Motorized vacuum/pressure pump and stopper

Abstract

A pump and stopper combination for vacuum or pressure sealing a container. The stopper has a pour opening and a one-way valve movable between an operative position to permit one-way flow of fluid into or out of the container when the pour opening is in the closed position, and an inoperative position when the pour opening is in the open position. A vacuum/pressure pump that connects to the stopper includes a drive adapted to convert rotational movement of a motor to reciprocating motion of a pump piston in a chamber, and one-way pump valves mounted in a selectable flow control member. The selectable flow control member is movable between pressure and vacuum positions to permit passage of fluid only into or out of the pump chamber. The pump also includes an indicator for indicating when a desired level of vacuum or pressure has been reached. The pump may be incorporated into a container lid.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A pump comprising:
 a pump housing having 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;   a motor in the pump housing powering a rotatable output shaft; and   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.   
     
     
         34 . The pump of  claim 33  wherein the track has a substantially sinusoidal configuration. 
     
     
         35 . The pump of  claim 33  wherein the transversely extending member comprises at least one wheel slidingly received in the track. 
     
     
         36 . The pump of  claim 33  wherein the transversely extending member comprises at least one wheel slidingly captured in the track, the track having a substantially sinusoidal configuration. 
     
     
         37 . The pump of  claim 33  wherein the track extends circumferentially around an interior wall of a reciprocating drive member connected to the piston. 
     
     
         38 . The pump of  claim 33  wherein the transversely extending member is disposed on a rotatable drive member operatively connected to the motor output shaft. 
     
     
         39 . The pump of  claim 33  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. 
     
     
         40 . A pump comprising a pump chamber, a piston in the pump chamber, and a one-way valve communicating with the pump chamber comprising:
 a valve seat having an opening therein; and   a valve diaphragm having a sealing member supported by flexible arms in a normally biased position against and sealing the valve seat opening, wherein when a fluid is forced in a first direction through the valve seat opening against the sealing member, the arms flex and move the sealing member away from the valve seat opening to permit fluid flow out of the valve seat opening, and when the fluid is forced in a direction opposite the first direction, the arms do not flex and the sealing member remains in the normally biased position against and sealing the valve seat opening to restrict fluid flow.   
     
     
         41 . The pump of  claim 40  wherein the sealing member comprises a bulb or cap suspended by a plurality of radially extending arms attached to the valve seat outward of the valve seat opening. 
     
     
         42 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A pump comprising a housing, a pump chamber in the housing, a piston slidable in the pump chamber, and an indicator for indicating when a desired level of vacuum or pressure has been reached comprising a flexible membrane exposed to atmospheric pressure outside the pump and to fluid pressure present within the pump chamber, a movable electrical contact operatively connected to the membrane to complete one circuit when the pressure in the pump falls to a desired pressure below atmospheric pressure, and complete another circuit when the pressure in the pump rises to a desired pressure above atmospheric pressure, and an indicator signal energizable when the movable electrical contact completes either one or the other circuit. 
     
     
         52 - 54 . (canceled)