Patent ID: 6874524
Filing Date: 2005-04-05
Classification: F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An air valve for an inflatable object, said air valve comprising: a rigid, tubular valve body adapted to be disposed fixedly on the inflatable object and defining an air passage that has a front portion and a rear portion; a sealing member disposed fixedly within said front portion of said air passage of said valve body; a rotary member disposed rotatably on said valve body in such a manner to prevent forward and rearward movement of said rotary member relative to said valve body; and a rigid, tubular movable member disposed movably and non-rotatably within said rear portion of said air passage and having a rear end opening that is adapted to be in fluid communication with a connection head of an inflation device in such a manner that the connection head is press fitted within said opening, and a front end wall that is formed with an aperture unit, through which said opening is in fluid communication with said air passage in said valve body, said aperture unit being aligned with said sealing member, said movable member being connected to said rotary member so that, when said rotary member rotates on said valve body, said movable member can move within said air passage between a sealing position, where said front end wall of said movable member abuts against said sealing member so as to close said aperture unit such that air flow between said opening in said movable member and said air passage in said valve body is stopped, and an open position, where said front end wall of said movable member is spaced apart from said sealing member so as to open said aperture unit in said movable member, thereby permitting air flow between said opening in said movable member and said air passage in said valve body, wherein said valve body includes a generally circular tubular portion, which has an inner surface that is formed with an annular groove, said rotary member being shaped as a ring, being made of a plastic material, and being formed with a plurality of circumferentially extending integral ribs that are received slidably within said annular groove in said valve body so as to permit rotation of said rotary member relative to said valve body while preventing forward and rearward movement of said rotary member relative to said valve body.