Abstract: A negative pressure dispense system comprises a dispense assembly to be fitted to a drum or other fluid container, and a coupling head to mate with the dispense assembly. The dispense assembly has an air valve to control the ingress of air to the fluid container and a fluid valve to control the egress of fluid from the fluid container. The coupling head seals solely with and opens the fluid valve. The dispense assembly and coupling head have complementary mating features that inter-engage upon relative mating movement between the dispense assembly and the coupling head. The dispense assembly fluid valve has a rotatable valve member, the coupling head has a part shaped to engage the rotatable valve member, and the dispense assembly and coupling head mating features inter-engage upon relative rotation whereby, in use, as the coupling head is rotated in the dispense assembly the mating features engage and the coupling head part engages and rotates the rotatable valve member to open the fluid valve.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of and apparatus for negative pressure dispensing of fluids wherein a dispense valve assembly (12) seals a container (18) and has valves (26) for ingress of ambient air and (38) for egress of dispensed fluid respectively, and a coupling head (58) mates with the dispense valve assembly and has a mechanism (62, 74, 84) operative to open the air and fluid valves and form a sealed connection (52, 84) solely with the fluid valve, such that fluid can be pumped out of the container via the fluid valve and the coupling head, whilst ambient air flows into the container via the air valve.