Patent ID: 7857015

Claim:
An inflation needle, comprising: a tubular body having an attachment end configured for engagement with an air pump; said body fairing into a tubular probe extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end; said distal end configured for being inserted into an object to be inflated; a concavo-convex base extending radially outward from said body and towards said distal end, terminating at a periphery spaced radially from said tubular probe; wherein said base is configured to absorb lateral forces; said periphery configured to engage an external surface of the object upon insertion of said probe therein; wherein said periphery defines a transverse dimension of said base, and said probe defines an axial dimension extending from said periphery and away from said proximal end, to said distal end, and a ratio of said transverse dimension to said axial dimension is at least 0.5:1; and said inflation needle is a unitary, molded metallic component.