Valve and retainer assembly for latex balloons

Abstract

A valve and retainer assembly particularly useful for latex balloons includes a valve body and a band valve. The valve body has a radial shoulder where the neck and mouth of a latex balloon may be received to affix the balloon to the valve body. A hollow stem extends from a first open end to a second closed end, and a one-way valve allows gas to be introduced through a fill aperture in the stem and into the balloon affixed to the retainer portion. The stem includes a bell mouth at the open end to facilitate the creation of a hermetic seal with valves of gas storage tanks and to improve the efficiency of filling said balloons. The one-way valve includes a band valve positioned around the stem and covering the fill aperture. Fingers may be provided on a top surface of the radial shoulder to retain the band valve against movement under high pressure.

1 . A valve and retainer assembly for a balloon comprising:
 a valve body including:
 a stem that is hollow from an open first end to a closed second end thereof, 
 a bell mouth at said open first end that provides said stem with an increasing diameter in the direction of said open first end and proximate to said open first end, and 
 a radial shoulder extending outwardly from a position recessed from said second closed end of said stem, thereby defining a fill portion of said stem extending between said radial shoulder and said closed second end, said fill portion including at least one aperture communicating with the hollow of said stem portion; and 
   a flexible band valve positioned around said fill portion and covering said at least one fill aperture.   
     
     
         2 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said bell mouth extends between a narrow end having a diameter, and said open end having an increased diameter relative to the diameter of said narrow end. 
     
     
         3 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said open end has a diameter that is at least 20% larger than said narrow end. 
     
     
         4 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said stem has a total length and said bell mouth extends along less than 30% of said total length. 
     
     
         5 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 1 , wherein gas pressure applied through said hollow of said stem flows against said band valve at said at least one fill aperture and causes said band valve to flex to allow gas to flow from said hollow of said stem outwardly through said at least one fill aperture. 
     
     
         6 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said stem includes a slot proximate said open end of said stem. 
     
     
         7 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said hollow of said stem portion is capable of receiving a balloon stick. 
     
     
         8 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of fingers extending from a top surface of said radial shoulder, said fingers being spaced from an outer surface of said fill portion of said stem to form a gap. 
     
     
         9 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said fingers are circumferentially spaced around said fill portion of said stem. 
     
     
         10 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said flexible band valve is received in said gap between said fingers and said outer surface of said fill portion. 
     
     
         11 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible band valve is tapered from a thick end, proximate said radial shoulder of said valve body, to a thin end proximate said at least one fill aperture. 
     
     
         12 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said flexible band includes a foot at said thick end defined by a lip. 
     
     
         13 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of notches in said foot, said notches providing a reduced diameter of said valve band. 
     
     
         14 . The valve and retainer assembly of  claim 13 , wherein said notches in said foot align with fingers extending from a top surface of said radial shoulder, said fingers being spaced from an outer surface of said fill portion of said stem to form a gap, and said flexible band being positioned within said gap. 
     
     
         15 . In combination, a balloon and a valve and retainer assembly for a balloon comprising:
 a balloon including a neck portion having a mouth defined by a rolled portion of balloon material; and   a valve and retainer assembly including:
 a valve body including a stem that is hollow from an open first end to a closed second end thereof, a bell mouth at said open first end that provides an increased diameter at said open first end, and a radial shoulder extending outwardly from a position recessed from said second closed end of said stem, thereby defining a fill portion of said stem extending between said radial shoulder and said closed second end, said fill portion including at least one aperture communicating with the hollow of said stem portion; and 
 a flexible band valve positioned around said fill portion and covering said at least one fill aperture, wherein said rolled portion of said balloon material defining said mouth is received around said radial shoulder such that said fill portion extends into the interior of said balloon. 
   
     
     
         16 . The combination of  claim 15 , wherein said stem of said valve and retainer assembly includes a slot proximate said open end of said stem. 
     
     
         17 . The combination of  claim 16 , further comprising a ribbon affixed to said slot. 
     
     
         18 . The combination of  claim 15 , wherein said balloon is deflated and may be inflated by introducing gas upwardly through said hollow of said stem portion from said open end toward said closed end thereof such that said band valve is displaced from covering said at least one fill aperture so that the gas enters said balloon through said at least one fill aperture. 
     
     
         19 . The combination of  claim 15 , wherein said bell mouth provides an increase in diameter relative to the remainder of said stem of at least 20%. 
     
     
         20 . The combination of  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of fingers extending from a top surface of said radial shoulder and circumferentially spaced around said fill portion of said stem, said fingers being spaced from an outer surface of said stem to define a gap and said band valve being received in said gap, wherein said fingers engage at least a portion of said band valve to retain said band valve in place under high pressure.