Vacuum sealer with drip pan

Abstract

A vacuum sealer is provided with a base housing including a front platform, a heating element, a recess behind the heating element, a vacuum inlet, an enclosed, resilient sealing strip spaced around the recess, a rear cover, and a panel on the cover; a rear vacuum source including a vacuum pump wherein the vacuum source is electrically connected to both the heating element and the panel; a transparent front clamping door including a top handle, a corresponding heating element, and a corresponding sealing strip electrically connected to the vacuum source; a drip pan including a bossed bottom hole, a peripheral flange, and two spaced bottom risers wherein the drip pan is removeably complimentarily disposed in the recess with the flange rested upon a top edge of the recess and the bottom hole put on the vacuum inlet; and a tubing interconnecting the vacuum inlet and the vacuum pump.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vacuum sealer comprising:
 a base housing comprising a front, hollow platform, an elongated heating element adjacent to a top front end of the platform, a recess disposed behind the heating element, a bossed vacuum inlet on a bottom of the recess, an enclosed, resilient sealing strip spaced around the recess, a cover releasaby mounted on a rear portion of the base housing, and a panel mounted on the cover;   a vacuum source disposed in the rear portion of the base housing and covered by the cover, the vacuum source comprising a vacuum pump wherein the vacuum source is electrically connected to both the heating element and the panel;   a transparent clamping door pivotally mounted on a front portion of the base housing and comprising a top handle, a corresponding heating element adjacent to a front bottom edge, and a corresponding sealing strip disposed behind the corresponding heating element and electrically connected to the vacuum source;   a drip pan comprising a bossed bottom hole, a peripheral flange, and two spaced bottom risers wherein the drip pan is removably complimentarily disposed in the recess with the flange rested upon a top edge of the recess and the bottom hole put on the vacuum inlet; and   a hollow tubing interconnecting the vacuum inlet and the vacuum pump;   wherein in response to clamping an opening of a plastic bag containing food between the clamping door and the platform with the corresponding heating element engaged with the heating element and the corresponding sealing strip engaged with the sealing strip respectively, an airtight chamber is formed and defined by the drip pan, the sealing strip, and the corresponding sealing strip so that an activation of the vacuum pump draws air out of the plastic bag via the vacuum inlet, the tubing, and the vacuum pump until a predetermined degree of vacuum exists in the plastic bag, energizes both the heating element and the corresponding heating element for a predetermined period of time sufficient for sealing the opening of the plastic bag, and collects extraneous liquid and food particles evacuated from the plastic bag in the drip pan.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum sealer of  claim 1 , wherein both the recess and the drip pan are oval. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum sealer of  claim 1 , wherein both the sealing strip and the corresponding sealing strip are formed of rubber.