The present invention generally relates to vacuum packaging appliances and methods of vacuum packaging objects. In particular, the present invention teaches appliances with small footprints, alternative orientation configurations, and alternative hinging systems and methods for using the same.
Vacuum packaging involves removing air or other gases from a storage container and then sealing the container to prevent the contents from being exposed to ambient air. Vacuum packaging is particularly useful in protecting food and other perishables against oxidation. Oxygen is a main cause of food spoilage and contributes to the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast. Accordingly, vacuum-packaged food often lasts three to five times longer than food stored in ordinary containers. Moreover, vacuum packaging is useful for storing clothes, photographs, silver, and other items to prevent discoloration, corrosion, rust, and tarnishing. Vacuum packaging also produces tight, strong, and compact packages, reducing the bulk of articles and allowing for more space to store other supplies.
In the closed position, the upper trough and the lower trough 22 are aligned and form a vacuum chamber to remove gas from the interior of the bag 90. The base 10 includes a seal 24 surrounding the vacuum chamber to seal the chamber from ambient air while gas is removed from the interior of the bag 90. The vacuum packaging appliance 1 further includes a heating element 30 to thermally seal the bag 90 after the gas has been evacuated. A vacuum packaging appliance of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,310, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Conventional vacuum packaging bags include two panels attached together with an open end. Typically, the panels each include two or more layers. The inner layer can be a heat sealable material, and the outer layer can be a gas impermeable material to provide a barrier against the influx of air. The plasticity temperature of the inner layer is lower than the outer layer. As such, the bag can be heated to thermally bond the inner layer of each panel together to seal the bag without melting or puncturing the outer layer.
A conventional vacuum packaging process includes depositing the object 98 in the bag 90 and positioning an open end 92 of the bag 90 in the lower trough 22 of the vacuum packaging appliance 1. Next, the lid 50 pivots downward to form the vacuum chamber with the open end 92 of the bag 90 disposed within the vacuum chamber. The vacuum pump then removes gas from the vacuum chamber and the interior of the bag 90, which is in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber. After gas has been removed from the interior of the bag 90, the heating element 30 heats a strip of the bag 90 proximate to the open end 92 to bond the inner layer of each panel together and thermally seal the bag 90.
In
It will also be appreciated that conventional vacuum packaging appliances tend to have relatively large footprints and require significant space on a countertop or other surface. For example, the footprint of the appliance 1 illustrated in
Accordingly, there is a need for vacuum packaging appliances with smaller footprints that operate at an orientation better suited to utilize available counter surface area.
PRIOR ART
A. Overview
The present invention is directed to vacuum packaging appliances and methods of vacuum packaging objects. One aspect of the invention is directed to vacuum packaging appliances for use with a bag. In one embodiment, an appliance includes a base, a lid movably coupled to the base, a vacuum chamber portion on the base and/or the lid for receiving an open end of the bag, and a vacuum pump operably coupled to the vacuum chamber portion for removing gas from the vacuum chamber portion. The lid includes a distal end, a proximal end opposite the distal end, and a major dimension between the distal end and the proximal end. The base can also include a distal end, a proximal end opposite the distal end, and a major dimension between the distal end and the proximal end.
In another embodiment, a vacuum packaging appliance includes a base and a lid movably coupled to the base. The lid is pivotable about an axis between an open position and a closed position. When the lid is in the closed position, the lid and base are configured to receive an open end of the bag between the lid and base with a body of the bag projecting from the appliance in a direction generally parallel to the axis. The base can have a length extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis. The lid may also have a length extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis.
In yet another embodiment, a vacuum packaging appliance includes a base, a lid movably coupled to the base, a vacuum chamber portion on the base and/or the lid, and a vacuum pump operably coupled to the vacuum chamber portion for removing gas from the vacuum chamber portion. The lid is pivotable about an axis between an open position and a closed position. The base has a first dimension and a second dimension less than the first dimension. The second dimension of the base extends in a direction generally parallel to the axis.
Another aspect of the invention is directed toward methods for removing at least a portion of a gas from a bag with a vacuum packaging appliance. In one embodiment, a method includes placing an open end of the bag on a base of the vacuum packaging appliance, pivoting a lid of the vacuum packaging appliance about an axis from an open position to a closed position, and at least substantially evacuating an interior region of the bag with the open end of the bag positioned between the lid and the base and a body of the bag projecting from the appliance in a direction generally parallel to the axis.
The following disclosure describes several embodiments of vacuum packaging appliances and methods of vacuum packaging objects. Several details describing structures and processes that are well known and often associated with vacuum packaging appliances are not set forth in the following description for purposes of brevity. Moreover, although the following disclosure sets forth several embodiments of different aspects of the invention, several other embodiments of the invention can have different configurations or different components than those described in this section. As such, it should be understood that the invention may have other embodiments with additional elements or without several of the elements described below with reference to
B. Embodiments of Vacuum Packaging Appliances
The illustrated base 110 further includes an inner surface 120, a first chamber portion 122 extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis A—A, and a first seal 124 surrounding the first chamber portion 122. The first seal 124 can be attached to the inner surface 120, received in a groove in the surface 120, and/or otherwise positioned to at least partially define the first chamber portion 122. The inner surface 120 can also have a recess to at least partially define the first chamber portion 122. In several embodiments, the appliance 100 may further include a removable trough in the first chamber portion 122 for receiving or catching liquid from the bag 190.
Referring to
The vacuum packaging appliance 100 further includes a vacuum pump 175 (shown schematically in hidden lines in
After gas is removed, the bag 190 is sealed to inhibit ambient air from flowing into the interior of the bag 190. The illustrated bag 190 includes a reusable zipper 196 for sealing the bag 190. Zipper bags are described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/491,722, filed Jul. 31, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Bags that do not include a zipper can be thermally sealed as described below with reference to
Referring to
The On/Off button 184 can be a fail-safe mechanism for ensuring that the vacuum pump 175 is not unintentionally activated. For example, in embodiments in which the vacuum operation automatically starts when the lid 150 is moved to the closed position, the On/Off button 184 can deactivate the vacuum pump 175 so that the pump 175 does not operate even when the lid 150 is in the closed position. The indicator light 196 can signal that the appliance 100 is on or the start or completion of various processes, such as the vacuum or sealing process. The control panel 180 may optionally include a cancel button (not shown) for canceling a given operation in progress. Moreover, in embodiments in which the vacuum packaging appliance includes a heating element, such as the embodiments described below with reference to
One feature of the appliance 100 illustrated in
C. Additional Embodiments of Vacuum Packaging Appliances
The heating element 230 is configured to thermally seal the bag 290 after gas has been substantially evacuated from the interior of the bag 290. Conventional vacuum packaging bags, such as the bag 290 illustrated in
One feature of the appliance 300 illustrated in
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the vacuum packaging appliances can have any combination of the features described above with reference to
This application claims the benefit of Higer et al.'s U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/492,035, filed Jul. 31, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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