Patent ID: 7997461

Claim:
An article of manufacture, comprising: a.) a container comprising a liquid composition releasably housed within said container; b.) a diaphragm tap associated with said container for dispensing said liquid composition, said tap comprising: i.) a tubular outlet portion having a cross-sectional area, said tubular outlet portion comprising an open proximal end and an open distal end, said distal end comprising a terminal edge, said tubular outlet portion comprising a sidewall having an inner surface; ii.) an inlet portion integrally formed with the sidewall of said tubular outlet portion at a junction, said inlet portion being associated with said container and providing fluid communication for said composition between said container and said tubular outlet portion; iii.) a valve assembly comprising a flexible resilient domed diaphragm fitted around the open proximal end of said tubular outlet portion and extending upwardly therefrom and comprising a downwardly accepting socket for receiving the first end of a stem, said stem carrying a valve element at its second end, said valve element being frusto-conical and configured to seat on said terminal edge of the distal end of said outlet portion; and iv.) a valve guide having a throughhole through which said stem slidingly passes, said valve guide being substantially centrally affixed with respect to the sidewall in said tubular outlet portion by means of support ribs communicating between said valve guide and the inner surface of the sidewall of said tubular outlet portion, said tap being characterized by: said valve guide and support ribs, together, having a top surface area that is less than about 35% of the cross-sectional area of said tubular outlet portion of said tap.