Roho, Inc.

Other

Robert W Graebe

Robert Klotz

Paul A Rickman

Dennis L Clapper

A valve for use with an inflatable cushion having individual inflation zones including a slide housing positioned between two outer casing halves. Each casing half has a plurality of nipple connector seats. Each nipple connector seat has at least one external detent. The slide housing has a series of nipple connectors along its length that are inserted into air conduits in the peripheral edge of the cushion, which, in turn, are connected to the individual inflation zones. Each nipple connector has at least one retainer groove in the surface. The casing half detents engage the cushion edge and the retainer grooves to retain the nipple in the air conduits. There is a movable slide inside the slide seat bore. The slide has a longitudinal inner bore and a number of openings along its length that communicate with the inner bore. The valve is opened by aligning the slide openings with the connector nipples to allow the inflation zones to communicate through the valve slide bore and is closed by moving the slide openings out of alignment with the casing openings to seal off the inflation zones.

Valve for zoned cellular cushion

A valve for use with an inflatable cushion having individual inflation zones including a casing with an internal bore and a plurality of openings along the length of the casing connected to the individual inflation zones by air conduits and a movable slide within the casing bore. The slide has a number of openings along the its length that communicate with an inner bore. The valve is opened by aligning the slide openings with the casing openings to allow the inflation zones to communicate through the valve slide bore and is closed by moving the slide openings out of alignment with the casing openings to seal off the inflation zones.

A cellular cushion has a flexible base and flexible cells projecting outwardly from the base. The cells, which are formed from an elastomeric material and contain a gas such as air, are organized into longitudinal and transverse rows, and webs within the base separate the cells of adjacent rows. At least some of the cells are sealed in the sense that their interiors are totally isolated from all other cells and from the surrounding atmosphere. The cushion may also contain a zone of cells which are interconnected in the sense that their interiors are in communication along the webs of the base.

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Belleville, IL, United States of America

Robert W Graebe