Patent ID: 7021027

Claim:
A method for controlling a vacuum packaging appliance, said vacuum packaging appliance including a vacuum pump coupled to a vacuum circuit, said vacuum pump operable to evacuate gas from said vacuum circuit, said method comprising: coupling a vacuum packaging receptacle to said vacuum circuit; hermetically separating said vacuum circuit from ambient; receiving a first user input regarding at least one of a desired operating mode and a type of said vacuum packaging receptacle; receiving a second user input initiating evacuation of said vacuum packaging receptacle; determining an actuation control signal as a function of said first user input; sensing a vacuum level of said vacuum circuit; and operating vacuum pump in accordance with said actuation control signal; wherein said vacuum packaging receptacle is a vacuum packaging bag having three sealed sides and one unsealed side, and wherein said coupling includes: engaging said vacuum circuit with said unsealed side of said vacuum packaging bag; and wherein said first user input corresponds to a fragile content mode, said actuation control signal corresponding to said fragile content mode having a first evacuation rate and a second evacuation rate, said first evacuation rate corresponding to a first pump speed higher than a second pump speed correlated with said second evacuation rate.