Inflatable object and valve therefor

An inflatable object, comprising:

• an inflatable object body enclosing a chamber to receive air in order to pressurize the inflatable object body;
• and
• a valve mounted to the inflatable object body, the valve including
• a valve body that defines a passageway between the chamber and an ambient environment, the valve body having a shoulder, wherein the valve body defines an outside end of the passageway, which opens to the ambient environment, and an inside end of the passageway, which opens into the chamber,
• a one-way flap that is movable between an open position in which the one-way flap permits fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment through the passageway, and a closed position in which the one-way flap seals against the shoulder to block fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment though the passageway, wherein the one-way flap is biased to the closed position with a closing force, wherein the closing force is selected to be overcomable so as to move the one-way flap to the open position by an airflow having a speed that is less than about 48 m/s, and which is at a pressure that is lower than 1 atmosphere, and
• a cover that is removably mountable on the outside end to form a cover seal against fluid communication between the chamber and the ambient environment,
• wherein the valve body includes a plurality of radial support ribs that extend into the passageway to support the one-way flap against collapse towards the outside end, wherein adjacent pairs of radial support ribs are separated by an opening, wherein the valve body further includes a plurality of circumferential support ribs that extend across the opening between each adjacent pair of radial support ribs so as to separate each opening into a radially extending series of opening portions between each pair of radial support ribs, wherein the one-way flap is sufficiently flexible so as to collapse towards the outside end and away from the outside end due to pressure differential across the one-way flap, but is prevented from collapsing towards the outside end in order to maintain a seal against the shoulder, due to the plurality of radial support ribs.