refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator comprising at least one compartment capable of evacuation, said compartment being provided with evacuation means, a drawer locatable in said compartment, the front wall of said drawer possessing a face capable of sealably engaging the front face of the compartment, means provided on said drawer and / or said compartment for maintaining the drawer in sealing engagement with the compartment, means for activating the evacuation means when the drawer is, or is not, in sealing engagement with the compartment, and means for releasing the vacuum in said compartment as well compartment therefor. The invention also provides a box-like compartment suitable for insertion into a refrigerator which comprises evacuation means, means for connecting the evacuation means to an electrical source, an orifice located in at least one wall of the compartment, a lid capable of sealably engaging with said orifice, means provided on said orifice and / or said lid for maintaining the lid in sealing engagement with the orifice, means for activating the evacuation means and means for releasing the vacuum in said compartment.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to refrigerators and the like.DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART[0002]It is well known that, when maintained cool in a refrigerator, perishable food keeps longer. It is also well known that perishable food can be preserved if it is kept under vacuum, as in vacuum packaging. Attempts have been made to combine these two effects by proposing a refrigerator with one or more zones where a reduced pressure can be achieved. Unfortunately the arrangements devised to date are unsatisfactory for one or more reasons. In one arrangement the food to be preserved is placed in a flexible container such as a bag. This is, though, restricting in that it is desirable to have in a refrigerator a compartment which can be placed under vacuum without having to place the food in a special container. Added to this there are difficulties in ensuring a seal between the evacuating pump and the flexible container. Attempts have been made to overcome these difficul...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a simple solution to the problem of sealing a refrigerator's compartments without needing to interact with the refrigerator door. This is achieved by providing a refrigerator with a compartment that can be sealed without the need for the drawer to be in sealing engagement with the compartment. The compartment has evacuation means, including a pump and a valve, which can be activated when the drawer is not in sealing engagement with the compartment. The invention can be applied to both domestic and commercial refrigerators."

Problems solved by technology

Indeed the whole of the interior of the refrigerator can be subjected to a vacuum but this is not normally desired.

However if desired part or all of the drawer or compartment can be made of another material such as glass but, as will be seen below, glass is not the material of choice in certain embodiments due to manufacturing difficulties.

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