NL1038070C2

NL1038070C2 - Vacuum container having air release valve cover.

Info

Publication number: NL1038070C2
Application number: NL1038070A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Jordan S Tarlow; Jui-Te Wang
Original assignee: Jordan S Tarlow
Priority date: 2010-06-25
Filing date: 2010-06-25
Publication date: 2011-12-28

Description

Title: VACUUM CONTAINER HAVING AIR RELEASE VALVE COVER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cover, and more particularly to a cover fit onto a container with a sliding 5 air tight fit, the cover having an air release valve to allow . escape of air from the container when the cover is pressed onto the container with the air release valve held open during the installation to release air from the container to create a vacuum seal with at least a partial vacuum in the container 10 with the cover fully installed on the container with a tight vacuum seal fit and the cover only releasable for removal by opening the air release valve to admit air back into the container to break the vacuum seal and allow a user to slide the cover off with the air release valve held open.

15

Description of Related Art

Closed container keep items fresher . within the container with a vacuum or partial vacuum within the container so that there is less air in the container to cause contained items to 20 spoil, thereby preventing or prolonging spoilage. Prior art containers fail to provide a simple vacuum closure with a sliding cover rather than a threaded cover and a simple air release valve rather than a vacuum pump.

The closest prior art of which applicants are aware is 25 their prior U.S. Patent No. 5,397,024 to Wu et al. The cover includes a valve depressible inward of the cover for allowing air to flow inward or outward of the cover. However, the valve assembly includes a screw secured to the plug rod and engaged with the cover for preventing the valve assembly from 30 disengaging from the cover. The screw is normally made of metal and may not be easily threaded into place. In addition, the screw which is made of metal material may not closely enclose the opening of the cover such that a rubber ring and a gasket are required to be engaged on the screw for engaging 1 0 3 8 0 7 0 2 with the cover so as to enclose the opening. Furthermore, the inner thread of the plug rod may be easily damaged by the metal screw. The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the 5 conventional covers for containers.

Another related prior art U.S. Patent No. 5,697,510, issued December 16, 1997 to Wang et al., provides a container including a cover engaged on an open top; A channel and an opening are formed in the cover. A knob is slidably engaged in 10 the channel and includes a tube having a pair of shoulders. A plug has a pair of hooks engaged into the tube and engaged with the shoulders so as. to secure the plug to the tube. A spring is biased between the knob and the plug for biasing the knob partially outward of the cover and for forcing the plug ' 15 against the cover to enclose the orifice. The plug can be made of plastic material instead of metal material.

The prior art patents fail to provide a means for carrying the container or means for stacking a number of the containers of means for securely locking thé cover on the 20 container body.

What is needed is a cover fit precisely over a container with an air-tight sliding fit and an air release valve to create a vacuum seal fit with a vacuum or partial vacuum in the container by installing the cover thereon and a twist lock 25 for the top with a top handle and adjacent air release valve to carry the container by the top handle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide 30 a cover fit precisely over a container with an air-tight sliding fit and an air release valve to create a vacuum or partial vacuum in the container by installing the cover thereon.

A related object of the present invention is to provide a 35 container cover with a cylindrical interior wall and a precisely matching cylindrical exterior face around a container opening to receive the cover, the cylindrical exterior face having a slightly angled truncated conical tapered upper portion with a smaller diameter adjacent to a 3 top rim of the container opening and extending outwardly down . to a straight vertical cylindrical surface spaced apart from the rim to allow the cover to slip easily over the rim down onto the mating cylindrical portion wherein the air release 5 valve is required to install the cover over the outer cylindrical portion of the container sleeve.

Another object is to provide a cover and container further comprising a twist lock for the top with a top handle and adjacent air release valve to carry the container by the 10 top handle.

An alternate object of the present invention is to provide a cover having -a sliding vacuum fit on a container wherein an air release valve is positioned on a side of the ' cover adjacent to the top and the top of the cover is flat so 15 that several covered containers can be stacked together.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of modular cradles for the containers to form a rack system for stacking a number of the vacuum sealed containers vertically.

20 Another objective of the present invention is to provide a cover of a container which includes no screws therein.

In brief, a cover for a container fits with a sliding air tight fit over the container body with an inner cover sleeve adjacent to the cover opening forming an air tight slidable 25 fit with an outer container sleeve around the top opening of the container. The cover has an air release valve to allow escape of air from the container when the cover is pressed onto the container body with the air release valve held open during the installation to release air from the container to 30 create a vacuum seal fit with at least a partial vacuum in the container with the cover fully installed on the container. The cover is only releasable for removal by opening the air release valve to admit air back into the container to break the vacuum and allow a user to slide the cover off with the 35 air release valve held open. A handle positioned adjacent to the air release valve enables a user to remove and install the cover with a single hand gripping the handle and pressing the air release valve with a thumb of the same hand.

To further secure the cover at least a pair of 4 protrusions extending from opposite sides of the container sleeve engage mating L-shaped openings in a bottom edge of the cover to lock the cover in place.

Special dual sided cradles engage a top of a vacuum 5 sealed container below each cradle and a bottom of a vacuum sealed container above each cradle so that a series of cradles are used to vertically stack a number of^ vacuum sealed containers .

10 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other details of the present invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings: 15 FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention with the container body, cover and air release valve components adl aligned for assembly; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum sealed 20 container of FIG. 1 with the cover on the container body showing the locking element; FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention of FIG. 5 with the cover removed from the container body showing the combined 25 pressing of the air release valve’and the rotary motion of the cover to release the lock mechanism; FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention. of FIG. 5 with the cover sealed on the container body; 30 FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vacuum sealed - container of the present invention showing a hand of a user simultaneously gripping the handle and pressing the air release valve with a single hand; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the container 35 supports of the stacking system of the present invention used for stacking a vertical array of the vacuum sealed containers of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a stacked vertical array of the vacuum sealed containers of the present invention using 5 the container supports of FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cover of FIG. 1 having a top handle and air release valve, the cover aligned for installation on a container having a tapered 5 conical upper portion of the cylindrical sleeve around the top opening of the container; ^ FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cylindrical cover of FIG. 1 having a top handle and air . release valve, the cover installed on the container having a 10 tapered conical upper portion of the cylindrical sleeve around the top opening of the container.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention having a flat topped cover with the air release valve on the side of 15 the cover adjacent to the top; FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cover of FIG. 10 aligned for installation on a container having a tapered conical upper portion of the cylindrical sleeve around the top opening of the container; 20 FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cylindrical flat top cover of FIG. 8 installed on the container having a tapered conical upper portion of the cylindrical sleeve around the top opening of the container.

25 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1-12, a vacuum sealed container 9 comprises a container body 10 including an open top 11 encircled by an outer body sleeve 12 and a cover 20 engaged on top of the container body 10 for enclosing the open top of the container 30 body with a vacuum seal.

The cover 20 comprises an air release valve 30 in an upper portion of the cover 20 above the container body 10 and an interior cover sleeve 22 structured to mate with the outer body sleeve 12 with an airtight force fit over the mating 35 outer body sleeve 12 so that it is necessary to open the air release valve 30 to slide the cover 20 onto the container body 10 releasing air through the air release valve 30 to create a vacuum seal, producing at least a partial vacuum in the container 9, with the cover 20 fully installed on the 6 container body 10 as in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, and 12, and so that it is necessary to open the air release valve 30 to admit air into the container 9 to release the vacuum seal to enable the cover 20 to be removed from the container 'body 10 as in 5 . FIGS 1, 4, 9, and 11.

In FIG. 1, exploded detail A, the air release valve 30 with a knob comprises a channel 21 formed in the cover 20 and an air opening 211 formed through the cover 20, the air opening 211 communicating with the channel 21 so that air can 10 pass through the channel 21 into the container 9. The knob slidably engaged in the channel 21 has a top portion normally protruding above the top of the cover 20 for engaging the knob to activate the air release valve 30, as shown in FIG. 3. A hollow tube 31 extends from the knob into the channel 21. The 15 hollow tube 31 has side wall openings 311. The knob includes four projections 33 for .engaging with the cover 20 so as to prevent the knob from engaging into the channel 21 of the cover 20.

A bottom plug 40 engages the upper knob through the air 20 opening 211, the bottom plug 40 having a flat top surface for covering the air opening 211 to block the air. A shaft 41 extends upwardly from the bottom plug 40 with an expanded partially tapered head 411 on the top of the shaft 41. The shaft 41 is inserted into the hollow tube 31 of the knob and 25 the head 411 snaps out into the side wall openings 311 to lock the bottom plug 40 to the knob through the air opening 211 to allow the bottom plug 40 to be quickly and easily secured to the knob. A coil spring 35 is engaged on the hollow tube 31 and is biased between the knob and the bottom plug 40 so as to 30 bias the knob partially outward of the cover 20 and so as to force the bottom plug 40 against the cover 20 for enclosing the air opening 211, as shown .in FIG. 3, to normally seal the - air opening 211 through the cover 20 to prevent air from passing therethrough until the bottom plug 40 is pushed by a 35 user to release the bottom plug 40 and admit the air through the air opening 211.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 4, when the knob is depressed inward of the channel 21, the bottom plug 40 is disengaged from the air opening 211 such that the air opening 7 211 is opened and such that air is' allowed to flow inward or flow outward of the cover 20.

It is to be noted that the bottom plug 40 can be easily made by molding processes and can be made with plastic 5 materials instead of metal material that is used for making the typical fastening screw. In addition, the bottom plug 40 can be easily and quickly secured to the knob. Furthermore, the bottom plug 40 itself is good enough to be used for closely enclosing the air opening 211.

10 The biasing means biased between the knob and the bottom plug 40 for biasing the knob partially outward of the cover 20 and for forcing the bottom plug 40 against the cover 20 is preferably a spring 35 but may be a different type of biasing means .

15 The cover 20 is further locked onto the container body 10 by at least one protrusion 13 on a side of the outer body • sleeve 12 interlocking with at least one mating L-shaped opening 23 on a bottom edge of the cover 20 to mate with the protrusion 13. As the cover 20 is installed on the container 20 body 10, while activating the air release valve 30, a vertical edge portion 24 of each of the L-shaped openings 23 engages the mating protrusion 13 and as the protrusion 13 reaches a horizontal portion 25 of the L-shaped opening 23 the cover 20 is turned to fully insert the protrusion 13 in the horizontal 25 portion 25 to lock the cover 20 onto the container body 10 to enable the container 9 to be lifted by the cover 20, as in FIG. 5. The cover 20 is turned in an alternate direction to align the vertical edge portion 24 of the L-shaped opening 23 with the protrusion 13 and the cover 20 lifted while 30 activating the air release valve 30 to remove the cover 20 from the container body 10, as shown in FIG. 4.

A handle 50 extends out from the top of the cover 20 with a gripping space 51 between the handle 50 and the cover 20 to grip the handle 50 to maneuver the cover 20 onto and off of 35 the container body 10. The handle 50 is positioned adjacent to the air release valve 30 so that the air release valve 30 may be activated by.a hand of a user holding the handle 50, as in FIG. 5 with the finger's of the user around the hand and the thumb of the user pushing the air release valve 30. The handle 8 50 on the cover 20 is also used to lift the container 9 with the cover 20 locked on, as in FIG. 5.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, the vacuum sealed container 9 further comprises a rack 70 for vertically stacking a plurality of the 5 vacuum sealed containers 9, as in FIG. 7, with each oriented horizontally in a vertical stacked array. The rack 70 comprises a plurality of container supports 60, each container support 60 comprising a pair of horizontally spaced mating cradles 61 interconnected by a pair of dowels 62 or other 10 means for rigidly interconnecting the cradles 61. Each of the cradles 61 comprises an elongated member having a top surface 64 for engaging and supporting a bottom of a vacuum sealed container ‘9 and a bottom surface 65 for resting on a top of a vacuum sealed container 9 so that a container support 60 is \ 15 positioned under a bottom vacuum sealed container 9 and . between each adjacent vacuum sealed container 9 in the vertical stacked array, as shown in FIG. 7.

Each of the container supports 60 further comprises a container edge support 63 protruding form a back edge of one 20 of the cradles 61. The container edge support 63 configured to receive and support a bottom edge of one of the vacuum sealed containers 9 to prevent each vacuum, sealed container 9 from sliding off a back of the stacked array, as in FIG. 7, so that the covers 20 may be installed on and removed from the 25 container bodies 10 to access contents of the vacuum sealed containers 9 while remaining in the vertical stacked array.

In FIG. 8, the cover of FIG. 1 has a top handle 50 and top pressure release button 30. The cover 20 is aligned for installation on a container body 10 having a tapered conical 30 upper portion 12A of the cylindrical sleeve 12B around a rim of the open top 11 of the—container body 10 to allow the cover 20 to slip easily over the rim of the open top 11 down past the tapered conical upper portion 12A onto the mating cylindrical portion 12B wherein the air release valve 30 is 35 required to install the cover 20 over the outer cylindrical portion 12B of the outer body sleeve 12 of the container body 10.

In FIG. 9, the cylindrical cover 20 of FIG. 8 is installed on the container body 10 having the tapered conical 9 upper portion 12A of the cylindrical sleeve 12B.

In FIG. 10, an alternate embodiment of the vacuum sealed container 9 of the present invention has an air release valve 30 on the side of the cover 20 adjacent to the top and a flat 5 top surface 7 so that the covered containers 9 may be stacked on top of each other with a bottom 8 of one container body 10 resting on a top 7 of the cover 20 of another covered container 9.

In FIG. 11, the cover 20 of FIG. 10 is aligned for 10 installation on a container body 10 having a tapered conical upper portion 12A of the cylindrical sleeve 12B around the rim of the open top 11 of the container body 10 to allow easy insertion of the container cover 20 with an interior cover sleeve 22 and a precisely matching cylindrical exterior 15 cylindrical sleeve 12B around the container opening to receive the cover 20. The exterior face of the cylindrical sleeve 12B has a slightly angled truncated conical tapered upper portion 12A with a smaller diameter adjacent to the rim of the open top 11 of the container opening and expanding outwardly down 20 to a straight vertical cylindrical sleeve 12B spaced apart from the open top 11 to allow the cover' 20 to slip easily over the—rim of the open top 11 down over the tapered upper portion 12A onto the mating cylindrical sleeve 12B wherein the air release valve 30 is required to install the cover 20 over the 25 outer cylindrical sleeve 12B of the container sleeve.

In FIG. 12, the flat top cover 20 of FIG. 10 is installed over the outer body sleeve 12 of the container body 10.

The vacuum sealed containers 9 may be made in a variety of sizes including large 10 liter sizes containers to house 30 any desired contents to maintain the contents in a fresh condition due to the vacuum seal.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosures has been made by way of example only and 35 that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as hereinafter claimed.

( 1038070

Claims

A vacuum sealed storage canister, characterized in that it comprises: a canister (10) with an open top (11) bounded by an external sleeve (12); 5 a lid (20) is mounted on top of the canister (10) to close the open top (11) of the canister (10); the cover (20) includes a vent valve (30) in the upper portion of the cover (20) on top of the sleeve (10) and an inner sleeve (22) structured to match the outer sleeve (12) with a Airtight and sliding fit over the outer sleeve (12) so that it opens. vent valve (30) is necessary to slide the cover (20) onto the sleeve (10); by venting with the vent valve (30) to create a vacuum seal, at least a partial vacuum is created in the supply canister (9); with the lid (20) fully mounted on the canister (10), opening the vent valve (30) is necessary to allow lunch into the supply canister (9) so that the vacuum seal is released and the lid (20) can be removed from the bus (10).

2. The vacuum closed storage canister according to claim 1, wherein the outer sleeve (12) of the storage canister (9) comprises an upper conical portion (12A) and a cylindrical sleeve (12B) around the open top (11) of the storage canister (9). ); the upper conical portion (12A) becomes smaller at the open top (11) to allow the lid (20) to slide easily over the edge on the matching cylindrical sleeve (12B) with the vent valve (30) required around the lid ( 20) over external cylindrical sleeve (12B) of the outer sleeve (12) of the sleeve (10).

3. The vacuum-closed storage canister according to claim 2 further comprises at least one protrusion (13) on one side of the outer sleeve (12), and at least one matching L-shaped opening (23) on the lower edge of the lid (20). or two 1038070 for two opposite sides of the lid (20) to fit with the protrusions (13) so that if the lid (20) is fitted while the vent valve (30) is being activated, a vertical portion (24) of an I-. 5-shaped opening (23), the matching protrusion (13) and when the protrusion (13) reaches the horizontal portion (25) of the L-shaped opening (23), the lid (20) is completely turned over, stop the protrusion (13) ) in the horizontal portion (25) to close the lid (20) on the storage canister 10 (9) to be able to lift the storage canister (9) with the lid (20), and the lid (20) is turned into a direction to align the vertical portion (24) of the L-shaped opening (23) with the protrusion (13) and the lid (20) is lifted while the vent valve 15 (30) is activated to release the lid (20) catch the bus (10). The vacuum closed storage canister according to claim 2 further comprises a handle (50) on the lid (20) for applying and removing the lid (20) on the canister (10); the handle (50) is close to the bleed valve (30) so that the bleed valve (30) can be activated with a hand holding the handle (50) and the handle (50) on the lid (20) is used around the storage can (9) ). 25

5. The vacuum closed supply canister according to claim 2, wherein the lid (20) comprises a cylindrical cavity, characterized in that it has a flat top and the vent valve (30) is on the lid (20) near the top so that closed supply cans (9) can stack on top of each other.

The vacuum closed storage canister of claim 1 wherein the vent valve (30) comprises: a channel (21) formed in the lid (20) and an air opening 35 (211) formed by the lid (20), the opening (211) connects to the channel (21) so that air can pass through the channel (21) into the supply canister (9); a slidable button is provided in the channel (21), the button includes a top portion for activating the vent valve (30), a hollow tube (31) extending from the button in the channel (21); the hollow tube (31) has openings (311) on its side, and at least one protrusion (33) from the knob for the lid (20) to prevent the knob from entering the channel (21); a bottom plug (40) for the knob through the air opening (211), the. bottom plug (40) has a flat top surface for covering the air vent (211) to block air and. an axis (41) extending upwardly from the bottom plug (40) with an enlarged and partially conical head (411) on top of the axis (41), the axis (41) stopping in the air opening (211) and in the hollow tube (31) of the button and the head (411) enters the side openings (311J to close the bottom plug (40) on the button through the air opening (211); and a biasing means that adjustment is made between the knob and bottom plug (40) for biasing the knob partially on the outside of the lid (20) and for forcing the bottom plug (40) against the lid (20) around the air opening (211) through the lid (20) normally close to prevent airflow 20 until the bottom plug (40) is pressed to release the bottom plug (40) and let the air through the opening (211).

7. The vacuum-closed storage can according to claim 6, wherein the biasing means, characterized in that it comprises a spring (35). "

8. The vacuum-closed storage can according to claim 1 further comprises a storage rack (70) for vertically stacking a number of vacuum-closed storage cans (9), each of which is oriented horizontally in a vertical row, the storage rack (70) comprises a number of canisters ( 60), each bus carrier (60) comprises a pair of horizontally placed matching cradles (61) contiguous with rigid connection of the cradles (61), each cradle (61) comprises an elongated piece with the top surface (64) for supporting a vacuum-closed storage canister (9) and the bottom surface (65) for laying on top of a vacuum-closed storage canister (9) so that a canister (60) is placed under the bottom of a vacuum-closed storage canister (9) ) and storage container r (9) closed between each continuous vacuum in the vertical row.

The vacuum closed storage canister according to claim 8, wherein each canister carrier (60) further comprises a side support (63) protruding from the edge of each cradle (61), the side support (63) coming to support the bottom of each vacuum-sealed supply canister (9) to prevent sliding of each vacuum-closed supply canister (9) from the row, and that the lids (20) can be turned on and off from the vacuum-closed supply cans (9) to be able to reach the vacuum closed storage cans (9) while remaining in the vertical row. 1038070