(57) A unitary spigot valve for dispensing liquid, as from a container, includes a body
defining a dispensing opening, a rigid valve lever having an inner end portion connected
with the body at a rectilinear pivot hinge for movement between dispensing and sealing
positions, a spigot on the valve lever inner end portion adjacent to the hinge and
configurated and arranged as to plug the dispensing opening upon movement of the valve
lever into sealing position, a flexible diaphragm connected to interior walls of the
body and with the spigot at hinge lines, the diaphragm allowing liquid flow to the
valve only via the dispensing opening, and first snap-fitting means on the body and
the second snap-fitting means connected with the valve lever, these snap-fitting means
means being configurated and sized for engagement to retain the spigot in sealing
position and prevent disengagement from such position. The spigot may extend from
a rigid base portion of the valve lever. The second snap-fitting means may be the
outer end portion of the lever, and the first snap-fitting means may comprise detent
projections on the body adjacent the valve lever when in its sealing position, the
projections being resiliently deformed momentarily upon movement of the valve lever
into sealing position, then engaging the lever to retain it in such position. The
second snap-fitting means may be a radially extending annular portion of the spigot,
the first snap-fitting means may be a radially inwardly extending portion of the opening
wall, so that these annular portions interfere when a spigot is moved into the dispensing
opening and are resiliently deformed, then engaged to retain the spigot in sealing
position. The wall defining the dispensing opening and the spigot exterior configuration
may be tapered radially inwardly in the direction of the insertion of the spigot for
force-fitting sealing relation upon urging the spigot into the opening.
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