Laterally-actuated dispenser with one-way valve for storing and dispensing substances

A dispenser for dispensing a substance, comprising:

• a body including a variable-volume storage chamber for storing the substance;
• a dispensing portion connected with the body and including a compression chamber coupled in fluid communication with the storage chamber for receiving substance therefrom, and an outlet aperture coupled in fluid communication with the compression chamber;
• a manually-engageable actuator mounted on the dispensing portion and including a manually engageable surface on an external side of the actuator and a compression surface on an internal side of the actuator, wherein the manually engageable surface is manually depressible between first and second positions to actuate the dispenser, and is normally biased in the direction from the second position toward the first position;
• wherein the manually engageable actuator is defined by a flexible material, wherein an external side the flexible material defines the manually engageable surface and an underside of the flexible material defines the compression chamber;
• and
• a one-way valve forming an external portion of the dispenser including a valve seat and a flexible valve cover seated on the valve seat and defining a normally-closed seam therebetween forming a fluid-tight seal between the valve cover and valve seat, wherein the flexible valve cover is movable relative to the valve seat and the seam is connectable in fluid communication with the outlet aperture to allow the passage of substance through the seam and out of the dispenser;
• wherein (i) during movement of the manually engageable surface in the direction from the second position toward the first position, the variable-volume storage chamber is in fluid communication with the compression chamber for permitting substance to flow from the variable-volume storage chamber into the compression chamber, and (ii) during movement of the manually engageable surface in the direction from the first position toward the second position (a) the compression chamber is not in fluid communication with the variable-volume storage chamber and (b) the substance within the compression chamber is pressurized above the one-way valve opening pressure and dispensed through the normally closed seam of the one-way valve and out of the dispenser.