Abstract:
A cover for a container fits with a sliding air tight fit over the container body. A cover air release valve allows escape of air from the container when removing and installing the cover to create a vacuum seal fit. A handle positioned adjacent to the air release valve enables a user to remove and install the cover with a single hand gripping the handle and pressing the air release valve. Protrusions extending from opposite sides of the container sleeve engage mating L-shaped openings in a bottom edge of the cover to lock the cover in place. Special dual sided cradles engage a top of a vacuum sealed container below each cradle and a bottom of a vacuum sealed container above each cradle so that a series of cradles are used to vertically stack a number of vacuum sealed containers.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present utility patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/983,503, filed Nov. 9, 2007. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cover, and more particularly to a cover fit onto a container with a sliding air tight fit, the cover having an air release valve to allow escape of air from the container when the cover is pressed onto the container with the air release valve held open during the installation to release air from the container to create a vacuum seal with at least a partial vacuum in the container with the cover fully installed on the container with a tight vacuum seal fit and the cover only releasable for removal by opening the air release valve to admit air back into the container to break the vacuum seal and allow a user to slide the cover off with the air release valve held open. 
     2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     Closed containers keep items fresher within the container with a vacuum or partial vacuum within the container so that there is less air in the container to cause contained items to spoil, thereby preventing or prolonging spoilage. Prior art containers fail to provide a simple vacuum closure with a sliding cover rather than a threaded cover and a simple air release valve rather than a vacuum pump. 
     The closest prior art of which applicants are aware is their prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,024 to Wu et al. The cover includes a valve depressible inward of the cover for allowing air to flow inward or outward of the cover. However, the valve assembly includes a screw secured to the plug rod and engaged with the cover for preventing the valve assembly from disengaging from the cover. The screw is normally made of metal and may not be easily threaded into place. In addition, the screw which is made of metal material may not closely enclose the opening of the cover such that a rubber ring and a gasket are required to be engaged on the screw for engaging with the cover so as to enclose the opening. Furthermore, the inner thread of the plug rod may be easily damaged by the metal screw. The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional covers for containers. 
     Another related prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,510, issued Dec. 16, 1997 to Wang et al., provides a container including a cover engaged on an open top. A channel and an opening are formed in the cover. A knob is slidably engaged in the channel and includes a tube having a pair of shoulders. A plug has a pair of hooks engaged into the tube and engaged with the shoulders so as to secure the plug to the tube. A spring is biased between the knob and the plug for biasing the knob partially outward of the cover and for forcing the plug against the cover to enclose the orifice. The plug can be made of plastic material instead of metal material. 
     The prior art patents fail to provide a means for carrying the container or means for stacking a number of the containers or means for securely locking the cover on the container body. 
     What is needed is a cover fit precisely over a container with an air-tight sliding fit and an air release valve to create a vacuum seal fit with a vacuum or partial vacuum in the container by installing the cover thereon and a twist lock for the top with a top handle and adjacent air release valve to carry the container by the top handle. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a cover fit precisely over a container with an air-tight sliding fit and an air release valve to create a vacuum or partial vacuum in the container by installing the cover thereon. 
     A related object of the present invention is to provide a container cover with a cylindrical interior wall and a precisely matching cylindrical exterior face around a container opening to receive the cover, the cylindrical exterior face having a slightly angled truncated conical tapered upper portion with a smaller diameter adjacent to a top rim of the container opening and extending outwardly down to a straight vertical cylindrical surface spaced apart from the rim to allow the cover to slip easily over the rim down onto the mating cylindrical portion wherein the air release valve is required to install the cover over the outer cylindrical portion of the container sleeve. 
     Another object is to provide a cover and container further comprising a twist lock for the top with a top handle and adjacent air release valve to carry the container by the top handle. 
     An alternate object of the present invention is to provide a cover having a sliding vacuum fit on a container wherein an air release valve is positioned on a side of the cover adjacent to the top and the top of the cover is flat so that several covered containers can be stacked together. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of modular cradles for the containers to form a rack system for stacking a number of the vacuum sealed containers vertically. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a cover of a container which includes no screw therein. 
     In brief, a cover for a container fits with a sliding air tight fit over the container body with an inner cover sleeve adjacent to the cover opening forming an air tight slidable fit with an outer container sleeve around the top opening of the container. The cover has an air release valve to allow escape of air from the container when the cover is pressed onto the container body with the air release valve held open during the installation to release air from the container to create a vacuum seal fit with at least a partial vacuum in the container with the cover fully installed on the container. The cover is only releasable for removal by opening the air release valve to admit air back into the container to break the vacuum and allow a user to slide the cover off with the air release valve held open. A handle positioned adjacent to the air release valve enables a user to remove and install the cover with a single hand gripping the handle and pressing the air release valve with a thumb of the same hand. 
     To further secure the cover at least a pair of protrusions extending from opposite sides of the container sleeve engage mating L-shaped openings in a bottom edge of the cover to lock the cover in place. 
     Special dual sided cradles engage a top of a vacuum sealed container below each cradle and a bottom of a vacuum sealed container above each cradle so that a series of cradles are used to vertically stack a number of vacuum sealed containers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other details of the present invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention with the container body, cover, and air release valve components all aligned for assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the vacuum sealed container of  FIG. 1  with the cover on the container body showing the locking element; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross sectional view of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention taken through  3 - 3  of  FIG. 5  with the cover sealed on the container body; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cross sectional view of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention taken through  3 - 3  of  FIG. 5  with the cover removed from the container body showing the combined pressing of the air release valve and the rotary motion of the cover to release the lock mechanism; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention showing a hand of a user simultaneously gripping the handle and pressing the air release valve with a single hand; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of one of the cradles of the stacking system of the present invention used for stacking a vertical array of the vacuum sealed containers of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a stacked vertical array of the vacuum sealed containers of the present invention using the cradles of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention having a flat topped cover with the vacuum release valve on the side of the cover adjacent to the top; 
         FIG. 9  is a partial cross-sectional view of the cover of  FIG. 8  aligned for installation on a container having a tapered conical upper portion of the cylindrical sleeve around the top opening of the container; 
         FIG. 10  is a partial cross-sectional view of the cylindrical flat top cover of  FIG. 8  installed on the container having a tapered conical upper portion of the cylindrical sleeve around the top opening of the container; 
         FIG. 11  is a partial cross-sectional view of the cover of  FIG. 1  having a top handle and top pressure release button, the cover aligned for installation on a container having a tapered conical upper portion of the cylindrical sleeve around the top opening of the container; 
         FIG. 12  is a partial cross-sectional view of the cylindrical cover of  FIG. 1  having a top handle and top pressure release button, the cover installed on the container having a tapered conical upper portion of the cylindrical sleeve around the top opening of the container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In  FIGS. 1-12 , a vacuum sealed container  9  comprises a container body  10  including an open top  11  encircled by an outer body sleeve  12  and a cover  20  engaged on top of the container body  10  for enclosing the open top of the container body with a vacuum seal. 
     The cover  20  comprises an air release valve  30  in an upper portion of the cover above the container body and an interior cover sleeve  22  structured to mate with the outer body sleeve  12  with an airtight force fit over the mating outer body sleeve so that it is necessary to open the air release valve to slide the cover onto the container body releasing air through the air release valve  30  to create a vacuum seal, producing at least a partial vacuum in the container, with the cover fully installed on the container body as in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  5 ,  8 ,  10 , and  12 , and so that it is necessary to open the air release valve  30  to admit air into the container to release the vacuum seal to enable the cover  20  to be removed from the container body  10  as in  FIGS. 1 ,  4 ,  9 , and  11 . 
     In  FIG. 1 , exploded detail A, the air release valve with a knob  30  comprises a channel  21  formed in the cover and an air opening  211  formed through the cover, the opening communicating with the channel so that air can pass through the channel into the container. The knob  30  slidably engaged in the channel has a top portion normally protruding above the top of the cover for engaging the knob to activate the air valve, as shown in  FIG. 3 . A hollow tube  31  extends from the knob into the channel  21 . The hollow tube has side wall openings  311 . The knob  30  includes four projections  33  for engaging with the cover  20  so as to prevent the knob  30  from engaging into the channel  21  of the cover  20 . 
     A bottom plug  40  engages the upper knob  30  through the air opening  211 , the bottom plug having a flat top surface for covering the air opening to block the air. A shaft  41  extends upwardly from the bottom plug with an expanded partially tapered head  411  on the top of the shaft  41 . The shaft  41  is inserted into the hollow tube  31  of the knob  30  and the head  411  snaps out into the side wall openings  311  to lock the bottom plug  40  to the knob  30  through the air opening  211  to allow the plug  40  to be quickly and easily secured to the knob  30 . A coil spring  35  is engaged on the tube  31  and is biased between the knob  30  and the plug  40  so as to bias the knob  30  partially outward of the cover  20  and so as to force the plug  40  against the cover  20  for enclosing the orifice  211 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , to normally seal the opening through the cover to prevent air from passing therethrough until the plug is pushed by a user to release the plug and admit the air through the opening. 
     In operation, as shown in  FIG. 4 , when the knob  30  is depressed inward of the channel  21 , the plug  40  is disengaged from the opening  211  such that the opening  211  is opened and such that air is allowed to flow inward or flow outward of the cover. 
     It is to be noted that the plug  40  can be easily made by molding processes and can be made with plastic materials instead of metal material that is used for making the typical fastening screw. In addition, the plug  40  can be easily and quickly secured to the knob  30 . Furthermore, the plug  40  itself is good enough to be used for closely enclosing the opening  211 . 
     The biasing means biased between the knob and the plug for biasing the knob partially outward of the cover and for forcing the plug against the cover is preferably a spring  35  but may be a different type of biasing means. 
     The cover  20  is further locked onto the container body  10  by at least one protrusion  13  on a side of the outer body sleeve  12  interlocking with at least one mating L-shaped opening  23  on a bottom edge of the cover  20  to mate with the protrusion. As the cover  20  is installed on the container body  20 , while activating the air release valve  30 , a vertical edge portion  24  of each of the L-shaped openings  23  engages the mating protrusion  13  and as the protrusion reaches a horizontal portion  25  of the L-shaped opening  23  the cover is turned to fully insert the protrusion in the horizontal portion to lock the cover  20  onto the container  10  to enable the container to be lifted by the cover, as in  FIG. 5 . The cover  20  is turned in an alternate direction to align the vertical edge portion  24  of the L-shaped opening  23  with the protrusion  13  and the cover lifted while activating the air release valve  30  to remove the cover  20  from the container body  10 , as shown in  FIG.4 . 
     A handle  50  extends out from the top of the cover  20  with a gripping space  51  between the handle  50  and the cover to grip the handle to maneuver the cover  20  onto and off of the container body  1 O. The handle  50  is positioned adjacent to the air release valve  30  so that the air release valve  30  may be activated by a hand of a user holding the handle  50 , as in  FIG. 5  with the finger&#39;s of the user around the handle and the thumb of the user pushing the air release valve  30 . The handle  50  on the cover  20  is also used to lift the container with the cover locked on, as in  FIG. 5 . 
     In  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the vacuum sealed container  9  further comprises a rack  70  for vertically stacking a plurality of the vacuum sealed containers, as in  FIG. 7 , with each oriented horizontally in a vertical stacked array. The rack  70  comprises a plurality of container supports  60 , each container support  60  comprising a pair of horizontally spaced mating cradles  61  interconnected by a pair of dowels  62  or other means for rigidly interconnecting the cradles  61 . Each of the cradles  61  comprises an elongated member having a top surface  64  for engaging and supporting a bottom of a vacuum sealed container  9  and a bottom surface  65  for resting on a top of a vacuum sealed container  9  so that a container support is positioned under a bottom vacuum sealed container and between each adjacent vacuum sealed container in the vertical stacked array, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     Each of the container supports further comprises a container edge support  63  protruding from a back edge of one of the cradles  61 . The container edge support  63  configured to receive and support a bottom edge of one of the vacuum sealed containers to prevent each vacuum sealed container  9  from sliding off a back of the stacked array, as in  FIG. 7 , so that the covers  20  may be installed on and removed from the container bodies  10  to access contents of the vacuum sealed containers  9  while remaining in the vertical stacked array. 
     In  FIG. 8 , the cover of  FIG. 1  has a top handle  50  and top pressure release button  30 . The cover is aligned for installation on a container  10 A having a tapered conical upper portion  12 A of the cylindrical sleeve around the top opening rim  11  of the container  10 A to allow the cover  20  to slip easily over the rim  11  down past the tapered conical upper portion  12 A onto the mating cylindrical portion  12 B wherein the air release valve  30  is required to install the cover over the outer cylindrical portion  12 B of the container sleeve. 
     In  FIG. 9  the cylindrical cover  20  of  FIG. 8  is installed on the container  10  having the tapered conical upper portion  12 A of the cylindrical sleeve  12 B. 
     In  FIG. 10 , an alternate embodiment of the vacuum sealed container  9 A of the present invention has a vacuum release valve  30  on the side of the cover  20 A adjacent to the top and a flat top surface  7  so that the covered containers may be stacked on top of each other with a bottom  8  of one container  10  resting on a top  7  of the cover  20  of another covered container  9 A. 
     In  FIG. 11 , the cover  20 A of  FIG. 10  is aligned for installation on a container  10 A having a tapered conical upper portion  12 A of the cylindrical sleeve  12 B around the top opening rim  11  of the container  10 A to allow easy insertion of the container cover  20 A with a cylindrical interior wall  22  and a precisely matching cylindrical exterior cylindrical sleeve  12 B around the container opening to receive the cover. The exterior face cylindrical sleeve  12 B has a slightly angled truncated conical tapered upper portion  12 A with a smaller diameter adjacent to a top rim  11  of the container opening and expanding outwardly down to a straight vertical cylindrical surface  12 B spaced apart from the rim  11  to allow the cover to slip easily over the rim  11  down over the tapered upper portion  12 A onto the mating cylindrical portion  12 B wherein the air release valve is required to install the cover over the outer cylindrical portion of the container sleeve. 
     In  FIG. 12 , the flat top cover of  FIG. 10  is installed over the container sleeve. 
     The vacuum sealed containers  9  may be made in a variety of sizes including large 10 liter size containers to house any desired contents to maintain the contents in a fresh condition due to the vacuum seal. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.