Vacuum Storage Container with Integrated Elastically Resilient Chamber
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for vacuum sealing storage containers require separate equipment that is cumbersome and costly for consumers and manufacturers, making it inefficient for long-term preservation of contents.
Innovation Solution
A device with unidirectional flow valves and an elastically resilient vacuum chamber that couples to the storage container, allowing intermittent pressure application to remove air and create a vacuum seal without the need for external equipment, using integrated one-way gas flow valves for efficient air removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate vacuum sealing equipment is used, then air removal from storage containers is achieved, but the equipment becomes cumbersome and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the vacuum chamber and storage container into a single integrated device. The vacuum chamber is positioned to engage with the storage container, and when activated, creates a vacuum environment directly within the container without requiring separate external equipment. This merging eliminates the need for cumbersome external vacuum sealers while maintaining effective air removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The device serves multiple functions: it acts as both a storage container and a vacuum chamber. The same container that stores food items also serves as the chamber where vacuum is created. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized equipment, making the system less cumbersome and more cost-effective while maintaining reliable air removal.
2Reliability
If separate vacuum sealing equipment is used, then air removal from storage containers is achieved, but the cost increases for consumers and manufacturers
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the vacuum chamber and storage container into one integrated unit, the patent eliminates the need to manufacture and sell separate vacuum sealer machines. This reduces manufacturing costs for producers and purchase costs for consumers, while the integrated design maintains effective air removal capability through the same vacuum generation mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage container is designed to be self-sufficient by incorporating the vacuum chamber directly into its structure. The container can generate its own vacuum environment without requiring external equipment, making it independent and eliminating the need for additional costly accessories or separate devices.
3Reliability
If the container is made substantially air-tight, then air removal is effective, but access to contents becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lid of the storage container is designed to be movable, allowing it to open for access to contents and close to create the air-tight seal. This dynamic design enables the container to switch between accessible and sealed states, maintaining both ease of operation and effective air removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is divided into separable parts (lid and base) that can be opened and closed independently. This segmentation allows users to access contents by opening the lid while maintaining the air-tight seal when closed, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and seal integrity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables convenient and cost-effective vacuum sealing of storage containers, preventing spoilage by maintaining an air-tight environment and extending the shelf life of contents.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically resilient wall completely circumscribing flow from the first unidirectional flow valve to the second unidirectional flow valve. Intermittent application of pressure to the wall removes air from the storage container.
Implementation Method 2
Intermittent application of pressure to the wall removes air from the storage container
Implementation Method 3
a first unidirectional flow valve coupled to a substantially air-tight container, a second unidirectional flow valve
Data Source
AI summary
A device comprises an upper section with a unidirectional flow valve and a lower section with a surface for adhering to a container with its own unidirectional flow valve and a passageway to circumscribe the container's unidirectional flow valve. A middle section of the device has a plurality of walls of which some may be at substantially acute angles that couple the upper section to the lower section to form a cavity between the unidirectional flow valve and the passageway.