U.S. patent application number 10/917016 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-16 for airtight lid for container and method of use.
Invention is credited to Edward Z. Cai.
Application Number | 20060032852 10/917016 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35799012 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060032852 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cai; Edward Z. |
February 16, 2006 |
Airtight lid for container and method of use
Abstract
A lid for forming an airtight seal to a bowl or dish plate to
elongate the life of product therein comprises an impermeable
membrane having an outer perimeter larger than the rim of the
container and an enforcement ring for enabling the formation of an
airtight seal between the membrane and rim of the container under
vacuum. The membrane is sufficiently soft to cause it to fill the
lower sections or imperfections on the rim, thus enabling the lid
to form an airtight seal to almost all household containers. The
membrane may be adapted to have sufficient low tensile stress,
thereby preventing the vacuum in the container from imploding or
collapsing the container even if it has a thin or weak wall. The
enforcement ring has vertical and horizontal rings connected to the
membrane perimeter to prevent the membrane deformation at both
vertical and horizontal directions. The lid may further comprise an
air evacuation passageway having an air collection chamber for
extracting air from the container and a valve for allowing air to
flow out of the container but preventing air from entering. In use,
the lid may be sealed to a container by simply pushing the membrane
into the container and releasing the membrane to generate a vacuum
to affix the membrane to the container, or may be sealed to a
container by connecting a vacuum generator to the evacuation
passageway to evacuate the container.
Inventors: |
Cai; Edward Z.; (Camas,
WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Edward Z. Cai
4607 SE Autumn CT
Camas
WA
98607
US
|
Family ID: |
35799012 |
Appl. No.: |
10/917016 |
Filed: |
August 12, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/287 ;
220/231; 220/367.1; 220/804 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 51/1683 20130101;
B65D 81/2015 20130101; B65D 81/2038 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/287 ;
220/367.1; 220/231; 220/804 |
International
Class: |
B65D 51/16 20060101
B65D051/16; B65D 51/00 20060101 B65D051/00 |
Claims
1. A lid for sealing a container having an opening for allowing a
product to be placed into the container, a side wall and a rim at
the free end of the side wall under a subatmospheric pressure or
vacuum to increase the life of the product, said lid comprising a
substantially impermeable membrane having an outer perimeter at
least as large as the rim of the container to cover the container
and an enforcement means for preventing said outer perimeter from
substantial deformation when said membrane is being elongated, said
membrane being adapted to enter the container to contact at least
part of the side wall of the container as well as to wrap around at
least the top end of the product therein when a subatmospheric
pressure or vacuum is formed in the space between said membrane and
the container, thereby causing said membrane to conform
substantially to the topographies of the side wall of the container
and the product to prevent the container from being imploded or
collapsed by said vacuum or subatmospheric pressure.
2. A lid as defined in claim 1 wherein said impermeable membrane is
adapted to be sufficiently expandable or stretchable to prevent
breakage or puncture by the product, and adapted to have a tensile
stress lower than 2R.sub.p/L pounds per square inch at a tensile
strain of approximately 20% to 50% elongation to prevent said
membrane from crushing or damaging the product under said
subatmospheric pressure, wherein R.sub.p and L are the radius or
equivalent radius of the product and the membrane thickness in
inches, respectively.
3. A lid as defined in claim 1 wherein said impermeable membrane is
adapted to be sufficiently expandable or stretchable to prevent
breakage or puncture by the product, and adapted to have a tensile
stress lower than 2R.sub.m/L pounds per square inch at a tensile
strain of approximately 20% to 50% elongation to prevent said
membrane from substantially deforming the container that has a thin
or weak wall under said vacuum or subatmospheric pressure, wherein
R.sub.m and L are the radius or equivalent radius and thickness of
said membrane in inches, respectively, thereby saving the amount of
materials used to construct the container.
4. A lid as defined in claim 1 wherein said impermeable membrane is
adapted to retain at least a substantial part of its barrier to air
after being expanded or stretched into the container, and adapted
to have a tensile stress sufficiently low to reduce the rate of air
diffusion through said membrane into the container under said
subatmospheric pressure.
5. A lid as defined in claim 4 wherein said tensile stress is
adapted to be lower than 5R.sub.m/L pounds per square inch at a
tensile strain of approximately 20% to 50% elongation, wherein
R.sub.m and L are the radius or equivalent radius and thickness of
said membrane in inches, respectively.
6. A lid as defined in claim 1 wherein said enforcement means
comprises an enforcement ring permanently connected to said outer
perimeter or to a region near said outer perimeter on said
impermeable membrane, said enforcement ring being adapted to
prevent any wrinkles from forming on the section of said membrane
located above the rim or side wall of the container as said
membrane is pulled down to conform substantially to the
topographies of the side wall of the container and the product by
the subatmospheric pressure or vacuum.
7. A method for using the lid of claim 6 comprising placing a
product into the container, placing said lid on the container in
such a way that said enforcement ring is outside the rim of the
container, removing air in the space between said membrane and the
container to create a vacuum or subatmospheric pressure therein,
and allowing the air or gas pressure above said membrane to cause
said membrane to elongate and conform to the topographies of the
side wall of the container and the product.
8. A lid as defined in claim 1 wherein said enforcement means
comprises a first fusible material on said impermeable membrane and
a second fusible material on the rim of the container adapted to
fuse to said first fusible material on the perimeter area of said
impermeable membrane, thereby enabling the rim of the container to
prevent said outer perimeter of said impermeable membrane from
being substantially deformed as said membrane is pulled down to
conform substantially to the topographies of the side wall of the
container and the product by the subatmospheric pressure or
vacuum.
9. A method for using the lid of claim 8 comprising placing a
product into the container, placing said lid on the rim of the
container, enclosing the container with said membrane thereon in a
vacuum chamber to remove air in the space between said membrane and
the container to create a vacuum or subatmospheric pressure
therein, fusing said first material on the perimeter area of said
membrane to the second material on the rim of the container in the
vacuum chamber, and allowing air or gas to enter the vacuum
chamber, the air or gas pressure causing said membrane to elongate
and conform to the topographies of the side wall of the container
and the product.
10. A lid for forming an airtight seal to a container having an
open end for receiving a product into the container, a side wall
and a rim at the free end of the side wall, said lid comprising an
air impermeable membrane having an outer perimeter at least as
large as the rim of the container and an enforcement ring
permanently connected to said outer perimeter or to an area near
said outer perimeter on said membrane for facilitating the
formation of an airtight seal between said membrane and the rim of
the container, said membrane being sufficiently flexible and
adapted to enable the part of said membrane that is in contact with
the rim or side wall of the container to conform to the topography
of the rim or side wall to prevent any air passageway from being
formed between said membrane and the rim or side wall of the
container.
11. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said membrane is adapted
to be stretched at least partially into the container by hand or
force to drive air out of the container, said membrane being
further adapted to have a tendency to return to its original shape
to generate a subatmospheric pressure or vacuum in the container,
thereby affixing said membrane to the rim of the container at least
in part by said subatmospheric pressure.
12. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said air-impermeable
membrane is adapted to sink into the container to contact the side
wall of the container when a subatmospheric pressure or vacuum is
formed in the space between said membrane and the container,
thereby reducing the risk of implosion or collapse of the container
by said subatmospheric pressure or vacuum.
13. A lid as defined in claim 12 wherein said impermeable membrane
is sufficiently thin to enable said membrane to wrap around at
least the top end of the product in the container when the
subatmospheric pressure or vacuum is formed in the space between
said membrane and the container.
14. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said air impermeable
membrane is an elastic or rubbery membrane adapted to be stretched
by a subatmospheric pressure in the container and to return
substantially to its original shape after removal of said
subatmospheric pressure.
15. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said membrane comprises a
bulge adapted to accommodate at least a part of the product in the
container to enable an intimate contact between the peripheral area
of said membrane and the rim of the container in case that the
product protrudes out of the container or that the container has
too short a side wall or no side wall.
16. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said enforcement ring is
adapted to have sufficient resistance to both horizontal and
vertical deformation when said membrane is being pushed down by
hand or force or pulled down by a partial vacuum into the
container, thereby preventing the formation of wrinkles on said
membrane and air channels between said membrane and the rim or side
wall of the container.
17. A lid as defined in claim 16 wherein said enforcement ring
comprises a first ring and a second ring permanently connected to
said first ring at an angle smaller than 180 degrees.
18. A lid as defined in claim 16 wherein said enforcement ring
further has a third ring connected to said second ring to clamp the
peripheral section of said membrane between said first and third
rings.
19. A lid as defined in claim 16 wherein said enforcement ring
adopts one of a substantially circular shape, a substantially oval
shape, and a substantially rectangle or square shape with rounded
corners to help preventing said horizontal deformation when said
membrane is being pushed or pulled into the container.
20. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said membrane is made from
a rubber or elastomer material selected from the group consisting
of butyl rubber and ethylene acrylic elastomer, thereby providing
said membrane sufficient barrier to air when said membrane is at
its elongated or stretched state.
21. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said air-impermeable
membrane comprises a polymeric barrier layer adapted to retain at
least some of its barrier to air after said membrane is pushed by
force or pulled by a subatmospheric pressure or vacuum into the
container.
22. A lid as defined in claim 21 wherein said membrane comprises an
elastomer layer selected from the group consisting of natural
rubber, synthetic rubber and thermoplastic eleatomer.
23. A lid as defined in claim 22 wherein said elastomer layer is at
least twice as thick as said polymeric barrier layer, thereby
allowing said membrane to return substantially to its original
shape when the pressure below said membrane reaches atmospheric
pressure.
24. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said air impermeable
membrane comprises a material adapted to fuse to said enforcement
ring when heated by heat, vibration or light energy.
25. A lid as defined in claim 10 further comprising a handle having
a first end attached to said membrane and a second end adapted for
a user to pull to create an air passageway between said membrane
and the container to allow air to enter the container, thereby
facilitating the removal of said lid from the container.
26. A lid as defined in claim 10 further comprising a film strip
attached to said membrane in such a way that an air passageway is
created between said membrane and the container by pulling up on an
unsecured end portion of said film strip, thereby allowing air to
enter the container to facilitate the removal of said lid.
27. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said membrane further
comprises an opening to allow hot gaseous fluid from a generator to
be introduced to the product in the closed space between said
membrane and the container, thereby causing the product to be
heated or cooked.
28. A lid as defined in claim 10 further comprising an inlet
connected or adapted to connect to a generator to introduce hot
gaseous fluid from the generator to the product in the closed space
between said membrane and the container, thereby causing the
product to be heated or cooked.
29. A lid as defined in claim 10 further comprising a plate above
said membrane and connected to said enforcement ring and an air
space between said plate and said membrane.
30. A lid as defined in claim 10 further comprising an inlet for
receiving hot gaseous fluid from a generator, said lid being
adapted to form a gap between said membrane and container to
release some hot gaseous fluid when the pressure below said
membrane reaches a predetermined value.
31. A lid as defined in claim 10 further comprising an inlet for
introducing hot gaseous fluid from a generator into the container
and an outlet for returning at least part of the hot gaseous fluid
to the generator, thereby causing circulation of the hot gaseous
fluid between the generator and the closed space defined by said
membrane and the container to heat or cook the product.
32. A lid as defined in claim 31 further comprising said generator
having a heater for evaporating the water from a reservoir to
produce hot steam and an gas pump for circulating hot gaseous fluid
comprising hot steam in a loop comprising said heater, said inlet,
said closed space, said outlet and said gas pump.
33. A lid as defined in claim 32 wherein said generator further
comprises a liquid pump for delivering water to said heater and a
metering device for controlling the amount of water delivered to
said heater.
34. A lid as defined in claim 33 wherein said metering device
comprises a humidity meter for measuring the humidity of the hot
gaseous fluid and providing an electric signal to said liquid pump
or a valve to stop the delivery of water to said heater when the
humidity is above a predetermined value and to start delivery of
water to said heater when the humidity is below a predetermined
value.
35. A lid as defined in claim 32 wherein said gas pump comprises a
blade for converting the water from the reservoir into microscopic
droplets or mist and delivering the droplets or mist to said
heater.
36. A lid as defined in claim 32 wherein said generator further
comprises an air valve for controlling the amount of air available
to said gas pump, thereby controlling the percent of hot air in the
hot gaseous fluid.
37. A lid as defined in claim 31 further comprising said generator
having a heater for heating air to produce hot air and an gas pump
for circulating the hot gaseous fluid comprising hot air in a loop
comprising said heater, said inlet, said closed space, said outlet
and said gas pump.
38. A lid as defined in claim 31 further comprising said generator
having a heater for producing hot gaseous fluid and a gas pump for
circulating hot gaseous fluid in a loop comprising said heater,
said inlet, said closed space, said outlet and said gas pump, said
generator being adapted to deliver ambient air to the container via
said inlet to cool said membrane and the container after finishing
heating or cooking the product.
39. A lid as defined in claim 10 further comprising a thin layer of
fluid on said membrane to prevent or retard air from entering the
container, said fluid being one of a liquid, paste and gel.
40. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said air impermeable
membrane further comprises a tacky or adhesive material to cause
said membrane to reversibly adhere to the container to prevent or
retard air from entering the container.
41. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said air impermeable
membrane is substantially transparent to light to make the product
in the container visible, and said membrane further comprises an
effective amount of an antifogging additive to ensure clear
visibility of the product through said membrane.
42. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said impermeable membrane
is adapted to be sufficiently expandable and to have a tensile
stress sufficiently low to retard air from entering the container
under a subatmospheric pressure or vacuum.
43. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said air impermeable
membrane is adapted to enable one to push said membrane into the
container to drive air out of the container, said membrane being
further adapted to generate a partial vacuum in the container by
simply stopping pushing said membrane.
44. A lid as defined in claim 43 further comprising a push
facilitator on or attached to said membrane for facilitating one to
push said membrane into the container, said facilitator being
substantially more rigid than said membrane.
45. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said impermeable membrane
is adapted to be sufficiently expandable and to have a tensile
stress lower than 3R.sub.m/L pounds per square inch at a tensile
strain of approximately 20% to 50% elongation to enable said lid to
be used seal a container having a relatively thin or weak wall
under a subatmospheric pressure, wherein R.sub.m and L are the
radius or equivalent radius and thickness of said membrane in
inches, respectively.
46. A lid as defined in claim 10 wherein said air impermeable
membrane comprises a side wall section, at least part of which has
a perimeter smaller than the rim of the container, and a
substantially horizontal center section, at least said side wall
section of said membrane being rubbery or elastic in order to form
an airtight seal between the rim of the container and said side
wall section.
47. A lid as defined in claim 46 wherein said substantially
horizontal center section of said impermeable membrane is adapted
to be pushed at least partially into the container by hand or
force, said membrane being adapted to have a tendency to return to
its original shape to cause a vacuum or subatmospheric pressure in
the container to improve the sealing of said lid to the rim of the
container.
48. A lid as defined in claim 46 wherein said enforcement ring is
larger than at least part of said side wall section of said
membrane to facilitating the mounting and sealing of said lid to
the container.
49. A lid as defined in claim 46 wherein said enforcement ring is
elastic.
50. A lid as defined in claim 46 wherein said side wall section is
adapted to have a sufficiently low strength to reduce the force
needed to stretch said side wall section to enlarge the diameter of
said side wall section, thereby facilitating the mounting of said
lid over the container.
51. A lid as defined in claim 46 further comprising a valve having
a vent opening on said horizontal center section of said membrane
and a seal member connected to said membrane for covering said vent
opening, said seal member being adapted to open when one places
said lid over the container and pulls said enforcement ring
downward to allow the air enclosed between said membrane and the
container to escape through said vent opening, thereby reducing the
force needed to pull said enforcement ring downward to cause said
side wall section of said membrane to form a sufficient seal to the
rim of the container.
52. A lid for forming an airtight seal to a container such as a
bowl, dish plate, canister, cup, jar, tray or bottle that has an
open end, a bottom, a side wall between the open end and bottom,
and a rim at the open end, said lid comprising an air-impermeable
membrane having an outer perimeter at least as large as the rim of
the container to cover the open end of the container and an air
evacuation passageway comprising a valve for allowing air to be
evacuated from the container but preventing air from entering the
container via said evacuation passageway, said membrane being
sufficiently flexible to enable the part of said membrane above the
rim or side wall of the container to conform to the topography of
the rim or side wall to prevent air passageway from forming between
said membrane and the rim or side wall of the container.
53. A lid as defined in claim 52 wherein said evacuation passageway
further comprises a film having numerous microscopic openings
adapted to allow air to exit the container but to prevent
particulate or solid matters from passing through, thereby
preventing the loss of product when the container is evacuated via
said evacuation passageway.
54. A lid as defined in claim 53 wherein said film is sufficiently
hydrophobic to become impermeable when liquid reaches said film,
thereby preventing the loss of liquid in the product when the
container is evacuated via said evacuation passageway.
55. A lid as defined in claim 52 wherein said impermeable membrane
is adapted to be pushed at least partially into the container by
hand or force to evacuate air out of the container via said
evacuation passageway, said membrane being further adapted to have
a tendency to return to its original shape to generate a
subatmospheric pressure in the container, thereby causing said lid
to seal to the container at least in part by said subatmospheric
pressure.
56. A lid as defined in claim 55 further comprising a push
facilitator attached to said membrane apart from said enforcement
ring to avoid weakening the seal between said membrane and
container.
57. A lid as defined in claim 52 further comprising an enforcement
ring connected to said outer perimeter or to a region near said
outer perimeter on said impermeable membrane for preventing
substantial deformation of said outer perimeter of said membrane
when said membrane is elongated by force or vacuum, thereby
facilitating the formation of the airtight seal between said
membrane and the container.
58. A lid as defined in claim 57 further comprising a support
member positioned above said membrane and connected to said
enforcement ring and an air space between said support member and
said membrane to facilitate the formation of the airtight seal
between said membrane and the container.
59. A lid as defined in claim 58 further comprising a rubber gasket
in said air space, said rubber gasket is sufficiently thinner than
an air space so that said impermeable membrane is apart from said
rubber gasket to facilitate the formation of said airtight
seal.
60. A lid as defined in claim 52 wherein said membrane is selected
from the group consisting of a rubber or elastomer membrane and a
composite membrane having an elastomer layer and at least one of a
readily stretchable polymeric barrier layer and sealant skin
layer.
61. A lid as defined in claim 52 wherein said valve comprises a
seal member, a valve opening normally closed by said seal member,
and an elongated member having one end connected to said seal
member and a free end, said seal member being adapted to open said
valve opening when air is evacuated from the container or when one
pulls said free end of said elongated member, said elongated member
being adapted to be sufficiently flexible to prevent unintended
release of the vacuum in the container when said elongated member
is accidentally touched by another container or object.
62. A lid as defined in claim 52 wherein said valve comprises a
valve opening through said membrane, a seal member located below
said membrane, a retainer located above said membrane and connected
to said seal member by a stem, and a spring for pulling said seal
member upwards to close the valve opening, said retainer, seal
member and spring being configured to allow one to apply a
sufficient force to said retainer to push said seal member down to
open said valve opening and push said membrane into the container
to drive air out of said valve opening and to remove said
sufficient force to cause a subatmospheric pressure or vacuum in
the container, and to allow one to apply to said retainer a smaller
force large enough to push said seal member down to release said
vacuum but small enough to allow said membrane to return to its
original shape.
63. A lid as defined in claim 52 wherein said valve comprises a
valve body, an valve opening, a seal chamber having a bottom wall
adapted to close said valve opening and an upper wall with an
opening, a knob rotationally connected to said valve body, a
presser having a plunger slidingly received in said seal chamber
and a stem slidingly received in said opening on said upper wall
for connecting said plunger to said knob, said knob being adapted
to move among a first position at which the seal chamber can freely
move up and down to allow the removal of air from the container, a
second position at which the plunger presses said bottom wall of
said seal chamber against said valve opening and a third position
at which the plunger lifts said seal chamber up to allow air to
enter the container.
64. A lid for sealing a container having an opening for allowing a
product to be placed into the container, a side wall and a rim at
the free end of the side wall under a subatmospheric pressure or
vacuum to increase the life of the product, said lid comprising a
thin body affixed on the side wall of the container to close the
opening of the lid at least in part by the subatmospheric pressure
or vacuum in the container and a valve having a seal member located
above said thin body, a valve opening on said thin body and
normally closed by said seal member, and a slender member having
one end connected to said seal member and a free end, said seal
member being adapted to open said valve opening when one pulls said
free end of said slender member, said slender member being adapted
to be sufficiently flexible to prevent unintended release of the
vacuum in the container when said slender member is accidentally
touched by another container or object.
65. A lid as defined in claim 64 further comprising a chamber for
preventing said seal member from being accidentally touched by
another container or object to cause unintended release of the
vacuum in the container, said chamber having an opening for
allowing said free end of said slender member to pass through.
66. A lid as defined in claim 64 further comprising a thin fluid
layer including one of a high boiling point liquid layer, a gel and
a paste layer on said seal member to facilitate the closure of said
valve opening.
67. A lid as defined in claim 64 further comprising a retainer
below said thin body and connected to said seal member by a stem in
such a way that said thin body is between said seal member and said
retainer, said retainer being adapted to apply an elastic tension
to said seal member to cause said seal member to seal said valve
opening even after the loss of vacuum in the container, said
elastic tension being sufficiently small to allow the opening of
said valve by pulling said free end of said slender member.
68. A lid as defined in claim 64 wherein said lid further comprises
a film having numerous microscopic openings adapted to prevent
particulate or solid matters from passing through said valve
opening.
69. A lid as defined in claim 68 wherein said film is sufficiently
hydrophobic to retain its permeability to air after the liquid in
the product contacted said film, thereby enabling air to enter the
container when said free end of said slender member is pulled.
70. In a container having a top part and a bottom part sealed or
adapted to seal to said top part to enclose a product under a
subatmospheric pressure or vacuum to increase the life of the
product, the improvement comprising a substantially air impermeable
membrane for at least one of said top and bottom parts of the
container, said air impermeable membrane comprising a material
having sufficient barrier to air to maintain said subatmospheric
pressure for an extended period of time and being capable of
expanding or stretching at least 50% prior to causing any
significantly deterioration of said sufficient barrier to air by
said subatmospheric pressure or vacuum, thereby allowing said
membrane to wrap around at least the part of the product, said
membrane being configured to have a tensile stress lower than
2R.sub.p/L pounds per square inch at a tensile strain of
approximately 20% to 50% elongation to prevent said membrane from
crushing or damaging the product under said subatmospheric
pressure, wherein R.sub.p and L are the radius or equivalent radius
of the product and the membrane thickness in inches,
respectively.
71. A lid as defined in claim 70 wherein said tensile stress is
adapted to be lower than 0.5R.sub.p/L pounds per square inch at a
tensile strain of approximately 20% to 50% elongation to enable the
product to be a crushable or delicate selected from the group
consisting of fruit, vegetables, fried product, baked product,
dried species and fragile items below said membrane when said
vacuum or subatmospheric pressure is present.
72. A lid as defined in claim 70 wherein said membrane is a rubber
or elastomer membrane.
73. A lid as defined in claim 70 wherein said membrane is a
composite membrane having a rubber or elastomer layer and at least
one of a readily stretchable polymer barrier layer and sealant
layer.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a lid for containers, and
particularly to a lid that forms an airtight seal to the Container
to protect the contents such as food against deterioration or
prevent the leakage of the contents therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] To slow down the deterioration, food and other spoilable
products have been traditionally sealed in a plastic bag by a
vacuum packaging system such as a FoodSaver.RTM. from Tilia Inc. or
in a special container with a specially designed lid having a seal
gasket. Normally, users have to transfer the products from their
original containers to the plastic bags or special containers,
which causes significant inconvenience to the users.
[0003] Besides the inconvenience, the traditional method of
protecting spoilable products presents several other challenges to
the users or consumers. The first one is that this method limits
consumers' choices to the plastic bags and special containers,
disallowing users to use their favorite containers such as bowls or
dish plates, which are readily available in kitchens, to store food
and other spoilable products. Unlike the special containers,
conventional bowls and dish plates do not have the flat and even
rim required to form a watertight or airtight seal with the lid. In
addition, the conventional bowls and plates may not have the
strength to withstand the vacuum and may implode as a vacuum is
drawn therein.
[0004] The second challenge is the high cost of the special
containers and the lids. Because the special containers must have a
very flat and even top surface for the rim in order to form an
airtight seal with the lid, unlike the conventional ceramic or
porcelain bowls and plates made from inexpensive earth or glass
they must be made from more expensive materials such as plastics or
metals by more expensive process such as injection molding and
metal forming.
[0005] The third challenge is the time required to seal the food or
other spoilable products. For example, to seal a leftover meal, one
need to transfer the meal from an original container such as a dish
plate or bowl to the special container or plastic bag, to evacuate
the special container or plastic bag with a vacuum packaging
appliance, and clean the original container. This process seems not
very complex, but it is too time consuming to many people who are
squeezed in time for work and other life events.
[0006] The present invention is to provide a new container lid to
simplify the process of sealing food and other spoilable products
and to resolve the challenges above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The invention provides a lid for forming an airtight seal to
a container such as a bowl or dish plate to elongate the life of
product therein. The lid comprises an air impermeable membrane
having an outer perimeter larger than the rim of the container and
an enforcement ring for enabling the formation of the airtight seal
between the membrane and rim of the container under vacuum or
subatmospheric pressure. The impermeable membrane is sufficiently
flexible and soft to enable the part of the membrane that is
directly above the rim of the container to conform to the
topography of the rim so that the membrane enters or fills any
lower sections or other imperfections, which are common for most
household containers, on the rim of the container. As a result, the
membrane can prevent any air gap from forming between the membrane
and the rim, and enable the lid to form an airtight seal with most
household containers. The enforcement ring is made from a metal
material such as steel and aluminum and has two horizontal rings
connected by a vertical ring for clamping the membrane at its outer
perimeter to prevent the deformation of the membrane at both
vertical and horizontal directions.
[0008] The lid may further comprises an air evacuation passageway
having an air collection chamber for extracting air from the
container and a valve for allowing air to flow out of the container
but preventing air from entering the container. The collection
chamber has collection channels for delivering air to the valve, a
microporous film and a side wall to which the film and membrane are
attached. The valve comprises a valve opening, a seal member for
closing the valve opening, and a slender member adapted to allow
one to open the valve to release the vacuum in the container and to
prevent unintended release of the vacuum when the slender member is
accidentally touched by another container or object.
[0009] To use the lid according to one embodiment of the invention,
one simply places a product into the container, places the lid on,
pushes the membrane into the container to cause air to escape from
the evacuation passageway, and then releases the membrane. This
produces a vacuum or subatmospheric pressure in the container to
affix the membrane to the container and to improve the life of the
product. It is important that in order to generate and maintain the
vacuum in the container, the impermeable membrane should have a
sufficient low tensile strength and have a tendency to return to
its original shape.
[0010] To use the lid according to another embodiment of the
invention, one places a product into the container, places the lid
on, connects a vacuum generator to the evacuation passageway, and
evacuates the air in the container. The membrane is adapted to have
sufficient low tensile stress to enable the vacuum to cause the
membrane to enter the container and to conform to the topographies
of the side wall of the container and the product. In contrary to
the traditional belief that a vacuum container must have a strong
and thick wall and in contrary to what is taught by home vacuum
packaging industry leaders including FoodSaver.RTM., it was
discovered that the lid of the present invention can enable most
containers found in a household kitchen to withstand a vacuum
generated by home vacuum packaging appliances such as the
FoodSaver.RTM. vacuum sealers. By making the air impermeable
membrane sufficiently expandable or stretchable, by making the
membrane tensile stress sufficiently low and by making the membrane
sufficiently thin, the lid was discovered to even enable a vacuum
to be produced in a disposable foam tray without imploding or
collapsing foam tray.
[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide a lid
capable of consistently forming an airtight seal to almost all
household containers even if they have imperfect rims;
[0012] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
vacuum lid capable of consistently forming an airtight seal to
almost all containers under vacuum even if the containers have thin
or weak walls;
[0013] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
vacuum package that will not crush or damage delicate or crushable
products;
[0014] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
lid capable of consistently forming an airtight seal to a container
and of introducing hot gaseous fluid into the container;
[0015] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
vacuum lid capable of readily forming an airtight seal to a
container and of readily releasing the vacuum therein;
[0016] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
vacuum lid that can elongate the length of time the vacuum can be
maintained in the container.
[0017] These and other objectives and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following description of
the preferred embodiments, taken together with the accompanying
drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0018] The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically
non-limitative embodiment of the invention, as follows:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a section view of a lid and a dish plate before a
seal is formed;
[0020] FIG. 1a is a section view of the lid along line A-A of FIG.
1;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a section view of the lid and dish plate of FIG. 1
after being vacuum-sealed;
[0022] FIG. 2a is a section view of the lid and dish plate of FIG.
1 after a vacuum seal is formed by simply pushing the lid;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a lid according to a second
embodiment of the invention;
[0024] FIG. 3a is a section view of the lid of FIG. 3 after forming
a vacuum seal to a bowl by manually pushing the lid;
[0025] FIGS. 3b and 3c are sectional views of two modified versions
of the lid of FIG. 3;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a stack of lids according to a
third embodiment of the invention;
[0027] FIG. 4a is a section view of the lid along line A-A of FIG.
4;
[0028] FIG. 4b is a section view of the lid of FIG. 4 after forming
a vacuum seal to a bowl by manually pushing the lid to produce a
vacuum in the bowl;
[0029] FIG. 4c is a section view of the lid of FIG. 4 after forming
a seal to a dish plate by manually stretching the elastic side wall
of the lid to fit into the rim.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a section view of a lid, a dish plate and a vacuum
device before a seal is formed according to another embodiment of
the invention;
[0031] FIG. 5a is a section view of the lid and dish plate of FIG.
5 after the vacuum seal;
[0032] FIG. 5b is a section view of the lid and a flatter dish
plate after the vacuum seal;
[0033] FIG. 6 a section view of a lid, a dish plate and a vacuum
device before a seal is formed according to another embodiment of
the invention;
[0034] FIG. 6a is a section view of the lid and dish plate of FIG.
6 after the vacuum seal;
[0035] FIGS. 7a and 7b are section views of two exemplar membranes
used for the lid of the invention;
[0036] FIG. 8 is a section view of a lid according to another
embodiment of the invention;
[0037] FIG. 8a is a section view of a lid of FIG. 8 after being
sealed to a dish plate 8a;
[0038] FIG. 9 is a section view of a lid and a lid support
according to another embodiment of the invention;
[0039] FIG. 9a is a section view of a lid, lid support of FIG. 10
that are vacuum sealed to a dish plate;
[0040] FIG. 10 is a section view of a lid for introducing hot
gaseous fluid from a generator into a container according to
another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0041] FIGS. 1 and 1a illustrate a lid 1 for a bowl or plate 20
having an open top end 23, a rim 21, a bottom 25, a side wall 22
and a chamber 27 to receive several fruits 26. Like most containers
in a household, the rim 21 for bowl 20 is not perfectly flat, and
may be warped or have one or more lower sections 28. Such warping
or lower sections 28 would cause a gap between the currently known
or available lid and the rim 21, preventing the current known lids
from forming an airtight seal to the container. The lid 1 of the
present invention comprises an air impermeable membrane 3 having an
outer perimeter 2 larger than the rim of the container to cover the
container and an enforcement ring 8 for preventing the outer
perimeter of the membrane from deformation when the membrane is
pulled into the container by either a subatmospheric pressure or
vacuum (FIG. 2) or is pushed into the container by hand or force
(FIG. 2a).
[0042] The enforcement ring 8 is made from a metal material such as
steel and aluminum, and has two horizontal rings 91 connected by a
vertical ring 92 for clamping the membrane at its outer perimeter.
The horizontal ring 91 contributes largely to preventing the
deformation of the membrane at horizontal direction and the
vertical ring 92 contributes largely to preventing the deformation
of the membrane at the vertical direction. The enforcement ring,
which is shown to have a round or oval shape in FIG. 1a, may also
have a rectangle, square, triangle, hexagon or other shape. It was
found that a round shape, an oval shape, or a square or rectangle
shape with its four corners rounded helps preventing the
enforcement ring from deformation at the horizontal direction. It
was also found that without enforcement ring 8, the membrane 8
would not form an airtight seal to rim 21 of the container, thereby
not allowing a subatmospheric pressure or vacuum to form in the
container.
[0043] The air impermeable membrane 3 is designed to enable the
part of the membrane that is directly above the rim 21 of the
container to conform to the topography or shape of the rim so that
the membrane enters or fills the lower section 28 (FIGS. 2 and 2a),
thereby preventing any air gap from forming between the membrane
and the rim 21 of the container. As a result, the lid 1 of the
present invention can form an airtight seal and vacuum with most
containers such as bowls, dish plates, pans, cups, canisters,
trays, bottles and jars found in one's home. To prevent air from
diffusing into and the flavor, moisture or smell product in the
container from diffusing out of the container, the membrane
comprises a barrier material or layer that can retain its barrier
to air, flavor and moisture even after the membrane is
significantly expanded or stretched into the container, which
barrier along with the membrane structure will be discussed in
FIGS. 7a and 7b.
[0044] An air evacuation passageway 63 for the lid comprises an air
collection chamber 18 for extracting air from the container and a
valve 94 for allowing air to flow out of the container but
preventing air from entering the container. The collection chamber
18 comprises a left and right collection channels 4a and 4b for
collecting and delivering air to the valve 94, a round center wall
40, a film 9 having numerous microscopic pores, and a side wall 10
having a bottom surface 7 whose inner peripheral area 7a sealed to
the film 9 and outer peripheral area 7b sealed to the membrane 3.
The valve 94 comprises a cylindrical body 15, a valve base 17
having an valve opening 5, a seal member 6 above the base for
closing the valve opening, and a retainer 16 having a plurality of
protrusions to retain the seal member within body 15. The valve
also has an elongated member 12 with its one end connected to the
seal member and the other end 11 extended out of the cylindrical
opening of the body 15 to allow one to pull the seal member away
from the valve opening to release the vacuum in the container. The
elongated member 12 is preferably to be a thin flexible member such
as a string, a strip and a wire. The flexibility of the member 12
prevents unintended release of the vacuum in the container 20 when
the elongated member is accidentally touched by another container
or object. The thinness of the elongated member allows the
cylindrical opening of the body 15 to receive a vacuum tube from a
conventional vacuum packaging device to evacuate the container. It
is appreciated that valve 94 with the flexible elongated flexible
member 12 can be used to release vacuum in conventional vacuum
packaged cans or canisters.
[0045] The film 9 has numerous microscopic openings adapted to
allow air to exit the container but to prevent particulate or solid
matters from passing through, thereby preventing the loss of
product when the container is evacuated via said evacuation
passageway. Such film can be a microporous membrane such Supor.RTM.
polyethersufone membrane from Pall Corp., a woven filter or a
nonwoven filter. It was discovered that by using a hydrophobic film
such as Gore-Tex.RTM. from W. L. Gore Associates or porous
polypropylene or polyethylene film, the film became impermeable
when liquid in the product in the container reaches the film. As a
result, such a hydrophobic film will prevent the loss of liquid in
the product 26 through the evacuation passageway 63 when the
container is evacuated. It was also discovered that when film 9 is
sufficiently hydrophobic, it can retain its permeability to air
after the liquid in the product leaves the film. It was also found
that by coating or impregnating the porous film 9 with certain gel
forming materials such as starch, the film allowed air to pass
through readily, but became non-porous and impermeable to both air
and liquid when the liquid in the product reaches the film to cause
gel to form in the film. Like a hydrophobic film 9, such a
gel-forming film will prevent the loss of liquid in the product 26
when the container is evacuated.
[0046] According to a first exemplar application for the lid 1 of
the invention, one simply places a product 26 such as fruits, meat
or meals into the container 20, places the lid on the container in
a way that the enforcement ring 8 is outside the rim of the
container, pushes the membrane 3 into the container to cause air to
escape from the evacuation passageway 63 by pressing the membrane
directly or the top wall of the evacuation chamber 18, and then
releases the membrane. This produces a vacuum or subatmospheric
pressure between the membrane and container to affix the
impermeable membrane 3 to the container as shown in FIG. 2a as well
as to improve the life of the product 26. Here the evacuation
chamber also functions as a push facilitator to facilitate the
pressing and removal of air. It is important that in order to
generate and maintain the subatmospheric pressure or vacuum in the
container, the impermeable membrane 3 has a sufficient low tensile
stress or strength and have a tendency to return to its original
shape. The membrane may be a very thin stretchable plastic membrane
such as an 0.0006'' thick linear or ultra linear low density
polyethylene membrane or an 0.001'' thick multilayer membrane
containing an EVOH barrier layer and low density polyethylene skin
layer, or may be a thermoplastic elastomer or rubber membrane such
as a butyl rubber, ethylene acrylic elastomer or ethylene propylene
(i.e. EPDM) elastomer membrane. It was discovered that the lid 1
comprising a thin elastomer or rubber membrane 3 could maintain the
subatmospheric pressure to affix the membrane to the container 20
for significantly longer period of time than the lid 1 comprising a
thin stretchable plastic membrane.
[0047] According to a second exemplar application for the lid 1 of
the invention, one places a product 26 into the container 20,
places the lid on the container in a way that the enforcement ring
8 is outside the rim of the container, places a vacuum generator 41
onto the round center wall 40 of the evacuation chamber 63 to
evacuate the container, and then removes the vacuum generator. The
membrane 3 is adapted to have sufficient low tensile stress to
enable the vacuum to cause the membrane to elongate to enter the
container 20 and to conform to the topographies of the side wall 22
of the container 20 and the product 26 as shown in FIG. 2b. The top
part of the product 20 is wrapped around by the impermeable
membrane 3 to show the shape of the product. The membrane is
preferably transparent to light to make the product in the
container visible. It is appreciated that an effective amount of an
antifogging additive such as glyerine mono-oleate added to the
membrane 3 would significantly improve the visibility of the
product through the membrane, especially when the product has high
moisture content.
[0048] The vacuum generator 41 comprises a vacuum pump 46, a
battery 50 for the pump, a skirt 44 having a seal ring 42 to seal
to the round wall 40 of the lid, and an electric switch 51 for the
pump. The pump 46 comprises a motor 48 with a shaft 47 affixed to a
disc 49, a pin 54 on the disc to translate the disc rotation
movement to a repetitive linear movement of a piston 56 connected
to the pin by a beam 55 and a hole 52 at the end of the beam to
receive the pin, and a piston chamber having check valves 45 and 64
arranged to produce a vacuum inside the skirt 44 as the motor after
the motor 48 is turned on. It is appreciated that the container 20
may also be evacuated by inserting a vacuum tube from any vacuum
device such as a FoodSave.RTM. vacuum sealer into the top opening
of the body 15.
[0049] In contrary to the traditional belief that a vacuum
container must have a strong and thick wall and in contrary to what
is taught by home vacuum packaging industry leaders including Tilia
Direct Inc which sells FoodSaver.RTM. Universal vacuum lids and
vacuum canisters, it was found that the lid 1 of the present
invention can enable most containers found in a household kitchen
to withstand a vacuum generated by home vacuum packaging appliances
such as the FoodSaver.RTM. vacuum sealers. It was even found that
by making the air impermeable membrane sufficiently expandable or
stretchable, by making the tensile stress of the membrane
sufficiently low at significant elongation and by making the
membrane sufficiently thin, the lid 1 can even enable a vacuum to
be produced in a disposable foam tray without imploding collapsing
foam tray. It is theorized that the intimate contact between the
gas impermeable membrane and the container wall helps preventing
the container from being imploded or collapsed by the vacuum. To
enable a container having a thin or weak wall to withstand vacuum,
the air impermeable membrane 3 has a tensile stress lower than
about 5R.sub.m/L, preferably lower than 2R.sub.m/L, pounds per
square inch or Psi at a tensile strain of approximately 20% to 50%
elongation, where R.sub.m is the radius or equivalent radius of the
membrane 3 or the rim 21 of the container 20 and L thickness of the
membrane in inches. The equivalent radius is used if the container
20 or the membrane 3 of the lid has a non-circular perimeter, and
is defined by the formula of R.sub.m=(A/3.14).sup.1/2, where A is
the area of the impermeable membrane 3 or the opening 23 of the
container.
[0050] It is also known that when a fragile or delicate product
such as berries, pre-cut watermelon pieces or French fries is
placed in a bag such as a FoodSaver.RTM. bag and the bag is
evacuated by a vacuum seal appliance, the fragile or delicate would
be crushed or smashed by the bag. It was discovered that by making
the impermeable membrane 3 of the lid highly expandable and making
the tensile stress of the membrane lower than 2R.sub.p/L,
preferably lower than 0.5 R.sub.p/L, pounds per square inch or Psi
at a tensile strain of approximately 20% to 50% elongation, the
fragile or delicate 26 in the container 20 became much less prone
to be crushed or smashed by the vacuum, where R.sub.p is the radius
or equivalent radius of product 26 and L is membrane thickness in
inches. The equivalent radius is used if the product 26 is not of a
ball shape, and is defined by the formula of R.sub.m=(V/4).sup.1/3,
where V is the volume of the product. For examples, grapes and
blueberries are of a ball shape with a radius of approximately 0.3
inches, the tensile stress of the membrane is preferred to be lower
than 30 Psi if the membrane thickness is 0.005''. For comparison
purpose, the films in existing bags (e.g. FoodSaver.RTM. bags) for
vacuum packing is about 3000 Psi, which is believed to be needed to
prevent the puncture of the bag by the product.
[0051] To meet such extremely low tensile stress requirement, the
membrane can be made from elastomer or rubber materials such as
butyl rubber, ethylene acrylic elastomers, ethylene propylene (or
EPDM) rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane elastomers,
styrene-containing block copolymer elastomers, Santoprene elastomer
and polychroroprene elastomer with a durometer hardness lower than
about 70 shore A units, preferably less than about 55 shore A
units. Butyl rubber, ethylene acrylic elastomers and
polychroroprene elastomer are the preferred materials since the
membrane made from them maintains a vacuum in the container for a
significantly longer period time than the other rubber materials.
The impermeable membrane 3 with such extremely low tensile stress
may also be achieved by coating, extruding or co-extruding a very
thin layer of barrier polymers such as a 0.0001'' layer of
poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol) or EVOH with a relatively thicker
layer of elastomer, as will be discussed in FIGS. 7a and 7b. It is
appreciated that the air-impermeable membrane 3 with such extremely
low tensile stress may also be used to make new crush-resistant
bags for packing fragile fruits, salads, vegetables, French fries
and other fragile and crushable or delicates under vacuum.
[0052] To enable the vacuum or subatmospheric pressure in the
container to last for an extended period, the impermeable membrane
should have a tensile stress sufficiently low to reduce the rate of
air diffusion through the membrane into the container. It was
discovered that by when the tensile stress of the membrane 3 was
reduced from about 500 Psi to about 200 Psi at the same tensile
strain, the vacuum in the container lasts significantly longer or
the membrane stays sealed to the container for significantly longer
time. To reduce the loss of vacuum in the container 20, the
membrane should have a tensile stress lower than 7R.sub.m/L,
preferably lower than 4R.sub.m/L pounds per square inch or psi at a
tensile strain of 20% to 50% elongation, wherein R.sub.m and L have
been defined above.
[0053] It was also discovered that when by coating or including a
thin layer of fluid such as a liquid, paste or gel layer at least
on the lower surface of the membrane, the vacuum in the container
lasted significantly longer. It was also discovered that by having
a tacky or adhesive material layer on the membrane 3 to cause it to
reversibly adhere to the container 20, the vacuum in the container
also lasted significantly longer.
[0054] FIG. 3 shows a first modified version of the lid 1 of FIG. 1
with a plate-shaped push facilitator 38 for facilitating the
pushing of the membrane into the container by hand, an improved
evacuation passageway 63 to lower the cost of the lid 1 and a
pre-formed cavity 14 and side wall 35 on the impermeable membrane 3
to improve the seal to the rim 21 and side wall 22 of the
container. The improved evacuation passageway has an valve 94
comprising opening 6 on the membrane, a valve base 17 on the
membrane around the opening, a seal disc member 6, a elongated
flexible member 12 having one end connected to the seal member and
another end 11 outside the valve for one to pull and open the valve
to release the vacuum in the container, and a retainer 16 comprised
of a horizontal wall formed on push facilitator 38. A cylindrical
wall 53 is formed on the push facilitator for receiving a vacuum
tube from a vacuum device such as a FoodSave.RTM. vacuum sealer if
desired. To use, one places lid 1 onto container 20 and cavity 14
automatically falls into the container to facilitate the seal to
side wall 22 of the container. One then push the facilitator 38 to
stretch the side wall 35 of the membrane to drive air out of the
passageway 63, and stops the pushing to cause a vacuum to form
below the membrane to affix the membrane to the container by the
vacuum (FIG. 3a). It was found that by coating the seal member 6
with a thin fluid layer such as a high-boiling point liquid like
cooking oil, a gel or a paste, the vacuum could be maintained in
the container for a longer time. It is appreciated that if the top
surface of the product 26 protrudes out of the container 20, the
side wall 35 enables the push facilitator 35 to move upwards so
that the product will not prevent the membrane from forming a seal
to the rim 21 of the container.
[0055] FIG. 3b shows a second modified version of the lid 1 of FIG.
1. The modified lid is similar to that of FIG. 3 except that it has
a smaller enforcement ring 8 and membrane 3 to fit into jars,
bottles and other containers with small openings 23 and has a valve
94 that stays closed after the loss of vacuum below the membrane 3.
In the valve 94, the seal member 6 is connected to retainer 16
below the valve opening 5 by a stem 43 to sandwich the membrane and
valve base 17 between the seal member 6 and the retainer 16. The
stem 43 is short enough to cause the seal member 6 to press against
the membrane around the opening 5 slightly so that the valve stays
closed even after the vacuum in the container (not shown) below the
membrane 3 is released. Two or more openings 24 are formed on the
retainer 16 to make the retainer more flexible.
[0056] FIG. 3c shows a third modified version of the lid 1 of FIG.
1. The modified lid is similar to that of FIG. 1 except that it has
a smaller enforcement ring 8 and membrane 3 to fit into jars,
bottles and other containers with small openings 23, a plate-shaped
push facilitator 38 for facilitating the pushing of the membrane
into the container by hand, an improved evacuation passageway 63 to
lower the cost of the lid 1. The evacuation passageway comprises a
valve 94 having a seal member 6 located below the membrane 3 to
seal the valve opening 5 formed on the membrane, a retainer 16
above the valve opening and connected to the seal member by stem
43, and a loaded spring 33 to cause the seal member to press the
membrane and close the valve opening after the loss of vacuum in
the container (not shown) below the membrane. The retainer 16 also
functions as a button 84 for one to push. To seal a container with
the lid 1, one places the lid on the container, presses the button
8 or push facilitator 38 with sufficient force push the membrane 3
into the container, and then releases the button to cause a vacuum
in the container. To remove the lid, one press the button 84 to
push the seal member 6 down to release the vacuum, but the pressing
is sufficiently slight that the membrane 3 can return to its
original shape to move out of the container to allow the lid to be
removed.
[0057] FIG. 4 shows a forth modified version of the lid 1 of FIG.
1. In this modified lid, the air impermeable membrane 3 has a side
wall section 35 and a horizontal center section 127. The side wall
section 35 of the membrane is elastic or rubbery and at least part
of the side wall section 35 has a perimeter smaller than the rim 21
of the container. Such a configuration enables the side wall
section 35 to form an airtight seal to the rim 21 of the container
20 (FIGS. 4b and 4c). The enforcement ring 8 is larger in diameter
than the side wall section 35 of the membrane to facilitate the
mounting of the lid to the container. In FIG. 4b, the enforcement
ring 8 is larger than the rim 21 of the container, allowing one to
seal the container by simply pulling the enforcement ring 8 of the
lid downward to stretch or expand the side wall section 35 so that
the section wall section seals to the rim 21 the elastic force. To
reduce the force needed to expand the side wall section 35 to seal
to the rim of the container, the side wall section is made to have
sufficiently low tensile stress strength.
[0058] The enforcement ring 8 may also be made elastic to allow the
lid to seal to the containers having rim 21 larger than the
enforcement ring (FIG. 4c). One may press the horizontal center
section 127 to push it into the container 20 to evacuate some air
out of the container and then release the membrane to cause a
vacuum in the container to help affix the membrane to the container
(FIG. 4c). It is appreciated that a simple evacuation passageway
(not shown) may be formed on the membrane to allow air to exit the
container, thereby reducing the force needed to push the membrane 3
into the container. The evacuation passageway may have a valve
opening on the horizontal center section 127 and a seal member such
as a flexible film over the opening to allow air to exit the
container. It is also appreciated that the horizontal center
section 127 of the membrane 3 may be a plastic or metal sheet
attached to the lower end of the side wall section 35.
[0059] FIG. 5 shows a fifth modified version of the lid 1 of FIG. 1
for use with a vacuum generator 41 that is similar to the vacuum
generator of FIG. 2b but has a larger skirt or chamber 44 to
enclose lid 1 and the container 20. The vacuum device further has a
release valve 66 having an opening 61 on skirt 44, a button 58, a
seal disc 62 connected to the button by a stem, and a spring to
pull the seal disc upward to seal the opening 61. This modified lid
comprises air impermeable membrane 3, enforcement ring 8 having two
substantially vertical ring connected to the outer perimeter 2 of
the membrane at their top ends and a substantially horizontal ring
connecting the lower ends of the two vertical rings 91, and a film
strip 68 having one side attached to the membrane and a free end or
handle 69 to allow one to pull the membrane. The horizontal ring 92
and vertical rings 91 of the enforcement ring 8 prevents any
wrinkles from forming on the part of the membrane above the rim of
the container as the membrane is pulled into the container. During
use, the lid 1 is placed on the container that has product 26
therein and rests on a plate 67, the skirt or chamber 44 is placed
over the container to form a seal between the seal ring 42 and
plate 67, the air in both the chamber 44 and container 20 is
removed by vacuum device 41, and the button 58 is pushed to allow
air to enter the skirt chamber 44. The air pressure in the skirt
chamber pushes the membrane 3 into the container 20 and causes the
membrane to conform to the topographies of the side wall of the
container and the product (FIG. 5a). It is appreciated that by
having a center bulge or cavity similar to the cavity 14 of FIGS. 3
and 4 on the impermeable membrane 3, the lid can seal a container
20 that has a very short side wall 21 or even no side wall (FIG.
5b). The cavity or bulge on the membrane 3 accommodates the
protruded product 26 in the container so that the perimeter area 2
of the membrane can reach and contact the rim or outer edge of the
container before the skirt chamber 44 and container 20 are
evacuated by the vacuum pump 46.
[0060] FIG. 6 shows a modified version of the lid 1 of FIG. 5 for
use with a container 20 with a rim 21 that comprises a fusible
material adapted to be fused to a fusible material on the
impermeable membrane 3 by heat, adhesive, vibration or light beam
welding and that is sufficiently strong to prevent the outer
perimeter of the membrane from being substantially deformed as the
membrane is pulled down into the container. The skirt 44 of the
vacuum device has a collapsible lower skirt 44a to allow the top
wall of the skirt to fall down, thus causing the heating ring 128
to contact the membrane near the rim 21 of the container, when a
vacuum is formed inside the skirt by device 41. A plurality of air
shallow channels (not shown) are formed on either the membrane 3 or
the rim to allow air to exit the container via the interface
between the membrane and rim 21 after the collapsible lower skirt
44a has been collapsed by the vacuum therein. During use, the lid 1
is placed on the rim 21, which is designed to function as the
enforcement ring, of the container 20 that has product 26 therein
and rests on plate 67; the skirt chamber 44 is placed over the
container to form a seal between the seal ring 42 and plate 67; the
air in chamber 44 is removed by vacuum device 41 and lower skirt
44a collapsed to cause the heater ring 128 to press onto the
membrane above the rim 21; the air in container 20 is drawn into
the skirt chamber via the shallow air channels; the heater ring 128
is turned on briefly to fuse the fusible materials on the membrane
and rim; and the button 58 is pushed to allow air to enter the
skirt chamber 44 and cause the lower skirt to return to its
original shape. The air pressure in the skirt chamber pushes and
elongates the membrane 3 into the container 20 and causes the
membrane to conform to the topographies of the side wall of the
container and the product (FIG. 6a). It is also appreciated that in
Figs. Sand 6, the plate 67 may be replaced by a conveyor belt. In
use, after the container 20 with product 26 and lid 1 is palced
onto the belt, the conveyor belt transports the container to a
location below the skirt chamber 44 and the skirt chamber lowers to
the belt to evacuate and seal the chamber as described above.
[0061] FIGS. 7a and 7b show two exemplar structures for the air
impermeable membrane 3. The membrane 3 of FIG. 7a has a rubber or
elastomer layer 72, a barrier polymer layer 70 and a tie or
adhesive layer 71. The membrane 3 of FIG. 7b has a rubber or
elastomer layer 72, a barrier polymer layer 70, a skin or sealant
layer 73, and two tie or adhesive layers 71 to bond the elastomer
layer, barrier layer and sealant layer. The sealant layer 73 allows
the enforcement ring 8 and the push facilitator 38 to be
heat-sealed to the membrane. The elastomer layer 72 is at least
about 150%, preferably about twice, as thick as the barrier layer
70, to allow the membrane to return substantially to its original
shape after the vacuum below the membrane in the container is
released.
[0062] The elastomer layer may be made from a thermoplastic
elastomer and a natural or synthetic rubber such as butyl rubber,
ethylene acrylic elastomer, EPDM or polyurethane elastomer. The
polymeric barrier layer 70 is designed to retain its barrier to air
after the membrane is expanded by force or vacuum, and may be made
from low tensile strength barrier polymer such as polyethylene
vinyl alcohol (EVOH), polyvinylchloride, or polyvilidene
dicholoride. The sealant layer may be made from low tensile
strength and low melting temperature polymers such as linear low or
ultra linear low density polyethylene, polyethylene vinyl acetate
(EVA) or thermoplastic elastomer. The membrane may be produced by
co-extrusion, extrusion coating or lamination process. It is
appreciated that when butyl rubber or ethylene acrylic elastomer
that has high barrier to air is used, the membrane 3 can be a
single layer membrane made of the butyl rubber or ethylene acrylic
elastomer. It is also appreciated that by selecting the proper
materials to enable the membrane 3 to have sufficiently low tensile
strength or tensile stress at 20% to 100% elongation, the rate for
the air to enter the space between the membrane 3 of the lid 1 and
the container 20 would be significantly reduced. As a result, the
single layer membranes made from the polymers such as polyethylene
propylene elastomer (EPDM), polyurethane elastomer or low density
polyethylene that have relatively low barrier to air but have
sufficiently low tensile stress may be successfully used as the
membrane 3 for the lid 1.
[0063] FIG. 8 shows a seventh modified version of the lid 1 of FIG.
1. In this modified lid 1, the membrane 3 is attached to the under
surface of the horizontal ring 92 of the enforcement ring 8. A
support plate 129 is positioned above the membrane and connected to
the enforcement ring 8. A sufficient thick air space 19 is formed
between the support plate and membrane to facilitate the formation
of the airtight seal between the membrane and the container. An
opening 79 is formed on the membrane to communicate the sufficient
thick air space 19 with the container. During use, the lid is
placed on the container and the membrane automatically conforms to
the shape of the rim 21 to fill into the lower spaces 28 on the
rim. A vacuum device such as the device 41 of FIG. 2 is then
connected to the evacuation passageway 63 to evacuate the container
and the resulting vacuum causes the membrane 3 to affix to the
container 20. Here the opening 79 helps preventing the membrane 3
from crushing the product 26 in the container (FIG. 8a). It is
appreciated that the support plate 129 needs to be sufficiently
thick to prevent the vacuum in the container from drawing the
support plate down and that if the support plate is not strong
enough to stay flat, the vacuum in the container 20 may be lost in
a short period of time. It is also appreciated that such thick
support plate 129 greatly increases the cost of the lid 1.
[0064] FIG. 9 shows an eighth modified version of the lid 1 of FIG.
1 for use with a lid support 142 to seal to a container. The lid 1
comprises the impermeable membrane 3 attached to the under surface
of the horizontal ring 92 of the enforcement ring 8, a plurality of
openings 77 formed on the membrane and a microporous membrane 9
attached to the membrane to prevent the particular matters in the
product 26 from exiting the container via openings 77. The lid
support 142 comprises a sufficiently thick horizontal support plate
129 to prevent deformation by the vacuum below it, a side wall
129a, an air evacuation passageway 63 having a valve 94, a thick
rubber gasket 30, and a sufficiently air space 19 below the gasket
to prevent the rubber gasket from interfering the formation of
intimate contact between the membrane 3 and the rim 21 after the
lid 1 and lid support 142 are placed on the container. The valve 94
comprises a cylindrical valve body 15, an valve opening 5, a seal
chamber 81 having a bottom wall 6 for closing the valve opening and
an upper wall 82 with an opening, a knob 84 rotationally connected
to the valve body 15 via threads (not shown), a presser 123 having
a plunger 103 slidingly received in the seal chamber 81 and a stem
86 slidingly received in the opening on the upper wall 82 for
connecting the plunger to the knob. The threads on the presser and
valve body 15 are configured to allow one to move the knob 84 among
a first position at which the seal chamber can freely move up and
down to allow the removal of air from the container, a second
position at which the plunger presses the bottom wall 6 against the
valve opening 6 and a third position at which the plunger lifts the
seal chamber up to allow air to enter the container 20. During use,
one places the lid 1 on the container 20, causing the membrane 3 to
conform to the topography of the rim 21. One then places the lid
support on the lid 1, causing the side wall 129a of the lid support
to seal to the membrane 3 of the lid. The container is evacuated by
connecting a vacuum device 41 (not shown) to the evacuation
passageway 63. The vacuum in the container 20 draws the lid support
142 down to the container and causes the rim 21 to press against
the membrane 3 and seal gasket 30 (FIG. 9a). It is appreciated that
in the lid 1 of FIG. 9 the enforcement ring 8 may be replaced by
pressure sensitive adhesive or cling agent on the impermeable
membrane, which adhesive or cling agent allows one to adhere the
outer perimeter of the membrane 3 on to either side wall 129a of
the lid support 142 or the side wall 21 of the container.
[0065] FIG. 10 shows a ninth version of the lid 1 of FIG. 1 for
providing hot gaseous fluid to a container 20 such as a bowl, plate
or cup for heating or cooking the product 26 such as potatoes,
eggs, meat, flour or grain products, or vegetables in the dish. A
major problem encountered in commercializing the device that cooks
food directly in a dish with hot gaseous fluid, which was taught in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,743 by the inventor, is the inability to form a
seal between an applicator lid and the rim of the dish 20. The lack
of seal between the applicator lid and the rim of the dish results
in significant loss of the hot gaseous fluid, which not only wastes
energy but also makes the food less flavorful.
[0066] This modified lid comprises a sufficiently flexible membrane
3 with its perimeter 2 clamped in the enforcement ring 8, a support
plate 129 positioned above the membrane and connected to the
enforcement ring, a sufficient thick air space 19 between the
support plate 129 and the membrane 3 to facilitate the formation of
the airtight seal between the membrane and the rim 21 of the
container, and a hot gaseous fluid passageway 63a. The passageway
63a has an outer cylinder 97 received by a central opening 88 of
the support plate 129, a inner cylinder 98 having a fringe 96
attached to the top end of the outer cylinder and hot gas outlet 5
for the hot gaseous fluid to exit the container, and a ring shaped
channel 95 between the inner and outer cylinders to function as the
distributor inlet for distributing the hot gaseous fluid from a
generator 117. The outer cylinder has having a ring-shaped locker
87 supported by the part of the support plate around the opening 88
and an elastic ring member 89 that presses the membrane 3 against
the undersurface of the support plate 129 after the ring-shaped
locker 87 is pushed through the opening 88 and becomes supported by
the part of the support plate around the opening 88.
[0067] The hot gaseous fluid generator 117 comprises a fluid
connector 74 having an upper chamber 76 to receive the inner
cylinder 98 of the lid 1 and a lower cylinder 75 for receiving the
outer cylinder 97, a heater 116 in a heating chamber 115 for
heating a gaseous fluid and/or evaporating water, and a temperature
controller 119 for one to control the temperature of the hot
gaseous fluid. The generator also comprises a turbine blade 114
housed in a pump chamber 112 and connected to motor 109 via an rod
111 for drawing the hot gaseous fluid from the container 20 via
outlet 5 of the lid and conduit 100 back into the pump chamber,
pushing the gaseous fluid through the opening 121 to heater 116 to
heat the gaseous fluid to a desired temperature, and delivering the
heated gaseous fluid back to the container 20 via a conduit 122, a
ring-shaped channel 78 of the fluid connector 74 and the
ring-shaped channel 95 of the lid 1. For simplicity, the motor 109
and blade 114 are called gas pump. The generator also has water
reservoir 102 for water 103, a water pump 101 connected to the
reservoir via tube 104 and to an inlet 109 at the top of the pump
chamber via a water passageway 107. The water is delivered by the
pump 101 via inlet 109 to blade 114 where the water atomized or
misted before it is blown to the heater 116 to be evaporated to
generate steam. A valve 106 is located in the water passageway 107
to control the water flow rate or the amount of water delivered to
the blade 112 and heater 116 by the pump 101. A humidity meter 125
may be placed in the conduit 100 for measuring the humidity of the
hot gaseous fluid and providing an electric signal to the liquid
pump 101 or the valve 106 to stop the delivery of water to the
heater 116 when the humidity is above a predetermined value and to
start delivery of water to the heater when the humidity is below a
predetermined value. A air valve 110 is located on the top end of
the pump chamber, i.e. at the low pressure side of the blade, for
controlling the amount of air available to the blade or gas pump,
thereby controlling the percent of hot air in the hot gaseous
fluid.
[0068] To use the lid 1 and the hot gaseous fluid generator 117,
one places the lid on the dish plate 20 containing the food 26 to
be heated or cooked and the membrane 3 conforms to the topography
of the rim 21 to form an airtight seal to the rim. The fluid
connector 74 is placed over the fluid passageway 63, causing the
inner and outer cylinders 98 and 97 of the fluid passageway 63 to
enter the upper and lower chambers 78 and 75 of the fluid connector
74, respectively. One then selects the temperature and humidity
level for the hot gaseous fluid and turns on the gas pump or motor
109 to deliver the hot gaseous fluid from the gas pump or pump
chamber 112 to the product 26 in dish plate 20 via heater 116,
conduit 122 and inlet channel 95, and to draw the hot gaseous fluid
from the container 20 back to the pump chamber 112 via outlet 5,
chamber 76 and conduit 100. As a result, the hot gaseous fluid is
circulated between the container and the gas pump chamber. To
increase the humidity in the hot gaseous, more water is pumped by
pump 101 to the blade 114; to decrease humidity, more air is let
into the pump chamber via the air valve 110. At the end of cooking
or heating, the air valve 110 may be fully opened and the heater
116 is turned off to pump ambient temperature air to the dish plate
to cool the dish plate to a certain degree to make it safe to
touch. It is appreciated that the lid 10 will be lifted up by the
pressure in the dish plate 20 to form a gap between the membrane 3
and the rim 21 of the dish plate to release some gaseous fluid when
the pressure below the membrane reaches a predetermined value, as
taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,743 by the inventor. It is also
appreciated that the water pump 101 may be replaced by a porous
hydrophilic wick sheet having one end dipped into the reservoir and
the other end located in the circulation passageway for the hot
gaseous fluid. It is also appreciated that either .about.100% steam
may be used as the hot gaseous fluid or nearly 100% hot air may be
used as the hot gaseous fluid to treat the product 26 below the
membrane 3 in dish plate 20.
[0069] The scope of the invention is obviously not restricted or
limited to the embodiments described by way of examples and
depicted in the drawings, there being numerous changes,
modifications, additions, and applications thereof imaginable
within the purview of the claims.
* * * * *