Vented discharge assembly for liquid soap dispenser

A discharge assembly for a liquid soap container having an outlet opening, said discharge assembly comprising:

• a compressible nipple having a normal expanded condition defining a discharge chamber for accommodating a charge of liquid soap, said nipple having an inlet opening at one end thereof and being provided at the other end thereof with a normally closed discharge slit, an annular flange extending laterally outwardly from said nipple, means mounting said nipple on the container with said inlet opening disposed in registry with the container outlet opening, said nipple having a vent opening therein spaced from said discharge chamber, a valve diaphragm extending across said inlet opening and having first and second valve slits therein respectively disposed in registry with said discharge chamber and said vent opening, a backing disc overlying said diaphragm and having a discharge aperture therein disposed in registry with said first valve slit and having a vent passage therein disposed for providing communication between said second valve slit and the outlet opening of the container, said nipple being laterally compressible to a compressed condition, movement of said nipple to the compressed condition thereof raising the pressure in said discharge chamber for closing said first valve slit and ejecting liquid soap from said discharge opening, movement of said nipple back to the expanded condition thereof lowering the pressure in said discharge chamber for closing said discharge opening and opening said first valve slit to draw a new charge of liquid soap into said discharge chamber, said second valve slit being responsive to atmospheric pressure greater than the pressure within the container for opening to admit ambient air to the container through said vent opening and said vent passage for raising the pressure within the container to facilitate the flow of liquid soap from the outlet opening thereof, and means on said flange for preventing the opening of said second valve slit in response to a pressure inside the container greater than atmospheric pressure, thereby to prevent the escape of liquid soap through said vent opening.