Vacuum generating device for sealing perishable products and method of use

Abstract

A vacuum sealing device comprises a lid having a rigid rim with a lower opening for receiving a dish, an impermeable elastic membrane peripherally affixed to the rigid rim for sealing the dish, and a valve-less air evacuator formed between the elastic membrane and the dish rim. The valve-less evacuator allows air to flow out of the dish when the lid is being pressed and becomes closed when the lid is released to cause said lid to rebound to form a vacuum in the dish. The rigid rim prevents lid deformation when the lid is pressed, thus enabling the vacuum formation. To facilitate lid removal, the device has a valve-less vacuum releaser comprising a finger-receiving chamber and a section of the elastic membrane located above the chamber and connected to the rigid rim for releasing the vacuum in the dish. To prevent vacuum loss during storage in freezer or fridge, the elastic membrane is sufficiently thinned prior to being affixed to the rigid rim. In use, one places the lid on a dish, forces air out of the dish via the air evacuator between a section of the elastic membrane and the dish rim by pressing the lid, and releases the lid to cause the air evacuator to close and vacuum to form in the dish. To restore the device's capability to generate and maintain vacuum after numerous uses, the lid is exposed to a hot fluid having a temperature higher than 45° C. for a period of time.

1 . A vacuum generating device for sealing a perishable product comprising:
 an elastic membrane for sealing a containing chamber, said elastic membrane being substantially impermeable to prevent air from permeating through into the containing chamber;   a sufficiently rigid rim connected or adapted to connect to said elastic membrane, said rigid rim comprising a sufficiently rigid material to prevent it from being substantially deformed when said elastic membrane is deformed and air is removed from the chamber to produce a vacuum therein; and   wherein said elastic membrane is sufficiently stretched during the assembly of said device to substantially reduce the thickness of said elastic membrane and maintain said elastic membrane in a stretched condition before said elastic membrane is sealed to the containing chamber, thereby improving the vacuum seal for the perishable product when said elastic membrane is sealed to the containing chamber.   
   
   
       2 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said elastic membrane is sufficiently stretched to reduce its thickness by at least 3% and affixed to said rigid rim during said assembly, thereby maintaining said elastic membrane in a stretched condition under tension when said device is not in use or not applied to the containing chamber. 
   
   
       3 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 2  wherein said elastic membrane is sufficiently stretched to reduce its thickness by at least 8% and to affixed to said rigid rim during said assembly. 
   
   
       4 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said rigid rim comprises a first rigid rim and a second rim, wherein during said assembly said elastic membrane is sandwiched between said first and second rims and stretched to reduce its thickness by at least 3% as compared with the original thickness of the elastic membrane in its original non-stretched condition prior to the assembly. 
   
   
       5 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said elastic membrane comprises a first section for sealing the containing chamber to form a closed vacuum chamber between said first section and the container and a second section connected to only part of said first section and extending away from the closed vacuum chamber, said second section being substantially smaller than said first section but being sufficiently large to allow a finger or finger-like member to push said elastic membrane up and away from the containing chamber to release the vacuum therein. 
   
   
       6 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 5  wherein said rigid rim is further characterized by an outwardly protruding section adapted to connect to said second section of said elastic membrane. 
   
   
       7 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a vacuum releaser having at least one of a beam and a plate connected to said rigid rim and extending over a section of said elastic membrane to facilitate the release of the vacuum in the containing chamber. 
   
   
       8 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said rigid rim comprises an annular ring having an inwardly extending ridge that is spaced above the elastic membrane. 
   
   
       9 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a valve-less air evacuator comprising a release section of said elastic membrane affixed to said rigid rim, said release section being adapted to be more deformable than at least some other part of said elastic membrane affixed to said rigid rim to enable an air passage to form between said release section and the containing chamber when at least one of a force, pressure and vacuum is applied to said device to remove air from the containing chamber and to be sufficiently elastic to stamp out said air passage when said one of said force, pressure and vacuum force is removed to cause said section to seal to the containing chamber. 
   
   
       10 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said elastic membrane affixed to said rigid rim in a stretched condition comprises a section having lower tension than at least some other part of said elastic membrane to allow an air passage to form between said section and the containing chamber when at least one of a force, pressure and vacuum is applied to said device to remove air from the containing chamber. 
   
   
       11 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a sufficiently rigid center section to prevent said membrane from being sucked into the containing chamber by vacuum. 
   
   
       12 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a first outwardly protruding section extending at least partially horizontally out of said rigid rim and a second outwardly protruding section extending out of a part of said elastic membrane and connected to said first outwardly protruding section. 
   
   
       13 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 12  wherein said first and second outwardly protruding sections have a downward slope adapted to seal to a dispensing spout on the containing chamber. 
   
   
       14 . A vacuum generating device for sealing a perishable product comprising:
 an elastic membrane for sealing to a container adapted to receive a perishable product, said elastic membrane being substantially impermeable to prevent air from permeating through into the container;   a sufficiently rigid rim connected or adapted to connect to a peripheral section of said elastic membrane, said rigid rim comprising a sufficiently rigid material to prevent it from being substantially deformed when said elastic membrane is deformed;   wherein said elastic membrane is adapted to tend to rebound to cause a vacuum to form in a closed chamber between said elastic membrane and the container after at least part of the air in said closed chamber is removed;   a vacuum releaser connected to said rigid rim for facilitating the release of the vacuum in the container, said vacuum releaser comprising a material substantially more rigid than said elastic membrane; and   wherein said vacuum releaser is further characterized by extending from said rigid rim inwardly and by being spaced above said elastic membrane.   
   
   
       15 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 14  wherein said vacuum releaser comprises at least one of a beam and a plate connected to said rigid rim and extending inwardly over a section of said elastic membrane. 
   
   
       16 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 14  wherein said vacuum releaser comprises an inwardly extending annular ring or ridge that is spaced above said elastic membrane. 
   
   
       17 . A vacuum generating device for sealing a perishable product comprising:
 an elastic membrane having a first section for sealing to a chamber to produce a closed vacuum chamber between said first section and the chamber for preserving the perishable product therein and a second section connected to a part of said first section and extending out of the chamber, said second section being substantially smaller than said first section;   a rim connected or adapted to connect to said elastic membrane, said rim being sufficiently rigid to facilitate the formation and preservation of a vacuum in the container;   wherein said rim comprises at least one of an outwardly protruding section and inwardly receding section; and   a valve-less vacuum releaser for releasing the vacuum in the closed vacuum chamber, said releaser comprising said second section of said elastic membrane and said one of said outwardly protruding and inwardly receding sections, said second section of said elastic membrane being defined by said one of said outwardly protruding and inwardly receding sections of said rim, wherein said second section of said elastic membrane is sufficiently large to allow a finger or finger-like member to press onto and push said elastic membrane up and away from the chamber to release the vacuum in the closed vacuum chamber.   
   
   
       18 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 17  wherein said valve-less vacuum releaser further comprises a squeeze-enabler connected to said rim, the squeeze-enabler extending over and being spaced above said elastic membrane to enable a finger to place on said squeeze-enabler to cooperate another finger or finger-like member underneath said elastic membrane to squeeze to release the vacuum in the closed vacuum chamber. 
   
   
       19 . A vacuum generating device as defined in  claim 17  wherein said rim further comprises at least one of plate, beam and ridge that extends inwardly at least partly horizontally and is spaced above said elastic membrane. 
   
   
       20 . A vacuum generating device for sealing a perishable product comprising:
 an elastic membrane for sealing a container, said elastic membrane being substantially impermeable to prevent air from permeating through into the container;   a sufficiently rigid rim connected or adapted to connect to said elastic membrane, said rigid rim comprising a sufficiently rigid material to prevent it from being substantially deformed when said elastic membrane is deformed and air is removed from the container to produce a vacuum therein;   wherein said elastic membrane comprises a first elastic membrane adapted to seal to the container and face the perishable product, a second elastic membrane above said first membrane, and a bonding layer between said first and second elastic membranes; and   wherein the material in said bonding layer is sufficiently fluidic to be moved from a first location to a second location in the space between said first and second elastic membranes.