US3452510A - Vacuum sealing device - Google Patents

Description

july 969 E H FRY 3,452,510

' VACUUM SEALING DEVICE Filed sept. a. 196e J7 ik ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,452,510 VACUUM SEALING DEVICE Edward H. Fry, 629 Hillcrest Blvd., Phillipsburg, NJ. 08865 Filed Sept. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 577,902 Int. Cl. B65b 31 /04; B67b 5/00 U.S. Cl. 53-88 3 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to new and improved means for evacuating and hermetically sealing containers, and has particular application to the repeated evacuation and resealing of containers that have been opened by the consumer.

Numerous foods are marketed in evacuated containers as the removal of oxygen retards the growth of bacteria and prolongs the retention of avor. Coffee is one example of many foods that are so packaged. When the consumer opens the container to remove some of its contents for use, the seal is broken and the atmosphere has access to the food that remains in the container. If such foods are not used promptly, the effect of moist-ure and oxygen present in the atmosphere, and the loss of volatiles, will result in the food becoming stale before it is consumed. Thus the benefits of vacuum packaging are lost at the time that the Ipackage is first opened, resulting in spoilage or waste unless the product is used within a short period of time. The present invention enables one to restore an opened contained to its original (evacuated) condition, thereby prolonging the storage life of its contents.

The present invention also finds use in the evacuation and sealing of paint and varnish containers. The formation of a skin on the surface of paint or varnish after the container has been opened and the contents thereof partially used is a well known phenomenon. The skin is an oxidized film formed by the reaction of the oxygen within the container and the drying oils present in the paint or varnish composition. The removal of such skins is wasteful and a complete separation of oxidation products from the residual paint or varnish requires filtration.

It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide apparatus that will enable the consumer, who has opened a vacuum sealed container and removed a portion of ythe contents, to evacuate and reseal the container whereby the remaining contents within the container may be stored indefinitely under the same conditions that existed prior to opening the container.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a simple inexpensive and effective device capable of establishing an oxygen deficient atmosphere 'within a container.

It is known that an air-tight container, which has been closed, may be evacuated by employing a hand operated pump to withdraw the air therefrom. In accordance with the present invention, means is provided for applying a seal to the evacuation hole within a surrounding apparatus that maintains the vacuum within the container during the application of the seal. The device may then be removed leaving only the seal in place on the container.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing a portion of a container, a portion of a vacuum pump and the apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the container and apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1. An auxilliary pump for exhausting air from the container is shown in broken lines;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a steel piercing plate lthat has been used to form an opening in a container lid; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top view of the lid of a container showing a seal in place over an opening therein.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the vacuum sealing device of the present invention comprises a metal supporting cup 10 having a cylindrical side wall 11 and a bottom 12 defining a chamber 13. A centrally located circular opening in the bottom of the cup receives the stem 15 of a check valve 16, and an opening 17 in the cylindrical side wall accommodates a rigid rod 18, enclosed in a flexible molded section 19 of rubber or some substance having similar characteristics. The dimensions of this molded section are such that it will snugly conform to the bottom and sides of the metal cup 10. An annular ange 20 extends inwardly from the molded section and projects over the edge 21 of the cylindrical wall, thereby preventing relative movement between the molded section and the metal cup. This ange terminates in an outwardly extending rim 22 having a flexible planar edge 23 that will flex into sealing engagement with a container lid 24.

A handle 25 projects radially from one side of the molded section and is molded integral therewith. A longitudinal recess 26 in the handle is aligned with the opening in the cylindrical wall of the metal supporting cup and receives one end of the rigid rod, the other end of which projects within the chamber 13. A seal holder 27 is mounted within the chamber on the rod at such an angle that the face 28 of the holder is parallel to and in contact with the container lid 24 when the handle 25 is moved through the arc ai to the position shown in dotted lines. The face of the seal holder is preferably circular and slightly larger in diameter than a circular seal 27 which is removably attached to the seal holder by a drop of cement. The exposed face of the circular'seal is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive.

The molded section has an opening 29 therein that is in alignment with the opening 14 in the metal cup and the valve stem 15 extends therethrough being retained by the shoulder 30 which contacts the bottom of the cup. A cylindrical adapter 31 having a centrally located opening 32 through which the valve stem passes is held securely against the molded section by the clamping nut 33 that engages threads 34 on the external surface of the valve stem and compresses the molded section between the metal cup 10 and the adapter 31 thereby forming an air-tight seal between the valve stem and the cup.

The internal construction of the check valve is conventional and consists of a longitudinal bore 35 with a valve seat 36 positioned therein and a spherical ball 37 that is normally biased against the valve seat by a valve spring 38, retained within the ybore by a cap nut 39. The check valve functions to permit the flow of air out of the chamber 13 but 'blocks the entry of air into the chamber.

An annular gasket 40 which may be made of rubber or neoprene is positioned at the -bottom of the adapter and forms an air-tight seal against the end of a hand pump 41 shown in dotted lines that is dimensioned to be received by the adapter 31.

The hand pump is of conventional design and forms no part of the present invention. It may consist of a pump cylinder 42 and a ilexible cup-shaped leather washer 43 that is in sliding contact with the wall of the pump cylinder. The washer is secured to one end of an operating rod 44 and may be moved longitudinally within the pump cylinder by the pump handle 45. lt will be apparent from FIGURE 2 that a reciprocating motion of the washer within the pump cylinder will reduce the atmospheric pressure above the check valve as the washer moves upwardly and result in a flow of air from the chamber 13 past the check valve and into the lower section 46 of the pump cylinder. On the downward stroke, the air in the lower section of the pump is forced past the edge 47 of the washer as the check valve prevents the air from reentering the chamber 13.

To seal and evacuate a paint can that has been opened, the lid 24 is replaced to form an air-tight seal and is wiped clean to remove any oil or dirt that would prevent the seal 27' from sticking. An opening 48 is made in the lid for the removal of air. The opening may be conveniently made in the lid by means of a circular piercing plate 49 the point 50 of which easily penetrates the metal lid as shown in FIGURE 3. Preferably the piercing plate is made with a diameter slightly larger than the rim 22 of the molded section. This permits one to mark around the edge 51 of the piercing plate with a marking pencil and is an aid in positioning the edge of the molded section on the lid so that the seal holder 27 is positioned precisely over the opening in the lid.

The piercing plate is then removed from the lid expOsing the opening 48.

The seal 27' is then affixed to the seal holder with a drop of cement applied to the side of the seal that is not coated with the pressure sensitive adhesive. In placing a seal on the seal holder, care should be taken to align the center of the seal with the center of the seal holder so that the edge of the seal is concentric with the edge of the seal holder and the face of the seal that is coated with pressure sensitive adhesive is eX- posed.

The metal cup is placed over the opening 48 and pressed against the lid so that the edges 23 of the molded section forms -a seal along the lid inscribed by theI marking pencil, and the chamber 13 is evacuated by a hand pump applied to the adapter 31 as shown in FIG- URE 2. After several strokes of the pump handle, the molded section is rmly pressed against the lid and held in position by atmospheric pressure.

After `the chamber 13 has been evacuated, the hand pump may 'be removed from the adapter and the handle 25 is moved upwardly to the position shown in dotted lines thus pressing the adhesive surface of the seal rmly against the opening 48 and sealing the container. The seal adheres tightly to the lid and is separated from the seal holder when the handle 2'5 returns to its original position-Air may be admitted to the chamber 13 by inserting a knife blade or other sharp tool under the edge of the molded section, and the evacuated container with the seal in place returned t0 storage. The atmospheric pressure against the seal will hold it securely in place and prevent the reentry of air -into the container until it is again opened, at which time the seal may 'be easily removed.

The container may -be reopened and closed any num- 4 be modied by providing an inlet conduit and valve for the admission of an inert gas such as nitrogen into the chamber 13. If desired a vacuum gauge may be provided to indicate the pressure within the chamber. For greater speed and efficiency, a mechanical pump may be substituted for the hand pump.

While the invention has been described in detail to illustrate a preferred construction of the apparatus and its method of use, it will be obvious to those skilled in 'the art after understanding the invention that changes and modications may lbe made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such alterations and modifications.

What is claimed is: Y

1. Apparatus for evacuating and resealing a container comprising: a supporting cup having bottom and side walls dening a chamber, said cup 'being disposed in inverted position with its bottom upward and open side downward, a check valve mounted in the bottom of said cup and communicating with said chamber to permit egress of air therefrom; an opening in the side wall of said cup; a rigid rod extending through and free to move within said opening in the side wall of said cup; seal holder means mounted on said rigid rod within said chamber; and flexible molded means encompassing the ybottom and side walls of said cup and a portion of said rigid rod outside of said cup, said flexible molded means having an opening axially aligned with the open side of said cup and including an inwardly extending annular ange surrounding said opening and projecting over the lower edge of the side wall of said cup thereby preventing relative movement between the molded means and said cup, and an outwardly extending rim having a ilexible planar edge for sealing engagement with a container to be sealed; said seal holder means being movable within said chamber by manipulation of said rigid rod to apply a seal affixed thereto to an opening in a container to be sealed.

Z. Apparatus for evacuating and resealing a container according to claim 1, comprising means surrounding said check valve for receiving a vacuum pump in sealed relationship to said apparatus.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means comprises an adaptor having a centrally located opening through which said check valve extends; means for securing said adaptor to said metal cup and compressing said molded means therebetween to form an air-tight seal between said check valve, adaptor and cup; and gasket means in said adaptor for forming an air-tight seal with a vacuum pump.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,418 2/1872 Phelps 53--88 169,480 11/1875 IRoberts 53--101 X Y 228,999 6/ 1880 Johnson 53-97 X 1,601,705 9/ 1926 Staunton 53-88 X 2,576,322 11/1951 Waters -53-88 X 2,648,474 8/ 1953 Crook 53-88 X LAVERNE ID. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. E. I. EARLS, Assistant Examiner. I

Y U.S. Cl. X.R. 53--101

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