Patent ID: 7273065

Claim:
A valve assembly for an inflatable, bag-like container comprising: a cylindrical valve body having a lower flange secured in pneumatically sealed relation to said container; a mounting bar disposed transversely across said valve body adjacent said flange, said mounting bar having a central opening therein; a valve diaphragm disposed below the lower flange of said valve body, said valve diaphragm being fixed to a shaft at the shaft fixed end, and having a cross section complementary to said bar opening and said shaft extending to a free end generally perpendicularly upward of the center of said diaphragm through the central opening in said mounting bar; said shaft and diaphragm being retained in said opening for reciprocal axial movement relative to said mounting bar and flange from a closed position whereby said diaphragm forms a pneumatic seal against said flange and an open position whereby said diaphragm is displaced axially from said flange and a pneumatic gas may enter and exit said container; and said shaft being adapted with an enlarged cross-section intermediate its end fixed to said diaphragm and a free end whereby, when said enlarged section frictionally engages an inner side of said central opening, said shaft is retained in fixed relation and said diaphragm is retained in an open position, enabling continued deflation of said container.