Patent ID: 7036793

Claim:
A valve member adapted to be rotatably received within a valve body to control the flow of fluid between an inlet and an outlet of the valve body, said valve member comprising: a valve stem extending from the valve body to facilitate manipulation of said valve member within the valve body, said valve stem having a substantially rigid material property and including a base portion; a valve stem attached to said base portion of said valve stem to materially bond said valve sleeve to said base portion of said valve stem such that manipulation of said valve stem is transmitted to said valve sleeve through said base portion of said valve stem; said valve sleeve having a substantially cylindrical configuration with an outer surface conforming to an interior surface of the valve body, said valve sleeve including an inner chamber and an outlet port wherein said valve sleeve is selectively movable between an open position directing fluid flow from the valve body inlet through said outlet port to the valve body outlet and a closed position preventing fluid flow through said valve body; said valve sleeve being molded as a separate component secured to said valve stem of a less rigid material than said valve stem to facilitate expansion under fluid pressure within said inner chamber to move said outer surface into sealing contact with the interior surface of the valve body for improved sealing within the valve body; and a pressure opening formed in said outer surface of said valve sleeve and in fluid communication with said sleeve chamber in order to selectively pressurize said inner chamber of said valve sleeve.