Apparatus and method to more effectively vacuum package foods and other objects

Abstract

Raised irregular surfaces on the walls of packaging, with specific application to the interiors of evacuated flexible wall packaging which contains food or other articles. Such raised irregular surfaces may facilitate package evacuation and, when contrasted against regular pattern raised surfaces, may eliminate undesirable, unnatural, regular patterns from being imprinted on package contents caused by: cooking, freezing, storage, chemical reaction, microbes, evacuative pressure or other reasons.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A bag used for vacuum packaging items comprising: 
 a first wall and an opposing second wall which act together in the formation of a bag;    the first and second walls both being made of gas impermeable material;    the first wall having a first interior face which fronts the second wall;    the second wall having a second interior face which fronts the first wall;    the bag having an opening through which the bag may be evacuated;    the first wall having on the first interior face adjacent to the opening, a first raised irregular surface, and the first raised irregular surface extending away from the opening along the first interior face such that the bag is adapted to be evacuated by drawing air through the opening and through interior air passages, at least some of which are formed between the first raised irregular surface other surfaces it contacts; and    a seal to close the opening air tight after the bag is evacuated.    
     
     
         2 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the raised irregular surface has a depth from peak to adjacent valley of at least 0.001 inch.  
     
     
         3 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the raised irregular surface has a depth from peak to adjacent valley of between 0.004 and 0.029 inches.  
     
     
         4 . The bag of  claim 1  further including the first wall having an essentially uniform thickness in areas containing the first raised irregular surface.  
     
     
         5 . The bag of  claim 1  further including the first wall having a first exterior face which fronts away from the second wall and the first exterior face being generally flat in locations backing areas containing the first raised irregular surface.  
     
     
         6 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the first wall has a first and a second layer with the first layer including the first interior face and being able to be welded to the second interior face, and the second layer being gas impermeable.  
     
     
         7 . The bag of  claim 1  further including the second wall having a second raised irregular surface along the second interior face, such that the bag is adapted to be evacuated by drawing air through the opening and through air passages, at least some of which are channels created between the second raised irregular surface and other surfaces it contacts.  
     
     
         8 . The bag of  claim 7  further including at least half of the combined surface area of the first and second interior faces including a raised irregular surface.  
     
     
         9 . A package for containing foods or other articles and the package comprising: 
 a flexible perimeter containment wall;    the flexible perimeter containment wall being integral to a formed container;    an opening through which air may be evacuated from the container;    the containment wall including an inside face fronting the interior of the container;    a raised irregular surface extending along the inside face, from a location adjacent to the opening, to an area away from the opening; and    the container adapted to be evacuated by air being drawn out of the container through the opening and through air channels, at least some of which are formed between the raised irregular surface and surfaces contacted by the raised irregular surface.    
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 9  further including an air tight seal adapted to close the opening after the container has been evacuated.  
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 9  further including the raised irregular surface having a depth of between 0.004 and 0.029 inches from peak to adjacent valley.  
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 9  wherein at least 50% of the interior surface of the flexible perimeter containment wall includes a raised irregular surface.  
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 9  further including the containment wall being transparent.  
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 9  wherein the raised irregular surface is transparent.  
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 9  wherein the package is adapted to receive foods having a soft outer surface which is able to be imprinted by d raised patterned surface being pressed against the package contents by pressures caused by the evacuation of the container.  
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 9  wherein the package is adapted to receive foods having an outer surface able to be imprinted by a raised patterned surface causing uneven freezer burn while the foods are in frozen storage.  
     
     
         17 . A method of food storage using evacuated flexible wall containers which have interior wall faces which include a raised irregular surface, comprising the steps of: 
 forming a container having flexible containment walls which include an interior raised irregular surface;    loading contents into the container;    drawing air out of the container at least in part using air passages formed between the raised irregular surface and surfaces it contacts; and    sealing the container air tight.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further including sealing the container air tight using heat welding.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further including the contents being food.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  with the further step after sealing the container air tight of placing the container in cold storage.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  with the further step after sealing the container air tight of placing the container in a microwave oven.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  with the further step after sealing the container air tight of placing the container in boiling water.