Patent ID: 7140517

Claim:
A valve mechanism adapted for a mouth portion of a tube-shaped fluid container, comprising: a valve seat portion having an upper opening portion and a lower opening portion through both of which a fluid passes when in use, said upper opening portion having an annular convex portion, said valve seat portion adapted to be attached to the mouth portion of the container, wherein the upper opening portion and the lower opening portion are integrally formed; and a valve portion disposed co-axially with the upper opening portion, comprising: (i) a supporting portion supported by the valve seat portion at or below the lower opening portion without closing the lower opening portion; (ii) a closing portion for closing the upper opening portion wherein the upper opening portion is closed by placing the closing portion in edge contact with the annular convex portion, said closing portion having an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the upper opening portion; and (iii) a connecting portion connecting the closing portion and the supporting portion, wherein at least either the closing portion or the connecting portion is resilient and capable of being deformed to open the upper opening portion when a fluid stored inside the container is pressed, wherein the supporting portion, the closing portion, and the connecting portion are integrally formed.