Liquid applicator and valve therefor

Claim 1

A liquid applicator comprising: a container having an open neck at one end; a bag for containing a liquid to be applied located within the container, the bag having an open mouth sized and configured to smoothly fit into the open container neck against the interior wall surface of the open container neck; a valve assembly for controlling liquid flow from the bag through the open container neck, the valve assembly being located within the open container neck capturing the bag mouth between the valve assembly and the interior wall surface of the open container neck, the valve assembly comprising a valve housing comprising a depending ring having a transverse cross-section size and configuration generally corresponding to the transverse cross-sectional size and configuration of the open container neck, and a plurality of flexible fingers projecting upwardly from the top end of the depending ring, the distal ends of the fingers converging defining an opening between the distal ends, and a valve disposed within the valve housing for controlling liquid flow through the valve housing, the valve comprising a valve stem projecting upwardly between the converging distal ends of the fingers; a porous dauber tip having a convex contour, the fingers of the valve housing being embedded within the material of the porous tip affixing the dauber tip to the valve housing; and, a ventilation aperture formed through the wall of the container providing for atmospheric pressure interior of the container surrounding the bag.