Abstract:
An application for a container with integrated vacuum pump including a non-porous sealable enclosure with walls and an aperture in a first of the walls. A vacuum pump is affixed to the first of the walls of the non-porous sealable enclosure. The vacuum pump has an inflow port that is interfaced to the aperture so that the vacuum pump is adapted to evacuate air from the non-porous sealable enclosure through the aperture.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a storage container and more particularly to a container for storing goods with an integrated evacuating pump. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Many products are stored in substantially non-porous containers such as plastic bags, plastic sacks and plastic containers. Often there is a need to remove as much air from such containers for several reasons. When food is stored in such containers, it is beneficial to evacuate as much air as possible to retard spoilage. Often, the user will try and remove excess air by squeezing the container before sealing or capping with a lid. This is often very difficult because the user must use one hand to compress the contents while using the other to seal the container. 
         [0003]    This need has been addressed in the past by adjunct devices that evacuate air from the container. There have been several kitchen devices that evacuate a plastic bag, then heat seal the bag to prevent outside air from entering. This system works in some situations, but requires a separate device to evacuate the bag and does not work well for solid containers such as Tupperware® type containers. 
         [0004]    Another reason for evacuating air from a container is to reduce storage space. For example, when storing clothing, much of the volume that is being stored is air. If the air is evacuated to any degree, the amount of space (volume) is considerably reduced, requiring less storage space. One example of this are SpaceBags® from New West Products, Inc. Space Bag vacuum-seal storage packs compress bulky items through vacuum sealing. Vacuum-sealing is performed by attaching a vacuum cleaner to a one-way valve on the SpaceBags®. Unfortunately, these devices require a vacuum to operate. At times, there is no vacuum available such as when storing items in an attic or when camping, etc., making it difficult to reseal such bags. 
         [0005]    Another example of a storage bag is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,736 to Kawamura and is hereby incorporated by reference. This patent describes a plastic bag with an evacuation port for attaching an external vacuum. This storage bag requires an external vacuum that is not always convenient or easily located. 
         [0006]    What is needed is a storage device that seals its contents from air and has an integrated vacuum pump for evacuating air from the storage device after the storage device is sealed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In one embodiment, a container with integrated vacuum pump is disclosed including a non-porous sealable enclosure with walls and an aperture in a first of the walls. A vacuum pump is affixed to the first of the walls of the non-porous sealable enclosure. The vacuum pump has an inflow port that is interfaced to the aperture so that the vacuum pump is adapted to evacuate air from the non-porous sealable enclosure through the aperture. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, a method of evacuating air from material held in a non-porous sealable container is disclosed including providing the non-porous sealable container with walls and an aperture in a first of the walls and also including a vacuum pump affixed to the first wall. An inflow port of the vacuum pump is interfaced to the aperture and the vacuum pump to evacuate air from the non-porous sealable enclosure through the aperture. The method continues with opening a seal of the non-porous sealable container and placing the material to be stored in the non-porous sealable container then sealing the seal of the non-porous sealable container. Next, the steps of compressing the vacuum pump, blowing air from the vacuum pump to an outside environment and releasing the vacuum pump, pulling air from the non-porous sealable container through the aperture in the first wall are repeatedly performed until sufficient air is evacuated from the non-porous sealable container. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, a container with integrated vacuum pump is disclosed including a non-porous sealable enclosure with walls and an aperture in a first of the walls. A device adapted to pull air out of the non-porous enclosure is affixed to the first wall and is adapted to evacuate air from the non-porous sealable enclosure through the aperture. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic view of a storage device of a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic view of a storage device of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates a plan view of a valve of a bellow pump of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded view of a bellows pump of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  illustrates a plan view of a bellows pump of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  illustrates a plan view of a bellows pump hinged at one end of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic view of a storage device of a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the storage device is a sealable bag  20 . The bag  20  is preferably made of a non-porous material such as plastic film. An opening in the bag allows for the insertion of content and is sealed by a sealing device  22  as known in the industry. Many such sealing devices are well known and all of such are included. Examples of such are zipper like seals, adhesive seals, flaps, twist-ties and zipper-like with a sealing slider (e.g., Zip Lock Bags). The contents  24  are placed in the storage device  20  and the seal  22  is engaged to seal the contents  24  within the storage device  20 . This type of storage device is presently known in the industry. The present invention integrates an evacuating pump  10  to the storage device  20 . In this embodiment, the pump is a bellows pump having a valve system  12  and an accordion-style bellows  14 . After the contents have been sealed in the storage device  20 , the bellows pump  10  is repeatedly compressed and opened until the desired amount of air is evacuated from the sealed storage device  20 . In other embodiment, other types of evacuating pumps are used in place of the bellows-type pump, for example, a piston pump or a bulb-type pump. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a schematic view of a storage device of a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this example, the storage device  40  is a rigid container such as a plastic storage container with a base portion  48  and a lid portion  46 . The contents  44  are stored in the base portion  48  and the lid portion  46  is affixed to the base portion  48  by a sealing interface  42 . In this example, a bulb-type pump with a squeeze bulb  30 , air tube  32  and valve assembly  34  is integrated onto the lid portion  46  of the storage device  40 . The valve assembly  34  allows air to be drawn from the storage device  40  when the squeeze bulb expands. In other embodiment, other types of evacuating pumps are used in place of the bulb-type pump, for example, a bellows pump. In other embodiments, the pump is affixed to the base portion  48  instead. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a plan view of a valve of a bellow pump of the present invention is shown. The valve assembly is attached to the storage container  20  ( 40 ) and has two rigid layers  50 / 70  and a flexible layer  60  that is shown in detail in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , an exploded view of a bellows vacuum pump of the present invention is shown. The bellows vacuum pump has a bellows portion  80  made from a resilient, flexible material such as plastic that deforms under pressure and restores to substantially its original shape when the pressure abates. When it deforms under pressure, air is forced out of the bellows portion  80  and when it restores, air is drawn back in. 
         [0022]    A series of valves and air passages are situated between the bellows portion  80  and the storage container  20  ( 40 ). An aperture  21  in the storage container  20  ( 40 ) allows air  82  to be drawn out of the storage container  20  ( 40 ) when the bellow portion  80  expands (restores). Air is drawn through one or more apertures  52  of the inflow port of the vacuum pump, located directly above the aperture  21  in the storage container  20  ( 40 ). The apertures are formed in a lower stiff layer  50 . Although the bellows vacuum pump works fine with a single aperture  52 , it is preferred to have multiple smaller apertures  52  to reduce the possibility of the contents  24 / 44  from entering the pump mechanism. For example, if the container is filled with coffee beans, multiple smaller apertures  52  will reduce the amount of particulate coffee beans that are sucked into the bellows portion  80  and possibly blown out of the exit aperture  76 . In addition, distributed apertures  52  reduce the chances of all apertures  52  being blocked due to a collapsed container  20 . In some embodiments where the container is a plastic bag (film bag), the inner surface of the plastic bag has grooves or channels to further reduce the possibility of a collapsed bag blocking the inlet apertures  52 . 
         [0023]    Each aperture  52  is covered by a flexible hinged valve  62  formed on a flexible layer  60 . The flexible hinged valves  62  lift when air flows out of the storage container  20  ( 40 ) and lay flat, thereby sealing their respective aperture  52  when air flows out of the bellows portion  80 . The air flowing  82  from the storage container  20  ( 40 ) flows through another aperture  72  in an upper stiff layer  70  and into the bellows portion  80 . When pressure is applied to the bellows portion  80 , air  84  flows out through a second set of apertures  74  in the upper stiff layer  70 . The second set of apertures  74  are covered on their bottom side by another set of flexible hinged valves  64  so that air flows out through the second set of apertures  74  but when air flows into the bellows portion  80 , the second set of flexible hinged valves  64  blocks air from entering from the outside. An aperture  54  allows air to flow from the second set of apertures  74  through an exit aperture in the flexible layer  66  and out through an exit aperture  76  in the upper stiff layer  70 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a plan view of a bellows pump of the present invention is shown. This view shows a bellows pump of the present invention with optional locking clips  84  and a vacuum seal  82 . The stacking of the layers is shown by dotted lines. Air is extracted through the aperture  21  in the container  20  ( 40 ) through aperture  52 , flap valves  62  and aperture  72  when the bellows portion  80  expands. Air is exhausted through apertures  74 , flap valves  64 , aperture  54 , aperture  66  and aperture  76  when the bellows portion is compressed. Once sufficient air is evacuated from the container  20  ( 40 ), the bellows portion  80  is contracted one final time and pushed hard enough to engage with the locking clips  84 , locking the bellows portion  80  in a compressed position. In some embodiments, a seal  82  is provided to mate with the opening of the final aperture  76  so as to reduce leakage into the container  20  ( 40 ) during storage. It is preferred that the seal  82  be made from a flexible, soft, non-porous material such as rubber, thereby mating with the last aperture  76  and forming a relatively air-tight seal. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , a plan view of a bellows pump hinged at one end of the present invention is shown. This view also shows a bellows pump of the present invention with optional locking clips  84  and a vacuum seal  82 . In this embodiment, one side of the bellows portion  80  is hingedly closed as in a fireplace bellows. The stacking of the layers is the same as in  FIG. 5 . Air is extracted through the aperture  21  in the container  20  ( 40 ) through aperture  52 , flap valves  62  and aperture  72  when the bellows portion  80  expands. Air is exhausted through apertures  74 , flap valves  64 , aperture  54 , aperture  66  and aperture  76  when the bellows portion is compressed. Once sufficient air is evacuated from the container  20  ( 40 ), the bellows portion  80  is contracted one final time and pushed hard enough to engage with the clip  84 , locking the bellows portion  80  in its compressed mode. In some embodiments, a seal  82  is provided to mate with the opening of the final aperture  76  so as to reduce leakage into the container  20  ( 40 ) during storage. It is preferred that the seal  82  be made from a flexible, soft, non-porous material such as rubber, thereby mating with the last aperture  76  and forming a relatively air-tight seal. 
         [0026]    Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result. 
         [0027]    It is believed that the system and method of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.