Easily-cleaned reusable lid including an evacuating pump

The lid consists of two unitary parts both of which are molded from a soft rubbery substance. The body of the lid butts against the mouth of a container and includes a vacuum release valve and a check valve through which air may be evacuated from the container. The second part is a bellows pump that sealingly engages the body of the lid. As the bellows pump is worked manually, air is drawn from the container into the pump through the check valve on the body of the lid and the air is then discharged into the atmosphere through a second check valve that is an integral portion of the removable bellows pump. Because of its simplicity and lack of small parts, the lid is easy to clean effectively, and reuse is contemplated. The actuators for the pump and for the vacuum release valve extend to the periphery of the lid thereby making it easy for use by handicapped persons.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention is in the field of containers and more particularly 
relates to a lid for a container, the lid having a shape that facilitates 
stacking of the containers, having a structure that permits it to be 
cleaned for reuse, and having an integral pump for use in evacuating air 
from the container. The design of the lid facilitates its use by 
handicapped persons. 
2. The Prior Art 
The nearest known prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 2,890,810 issued Jun. 16, 1959 
to Rohling. This patent discloses a vacuum pump that is an integral part 
of a lid that is removable from a container. The vacuum pump includes a 
chamber closed on one side by a deformable membrane. A force applied 
manually against the deformable membrane reduces the volume of the 
chamber, thereby forcing air out of it through a flapper valve. When the 
manually-applied force is released, the chamber expands to its original 
size, with the assistance of a compressed spring in one embodiment or by 
the elasticity of the membrane in another embodiment, while air is drawn 
into the chamber from the container through a second flapper valve. The 
patent describes the cementing together of its parts. Although a 
protective disc is provided to shield the air intake from the contents of 
the container, it is clear that some of the contents could lodge under the 
disc or could splash into the air intake and be drawn into the pump, where 
they might decay or impart an undesirable taste to food that is later 
stored in the container. 
To the present inventor it seems axiomatic that if the lid is to be 
reusable then it must be easily cleaned to avoid contamination of 
later-stored contents. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,114, issued Jun. 27, 1972, Sacks describes a device 
for evacuating containers. In his device a bellows is cemented to a lid. A 
flap-type check valve is provided at each end of the bellows, which is 
manually operated to evacuate the container. The presence of the bellows 
makes it unlikely that the containers can be stacked. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,999, issued Apr. 12, 1977, Denzer describes a 
piston-type pump that is part of the lid. Denzer also provides a vent for 
relieving the vacuum. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,583 issued Feb. 10, 1981, Lundbladh describes a 
device for evacuating a container. Although his device bears a superficial 
similarity to that of Denzer, the crucial difference is that in Lundbladh 
the piston-type pump is separable from the lid which makes it practical to 
stack the evacuated containers. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,114 issued Jul. 14, 1981, Ruberg describes a pump 
that, like Lundbladh's, is separable from the lid of the container to 
facilitate stacking of the containers. However, Ruberg's pump, unlike that 
of Lundbladh, is arranged so that the suction stroke occurs as the piston 
is pushed toward the lid so that the force applied to the piston is 
transmitted to the seal between the pump and the lid thereby producing a 
stronger sealing action. 
As will be seen below, the pump of the present invention is intended to 
remain a part of the lid and in this regard the present invention more 
nearly resembles that of Rohling. However, unlike the lid of Rohling, the 
lid of the present invention is structured in such a way that it can 
readily be disassembled for cleaning. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a lid of a type that is reusable and that includes 
a built-in evacuation pump. 
The present invention differs from other lids of this type in two main 
ways. 
First, the lid of the present invention is easily taken apart for cleaning 
and is easily reassembled for reuse. This is made possible by the use of 
snap-in components. 
Second, the lid of the present invention is easier for physically 
handicapped persons to use. This is achieved by locating the actuating 
levers for the pump and for the vent at the periphery of the lid where it 
is easy to apply an actuating force to them. 
In addition to these advantages, the lid of the present invention does not 
interfere with stacking of the containers to which the lids are affixed. 
The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the 
invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with 
further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the 
following description considered in connection with the accompanying 
drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated 
by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the 
drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are 
not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the easily-cleaned reusable 
lid 10 and a container on which the lid is used. In the preferred 
embodiment of the invention, the lid 10 includes a lid body 14 and a 
removable pump 16. Thus, in the preferred embodiment the lid 10 consists 
of only two separable parts, namely, the body 14 of the lid, and the 
removable pump 16. Both the body 14 and the removable pump 16 are large 
enough that they are unlikely to be misplaced when those parts have been 
separated for cleaning. The design of an easily-cleaned reusable lid that 
consists of only two separable parts is considered to be a major 
achievement. The lid described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,997 consisted of 
five separable parts, by way of comparison. 
In the preferred embodiment, both the body 14 and the removable pump 16 are 
molded of SANTOPRENE.RTM., a plasticized rubber. SANTOPRENE.RTM. is a 
registered trademark of Monsanto Company of Saint Louis, Mo. The use of 
this material permits the lid to withstand freezing to minus 40.degree. F. 
and heating to 300.degree. F. 
The body 14 includes two holes that extend completely through it. The first 
hole 32 contains a check valve that permits air to flow from the container 
12 into the removable pump 16. The second hole 34 is used for relieving 
the internal vacuum when the container is to be opened. The hole 34 is 
plugged by the vacuum release valve 30 when the container is evacuated. 
The vacuum release valve actuator 22 is joined to the body 14 by a living 
hinge 18. A first recessed area 36 permits the pump 16 to be flush with 
the upper surface 26 of the body 14 when the container is evacuated. A 
second recessed area 46 permits the vacuum release valve actuator 22 to 
lie flush with the upper surface 26 of the lid. 
It should be noted that the pump actuator 20 as well as the vacuum release 
valve actuator 22 extend outward to the periphery of the body 14, and this 
makes it possible and more convenient for a handicapped person to operate 
the actuators. 
FIG. 2 is an exploded side elevational cross sectional view indicating how 
the removable pump 16 snaps into the body 14 of the lid and also showing 
how the body 14 fits onto the container 12. Immediately it is evident that 
the body 14 can accommodate a range of container diameters. Also, because 
of the softness of the SANTOPRENE.RTM. material of which the lid is made, 
it is not necessary to include a special sealing ring between the rim of 
the container and the body 14 of the lid, as was provided in the lid 
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,997. 
As is apparent in FIG. 2, a seal 38 of SANTOPRENE.RTM. is molded as an 
integral part of the removable pump 16. A matching hollow groove 40 is 
molded into the body 14 of the lid to receive the seal 38. When the lid 
needs to be cleaned, the removable pump 16 may be pulled loose from the 
body 14 of the lid, thereby permitting the areas adjacent the seal 38 and 
the groove 40 to be cleaned. 
The bellows includes side panels 48 and 50 and front panels 52 and 54. In 
the preferred embodiment, the pump actuator 20 serves as the top panel of 
the bellows, and a bottom panel is not provided because the bellows lies 
within the area surrounded by the seal 38. Because no bottom panel is 
provided on the bellows, it becomes possible to mold the entire removable 
pump 16 as a single piece. 
Two valves 56 and 58 are essential for evacuating the container. Both of 
these valves function as check valves and both are chisel shaped split 
along a plane centered between the inclined sides of the chisel. These 
valves are formed in the molding process and are not added components. The 
surplus of pressure on the inlet side of the valve forces the wedge-shaped 
portions apart permitting flow. On the other hand, an excess of pneumatic 
pressure at the outlet side of the valve squeezes the halves together 
thereby sealing off any flow. The valve 56 permits air to be drawn into 
the bellows from the container, but the valve 56 close when the bellows is 
compressed. As the bellows is compressed, the air inside the bellows is 
forced out through the valve 58 to the atmosphere, but when the pump 
actuator 20 is pulled up, a partial vacuum is formed within the bellows, 
and since the pressure within the bellows is less than the atmospheric 
pressure, the valve 58 closes, keeping atmospheric air from entering the 
bellows, which are then filled by flow through the valve 56 from the 
container. 
The recessed area 60 provides clearance for the valve 58 when the bellows 
is fully closed. 
Thus there has been described an easily-cleaned reusable lid that includes 
a removable bellows pump, so that when the lid is placed on a container, 
air may be evacuated from the container, leaving the stored contents at a 
reduced air pressure. 
It has been seen that when the container is evacuated, the pump actuator 
and the vacuum release valve actuator are flush with the upper face of the 
lid, so as not to interfere with stacking of the containers. 
The lid consists of two major components, the removable pump, and the body 
of the lid. Each of these components is molded as a unitary structure in 
the preferred embodiment, and the removable pump can readily be separated 
from the body of the lid. This greatly facilitates cleaning the components 
and the spaces between them. Germs, bits of decaying food, and undesirable 
odors can therefore be eliminated, which promotes reuse of the lid in 
addition to better hygiene. 
The use of the lid has been made easier for handicapped persons by 
extending the pump actuator and the vacuum release valve actuator to the 
periphery of the lid, so that handicapped persons can manipulate the 
actuators more readily. Although several variations of the lid have been 
described above, further variations may occur to workers in the art. These 
additional variations are considered to be within the spirit and scope of 
the present invention.