Ishusho ya valve y'umupira yabaye nyuma y'Intambara ya Kabiri y'Isi Yose. Nubwo kuvumbura valve y'umupira byatangiye mu ntangiriro z'ikinyejana cya 20, iyi patenti y'imiterere ntiyashoboye kurangiza intambwe zayo zo kugurisha bitewe n'imbogamizi mu nganda z'ibikoresho no mu nganda zitunganya imashini. DuPont muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika yavumbuye plastiki ya polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ifite polymer nyinshi kugeza mu 1943. Ubwoko bw'ibikoresho bufite ibyiza byo gukomera bihagije no gukanda, ubushobozi bumwe na bumwe bwo gushonga, ubushobozi bwiza bwo kwisiga no kurwanya ingese, bukwiriye cyane nk'ibikoresho byo gufunga kandi bufite ubushobozi bwo gufunga bwizewe cyane. Byongeye kandi, umupira ufite uruziga rwinshi kandi utunganye neza ushobora gukorwa nk'igice cyo gufunga valve y'umupira bitewe n'iterambere ry'imashini zisya umupira. Ubwoko bushya bwa valve ifite imbobo yuzuye n'ingendo zizunguruka za 90° zinjiye ku isoko rya valve, bikurura abantu benshi. Ibikoresho gakondo bya valve nka valve zo guhagarara, valve zo mu irembo, valve zo gufunga na valve z'ibinyugunyugu bigenda bisimburwa buhoro buhoro na valve zo mu bwoko bwa ball, kandi valve zo mu bwoko bwa ball zirakoreshwa cyane, kuva ku bunini buto kugeza ku bunini, umuvuduko muke kugeza ku muvuduko mwinshi, ubushyuhe busanzwe kugeza ku bushyuhe bwinshi, ubushyuhe bwinshi kugeza ku bushyuhe bwo hasi. Kuri ubu, umuvuduko ntarengwa wa valve y'umupira ugeze kuri santimetero 60, kandi ubushyuhe bwo hasi bushobora kugera ku bushyuhe bwa hydrogen -254℃. Ubushyuhe bwo hejuru bushobora kugera kuri dogere 850 kugeza 900℃. Ibi byose bituma valve zo mu bwoko bwa ball zikwiriye ubwoko bwose bw'ibikoresho, biba ubwoko bwa valve butanga icyizere cyane.

Vali z'umupira zishobora kugabanywamo vali z'umupira zigenda ziguruka n'ivali z'umupira zikozwe mu giti bitewe n'imiterere yazo.

Valive z'umupira zishobora gushyirwa mu byiciro bibiri: valive zo hejuru z'umupira w'amaguru n'ivalive zo ku ruhande. Valive zo ku ruhande zishobora kandi kugabanywamo valive z'umupira z'igice kimwe, valive z'umupira z'ibice bibiri n'ivalive z'ibice bitatu bitewe n'imiterere y'umubiri wa valive. Imibiri ya valive z'umupira w'igice kimwe ni ingenzi; valive z'umupira z'ibice bibiri zigizwe n'imibiri ya valive nini n'imibiri ya valive y'inyongera, naho valive z'umupira z'ibice bitatu zigizwe n'imibiri ya valive nini n'imibiri ya valive y'inyongera.

Amavali y'umupira ashobora gushyirwa mu byiciro bibiri: amavali y'umupira yoroshye yo gufunga n'amavali y'umupira akomeye yo gufunga hakurikijwe ibikoresho byo gufunga amavali. Ibikoresho byo gufunga amavali y'umupira yoroshye yo gufunga ni ibikoresho bya polymeri nyinshi nka polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polytetrafluoroethylene ikomeye na nylon ndetse na rabha. Ibikoresho byo gufunga amavali y'umupira akomeye ni ibyuma.