Inflating Probe

The present invention relates to an inflating probe for filling gas-filled containers and may be usefully applied to the inflation of bladders of all kinds and in particular the bladders in sports balls such as soccer balls, rugby balls, basket balls and the like.

A means for injecting air into the container or bladders and holding it there by means of a non-return valve is necessary if the bladder or other container is to remain properly and usefully inflated. Hitherto it has been customary to have a hole in the bladder and to insert therein a non-return rubber bung which comprises a resilient rubber plate-like member having an axial bung extending on either side thereof. One end of the bung is solid rubber and is surrounded by a circumferential sealing ring and this end is inserted through the hole in the bladder and the flat plate-like member is glued to the external face of the bladder by a suitable adhesive. The other end of the bung, that is, that end which projects from the external face of the plate and the bladder, has a hole extending through the bung. When it is desired to inflate the bladder, hitherto it has been customary to insert a fine metal, needle-like nozzle through the axial hole, pushing the nozzle hard so that it penetrates through the compressed hole in the bung into the bladder chamber. Once through the bung, air is then pumped through the fine nozzle into the bladder and when the bladder is fully inflated the nozzle is withdrawn and the pressure of the circumferential sealing ring compresses the channel in the bung to close over the fine hole made by the needle-like nozzle to seal the air in the bladder.

Apart from the fact that these metal nozzles were relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture and to buy, one problem with them was that it was difficult to direct the path of the nozzle through the bung with accuracy and often the nozzle punctured the circumferential sealing ring thereby destroying its efficiency and allowing air to leak out of the bladder.

One of the objects of the present invention is to avoid the above-stated disadvantages and to provide an inflating probe moulded in a single piece which is cheaper to manufacture and to purchase and which is safer and surer in action than hitherto known probes and which can be pushed through a bladder bung without destroying the seal. It will be appreciated however that the use of the invention need not be confined to cooperation with the form of seal just described and can have other applications.

Desirably the probe is moulded from polypropylene or nylon but other moulding materials will be suitable provided they are sufficiently resilient to allow the extraction of the moulding spigot and the insertion of a sealing ball without deformation from the originally moulded shape, and are of sufficient rigidity to allow the tapered probe nozzle to be thrust through or into the material past which the gas or air must be fed. The only additional component is the steel ball referred to later which can have a diameter of about 2 millimeters although this can be a matter for choice. The material from which the probe is moulded can have a lubricant mixed with it prior to moulding so that in frictional circumstances it will provide self-lubrication. A suitable additive is 5% of pure parrafin oil to 95% of polypropylene.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of the probe according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a view from the threaded end of the probe with the ball removed.

Referring now to the drawings, the probe 10 has a cylindrical externally threaded end piece 11, an elongated tapered probe end 13, an abutment shoulder 14, and a bore 15 extending coaxially from one end of the probe to the other.

A non-return ball valve chamber 16 containing a ball 20 has a valve seat in the form of a circular ridge or collar 17 and a throat 12 at the other end to serve as a barrier to impede the passage of the ball down the bore 15 when gas is being forced into the container. This barrier is non-circular so that it will not act in cooperation with the ball as a seal and it will be obvious that a variety of configurations will fulfill this requirement such as oval, rectangular, star-shaped etc. forms. Finger grips 19 may be provided if desired on the shoulder 14 to assist in the rotation of the probe when connecting it to the pump by the threaded end piece 11. As previously indicated the steel ball 20 is forced past the internal circular ridge or collar into the valve chamber 16 where it is retained due to the resilient nature of the moulding material.

To use the probe on a bladder closure of the type previously described the threaded end 11 of the probe 10 is threaded onto a convenient pump such as a bicycle pump, and the probe end 13 is pushed through the hole in the rubber bung of a bladder which protrudes through the laced or otherwise closed portion of the wall of a soccer ball or the like. Once the probe is right through the rubber bung, air or gas is pumped into the bladder from the pump and when inflated the probe is withdrawn from the bladder and the ball is laced up or otherwise closed. The air from the pump forces the steel ball valve 20, away from the ridge or collar seat 17 and up against the narrow throat 12 of the chamber 16. However the provision of air passages 18 around the ball 20 at the throat 12 allows the gas or air to escape from the valve chamber 16 into the bore 15 and out into the container or bladder to be filled. In the interval between the strokes of the pump the steel ball returns to the seat provided by the ridge or collar 17 and restricts the escape of air or gas from the container or bladder since the pressure is not sufficient to force the ball past the seat 17. It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that it was necessary to design the internal configuration to overcome problems associated with a single piece moulding.