Direct bag insert vacuum packaging appliance

Abstract

A direct insert vacuum packaging appliance is disclosed. The direct insert aspect of such a vacuum packaging appliance allows a vacuum packaging bag to be inserted into the vacuum packaging appliance directly and with ease. According to certain embodiments, the direct insert vacuum packaging appliance includes a vacuum chamber with drip tray and a clamping mechanism adapted for receiving an open end of a vacuum packaging bag for evacuation of gases from the vacuum packaging bag. Such a direct insert vacuum packaging appliance may be lidded or lidless and may vary from implementation to implementation.

1 . A vacuum packaging appliance, the vacuum packaging appliance comprising: 
 a bag-insert mechanism disposed in an evacuation chamber in an operable relationship to a receiving slot of said evacuation chamber; and    wherein said bag-insert mechanism is operably oriented for receiving and engaging an open end of a packaging bag.    
   
   
       2 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving slot of said evacuation chamber is oriented such that a plane formed by a perimeter of said receiving slot is substantially vertical relative to a substantially horizontal base of said vacuum packaging appliance.  
   
   
       3 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 2 , wherein said receiving slot is located on a frontal face of said vacuum packaging appliance.  
   
   
       4 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving slot of said evacuation chamber is oriented such that a plane formed by a perimeter of said receiving slot is substantially parallel to a substantially horizontal base of said vacuum packaging appliance.  
   
   
       5 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , further comprises a lid when said vacuum packaging appliance is used in a lidded configuration, wherein said lid is adapted to statically seal said evacuation chamber when said lid is moved to a closed position.  
   
   
       6 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , further comprises inflatable bladders for vacuum sealing said evacuation chamber when said vacuum packaging appliance is used in a lidless configuration.  
   
   
       7 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 6 , wherein said inflatable bladders form an air-tight static seal of said evacuation chamber when said inflatable bladders are sufficiently inflated before evacuation of said packaging bag.  
   
   
       8 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 6 , wherein said inflatable bladders are inflated for moving mechanical static seal components into a sealed position for forming an air-tight static seal of said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       10 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , further comprises a heat sealing element for heat sealing said packaging bag.  
   
   
       11 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes a plurality of gripping posts for releasably engaging said packaging bag to maintain said open end of said packaging bag in communication with a drip tray in said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       12 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 11 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes receiving indentations corresponding to said plurality of gripping posts for releasably engaging said packaging bag to maintain said open end of said packaging bag in communication with said drip tray in said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       13 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes two flap portions connected by a hinge mechanism, wherein said flap portions are rotatably movable about said hinge mechanism between an open and a closed position.  
   
   
       14 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism is removable from said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       15 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes curved edges for easy removal from said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       16 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism is integrated with said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       17 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 1 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism is integrated with a removable drip tray associated with said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       18 . A vacuum packaging appliance, the vacuum packaging appliance comprising: 
 a means for forming an evacuation chamber with an opening oriented in a substantially vertical plane relative to a substantially horizontal base of said vacuum packaging appliance; and    a means for receiving and engaging an open end of a packaging bag wherein said means for receiving and engaging being disposed in said evacuation chamber and being operably oriented in said opening.    
   
   
       19 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 18 , further comprising a means for hermetically sealing said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       20 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 18 , wherein said means for receiving and engaging is removable from said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       21 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 18 , wherein said means for receiving and engaging is integrated with said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       22 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 18 , wherein said means for receiving and engaging is integrated with a removable drip tray.  
   
   
       23 . An apparatus for vacuum sealing a packaging bag, said apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber for evacuating gases from said packaging bag and said vacuum chamber having an orifice suitably oriented for allowing one end of said packaging bag to be inserted directly into said orifice when said packaging bag is oriented in a substantially horizontal position relative to said apparatus and wherein said orifice includes a holding mechanism that is adjustable for alternately securing and releasing said one end of said packaging bag.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein said holding mechanism includes gripping posts for said alternately securing and releasing said one end of said packaging bag.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein said holding mechanism includes two flap portions that are flexibly connected to allow said flap portions to rotatably move between an open and a closed position.  
   
   
       26 . A method of packaging using a vacuum packaging appliance, the method comprising: 
 using a bag-insert mechanism into which an open end of a packaging bag is directly inserted when sealing said packaging bag is desired, wherein said bag-insert mechanism is in operable relationship to an opening of an evacuation chamber of said vacuum packaging appliance.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprises using said vacuum packaging appliance in a lidded configuration by including a lid in said vacuum packaging appliance and wherein said lid is adapted to statically seal said evacuation chamber when said lid is moved to a closed position.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprises using inflatable bladders for vacuum sealing said evacuation chamber when said vacuum packaging appliance is used in a lidless configuration.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said inflatable bladders form an air-tight static seal of said evacuation chamber when said inflatable bladders are sufficiently inflated before evacuation of said packaging bag.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said inflatable bladders are inflated for moving mechanical static seal components into a sealed position for forming an air-tight static seal of said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprises using a heat sealing element for heat sealing said packaging bag.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes gripping posts for releasably engaging said packaging bag to maintain said open end of said packaging bag in communication with a drip tray in said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes two flap portions connected by a hinge mechanism, wherein said flap portions are rotatably movable between an open and a closed position about said hinge mechanism.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism is removable from said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism is integrated with said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism is integrated with a removable drip tray associated with said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a receiving portion of said bag-insert mechanism is oriented such that a plane that is substantially parallel to said receiving portion is substantially vertical relative to a substantially horizontal base of said vacuum packaging appliance.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a receiving portion of said bag-insert mechanism is oriented such that a plane that is substantially parallel to said receiving portion is substantially parallel to a substantially horizontal base of said vacuum packaging appliance.  
   
   
       39 . A vacuum packaging appliance, the vacuum packaging appliance comprising: 
 a bag-insert mechanism disposed in an evacuation chamber in an operable relationship to a receiving slot of said evacuation chamber;    inflatable bladders for sealing said evacuation chamber; and    wherein said bag-insert mechanism is operably oriented for receiving and engaging an open end of a packaging bag.    
   
   
       40 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 39 , wherein said inflatable bladders form an air-tight static seal of said evacuation chamber when said inflatable bladders are sufficiently inflated before evacuation of said packaging bag.  
   
   
       41 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 39 , wherein said inflatable bladders are inflated for moving mechanical static seal components into a sealed position for forming an air-tight static seal of said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       42 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 39 , further comprises a heat sealing element for heat sealing said packaging bag.  
   
   
       43 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 39 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes a plurality of gripping posts for releasably engaging said packaging bag to maintain said open end of said packaging bag in communication with a drip tray in said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       44 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 43 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes receiving indentations corresponding to said plurality of gripping posts for releasably engaging said packaging bag to maintain said open end of said packaging bag in communication with said drip tray in said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       45 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 39 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes two flap portions connected by a hinge mechanism, wherein said flap portions are rotatably movable about said hinge mechanism between an open and a closed position.  
   
   
       46 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 39 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism is removable from said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       47 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 39 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism includes curved edges for easy removal from said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       48 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 39 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism is integrated with said evacuation chamber.  
   
   
       49 . The vacuum packaging appliance of  claim 39 , wherein said bag-insert mechanism is integrated with a removable drip tray associated with said evacuation chamber.