Patent ID: 6138711
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: B60P,F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
An air valve for an inflatable device comprising:a hollow cylindrical valve block fastened to an inflatable device and defining an air passage for letting air to pass in and out of said inflatable device, said valve block comprising a hollow cylindrical body formed of an upper body portion and a hollow cylindrical lower body portion, an outward mounting flange raised around said hollow cylindrical body on the outside between the said upper body portion and said lower body portion and fixedly fastened to said inflatable device, an inside annular flange raised around an inside wall of said hollow cylindrical body between said upper body portion and said lower body portion, a positioning portion formed in integrity with said inside annular flange, a plurality of recessed plug holes aligned at said positioning portion at a bottom side, an outer thread formed on said upper body portion, two locating plates downwardly extended from said lower body portion at two opposite sides of said positioning portion, and a stop plate downwardly extended from said lower body portion;a valve cap threaded onto the outer thread at said upper body portion to close said valve block;a rubber valve flap fastened to said valve block and stopped below the inside annular flange of said valve block within said lower body portion and turned to close/open the air passage through said valve block, said rubber valve flap comprising a fixed flap portion fastened to the positioning portion inside said valve block, a free flap portion turned relative to said fixed flap portion between a first position where said valve flap closes the air passage through said valve block, and a second position where said valve flap is opened from the air passage through said valve block, a folding groove between said fixed flap portion and said free flap portion, a plurality of mounting through holes aligned at said fixed flap portion, and a finger rod raised from said free flap portion in direction from said lower body portion toward said upper body portion; anda fastening device fastened to the positioning portion of said valve block to fix said valve flap in place, said fastening device comprising a flat base closely attached to the fixed flap portion of said valve flap at a bottom side, a plurality of plug rods raised from said flat base and inserted through the mounting through holes at said fixed flap portion of said valve flap and plugged into the recessed plug holes at said positioning portion of said valve block;wherein said finger rod can be pushed with fingers to turn said free flap portion of said valve flap downwards to said second position, enabling said free flap portion to be forced through the gap between said locating plates and then stopped at said locating plates in said second position.