JP4881303B2 - Airtight lid for containers - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a container lid, and more particularly to a lid that forms a hermetic seal on a container in order to protect contents such as food from deterioration or prevent leakage of the contents therein.

To delay degradation, food and other septic products have traditionally been used by Tilia.
Inc. Have been sealed in plastic bags or in special containers with lids specially configured to have sealing gaskets. Typically, the user must move the product from the original container to a plastic bag or special container, which causes great inconvenience to the user.

  In addition to inconvenience, traditional methods for protecting septic products present some other challenges to users or consumers. As a first challenge, the method limits the consumer's choice to plastic bags or special containers, allowing the user to use a bowl or kitchen that can be easily used in the kitchen to store food and other perishable products. You cannot use your favorite container such as a dish. Unlike special containers, ordinary bowls or dishes do not have the flat and flush edges necessary to form a liquid or air tight seal with a lid. Also, ordinary bowls and dishes do not have the strength to withstand negative pressure, and there is a risk of internal burst when negative pressure is inhaled.

  The second problem is the high cost of special containers and lids. Special containers must have a very flat and flush upper surface at the edges to form a hermetic seal with the lid, so traditional ceramic or magnetic bowls made from cheap soil or glass Unlike dishes, it must be made from more expensive materials such as plastic or metal by more expensive methods such as injection molding and metal forming.

  The third problem is the time required to seal food or other septic products. For example, to seal a leftover meal, the meal is transferred from an original container such as a plate or bowl to a special container or plastic bag, and the special container or plastic bag is degassed with a vacuum packaging device. And the original container needs to be washed. Although this process seems less complex, for many people who are locked in time because of work or other life events, it is time consuming.

  The present invention provides a new container lid in order to simplify the method of sealing food and other septic products and to solve the above problems.

The present invention provides a lid that forms a hermetic seal on the container to extend the freshness of the product in the container, such as a bowl or dish. The lid includes an air impermeable membrane having an outer edge that is larger than the edge of the container and a reinforcing ring that allows a hermetic seal to be formed between the membrane and the container edge under negative or lower pressure than the atmosphere. The impervious membrane conforms to the structure of the rim on the rim of the container so that the membrane enters or fills the falling or other defects on most household containers. Flexible and soft enough. As a result, the membrane prevents an air gap from forming between the membrane and the rim, and allows the lid to form an air tight seal with most household containers. The reinforcing ring is made of a metal material such as steel and aluminum, and has two horizontal rings connected by a vertical ring that sandwiches the membrane at the outer edge to prevent vertical and horizontal deformation of the membrane. .

  The lid further includes an air collection chamber for extracting air from the container and a degassing passage having a valve that allows the air to flow out of the container but prevents air from flowing into the container. The collection chamber has a collection conduit for carrying air to the valve, a microporous film, and side walls to which the film and membrane are attached. The valve includes a valve opening, a seal member that closes the valve opening, and an elongate member, the elongate member configured to open the valve to release negative pressure in the container, and the elongate member is a separate member. Configured to prevent unintentional release of negative pressure when accidentally contacted by a container or object.

  To use a lid according to an embodiment of the present invention, simply place the product in the container, place the lid on top, push the membrane into the container to allow air to escape from the degassing passage, then open the membrane To do. This creates a negative or lower pressure in the container to secure the membrane to the container and improve the freshness of the product. In order to create and maintain a negative pressure in the container, it is important that the impermeable membrane has a sufficiently low tensile strength and tends to return to its original shape.

  In order to use a lid according to another embodiment of the present invention, the product is placed in a container, the lid is placed on top, the negative pressure generator is connected to a degassing passage, and the air in the container is degassed. To do. The membrane is configured to have a sufficiently low tensile stress so that the negative pressure places the membrane into the container and matches the container sidewall and the structure of the product. In contrast to the traditional belief that the vacuum vessel must have a strong and thick wall, and in contrast to what is taught by the home vacuum packaging industry leaders, including food savers. The lid has been found to allow most containers found in home kitchens to withstand the negative pressure generated by home vacuum packaging equipment such as food saver vacuum sealers. By making the air impermeable membrane sufficiently expandable or stretchable, by making the tensile stress of the membrane sufficiently low, and by making the membrane sufficiently thin, the disposable foam tray is internally ruptured or crushed Instead, the lid was found to create a negative pressure even within the foam tray.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lid that can consistently form a hermetic seal even though almost all household containers have imperfect edges.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vacuum lid that can consistently form a hermetic seal under vacuum in almost all containers, even if the containers have thin or weak walls, for example.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vacuum package that does not crush or break soft or fragile products.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lid capable of consistently forming a hermetic seal in the container and introducing hot gas fluid into the container.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vacuum lid that can easily form an airtight seal on a container and can easily release negative pressure in the container.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vacuum lid that can extend the time that negative pressure is maintained in the container.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings schematically illustrate non-limiting embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 1 and 1 a show a lid 1 for a bowl or dish 20 having an open top 23, an edge 21, a bottom 25, a side wall 22 and a chamber 27 for receiving several fruits 26. As with most containers in the home, the edge 21 of the bowl 20 is not perfectly flat and may be distorted or have one or more lowered portions 28. This distorted or lowered portion 28 creates a gap between the currently known or available lid and edge 21 and prevents the currently known lid from forming a hermetic seal on the container. The lid 1 of the present invention has an impervious membrane 3 having an outer edge 2 that is larger than the edge of the container to cover the container, and the film is brought into the container either by pressure lower than in the atmosphere or negative pressure (FIG. 2). It includes a reinforcing ring 8 that prevents the outer edge of the membrane from deforming when pulled or pushed into the container by hand or force (FIG. 2a).

  The reinforcing ring 8 is made of a metal material such as steel and aluminum and has two horizontal rings 91 connected by a vertical ring 92 that grips the membrane at its outer edge. The horizontal ring 91 greatly contributes to preventing the membrane from being deformed in the horizontal direction, and the vertical ring 92 greatly contributes to preventing the membrane from being deformed in the vertical direction. The reinforcing ring is shown in FIG. 1a as having a circular or elliptical shape, and may have a rectangular, square, triangular, hexagonal, or other shape. Circular, elliptical, or square or rectangular shapes with four rounded corners have been found to help prevent the reinforcement ring from deforming horizontally. It has also been found that without the reinforcing ring 8, the membrane 8 does not form a hermetic seal at the rim 21 of the container and cannot form a lower pressure or negative pressure in the container than in the atmosphere.

  The air impervious membrane 3 prevents the membrane from entering or filling the lowered portion 28 (FIGS. 2 and 2a) to form an air gap between the membrane and the container edge 21. In addition, the portion of the membrane directly above the container edge 21 is configured to match the structure or shape of the edge. As a result, the lid 1 of the present invention can form a hermetic seal and vacuum in most containers found in the home, such as bowls, dishes, pans, cups, canisters, trays, bottles and jars. To prevent air from escaping into the container and the flavor, moisture and aroma of the product in the container from escaping out of the container, even after the membrane has been greatly expanded or extended into the container, It includes a barrier or barrier layer that can maintain its barrier properties against air, flavor and moisture, which are illustrated in FIGS. 7a and 7b, along with the membrane structure.

  The lid degassing passage 63 includes an air collection chamber 18 that draws air from the container and a valve 94 that allows air to flow out of the container but prevents air from flowing into the container. The collection chamber 18 includes left and right collection conduits 4a and 4b that collect and convey air to a valve 94, a circular central wall 40, a film 9 having a number of micropores, and a sidewall 10 having a bottom surface 7, 7 is sealed with the film 9, and the outer edge portion 7 b is sealed with the membrane 3. The valve 94 includes a cylindrical body 15, a valve base 17 having a valve opening 5, a seal member 6 above the base for closing the valve opening, and a holding device having a plurality of protrusions for holding the seal member in the main body 15. 16 is included. The valve is also connected at one end to the seal member and the other end 11 at the circle of the body 15 to allow the seal member to be pulled away from the valve opening to relieve negative pressure in the container. It has a longitudinal member 12 extending out of the columnar opening. The longitudinal member 12 is preferably a thin layer flexible member such as a string, a band, and a wire. The flexibility of member 12 prevents unintentional release of negative pressure in container 20 when the elongate member is accidentally contacted with another container or object. The thinness of the elongate member allows the cylindrical opening of the body 15 to accept a negative pressure tube from a common vacuum packaging device to evacuate the container. It will be appreciated that a valve 94 with a flexible longitudinal flexible member 12 may be used to relieve negative pressure in a typical vacuum package can or canister.

The film 9 has a number of micro openings configured to allow air to exit the container, but prevent particles or solids from passing through, so that the container is degassed through the degassing passage. Stop product loss when letting go. The film may be a microporous membrane, such as a Supor polyethersulfone, a woven filter or a non-woven filter from Pall Corp. W. L. By using a hydrophobic film such as Goretech from Gore Associates, or a porous polypropylene or polyethylene film, the film will be impermeable when the product liquid in the container reaches the film. It was issued. As a result, such a hydrophobic film prevents liquid loss of the product 26 through the degassing passage 63 when the container is degassed. It has also been found that when the film 9 is sufficiently hydrophobic, the film 9 retains its breathability after the product liquid has left the film. By covering or impregnating the porous film 9 with a certain gel that forms a material such as starch, the film allows air to pass through easily, but when the product moisture reaches the film so that the film forms a gel. Become non-porous and impermeable to both air and liquid. Like the hydrophobic film 9, this gel forming film prevents the loss of liquid in the product 26 when the container is evacuated.

  According to the first exemplary application of the lid 1 of the present invention, a product such as fruit, meat or meal is simply placed in the container 20 and the lid is placed on the container so that the reinforcing ring 8 is outside the container rim. To release air from the deaeration passage 63, either directly or by pushing the upper wall of the deaeration chamber 18, the membrane 3 is pushed into the container and then the membrane is opened. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2a, in order to fix the impermeable membrane 3 to the container and to extend the freshness of the product 26, a negative pressure or a pressure lower than that in the atmosphere is generated between the membrane and the container. Here, the deaeration chamber also acts as a push accelerator to facilitate pushing and air removal. In order to generate and maintain a lower pressure or negative pressure in the container than in the atmosphere, it is important that the impermeable membrane 3 has a sufficiently low tensile stress and strength and has a tendency to return to its original shape. It is. The membrane may be a 0.0152 millimeter (0.0006 inch) thick linear or superlinear low density polyethylene membrane, or 0.0254 millimeter (0.001 inch) including an EVOH barrier layer and a low density polyethylene skin layer. It can be a very thin stretchable plastic film, such as a multilayer film of thickness, or it can be a thermoplastic elastomer or rubber film, such as a butyl rubber, ethylene acrylic elastomer, or ethylene propylene (ie EPDM) elastomer film. The lid 1 comprising the thin layer elastomer or rubber membrane 3 maintains a lower pressure than in the atmosphere to secure the membrane to the container 20 for a significantly longer period than the lid 1 comprising the thin layer stretchable plastic membrane. It was found that it was possible.

  According to the second exemplary application of the lid 1 of the present invention, the product 26 is placed in the container 20, the lid is placed on the container so that the reinforcing ring 8 is outside the container edge, and the container is negative for degassing. The pressure generator 41 is placed on the circular central wall 40 of the deaeration chamber 63, and the negative pressure generator is further removed. The membrane 3 has a sufficiently low tensile stress so that negative pressure can stretch the membrane to enter the container 20 and match the structure of the container 20 sidewalls 22 and product 26, as shown in FIG. 2b. Configured to have. The upper part of the product 20 is wrapped by the impermeable membrane 3 so that the shape of the product can be seen. The membrane is preferably transparent so that the product in the container can be seen. It will be appreciated that an effective amount of anti-fogging additive, such as glycerol monooleate, added to the membrane 3 significantly improves the visibility of the product through the membrane, especially when the product has a high moisture content.

  The negative pressure generator 41 includes a negative pressure pump 46, a pump battery 50, a skirt 44 having a seal ring 42 to seal the lid circular wall 40, and a pump electrical switch 51. The pump 46 includes a motor 48 having a shaft 47 fixed to a disk 49, a pin 54 on a disk for converting the rotational movement of the disk into a reciprocating linear movement of the piston 56, and the piston 56 includes a beam 55 and a beam. A piston chamber having check valves 45 and 64 which are connected to the pin by a hole 52 for receiving the pin at the end of the shaft and are arranged to create a negative pressure within the skirt 44 with the motor after the motor 48 is activated. including. It will be appreciated that the container 20 may also be evacuated by inserting a negative pressure tube from a negative pressure device, such as a food saver vacuum sealer, into the upper end opening of the body 15.

Contrary to the belief that the vacuum vessel must have strong and thick walls, and contrary to what is taught by leaders in the home vacuum packaging industry, including Tilia Direct, which sells food saver universal vacuum lids and vacuum canisters. Thus, it has been found that the lid 1 of the present invention allows most containers found in home kitchens to withstand the negative pressure generated by home vacuum packaging equipment such as food saver vacuum sealers. By making the air impermeable membrane fully expandable or stretchable, the lid 1 can be discarded by making the tensile stress of the membrane sufficiently low at significant stretch and by making the membrane sufficiently thin. It has also been found that it allows even a negative pressure to be created in the foam tray without rupturing or collapsing the foam tray. It is theorized that the intimate contact between the gas impermeable membrane and the vessel wall helps to prevent the vessel from being ruptured or crushed by negative pressure. The air impervious membrane 3 is less than about 5 _Rm / L square inch per pound or Psi at a tensile strain of about 20 to 50 percent elongation so that a container with thin or weak walls can withstand negative pressure. Preferably has a tensile stress lower than 2 _Rm / L square inch per pound or Psi. Where R _m is the radius or equivalent radius of the membrane 3 or container 20 edge 21 and L is the thickness of the membrane in inches. The equivalent radius is used if the container 20 or lid membrane 3 has a non-circular periphery and is defined by the equation R _m = (A / 3.14) ^1/2 . Here, A is the area of the impermeable membrane 3 or the container opening 23.

When a brittle or soft product such as berries, cut watermelon pieces, or french fries is placed in a bag such as a food saver bag and the bag is degassed by a negative pressure sealing device, the brittle or soft product is It is also known to be crushed or crushed. With a large inflatable an impermeable membrane 3 of the lid, the tensile stress of the film, the tensile strain of about 20% at 50% elongation, 2R p / _L per square inch pounds i.e. lower than Psi, preferably by lower than 0.5 R p / _L per square inch pounds that Psi, fragile or soft products 26 in the container 20 is less likely to be much crushed or pulverized by the negative pressure. Where R _p is the radius or equivalent radius of the product 26 and L is the film thickness in inches. The equivalent radius is used if the product 26 is not spherical and is defined by the equation R _m = (V / 4) ^1/3 . Here, V is the volume of the product. For example, grapes and berries are spherical with a radius of about 7.6 millimeters (0.3 inches) and the tensile stress of the membrane is 0.127 millimeters (0.005 inches) of membrane thickness. If present, it is preferably less than 30 Psi. For comparison purposes, the film of an existing bag for vacuum packaging (eg, a food saver bag) is about 3000 Psi, which is considered necessary to prevent the bag from bursting by the product.

  In order to meet such extremely low tensile stress requirements, the membrane is made of butyl rubber, ethylene acrylic elastomer, ethylene propylene (ie EPDM) rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane elastomer, styrene-containing block copolymer elastomer, about 70 Shore A units. May be made from elastomers or rubber materials such as santoprene elastomers and polychloropyrene elastomers with lower durometer hardness, preferably lower than 55 Shore A units. Membranes made from butyl rubber, ethylene acrylic elastomers and polychloropyrene elastomers are preferred materials because they maintain a negative pressure in the container for a significantly longer period than other rubber materials. This impermeable membrane 3 with extremely low tensile stresses is also 0.0025 millimeters (0.0001 inches) with a relatively thicker elastomer layer, as illustrated in FIGS. 7a and 7b. It may be achieved by coating, extruding, or coextrusion of a very thin barrier polymer layer such as poly (ethylene vinyl alcohol) or EVOH layer. The air-impermeable membrane 3 with such an extremely low tensile stress also wraps fragile fruits, salads, vegetables, french fries and other friable and friable or soft products under vacuum. Used for making new crush-resistant bags for.

In order to maintain a negative pressure in the container or a lower pressure than in the atmosphere for a long time, the impervious membrane should have a sufficiently low tensile stress to reduce the rate of air diffusion from the membrane into the container. When the tensile stress of membrane 3 is reduced from about 500 Psi to about 200 Psi at the same tensile strain, it can be seen that the negative pressure in the container persists for a fairly long time, or the film keeps the container sealed for a fairly long time. It was issued. In order to reduce the loss of the negative pressure in the container 20, the membrane in a tensile strain at 50% elongation from 20%, 7R m / _L per square inch pounds i.e. lower than Psi, preferably 4R m _{/ L} square Should have a tensile stress lower than an inch per pound or Psi. Here, R _m and L are defined above.

  It has also been found that the negative pressure in the container persists for a fairly long time by coating or including at least the lower surface of the membrane with a thin fluid layer such as a liquid, paste or gel layer. It has also been found that the negative pressure in the container lasts considerably long by having a sticky or adhesive material layer on the membrane 3 and turning the material layer upside down to adhere to the container 20.

  FIG. 3 shows a first modified version of the lid 1 of FIG. 1, a plate-like pushing facilitator 38 that makes it easier to push the membrane into the container by hand, and an improved removal that reduces the cost of the lid 1. It comprises an air passage 63, a preformed cavity 14, and a side wall 35 on the impermeable membrane 3 that improves the sealing of the container edge 21 and the side wall 22. The improved degassing passage comprises a valve 94 including an opening 6 on the membrane, a valve base 17 around the opening on the membrane, a seal disc member 6, one end connected to the seal member and the other end 11 to the valve. A longitudinal flexible member 12 that opens the pull valve to release the negative pressure in the container, and a fixing device 16 composed of a horizontal wall formed on the push promoting device 38. The cylindrical wall 53 is formed on the push promoting device to receive a negative pressure tube from a vacuum device such as a hood saver vacuum sealer, if desired. For use, the lid 1 is placed on the container 20 and the cavity 14 is automatically dropped into the container to facilitate sealing to the container side wall 22. Next, in order to expel air from the passage 63, the facilitator 38 is pushed to stretch the membrane side wall 35, and a negative pressure is created under the membrane to secure the membrane to the container by negative pressure. Stop pressing (Fig. 3a). It was found that the negative pressure can be maintained in the container for a long time by coating the seal member 6 with a thin fluid layer such as a high boiling point liquid such as cooking oil, gel or paste. It will be appreciated that if the top surface of the product 26 protrudes out of the container 20, the side wall 35 will move the push promoting device 35 upward so that the product does not prevent the membrane from forming a seal to the container edge 21. Is done.

  FIG. 3b shows a second improved version of the lid 1 of FIG. The modified lid 1 has a smaller reinforcing ring 8 and membrane 3 to fit into jars, bottles and other containers with small openings 23 and is closed after a negative pressure loss under the membrane 3. Similar to the lid of FIG. 3, except that it has a valve 94 that remains open. In the valve 94, the sealing member 6 is connected to the fixing device 16 by means of a shaft 43 to sandwich the membrane and valve base 17 between the sealing member 6 and the fixing device 16 below the valve opening 5. The shank 43 allows the seal member 6 to slightly lift the membrane around the opening 5 so that the valve remains closed even after the negative pressure of the container (not shown) under the membrane 3 is released. Short enough to press. Two or more openings 24 are formed on the fixation device 16 to make the fixation device more flexible.

FIG. 3c shows a third improved version of the lid 1 of FIG. The improved lid is a plate-like push facilitator that facilitates the pushing of the membrane into the container by means of a smaller reinforcement ring 8 and membrane 3 to fit into jars, bottles and other containers with small openings 23. Similar to the lid of FIG. 1 except that it has a device 38 and an improved degassing passage 63 that reduces the cost of the lid 1. The escape passage is arranged on the lower side of the membrane and has a valve 94 having a sealing member 6 for sealing the valve opening 5 formed in the membrane, and a fixed portion connected to the sealing member by the shaft portion 43 on the upper side of the valve opening. It includes a device 16 and a biasing spring 33 that presses the membrane against the seal member and closes the valve opening after loss of negative pressure in the container (not shown) below the membrane. The fixation device 16 also functions as a button 84 for pressing. In order to seal the container with the lid 1, the lid is placed on the container, the button 8 or the push-promoting device 38 is pushed with enough force to push the membrane 3 into the container, and then a negative pressure in the container is brought about. Release the button. In order to remove the lid, the button 84 is pushed so as to push the seal member 6 downward in order to release the negative pressure. However, in order to remove the lid, it returns to its original shape and the membrane 3 comes out of the container. The pressure is slight.

  FIG. 4 shows a fourth improved version of the lid 1 of FIG. In this improved lid, the air-impermeable membrane 3 has a side wall portion 35 and a horizontal center portion 127. The side wall 35 of the membrane is elastic or rubbery, and at least a part of the side wall 35 has a peripheral edge smaller than the container edge 21. With this configuration, the side wall portion 35 can form an airtight seal on the edge 21 of the container 20 (FIGS. 4b and 4c). The reinforcing ring 8 has a larger diameter than the membrane sidewall 35 to facilitate installation of the lid on the container. In FIG. 4b, the reinforcing ring 8 is made larger than the container edge 21 and only pushes the lid reinforcing ring 8 downward to extend or expand the side wall 35 so that the side wall seals the edge 21 by elastic force. The container can be sealed. In order to reduce the force required to expand the side wall 35 to seal the container rim, the side wall is made to have a sufficiently low tensile stress strength.

  The reinforcing ring 8 may also be made elastically so that the lid can seal a container having a larger edge 21 than the reinforcing ring (FIG. 4c). After some air is evacuated out of the container, the horizontal center 127 is forced into the container 20 so that the negative pressure in the container opens the film to help secure the film to the container. Alternatively, the horizontal central portion 27 may be pushed (FIG. 4c). It will be appreciated that a simple degassing passage (not shown) may be formed on the membrane such that the force required to allow air to exit the vessel and push the membrane 3 into the vessel. The deaeration passage may have a valve opening on the horizontal central portion 127 so that air exits from the container, and may have a sealing member such as a flexible film above the opening. It will also be appreciated that the horizontal central portion 127 of the membrane 3 may be a plastic or metal sheet attached to the lower end of the side wall portion 35.

  FIG. 5 shows a fifth modified version of the lid 1 of FIG. 1 and is used with a negative pressure generator 41 similar to the negative pressure generator of FIG. 2, but larger to enclose the lid 1 and the container 20. It has a skirt or chamber 44. The negative pressure device further includes an open valve 66 having an opening 61 in the skirt 44, a button 58, a seal disk 62 connected to the button by a shank, and a spring that pulls the seal disk upward to seal the opening 61. Have The improved lid has an air-impermeable membrane 3 and a reinforcing ring 8 having two substantially vertical rings connected to the outer edge 2 of the membrane at the upper end and a substantially horizontal ring connecting the lower ends of the two vertical rings 91. , Including a film strip 68 having one end attached to the membrane and a free end or handle 69 that allows the membrane to be pulled. The horizontal ring 92 and vertical ring 91 of the reinforcing ring 8 prevent wrinkles from forming in the membrane portion above the container edge when the membrane is pulled into the container. During use, the lid 1 is placed in a container with product 26 therein and on a plate 67, and a skirt or chamber 44 is placed above the container to form a seal between the seal ring 42 and the plate 67. The button 58 is pressed to allow air in both the chamber 44 and the container 20 to be removed by the negative pressure device 41 and to allow air to flow into the skirt chamber 44. The air pressure in the skirt chamber pushes the membrane 3 into the container 20 and matches the membrane with the container sidewall and product structure (FIG. 5a). It is recognized that by having a central ridge or cavity on the impervious membrane 3 similar to the cavity 14 of FIGS. 3 and 4, the lid can seal a container 20 having very short side walls 21 or no side walls. The The cavity or bulge of the membrane 3 protrudes so that the peripheral portion 2 of the membrane reaches the container edge or outer edge and contacts the outer edge before the skirt chamber 44 and the container 20 are evacuated by the negative pressure pump 46. Product 26 is contained in a container.

FIG. 6 shows an improved version of the lid 1 of FIG. 5 for use with a container 20 with an edge 21 containing a welding material. The welding material is configured to be welded to the welding material on the impermeable membrane 3 by heat, adhesive, vibration, or light beam welding, and the outer edge of the membrane is substantially deformed when the membrane is pulled down into the container. Strong enough to prevent you from being made. The skirt 44 of the negative pressure device has a foldable lower skirt 44a for dropping the upper wall of the skirt, and when the negative pressure is formed inside the skirt by the device 41, the heating ring 128 is attached to the membrane near the container edge 21. Contact with. A plurality of air shallow conduits (not shown) to allow air to exit the container through the interface between the membrane and the edge 21 after the foldable lower skirt 44a is folded by internal negative pressure. Is formed either on the membrane 3 or on the edge. During use, the lid 1 is placed on the edge 21 of the container 20 with the product 26 therein and placed on the plate 67, the edge 21 being configured to function as a reinforcing ring. A skirt chamber 44 is placed above the container to form a seal between the seal ring 42 and the plate 67. The air in the chamber 44 is removed by the negative pressure device 41, and the lower skirt 44a is folded so that the heater ring 128 pushes the membrane above the edge 21. Air in the container 20 is drawn into the skirt chamber through the shallow air conduit. The heater ring 128 is actuated briefly to deposit the membrane and edge weld material. A button 58 is pressed to allow air to flow into the skirt chamber 44 and return the lower skirt to its original shape. The air pressure in the skirt chamber pushes and stretches the membrane 3 into the container 20 and matches the membrane with the container sidewall and product structure (FIG. 6a). 5 and 6, it will also be appreciated that the plate 67 may be replaced by a conveyor belt. In use, after the container 26 with product 26 and lid 1 is placed on the belt, the conveyor belt transports the container to a position below the skirt chamber 44 and degass and seals the chamber as described above. Therefore, the skirt chamber is lowered to the belt.

  FIGS. 7 a and 7 b show two illustrative structures of the air impermeable membrane 3. The membrane 3 in FIG. 7 a has a rubber or elastomer layer 72, a blocking polymer layer 70, and a tie or adhesive layer 71. The membrane 3 in FIG. 7b has a rubber or elastomer layer 72, a barrier polymer layer 70, a skin or sealant layer 73, and two tethers or adhesive layers 71 that join the elastomer layer, barrier layer and sealant layer. The sealant layer 73 allows the reinforcing ring 8 and the push promoting device 38 to be heat sealed to the membrane. The elastomeric layer 72 is at least about 150 percent thicker than the barrier layer 70, preferably about twice as thick, so that the membrane substantially returns to its original shape after the negative pressure under the membrane in the container is released. Enable.

  The elastomer layer may be made from thermoplastic elastomers such as butyl rubber, ethylene acrylic elastomer, EPDM or polyurethane elastomer, and natural or synthetic rubber. The polymer barrier layer 70 is configured to retain air barrier properties after the membrane is expanded by force or negative pressure, and is made of polyethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), polyvinyl chloride, or polyvinylidene. It may be made from a low tensile strength blocking polymer such as dichloride. The sealant layer may be made from a low tensile strength and low melt temperature polymer such as linear low density or ultra-linear low density polyethylene, polyethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or thermoplastic elastomer. The membrane may be produced by a coextrusion, extrusion coating, or lamination process. It will be appreciated that when butyl rubber or an ethylene acrylic elastomer having a high barrier to air is used, the membrane 3 can be a single layer membrane made from butyl rubber or ethylene acrylic elastomer. In addition, by selecting a suitable material so that the membrane 3 can have a sufficiently low tensile strength or stress when stretched from 20 percent to 100 percent, it flows into the space between the membrane 3 of the lid 1 and the container 20. The speed of the air to do is significantly reduced. As a result, a single layer membrane made of a polymer such as polyethylene propylene elastomer (EPDM), polyurethane elastomer, or low density polyethylene that has a relatively low barrier to air but has a sufficiently low tensile stress is Can be successfully used as the membrane 3 for the lid 1.

FIG. 8 shows a seventh improved version of the lid 1 of FIG. In the improved lid 1, the membrane 3 is attached to the lower surface of the horizontal ring 92 of the reinforcing ring 8. The support plate 129 is positioned above the membrane and is connected to the reinforcing ring 8. In order to facilitate the formation of a hermetic seal between the membrane and the container, a sufficiently thick air space 19 is formed between the support plate and the membrane. An opening 79 is formed in the membrane to allow a sufficiently thick air space 19 to communicate with the container. During use, the membrane automatically conforms to the shape of the edge 21 to place the lid on the container and fill the lower space 28 of the edge. A negative pressure device such as device 41 of FIG. 2 is then connected to the degassing passage 63 to degas the container and the resulting negative pressure secures the membrane 3 to the container 20. Here, opening 79 helps prevent membrane 3 from crushing product 26 in the container (FIG. 8a). The support plate 129 needs to be thick enough to prevent the negative pressure in the container from pulling the support plate down. If the support plate is not strong enough to remain flat, the negative pressure in the container 20 is short. It is recognized that it may be lost over time. It is also recognized that such a thick support plate 129 significantly increases the cost of the lid 1.

  FIG. 9 shows an eighth improved version of the lid 1 of FIG. 1, which is used with a lid support 142 to seal the container. The lid 1 is an impermeable membrane 3 attached to the lower surface of the horizontal ring 92 of the reinforcing ring 9, a plurality of openings 77 formed in the membrane, and prevents specific substances in the product 26 from going out of the container through the openings 77. And a microporous membrane 9 attached to the membrane. The lid support 142 includes a sufficiently thick horizontal support plate 129, a side wall 129a, a deaeration passage 63 having a valve 94, a thick rubber gasket 30, a lid 1 and a lid so as to prevent deformation due to a negative pressure below. After the support 142 is placed on the container, there is sufficient air space 19 below the gasket to prevent the rubber gasket from obstructing the formation of intimate contact between the membrane 3 and the edge 21. The valve 94 is connected to the valve body 15 via a cylindrical valve body 15, a valve opening 5, a sealing chamber 81 having a bottom wall 6 that seals the valve opening and an upper wall 82 having the opening, and screws (not shown). A knob 84 that is rotatably coupled, a presser 123 having a plunger 103 that is slidably received in the sealing chamber 81, and a shaft 86 that is slidably received in an opening in the top wall 82 to couple the plunger to the knob. Including. The screw and valve body 15 of the presser have a first position where the sealed chamber can freely move up and down to remove air from the container, a second position where the plunger presses the bottom wall 6 against the valve opening 6, and air in the container 20 The knob 84 is configured to be movable between a third position in which the plunger raises the sealed chamber for flow into. During use, the lid 1 is placed on the container 20 so that the membrane 3 matches the structure of the edge 21. Next, the lid support is placed on the lid 1, and the side wall 129 a of the lid support is sealed to the lid membrane 3. The container is deaerated by connecting a negative pressure device (not shown) to the deaeration passage 63. The negative pressure in the container 20 pulls the lid support 142 down to the container and presses the edge 21 against the membrane 3 and the seal gasket 30 (FIG. 9a). In the lid 1 of FIG. 9, the reinforcing ring 8 may be replaced with a pressure sensitive adhesive or adhesive on the impervious membrane which adheres the outer edge of the membrane 3 to the side wall 129a or container of the lid support 142. It is made to adhere to the side wall 21.

  FIG. 10 shows a ninth version of the lid 1 of FIG. 1, in which a hot gas fluid is supplied to a container 20, such as a bowl, a dish or a cup, such as potato, egg, meat, flour, or grain in the dish. Heat or cook product 26. The main problems encountered when commercializing an appliance that directly cooks food in a dish with hot gaseous fluid as taught in US Pat. No. 6,582,743 by the present inventors are: This means that a seal cannot be formed between the edges of the pan 20. The lack of a seal between the instrument lid and dish rim results in a large loss of hot gas fluid, which not only wastes energy but also impairs the flavor of the food.

This improved lid includes a sufficient flexible membrane 3 with a peripheral edge 2 sandwiched by a reinforcing ring 8, a support plate 129 positioned above the membrane and connected to the reinforcing ring, and between the membrane and the container edge 21. A sufficiently thick air space 19 between the support plate 129 and the membrane 3 to facilitate the formation of a hermetic seal and a hot gas fluid passage 63a. The passage 63a has an outer cylinder 97 received by the central opening 88 of the support plate 129, an inner cylinder 98 having a fringe 96 attached to the upper end of the outer cylinder, and a hot gas outlet 5 for hot gas fluid to exit the container. In order to function as a distributor inlet for distributing hot gas fluid from the generator 117, it has a ring-shaped conduit 95 between the inner and outer cylinders. The outer cylinder is supported by a portion around the opening 88 of the support plate, and the membrane 3 after the ring-like fixation device 87 is pressed through the opening 88 and supported by the portion around the opening 88 of the support plate. And an elastic ring member 89 that presses against the lower surface of the support plate 129.

  The hot gas fluid generator 117 includes a fluid connector 74 having an upper chamber 76 that receives the inner cylinder 98 and a lower cylinder 75 that receives the outer cylinder 97 of the lid 1, and a heating chamber that heats the gas fluid and / or vaporizes water. 115 includes a heater 116 and a temperature control device 119 for controlling the temperature of the hot gas fluid. The generator is also housed in the pump chamber 112 and connected to the motor 109 via the rod 111, returning hot gas fluid from the container 20 to the pump chamber via the outlet 5 of the lid and the conduit 100, The gas fluid is extruded from the opening 121 to the heater 116 to heat the gas fluid to the desired temperature, and the heated gas fluid is routed to the container 20 via line 122, ring conduit 78 of fluid connector 74 and ring conduit 95 of lid 1. Includes a turbine blade 114 for return. For simplicity, the motor 109 and the blade 114 are called gas pumps. The generator also includes a water tank 102 of water 103 and a water pump 101 connected to the water tank via a pipe 104 and connected to an inlet 109 at the upper end of the pump chamber via a water passage 107. Water is carried by pump 101 through inlet 109 to blade 114 where it is atomized or atomized before being vaporized and sent to heater 116 to generate water vapor. The valve 106 is disposed in the water passage 107, and controls the flow rate or flow rate of the water carried to the blade 112 and the heater 116 by the pump 101. The hygrometer 125 is disposed in the conduit 100, measures the humidity of the hot gas fluid, stops water conveyance to the heater 116 when the humidity exceeds a predetermined value, and when the humidity falls below the predetermined value An electrical signal is supplied to the liquid pump 101 or valve 106 to begin transporting water to the heater. The air valve 110 is disposed at the upper end of the pump chamber, that is, on the low pressure side of the blade, and controls the proportion of hot air in the hot gas fluid by controlling the amount of air available in the blade or gas pump.

  In order to use the lid 1 and the hot gas fluid generator 117, the lid is placed on a dish 20 with food 26 to be heated or cooked, and the membrane 3 is constructed with an edge 21 structure to form an airtight seal at the edge. Match. The fluid connector 74 is placed above the fluid passage 63 to place the inner and outer cylinders 98 and 97 of the fluid passage 63 into the upper and lower chambers 78 and 75 of the fluid connector 74, respectively. Next, the temperature and humidity level of the hot gas fluid is selected and the hot gas fluid is sent from the gas pump or pump chamber 112 to the product 26 of the pan 20 via the heater 116, line 122 and inlet pipe 95, and hot gas A gas pump or motor 109 is activated to return fluid from the container 20 through the outlet, chamber 76 and line 100 to the pump chamber 112. As a result, the hot gas fluid is circulated between the container and the gas pump chamber. To increase the humidity of the hot gas, more water is pumped to the blade 114 by the pump 101 and more air is pumped into the pump chamber via the air valve 110 to decrease the humidity. At the end of cooking or heating, the air valve 110 is fully opened and the heater 116 is turned off, sending ambient temperature air to the dish to cool the dish to some extent for safe touch. As taught by the inventor in US Pat. No. 6,582,743, the membrane 3 and the countersunk edge to release some gas fluid when the pressure under the membrane reaches a predetermined value. It will be appreciated that the lid 10 is lifted by the pressure of the pan 20 so as to form a gap between 21. It is also recognized that the water pump 101 may be replaced with a porous hydrophilic wick sheet having one end immersed in the water tank and the other end disposed in the hot gas fluid circulation passage. Up to 100 percent steam may be used as the hot gas fluid or nearly 100 percent hot air may be used as the hot gas fluid to treat the product 26 below the membrane 3 in the dish 20. It is also recognized.

  The scope of the invention is clearly not limited or limited to the embodiments described by way of example and shown in the drawings, but there are many variations, modifications, additions and applications of the invention that can be envisaged within the scope of the claims. To do.

Sectional drawing which shows the lid | cover and tray before a seal | sticker is formed. Sectional drawing in the AA of the lid | cover of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the lid | cover and dish of FIG. 1 after vacuum-sealing. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lid and pan of FIG. 1 after a vacuum seal is formed by simply pushing the lid. Sectional drawing which shows the cover which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 3 after the vacuum seal is formed in a bowl by pushing the lid by hand. Sectional drawing which shows another example of the lid | cover of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the further another example of the lid | cover of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the stacking | stacking of the cover which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing in the AA of the lid | cover of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 4 after forming a vacuum seal on the bowl by manually pushing the lid to create a negative pressure on the bowl. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 4 after a seal has been formed on the pan by manually extending the elastic side wall of the lid to the edge. Sectional drawing which shows the lid | cover, a plate | pan, and a negative pressure apparatus before the seal | sticker is formed according to another embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the state after the vacuum sealing of the lid | cover and dish shown in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the lid | cover and flat plate after vacuum sealing. Sectional drawing which shows the lid | cover, a plate | pan, and a negative pressure apparatus before the seal | sticker is formed according to another embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the state after a vacuum seal of the lid | cover and dish of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the example film | membrane used for the lid | cover of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows another example of the film | membrane used for a lid | cover. Sectional drawing of the lid | cover which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the state after the lid | cover of FIG. 8 was sealed by the plate. Sectional drawing which shows the cover and cover support body which concern on another embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the state by which the lid | cover of FIG. 9 and the lid | cover support body were vacuum-sealed by the dish. Sectional drawing which shows the cover which concerns on another embodiment of this invention and introduce | transduces hot gas fluid into a container from a generator.

Claims (11)

A lid that forms a hermetic seal on a container having an open end for receiving a product therein, a side wall, and an edge at the free end of the side wall, the lid having an outer edge at least as large as the container edge An air-impermeable membrane having a reinforcing ring permanently connected to the outer edge or to a portion in the vicinity of the outer edge to facilitate the formation of an airtight seal between the membrane and the container edge on the membrane. The membrane is sufficiently flexible and contacts the edge or side wall of the container to prevent air passages from forming between the membrane and the edge or side wall of the container. configured the membrane portion so as to coincide with the structure of said edge or side wall, and the membrane is to the product within the closed space between the membrane and the container, introducing the hot gas fluid from the generator The product further comprising an opening that allows the product to be Lid, characterized in that the heating or cooking. A lid that forms a hermetic seal on a container having an open end for receiving a product therein, a side wall, and an edge at the free end of the side wall, the lid having an outer edge at least as large as the container edge An air impermeable membrane having a reinforcing ring permanently connected to the outer edge or to a portion near the outer edge to facilitate the formation of an airtight seal between the membrane and the container edge on the membrane; The membrane is sufficiently flexible and is in contact with the edge or side wall of the container to prevent an air passage from being formed between the membrane and the edge or side wall of the container. The membrane is configured to introduce a hot gas fluid from a generator into the product in a closed space between the membrane and the container, wherein the membrane portion is configured to coincide with the structure of the edge or the sidewall. Connected to or configured to connect to the device By further including the mouth, lid, characterized in that heating or cooking the product. A lid that forms a hermetic seal on a container having an open end for receiving a product therein, a side wall, and an edge at the free end of the side wall, the lid having an outer edge at least as large as the container edge An air impermeable membrane having a reinforcing ring permanently connected to the outer edge or to a portion near the outer edge to facilitate the formation of an airtight seal between the membrane and the container edge on the membrane; Including an inlet for receiving hot gas fluid from the generator, the membrane being sufficiently flexible and preventing air passages from being formed between the membrane and the edge or side wall of the container; The portion of the membrane that contacts the edge or side wall of the container is configured to match the structure of the edge or side wall, and when the pressure under the membrane reaches a predetermined value, In order to release the gas fluid, there is a gap between the membrane and the container. Lid, characterized in that but is formed. A lid that forms a hermetic seal on a container having an open end for receiving a product therein, a side wall, and an edge at the free end of the side wall, the lid having an outer edge at least as large as the container edge An air-impermeable membrane having a reinforcing ring permanently connected to the outer edge or to a portion in the vicinity of the outer edge to facilitate the formation of an airtight seal between the membrane and the container edge on the membrane. The membrane is sufficiently flexible and contacts the edge or side wall of the container to prevent air passages from forming between the membrane and the edge or side wall of the container. An inlet for introducing hot gas fluid from the generator into the vessel and returning at least a portion of the hot gas fluid to the generator configured to match a portion of the membrane with the structure of the rim or sidewall; Heating the product by including an outlet or To sense the lid, characterized in that circulating hot gas fluid between the closed space defined by the emitting generation device and the membrane and the container. A heater for vaporizing water from a water tank to generate high-temperature steam; and the generator having a gas pump, the gas pump including a high-temperature gas fluid containing high-temperature steam, the heater, the inlet, the closed space, the The lid according to claim 4, wherein the lid is circulated in a loop including an outlet and the gas pump. 6. The lid according to claim 5, wherein the generator further includes a liquid pump for transporting water to the heater, and a measurement adjustment device for controlling the amount of water transported to the heater. The measuring and adjusting device measures the humidity of the high-temperature gas fluid, stops the conveyance of water to the heater when the humidity exceeds a predetermined value, and conveys water to the heater when the humidity falls below a predetermined value. The lid according to claim 6, further comprising a humidity measuring and adjusting device for supplying an electric signal to the liquid pump to start the operation. The lid according to claim 5, wherein the gas pump includes a blade that converts water from the water tank into minute water droplets or mist and conveys the water droplets or mist to the heater. 6. The lid of claim 5, wherein the generator further includes an air valve that controls the amount of air available to the gas pump to control the proportion of hot air in the hot gas fluid. . The heater further includes a heater for heating air to generate hot air, and the generator having a gas pump, the gas pump including the hot gas fluid containing hot air, the heater, the inlet, the closed space, the outlet, and the gas pump. The lid according to claim 4, wherein the lid is circulated in a loop including. A heater for generating a hot gas fluid and the generator having a gas pump, the gas pump circulating the hot gas fluid in a loop including the heater, the inlet, the enclosed space, the outlet and the gas pump; The generator is configured to send ambient air to the container through the inlet to cool the membrane and the container after the product has been heated and cooked. 4. The lid according to 4.

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