Patent ID: 6357949
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: B43M

Abstract:
A pressure-responsive valve for selectively passing therethrough a fluid in response to pressure applied to the valve, comprising:a first layer formed of a resiliently-deformable non-porous material and having a plurality of normally-closed slits defined in and through the non-porous material layer as valve openings through which fluid is operatively passable, said slits being configured so that an application of material-deforming pressure to the non-porous material causes the slits to operatively open for passing fluid through the open slits, and a cessation of the application of material-deforming pressure to the non-porous material causes the slits to close under a resilient return urgency of the non-porous material to prevent passage of fluid through the slits; and a second layer coextensively overlying and bonded to the non-porous material first layer throughout all of the coextensively overlying second layer to form with said first layer an integral fluid-release valve, said second layer being formed of a deformable porous material for receiving in the porous material second layer fluid passed through the slits of the non-porous material first layer when material-deforming pressure is applied to the non-porous material to open the slits.