Bottles and jars – Closures – With vacuum breaker
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-19
2002-04-23
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Closures
With vacuum breaker
C215S315000, C215S311000, C215S260000, C215S228000, C220S212000, C220S231000, C220S203040, C220S203070, C220S203230, C220S374000, C220S240000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06375024
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum apparatus, and more particularly to a vacuum apparatus for easily forming a high vacuum in a bottle or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, the usage of vacuum bottles or containers are wide spread from medical applications to storing foods or chemical solutions, and its need are just as diverse. For example, coffee beans which are sensitive to a moisture is usually stored in the vacuum bottle to maintain its freshness.
Various apparatuses and methods for forming and maintaining a vacuum in a bottle have been proposed.
FIGS. 1
to
4
show a sealing cap disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,865. Referring to
FIGS. 1
to
4
, the sealing cap comprises a tubular body portion
10
with an encircling skirt
12
which grips a bottle or other like containers. Body portion
10
and skirt
12
are formed in one-piece from rubber or other elastomeric material. A through-bore
14
extending along the axial direction of body portion
10
receives a plug
30
of elastomeric material. Plug
30
is movable downward from the initial state shown in FIG.
1
.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, as plug
30
moves downward, the air in the bottle flow out through through-bore
14
, and as shown in
FIG. 3
, plug
30
moves to its final position so as to maintain the vacuum status in the bottle.
Through-bore
14
includes circular portions
15
and
16
, and a tapered portion
17
. In the initial state of
FIG. 1
, plug
30
is inserted into an annular groove
16
by a disk portion
33
, and the body portion thereof is press-fitted against tapered portion
17
.
Tapered portion
17
is formed at a lower portion thereof with a bore portion
18
having a cross-section as shown in FIG.
4
. When plug
30
moves inside of bore portion
18
, a clearance is formed between plug
30
and an inside wall of bore portion
18
so that the air in the bottle can flow outside through the cap. That is, bore portion
18
has a substantially triangular cross-section thereby forming the clearance with plug
30
.
Bore portion
18
is formed at a lower portion thereof with an annular groove
19
and finally with a taper portion
20
. When in the final state shown in
FIG. 3
, plug
30
is inserted into annular groove
19
by disk portion
33
and the body thereof is press-fitted against tapered portion
20
.
Through the above described operations, sequentially shown in
FIGS. 1
to
3
, bottle
40
comes to be evacuated.
However, the sealing cap according to the conventional technique cannot achieve a high vacuum in the bottle because its one time operation which draws only a small amount of the air. In addition, the vertical movement of the plug is not efficient due to its structural inconvenience when manipulated by the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum apparatus which forms a high vacuum in a predetermined space by repetitive push down operations and stably seals the vacuum state.
To achieve the object, a first embodiments of the present invention provides a vacuum apparatus comprising: a first means for forming a space portion in which a vacuum pressure or an ambient pressure is applied, the first means being assembled to a space member which encloses a predetermined space; a second means for forming vacuum or ambient state in the space portion, the second means being inserted a lower portion thereof into the first means and vertically reciprocating; a third means for connecting or closing a passage between the space member and the space portion responding to a movement of the second means; a fourth means for connecting or closing a passage between the space portion and ambient responding to the movement of the second means; and a fifth means for releasing a vacuum inside the space member.
The first means includes a lower cylindrical member with an upper portion thereof being opened and a first disc member assembled to the upper portion of the lower cylindrical member and defining an uppermost position of the second means, the lower cylindrical member being formed at a center thereof with a circular channel. The circular channel extends upward from a lower portion of the lower cylindrical member, at a core portion of which a first passage communicating with the space member and ambient, at a circumferential portion of which a second passage communicating with the space member and the space portion, and a first post extends downward from the first disc member and has a predetermined clearance against the second passage, and a circular recess is formed at an upper center portion of the first disc member.
The fifth means includes a second disc member inserted into the circular recess, a second post extending downward from the second disc member and having a predetermined clearance against the first passage, a first O-ring press-fitted between a lower end of the second post and the first passage, and a first compression spring positioned in the circular recess so as to upward urge the second disc member.
According to the feature of the first embodiment, the first passage diverges downward.
The second means includes an upper cylindrical member with an upper portion thereof being opened, the upper cylindrical member being inserted a lower portion thereof into the lower cylindrical member so as to divide the space portion into upper and lower spaces, the second passage being communicated with the upper space. The upper cylindrical member is formed at a lower wall thereof with an opening engaging with the circular channel, the opening being formed at a peripheral portion thereof with a first annular groove into which a second O-ring is inserted so as to block airflow between the upper and lower spaces.
The third means includes a flexible check valve having a dome-like portion at a center thereof, making contact with a lower end of the first post at the first disc member and selectively closing the second passage. The check valve being deformed upward at a circumferential portion thereof when a vacuum is formed in the upper space thereby opening the second passage, and being returned downward when ambient pressure is applied in the upper space thereby closing the second passage.
The first disc member is formed at a peripheral portion thereof with a second outward annular groove. The second annular groove is formed at an upper side location thereof with a third passage communicating with the ambient.
The fourth means includes a third O-ring inserted into the second annular groove, the third O-ring being smaller than the second annular groove in height, being slipped downward between an inner wall of the upper cylindrical member and a lower end of the second annular groove when the upper cylindrical member moves downward, thereby preventing an inflow of the ambient air into the upper space, and being slipped toward an upper end of the second annular groove when the upper cylindrical member moves upward, thereby connecting the upper space and the third passage.
According to a feature of the first embodiment, the upper cylindrical member is formed at a side wall thereof with a fourth passage communicating with the ambient so as to communicate the upper space with the ambient when the lower wall of the upper cylindrical member makes contact with the lower wall of the lower cylindrical member.
A second compression spring is located between an underside of the upper cylindrical member and an upper surface of the lower cylindrical member, thereby upward urging the upper cylindrical member.
The upper cylindrical member is formed at the upper surface thereof with a first step portion and the first disc member is formed at an underside thereof with a second step portion engaging with the first step portion.
The vacuum apparatus further comprises a cover mounted to the upper portion of the upper cylindrical member for facilitating a user the reciprocal movement of the upper cylindrical member. A filter is provided at a lower end portion of the circular ch
Cole Thomas W.
Hylton Robin S
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Shoap Allan N.
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