Patent ID: 7669434

Claim:
A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet; a machine compartment arranged within the cabinet; at least one refrigerated compartment arranged within the cabinet; a door mounted to the cabinet for selectively providing access to the at least one refrigerated compartment; and a vacuum preservation system for selectively vacuum sealing a flexible plastic container comprising: a main body portion including an intake channel therein for receiving an end portion of a flexible plastic container; a container sensor adapted to detect the presence of the end portion of the flexible plastic container within the intake channel; a heat sealer located within the main body portion; a retaining device located within the main body portion adapted to hold the end portion of the flexible plastic container in place within the intake channel during a vacuum sealing operation, wherein the retaining device includes at least one pin adapted to form a hole in the end portion of the flexible plastic container to provide a hands-free vacuum sealing operation; a vacuum intake port exposed to the intake channel and adapted to remove air from within the flexible plastic container during a vacuum sealing operation; a vacuum source in fluid communication with the vacuum intake port; and a control operatively connected to the the container sensor, the heat sealer and the retaining device such that, upon insertion of a plastic flexible container within the intake channel, the retaining device is actuated to hold the plastic flexible container while a vacuum sealing operation is commenced.