Patent ID: 8281606

Claim:
A refrigerator comprising: a machine compartment; a food storage compartment; and a vacuum storage system within the food storage compartment adapted to be utilized in a storage configuration or a vacuum sealing configuration, said vacuum storage system including: a cabinet; drawer unit supported for movement between retracted and extended positions into and out of the cabinet, said drawer unit including a plurality of interconnected walls defining a storage space, one of the plurality of interconnected walls constituting a front wall; one or more vacuum sealing containers each provided with a one-way evacuation valve; a vacuum source in communication with the storage space inside of the cabinet reducing air pressure within the storage space below atmospheric pressure during an evacuation event; a control system establishing the evacuation event through selective activation of the vacuum source wherein, upon placing the one or more vacuum sealing containers in the drawer unit, and actuating the vacuum source, the air pressure in the storage space is reduced below atmospheric pressure simultaneously causing air pressures in the one or more vacuum sealing containers to be reduced below atmospheric pressure, whereupon the control system automatically deactivates the vacuum source upon establishing a reduced air pressure within the drawer unit and enables the pressure in the storage space to increase while the sealing containers remain under vacuum conditions; and an equalizing valve in communication with the storage space automatically returning the storage space to atmospheric pressure after the evacuation event.