Portable vacuum packaging appliance

Abstract

A portable vacuum packaging appliance for use with a bag is described. The vacuum packaging appliance includes a housing body with a slot opening for engaging bag for sealing the open bag end via the sealer mechanism; a bag penetration nozzle mechanism capable of puncturing holes in the bag with top and bottom gasket temporary seals, allowing evacuation of bag air and gas; a vacuum pump operatively coupled to the vacuum chamber portion and communicatively coupled with the penetration nozzle mechanism, isolating the bag contents in an evacuated state, and a sealer mechanism to seal the open bag end and also to re-seal along a perimeter between the bag penetration nozzle and the bag contents. The process of the invention vacuum sealing is instrumental in its compact design and mobile utility, which includes a bag sealing before evacuation and resealing.

1 . A portable vacuum packaging appliance for use with a bag, the appliance comprising: 
 a body housing a sealer mechanism, a bag penetration mechanism, a vacuum chamber and vacuum pump;    a housing body with a slot opening for engaging bag for sealing the open bag end via the sealer mechanism;    a bag penetration mechanism capable of puncturing at least one hole in the bag with top and bottom gasket temporary seals, allowing evacuation of the bag without substantial communication with ambient air;    a vacuum pump operatively coupled to the vacuum chamber portion and communicatively coupled with the penetration mechanism for removing air from the bag, isolating the bag contents in an evacuated state, and    a sealer mechanism to seal the open bag end and also to re-seal along a perimeter between the bag penetration mechanism and the bag contents.    
   
   
       2 . Appliance as in  claim 1  further comprising a hose attachment coupled to the vacuum pump for connecting a hose conduit to a container which can be evacuated through the hose and then sealed, thus isolating contents of the container substantially in a vacuum.  
   
   
       3 . Appliance as in  claim 1  further comprising a penetration mechanism with channels on base supporting nozzle punch head, channels allowing convective communication between inside bag and vacuum chamber when bag is penetrated.  
   
   
       4 . Appliance as in  claim 1  further comprising a battery for portable operation.  
   
   
       5 . Appliance as in  claim 4  further comprising a rechargeable battery operation.  
   
   
       6 . Appliance as in  claim 1  further comprising a portable utility by having average hand dimensionality in body and base size dimensions.  
   
   
       7 . Appliance as in  claim 6  further comprising a handheld look and feel design in body housing for stability during manual operation.  
   
   
       8 . Appliance as in  claim 6  further comprising a handheld body design for hand held use and operation of the appliance.  
   
   
       9 . Appliance as in  claim 1  further comprising a user interface panel for use by the user in controlling the appliance.  
   
   
       10 . Appliance as in  claim 9  wherein the user interface provides appliance function adjustments and option selection, user information regarding vacuum level, sealing operation and allowing the user to select parameters for operations such as length of seal and vacuum profile.  
   
   
       11 . Appliance as in  claim 9  further comprising a user interface panel with digital display and electronically connected with an appliance control system.  
   
   
       12 . A method of vacuum packaging goods comprising: 
 feeding an open-end edge of a bag through an intake feeder mechanism, the bag having an open end and a closed distal end;    sealing the edge of the open end of the bag by translation of bag open end through a sealing mechanism;    puncturing bag with a penetration nozzle mechanism establishing convective communication with an inner portion of the bag through at least one punched bag hole;    evacuating the bag via the penetration nozzle mechanism, and    sealing the bag such that the at least one punched bag hole is no longer coupled with the inner portion of the bag.    
   
   
       13 . Method of  claim 12  further comprising resealing the bag penetration nozzle hole through application of conducted wire heat seal to bag between hole and bag contents.  
   
   
       14 . Method of  claim 12  further comprising resealing the bag penetration nozzle hole through application of material compression heat to bag between hole and bag contents.  
   
   
       15 . Method of  claim 12  further comprising resealing the bag penetration nozzle hole through deposition of metered heat application by laser along a perimeter between hole and bag contents.  
   
   
       16 . Method of  claim 12  further comprising sealing the bag open end through application of conducted wire heat spanning the bag open end.  
   
   
       17 . Method of  claim 12  further comprising sealing the bag open end through application of material compression heat spanning the bag open end.  
   
   
       18 . Method of  claim 13  further comprising sealing the bag through deposition of metered laser heat application translated along bag open end.  
   
   
       19 . A vacuum sealed bag formed according to the process of  claim 12 .  
   
   
       20 . A vacuum sealed collapsible container forming a vacuumed package of contents, wherein the container is sealed before evacuation and vacuum packed under sealed conditions.  
   
   
       21 . A vacuum sealed bag formed as in  claim 20  process further allowing multiple resealing through the process repetition.  
   
   
       22 . A portable vacuum packaging appliance for use with a bag, the appliance comprising: 
 an appliance body housing first and second thermal sealer mechanisms, a hole penetration nozzle mechanism, a vacuum chamber and vacuum pump;    the body with a slot opening for engaging and translating the bag open end through the first sealer mechanism for initial bag sealing;    a hole penetration nozzle mechanism capable of puncturing holes with top and bottom gasket temporary seals maintaining convective fluid integrity between bag internals and vacuum chamber;    a vacuum pump coupled to the vacuum chamber for removing air from the bag, and    a second sealer mechanism to reseal a perimeter between the bag penetration nozzle and the bag remaining contents thus isolating the bag contents in an evacuated state.    
   
   
       23 . Appliance as in  claim 22  further comprising a penetration mechanism with channels on the hole penetration nozzle mechanism communicatively coupling the bag to the vacuum chamber.