TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to a vacuum valve type airtight container.
BACKGROUND ARTGenerally, in an airtight container for air-tightly storing a certain thing by covering a lid on a container body, a packing is engaged at a container lid, and a lid is covered. So, a certain gap is sealed as the packing air-tightly engages a rim of the container body. So as to enhance an engaging force of the lid, an airtight container having a locking wing is widely used.
However, in case that a lid is simply engaged with the container body, a reliable sealing force is not obtained. In case of an engaging method using a locking wing, a sealing force of the lid is good, but the locking wing is generally repeatedly opened and closed when in use, so that it is inconvenient to use.
As shown inFIG. 6, in a state that avacuum valve31 is installed at acontainer lid30, and thecontainer lid30 having apacking32 is covered on thecontainer body33, thecontainer lid30 is pressed from an upper side, and the air is discharged to the outside via thevacuum valve31 by the amount of volume decreased in the container, and thevacuum valve31 is pressed and closely contacts with avalve seat37, so that a communication state between the inner and outer sides is disconnected. In this state, even when the container lid is forced to be opened, since thevacuum valve31 keeps closing avalve hole34 of the container lid, a certain vacuum pressure is formed in the container, so that thecontainer lid30 is not opened. When thecontainer lid30 is needed to be opened, thevacuum valve31 is lifted up from thevalve seat37, so that the inner and outer sides communicate with each other via thevalve hole34, and thecontainer lid30 can be easily opened in the conventional vacuum valve type airtight container.
In case that it is needed to store a certain food for a long time period, not for simply enhancing a convenience when opening and closing a container lid, it is preferred to make the interior of the container a full vacuum state by discharging the air from the interior of the container. In this case, as thecontainer lid30 is simply pressed, since the air is discharged to the outside via thevacuum valve31 by the amount of volume decreased depending on the transformation of the surface of the container lid, an inner volume change of the container is smaller as compared to the whole volume of the container, so that it is effective to prevent thecontainer lid30 from being opened, but the air of the container may affect the food in the container, whereby it is not preferred to store the food for a long time period.
So, all the air in the container is forcibly sucked and discharged to the outside using a vacuum pump35. In case that the air is forcibly discharged to the outside using the vacuum pump35, since air does not remain in the interior of the container, a rotting speed may be decreased when storing a certain food for a long time period, so that it is possible to safely store the food while preventing rotting.
As shown inFIG. 6, when it is needed to discharge the air from the interior of the container to the outside by using the vacuum pump35, since a sucker shaped connection part36 substantially surrounds the whole portions of thevacuum valve31, a too large size connection part36 is needed. So, the engaging connection of the connection part36 may be limited depending on the surrounding situations of the container lid. It is impossible to manufacture a compact size vacuum pump. The silicon rubber sucker shaped connection part36 is made much larger, so that it may be easily broken.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum valve type airtight container which overcomes the problems encountered in the conventional art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an airtight container with a vacuum valve in a double structure which is able to enhance an engaging force of a lid by sealing an interior of a container in a vacuum state, and is able to store a food for a long time period without rotting by making an interior of a container vacuum by discharging the air from the interior of the container to the outside with the assistance of a vacuum pump, and a connection part of a vacuum pump is made in a compact size for thereby obtaining an easier storing and preventing a damage.
To achieve the above objects, in an airtight container which includes a container body, and a container lid which is air-tightly engaged at the container body with a packing being disposed between them, there is provided a vacuum valve type airtight container which comprises a first valve engaging hole which is provided at the container lid; a first valve which includes a cylindrical part inserted into the first valve engaging hole and being movable in an up and down direction, a valve circular plate for disconnection a communication between the interior of the container and the outside when it is closely contacted with a surface of the container lid which operates as a valve seat at an upper side of the cylindrical part, and a flange plate which passes through the first valve engaging hole at the lower side of the cylindrical part for thereby preventing an escape of the same; a second valve engaging hole which is formed at a center portion of the first valve while passing through the same in an up and down direction and has a diameter contraction part provided with a step surface forming a valve seat at an intermediate portion; a second valve which includes a valve head disposed at the step surface for thereby disconnecting the second valve engaging hole, a valve shaft rod which is extended to a lower side of the valve head and passes through the diameter contraction part, and an escape prevention head provided at a lower side of the valve shaft rod with a certain distance from the lower surface of the diameter contraction part, so that the second calve can move in the second valve engaging hole in an up and down direction; a first air flow slit groove which is formed at an outer surface of the cylindrical part of the first valve in an up and down direction for communicating the inner and outer sides of the container for allowing air to flow when the cylindrical part moves up; and at least one second air flow slit groove which is formed at the diameter contraction part so that the air flows up and down along an axial direction when the second valve moves up.
A handle is protruded from one side of the valve circular plate of the first valve.
The handle is slanted upward like it spacially gets loose, while not contacting with a surface of the container lid.
The first and second valves are made of silicon rubbers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given only by way of illustration and thus are not limitative of the present invention, wherein;
FIG. 1 is a front cross sectional view illustrating a vacuum valve type airtight container according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view illustrating a first valve of a vacuum valve type airtight container according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a plane view illustrating a first valve of a vacuum valve type airtight container according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating a first valve of a vacuum valve type airtight container according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a structure of a second valve of a vacuum valve according to the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a conventional container.
MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTIONThe preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front cross sectional view illustrating a vacuum valve type airtight container according to the present invention.FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view illustrating a first valve of a vacuum valve type airtight container according to the present invention.FIG. 3 is a plane view illustrating a first valve of a vacuum valve type airtight container according to the present invention.FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating a first valve of a vacuum valve type airtight container according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a structure of a second valve of a vacuum valve according to the present invention.
Theairtight container1 according to the present invention comprises acontainer body2 made by injecting a plastic material, a container lid3 and avacuum valve4 which is made of a silicon rubber material. The container lid3 is air-tightly engaged at thecontainer body2 with thepacking5 being disposed between them.
Thevacuum valve4 comprises afirst valve6 and asecond valve7. Thefirst valve6 comprises acylindrical part8, and a valvecircular plate9 integrally provided at an upper side of thecylindrical part8 and being formed in a large circular plate shape. Aflange plate10 is provided at a lower side of thecylindrical part8 for preventing an escape of the same.
Thecylindrical part8 of thefirst valve6 is inserted into a first valve engaging hole11 formed at the container lid3 and is movable in up and down directions. While contracting or expanding, the siliconrubber flange plate10 flexibly passes through a first valve engaging hole11 having a diameter smaller than the siliconrubber flange plate10, so that it is not escaped from the firstvalve engaging hole1 unless a certain external force is applied thereto.
In addition, a first airflow slit groove12 with a narrow width is formed on thecylindrical part8 and theflange plate10 in an up and down direction. In a state that the valvecircular plate9 closely contacts with a surface of the container lid3, all air communication is disconnected between the inner and outer sides of the container. When the valvecircular plate9 moves up and is spaced apart from the surface of the container lid3, the first airflow slit groove12 is exposed to the outside, and the inner and outer sides of the container communicate with each other along thegroove12, so that air communicates.
Ahandle13 is protruded from one side of the valvecircular plate9 for the use when the vacuum state is removed. Thehandle13 has an inclination gradually rising up in an outward direction and spacially gets loose all the time from the surface of the container lid3.
A secondvalve engaging hole14 is formed at a center of thefirst valve6 and passes through the same in an up and down direction. A diameter contraction part16 (an intermediate portion of the hole is narrower than the upper and lower sides of the same) having astep surface15 is formed at an intermediate portion of the secondvalve engaging hole14 and operates as a valve seat. Thesecond valve7 is inserted via the secondvalve engaging hole14.
Here, thesecond valve7 is made of a silicon rubber having a good elastic and adhering property and comprises avalve shaft rod17 passing through thediameter contraction part16, avalve head18 which is formed at an upper side of thevalve shaft rod17 and contacts with thestep surface15 which forms the valve seat, and anescape prevention head19 which is formed at a lower side of thevalve shaft rod17. When theescape prevention head19 passes through the inner diameter of thediameter contraction part16 and is exposed through the expanded hole, the lower step surface20 catches the same. In this case, it is impossible to allow the escape prevention head to escape from the hole without a certain external force. Thevalve shaft rod17 is longer than the up and down height of thediameter contraction part16 protruded into an inner side of the hole, so that thesecond valve7 can move up and down.
At least one second airflow slit groove21 having a narrow width is formed at thediameter contraction part16 in an up and down direction. The second airflow slit groove21 is not covered even when theescape prevention head19 of the lower side is closely contacted with the lower step surface20, so that it is exposed via its up and down sides all the time.
In the present invention, when a certain food is stored in thecontainer body2, and the container lid3 is engaged at thecontainer body2, thepacking5 is closely contacted with theinner wall surface22 for thereby sealing the gap of the contact surfaces. In this state, thefirst valve6 of thevacuum valve4 is pressed, and the valvecircular plate9 is closely contacted with the surface of the container lid3, and theconnection part24 of thevacuum pump23 is connected with theupper hole14aof the secondvalve engaging hole14. When thevacuum valve23 is driven, thesecond valve7 moves up by means of a suction force, and thevalve head18 is spaced apart from thestep surface15 which corresponds to the valve seat. The air of the interior of the container is sucked via the second air flow slitgroove21, theupper hole14a, theconnection part24 and thevacuum pump23, so that the air is removed from the interior of the container, and the interior of the same becomes vacuum.
In this state, when theconnection part24 is separated, thesecond valve7 is sucked by means of a vacuum pressure of the interior of the container and is closely contacted with thevalve seat15, so that an air communication is disconnected. So, the air is substantially removed from the interior of the container, so that the food can be stored for a long time period.
When the container lid3 is opened, thefirst valve6 is lifted in an upward direction while holding thehandle13 of thefirst valve6. Thefirst valve6 is moved up. When the valvecircular plate9 is spaced apart from the surface of the container lid3, it contacts with the first valve engaging hole11 of the container lid3 at the upper side of the first air flow slitgroove12 or is exposed toward an upper side. So, the inner and outer sides of the container communicate with each other via the first air flow slitgroove12. The air is inputted into the interior of the container via the first air flow slitgroove12 communicating with the outside having a relatively higher atmospheric pressure as compared to the interior of the container, so that the vacuum state is removed. As the suction force of the container lid3 is removed, the container lid3 can be easily uncovered from thecontainer body2.
As described above, the second valve is provided at the center of the first valve so that the air is removed from the interior of the container for generating a vacuum state in the interior of the container with the assistance of the vacuum pump. A vacuum valve is provided in a double structure. So, it is possible to make the vacuum pump compact-sized. The suction force of the air is enhanced, and the life span of the connection part can be extended.
As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described examples are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims, or equivalences of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.