatable object each include an inflatable inner bladder, having an inflation cuff including a gas valve. An outer cover envelops and surrounds the bladder and has a through passage for aligning with and enabling access to the inflation cuff. A first patch of a fastener is attached to an outer surface of the inner bladder proximate the cuff structure associated with the inner bladder. A second patch, including a complementary cooperating fastener to the first patch fastener, is attached to the inner surface of the outer cover opposite to the position of the first patch when the inner bladder is positioned within the outer cover. With the respective patches so positioned, when the inflatable object is inflated, the first and second patches make contact owing to rising pressure within the inner bladder and establish a positive alignment between the first and second patches. Thus, when the object is thereafter deflated, for storage, cleaning, etc., the inner bladder and outer cover maintain a positive attachment and alignment by virtue of the ongoing connection between the first and second patches. When re-inflated thereafter, the inner bladder and outer cover align, the inflation cuff is duly accessible, and wrinkle and crease free rapid inflation is enabled.
With reference to the drawing Figs. The inflatable object 10 includes an outer cover 12 enveloping an inner inflatable bladder 40. The cover 12 is typically made of a sturdy nylon cloth that has been treated to resist water. The inner bladder 40 can be rubber or PVC or other inflatable rubberized fabric that can reliably contain air. Respective patches of hook and loop fastener (i.e., VELCRO) 14 and 16 are glued and/or sewn 18 and 20 or heated sealed 30 to the opposing aligned surfaces of the inner surface of the outer cover 12 and the outer surface of the inner bladder 40. Once the respective patches of hook and loop fasteners overlap and make firm contact one with the other following initial inflation of the object 10, thereafter the inner bladder 40 and the fabric cover 12 are kept in approximate alignment.
The primary object of the patch system 14 and 16 is to maintain sufficient alignment between the inner bladder 40 and outer cover 12 such that the cover access hole 13 to the air valve cuff structure 15 for the bladder are kept in position such that rapid and easy access to the air valve 50 within the air valve cuff structure 15 is assured regardless of the inflation status of the inner bladder 40. In this way, once use of the inflatable commences following inflation, if outer cover stretching occurs and a looseness develop between the cover 12 and the bladder 40, further inflation can be easily accomplished through the access hole 13 to air valve 50.
For small personal size inflatables, a single patch or pair of patches proximate the near periphery of cuff structure 15 and the nearby overlying perimeter of outer cover 12 will be necessary for consistent alignment and access to air gas valve 50. However, in inflatable objects 10 of a larger size, intended for vigorous use as a tow behind or jumping platform, etc., more patches and points of association between the inner bladder and outer cover may be desirable. The precise location of each will be dependent on the overall object 10 shape and extent. Shown in
The respective patches can be attached to the surfaces of the bladder and inner cover by sewing, gluing, sonic welding, heat sealing, buttons, snaps, rivets, eyelets, or straps that can be tied to the patches. The patches themselves are preferably fabric hook and loop type fasteners, but can themselves also be snaps, ties, bungy ties and small diameter rope lengths. It is also advantageous that the respective patches 14 and 16 be sized such that only a partial overlap is sufficient to maintain alignment. In this way, as outer covers change shape with use and wear and when bladders are removed and repaired, that adjustment of position between the outer cover and inner bladder may be made without the necessity of placing a new patch or removing an old one. Rather, there is enough remaining overlap between the patches 14 and 16 to accommodate reasonable repositioning of either the bladder 40 or cover 12 one with respect to the other while still maintaining aligned shapes and gas valve access.
Of course, not all inflatable objects having separate outer cover 12 and inner bladder 40 features will come equipped with these respective positive locating patches 14 and 16. Hence, a method of attaching and locating the patches on the respective inflatable elements 12 and 40, in an original or after-market sense, would include the following steps. Obtaining an inner bladder 40 for an inflatable 10 that is equipped with a cuff structure 15 including an inflation gas valve. Attaching a positive location patch 14/16 to the outer surface of the bladder 40 proximate the cuff structure 15. Securing a cooperating patch 14/16, to the patch attached to the bladder, to an inner surface of the outer cover proximate a through passage for the inflation cuff 15. The cooperating patch is to be located in an opposed position to the first patch located on the bladder when the respective through passage 13 and the cuff structure 15 are aligned. Thereafter, when inflating the bladder 40 to force contact between the outer surface of the bladder and inner surface of the cover 12, and contact between the first and second patches 14/16, the respective patches become attached and maintain that attachment when the inflatable 10 is thereafter deflated. Additional patches and positive locators can be attached elsewhere within the outer cover 12 and onto bladder 40. These additional locations are also advantageously “flexible connection points”.
This application claims the benefit of prior filed U.S. provisional application 63/513,511, filed Jul. 13, 2023, which is herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63513511 | Jul 2023 | US |
