Patent ID: 6973945

Claim:
A lid assembly for creating a partial vacuum 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 configured with a pumping element actuated in a reciprocating linear motion to pump gas from within the container to an external atmosphere; and c) a rotatable actuating element mechanically associated with said pump configuration, and said actuating element substantially circumscribes at least a portion of said pump configuration, such that continuous rotation of said actuating element in a given rotational direction generates said reciprocating linear motion of said pumping element about said pump configuration, thereby expelling a quantity of gas from the container to generate at least a partial vacuum; wherein one of said pumping element and said actuating element includes a longitudinally-wave-like groove, and the other of said pumping element 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.