CLAIMS

1.

A closure assembly for fitting to an open ended drinking vessel comprising a lid with a drinking spout extending there from through which a user can fluid can flow when a user sucks on the spout, the closure assembly comprises a valve body of resiliently flexible material having a chamber which is formed from at least part of the valve body and defining on one side a flexible portion in abutment with the sealing portion of a dispensing passage to make a fluid tight seal and to keep the passageway closed except when a pressure differential is applied across the ends of the passageway to cause the flexing portion to flex to allow fluid to flow through the passageway.

2.	An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein a partial vacuum is applied to the chamber when the user sucks on the spout to cause flexing portion to be pulled away from the passageway to facilitate fluid now.

3.	An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the flexing portion is formed on one side of the chamber and the remaining surfaces of the chamber are provided by the valve body and the spout.

4.	An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the dispensing passageway is provided by a channel defined in the spout.

5.	An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the dispensing passageway is provided by a channel defined in the valve body.

6.	An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the valve body is frustoconical to be received in the correspondingly shaped spout.

7.	An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the valve body has non rotational symmetry only.

8.

An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the spout is provided with a protruding portion extending into the chamber and having a sealing surface that cooperates with the flexing portion so that when the flexing portion is flexed to allow fluid flow, the flexing portion abuts the sealing surface to prevent fluid flow into the channel.

9.	An assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the spout is provided with a first aperture for communication with the chamber and a second aperture to provide an exeunt for the fluid.

10.	An assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the first and/or second aperture is a slot.

11.	An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the valve body abuts the end of the spout and the chamber is defined by a recess in the valve body.

12.	An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11 wherein the flexing portion and passageway are provided by a tube.

13.

An article for dispensing a fluid, the article being provided with a valve which comprises a tube of resiliently flexible material defining a dispensing passage which passageway remains closed except when a pressure differential is applied to one end of the tube to cause the tube to flex to allow fluid flow through the passageway.

14.

An article as claimed in claim 13 wherein a part of the inner surface of the dispensing passageway is constricted in a nonoperative valve position to prevent fluid flow and wherein the applied pressure differential causes the inner surface to dilate to provide the fluid flow path in an operative valve position.

15.	An article as defined in claim 13 or claim 14 including a housing for receiving the tube.

16.	An article as claimed in claim 15 wherein the tube is compressed within the housing to cause the constriction in the dispensing passageway.

17.	An article as claimed in any of claims 13 to 16 in the form of a drinks container or vessel provided with said valve in its top.

18.	An article as claimed in any of claims 13 to 17 in the form of a drinks container or vessel having a mouthpiece provided with said valve.

19.	An article as claimed in any of claims 13 to 17 in the form of a lid for a drinks container or vessel, said lid having a mouthpiece provided with said valve.

20.	An article as claimed in claim 19 wherein the valve body abuts the mouthpiece with an opening and a chamber is defined by the mouthpiece and the tube.

21.	An article as claimed in claim 20 wherein the chamber is annular about the tube.

22.	An article as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21 further comprising an air passageway that is provided to connect the chamber to the exterior of the article.

23.	An article as claimed in claim 22 wherein the air passageway terminates at the opening.

24.	An article as claimed in any of claims 20 to 23 wherein the valve body is frusto conical to be received in the corresponding shape of the mouthpiece.

25.	An article as claimed in any of claims 20 to 24 wherein there further comprises a plurality of ribs in spaced arrangement around the longitudinal axis of the valve body, the ribs space the valve body from the inner surface of the mouthpiece to provide the chamber.

26.	An article as claimed in any of claims 20 to 24 wherein there further comprises a plurality of ribs in spaced arrangement around the longitudinal axis of the inner surface of the mouthpiece, the ribs space the valve body from the inner surface of the mouthpiece to provide the chamber.

27.	An article as claimed in any of claims 13 to 26 in the form of a dispensing closure provided for an opening in a squeeze type container.

28.

An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13 or an article as claimed in any of claims 14 to 27 wherein there further comprises an air passageway struck from the mouthpiece or, as the case may be the spout and a valve body abutting an end of the air passageway to provide a nonreturn valve, in use.