Bucket vacuum lid

Abstract

Such a vacuum-interface lid may have the ability to adapt common containers to work with a vacuum system to safely intercept, collect, transport, and store materials with minimal handling provides. A vacuum-interface lid may include, but is not limited to: an output port couplable to a vacuum source; an intake port couplable to a material conduit; and a flange portion including a seal configured to engage a top rim of a container.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A vacuum interface lid comprising:
 an output port couplable to a vacuum source;   an intake port couplable to a material transfer conduit;   a flange portion configured to engage a top rim of a container.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 1 , wherein the output port couplable to a vacuum source includes:
 an output port configured to at least partially receive an end portion of a vacuum conduit coupled to the vacuum source.   
     
     
         3 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 2 , wherein the output port configured to at least partially receive an end portion of a vacuum conduit coupled to the vacuum source includes:
 an output port configured to frictionally retain the end portion of the vacuum conduit coupled to the vacuum source.   
     
     
         4 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 3 , wherein output port configured to frictionally retain the end portion of the vacuum conduit coupled to the vacuum source includes:
 an output port configured to frictionally retain an end portion of a vacuum conduit having a diameter of at least one of 1¼-inches, 1½-inches, or 2¼-inches.   
     
     
         5 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 1 , wherein the output port couplable to a vacuum source includes:
 an output port having an external wall portion having a first diameter and an internal wall portion having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, the internal wall portion being at least partially disposed within the external wall portion.   
     
     
         6 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 1 , wherein the intake port couplable to a material transfer conduit includes:
 an intake port configured to at least partially receive an end portion of the material transfer conduit.   
     
     
         7 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 5 , wherein the intake port configured to at least partially receive the end portion of the material transfer conduit includes:
 an intake port configured to frictionally retain the end portion of the material transfer conduit.   
     
     
         8 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 6 , wherein the intake port configured to frictionally retain the end portion of the material transfer conduit includes:
 an intake port configured to frictionally retain an end portion of the material transfer conduit having a diameter of at least one of 1¼-inches, 1½-inches, or 2¼-inches.   
     
     
         9 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 1 , wherein the flange portion includes:
 a seal disposed at least partially within the flange portion and configured to contact the top rim of the container when the flange portion engages the top rim of the container.   
     
     
         10 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 1 , wherein the flange portion includes:
 a projection portion having an internal diameter less than a widest diameter of the top rim of the container and configured to lock the vacuum interface lid to the container.   
     
     
         11 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 1 , wherein the flange portion has an external diameter greater than a widest diameter of the top rim of the container. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 1 , wherein the flange portion is integral to the vacuum interface lid. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 12 , wherein the flange portion integral to the vacuum interface lid includes:
 a flange portion that is a molded portion of the vacuum interface lid.   
     
     
         14 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a deflection tube disposed under the intake port.   
     
     
         15 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a check valve disposed under the output port.   
     
     
         16 . The vacuum interface lid of  claim 15 , wherein the check valve includes:
 a float retainer tube disposed under the output port; and   a float disposed within the float retainer tube,   wherein the float is configured to rise within the float retainer tube during filling of the container with material until the float becomes pinned against a seat of the output port.