Air valve device for an inflatable article

An air valve device for an inflatable article which has an inflatable chamber and an opening fluidly communicated with the inflatable chamber, comprising:

• a valve seat which is adapted to be fitted into the opening, and which has a tubular wall that surrounds and extends along an axis and that defines an accommodation space, and an abutment mount that is disposed to extend from said tubular wall radially and towards the axis to form a seat body, said seat body being configured to divide said accommodation space into an inflating port distal from the inflatable chamber and a conduit proximate to the inflatable chamber, and having a communicating port to fluidly communicate said inflating port with said conduit, said valve seat further having a hub member which is connected to said tubular wall through said seat body, and which defines therein a mounting hole that extends along the axis to communicate said inflating port with said conduit;
• a movable member including
• a valve disc which is disposed in said conduit and which is movable relative to said abutment mount along the axis between a closed position, where said valve disc is in air-tight engagement with said seat body to shut off said communicating port, and an open position, where said valve disc is disengaged from said seat body to permit air to flow through said communicating port to enter into or escape from the inflatable chamber, and
• a plunger having a connected end which is disposed in said conduit and which is connected to said valve disc, and a rod portion which extends from said connected end along the axis through said mounting hole and which terminates at a head end that is disposed in said inflating port such that movement of said plunger along the axis relative to said abutment mount results in movement of said valve disc between the closed and open positions;
• a biasing member disposed to bias said head end to move away from said seat body so as to permit said valve disc to be held in the closed position;
• and
• a releasably retaining mechanism which is disposed between said hub member and said rod portion to arrest axial movement of said movable member relative to said abutment mount against biasing action of said biasing member when said valve disc is in the open position.