Patent ID: 6668879
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: A63B,G01L,Y10T

Abstract:
An inflatable bladder comprising:a bladder peripheral wall that confines an air chamber therein and that is formed with an opening; a tubular sleeve member inserted into said air chamber via said opening and having a sleeve peripheral wall that has opposite open top and bottom ends and that confines a first channel extending from said top end to said bottom end and in fluid communication with said air chamber and said opening, said top end being mounted on said bladder peripheral wall; a pressure measuring unit including a tubular indicator and a first urging member, said indicator being mounted movably in said first channel and having an indicator peripheral wall surrounded by said sleeve peripheral wall and marked with indicia for indicating pressure in said air chamber, said first urging member being disposed between said sleeve peripheral wall and said indicator peripheral wall, said indicator being constantly pushed by the pressure in said air chamber so as to move axially and outwardly of said first channel against biasing action of said first urging member, which, in turn, results in displacement of said first urging member in an amount corresponding to the pressure in said air chamber and indicated by the indicia exposed from said open in said bladder peripheral wall; and a first locking member which is disposed between said sleeve peripheral wall and said indicator peripheral wall and which is operable between a first locking position, in which, said first locking member releasably engages said indicator so as to prevent axial movement of said indicator in said first channel, and a first unlocking position, in which, said first locking member is disengaged from said indicator so as to permit axial movement of said indicator by virtue of the pressure in said air chamber, wherein said indicator peripheral wall confines a second channel, said inflatable bladder further comprising an elastomieric first inflation valve that is mounted in and that divides said second channel into an upper section and a lower section which is in fluid communication with said air chamber, and that is formed with a first slit which is capable of self-closing, said inflatable bladder further comprising an inflation needle that is mounted in said upper section of said second channel, that is movable together with said indicator relative to said sleeve member, and that has a needle peripheral wall surrounded by said indicator peripheral wall and confining a first needle chamber which is in fluid communication with the atmosphere, and a second urging member disposed between said indicator peripheral wall and said needle peripheral wall, said inflation needle being operable via an external force to move inwardly of said inflatable bladder relative to said indicator against biasing action of said second urging member from an upper position to a lower position, in which, said inflation needle extends into and through said first slit so as to permit fluid communication between said air chamber and said first needle chamber via said lower section of said second channel, said second urging member urging said inflation needle to return to the upper position when said inflation needle is relieved from the external force.