Apparatus having one-way valve

A device for aseptically storing fluid and dispensing multiple portions of the stored fluid therefrom, comprising:

• a sealed, sterile, hermetically sealed variable-volume storage chamber, wherein the variable-volume storage chamber includes multiple portions of at least one of a milk-based product, a baby formula product, and a non-acid product stored therein in an aseptic condition and sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere;
• a pump defining an inlet connectible with the variable-volume storage chamber and an outlet for pumping multiple portions of the product from the variable-volume storage chamber;
• and
• a one-way valve assembly including a valve seat and an elastic valve member overlying the valve seat and defining a normally closed valve opening defining an inlet at an interior portion of the valve member and an outlet at an exterior portion of the valve member and device that is axially spaced relative to the inlet, wherein the inlet is connectable in fluid communication with the variable-volume storage chamber, the elastic valve member is movable in response to pumped fluid at the inlet exceeding a valve opening pressure between (i) a normally closed position, and (ii) an open position with at least a segment of the elastic valve member spaced away from the closed position and thereby allow passage of fluid though the valve opening, wherein the pump is configured to pump the product from the variable-volume storage chamber through the valve opening and dispense discrete portions of the product through the outlet of the valve opening at the exterior of the device, and wherein the elastic valve member and variable-volume storage chamber maintain the remaining portions of the product in the aseptic condition sealed with respect to the ambient atmosphere and substantially at ambient temperature throughout a shelf life and dispensing of the fluid.

A device for aseptically storing fluid and dispensing multiple portions of the stored fluid therefrom, comprising:

• first means forming a sealed, sterile, hermetically sealed variable-volume storage chamber for storing therein multiple portions of a fluid in an aseptic condition and sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere;
• second means defining an inlet connectible with the variable-volume storage chamber and an outlet for pumping multiple portions of the fluid from the variable-volume storage chamber;
• and
• third means for dispensing discrete portions of the pumped fluid therethrough and maintaining the remaining portions of the fluid in the aseptic condition sealed with respect to the ambient atmosphere throughout a shelf life and dispensing of the fluid, wherein the third means includes fourth means and fifth means overlying the fourth means for elastically defining a normally closed axially-extending opening defining an inlet at an interior portion of the fifth means and an outlet at an exterior portion of the fifth means and device that is axially spaced relative to the inlet, and for moving in response to pumped fluid at the inlet exceeding an opening pressure between (i) a normally closed position, and (ii) an open position with at least a segment of the fifth means spaced away from the closed position to allow passage of fluid though the axially-extending opening.