Motorized vacuum/pressure marinating food and storage container

Abstract

A container for storing food at a predetermined vacuum or pressure condition. A lid includes a vacuum or pressure pump for removing or adding fluid, a controller and an electrical circuit including a normally-closed indicator contact which is opened by an indicator when pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level above or below that outside the container and a normally-opened switch contact closed by a switch when the lid is attached and sealed to a container. The method includes attaching the lid to the container, closing the indicator and switch contacts to activate the pump to remove or add fluids to the container through the lid, and opening the indicator contact when pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level of pressure or vacuum. The controller then cycles the pump on and off. Subsequently, the lid is removed from the container to open the switch contact and render the pump inoperable.

1 . A method of marinating food comprising:
 providing a container for the food and a removable lid to hermetically seal the container, the lid having a pump for pressurizing air into or evacuating air from the container, and a controller adapted to cycle the pump on and off;   hermetically sealing the food in the container in contact with a marinade; and   using the controller, cycling the pump on and off to marinade the food in the container.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  including providing a pressure or vacuum indicator and using the pressure or vacuum indicator to turn the pump off when a desired degree of pressure or vacuum is achieved in the container. 
   
   
       3 . A method of marinating food comprising:
 providing a container for the food, the container having a pump for pressurizing air into or evacuating air from the container and a controller adapted to control the degree of pressure or vacuum to be achieved in the container, the time for which the pressure or vacuum is maintained, the admission of air into or evacuation of air out of the container, and the time for which the air admission or evacuation is maintained;   providing a marinade in the container;   hermetically sealing the food in the container in contact with the marinade;   using the controller, repeatedly pressurizing air into or evacuating air from the container to a desired degree of pressure or vacuum, maintaining the food in contact with the marinade under the pressure or vacuum for a desired time, releasing the hermetic seal to permit air to enter or leave the container, and maintaining the food in contact with the marinade and the pressurized air or vacuum in the container for a desired time in accordance with a desired control program.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the controller repeatedly: a) evacuates air from the container to a desired degree of vacuum, b) maintains the food in contact with the marinade under the vacuum for a desired time, c) releases the hermetic seal to permit air to enter the container, and d) maintains the food in contact with the marinade and the air in the container for a desired time, in accordance with a desired control program. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the food is disposed on the base of the container when in contact with the marinade, and further including raising the base of the container during evacuation of the container to move the food with respect to the marinade. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the container is provided with a flexible base, and wherein evacuating air from the container causes the base to raise as a result of pressure differential between the vacuum in the container and atmospheric air pressure outside the container. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the controller includes a selection of control programs for different degrees of vacuum to be achieved in the container, times for which the vacuum is maintained, amount of air to be admitted into the container, and/or times for which the air admission is maintained, and including selecting the desired control program prior to using the controller. 
   
   
       8 . A method of storing food at a predetermined vacuum or pressure condition comprising:
 providing a container for the food, the container having an opening therein;   providing a lid portion adapted to seal to the opening of the container, a vacuum or pressure pump having passages for removing or adding fluid through the lid portion, a motor attached to the lid portion for operating the pump, a battery attached to the lid portion for energizing the motor, and an electrical circuit connecting the battery and motor including a normally-closed indicator contact which is opened by an indicator when pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level above or below that outside the container and a normally-opened switch contact closed by a switch when the lid portion is attached and sealed to a container;   attaching the lid portion to the container;   closing the indicator and switch contacts to activate the pump to remove or add fluids to the container through the lid portion;   opening the indicator contact when pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level of pressure or vacuum; and   subsequently removing the lid portion from the container to open the switch contact and render the pump inoperable.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  further including providing in the lid portion a controller adapted to cycle the pump on and off and, prior to removing the lid portion, using the controller to cycle the pump on and off. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the pump is a vacuum pump and the indicator includes a normally-closed indicator contact which is opened when pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level below that outside the container, and including opening the indicator contact when pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level of vacuum. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the pump is a vacuum pump and further including providing in the lid portion a controller adapted to cycle the pump on and off and, prior to removing the lid portion, using the controller to cycle the pump on and off. 
   
   
       12 . A lid for a container to be maintained at a predetermined vacuum or pressure condition comprising a lid portion adapted to seal to the opening of a container, a vacuum or pressure pump having passages for removing or adding fluid through the lid portion, a motor attached to the lid portion for operating the pump, a battery attached to the lid portion for energizing the motor, and an electrical circuit connecting the battery and motor including a normally-closed indicator contact which is opened by an indicator when pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level above or below that outside the container and a normally-opened switch contact closed by a switch when the lid portion is attached and sealed to a container, wherein when the lid portion is initially attached and sealed to the container, the indicator and switch contacts are closed and the pump removes or adds fluid to the container through the lid portion until pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level, whereupon the indicator contact opens, and wherein when the lid portion is removed from the container the switch contact opens and the pump is inoperable. 
   
   
       13 . The lid of  claim 12  further including a controller in the lid portion adapted to cycle the pump on and off. 
   
   
       14 . The lid of  claim 12  wherein the pump is a vacuum pump and the indicator includes a normally-closed indicator contact which is opened when pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level below that outside the container. 
   
   
       15 . The lid of  claim 12  wherein the pump is a vacuum pump and further including a controller in the lid portion adapted to cycle the pump on and off. 
   
   
       16 . The lid of  claim 12  wherein the pump includes a pump chamber; a piston in sliding, substantially airtight engagement with walls of the pump chamber, adapted to reciprocate in a direction between pressure and vacuum strokes within the chamber, for pumping air into or out of the pump, and wherein the motor powers a rotatable output shaft, and further including a piston drive operatively connecting the motor output shaft and the piston comprising a member extending transversely to the direction of movement of the piston and a track extending circumferentially around and engaging the transversely extending member in sliding relationship, the track having a non-linear configuration such that, upon rotation of the output shaft, the transversely extending member slides with respect to the track and imparts a reciprocating motion to the operatively connected piston within the pump chamber. 
   
   
       17 . The lid of  claim 16  wherein the track has a substantially sinusoidal configuration. 
   
   
       18 . The lid of  claim 16  wherein the transversely extending member comprises at least one wheel slidingly received in the track. 
   
   
       19 . The lid of  claim 16  wherein the transversely extending member comprises at least one wheel slidingly captured in the track, the track having a substantially sinusoidal configuration. 
   
   
       20 . The lid of  claim 16  wherein the track extends circumferentially around an interior wall of a reciprocating drive member operatively connected to the piston and the transversely extending member is disposed on a rotatable drive member operatively connected to the motor output shaft, the rotatable drive member extending within the reciprocating drive member and adapted to rotate the transversely extending member to cause the transversely extending member to slide within the track and impart reciprocating motion to the operatively connected piston within the pump chamber.