US 4,766,628 · Granted 1988-08-30
The Air Mattress Valve That Keeps Inflatables From Going Flat
Imagine an air mattress that holds its air without slowly leaking. This patent covers a one-way valve system that lets air flow in from a pump but stops it from flowing back out, plus a threaded cap that seals everything tight when you're done inflating.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a one-way check valve assembly built into an air mattress, specifically the combination of a spring-loaded valve head with a sealing ring that blocks air from escaping, a threaded sleeve mounted to the mattress, and a screw-on cap with matching threads that locks the valve shut. What's protected is the entire system working together—the geometry of how the valve seats, how the threads interface, and how the seals prevent leakage between the cap, sleeve, and mattress chamber.
Why it matters
Before reliable check valves, air mattresses and inflatable furniture lost pressure over time or allowed backflow when you disconnected the pump. This patent addresses a real consumer frustration by engineering a mechanical solution that prevents air loss through a simple one-way mechanism. It's a practical improvement that makes inflatables more dependable and user-friendly, protecting the inventor's design from competitors copying the specific valve and cap arrangement.
Real-world use
Every time someone inflates a pool float or air bed with a pump and then removes the pump without watching the mattress deflate slightly, this valve design is what's supposed to be keeping the air inside.
Original USPTO abstract
An air mattress has a filler check valve connected to an air blower to supply air to the mattress chamber. A holder secured to the air mattress locates the filler check valve in a recessed position relative to an outer wall of the mattress. The filler check valve has a sleeve mounted on the holder and a rod attached to a valve head carrying an annular sealing member. A spring biases the valve head to a closed position wherein annular sealing member engages a beveled face on the inner end of the sleeve. The outer end of the sleeve has a cylindrical collar with internal and external threads. The internal threads of the collar engage external threads of the holder to secure the sleeve on the holder. A cap has an annular flange with internal threads of the collar to close an air passage in the sleeve. Seals located between the collar and sleeve and between the cap and the sleeve inhibit leakage of air from the chamber of the air mattress.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 4,766,628
- Filing date
- 1987-02-19
- Grant date
- 1988-08-30
- Assignee
- Walker Robert A
- Inventor(s)
- WALKER; ROBERT A.
- CPC class
- A47C27/082
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