Patent Publication Number: US-2013252771-A1

Title: Ball inflation valve

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an inflation valve for balls, and more particularly to a ball inflation valve including a protective top located above a replaceable valve core of the ball inflation valve to isolate sulfide-made valve body and valve core from yellowing a surface cover of a ball. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently, there are various kinds of balls available in the market, and balls with the most basic form are directly molded with rubber materials. To create different visual impression and touch of balls, to meet different requirements for use of balls, and to enable easy separation of one type of ball from others, the balls are usually provided on their surface covers with different recessed ribs or other surface textures. For example, a basketball has a plurality of grains and recessed ribs formed thereon; and a football is formed of a plurality of hexagonal leather covers to create a plurality of seams and grooves thereon. Generally speaking, most types of balls are air-inflated to get elasticity and the ability of bouncing. 
     Conventionally, a ball is inflated by compressing air into an inflatable inner bladder of the ball via an inflation valve installed on the ball. Please refer to  FIG. 1 . A conventional ball inflation valve  10  includes an air passage  11  partially extended into the inflatable inner bladder of a ball. The air passage  11  is provided at a center with an axially extended through hole  111  for communicating the inflatable inner bladder with air outside the ball. A locating portion  12  is radially outward extended from an outer surface of the air passage  11  for closely connecting to the inflatable inner bladder. The through hole  111  is normally in a closed state (not shown). To inflate the ball, an inflation needle is pierced through the through hole  111 , so that an airway (not shown) is formed along the through hole  111 . 
     The conventional ball inflation valve is usually made of a sulfide. Please refer to  FIG. 2 . When a surface cover  13  of the ball is in direct contact with the sulfide-made inflation valve  10 , a yellowing smudge  14  will form in an area of the surface cover  13  adjoining the sulfide-made inflation valve  10 . The yellowing smudge  14  will form even on a completely new ball and would have considerable influence on a consumer&#39;s desire for buying the ball. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the conventional ball inflation valve. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a ball inflation valve that includes a protective top capable of isolating sulfide-made valve body and valve core of the ball inflation valve from contacting with and forming a yellowing smudge on a surface cover of a ball. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball inflation valve that includes a protective top having an opening with a rounded inner edge, so that, in case of a leaking ball, a valve core of the ball inflation valve can be conveniently extracted from a valve body via the rounded inner edge of the opening for replacement. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the ball inflation valve according to the present invention is installed in between an inflatable inner bladder and a surface cover of a ball, and includes a valve body extended into and communicating with the inflatable inner bladder, a valve core partially held in the valve body, a canvas superimposing layer attached to a top of the valve body, and a protective top enclosing a length of the valve core exposed from the valve body and covering a top of the canvas superimposing layer above the valve body. 
     The valve body includes a first communicating tube portion extended into the inflatable inner bladder, and an annular flange portion radially outward extended from a top of the first communicating tube portion. The annular flange portion is fitly attached to an outer surface of the inflatable inner bladder, the first communicating tube portion internally defines an axial bore, and the axial bore internally includes an annular groove. 
     The valve core includes a second communicating tube portion corresponding to the axial bore in the first communicating tube portion and internally defines an air hole extending a full length of the valve core to communicate the inflatable inner bladder with a space outside of the ball, and a locating ring portion radially outward extended from an outer surface of the second communicating tube portion for fitly engaging with the annular groove in the axial bore of the first communicating tube portion. 
     The canvas superimposing layer includes an aperture for the second communicating tube portion to extend therethrough, and is flatly superimposed on a top of the annular flange portion of the valve body. The protective top includes a raised sleeve portion for fitting around a length of the valve core located outside the valve body, the sleeve portion has an upper end internally defining an opening corresponding to the air hole of the valve core and an interior defining a fitting space configured to match the shape and size of the length of the second communicating tube portion exposed from the valve body. A locating flange portion is radially outward extended from a lower end of the sleeve portion to be clamped in between the canvas superimposing layer of the ball inflation valve and the surface cover of the ball, and the locating flange portion has a covering area larger than that of the annular flange portion of the valve body for the protective top to completely cover the whole valve body located below the protective top. 
     The opening of the protective top has an inner diameter slightly smaller than an outer diameter of the second communicating tube portion of the valve core. And, the opening of the sleeve portion of the protective top has a rounded inner edge to enable convenient extraction of the valve core from the ball inflation valve for replacement without being hindered by the protective top enclosing the valve core. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ball further includes a middle canvas layer, and the ball inflation valve is installed in the ball with the middle canvas layer located between the surface cover of the ball and the locating flange portion of the protective top. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ball further includes a middle canvas layer, and the ball inflation valve is installed in the ball with the middle canvas layer located between the locating flange portion of the protective top and the canvas superimposing layer. Further, the canvas superimposing layer has a shape and a size the same as those of the annular flange portion of the valve body. 
     The present invention is advantageously characterized in that a protective top having an opening is provided to locate around the valve core and on the valve body and is accordingly located between the inflatable inner bladder and the surface cover of a ball. Therefore, the valve body and the valve core do not directly contact with the surface cover of the ball, any sulfide from the valve core and the valve body is directly attached to an inner side of the protective top without forming a yellowing smudge on the surface cover of the ball, and the ball can be inflated or deflated via the valve body and the valve core without being hindered by the protective top. Moreover, since the opening on the protective top has a rounded inner edge, a damaged valve core causing leakage of the ball can be conveniently extracted from the valve body via the opening of the protective top for replacement. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art ball inflation valve; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary view of a ball showing a smudge on its surface cover around the prior art ball inflation valve; 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled sectional view showing a ball inflation valve according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention installed in a ball; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the ball inflation valve according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged fragmentary view of the ball inflation valve of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is an assembled sectional view showing a ball inflation valve according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention installed in a ball. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described with some preferred embodiments thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 3 and 4  that are assembled sectional view and exploded perspective view, respectively, of a ball inflation valve  24  according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the ball inflation valve  24  of the present invention is installed in a ball  20 , which includes from outer to inner side a surface cover  21 , a middle canvas layer  22 , and an inflatable inner bladder  23 . The ball inflation valve  24  of the present invention is installed in the ball  20  between the middle canvas layer  22  and the inflatable inner bladder  23 . 
     The ball inflation valve  24  mainly includes a valve body  25 , a valve core  26 , a canvas superimposing layer  27 , and a protective top  28 . The valve body  25  is extended through and held in a hole formed on one side of the inflatable inner bladder  23  while being communicable with the hole. The valve core  26  is partially extended into and located in the valve body  25 , such that an inflation needle (not shown) can be extended into the valve core  26  for inflating or deflating the inflatable inner bladder  23 . The canvas superimposing layer  27  is directly laid on a top of the valve body  25  with the valve core  26  extending therethrough. Finally, the protective top  28  is laid on the canvas superimposing layer  27  around the valve core  26 , so as to isolate the valve body  25  and the valve core  26  from direct contacting with the surface cover  21  and effectively prevent the surface cover  21  of the ball  20  from forming a yellowing smudge thereon. 
     In the illustrated first preferred embodiment, the valve body  25  includes a first communicating tube portion  251  extended into the inflatable inner bladder  23 , and an annular flange portion  252  radially outward extended from a top of the first communicating tube portion  251 . The annular flange portion  252  is fitly attached to an outer surface of the inflatable inner bladder  23 . The first communicating tube portion  251  internally defines an axial bore  253 , via which the inflatable inner bladder  23  communicates with a space outside the ball  20 . And, the axial bore  253  internally includes an annular groove  254  for engaging with the valve core  26 . 
     The valve core  26  includes a second communicating tube portion  261  corresponding to the axial bore  253  in the valve body  25 , such that the second communicating tube portion  261  is press-fitted in the first communicating tube portion  251 . Further, the second communicating tube portion  261  internally defines an air hole  262  extending a full length thereof to communicate the inflatable inner bladder  23  with the space outside the ball  20 , so that an inflation needle (not shown) can be inserted into the air hole  262  to inflate or deflate the ball  20 . A locating ring portion  263  corresponding to the annular groove  254  is radially outward extended from an outer surface of the second communicating tube portion  261 , so that the valve core  26  is fitted in the valve body  25  with the locating ring portion  263  engaged with the annular groove  254 , ensuring that the valve core  26  is not easily separated from the valve body  25  under the internal pressure or the vibration of the ball  20 . 
     The canvas superimposing layer  27  is configured to have shape and size identical to those of the annular flange portion  252  of the valve body  25 , and has an aperture  271  for the second communicating tube portion  261  to extend therethrough. And, the canvas superimposing layer  27  is flatly superimposed on a top of the annular flange portion  252 . 
     The protective top  28  includes a raised sleeve portion  281  for fitting around a length of the valve core  26  located outside the valve body  25 . The sleeve portion  281  has an upper end internally defining an opening  282  corresponding to the air hole  262  of the valve core  26 , and an interior defining a fitting space  283  configured to match the shape and size of the length of the second communicating tube portion  261  exposed from the valve body  25 . Thus, the protective top  28  covering the valve body  25  and enclosing the valve core  26  does not form a hindrance to the inflation or deflation of the ball  20  via the valve core  26 . The protective top  28  further includes a locating flange portion  284  radially outward extended from a lower end of the sleeve portion  281  to be clamped in between the canvas superimposing layer  27  of the ball inflation valve  24  and the middle canvas layer  23  of the ball  20 . The locating flange portion  284  has a covering area larger than that of the annular flange portion  252 , so that the protective top  28  is able to completely cover the whole valve body  25  and the valve core  26 . 
     With the larger protective top  28  located above the valve body  25  and around the valve core  26 , any sulfide from the valve body  25  or the valve core  26  will directly attach to an inner side of the protective top  28 . Therefore, the undesired yellowing smudge externally formed on the surface cover  21  of the ball  20  can be effectively eliminated. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 5  that is a fragmentary enlarged view of  FIG. 3 . In an operable embodiment of the present invention, the opening  282  on the protective top  28  has a diameter slightly smaller than an outer diameter of the second communicating tube portion  261  of the valve core  26 . Moreover, the opening  282  of the sleeve portion  281  has a rounded inner edge  285  to enable convenient extraction of the valve core  26  via the protective top  28  for replacement. Therefore, when the valve core  26  inserted in the valve body  25  and enclosed in the protective top  28  is worn-out or damaged to cause leakage of the ball  20 , the valve core  26  can still be conveniently replaced using a suitable extraction tool. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6  that is an assembled sectional view of a ball inflation valve  24  according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the second preferred embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first preferred embodiment, except that the protective top  28  in the second preferred embodiment is clamped in between the middle canvas layer  22  and the surface cover  21  of the ball  20 . More specifically, in the second preferred embodiment, the middle canvas layer  22  of the ball  20  is located around the valve core  26  to contact with a top of the canvas superimposing layer  27 . 
     The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.