WO2020154233A1

WO2020154233A1 - Seal for container, and related systems and methods

Info

Publication number: WO2020154233A1
Application number: PCT/US2020/014290
Authority: WO
Inventors: Geoff Henkel
Original assignee: Miir Holdings, Llc
Priority date: 2019-01-21
Filing date: 2020-01-20
Publication date: 2020-07-30

Abstract

A device for releasably sealing a cavity in a chamber of a container includes a seal having a body that is deformable, and a mechanism operable to deform the seal's body into a first shape and into a second shape. The seal's body has a region sized and configured such that when the region contacts a surface of a container, a fluid, such as air, is prevented from moving between the region of the seal's body and the surface that the region contacts. In the first shape, the region of the seal's body contacts the container's surface and prevents fluid from moving between the region of the seal's body and the container's surface. In the second shape, the region of the seal's body does not contact the container's surface and allows fluid to move between the region of the seal's body and the container's surface.

Description

SEAL FOR CONTAINER, AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

BACKGROUND

[1] Many containers designed to hold things include a lid or top that one can use to repeatedly open and close the container. Containers that are designed to hold food often include a seal in the lid so that when the lid closes the container, the interior of the container, where the food is held, is isolated from the environment outside of the container, or ambient environment. Typically, for such containers the seal is disposed in the lid such that when the lid is off of the container, the container’s whole interior is exposed to the ambient environment.

[2] Unfortunately, with the seal disposed in the container’s lid, one cannot keep a portion of the container’s interior isolated from the ambient environment when the lid is off of the container. Also, with the seal disposed in the container’s lid, one cannot divide the container’s interior into two, separate volumes when the lid closes the container.

Both of these can cause problems. First, any food item that reacts adversely to the ambient environment will be exposed when one opens the container, and will remain exposed after one closes the container because a portion of the ambient environment will remain trapped in the container’s interior after one closes the container. This forces one to consume all of the food item stored in the container after one first opens the container, or tolerate the compromised food after one opens the container a second, third, or fourth time. An example of such a problem can be storing coffee in such a container. Coffee stays fresh when its exposure to air is very limited. A second problem with having the seal in the lid of a container can occur when a food item to be stored in the container does not fill the container’s whole interior. The food item can slosh around inside the container, which can damage the food item and/or the container’s interior.

[3] Thus, there is a need for a seal that one can position anywhere inside the container to reduce the volume of the container’s interior in which food items are held. SUMMARY

[4] In one aspect of the invention, a device for releasably sealing a cavity in a chamber of a container includes a seal having a body that is deformable, and a mechanism operable to deform the seal’s body into a first shape and into a second shape. The seal’s body has a region sized and configured such that when the region contacts a surface of a container, a fluid, such as air, is prevented from moving between the region of the seal’s body and the surface that the region contacts. In the first shape, the region of the seal’s body contacts the container’s surface and prevents fluid from moving between the region of the seal’s body and the container’s surface. In the second shape, the region of the seal’s body does not contact the container’s surface and allows fluid to move between the region of the seal’s body and the container’s surface.

[5] With the device, the seal that isolates the container’s inside chamber from the ambient environment may be separated from the container’s lid. This allows one to position the seal anywhere inside the container’s chamber to isolate all or a portion of the container’s inside chamber from the ambient environment. And with the mechanism of the device able to shape and reshape the seal between the first shape and the second shape, one may position the device anywhere inside the container’s chamber to seal all or any portion of the container’s inside chamber from the ambient environment, and then reposition the device to seal a different portion of the container’s inside chamber. In this manner, the device may be used to reduce the volume of the container’s inside chamber as food is withdrawn from the container to help maintain the freshness of the food remaining inside the chamber, and to help keep the remaining food from sloshing around inside the container’s chamber.

[6] In another aspect of the invention, a method for sealing a cavity inside a chamber of a container includes: 1 ) positioning a device inside a chamber of a container such that a region of a seal of the device lies adjacent a surface of a wall of the container that defines the chamber; 2) deforming a body of the seal to urge the seal’s region into contact with the wall’s surface; and 3) contacting the wall’s surface with the region of the device’s seal to form a cavity within the container’s chamber and prevent fluid from moving into and out of the cavity between the region of the device’s seal and the surface of the container’s wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[7] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a container that includes a device, according to an embodiment of the invention, for releasably sealing all or a portion of the container’s inside chamber.

[8] Each of FIGS. 2A and 2B shows a cutaway view of the container in FIG. 1 , each according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2A shows the device inside the container in a configuration in which the device isolates a portion of the container’s inside chamber. FIG. 2B shows the device inside the container in a configuration in which the device does not isolate the portion of the container’s inside chamber.

[9] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[10] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the device shown in FIGS. 2A - 3, according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[11] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a container 10 that includes a device 12, according to an embodiment of the invention. Each of FIGS. 2A and 2B shows a cutaway view of the container 10 in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2A shows the device 12 inside the container 10 in a configuration in which the device 12 isolates a portion of the container’s inside chamber 14. And FIG. 2B shows the device 12 inside the container 10 in a configuration that does not isolate a portion of the container’s inside chamber 14. In addition to the device 12 (shown and discussed in greater detail in conjunction with FIGS. 3 and 4), here the container 10 includes a body 14 that has a chamber 16 having a total volume of about forty cubic centimeters, and is configured to hold coffee grounds before the grounds are used to brew coffee. The container 10 also includes a lid 18 that is separate from the device 12. When the lid 18 is releasably coupled to the body 14, the lid 18 closes the whole chamber 16 of the body 14. The device 12 includes a seal 20 that is deformable into a first shape (shown in FIG. 2A) and into a second shape (shown in FIG. 2B), and a mechanism 22 that one may operate to deform the seal 20 into the first or second shapes. When the device 12 is positioned inside the chamber 16 and the seal 20 is deformed into the first shape, then the seal 20 contacts the wall 24 that defines the chamber 16 and prevents fluid (here air) in the ambient environment from moving between the seal 20 and the portion of the wall 24 that the seal 20 contacts. When the device 12 is in the same position inside the chamber 16 and the seal 20 is deformed into the second shape, then the seal 20 does not contact the wall 24 and allows the air to move between the seal 20 and the wall 24.

[12] Because the device 12 is separate from the lid 18 and can seal all or a portion of the chamber 16 from the ambient environment, the device 12 allows one to isolate all or any portion of the container’s chamber 16 from the ambient environment. By simply positioning the device 12 at the desired location in the chamber 16 and operating the mechanism 22 (as discussed in greater detail in conjunction with FIGS. 3 and 4) to deform the device’s seal 20 into the first shape, one can isolate all or any portion of the chamber 16 from the ambient environment. The volume of the chamber’s portion that is sealed may equal the volume of the contents stored in the chamber 16, or may be greater than the volume of the contents. It simply depends on how much excess volume inside the chamber 16 one wants to isolate with the contents. By operating the mechanism 22 to deform the device’s seal 20 into the second shape, one can remove the device 12 from the container’s chamber 16 to access the contents (here coffee) previously isolated in the chamber 16. Then, when one is ready to store the remaining contents in the chamber 16, or new contents added to the chamber 16, one simply repositions the device 12 at another, desired location in the chamber 16 and operates the mechanism 22 to deform the device’s seal 20 into the first shape again. In this manner, the device 12 may be used to reduce the volume of the container’s inside chamber 16 as contents, such as coffee grounds or beans, are withdrawn from the container 10 to help maintain the freshness of the coffee remaining inside the chamber 16, and to help keep the remaining coffee from sloshing around inside the container’s chamber 16 during travel.

[13] The lid 18 may be configured as desired. For example, in this and other embodiments the lid 18 includes an internal thread (not shown) that corresponds with an external thread (also not shown) located on the container’s body 14. In this manner, the lid 18 may be releasably coupled to the body 14 to close the container 10, and may be easily removed from the body 14 when access to the container’s chamber 16 is desired. Furthermore, in this and other embodiments the lid 18 includes a seal (not shown) that contacts a lip of the body 14 when the lid’s internal thread fully engages the body’s external thread. When the seal contacts the body’s lip, the lid 18 isolates the whole chamber 16 from the outside environment. Thus, the lid 18 can provide additional protection to the contents inside the container’s chamber 16 to help preserve the contents and/or help prevent the contents from escaping the chamber 16. Finally, in this and other embodiments, the lid 18 is made of stainless steel, and the seal is made of silicone. In other embodiments, the lid 18 is made of plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the seal is made cork or some other soft wood.

[14] Still referring to FIGS. 1 - 2B, the container 10 may also be configured as desired. For example, in this and other embodiments the container is cylindrical in shape having a circular cross-section, has a diameter of about 11.3 centimeters, a height of about 17.4 centimeters, and is made of stainless steel. In other embodiments, the shape may be cylindrical having an oval cross-section or even a rectangular cross-section. In addition, the size of the container 10 may be larger or smaller than as previously described; and the material that the container 10 is made of may be plastic or any other desired material. Moreover, the container 10 may be double-walled to help keep warm or cold contents in the chamber 16 warm or cold, respectively.

[15] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the device 12 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, according to an embodiment of the invention. And FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the device 12 shown in FIGS. 2A - 3, according to an embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 3, the mechanism 22 is shown deforming the seal 20 into the second shape in which the seal 20 does not contact the wall 24 (FIGS. 1 - 2B) when the device 12 is in the container’s chamber 16 (FIGS. 1 - 2B). The device 12 becomes thinner and the seal 20 bulges outward, when the mechanism 22 deforms the seal 20 into the first shape in which the seal 20 contacts the wall 24 inside the container’s chamber16.

[16] The seal 20 may be sized and configured as desired. For example, in this and other embodiments the seal 20 includes a body 26 that has a region 28 that contacts the wall 24 of the container’s chamber 16 when the seal 20 is in the first shape. More specifically, the body 26 is in the shape of an annulus, and includes a longitudinal axis 30, a first end 32, a second end 34, and a band 36 that extends between the two ends. The annulus is specifically shaped such that as the seal’s body 26 extends from the first end 32 toward the band 36, and from the second end 34 toward the band 36, the distance of the body 26 from the longitudinal axis 30 increases. In this manner the seal’s body 26 curves or bulges outward relative to the longitudinal axis 30 when the seal is in the second shape. The body 26 also includes an outside surface 38 that defines a perimeter of the seal 20, and an inside surface 40. The region 28 that contacts the wall 24 of the container’s chamber 16 when the seal 20 is in the first shape, is located on the outside surface 38 in the band 36 and extends the length of the perimeter.

[17] In this configuration, the region 28 of the seal 20 may be used to seal a smaller chamber of a container by not deforming the seal 20 into the first shape, but rather, leaving the seal 20 in the second shape or even slightly deforming the seal 20 into the first shape. In addition, this configuration helps ensure that the region 28 of the seal body 26 moves or bulges outward away from the longitudinal axis 30 when the mechanism 22 deforms the seal 20 into the first shape.

[18] The seal’s body 26 may be made of any desired material capable of elastically deforming from the first shape to the second shape, and forming a fluid-tight seal with the wall 24 of the container’s chamber 16 when the region 28 of the seal’s body 26 contacts the wall 24. For example, in this and other embodiments the seal’s body 26 is made of silicone, and the region 28 includes a portion of the silicone. In other embodiments, the region 28 may be made of silicone while the remainder of the seal’s body 20 is made of another material like polyurethane rubber (PU), nitrile rubber (NBR), and/or ethylene propylene rubber (EP). In still other embodiments, the seal’s body 26 and the region 28 of the seal’s body 26 may be made of a material other than silicone, such as PU, NBR and/or EP.

[19] Still referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the mechanism 22 may also be sized and configured as desired. For example, in this and other embodiments the mechanism 22 includes a first plate 42, a second plate 44, a cam 46, and an axle 48 that couples together the plates 42 and 44 and the cam 46. The second plate 44 is coupled with the axle 48 such that the second plate 44 does not move relative to the axle 48 as the mechanism 22 deforms the seal 20 into either the first shape or the second shape. The first plate 42, however, is coupled with the axle 48 such that first plate 42 does move relative to the axle 48 in the direction indicated by the arrow 50 when the mechanism 22 deforms the seal 20 into the first shape. And when the mechanism 22 deforms the seal 20 into the second shape (shown in FIG. 3), the first plate 42 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 52. The distance between the two plates 42 and 44 when the seal 20 is in the second shape is such that the two plates 42 and 44 exert pressure on the seal’s first and second ends 32 and 34, respectively, thus pinching or squeezing the seal 20. In this configuration, the seal 20 is also a spring that urges the two plates 42 and 44 away from each other, and thus urges the device 12 to hold the seal 20 in the seal’s second shape. This configuration also helps keep the seal 20 bulging away from the longitudinal axis 30 as the mechanism 22 deforms the seal 20 into the first shape and into the second shape. In addition, this configuration helps isolate the container’s chamber 16 (FIGS. 2A and 2B) by forcing the first and second ends 32 and 34, respectively, of the seal’s body 26 against the first and second plates 42 and 44, respectively. To complete the isolation of the container’s chamber 16 from the ambient environment, a gasket 54 seals the interface where the second plate 44 contacts the axle 48.

[20] To move the first plate 42 toward the second plate 44, and thus deform the seal 20 into the first shape, one rotates the cam 46 about the axis 56. Because the distance between the axis 56 and the bottom of the axle 48 where the second plate 44 lies is fixed, the cam 46 pushes the first plate 42 toward the second plate 44. This causes the seal’s body 26 to bulge away from the axis 30 to force the region 28 into contact with the wall 24 of the container’s chamber 16. In other embodiments, the first plate 42 may be moved toward and away from the second plate 44 and locked in a position with a pawl that engages one or more teeth or a slot in the axle 48. In still other embodiments, the first plate 42 may be moved toward and away from the second plate 44 and locked in a position with a brake or some other component that uses friction to prevent movement. In still other embodiments, the second plate 44 may move relative to the axle 48 while the first plate 42 does not, or both plates 42 and 44 may move relative to the axle.

[21] Still referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the first and second plates 42 and 44 may be configured as desired. For example, the first plate 42 includes a first skirt 58, and the second plate 44 includes a second skirt 60. In addition, the first plate 42 includes a receiver 62, and the second plate 44 includes a post 64. The first and second skirts 58 and 60 are sized and configured such that the end of the second skirt 60 lies adjacent and inside the end of the first skirt 58 so that as the first plate 42 moves relative to the second plate 44, the ends of the skirts slide past each other. Similarly, the first plate’s receiver 62 is sized and configured to receive the end of second plate’s post 64 so that as the first plate 42 moves relative to the second plate 44, the post’s end slides within the receiver 62. Together, the fit of the skirts 58 and 60 relative to each other, as well as the fit of the receiver 62 and post 64 relative to each other, hold the first plate 42 in proper alignment with the second plate 44 as the first plate 42 moves relative to the second plate 44. More specifically, they prevent the first plate 42 from rotating relative to the second plate 44, which can prevent the seal body 26 and region 28 from forming a proper seal with the wall 24 of the container’s chamber 16 and the first and second plates 42 and 44, respectively. The skirts 58 and 60 also help prevent the seal’s body 26 from bulging inward toward the longitudinal axis 30 as the first plate 42 moves toward the second plate 44, should the seal’s body inadvertently buckle toward the axis 30. [22] In this and other embodiments, each of the skirts 58 and 60 extend from around the whole perimeter to form a cylinder, and there are four receiver-post 62-64 sets. In other embodiments, one or both of the skirts 58 and 60 may only extend from around a portion of their respective plates 42 and 44. Similarly, in other embodiments there may be fewer than four receiver-post 62-64 sets, or more than four receiver-post 62-64 sets.

[23] The preceding discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A device for releasably sealing a cavity in a chamber of a container, the device comprising:

a seal having a body that is deformable, the body having a region sized and configured such that when the region contacts a surface of a container, fluid is prevented from moving between the region of the seal’s body and the surface that the region contacts, and

a mechanism operable to deform the seal’s body into:

a first shape that, when the seal’s body is positioned adjacent a

surface of a container and the seal’s body is deformed into the first shape, then the region of the seal’s body contacts the container’s surface and prevents fluid from moving between the region of the seal’s body and the container’s surface, and

a second shape that, when the seal’s body is in the same position

adjacent the surface of the container and the seal’s body is deformed into the second shape, then the region of the seal’s body does not contact the container’s surface and allows fluid to move between the region of the seal’s body and the container’s surface.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the seal’s body is in the shape of an annulus.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the seal’s body is in the shape of an annulus and includes an outside surface defining a perimeter, and

the body’s region is located on the outside surface and extends the length of the body’s perimeter.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the seal’s body is in the shape of an annulus, and includes a longitudinal axis, a first end, a second end, and a band that extends between the two ends, wherein the band is curved such that the radial distance from the longitudinal axis to the band increases as the band extends away from the body’s first end, and as the band extends away from the body’s second end, and

the body’s region is located on the portion of the band whose radial distance from the longitudinal axis is the greatest.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the seal’s body includes silicone.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the mechanism includes:

a first plate that contacts a first end of the seal’s body,

a second plate that contacts a second end of the seal’s body, and

wherein:

the first plate is located a first distance away from the second plate when the mechanism deforms the seal’s body into the first shape, the first plate is located a second distance away from the second plate when the mechanism deforms the seal’s body into the second shape, and

the first distance is shorter than the second distance.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein:

the seal’s body is in the shape of an annulus, and includes a longitudinal axis, a perimeter, a first end, a second end, and a band that extends between the two ends,

the first plate includes a first skirt disposed inside the perimeter of the seal’s body and extending toward the second plate, wherein the first skirt prevents the band of the seal’s body from deforming toward the longitudinal axis when the mechanism deforms the seal’s body into the first shape, and the second plate includes a second skirt disposed inside the perimeter of the seal’s body and extending toward the first plate, wherein the second skirt also prevents the band of the seal’s body from deforming toward the longitudinal axis when the mechanism deforms the seal’s body into the first shape.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein:

the first plate includes a receiver,

the second plate includes a post sized and configured to slide inside and relative to the receiver to keep the first and second plates aligned as the first plate moves toward the second plate.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein the mechanism includes a cam that contacts the first plate and rotates relative to the first plate to move the first plate toward the second plate.

10. A method for sealing a cavity inside a chamber of a container, the method

comprising:

positioning a device inside a chamber of a container such that a region of a seal of the device lies adjacent a surface of a wall of the container that defines the chamber;

deforming a body of the seal to urge the seal’s region into contact with the wall’s surface; and

contacting the wall’s surface with the region of the device’s seal to form a cavity within the container’s chamber and prevent fluid from moving into and out of the cavity between the region of the device’s seal and the surface of the container’s wall.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein positioning the device inside the chamber of the container includes locating the device near the container’s mouth.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein positioning the device inside the chamber of the container includes locating the device near the container’s bottom, away from the container’s mouth.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein deforming the seal’s body includes increasing an outside diameter of a band of the seal’s body.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein deforming the seal’s body includes squeezing a band of the seal’s body to increase an outside diameter of the band.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein deforming the seal’s body includes pushing a first plate of a mechanism of the device against a first end of the band and toward a second end of the band.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein contacting the wall’s surface with the region of the device’s seal includes contacting a single, continuous section of the wall’s surface that forms a ring around the container’s chamber, to isolate the cavity from the outside environment.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising deforming the body of the seal to urge the seal’s region away from the wall’s surface.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

deforming the body of the seal to urge the seal’s region away from the wall’s surface, and

withdrawing the device out of the container’s chamber.

19. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

re-positioning the device inside the chamber of the container such that the region of the device’s seal lies adjacent the surface of the container’s wall at a different location; deforming the body of the seal to urge the seal’s region into contact with the wall’s surface; and

contacting the wall’s surface with the region of the device’s seal to form

another cavity within the container’s chamber and prevent fluid from moving into and out of the cavity between the region of the device’s seal and the surface of the container’s wall.

20. A container comprising:

a chamber defined by a surface of a wall that is operable to hold an item that is disposed inside the chamber; and

a device operable to form a cavity inside the chamber and releasably seal the cavity such that the cavity is isolated from the outside environment, the device comprising:

a seal having a body that is deformable, the body having a region sized and configured to prevent fluid from moving, into and out of the cavity, between the region of the seal’s body and the wall’s surface, when the region contacts the wall’s surface, and a mechanism operable to deform the seal’s body into:

a first shape that, when the device is positioned in the

chamber and the seal’s body is deformed into the first shape, then the region of the seal’s body contacts the wall’s surface, and

a second shape that, when the device is identically

positioned in the chamber and the seal’s body is deformed into the second shape, then the region of the seal’s body does not contact the wall’s surface.

21. The cannister of claim 21 wherein the chamber is cylindrical.

22. The cannister of claim 21 wherein the chamber has a longitudinal axis and the device is positionable at first position along the longitudinal axis to form a cavity that has a volume less than the volume of the chamber, and at a second position along the longitudinal axis to form another cavity that has a volume different than the volume of the cavity formed by the device at the fist position.