Dielectrics Industries, Inc.

Hill-rom Services, Inc.

Stephen J Wiater

John Alan Bobey

Robert W Pekar

Adam S Epstein

Earl J Potter

Richard S Mongeau

Edward Harber

A mandrel for use in welding an air mattress having a top layer, bottom layer and at least one baffle joining the top layer and bottom layer, the mandrel includes a central mounting block; a baffle locating pin on a top surface of the central mounting block for securing the baffle to the central mounting block; a conductive sealing surface positioned along an edge of the central mounting block; a stop block positioned on the top surface of the central mounting block adjacent the sealing surface; and a bumper mounted to the central mounting block.

Floating mandrel and method of RF welding using a floating mandrel

A technique for the design of 3-D RF welding electrodes by first modeling the surface of the welded part perimeter as a spline in a 3-D CAD program, and then dividing the spline up into multiple, small straight segments. The straight segments are offset simultaneously in opposite directions from the spline, to form two sets of straight segments, each set being equidistant from the spline, with the gap between the two sets equal to the target thickness of the welded package. New die faces are constructed from each of the sets using smoothing techniques, and 3-D models of the die faces are manufactured to check accuracy of the design, making sure that all the corresponding points of the pair of electrodes are equidistant, thereby creating a strong weld with good cosmetic results all along the parts being joined.

Method for the design of 3-D RF-welding electrodes

A check valve provides a one-way fluid passage from without to within a fluid bladder formed by a pair of plastic sheets sealed together about their periphery. The check valve is formed by a pair of superimposed films of thermoplastic material, generally equal in length, thermally bonded together at predetermined areas to define the fluid passage throughout the length of the valve. The inlet end of the valve has a V-shape edge with the apex pointing in a direction opposite the one-way fluid flow. Each of the films, adjacent the V-shape edge of inlet end, is sealed to one of the outer sheets where the valve enters the bladder by a seal line of similar V-shape. Each of the films has a high-gloss, cohesive inner surface and a matted, non-cohesive outer surface. At least one of the films includes, on its inner surface, a release material disposed at a location which corresponds to the area at the inlet end of the fluid passage through the peripheral seal of the bladder to prevent the fusing together of the films at that area of the seal. The terminal ends of the superimposed films extend in surface-to-surface relation into the bladder to provide a 'duck-bill' type check valve.

Check valve for fluid bladders

Growing community of inventors

Southwick, MA, United States of America

Stephen J Wiater