Device for filling and sealing flexible containers

Claim 2

An improved valve device for an inflatable pillow or the like comprising two sheets of flexible material sealed to each other around the edges thereof to form a fluid compartment, said improved valve device comprising tube means disposed between said two sheets with one end portion of the tube means extending inwardly beyond said sealed edges and the other end portion extending outwardly beyond said sealed edges for providing fluid communication with said fluid compartment, the intermediate portion of said tube means being sealed to said sheets to provide a fluid seal between said tube means and each of said sheets, said tube means being arranged so that folding said tube means and an adjacent portion of said sheets collapses said tube means and thereby effectively seals the space between said sheets, and means for holding said tube means and said adjacent portion in the folded position to maintain said fluid seal.

Claim 3

An improved valve device for an inflatable pillow or the like comprising two sheets of flexible material sealed to each other around the edges thereof to form a fluid compartment, said improved valve device comprising tube means disposed between said two sheets with one end portion of the tube means extending inwardly beyond said sealed edges and the other end portion extending outwardly beyond said sealed edges for providing fluid communication with said fluid compartment, an intermediate portion of said tube means being sealed to said sheets to provide a fluid seal between said tube means and each of said sheets, said tube means constructed of paper and arranged so that folding the tube means and an adjacent portion of said sheets collapses the paper thereby effectively seals the space between the two sheets, and means for holding said tube means and said adjacent sheet portion in said folded position to maintain said fluid seal.

Claim 4

An improved valve device for an inflatable pillow or the like comprising two sheets of flexible material sealed to each other around the edges thereof to form a fluid compartment, said improved valve device comprising tube means disposed between said two sheets with one end portion of the tube means extending inwardly beyond said sealed edges and the other end portion extending outwardly beyond said sealed edges for providing fluid communication with said fluid compartment, an intermediate portion of said tube means being sealed to said sheets to provide a fluid seal between said tube means and each of said sheets, said tube means constructed of paper and arranged so that folding the tube means and an adjacent portion of said sheets collapses the paper thereby effectively seals the space between the two sheets, and means for holding said tube means and said adjacent sheet portion in said folded position to maintain said fluid seal.

Claim 5

An improved valve device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the tube means and an adjacent portion of said sheets are folded at a 45* angle.

Claim 6

An improved valve device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the tube means and an adjacent portion of said sheets including a slit in said adjacent portion are folded at a 90* angle.

Claim 7

An improved valve device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the tube means is folded on itself and then said tube means and an adjacent portion of said sheets are folded to collapse the paper and thereby effectively seal the space between the two sheets.

Claim 8

An improved valve device as set forth in claim 2 wherein at least the inside surfaces of said sheets of flexible material are made of a thermoplastic material, and said sheets are bonded to each other by heat-sealing the thermoplastic material on the opposed inside surfaces thereof around the edges of the sheets, and said thermoplastic material is also heat-sealed to the intermediate portion of said tube means to provide said fluid seal between said tube means and each of said sheets.

Claim 9

An improved valve device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said paper tube means is coated with a thermoplastic material to facilitate the heat sealing thereof to said thermoplastic material on said sheets.

Claim 10

An improved valve device as set forth in claim 2 wherein a predetermined area of the outside surface of one of said sheets is coated with a cohesive adjacent to said tube means, and said tube means and said coated area are folded to collapse said tube means and to adhere different portions of said cohesive-coated area to each other to hold said tube means in its collapsed condition.

Claim 11

An improved valve device as set forth in claim 2 wherein a channel is provided inside said inflatable pillow between said sealed edges and said pillow compartment and extending along said sealed edge adjacent to said valve device, said channel having open ends to allow fluid to pass through said valve device, through said channel and into said pillow compartment, said channel being sealed by folding the corner of said pillow adjacent to said open end to collapse it.