Abstract:
An air-tight container is disclosed. The air-tight container comprises a body comprising a receiving space; a lid comprising an inlaying portion for removably fitting onto the body; and a sealing assembly. The sealing assembly comprises a sealing pad at a bottom portion thereof, wherein the bottom portion is surrounded by a resilient element and the resilient element is positioned between a top surface of the lid and a bottom side of the sealing assembly for moving the sealing assembly up and down in a vertical direction within the air-releasing passage of the lid under an external pressure applied thereto substantially unseal or seal the interior of the air-tight container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. The Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to an air-tight container, and more particularly relates to an air-tight container comprising a sealing assembly over a lid, wherein the sealing assembly can be pressed down by a hand towards an air-releasing passage of the lid to release air from the air-tight container or allow air to enter into the air-tight container, and the air-tight container is sealed when the sealing assembly returns back to its original position when the hand is released from the sealing assembly.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     With the advancement technologies, life of people has greatly improved, many people take work as priority and therefore are very busy with work and have very little time for other daily routine work. For convenience, many people usually store food at home. Even though the modern technology provides refrigerator for users to preserve different kinds of food, there are several types of items that need special care for storage thereof, such as bead type of food such as green beans, red beans, soy beans, peanuts and the like, or powder type of food such as flour, sugar, coffee and the like, need to be packed individually before being preserved in the food cabinet. And, there are some other items that need to be preserved in a dry condition and keep out the moisture. Usually, the moisture makes the food out of the quality when people use paper pack to pack the food as the paper pack cannot provide adequate packaging condition for storing food for a longer period, and therefore, paper pack is not suitable for preserving food. There are plastic or glass containers with lids available for storing food where the food can be conveniently put in or removed there-from. However, the plastic or glass containers do not provide effective preservation of food due to inadequate sealing and therefore moisture could penetrate into the containers. Some proposed packing the desiccating agent packet into the containers for better preservation of food therein, however, the damaged/broken desiccating agent packet may undesirably contaminate the food.  
         [0005]     Therefore, the above conventional containers still need improvement for improving the preservation of food therein.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     Accordingly, in the view of the foregoing, the present inventor makes a detailed study of related art to evaluate and consider, and uses years of experience in this field, and through several experiments, to create an air-tight container comprising a sealing assembly that can be disposed over a lid thereof, wherein the sealing assembly can be pressed down by a hand towards the air-releasing passage of the lid to release air from the air-tight container or allow air to enter into the air-tight container, and the air-tight container is sealed when the sealing assembly returns back to its original position when the hand is released from the sealing assembly.  
         [0007]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the lid of the air-tight container comprises an air-releasing passage, and a sealing assembly is disposed in the air-releasing passage of the lid. The sealing assembly comprises an axle protruding from a bottom side thereof, wherein an end portion of the axle comprises an indentation. A resilient element is disposed around the axle of the sealing assembly surrounding the axle of the sealing assembly. A sealing pad is disposed in the indentation of the axle. The sealing assembly is positioned in the air-releasing passage of the lid. The resilient element surrounding the axle of the sealing assembly is disposed between the top surface of the lid and the bottom side of the sealing assembly such that the resilient element will allow the sealing assembly to elastically move up and down in a vertical direction in the air-releasing passage of the lid. The lid is placed on top of the body of the air-tight container such that a plastic ring disposed in a indented groove at a bottom portion of the lid is adopted to tightly abut against the inner sidewalls of the air-tight container to substantially seal between the lid and the body of the air-tight container.  
         [0008]     According to another aspect of the present invention, the sealing assembly is a T-shaped structure and the sealing pad disposed in the indentation in the bottom end portion of the axle is adopted to seal between the interior of the lid of the air-tight container and the air-releasing passage of the lid.  
         [0009]     According to another aspect of the present invention, the air-releasing passage of the lid comprises an air-sealing hole on the top surface of the lid within the air-releasing passage in which the axle of the sealing assembly axially moves down under an external force applied thereto to release air from the interior of the air-tight container and also allow air to enter into the interior of the air-tight container, and return back to its original position when the external force is released to seal the interior of the air-tight container. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following accompanying drawings.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view showing an air-tight container according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view showing an air-tight container according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a sectional side view showing an air-tight container according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a sectional side view showing before pressing the lid onto the body of the air-tight container according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a sectional side view showing after pressing the lid onto the body of the air-tight container according to the embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a sectional side view showing while removing the lid from the body of the air-tight container according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a magnified view of section A of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  is a sectional side view showing an air-tight container according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 9  is the sectional side view showing an air-tight container according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]     Reference will be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the air-tight container, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises a body  1  having a receiving space  11  and a lid  2  for covering a top of the body  1 .  
         [0022]     The lid  2  comprises an inlaying portion  21  having an indented groove  211 . A plastic ring  22  is disposed in the indented groove  211 , and the indented groove  211  is adapted for retaining the plastic ring  22 . The inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  comprises a buckling portion  212  having a sloped edge portion  2121  at a bottom flange thereof. Furthermore, a top portion of the lid  2  comprises an air-releasing passage  23  and an air-sealing hole  231  with a comparatively smaller diameter formed at a bottom of the air-releasing passage  23 , and the air-sealing hole  231  comprises a sloped-edge face  232  at a bottom thereof. The air-releasing hole  231  communicates between the air-releasing passage  23  and the interior of the lid  2 .  
         [0023]     A sealing assembly  3  comprises a T-shape sealing valve  31  having an axle  311  with smaller diameter protruding from a bottom thereof, wherein the axle  311  comprises an indentation  312  at a bottom end portion thereof. A sealing pad  33  is disposed in the indentation  312 , and the indentation  312  is adapted for retaining the sealing pad  33  therein. The axle  311  is surrounded by a resilient element  32 .  
         [0024]     Now referring to  FIGS. 3, 4  and  5 , the sealing assembly  3  is removably disposed in the air-releasing passage  23  of the lid  2 , wherein the axle  311  is inserted into the air-sealing hole  231  and the resilient element  32  surrounding the axle  311  is disposed between the top surface of the lid  2  and the bottom side of the sealing assembly  3 . Because the outer diameter of the sealing valve  31  of the sealing assembly  3  is smaller than that of the air-releasing passage  23 , the sealing valve  31  can be moved up and down in a vertical direction within the air-releasing passage  23  and the axle  311  protruding from the bottom portion of the sealing valve  31  is inserted into the air-sealing hole  231  via the air-releasing passage  23 . An outer diameter of the axle  311  is also smaller than that of the air-sealing hole  231 , thus, gaps between the sealing valve  31  and the air-releasing passage  23 , and between the axle  311  and the air-sealing hole  231  are formed. Accordingly, the air can pass through the gaps. The sealing valve  31  of the sealing assembly  3  can be pressed downwards with a hand, in doing so, the resilient element  32  surrounding the axle  311  get elastically compressed within the air-releasing passage  23  and the bottom end portion of the axle  311  of the sealing valve  31  gets out of air-sealing hole  231  and the sealing pad  33  retained in the indentation  312  of the axle  311  moves out through the air-sealing hole  231  over the sloped edge face  232  of the air-sealing hole  231 . Thus, the air within the receiving space  11  of the body  1  is released through the air-releasing passage  23  via the air-sealing hole  231  of the lid  2 . Consequently, the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  is firmly/tightly fit onto the receiving space  11  of the body  1 . Furthermore, the buckling portion  212  positioned at the bottom flange of the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  contacts the inner sidewall of the receiving space  11  of the body  1  forcing the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  to elastically deform inwards. As the lid  2  is continuously pressed down, the plastic ring  22  disposed in the indented groove  211  of the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  elastically abuts against the inner sidewall of the receiving space  11  of the body  1  for position.  
         [0025]     When the hand is released from the lid  2 , the resilient element  32  of the sealing assembly  3  positioned above the lid  2  is returns to its original shape and position and thereby restore the sealing valve  31  to its original position. Thus, the sealing pad  33  of the axle  311  of the sealing valve  31  will retract and tightly abut between the sloped edge face  232  and the air-sealing hole  231  to seal the receiving space  11  of the body  1  and make the receiving space  11  in an air-tight condition.  
         [0026]     Furthermore, the receiving space  11  of the body  1  comprises a receiving groove  111  for receiving a chemical agent packet  4  therein, for example, desiccating agent, and a plate  5  is disposed over the chemical agent packet  4  so that food can be placed and stored in an air-tight condition within the receiving space  11  of the body  1  and can be separated from the chemical agent packet  4 .  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , to release the lid  2  from the body  1  in a air-tight condition, the sealing valve  31  of the sealing assembly  3  is pressed down with a hand so that the resilient element  32  is compressed and the end portion of the axle  311  of the sealing valve  31  moves out of the air-sealing hole  231  and the sealing pad  33  gets out of the air-sealing hole  231  and the sloped edge face  232  at the same time. Thus, air from the atmosphere enters into the receiving space  11  via the air-releasing passage  23  and the air-sealing hole  231  of the lid  2  so that the pressure within the receiving space  11  of the body  1  and the outside is rendered same, and thus, the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  can be easily released from the receiving space  11  of the body  1 . After the lid  2  is released from the body  1 , the hand is released from the sealing valve  31  so that the resilient element  32  surrounding the axle  311  will return to its original shape and position so that the axle  311  of the sealing valve  31  also returns back to its original position within the air-sealing hole  231  and thereby seal the air-sealing hole  231  such that the sealing pad  33  positioned at the bottom end portion of the axle  311  tightly abuts between the air-sealing hole  231  and the sloped edge face  232 .  
         [0028]     The body  1  and the lid  2  are made of plastic material, and the lid  2  can be used to cover onto or release from the receiving space  11  of the body  1  repeatedly.  
         [0029]     To separate the lid  2  from the body  1 , preferably, the body  1  can be positioned at an angle, approximately 45°, with a hand pressing down the sealing assembly  3  above the lid  2  to let the air enter into the receiving space  11  of the body  1  and separate the lid  2  from the receiving space  11  of the body  1 .  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the body  1  can be made of metallic material. A ring element  112  comprising an inner ring element  113  may be disposed around a top flange of the body  1 . Thus, when the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  is fit into the receiving space  11  of the body  1 , the buckling portion  212  positioned at the bottom flange of the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  contacts the inner sidewall of the inner ring element  113 . Accordingly, the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  gets elastically deformed towards inner side. When the lid  2  is continuously fitted into the receiving space  11 , the plastic ring  22  within the indented groove  211  of the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  firms abuts against the inner surface of the inner ring element  113  of the body  1  to effectively seal the receiving space  11  of the body  1  in an air-tight condition.  
         [0031]     Now referring to  FIG. 9 , a inner protruded flange  114  protrudes from a top portion of the body  1  extending towards the inside, and a U-shaped sealing ring  115  is assembled to an inward indented flange  116  and a sealing circle  117  is disposed within the inward indented flange  116 . The sealing ring  115  is assembled to the top flange of the body  1  and the sealing circle  117  tightly abuts against the inner protruded flange  114  to produce elastically deformation and sealed status and then the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  is fitted into the sealing ring  115  so that the buckling portion  212  of the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  contacts the innerside of the sealing ring  115  and thereby elastically deforming the inlaying portion  21 . Furthermore, when the lid  2  is continuously fitted into the receiving space  11 , the plastic ring  22  within the indented groove  211  of the inlaying portion  21  of the lid  2  is supported against the inner surface of the sealing ring  115  of the body  1 , and elastically deforms to effectively seal the receiving space  111  of the body  1 .  
         [0032]     While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific best mode, it is to be understood that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations in which fall within the spirit and scope of the included claims. All matters set forth herein or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting sense.