Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
  • B65D51/16—Closures not otherwise provided for with means for venting air or gas
  • B65D51/1672—Closures not otherwise provided for with means for venting air or gas whereby venting occurs by manual actuation of the closure or other element
  • B65D51/1683—Closures not otherwise provided for with means for venting air or gas whereby venting occurs by manual actuation of the closure or other element by actuating a separate element in the container or closure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D79/00—Kinds or details of packages, not otherwise provided for
  • B65D79/005—Packages having deformable parts for indicating or neutralizing internal pressure-variations by other means than venting
  • B65D79/0087—Packages having deformable parts for indicating or neutralizing internal pressure-variations by other means than venting the deformable part being located in a closure, e.g. in caps or lids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/18—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient
  • B65D81/20—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
  • B65D81/2007—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas under vacuum
  • B65D81/2015—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas under vacuum in an at least partially rigid container

Definitions

• the invention relates to a storage container for food and a method for evacuating a storage container for food.
• Lids for storage containers for foodstuffs are already known from the prior art, in which a vent or ventilation valve is provided in the container lid for pressure compensation during the warming-up process in a microwave oven.
• EP 0 633 196 A2 describes such a mechanism. This is intended to solve the problem of preventing the build-up of excess pressure in the interior of the storage containers for foodstuffs which are warmed up in a microwave. This usually happens when there are aqueous liquids in the interior of the container that evaporate when heated and thereby build up excess pressure in the interior of the container. This is particularly disadvantageous when the container lid is opened, since sauces or other food components suddenly spurt out when the lid is opened.
• EP 0 633 196 A2 proposes a vent valve in the lid of the food storage container, which is to be opened before the container is introduced into the microwave oven. The water vapor then generated during the warming-up process can thereby escape unhindered without a corresponding vapor pressure building up inside the sealed container.
• EP 0 820 939 A1 is also based on the object of building up excess pressure in the interior of the storage container for foodstuffs which is in a microwave to be warmed up, that is to say a venting facility for storage containers for foodstuffs is to be made available here in order to be able to warm up the foodstuffs stored therein safely in a microwave oven when the container lid is closed.
• a valve mechanism is described which can be opened via a joint such as a rocker. It is therefore only necessary to press in the rocker arm, which makes it easy to open the valve.
• WO 88/00560 describes an opening mechanism for a plastic beverage can.
• pressure relief should be created by opening a ventilation valve, which should then make it easier to open or pull off the entire cover.
• these are always plastic lids, since the use of metal lids is to be prevented.
• the pressure equalization of excess pressure inside the container which arises, for example, from carbonated drinks, plays a role.
• US Pat. No. 3,737,066 discloses a container which is preferably intended for storing liquids, the side walls of which are made of coated cardboard material and the bottom and ceiling elements of which are made of plastic plates which are connected to the cardboard walls in a liquid-tight manner.
• the upper plastic lid has a reclosable opening mechanism, which is also made of plastic and is positively connected to the lid via retaining pins. Ventilation before opening the container lid or a device for pressure compensation is not provided.
• CH 304 374 discloses a closure lid for a sterilization vessel made of aluminum, which has an essentially circular shape and is placed on a cylindrical aluminum container. A rubber seal is placed between the edge of the lid and the top of the container. In the middle of the container lid there is an additional opening, which is covered by a rubber cap. The rubber cap is used for visual inspection to indicate whether there is a vacuum inside the container. As long as there is a corresponding negative pressure inside the container, the rubber cover cap bulges inwards accordingly. As the vacuum diminishes, this curvature subsides continuously. It is therefore difficult for the observer to decide whether the inside of the The existing vacuum is still sufficient to ensure the freshness of the food inside the container.
• EP 0 234 607 B1 describes a bottle stopper which is simultaneously designed as a vent valve.
• a cylindrical vacuum pump is used, which completely surrounds the protruding cylindrical shaft of the bottle stopper.
• EP 0 644 128 A1 describes a sealable container which can be evacuated by a vacuum pump.
• a check valve is disclosed therein that is received in a cylindrical recess in the container lid and into which the suction opening of a vacuum pump is inserted.
• a storage container for food is known from DE-74 09 380 U, the filling opening of which can be closed by a lid.
• the lid has a ventilation opening in the center, which can be closed by a valve member.
• the valve member has an opening tab, via which the valve member can be lifted off the vent opening and the vacuum in the storage container can thus be released.
• a vacuum to be formed in the storage container is achieved when the valve is closed by cooling the food after a cooking process.
• DE-28 21 852 A1 also discloses a storage container of the type mentioned at the outset, which can be closed air-tight by a cover provided with a valve.
• the valve is arranged in the center of the lid and is surrounded by an annular connection device on which a vacuum pump for venting the food space of the storage container can be placed.
• the valve plate In order to open the storage container, the valve plate must be lifted off the sealing edge formed on the cover, which can be done by an operator reaching under the valve plate with a knife or other pointed object and pressing it upwards. Such an opening mechanism is relatively difficult to operate.
• the present invention has for its object to provide an improved storage container for food with a connection device for evacuating the storage container. It should be possible to simply evacuate the container and then open it.
• the storage container according to the invention with a valve device according to claim 1 has the advantage that it is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Furthermore, due to the structural design of the connection device, centering of the vacuum pump is not necessary.
• a device with a circumferential sealing lip which acts like a suction cup, can be used as the suction device.
• the suction opening can have any cross section within the smooth peripheral edge. It can also run in a wave shape in a circle, it is only important that the circumferential sealing lip of the suction device is also adapted to this course in order to produce a tight connection.
• the invention presses the opening tab of the motor-operated vacuum pump against the foot section of the sealing tongue and a pressure indicator, so that a tight valve device is created and at the same time the pressure indicator is clearly visible.
• the opening tab presses against the holding member, which in turn presses the seal securely against the container lid.
• the pressure display is easy to read.
• An advantageous embodiment of the present invention provides the features of claim 2. This provides an integrated component with few individual parts. As soon as the storage container is evacuated, the sealing effect takes place automatically in that the sealing tongue is sucked into the ventilation opening provided in the container lid. A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides the features of claim 3. This embodiment provides a surprisingly simple constructive solution for easy opening of the container lid, since the sealing tongue is first lifted off the vent opening when the opening flap is pulled over the driver. This results in a pressure equalization between the inside of the container and the environment. The container lid is no longer sucked in by the negative pressure inside the storage container and can easily be lifted off from it. The valve device thereby fulfills several functions.
• Another advantageous embodiment of the present invention has the features of claim 4. This simplifies the evacuation process, since the operator can immediately see when a sufficient negative pressure has been reached in the storage container.
• the integration of this feature in the valve device creates a component with multiple functions.
• An advantageous development of the embodiment according to claim 4 provides the features of claim 5.
• the configuration described therein provides a pressure indicator that can be detected optically and haptically.
• the optical effect of the membrane which is made, for example, of an elastomeric plastic material, can be further increased by appropriate color design in a signal color.
• a corresponding haptic effect can be achieved which also allows visually impaired users to record the pressure state inside the storage container.
• a further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides the features of claim 7. This makes it possible to store the storage container and its contents in a freezer and then thaw them in a microwave oven. For the warm-up process in the microwave oven, the vent opening can be opened via the opening tab as already described. Possible materials are polypropylene and polyamide as well as any other thermally stable and tasteless plastic material.
• a material is preferably selected which has both sufficient rigidity and the required sealing properties.
• This component can be manufactured inexpensively as an injection molded component and simply mounted on the storage container.
• an alternative embodiment provides the features of claim 9.
• the container lid and the opening tab can be produced as a common injection molded part.
• An elastic elastomeric plastic or rubber material can be used for the sealing tongue and the membaran of the pressure indicator, which is then inserted into the component formed from the container lid and opening tab.
• Another advantage is that the opening tab not only serves to open the ventilation opening, but also that the entire container lid can be lifted off via the film hinge.
• An advantageous method for evacuating a food storage container provides the features of claim 11. Here is the procedure described easy and quick to do. Due to the low demands that the method places on the user, it is particularly well suited for the household sector. It is particularly advantageous that, due to the combination of the connection device with a smooth edge and the suction connection with a circumferential sealing lip, no complex centering is required before the evacuation process.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of a food storage container with a first valve device in a container lid
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional illustration of the valve device with the pressure indicator according to FIG. 1, with a sufficient vacuum in the storage container,
• FIG. 3 shows the valve device according to FIG. 1, but after the vent opening has been released through the opening tab, so that atmospheric pressure is again in the storage container,
• FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned perspective view of a second embodiment of a food storage container with a second valve device, in which the pressure indicator has taken the position in which there is insufficient vacuum in the storage container,
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a food storage container with a pressure indicator according to FIG. 4.
• FIGS. 1 to 3 show a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of a pressure indicator 6 for a storage container 15 (Fig. 4) for food.
• the pressure indicator 6 is connected to a valve device 1 which is attached to a container lid 2.
• An opening tab 7 is integrally connected to the container lid 2 via a film hinge 32.
• the opening tab 7 and the container lid 2 are made as an injection molded component from temperature-resistant thermoplastic.
• the opening tab 7, which is essentially an oval plate in plan view, has a connection device 9 for a suction connection of a vacuum pump, which is essentially formed by a smooth annular surface 18 on the outside 24 of the opening tab 7 and one or more suction openings 17 within the annular surface 18.
• a sealing tongue 3 made of elastomeric plastic is arranged below the connecting device 9 in FIGS. 1 to 6.
• the sealing tongue 3 is fastened to the opening tab 7 via an annular web 19 and is designed as a disc-shaped component.
• the web 19 has an air passage 30.
• the opening tab 7 is inserted into an essentially rectangular depression 20 in the container lid 2 of the storage container 15 which is adapted to the opening tab 7.
• a vent opening 4 is provided in the container lid 2.
• the vent opening 4 provides the connection between the atmosphere and the interior 22 of the storage container 15 ago.
• the ventilation opening 4 is closed airtight by the sealing tongue 3.
• the vent opening 4 forms with the sealing tongue 3 a check valve 40 closing in the direction of the storage container 15.
• a measuring opening 5 is arranged in the container lid 2 according to FIGS. 1 to 6.
• the measuring opening 5 is airtightly covered from above by a plastic membrane 29 of the pressure indicator 6 from above.
• the pressure indicator 6 extends essentially perpendicularly to the plane of the container lid 2 and, according to FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5, has an essentially cup-shaped, slightly convex side wall 23 in the improperly vacuum-sealed state, which tapers upwards and ends with a horizontally extending circular bottom 24.
• the diameter D of the base 24 is smaller than the diameter d of the opening 25 at the foot section 25 of the pressure indicator 6, as shown in particular in FIG. 4.
• FIGS. 1 to 6 there is a display opening 8 in the opening tab 7 at the location of the pressure indicator 6, through which the pressure indicator 6 extends vertically beyond the outside 33 of the opening tab 7 if there is insufficient underpressure in the interior 22 of the storage container 15 .
• the pressure indicator 6 is made of an elastomeric plastic and preferably in a signal color, in the present case in red.
• the pressure indicator 6 according to FIGS. 1 to 3 is stiffened by a spring element 12, which preferably consists of a resilient material, such as spring plate or elastomeric plastic, and lies flat against the inside 34 of the pressure indicator 6.
• the part of the opening tab 7 near the edge has an actuating surface 10.
• the end of the opening tab 7, starting from the bending edge 35, is slightly beveled upwards.
• the container lid 2 has the depression 20, so that since the opening tab 7 is spaced from the bottom 37 of the depression 20 by ribs 29, 36, the actuating surface 10 of the opening tab 7 can comfortably - lo ⁇
• FIGS. 1 to 3 show a holding bracket 11 which presses the elastomeric plastic material of the flat foot section 25 of the pressure indicator 6 onto the container lid 2.
• the bracket 11 is supported on the walls of the container lid 2, not shown in the drawing.
• the pot-shaped pressure indicator 6 is thus connected in one piece to the foot section 25, so that the pressure indicator 6 is sealingly connected to the container lid 2 in the clamped state by the retaining bracket 11.
• Figures 4 to 6 show a partially sectioned perspective view of a second embodiment of a valve device 1 with the pressure indicator 6 according to the invention for a storage container 15 for food.
• the opening tab 7 is connected in one piece to the container lid 2 via the film hinge 32.
• the sealing tongue 3 arranged under the connecting device 9 of the opening tab 7 is connected to the opening tab 7 via a driver 13.
• Both the sealing tongue 3 as the driver 13, the foot portion 25 and the pressure indicator 6 are made from a single elastomeric plastic part which is attached as an insert to a bead 21 in the recess 20 of the container lid 2.
• the plastic material used for the pressure indicator 6 has spring properties, so that the snap effect on the pressure indicator 6 also occurs here if either too little or too little vacuum is present.
• the difference between the first embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3 and the second embodiment according to FIGS. 4 to 6 essentially consists in the fact that in FIGS. 1 to 3 the sealing tongue 3 forms a separate sealing part with respect to the pressure indicator 6, whereas in the second 4 to 6, these parts are formed by a single elastomeric component, the sealing tongue 3 of which is partially cut out of the foot section 25 and thus forms a gap 28.
• a circumferential seal 14 is provided on the edge of the container lid 2 according to FIGS. 4 and 5, which enables an airtight closure with respect to the storage container 15.
• a seal 14 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, so that the cover 2 itself with the storage container 15 illustrates a tight seal.
• the foot part 25 is pressed by the circumferential rib 29 against the bottom 37 of the container lid 2 and thus sealed.
• the pressure inside the container 22 of the storage container 15 corresponds to the ambient pressure.
• the pressure indicator 6 therefore protrudes from the outside due to its spring preload through the display opening 8 via the opening tab 7.
• the pressure indicator 6 is therefore sucked into the cavity 26 in the direction of the interior 22 of the container; it is in the folded or snapped state. In this state, the pressure indicator 6 does not or only insignificantly protrude beyond the outer contour of the opening tab 7.
• the pressure indicator 6 folds like a rolling membrane.
• the ratio of the diameter D to d as a function of the wall thickness f and the elastic material of the pressure indicator 6 is chosen such that the pressure indicator 6 folds up suddenly from a certain negative pressure, as shown in FIG. 2. If the vacuum in the interior of the container 22 decreases, a point is also reached here where the pressure indicator 6 suddenly moves outwards. This has the advantage of a clear display.
• the user When used in a household, the user can first of all find out about the pressure in the interior 22 of the container based on the position of the pressure indicator 6 with the container lid 2 closed. If the bottom of the pressure indicator 6 protrudes outward through the display opening 8, this means that the pressure inside the container 22 is not sufficient to ensure the storage of foodstuffs under vacuum conditions (see FIGS. 1, 4 and 6).
• the storage container 15 is evacuated according to Figures 1, 3 and 6.
• a suction connection with a circumferential sealing lip of a vacuum pump (not shown) is placed on the connection device 9 of the valve device 1.
• the vacuum pump is started.
• This automatically opens the vent tion opening 4 of the valve device 1, since the suction effect allows the sealing tongue 3 to lift off from the vent opening 4 and the air contained in the storage container 15 is sucked out of the vacuum pump.
• air is sucked in laterally via the ventilation opening 4 at the sealing seat 38 of the sealing tongue 3, around the sealing tongue 3 around the outside, through the air passage 30 and via the connection device 9 to the vacuum pump.
• the container lid 2 can now be removed from the storage container 15 without any significant effort. Since the sealing tongue 3 according to FIGS. 4 and 5 is partially separated from the rest of the flat foot part 25 by the essentially U-shaped gap 28, that is to say it is only connected to the rest of the foot section 25 in the left rear area 39, it falls due to its Gravity as a check valve repeatedly on the vent 4, so that vacuuming is not a problem. However, it is also conceivable for the opening tab 7 to be clipped onto the container lid 2 can be snapped, so that in the closed state, the sealing tongue 3 closes the vent opening 4. In FIG. 3, when the opening tab 7 is pivoted about the film hinge 32, the sealing tongue 3 is lifted upward because it is attached to the opening tab 7 with play to fulfill the check valve function.
• FIG. 6 shows a perspective illustration of a storage container 15 for foodstuffs made of thermoplastic material with a valve device 1 according to FIG. 4.
• the storage container 15 has a cuboid-shaped container body 16 and a container lid 2 with a circumferential brim 27 which is essentially rectangular in plan view.
• the valve device 1 is arranged in a recess 20 on one of the narrow sides of the container lid 2.
• the actuating surface 10 of the opening tab 7 closes approximately with the outer surface 33 of the container lid 2. Only the pressure indicator 6 protrudes vertically upward from the display opening 8 of the opening tab 7 when the vacuum is insufficient.
• the circular connection device 9 with the smooth annular surface 18 and the suction opening 17 can be seen, from which the driver 13 projects with its brim 27.
• the brim 27 serves to better carry the driver 13 when the opening tab 7 is pivoted upwards. Due to the leverage that is formed by the distances R and r (FIG. 5), a relatively small hand force F (FIG. 4) on the gripping surface 10 is sufficient to lift the sealing tongue 3 from the sealing seat 38 when there is still vacuum inside the container 22 is available. The smaller the distance r and the greater the distance R, the easier it is to open the valve device 1.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
• Cookers (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Related Parent Applications (1)

Related Child Applications (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=7666239

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (8)

Citations (11)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 2000
  • 2000-12-08 DE DE10060998A patent/DE10060998C1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2001
  • 2001-11-15 AT AT01995635T patent/ATE319628T1/de active
  • 2001-11-15 CN CNB018199968A patent/CN1224555C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-11-15 EP EP01995635A patent/EP1339618B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-11-15 DE DE50109185T patent/DE50109185D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-11-15 WO PCT/EP2001/013234 patent/WO2002046057A1/de active IP Right Grant
  • 2001-11-15 ES ES01995635T patent/ES2256334T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-11-15 AU AU2002226336A patent/AU2002226336A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2004
  • 2004-01-30 HK HK04100645A patent/HK1059420A1/xx not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (11)

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