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EP0419736B1 - Vorrichtung zum Vakuumverpacken verderblicher Nahrungsmittel - Google Patents

Vorrichtung zum Vakuumverpacken verderblicher Nahrungsmittel Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0419736B1
EP0419736B1 EP89309727A EP89309727A EP0419736B1 EP 0419736 B1 EP0419736 B1 EP 0419736B1 EP 89309727 A EP89309727 A EP 89309727A EP 89309727 A EP89309727 A EP 89309727A EP 0419736 B1 EP0419736 B1 EP 0419736B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cup
opening
container
vacuum
lid
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP89309727A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0419736A1 (de
Inventor
Gregory Scanlan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
EVERFRESH Manufacturing Corp
Original Assignee
EVERFRESH Manufacturing Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by EVERFRESH Manufacturing Corp filed Critical EVERFRESH Manufacturing Corp
Priority to DE89309727T priority Critical patent/DE68912328D1/de
Priority to EP89309727A priority patent/EP0419736B1/de
Priority to AT89309727T priority patent/ATE100039T1/de
Publication of EP0419736A1 publication Critical patent/EP0419736A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0419736B1 publication Critical patent/EP0419736B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B31/00—Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers
    • B65B31/04—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied
    • B65B31/046—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied the nozzles co-operating, or being combined, with a device for opening or closing the container or wrapper
    • B65B31/047—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied the nozzles co-operating, or being combined, with a device for opening or closing the container or wrapper the nozzles co-operating with a check valve in the opening of the container or wrapper

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for vacuum packing perishable foods.
  • an apparatus for vacuum packing perishable foods In particular, to such an apparatus for use by restaurants, food service industries, and home.
  • Vacuum packing is a recognised technique for storing and preserving perishable foods.
  • Seafood is very commonly vacuum packed in plastic bags by fish wholesalers, but this method is not practical for restaurants, food service industries, or homes, because the necessary equipment is very expensive and cumbersome. Even in cases when restaurants can afford such machinery, it is commonly considered too time-consuming and costly for them to pack all their perishable foods in such manner.
  • plastic storage containers as a means of keeping their perishable foods.
  • plastic storage containers have air inside them after the lid is placed on.
  • food such as shrimp, squid, crab, and the like, to mention only a few, when stored in such containers, will often spoil within 24 hours, even under refrigeration.
  • Zaccard in U.S. Patent 2,654,521 provides an apparatus for evacuating and capping jars.
  • the Zaccard device must use jars especially designed to accept covers, which are in turn held in a specially adapted rack, which is manipulated from outside the vacuum chamber.
  • the complexity and clumsiness of this design makes it unsuitable for daily or frequent use, and is in fact useful only when substantial quantities of food are to be put in relatively long-term storage.
  • vacuum containers wherein the pressure compensation opening is closable by an elastic sealing plate.
  • a problem with these constructions is that the plate lifts up and is often displaced with each suction stroke, which is undesirable for such sealing plate valves.
  • the problem is alleviated in Swiss Patent CH-A-274829, where the plate is held in place during vacuuming, and a flap valve is provided in the sealing plate, positioned above the pressure compensation opening.
  • a flat check valve 48 (Fig. 3) tends to curl up at edge 50 when under constant vacuum, and it is therefore unreliable.
  • a plug or solid valve 52 (Fig. 4) requires an extremely smooth surface hole in which to seat. Otherwise, it leaks under high vacuum.
  • One object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for vacuum sealing containers which is both easy and convenient, making it suitable for use in the food service industry, restaurants and home.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of vacuum sealing containers of various sizes and shapes, which can also be used for frequent resealing after the initial opening.
  • Another object is to provide an 85% vacuum.
  • a further object is to provide a fail-safe valve that will not leak under high volume.
  • the present invention provides a method of vacuum sealing a lightweight plastic container 8, Fig. 1, which has an opening 10 defined by a rim 12 and which uses a lid 14 for covering the container opening.
  • Container 8 includes an O-ring seal 16 (Fig. 2) corresponding in size and shape to rim 12 and edge 18 of lid 14.
  • Lid 14 has a centrally mounted rubber check or cup-valve 28 loosely located in position over hole 20 by a bolt 22, which passes through hole 20 and is retained by locknut 24 which is spaced apart from lower face 26 of lid 14.
  • Loose fitting bolt 22 and spaced apart locknut 24 allow cup-valve 28 limited freedom to move sideways and vertically to at least the position shown by phantom lines 30.
  • a hand positioned rubber cup 38 (Fig. 1) is attached to vacuum tube 46 and is of sufficient internal diameter to be placed freely over rubber cup-valve 28, or removed therefrom as desired.
  • Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of cup 38 in position over cup-valve 28 and in contact with top surface of lid 14.
  • vacuum line 46 (Fig. 2) will be partially exhausted. Since line 46 is connected to rubber cup 38, cup 38 will be exhausted also. The vacuum in cup 38 will be maintained by a contact seal between cup opening 29 and top of lid 14. This vacuum will lift cup-valve 28 off its seat 32, whereby cup-valve 28 will rise up slightly to the position shown by phantom lines 30. This raised position of cup-valve 28 permits air from inside container 8 to flow out through hole 20 in lid 14, under valve 28, into space 39 inside cup 38, and thence to outlet pipe 44 and vacuum hose 46. This evacuation of air from inside container 8 causes a reduction of air pressure in container 8 and this, combined with atmospheric air pressure above lid 14, forces lid 14 down against O-ring seal 16, forming an airtight seal with top surface 12 of container 8.
  • cup 38 can be removed from its position over cup-valve 28 by squeezing cup 38 sideways with the thumb and forefinger. This will allow air to enter space 39 (Fig. 2) inside cup 38, thereby breaking the vacuum. Cup-valve 28 will immediately seal against top surface of lid 14, due to the difference in air pressure exerted against outer surface of cup-valve and the vacuum inside container 8.
  • cup-valve 28 can be squeezed sideways between thumb and forefinger, permitting air to enter container 8, thus allowing lid 14 to be easily removed.
  • Resealing can be effected immediately by first replacing lid 14 over container 8, then cup 38 over cup-valve 28, as shown in Fig. 1 and 7, and then switching on vacuum pump 33. As soon as the desired vacuum is reached, cup 38 is removed and sealed and container 8 is returned to the refrigerator.
  • cup 38 The speed at which this process can be achieved is a surprising result of the present invention. It is not necessary to physically hold cup 38 in position over cup-valve 28 during the vacuuming process. All that is required is to place the cup in position, and it will immediately be held in place by suction until physically removed. After use, cup 38 can then be used to exhaust another cup-valved container. Thus, it will be seen that many food containers can be exhausted in the space of a very few minutes.
  • Cup-valve 28 has proved, under extensive test, to overcome the problems associated with both the flat and solid plug valves of Figs. 3 and 4. It seals consistently under the identical conditions which cause the others to fail.
  • cup-valve 28 is made of resilient material, has a hollow interior 56 about 12 mm (1/2 in) in diameter, and is generally dome-shaped inside for rigidity. Cup-valve 28 preferably has an outside diameter of about 18 mm (3/4 in). Stepped portion 60 provides a second but smaller hollow 62, which has a ridge 74.
  • Cup 38 (Fig. 6) preferably is made of resilient material and has a hollow interior 78 about 25 mm (1 in) in diameter. This hollow interior is about 18 to 25 mm (3/4 to 1 in) deep, so as to provide room for cup-valve 28 to lift freely from its seat during exhaustion.
  • the container of the present invention will maintain a vacuum of 85%, thus increasing the food storage life well above what is possible with the 40% vacuum now prevalent in the vacuum packaging industry.
  • the cup-valve of the present invention can be adapted to use in conjunction with a hole which can be drilled in lids of such plastic food pan lids as are currently in use by most restaurants, thus transforming such pans into vacuum food containers.
  • the container itself may be formed of glass, metal, plastic or any other suitable material.
  • the preferred material is a lightweight plastic such as polycarbonate.
  • the rim of the lid has a groove to occupy the rubber O-ring.
  • a salad bar as found in some restaurants, could have food containers placed in wells and a vacuum system attached to the lids, which could be brought down over the food containers at the close of each day, thus allowing simultaneous vacuuming of all containers, and thus preserving the salad materials for another day.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)

Claims (9)

  1. Gerät für vakuumabdichtende Behälter, wobei die Behälter eine Öffnung besitzen und das Gerät aus einem Prüfventil zur Zusammenarbeit mit der besagten Öffnung und einer Vorrichtung zur Luftextraktion (38) besteht, so angelegt, daß sie über das Prüfventil paßt, wobei besagte Extraktionsvorrichtung (38) hohl ist und an eine Vakuumquelle (33) angeschlossen werden kann, wodurch Luft daraus extrahiert werden kann, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Prüfventil aus den folgenden Teilen besteht:
       ein Napf (28) mit einem Rand (76), dar größer als die besagte Öffnung (20) ist, so daß, wenn der besagte Napf (28) über die besagte Öffnung (20) gestülpt wird, mit dem besagten Rand (76) gegen den besagten Container (18), der besagte Rand (76) die besagte Öffnung (20) umfassen und hermetisch abdichten wird, und
       eine Rückhaltevorrichtung (22,24,64,72), die mit dem besagten Napf (28) verbunden ist, damit der besagte Rand (76) des besagten Napfes (28) aus der besagten Öffnung (20) hochgehoben werden kann, um die besagte Öffnung (20) zu Öffnen, und damit der besagte Napf (28) nicht aus der Nähe der besagten Öffnung (20) entfernt werden kann.
  2. Die Gerät zum Abdichten von Behältern unter Vakuum nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die besagte Rückhaltsvorrichtung aus einem verlängerten Teil (22) besteht, welches sich durch die besagte Öffnung (20) fortsetzt und ein Ende besitzt (64,72), das in den besagten Napf (28) eingreift und dessen gegenüberliegendes Ende mit einer Stopvorrichtung (24) versehen ist, welche größer als die besagte Öffnung zur Zurückhaltung des besagten verlängerten Teile In der besagten Öffnung ist.
  3. Gerät nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Napf (28) elastisch biegbar ist, um das Vakuum zwischen dem Inneren des Behälters (18) und der Atmosphäre Zu durchbrechen.
  4. Gerät nach Anspruch 1, 2 oder 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß dar besagte Napf (28) durch die besagte Rückhaltevorrichtung lose festgehalten wird, bestehend aus dem besagten verlängerten Teil (22), dessen Kopf (64) lose in den Napf hineingreift und durch eine Mutter (24), die die besagte Stopvorrichtung darstellt, am Behälter festgehalten wird.
  5. Gerät nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Napf (28) aus einem Boden und einer Seitenwand besteht, und im Inneren der Seitenwand sich eine Rippe befindet, durch die der Napf am Kopf des Bolzens (22) festgehalten wird.
  6. Gerät nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die äußere Wand eine stufenförmige Konfiguration besitzt, so daß an dem dem Boden gegenüberliegenden Ende der Napf (28) einen größeren Durchmesser besitzt.
  7. Gerät nach einem der obenstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Gerät einen zweiteiligen Behälter besitzt, dessen Teile so angelegt sind, daß sie abdichtend verbunden werden können, so daß sie einen Behälter definieren, in welchem ein Vakuum aufrechterhalten werden kann.
  8. Gerät nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es sich bei einem der besagten Teile um einen Behälterkörper handelt, der einen Boden und eine Seitenwand besitzt, und es sich bei dem anderen Teil um einen Deckel (14) handelt, der eine Dichtung (16) besitzt, welche in den oberen Rand (12) der Wand des Körpers eingreift, wenn die Teile zusammengebaut sind, und besagtes Prüfventil von dem Deckel (14) getragen wird.
  9. Gerät nach Anspruch 7 oder 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die besagten Behälterteile aus durchsichtigem Kunststoffmaterial wie Polykarbonat bestehen.
EP89309727A 1989-09-25 1989-09-25 Vorrichtung zum Vakuumverpacken verderblicher Nahrungsmittel Expired - Lifetime EP0419736B1 (de)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE89309727T DE68912328D1 (de) 1989-09-25 1989-09-25 Vorrichtung zum Vakuumverpacken verderblicher Nahrungsmittel.
EP89309727A EP0419736B1 (de) 1989-09-25 1989-09-25 Vorrichtung zum Vakuumverpacken verderblicher Nahrungsmittel
AT89309727T ATE100039T1 (de) 1989-09-25 1989-09-25 Vorrichtung zum vakuumverpacken verderblicher nahrungsmittel.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP89309727A EP0419736B1 (de) 1989-09-25 1989-09-25 Vorrichtung zum Vakuumverpacken verderblicher Nahrungsmittel

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0419736A1 EP0419736A1 (de) 1991-04-03
EP0419736B1 true EP0419736B1 (de) 1994-01-12

Family

ID=8202795

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89309727A Expired - Lifetime EP0419736B1 (de) 1989-09-25 1989-09-25 Vorrichtung zum Vakuumverpacken verderblicher Nahrungsmittel

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0419736B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE100039T1 (de)
DE (1) DE68912328D1 (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2015123375A1 (en) * 2014-02-12 2015-08-20 Sunbeam Products, Inc. Storage container with expandable medium

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4410290A1 (de) * 1994-03-25 1995-10-26 Hartwig Wollert Vorrichtung zum Schutz der Vakuumpumpe vor Evakuierflüssigkeiten
AU5283396A (en) * 1995-04-07 1996-10-23 Shane Day Vacuum storage system
US6789690B2 (en) * 2002-04-19 2004-09-14 Tilia International, Inc. Hose direct canister lid

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1621132A (en) * 1925-01-02 1927-03-15 Reinbold Frank Method and apparatus for sealing fruit jars
CH274829A (de) * 1948-09-16 1951-04-30 Dalmatica Export Import Einrichtung zum Verschliessen und Öffnen von Konservengefässen, Einsiedegläsern und dergl., die zum Verschliessen unter innern Unterdruck gesetzt werden.

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2015123375A1 (en) * 2014-02-12 2015-08-20 Sunbeam Products, Inc. Storage container with expandable medium

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0419736A1 (de) 1991-04-03
DE68912328D1 (de) 1994-02-24
ATE100039T1 (de) 1994-01-15

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