U.S. patent application number 14/011751 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-05 for airtight container.
The applicant listed for this patent is CHENG SHENG WU. Invention is credited to CHENG SHENG WU.
Application Number | 20150060459 14/011751 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52581708 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150060459 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WU; CHENG SHENG |
March 5, 2015 |
AIRTIGHT CONTAINER
Abstract
An airtight container comprises a receiver, a cover and a
sealing ring. The cover comprises an opening. The sealing ring is
used to block a gap between the cover and the receiver when the
cover is used for closing or sealing an inlet of the receiver. A
valve part is used to close or seal the opening. The valve part
comprises a tunnel and a valve to close or seal the tunnel. The
valve extends from the valve part into the tunnel and has a
thickness decreasing from the valve part to a center of the tunnel
so as to form a concave surface at a side of the valve facing away
from the tunnel. The valve can be opened by air leaving the
receiver.
Inventors: |
WU; CHENG SHENG; (Taipei
City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WU; CHENG SHENG |
Taipei City |
|
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
52581708 |
Appl. No.: |
14/011751 |
Filed: |
August 27, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/361 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00759
20130101; B65D 2543/00648 20130101; B65D 45/20 20130101; B65D
2543/005 20130101; B65D 2543/00555 20130101; B65D 2543/00805
20130101; B65D 2543/00537 20130101; B65D 43/0212 20130101; B65D
2543/00564 20130101; B65D 2543/00574 20130101; B65D 2543/00685
20130101; B65D 2543/00972 20130101; B65D 2543/00842 20130101; B65D
51/1644 20130101; B65D 2543/00296 20130101; B65D 2543/00092
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/361 |
International
Class: |
B65D 51/16 20060101
B65D051/16; B65D 53/02 20060101 B65D053/02 |
Claims
1. An airtight container comprising: a receiver defining a space
therein for receiving and an inlet for entry of the space; a cover
used to close the inlet of the receiver, the cover comprising an
opening to spatially communicate the space of the receiver with an
outside of the container; and a valve part used to close the
opening of the cover, and comprising a tunnel formed therein to
extend through the valve part for spatially communicating the space
of the receiver with the outside of the container, and a valve
extending from the valve part into the tunnel so as to close the
tunnel at a center of the tunnel, a thickness of the valve defined
along an extending direction of the tunnel decreasing from the
valve part toward the center of the tunnel so as to form a concave
surface at a side of the valve facing away from the tunnel.
2. The airtight container according to claim 1, wherein the concave
surface of the valve is a triangular prism concave surface.
3. The airtight container according to claim 1, wherein another
side of the valve facing the funnel is formed as a selective one of
the group consisting of a flat surface and a convex surface.
4. The airtight container according to claim 1, wherein the cover
comprises an upper portion, a lower portion and a trench formed
between the upper portion and the lower portion, a size of the
upper portion and a size of lower portion are both larger than a
size of the opening of the cover.
5. The airtight container according to claim 1, wherein the valve
is formed by at least three divided sections.
6. The airtight container according to claim 5, wherein the valve
is formed by four divided sections, two of the four sections are
opposite to each other and spaced from each other while the other
two sections are opposite to each other and engaged with each other
at a center of the valve.
7. The airtight container according to claim 6, wherein a linear
slit is formed at the center of the valve between the two engaged
sections of the valve.
8. The airtight container according to claim 1, wherein the valve
is made by a material same as the valve part.
9. The airtight container according to claim 8, wherein the valve
part is made of one of plastics, silicone, rubber, thermoplastic
rubber (TPR) and polyethylene (PE).
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an airtight container, and
more particularly, to an airtight container comprising a check
valve for allowing air or gas in the airtight container to vent out
from the airtight container and preventing air or gas outside the
airtight container from entering the airtight container.
[0003] 2. Related Prior Art
[0004] Airtight containers or bags are often used to contain food
or any other things that are prone to rot and had better be
isolated from air. Since conventional airtight containers or bags
perform well regarding air isolation and are usually inexpensive,
they are popularly used in our daily life.
[0005] However, ordinary airtight containers or bags do not allow
air to vent out or get in, and therefore are not suitable for
containing some sorts of food such as coffee beans and/or powder.
Coffee beans and powder naturally release carbon dioxide after they
are baked. If baked coffee beans and/or powder are contained in an
ordinary airtight container or bag, the ordinary airtight container
or bag would be expanded by inner pressure due to carbon dioxide
released from the contained coffee beans and/or powder. As a
result, the expanded ordinary airtight container or bag is usually
deformed, or in the worst case, is burst by extreme inner pressure.
Especially, release of carbon dioxide from coffee powder, which is
made by grinding the coffee beans, is even faster than the coffee
beans. Hence, expansion and deformation of the ordinary airtight
container or bag containing coffee powder would be even worse due
to the faster release of carbon dioxide.
[0006] Hence, coffee beans or powder are often contained in
airtight containers or bags equipped with check valves. The check
valves allow carbon dioxide released from the coffee beans and/or
powder to leave the airtight containers or bags so that the
airtight containers or bags are protected from extreme expansion
and deformation. Besides, the check valves further function for
preventing air outside the airtight containers or bags from
entering the airtight containers or bags so as to avoid rapid
deteriorating of the quality of the coffee beans or powder. In
order to achieve the above function, the check valves are usually
made as a complicated structure and include a lot of small separate
parts to be assembled. As a result, airtight containers or bags
having check valves are usually difficult to be made and are
expensive than ordinary airtight containers or bags.
[0007] The present invention is therefore intended to solve or
obviate the problems encountered in conventional airtight
containers or bags.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] The present invention will be described via detailed
illustrations of the preferred embodiment referring to drawings as
follows.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an airtight container
according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the airtight
container of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the airtight container
of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1 with a valve part
thereof removed from the airtight container.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the airtight container
of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3 with the valve part
thereof being assembled.
[0013] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a cover of the
airtight containers of the present invention as shown in FIG.
4.
[0014] FIG. 5A is a schematic partially enlarged cross-sectional
view of a central section of the cover of the airtight containers
of the present invention as shown in FIG. 5.
[0015] FIG. 5B is another schematic partially enlarged
cross-sectional view of the central section of the cover of the
airtight containers of the present invention as shown in FIG. 5
from a different viewing angle from FIG. 5A.
[0016] FIG. 5C is a schematic partially enlarged bottom view of the
central section of the cover of the airtight containers of the
present invention as shown in FIG. 5.
[0017] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cover of
the airtight containers of the present invention as shown in FIG. 4
showing the valve part of the airtight containers of the present
invention releasing inner air.
[0018] FIG. 6A is a schematic partially enlarged cross-sectional
view of the central section of the cover of the airtight containers
of the present invention as shown in FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an airtight container 1
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
comprises a cover 10, a sealing ring 8 and a receiver 4. The
receiver 4 defines a space therein for receiving food such as
coffee beans and/or powder. The receiver 4 defines an inlet at a
side thereof to allow entry of food, and comprises an annular edge
12 extending and surrounding the inlet of the receiver 4. An
annular flange 14 is defined at an outer side of the receiver 4
near and next to the annular edge 12, and extends around the inlet
of the receiver 4 in a similar way as the annular edge 12. The
receiver 4 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is
a receivable jar or a bag, and is made of plastics or any other
proper material.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 as well as FIGS. 1 and 2, the
cover 10 comprises an opening 15 defined in a central area of the
cover 10, an annular frame 11 defined around the cover 10, an
annular groove 16 defined inside the annular frame 11, and a
plurality of hooks 18. In the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the opening 15 is defined as a hollow circle in the
central area of the cover 10, and can be defined at other areas of
the cover 10 or can be shaped as other proper shapes. The annular
frame 11 is defined along an entire external edge of the cover 10
to surround the cover 10. The annular groove 16 is defined inside
the frame 11 and extends along the entire frame 11. An access to
the annular groove 16 is formed at a side of the cover 10 facing
the receiver 4. All of the plurality of hooks 18 extend from the
frame 11 of the cover 10 and extend toward the side of the cover 10
facing the receiver 4. Each of the plurality of hooks 18 comprises
a section thereof made with a reduced thickness so that the each
hook 18 can easily be pivoted for hooking. The cover 10 is made of
plastics or any other proper material. The cover 10 is used to
cover and seal the inlet of the receiver 4 after food is properly
placed in the space of the receiver 4.
[0021] The sealing ring 8 is made according to a shape of the
annular edge 12 and the annular groove 16 so that the sealing ring
8 is capable of being placed in the annular groove 16 in advance
before the cover 10 is used to cover the inlet of the receiver 4.
The sealing ring 8 is made of plastics, silicone, rubber or any
other proper material.
[0022] Referring further to FIGS. 1-5A, a valve part 20 is used to
cover and close the opening 15 of the cover 10. In the preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the valve part 20 is a disc
shape corresponding to the circular shape of the opening 15. The
valve part 20 comprises a spherical upper portion 24, a disc-like
lower portion 26 extending away from the upper portion 24, and an
annular trench 28 formed between the upper portion 24 and the lower
portion 26. The upper portion 24 and the lower portion 26 of the
valve part 20 are respectively sized larger than the opening 15 of
the cover 10. Hence, edges of the opening 15 of the cover are
capable of being placed in the annular trench 28 when the valve
part 20 is placed and squeezed at the opening 15 of the cover 10
for closing or sealing the opening 15. The valve part 20 is made of
plastics, silicone, rubber, thermoplastic rubber (TPR),
polyethylene (PE) or any other proper material.
[0023] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 5A-5C, the valve part 20 further
comprises a tunnel 30 defined at a center of the valve part 20 and
extending through the valve part 20 from a side of the valve part
20 having the upper portion 24 toward the other side of the valve
part 20 having the lower portion 26. The tunnel 30 is defined in
the valve part 20 to extend through the valve part 20 as an air
passageway, and is formed as a columnar shape at an end thereof
extending in the upper portion 24 and is formed as a semispherical
shape at the other end thereof extending in the lower portion 26. A
valve 32 is formed at the other end of the tunnel 30 near the other
side of the valve part 20 having the lower portion 26. The valve 32
extends from the lower portion 26 of the valve part 20 into the
tunnel 30 in order to completely close or seal the other end of the
tunnel 30. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a
side of the valve 32 facing the tunnel 30 is defined as a flat
surface or a convex surface having a bump formed at a center of the
valve 32. The other side of the valve 32 facing away the tunnel 30
is shaped as a triangular prism concave surface as shown in FIGS.
5A-5C. In other words, a thickness of the valve 32 decreases from
the lower portion 26 of the valve part 20 to the center of the
valve 32. The valve 32 is formed by at least three divided sections
so that a passageway can be easily formed at the center of the
valve 32. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
valve 32 is formed by four sections, two of them opposite to and
spaced from each other are shaped as being triangular viewing from
the other side of the valve 32 while the other two sections
opposite to each other are shaped as being trapezoid and are
engaged with each other at the center of the valve 32 to physically
form a linear slit therebetween. The valve 32 is made by the same
material as the valve part 20 in the preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
[0024] In assembly, the valve part 20 is firstly placed at the
opening 15 of the cover 10 to close or seal the opening 15 for the
airtight purpose. The lower portion 26 of the valve part 20 is
inserted and squeezed through the opening 15 by force because of
the valve part 20 is made of an elastic material. The surrounding
edges of the opening 15 are located in the annular trench 28 after
the lower portion 26 of the valve part 20 passes through the
opening 15. Thus, the surrounding edges of the opening 15 of the
cover 10 are substantially sandwiched between the upper portion 24
and the lower portion 26 due to their larger sizes than the opening
15. Hence, the cover 10 is capable of performing the airtight
purpose right after the valve part 20 covers the opening 15 of the
cover 10.
[0025] The sealing ring 8 is fit in the annular groove 16. Thus,
the sealing ring 8 is detachably installed to the cover 10.
[0026] The receiver 4 can be used to contain coffee beans, powder,
pickles or any other types of food that release various types of
gas. The cover 10 is used to cover or close the receiver 4 after
food is received therein. The sealing ring 8 is engaged with the
annular edge 12 when the cover 10 closes and seals the inlet of the
receiver 4. The plurality of hooks 18 are engaged with the annular
flange 14 so that the sealing ring 8 is firmly engaged with the
annular edge 12 due to its flexibility. Accordingly, it is
difficult for air to travel through the receiver 4 and the cover
10.
[0027] As mentioned earlier, carbon dioxide will be released from
the received coffee beans, powder or pickles in the receiver 4.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 6A, the released carbon dioxide will push
the center of the valve 32 due to its reduced thickness and the
triangular prism concave surface design of the valve 32 when
pressure in the receiver 4 increases and reaches a value sufficient
to overcome a weight of the center of the valve 32. As a result,
the released carbon dioxide can automatically push to open the
valve 32 and leave the receiver 4 via the valve 32 (Referring to
the Arrow "A" in FIGS. 6 and 6A). Therefore, the airtight container
1 will not be expanded, deformed or burst. On the contrary, outside
air of the airtight container 1 will not enter the container 1
because the valve 32 blocks air passageway of the tunnel 30 and
forms the flat surface or the convex surface at the side thereof
facing the tunnel 30.
[0028] The present invention has been described via the detailed
illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art
can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without
departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the
preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present
invention defined in the claims.
* * * * *