Patent ID: 7472888

Claim:
A valve holding member for movably holding, along a fluid passage of a pipe coupling, a valve for opening and closing the fluid passage, the valve holding member being made of a sheet metal, the pipe coupling comprising an interior surface defining the fluid passage having an axis, the interior surface having an annular groove formed therein comprising an annular inclined surface and an annular shoulder facing in a direction of the axis, the valve holding member comprising: a hub part having a circular portion having an outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral edge defining a guide hole through which a valve stem of the valve extends axially relative to the fluid passage, and a pair of arms connecting portions diametrically opposing each other and extending radially outwardly from the outer peripheral edge, the arm connecting portions each having a distal end close to the interior surface of the fluid passage when the valve holding member is installed in the fluid passage; and, two arm parts axially and radially outwardly extending from the distal ends of the arm connecting portions, respectively, and having distal end portions bent radially outwardly relative to remaining portions of the arm parts, the arm parts each being configured to be engaged with and bent by the interior surface of the fluid passage, when the valve holding member is installed in the fluid passage, so as to extend along the interior surface of the fluid passage with the distal end portions received in the annular groove, the arm parts each having a distal end edge engageable with the shoulder and the distal end edge having at a central portion thereof a non-engagement portion unengageable with the shoulder.