Patent ID: 7434594

Claim:
A valve for an inflatable, bag-like container comprising: a generally cylindrical valve body having a lower circumferential flange; said flange having an upper surface and a lower surface; said upper surface of said flange being hermetically sealed to said container; said cylindrical valve body further including an upstanding cylindrical wall portion disposed above said flange and a plurality of upstanding partial cylindrical wall extensions extending generally above said cylindrical wall portion; a valve stem rotatably and axially moveably mounted in said valve body, said valve stem having a lower end and an upper end; and a circular valve diaphragm mounted on the lower end of said valve stem in hermetically sealed relationship to the lower surface of said flange when the upper end of said valve stem is moved axially away from said flange; said valve stem having disposed on its upper end a pair of concentric rings in spaced relation, the outer ring being connected to the inner ring by a plurality of ribs extending from the inner ring thereby forming a plurality arcuate slots extending between said rings, said slots being axially aligned with said valve stem, each slot being disposed to receive one of said upstanding partial cylindrical wall extension therein; and said upper end of said valve stem further comprising means for interactively, frictionally engaging said upstanding side wall sections to lock said valve stem to said valve body at selected axial positions.