Apparatus for creating a vacuum in containers

Abstract

The invention concerns an apparatus for creating a vacuum in containers, both flexible like bags, and rigid, for the preservation of vacuum packaged products. It comprises a base plate ( 11 ) having a front part separable and behind the suction chamber ( 15 ), a notch ( 21 ) designed to house a roll ( 22 ) of a tubular element extractable from the front of the apparatus and cut using a trimmer ( 23 ) placed on board a casing or cover( 12 ) above the base plate. Furthermore, a connecting device ( 13 ) is provided between the base plate and the casing or cover for blocking the apparatus in at least two different closing position conditions

1 . An apparatus to create the vacuum in containers, both flexible such as bags, and rigid such as vases or canisters, for the preservation of vacuum-packed products, the apparatus comprising:
 a base plate and a casing or cover joined together, wherein the cover is movable by rotation compared with the other raised inactive open position, and a lowered closed operating position, the base plate and the cover being associated to delimit, in the closed position, a suction chamber for receiving the mouth of a flexible container to be put in a vacuum by a vacuum pump and sealed by means of a sealing bar with the help of mechanical, pneumatic, electric and electronic control means, the base plate being connected to the casing or cover and has a separable front portion so that said separable front portion can be manipulated and washed separately from a remaining part of the base plate, said separable portion being placed and guided in a front part of the base plate and provided at least with a receptacle for liquid substances designed to coincide with the suction chamber, and with a profiled contrary gasket for the sealing bar when the apparatus is closed, said receptacle being a slot and surrounded by a gasket.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a connecting device is provided between the base plate and the overhead cover for blocking the apparatus in at least two different closing conditions;   said connecting device comprises two fixed hooks, that extend upwards from the base plate and two corresponding swivel hooks operated by a control shaft which is supported crossways in said casing or cover and equipped with levers or end ball grips; and   said swivel hooks turn on respective pins between an inoperative released position and an active blocked position with the fixed hooks, by means of a possible intermediate simple stop position of the cover on the base plate.   
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the fixed hooks are fastened to the base plate ( 11 ). 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the fixed hooks are fixed to the front separable portion of the base plate. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said control shaft is a single piece, and the swivel hooks are connected to the control shaft by means of linking arms for rotation of said swivel hooks in each of said positions, and the levers or grips are fixed to the ends of said shaft. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said control shaft is made up of two independent semi-shafts, and every swivel hook, for rotating in each of said positions, is connected to a respective semi-shaft via a linking arm, and the levers or grips are each fixed to a respective semi-shaft. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein a cam is fixed to said control shaft and said cam is associated with a slider movable and interacting with at least a micro switch which is set up to enable the start of the functions of the apparatus only when the apparatus is in the exact strict closed blocked position. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein a cam is fixed to said control shaft and said cam is associated with a cursor, movable and interacting with a micro switch designed to enable the start up of the functions of the apparatus only when the apparatus is in the strict closed blocked position, and said cam is associated with a bleed valve provided to connect the suction chamber with the atmosphere when the apparatus is in the open position. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the suction chamber and the sealing bar are on board the cover and facing towards the base plate, and at least the base plate is provided with a housing designed to receive a roll of a tubular element which can be trimmed by a trimmer for the preparation of bags at the required length. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealing bar is biased by flexible means tending to push the sealing bar towards a contrary gasket when the apparatus is closed. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the trimmer can overturn around a horizontal axis from an inactive position near said casing in a horizontal supporting position on the tubular element drawn from the roll to be cut crossways. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the trimmer is associated with a turnoverable element associated with said upper casing and having a concurrent cavity to define the role carrier with the cavity on the back of the suction chamber. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the vacuum pump and the pneumatic, electric and electronic means are integrated on a supporting panel. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein a cam is fixed to said control shaft and said cam is associated with a slider movable and interacting with at least a micro switch which is set up to enable the start of the functions of the apparatus only when the apparatus is in the exact strict closed blocked position. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said base plate and said cover are detachable one from the other.