Patent ID: 8708246

Claim:
A dispenser for applying small amounts of liquid to a substrate, the dispenser comprising: a dispenser body; an actuator positioned in said dispenser body and mounted for movement between first and second positions; a dispensing element including a dispensing element body removably coupled to said dispenser body and a valve stem mounted for reciprocating movement within said dispensing element body, said dispensing element body further including a liquid chamber and said valve stem including a tip mounted for reciprocating movement within said liquid chamber between open and closed positions, a valve seat engaging said valve stem tip in the closed position, a liquid dispensing outlet and a liquid supply passage, said valve seat positioned between said liquid chamber and said liquid dispensing outlet, and said liquid supply passage communicating with said liquid chamber, said valve stem further including an opposite end relative to said tip, said valve stem mechanically affixed as a unit with said dispensing element body such that said valve stem and said dispensing element body are capable of being removably coupled to said dispenser body as said unit, said valve stem tip is captured within said liquid chamber such that removing said dispensing element body from said dispenser body necessarily removes said valve stem from said dispenser body, and said opposite end is operatively coupled to said actuator when said dispensing element is coupled to said dispenser body such that said actuator moves said valve stem between the open and closed positions when said actuator moves between the first and second positions.