Claims
- 1. A canister lid adapted for covering a canister which can be evacuated, the canister lid comprising:a cover member adapted to cover the canister, thereby defining an interior of the canister; a housing attached to an underside of said cover member, wherein a chamber is defined by an interior of said housing and said underside of said cover member; a top surface which is dome-shaped with a plateau in said dome-shaped top surface; a vacuum port that provides an air passageway between said chamber and ambient, said vacuum port adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum, said vacuum port provided through said plateau; a valve which is adapted to selectively communicate the vacuum port through the chamber to an interior space of the canister; a venting port which is adapted to cause the interior space of the canister to be connected through the chamber to ambient; and a plunger mechanism including a release button end, a base that extends below the venting port, and a stem that extends between said release button end and said base, said base being biased upward thereby sealing said venting port; wherein said venting port is adapted to communicate between the interior space of the canister and the vacuum port through the chamber; and wherein when a downward force is applied to said release button end of said plunger mechanism, said stem and said base move downward, thereby causing a gap to form between the venting port and said base, said gap allowing air to enter the interior space of the canister when pressure within the interior of the canister is lower than ambient pressure.
- 2. The canister lid of claim 1 wherein said valve is a flapper valve.
- 3. The canister lid of claim 1 including a gasket adapted for sealing the canister lid to a canister; wherein said gasket includes three points of contact between the gasket and the cannister.
- 4. A canister lid adapted for covering a canister which can be evacuated, the canister lid comprising:an upper surface; a chamber including a chamber wall and said chamber defined below said upper surface; a vacuum port provided through said upper surface and adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum; a vacuum inlet provided through said chamber wall and adapted to communicate said chamber with an interior of a canister; a vacuum valve which can selectively open and close said vacuum inlet and which vacuum valve is adapted to selectively communicate the vacuum port to the interior space of the canister; a venting port provided through said chamber wall and adapted to communicate said chamber with the interior of a canister; and a venting valve that can selectively open and close said venting port, wherein said venting valve extends though said upper surface so that the venting valve can be manually operated from said upper surface.
- 5. The canister lid of claim 4 wherein said venting port is adapted to communicate an interior of a canister to ambient through said chamber and said vaccuum port.
- 6. The cannister lid of claim 4 wherein said vaccuum valve is a flapper valve and said venting valve is a plunger valve.
- 7. The canister lid of claim 4 wherein said upper surface including a dome-shaped top surface.
- 8. The canister lid of claim 4 wherein said upper surface including a dome-shaped top surface with a plateau provided in said dome-shaped top surface.
- 9. The cannister lid of claim 8 wherein said dome-shaped top surface has an apex and said plateau is provided at said apex.
- 10. The canister lid of claim 4 wherein said upper surface includes a dome-shaped top surface with a plateau provided in said dome-shaped top surface and said vacuum port and said venting valve are provided through said plateau.
- 11. The canister lid of claim 4 including a protective covering over said chamber wall.
- 12. The canister lid of claim 4 wherein said chamber wall has a side wall and a bottom wall and said vacuum inlet and said venting port are located through said bottom wall; anda protective covering over said chamber, which protective covering covers said bottom wall and at least part of said slide wall with a space provided between said chamber wall and said protective covering.
- 13. The canister lid of claim 4 including a gasket adapted for sealing the canister lid to a canister; wherein said gasket includes three points of contact between the gasket and the cannister.
- 14. A canister lid, comprising:a cover member adapted to cover a canister, thereby defining an interior of the canister; a housing attached to an underside of said cover member, wherein a chamber is defined by an interior of said housing and said underside of said cover member; a first opening and a second opening in said cover member, which are adapted to provide access into said chamber through said cover member; a third opening and a fourth opening in a bottom of said housing, which are adapted to provide access from the interior of the canister into said chamber through said bottom of said housing; at least one satellite opening, in said bottom of said housing, near said fourth opening; a flapper valve including a stem portion and a top portion having a flexible periphery that extends beyond said stem portion, said stem fitting into said fourth opening such that said flexible periphery covers each of said at least one satellite opening; a release button that includes a portion that rests over said first opening; and a venting valve including an upper end that engages an underside of said release button, a base that extends below the third opening, and a stem that extends between said upper end and said base, wherein said base is biased upward thereby sealing said third openings; wherein when a downward force is applied to said release button said stem and said base move downward, thereby causing a gap to form between the third opening and said venting valve, said gap allowing air to enter the interior of the canister when pressure within the interior of the canister is lower than ambient pressure.
- 15. The canister of claim 14, wherein said third opening is substantially aligned with said first opening.
- 16. The canister of claim 14, wherein when a vacuum is pulled through said second opening, said flexible periphery of said flapper valve is lifted away from said bottom of said housing to allow air to be evacuated through said at least one satellite opening, around said flexible periphery, into said chamber, and out through said second opening.
- 17. The canister of claim 16, wherein said flexible periphery of said flapper valve covers each of said at least one satellite opening after a vacuum is formed in the interior of the canister.
- 18. The canister of claim 16, wherein said flexible periphery of said flapper valve, covering each of said at least one satellite opening, and said base of said venting valve, sealing said third opening, retains the vacuum formed in the canister.
- 19. The canister of claim 16, wherein the cover member includes an outer periphery adapted to engage a peripheral edge of a canister.
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application claims priority from provisional application entitled “HOSE DIRECT CANISTER LID,” Application No. 60/374,085, filed Apr. 19, 2002 under 35 U.S.C. §119 (e), which application is incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (85)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/081,382, Curt L. Anderson, filed Feb. 23, 2002. |
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/374085 |
Apr 2002 |
US |