Abstract:
Vacuum release systems that allow rapid, uninterrupted flow of a liquid through a first opening in a container when the container is inverted are disclosed. The vacuum release systems includes a holes punch and can be secured to the outer surface of the container. When the liquid-filled container is inverted, pressure is applied to the hole punch to form a second opening in the side of the container. The second opening releases the vacuum by allowing air to flow into the container, which, in turn, allows rapid, uninterrupted flow of the liquid through the first opening in the container.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/454,801, filed Mar. 21, 2011 and Provisional Application No. 61/492,906, filed Jun. 3, 2011. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure is directed to systems for releasing a vacuum in an open inverted container. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A liquid can be slowly and steadily drained through a single opening in a container by tilting the container so that air can also flow into the container through the opening to fill the volume occupied by the liquid flowing out of the container. However, in an effort to increase the flow rate of the liquid from the container, one typically inverts the container but the liquid contents block the opening, preventing air from entering the container. As a result, a vacuum forms within the container which is repeatedly released when small amounts of the liquid falls through the opening followed by corresponding volumes of air that rapidly rush into the container through the same opening, briefly stopping the flow of the liquid. This repeated interruption in the flow of the liquid causes the container to jolt up and down and sideways as the mass of the liquid contents rapidly changes with each quick release of a small amount of the liquid through the opening. The jolts subside and a smooth steady flow of the liquid eventually occurs after much of the liquid is emptied and can no longer prevent the flow of air into the container. 
     SUMMARY 
     Vacuum release systems that allow rapid, uninterrupted flow of a liquid through a first opening in a container when the container is inverted are disclosed. The vacuum release systems includes a hole punch and can be secured to the outer surface of the container. When the liquid-filled container is inverted, pressure applied to the hole punch forms a second opening in the side of the container. The second opening releases the vacuum by allowing air to flow into the container through the second opening, which, in turn, allows the liquid contents to be rapidly emptied from the container through the first opening without interruption in the flow. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A-1B  show exploded perspective and cross-sectional views of an example vacuum release system. 
         FIG. 2  shows a front plan view of an example rear housing of a vacuum release system. 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of the example vacuum release system shown in  FIG. 1  fully assembled. 
         FIG. 4  shows cross-sectional views of two examples of rear housings. 
         FIGS. 5A-5F  show isometric and cross-sectional views of an implementation of the example vacuum release system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 6A-6B  show exploded and partially assembled perspective views, respectively, of an example vacuum release system. 
         FIGS. 7A-7C  show views of an implementation of the vacuum release system shown in  FIG. 6  fully assembled. 
         FIGS. 8A-8C  show views of an example vacuum release system. 
         FIG. 9  shows a top plan view of the vacuum release system shown in  FIG. 8  fully assembled. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various vacuum release systems embodiments are now described.  FIGS. 1A-1B  show exploded perspective and cross-sectional views of an example vacuum release system  100 . The system  100  includes a rear housing  102 , a hole punch  104 , a coiled spring  106 , and a front housing  108 . The rear housing  102  includes a ring-shaped perforated plate  110  and a threaded male end  112 . The perforated plate  110  and male end  112  include an opening  114  with guides  116  separated by grooves  118  to receive the hole punch  104 .  FIG. 1B  also reveals how the perforated plate  110  is curved. For example, the perforated plate  110  can have a cylindrical concave shape. The punch  104  includes a shaft  116  with a tapered end  122 , a butt end  124 , and a ring  126  located along the shaft. The front housing  108  includes an opening that extends the length of the front housing. In the particular, as shown in  FIG. 1B , the opening includes a threaded female section  128  dimensioned to receive the threaded male end  112  of the rear housing  102 , an intermediate cylindrical section  130  dimensioned to receive the ring  126  of the punch  104 , and a narrower third cylindrical section  132  dimensioned to receive the shaft  120  of the punch  104 . The front housing  108  also includes four symmetrically distributed vents, two of which  134  and  136  are shown. The vents open into the intermediate opening  130  and are oriented substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the opening  130  in the front housing  108 . The front housing  108  is not limited to having four vents. In other embodiments, the front housing  108  can have as few as one vent or two or more vents. As shown in the example of  FIGS. 1A-1B , the diameter of the spring  106  is dimensioned to receive the shaft  120  of the punch  104  along the cylindrical axis of the spring. 
       FIG. 2  shows a front plan view of the example rear housing  102 . The guides  116  extend the length of the opening  114  and are curved to receive the cylindrical shaft of the punch  104 .  FIG. 2  also reveals semicircular-shaped grooves that extend the length of the opening  114  and separate the guides  116 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , the rear housing  102  includes four guides  116  separated by four symmetrically distributed grooves  118 . The number of guides and grooves in the opening  114  is not limited to four and the guides and grooves do not have to be symmetrically distributed. In other embodiments, the opening  114  may have a single C-shaped guide and one groove or the opening  114  may have two or more guides separated by grooves that extend the length of the opening  114 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of the example vacuum release system  100  fully assembled. The cross-sectional view shows the male end  112  of the rear housing  102  inserted into the female section  128  of the front housing  108  to form a housing for the spring  106  and the punch  404 . When the male end  112  is fully screwed into the threaded female section  128  of the front housing  108 , a ring-shaped gap  302  exists between the perforated plate  110  of the rear housing  102  and the base of the front housing  108 . The third section  132  and guides  116  form a cylindrical guide to direct the motion of the punch  104  when pressure is applied to the butt end  124 .  FIG. 3  also reveals that a first end of the spring  106  abuts the ring  126  of the punch  104  and a second end of the spring  106  abuts the end of the male end  112  of the rear housing  102 . 
     The perforated plate  110  of the rear housing  102  is not limited to a cylindrical concave shape shown in the cross-sectional view of  FIGS. 1B and 3 .  FIG. 4  shows cross-sectional views of two example rear housings  402  and  404 . The rear housing  402  includes a flat perforated plate  406 , while the rear housing  404  includes a cylindrical convex-shaped perforated plate  408 . 
       FIGS. 5A-5F  show isometric and cross-sectional views of an example implementation of the vacuum release system  100 . In  FIG. 5A , the system  100  is secured near the base of a liquid-filled container  502  with a sleeve  504  that wraps around the base of the container  502 . The container  502  includes a small first opening  506  through which the liquid contents of the container are to be emptied. Although, the sleeve  504  is shown as a wrap that encompasses a portion of the cylindrical wall of the container  502 , the sleeve can include a base (not shown) so that the sleeve can encase the bottom and cylindrical wall of the container. The sleeve can be composed of a fabric, foam, or an insulating material.  FIG. 5B  shows a cross-sectional view of the system  100  firmly attached to a portion  508  of the cylindrical wall of the container  502 . The sleeve  504  includes an aperture through which the male end  112  of the rear housing  110  is inserted. As shown in the cross-sectional view, the perforated plate  110  of the rear housing  102  is disposed between the wall  508  and the sleeve  504  and a portion of the sleeve  504  surrounding the aperture substantially fills the cylindrical-shaped gap  302  between the perforated plate  110  and the base of the front housing  108 . In  FIG. 5C , the container  502  is inverted to empty the liquid contents through the first opening  506 . When the container  502  is inverted, as shown in  FIG. 5C , a vacuum forms inside the container  502 , which is released when pressure is applied to the hole punch  104  so that the tapered end  122  of the punch punctures or forms a second opening  510  in the wall  508  of the container  502 , as shown in  FIG. 5D .  FIG. 5D  also reveals that the spring  106  is compressed between the edge of the male end  112  of the pack plate  102  and the ring  126  of the punch  104 . When the pressure applied to the punch  104  is released, the spring  106  restores the position of the punch  104 , as shown in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5F . In  FIGS. 5E-5F , the vacuum is released as the liquid begins to empty through the first opening  506  and air is drawn into the container  502  through the vents  134  and  136  in the front housing  108 .  FIG. 5F  reveals that air passes through the vents  134  and  136  to the opening  130  of the front housing  108  and the opening  114  in the rear housing  102  to reach the interior of the container  502 . As shown in  FIG. 5E , the second opening  510  releases the vacuum formed in the inverted container  502  by allowing air to flow into the container  502  through the vents  134  and  136  of the front housing  108 . As a result, the liquid contents of the container  502  can rapidly flow uninterrupted through the first opening  506 . 
     Vacuum release systems are not intended to be limited to the configuration and type of components associated with the vacuum release system  100 .  FIGS. 6A-6B  show exploded and partially assembled perspective views, respectively, of an example vacuum release system  600 . The system  600  includes a rear housing  602 , a hole punch  604 , a coiled spring  606 , a front housing  608 , and a cap  610 . In  FIG. 6B , the rear housing  602  is shown separate from the other components of the system  600  to reveal that the rear housing  602  includes a ring-shaped perforated plate  612  and a cylinder  614  that opens into the opening of the perforated plate  612  and has a base  616  with a number of vents  618  formed around a central opening  620 . The punch  604  includes a shaft  622 , a tapered end  624 , and a ring  626  disposed at the end of the shaft near the tapered end  624 . The front housing  608  includes vents  628  distributed around a central opening  630  that is dimensioned to receive the shaft  622  of the punch  604 . The vents  628  in the front housing  608  and vents  618  in the rear housing  602  allow air to flow along the central axis of the system  600 . As shown in  FIG. 6B , the cap  610  is attached to the butt end of the punch and the spring  606  is positioned along the shaft  622  between the cap  610  and the front housing  608 . The cap  610  can be attached to the end of the shaft  622  with an adhesive, weld, or the cap  610  and the end portion of the shaft  622  can be threaded so the cap  610  is screwed onto the end of the punch  604 . 
     Operation of the system  600  is analogous to operation of the system  100  described above with reference to  FIG. 5 .  FIGS. 7A-7C  show views of an example implementation of the system  600  fully assembled.  FIG. 7A  shows the system  600  attached to a portion of a wall  702  of a container (not shown) and a portion of a sleeve  704  that wraps around the container. The sleeve  704  can be positioned away from a first opening in the container, as described above with reference to  FIG. 5A . The sleeve  704  includes an aperture through which the cylinder  614  of the rear housing  602  is inserted. As shown in  FIG. 7A , the spring  606  is slightly compressed between the front housing  608  and the cap  610  and thereby exerts an outward directed force that holds the system  600  together by forcing the ring  622  of the punch  604  against the base  616  of the cylinder  614 . As a result, the ring-shaped perforated plate  612  of the rear housing  602  is driven toward the front housing  608  compressing portions of the sleeve  704  between the perforated plate  612  and the front housing  608 . As shown in  FIG. 7B , when the container is inverted, as described above with reference to  FIG. 5B , pressure applied to the cap  610  compresses the spring  606  so the punch  604  can puncture or form a second opening  706  in the wall  702 . When the pressure applied to the punch  604  is released, the spring  606  restores the position of the punch  604 , as shown in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 7C . The vacuum formed in the container when the container is inverted is released as air is drawn into the container through the vents  628  in the front housing  608  and vents  618  in the rear housing  602  along the central axis of the system  600 , enabling the liquid contents of the container to rapidly exit the container through the first opening. 
       FIGS. 8A-8B  show exploded perspective and top plan views, respectively, of an example vacuum release system  800 . The system  800  includes a rear housing  802 , a hole punch  804 , a coiled spring  806 , and a front housing  808 . In  FIG. 8A , the rear housing  802  includes a ring-shaped perforated plate  812  and a cylinder  814  that has a perforated base  816  with a number of vents  818  distributed around a central opening  820 . The exterior of the cylinder  814  also includes three concentric, tapered ribs or flanges  822 . The punch  804  includes a shaft  824 , a tapered end  826 , and a ring  828  disposed along the shaft  824 . In  FIG. 8B , the front housing  808  includes a cylindrical female end  830  for receiving the cylinder  814 , as shown in and described below with reference to  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 8C  also shows a front view of the front housing  808 . The front housing  808  includes vents  832  distributed around a central opening  834  (also shown in  FIG. 8A ) dimensioned to receive the shaft  824  of the punch  804 . The openings  820  and  834  form a guide to direct the punch  824 . The vents  832  in the front housing  808  and vents  818  in the rear housing  802  allow air to flow along the central axis of the system  800 . 
       FIG. 9  shows a top plan view of the system  800  fully assembled. The rear housing  802  is joined with the front housing  808  to form a housing for the spring  806  and the punch  804 . The spring  806  is located along the shaft  824  between the ring  828  and the base  816  of the rear housing  802 . The system  800  attaches to a wall  902  of a container (not shown) and a sleeve  904  that wraps around the container. The sleeve can be positioned away from a first opening in the container, as described above with reference to  FIG. 5A . The sleeve includes an aperture through which the male end  814  of the rear housing  802  and the female end of the front housing  808  are inserted. A portion of the sleeve  904  surrounding the aperture is located within a gap between the perforated plate  812  and the front housing  808 . The rear housing  802  is secured to the front housing when the male end  814  of the rear housing  802  is inserted into the female end  830  of the front housing. Alternatively, the male cylinder  814  and the front cylinder  830  can be threaded so that cylinder  814  can be screwed into the cylinder  830  to form a housing for the spring  806  and the punch  804 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the spring  806  is compressed between the ring  828  and the base  816  of the rear housing  802  thereby exerting an outward directed force that keeps the punch  804  extended. The system  800  is operated in the same manner as the systems  100 ,  600 , and  800  by applying pressure to the punch  804  to form a second opening in the container wall. 
     Note that in the above described examples, the hole punches are described as having cylindrical shaped shafts and the rear and front housings include circular shaped openings dimensioned to receive the shafts and operate as guides along which the punch slides. However, embodiments of the vacuum release systems are not intended to be so limited. Hole punches can also have square, rectangular, triangular, or any other polygonal cross-sectional shape, and the corresponding openings in the rear and front housings can be similarly shaped to receive the cross-sectional shapes of the shafts. 
     The above describe rear and front housings, hole punches, and caps can be composed of any combination of plastics, thermoplastics, aluminum, steel, or any other suitable material. The rear and front housings, hole punches, and caps can be fabricated using any combination of injection molding and/or machining to achieve the desire shape and size of the vacuum release system components. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the systems and methods described herein. The foregoing descriptions of specific examples are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive of or to limit this disclosure to the precise forms described. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The examples are shown and described in order to best explain the principles of this disclosure and practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize this disclosure and various examples with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of this disclosure be defined by the following claims and their equivalents: