MANUALLY OPENABLE AIRTIGHT CONTAINER FOR FOOD PRESERVATION UNDER VACUUM CONDITIONS

Abstract

 Manually openable airtight container for food preservation under vacuum conditions, comprising a rigid receptacle (10) including a receptacle opening (11) surrounded by an annular mouth (12), a rigid lid (20), a flat sealing ring (30) including an annular portion (31) compressed between the annular mouth (12) and a perimetral region (21) of the rigid lid (20), and a tab portion (33) connected to and projecting outwards from a connection region (32) of the annular portion (31), and a closure mechanism (40) connecting the rigid receptacle (10) and the rigid lid (20); wherein the flat sealing ring (30) includes a deformation enhancer configuration (50) comprising at least one through hole adjacent to the connection region; and/or a thickness reduction of said tab portion adjacent to the connection region; and/or a notch in an inner edge of the sealing annular portion coincident with the connection region.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention is directed to a manually openable airtight container for food preservation under vacuum conditions. The proposed airtight container can store food under a partial vacuum atmosphere and can be opened manually.

State of the Art

[0002] Airtight containers including a rigid receptacle with a receptacle opening covered with a rigid lid and also including a sealing ring compressed between the rigid receptacle and the rigid lid are already known in the state of the art.

[0003] Is also typical the inclusion, in the flat sealing ring, of an annular portion, compressed between the receptacle and the lid providing the airtight sealing, and a tab portion projecting outward from a connection region of said annular portion. When a user pulls said tab portion in a radial direction, the connection region and the adjacent areas of the annular portion are deformed breaking the airtight sealing and allowing the entrance of external air into the receptacle breaking the inner vacuum.

[0004] But this typical solution does not allow for an easy release of the vacuum because the flat sealing ring is not easily deformable, the tab portion requiring too much force to break the vacuum sealing, therefore many used prefer to use a knife or similar instrument as a lever between the receptacle and the lid to break the sealing but harming the flat sealing ring, reducing its reusability and its life cycle.

[0005] The present invention solves those and other problems.

Brief description of the invention

[0006] The present invention is directed to a manually openable airtight container for food preservation under vacuum conditions, i.e. an inner air pression lower than the outer air pressure.

[0007] An airtight container is a container which, when closed, prevents the entrance or exit of gas such ambient air and others, even when a pressure differential exists between the inside and the outside of the airtight container.

[0008] When the airtight container is closed under vacuum conditions, typically a partial vacuum, said vacuum conditions are preserved therein even when the airtight container is moved to a location with normal ambient pressure, preventing the entrance of ambient air at a higher pressure.

[0009] Similarly, when the airtight container is closed and the external pressure drops, or the internal pressure increases, for example due to weather alterations, temperature changes, sterilization processes, etc., the airtight container prevents the entrance or exit of gases preserving the inner atmosphere unaltered.

[0010] The proposed airtight container comprises, in a manner already known in the available state of the art:

• a rigid receptacle including a receptacle opening surrounded by an annular mouth,
• a rigid lid completely covering said receptacle opening and with a perimetral region facing said annular mouth;
• a flat sealing ring made of an elastic material including an annular portion surrounding the receptacle opening, which is compressed between the annular mouth and the perimetral region of the rigid lid, and a tab portion connected to and projecting outwards from a connection region of the sealing annular portion, said tab portion being accessible for a user;
• a closure mechanism connecting the rigid receptacle and the rigid lid;

[0011] The rigid receptacle has an inner space, where foods can be stored, accessible through the receptacle opening. The region of the rigid receptacle surrounding said receptacle opening is the annular mouth, which typically is circular, but which could have any other shape.

[0012] The rigid lid can be moved from a closed position, in which completely covers the receptacle opening and the annular mouth, to an opened position allowing access to the receptacle opening.

[0013] Said rigid lid is releasably attached to the rigid receptacle by a closure mechanism which assures its position and produces a compression force on the rigid lid against the annular mouth of the rigid receptacle, when in the closed position. Said closure mechanism can include clips, threads, elastic grippers, lever mechanisms, and others.

[0014] The flat sealing ring is a flat ring made of an elastic material. The flat sealing ring includes an annular portion of a constant thickness which, when the rigid lid is in the closed position, is compressed between the annular mouth of the rigid receptacle and the perimetral region of the rigid lid, providing an airtight sealing which can withstand vacuum conditions within the rigid receptacle.

[0015] When the rigid receptacle contains a partial vacuum, after releasing the closure mechanism the rigid lid remains attached to the rigid container by the suction force produced by said vacuum. Therefore the flat sealing ring further includes a tab portion which projects outwards from the annular portion of the flat sealing ring, allowing a user to pull said tab portion producing an elastic deformation of the annular portion breaking the airtight sealing, producing the entrance of air into the rigid receptacle and the release of the rigid lid therefrom.

[0016] The region of the annular portion where the tab portion is attached is named the connection region therefore said connection region is part of the annular portion and is also compressed between the rigid receptacle and the rigid lid.

[0017] It will be understood that the tab portion extends from an outer edge of the connection region, and that said outer edge is in the same position than the perimeter of the rest of the annular portion, typically at the same distance from the center of the flat sealing ring.

[0018] The present invention further comprises the following features which are not known from the available state of the art:
The flat sealing ring includes a deformation enhancer configuration comprising:

• at least one through hole on said tab portion adjacent to the connection region; and/or
• a thickness reduction of said tab portion in an area adjacent to the connection region, in comparison with the thickness of the annular portion; and/or
• a notch in an inner edge of the sealing annular portion coincident with the connection region determining a reduced width of said connection region in comparison with the width of the rest of the sealing annular portion.

[0019] The tab portion, which extends radially from the annular portion, produces a local decrease in the deformability of the connection region in comparison with the rest of the annular portion because said tab portion determines a local increase of the flat sealing ring width in the radial direction. This reduced deformability jeopardizes and makes it difficult the airtight sealing breakage when the user pulls the tab portion.

[0020] Any of the proposed configurations produces an increase in the deformability of the annular portion in the connection region and in surrounding areas when the tab portion is pulled by the user, because the proposed deformation enhancer configuration reduce the cross section area of the flat sealing ring without endangering the airtight sealing, allowing for an easier release of the vacuum by pulling the tab portion.

[0021] When the deformation enhancer configuration is a through hole placed on the tab portion adjacent to the connection region, and preferably in contact or tangent with said connection region, said through hole interrupts the continuity of the material constitutive of the flat sealing ring, therefore increasing its deformability.

[0022] When the deformation enhancer configuration is a thickness reduction placed on the tab portion adjacent to the connection region, and preferably in contact or tangent with said connection region, said thickness reduction reduces the mass of material constitutive of the flat sealing ring, therefore increasing its deformability.

[0023] According to an additional embodiment of the present invention, said at least one through hole is one through hole placed between two lateral edges of the tab portion, dividing the tab portion in two branches, and preferably it is placed on a half of the tab portion closer to the connection region of the sealing annular portion.

[0024] According to that, the tab portion has two halves, one adjacent to the connection region containing the through hole, and one half away from the connection region.

[0025] Preferably the through hole is centered, said two branches being symmetric over a radial axis which extends outwards in a radial direction coplanar with the flat sealing ring and perpendicular to the connection region of the annular portion, to ensure a symmetric deformation of the flat sealing ring and preventing undesired stress concentrations.

[0026] The minimal width of each branch is at most one and half times the maximal width of the through hole measured in a direction parallel to the junction between the tab portion and the connection region. This relationship ensures a sufficient deformability enhance without producing a breakage risk.

[0027] Preferably the through hole is perpendicular to a main surface of the tab portion and is circular to prevent stress concentrations.

[0028] If the deformation enhancer configuration includes a notch, said notch will preferably reduce equal or less than one fifth of the width of the connection region, i.e. that the width of the annular portion, where includes said notch, is at least four fifths of the width on the rest of the annular portion.

[0029] Preferably said notch does not affect the area of the annular portion of the flat sealing ring compressed between the annular mouth and the perimetral region of the rigid lid.

[0030] The flat sealing ring can be made of rubber or silicone.

[0031] The thickness reduction of the deformation enhancer configuration can be an elongated groove parallel to the junction between the tab portion and the connection portion.

[0032] Said thickness reduction of the deformation enhancer configuration can be also defined on both sides of the tab portion, for example as two symmetric grooves defined on opposed sides of the tab portion.

[0033] It is further proposed to also include gripping configurations on the half of the tab portion away from the connection region. Said gripping enhancer configurations include holes, grooves, and/or protrusions on one or both main surfaces of the tab portion. Said gripping enhancer configurations provide an enhanced gripping of the tab portion for pulling.

[0034] The gripping enhancer configurations can be included at least on a half of the tab portion away from the connection portion, which is the most accessible part of the tab portion for a user.

[0035] The gripping enhancer configurations are, for example, lineal grooves and/or protrusions oriented in a non-radial direction.

[0036] The gripping and the deformation enhancer configurations consistent in a local variation in the thickness of the flat sealing ring will be preferably obtained by thermo-forming said flat sealing ring.

[0037] It will be understood that radial direction is a direction contained in a plane coplanar with the flat sealing ring when compressed between the rigid receptacle and the rigid lid which extends outwardly from a center of the annular mouth.

[0038] The width of the flat sealing ring, and of its components such as the annular portion, is measured in said radial direction.

[0039] The thickness of the flat sealing ring, and of its components such as the annular portion, is measured in a direction perpendicular to said plane coplanar with the flat sealing ring when compressed between the rigid receptacle and the rigid lid.

[0040] Preferably the rigid receptacle and optionally also the rigid lid are made of glass.

[0041] It will be understood that references to geometric position, such as parallel, perpendicular, tangent, etc. allow deviations up to ± 5° from the theoretical position defined by this nomenclature.

[0042] Other features of the invention appear from the following detailed description of an embodiment.

Brief description of the Figures

[0043] The foregoing and other advantages and features will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, to be taken in an illustrative and non-limitative manner, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a vertical cross section of the proposed manually airtight container in a closed position according to a preferred embodiment in which the rigid receptacle and the rigid lid are made of glass and the closure mechanism is a metallic wire lever mechanism;

Fig. 2 shows a plan view and a cross section view of the flat sealing ring according to a first embodiment of the present invention in which the deformation enhancer configuration is a circular through hole;

Fig. 3 shows a plan view and a cross section view of a region of the flat sealing ring containing said tab portion according to a second embodiment in which the deformation enhancer configuration is a linear groove on the surface of the tab portion defining a thickness reduction thereof;

Fig. 4 shows a plan view and a cross section view of a region of the flat sealing ring containing said tab portion according to a third embodiment in which the deformation enhancer configuration is a notch in the inner side of the connection region of the annular portion defining a width reduction thereof on that connection region.

Detailed description of an embodiment

[0044] The foregoing and other advantages and features will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, to be taken in an illustrative and not limitative.

[0045] The present invention is a manually openable airtight container for food preservation under vacuum conditions.

[0046] As shown on Fig. 1, the container comprises a rigid receptacle 10, a rigid lid 20, a flat sealing ring 30 made of an elastic material and compressed in between, and a closure mechanism retaining the rigid lid against the rigid receptacle applying a compression force to the flat sealing ring 30 compressed between them.

[0047] In this example the closure mechanism 40 is a lever mechanism made of a metallic wire bended in a precise manner which can be moved between a closed position and an opened position by moving a lever integrated therein.

[0048] The rigid receptacle 10 includes an annular mouth 12 surrounding a receptacle opening 11 which gives access to an inner hollow space of the rigid receptacle 10. In this embodiment the rigid receptacle is made of glass and the annular mouth 12 is circular, defined on the uppermost surface of a circular glass wall included in the rigid receptacle 10.

[0049] The flat sealing ring 30 includes an annular portion 31 which reproduces the shape and size of the annular mouth 12 and which surrounds a central opening of the flat sealing ring 30 coincident with the receptacle opening 11.

[0050] The flat sealing ring 30 further comprises a tab portion 33 extending outwards from the annular portion 31, away from said central opening, and accessible from the exterior of the container by a user for pulling the flat sealing ring 30 outwards in a radial direction coplanar with said flat sealing ring 30 for breaking the vacuum defined within the container.

[0051] The region of the annular portion 31 wherein the tab portion 33 is attached is named connection region 32.

[0052] To improve the deformability of the annular portion 31 in the region coincident or adjacent to the connection region 32 it is proposed to include a deformation enhancer configuration to said flat sealing ring 30.

[0053] According to a first embodiment shown on Fig. 2, the proposed deformation enhancer configuration 50 comprises a circular through hole adjacent to the connection region 32. Preferably said through hole is fully comprised in the half of the tab portion 33 closer to the connection region 32.

[0054] Said through hole divide the tab portion 33 in two symmetric branches. Preferably the minimal width of each branch is equal to or smaller than the maximal width of the through hole. It is also preferred that each branch has a minimal width equal to or bigger than two times its thickness.

[0055] According to an alternative embodiment shown on Fig. 3, the deformation enhancer configuration 50 is a linear groove contained in the tab portion 33 and adjacent to the connection region 32, producing a thickness reduction of the tab portion 33 in comparison with the thickness of the annular portion 31.

[0056] In this embodiment said groove is perpendicular to the radial direction, but the thickness reduction can have many other shapes or even affect the entire surface of the tab portion 33.

[0057] According to a third embodiment of the present invention, shown on Fig. 4, the deformation enhancer configuration 50 is a notch of the inner edge of the annular portion 31 which surrounds the central opening. Said notch produces a width reduction of the annular portion 31 coincident with the connection region 32. The dimension of said notch shall be limited to prevent the reduction of the sealing capacity of the flat sealing ring 30. In this case the notch reduces one fifth of the width of the annular portion 32.

[0058] The present invention also proposes the inclusion of a gripping enhancer configuration 60 comprised at least in the half of the tab portion 33 away from the connection region 32. In the embodiments shown on Figs. 2, 3 and 4 said gripping enhancer configuration 60 comprises linear protrusions or dot-shaped protrusions, but also depressions or holes are also contemplated.

[0059] It will be understood that various parts of one embodiment of the invention can be freely combined with parts described in other embodiments, even being said combination not explicitly described, provided there is no harm in such combination.

Claims

1. Manually openable airtight container for food preservation under vacuum conditions, the container comprising:

• a rigid receptacle (10) including a receptacle opening (11) surrounded by an annular mouth (12),

• a rigid lid (20) completely covering said receptacle opening (11) and with a perimetral region (21) facing said annular mouth (12);

• a flat sealing ring (30) made of an elastic material including an annular portion (31) surrounding the receptacle opening (11), which is compressed between the annular mouth (12) and the perimetral region (21) of the rigid lid (20), and a tab portion (33) connected to and projecting outwards from a connection region (32) of the annular portion (31), said tab portion (33) being accessible for a user;

• a closure mechanism (40) connecting the rigid receptacle (10) and the rigid lid (20); characterized in that the flat sealing ring (30) includes a deformation enhancer configuration (50) comprising:

• at least one through hole on said tab portion adjacent to the connection region; and/or

• a thickness reduction of said tab portion in an area adjacent to the connection region, in comparison with the thickness of the annular portion; and/or

• a notch in an inner edge of the sealing annular portion coincident with the connection region determining a reduced width of said connection region in comparison with the width of the rest of the sealing annular portion.

2. The manually openable airtight container according to claim 1 wherein said at least one through hole is one through hole placed in a central region of the tab portion (33) dividing the tab portion (33) in two branches.

3. The manually openable airtight container according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the through hole is placed on the half of the tab portion (33) closer to the connection region (32) of the annular portion (31).

4. The manually openable airtight container according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the through hole is centered, said two branches being symmetric.

5. The manually openable airtight container according to any preceding claim wherein the minimal width of each branch is at most one and half times the maximal width of the through hole measured in a direction parallel to the junction between the tab portion (33) and the connection region (32).

6. The manually openable airtight container according to any preceding claim wherein the through hole is perpendicular to a main surface of the tab portion (33).

7. The manually openable airtight container according to any preceding claim wherein the notch of the deformation enhancer configuration (50) reduces equal or less than one fifth of the width of the connection region (32) compared with the width of the rest of the annular portion (31).

8. The manually openable airtight container according to any preceding claim wherein the notch does not affect the area of the annular portion (31) of the flat sealing ring (30) compressed between the annular mouth (12) and the perimetral region (11) of the rigid lid (10).

9. The manually openable airtight container according to any preceding claim wherein the flat sealing ring (30) is made of rubber or silicone.

10. The manually openable airtight container according to any preceding claim wherein the thickness reduction of the deformation enhancer configuration (50) is an elongated groove parallel to the junction between the tab portion (33) and the connection portion (32).

11. The manually openable airtight container according to any preceding claim wherein the thickness reduction of the deformation enhancer configuration (50) is defined on both sides of the tab portion (33).

12. The manually openable airtight container according to any preceding claim wherein the tab portion (33) further comprises gripping enhancer configurations (60) including holes, grooves and/or protrusions on one or both main surfaces thereof at least on a half of the tab portion (33) away from the connection portion (32).

13. The manually openable airtight container according to claim 12 wherein the gripping enhancer configurations (60) are lineal grooves and/or protrusions oriented in a non-radial direction.

Drawing