Patent ID: 7409811

Claim:
A vacuum packaging system, comprising: a vacuum source; a member defining a surface which supports an item to be packaged; one or more evacuation chambers, each evacuation chamber being selectively engageable with the surface to establish an evacuation volume; and a vacuum control valve positioned between the vacuum source and each evacuation chamber for selectively supplying vacuum from the vacuum source to the evacuation volume and selectively exposing the evacuation volume to ambient air pressure, comprising: a valve body defining a cavity, an inlet opening and a vent opening, wherein the valve body cavity is in communication with the evacuation volume; the inlet opening is in communication with the valve body cavity and the vacuum source; and the vent opening is in communication with the valve body cavity and the exterior of the valve body; a vacuum supply control member movably mounted to the valve body at the inlet opening, wherein the vacuum supply control member is movable between an open position in which the vacuum supply control member establishes communication between the valve body cavity and the inlet opening, and a closed position in which the vacuum supply control member cuts off communication between the valve body cavity and the inlet opening; and a vent control member movably mounted to the valve body at the vent opening, wherein the vent control member is movable between an open position in which the vent control member establishes communication between the valve body cavity and the vent opening, and a closed position in which the vent control member cuts off communication between the valve body cavity and the vent opening; wherein the vacuum supply control member and the vent control member are movable between the open and closed positions independently of each other for selectively controlling the supply of vacuum to the evacuation volume through the valve body cavity and for selectively controlling exposure of the evacuation volume to ambient air pressure through the valve body cavity.