Vacuum storage bag

Abstract

A vacuum storage bag providing an interior volume for storing food items in an evacuated condition has air flexible sidewalls made of a gas permeable material. The gas permeable sidewalls can be made of multiple layers including a heat sealing innermost layer and a relatively stronger, outwardly disposed gas permeable layer. The heat sealing layer can be low density polyethylene to facilitate forming of the bag with heat seals and the stronger gas permeable layer can be high density polyethylene to provide the bag with sufficient strength and toughness. In various embodiments, the storage bag can include interlocking closure strips for releasably closing an opening, a one-way vacuum valve for evacuating the interior volume, and a textured portion along one sidewall to facilitate evacuation.

1 . A vacuum storage bag comprising:
 a first flexible, gas permeable sidewall; and   a second flexible sidewall overlaying and joined to the first gas permeable sidewall to provide an interior volume;   wherein at least a portion of the first sidewall includes a first layer of a heat sealable material and a second layer of air permeable material.   
   
   
       2 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises low density polyethylene and the second layer comprises high density polyethylene. 
   
   
       3 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 2 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are in direct contact. 
   
   
       4 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall has an overall thickness, the first layer comprising between about 5% to about 50% of the overall thickness. 
   
   
       5 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 2 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are coextensive. 
   
   
       6 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 2 , wherein the first sidewall further includes a third outermost layer, the second layer is between the first layer and the third layer. 
   
   
       7 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 6 , wherein the third layer comprises low density polyethylene. 
   
   
       8 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 6 , wherein the third layer comprises ultra low density polyethylene. 
   
   
       9 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein the second sidewall is a gas permeable sidewall including a first layer and a second layer. 
   
   
       10 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall has an overall thickness of about 2.5 mils to about 3.5 mils. 
   
   
       11 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises a linear low density polyethylene. 
   
   
       12 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 1 , further comprising one-way valve element attached to the first or second sidewall and communicating with the interior volume. 
   
   
       13 . The storage bag of  claim 1 , further comprising an opening for accessing the interior volume, first and second interlocking closure strips attached respectively to the first and second sidewalls proximate the opening. 
   
   
       14 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of at least one inner surface of the first or second sidewalls includes a textured portion. 
   
   
       15 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 14 , wherein the textured portion is on the inner surface of the first layer of the first sidewall. 
   
   
       16 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 15 , wherein the textured portion includes a plurality of protruding elongated ridges. 
   
   
       17 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 14 , wherein the textured portion includes a plurality of raised protuberances rising from the inner surface. 
   
   
       18 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 14 , further comprising a second textured portion located on an inner surface of the second sidewall. 
   
   
       19 . A vacuum storage bag comprising:
 a first flexible sidewall including an inner most layer of low density polyethylene and a second layer of high density polyethylene; and   a second flexible sidewall including an inner most layer of low density polyethylene and a second layer of high density polyethylene, the second sidewall overlaying and joined to the first sidewall to provide an interior volume.   
   
   
       20 . The vacuum storage bag of  claim 19 , wherein the first and second sidewalls are joined by heat seals formed between the low density polyethylene layer of the first sidewall and the low density polyethylene layer of the second sidewall, the heat seals being formed along a first side edge and a second side edge.