Air valve adapter

In combination with a bicycle wheel having a rim for mounting a tire and an inner tube within said tire, said inner tube having a radially inwardly extending air valve with a valve stem means having an outer peripheral surface, said rim including a radially inwardly extending fairing encompassing said air valve, an air valve adapter for reception through an inwardly facing hole in said rim comprising:

• an elongated cylindrical body extending between first and second ends and having a longitudinal axis;
• gripper means adjacent said second end selectively attachable to said valve stem means for releasably engaging said outer peripheral surface thereof, said gripper means including a plurality of resilient cantilevered gripping fingers integral with said elongated body extending from circumferentially spaced locations at said second end in directions generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, said gripping fingers extending to gripper ends distant from said second end;
• and
• gripper operating means adjacent said first end for actuating said valve stem means, when attached to said valve stem means from a location external of said fairing, for movement between a first locked position to prevent flow of air into and out of the inner tube and a second position distant from said first position to enable said valve stem means to move to an open position enabling flow of air into and out of the inner tube.

An elongated air valve attached to an inner tube of a bicycle tire for selectively inflating and deflating the tire comprising:

• a cylindrical housing attached at an outer end to the inner tube and extending radially inwardly to an inner end remote from said outer end, said housing defining a chamber which is in fluid communication with the interior of the inner tube, said housing having a fill opening at said inner end and a valve seat within said chamber adjacent said inner end;
• position spaced from said valve seat enabling the flow of air into and out of the inner tube and a locked position in engagement with said valve seat preventing the flow of air into and out of the inner tube;
• an externally threaded piston rod integral with said piston and extending through the fill opening at said inner end;
• key means interposed between said piston and said housing for restraining said piston rod against rotation relative to said housing;
• and
• a clamping nut having an outer peripheral surface threadedly received on said piston rod external of said housing, said clamping nut being rotatable on said piston rod between a first position engaged with said inner end of said housing and holding said piston in said locked position and a second position distant from said first position to enable said piston to move to said open position out of engagement with said valve seat;
• an air valve adapter for selective attachment to said clamping nut including:
• an elongated cylindrical body having an outer peripheral surface and extending between first and second ends and having a longitudinal axis;
• and
• gripper means adjacent said second end selectively attachable to said clamping nut for releasably engaging said outer peripheral surface thereof, said gripper means including a plurality of resilient cantilevered gripping fingers integral with said elongated body extending from circumferentially spaced locations at said second end in directions generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, said gripping fingers extending to gripper ends distant from said second end;
• and
• gripper operating means adjacent said first end, when attached to said clamping nut, enabling rotation of said adjustment nut on said piston rod to move said piston between said first and second positions.