Abstract:
An inflator manifold made of all sealable plastic with a screw in valve inserted therein and an outer top end sealed shut. The all plastic construction enables the manifold to be more salt water resistant over long periods of time as compared to prior manifolds. A metal sleeve, which can be secured by placing metal in the molding or by other securing methods to the stem of the manifold, can be provided to strengthen the metal to metal clip in a quick release version.

Description:
[0001]     The present application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Application Serial No. 60/702,923, filed Jul. 27, 2005 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to inflator manifolds and more particularly to a unibody single mold inflator manifold used with an inflatable article.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Prior art manifold designs use two or more molds including a metal or copper stem and means to secure them together. Other designs chose to be backwards compatible with the size of older inflators on the market and thus also require a “D” shaped stem.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention provides an inflator manifold preferably made of all sealable plastic and having a screw-in valve inserted therein prior to sealing an outer end of the manifold through an inserted plug. The preferred all plastic construction enables the manifold to be more salt water resistant over long periods of time, as compared to prior metal or copper manifolds. A metal sleeve can be secured to the stem of the manifold by placing metal in molding or other securing method in order to increase the strength of a metal clip connection to the manifold in a quick release embodiment. The addition of a metal sleeve helps to prevent the metal clip from wearing down or otherwise harming the stem portion of the single molded plastic inflator manifold. The present invention inflator manifold offers more drowning protection to the user by allowing them more options on their inflation means, maintenance and assembly of the end product. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view the inflator manifold in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a side view of an end plug in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  constitutes several views of a clip which is removably attachachable to the inflator manifold of Figure in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  constitutes several full and sectional views of the single mold body member for the inflator manifold of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  illustrates a sectional view showing an inflator properly secured to the inflator manifold of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     As seen in the drawings, a single mold manifold body is shown and generally designated as manifold  10 . Manifold  10  includes a body member  12  having a first end  14 , second end  16  and a stem portion  13 . A first main passageway  17  extends through said body member  12  from first end  14  to second end  16 . A gas inlet opening  22  is provided on stem portion  13  and is in communication with passageway  17 . A first o-ring groove  24  and a second o-ring groove  26  are disposed on the external surface of stem portion  13 , with first o-ring groove  24  disposed on one side of gas inlet opening  22  and second o-ring groove  26  is disposed on opposite side opening  22 . Stem portion  13  of manifold body  12  is preferably tubular (round) or substantially tubular (round) in shape and includes a preferably annular flange  18  for welding manifold  10  to an inflatable article. A mating portion of main passageway  17  can be threaded for attachment of a valve, such as but not limited to, a standard tire core valve or other one way valve or spring loaded one way valve. By mating the threads on the valve to the inner threads of passageway  17 , the valve will be properly positioned within passageway  17  of manifold body  12 .  
         [0011]     Once the valve is properly positioned within body  12 , a plug  30  is disposed at first end  14  and preferably can be permanently attached and sealed at first end  14  through RF or ultrasonic sealing or other sealing techniques. Once plug  30  is sealed at first end  14 , gasses entering passageway  17  through inlet opening  22  are prevented from escaping out of passageway  17  through first end  14 , thus, leaving only second end  16 , through the attached valve, as the travel route for the gas. As such, the gas is directed through the valve and second end  16  and ultimately into the inflatable chamber of the article attached to annular flange  18 .  
         [0012]     In use an inflator such as, but not limited to, a 1F or 3f C 0   2  inflator is inserted over manifold body  12  and is properly aligned with respect to manifold  12  through one or more (and preferably three—though not limiting) flat or straight edges  34  which are disposed at a base area  33  of stem portion  13  (See  FIG. 4   f ). Flat/straight edges  34  properly aligned with a corresponding configuration in the inflator, and together preferably provide only one proper mating configuration for the inflator and manifold  10  to ensure that inflator is properly aligned with opening  22  of stem portion  13  to make sure that the gas in the inflator is always properly directed into passageway  17 . When properly positioned, the inflator attached to stem portion  13  terminates prior to groove  21 .  
         [0013]     Once the proper alignment of the inflator to manifold body  12  is achieved, a substantially “C” shaped clip  50  is attached to manifold body  12  by disposing the clip  50  within groove  21  on stem portion  13  of manifold body  12  to maintain inflator in place on stem portion  13 . Where clip  50  is constructed from metal, a metal sleeve, inset or insert  23  can be provided within groove  21  such that clip  50  abuts the metal sleeve, which may help reduce wear and tear on this area of stem portion  13  if metal clip  50  attached directly to plastic stem portion  13 . Where clip  50  is not constructed from metal  50 , the metal sleeve insert may be eliminated. Additionally, it is within the scope of the invention to also use a metal clip  50  without a metal sleeve insert. A preferred embodiment for clip  50  is shown in  FIG. 3   a  which includes a slotted area to allow clip  50  to expand when inserted into groove  21  for securement to body member  12 .  
         [0014]     Thus, the attachment of clip  50  to stem portion  13 , provides a quick release stop member to prevent the inflator from moving off of properly attached position with respect to stem portion  13 . Accordingly, once clip  50  is attached to manifold body  12  and the inflator is properly aligned with the straight edges  34  of base area  33 , the inflator is properly position which causes gas released from the inflator to properly enter passageway  17  through inlet opening  22 . In view of end  14  being sealed through plug  30 , once inside passageway  17 , the released gas travels through the attached valve and out of second end  16  into the inflatable chamber of the article attached to annular flange  18 .  
         [0015]     Applicant incorporates by reference in its entirety co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/421,997 filed on Jun. 2, 2006. This application shows a gas inflator  80  that can be used with the present invention manifold. However, the present invention manifold is not limited to use only with this particular gas inflator and can be used with other gas inflators and all are considered within the scope of the invention.  
         [0016]     With the inflator properly attached, the O-rings  27  and  29  disposed within o-ring grooves  24  and  26 , respectively, provide a seal (i.e. barrel seal) on both sides of inlet opening  22  between the inflator and stem portion to help prevent or reduce gas escaping from the inflator and not entering inlet opening  22 . Accordingly, more of the gas within the inflator is directed through inlet opening  22  and into passageway  17 .  
         [0017]     In lieu of a substantially “C” shaped clip, other stop members can be quickly attached to the outer end  14  of stem portion  13 , with or without a stem groove, to prevent the inflator from falling off from its position on stem portion and all are also considered within the scope of the invention. The stop members, including clip  50 , provide for temporary or permanent attachment of the inflator to stem portion  13 .  
         [0018]     Manifold body  12  is preferably constructed from a sealable plastic material and can be molded from a single mold manifold.  
         [0019]     Manifold  10  can be used with newly designed inflators and thus in a preferred embodiment does not have to be compatible with prior art inflators. As such, to increase the strength of plastic manifold body  12 , the walls  19  of at least stem portion  13  can be thickened compared to the wall size of stem portions on metal/copper manifolds. The increase wall thickness increases the strength of stem portion  13 . In a preferred embodiment, the walls are externally or outward thickened to keep the diameter of passageway  17  consistent with previous manifolds passageways, such that manifold  10  can be used with standard tire core valves and other one way valves, such as spring loaded one way valves. Though not considered limiting, in one embodiment the wall thickness of at least a portion of the manifold body member can be at least about 0.087 millimeters. However, it should be recognized that other thicknesses can be chosen and are considered within the scope of the invention.  
         [0020]     Manifold  10  alleviates overtorqueing found with prior manifolds that cause damage to their end nuts, stem o-rings, gaskets or their plastic or metal construction.  
         [0021]     The present invention allows for maintaining at approximately 850 to approximately 1500 psi, so that the user can safely mount and dismount without worry about damaging the life saving device.  
         [0022]     The unibody construction of manifold  10  also allows the spread of force around infinite faces. By construction through a single mold, manifold  10  is cheaper to manufacture, which may allow an attached inflatable article, such as an inflatable PFD to increase its market share vs. similar foam products. Drowning protection for the user may also increase in view of multiple choices in inflation mechanisms and ease of replacement and maintenance.  
         [0023]     It will be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment.