Patent ID: 7726354

Claim:
A lid assembly for creating a pressure differential within a container, the lid assembly comprising: (a) a seat-portion for sealing connection to the container; (b) a pump configuration associated with said seat-portion; and (c) a rotatable actuating element mechanically associated with said pump configuration such that at least a portion of said actuating element substantially circumscribes at least a portion of said pump configuration, said rotatable actuating element configured with a pumping element actuated in a reciprocating linear motion to pump gas through said pump configuration, such that continuous rotation of said actuating element in a given rotational direction rotates both said rotatable actuating element and said pumping element and generates said reciprocating linear motion of said pumping element and said rotatable actuating element, thereby pumping gas through said pump configuration to generate the pressure differential; wherein one of said pump configuration and said actuating element includes a longitudinally-wave-like groove, and the other of said pump configuration and said actuating element includes at least one pump activation pin configured to engage said wave-like groove, such that during said continuous rotation said activation pin contacts an edge of said longitudinally-wave-like groove, thereby generating said reciprocating linear motion.