Apparatus for vacuum packing

Abstract

There is provided a vacuum packaging apparatus in which a cover is operated to hermetically seal a vacuum chamber to provide an evacuated environment by allowing the vacuum chamber to be in a more complete vacuum state. The vacuum packaging apparatus includes a lower body having a vacuum chamber connected to a vacuum generating device; a cover connected to the lower body to cover the vacuum chamber; and a vertical moving unit connected between the cover and the lower body to allow the cover to move upwardly and downwardly with respect to the lower body and closely contact the lower body such that the vacuum chamber is hermetically sealed when the vacuum generating device starts a vacuum creating operation.

1 . A vacuum packaging apparatus comprising:
 a lower body having a vacuum chamber connected to a vacuum generating device;   a cover connected to the lower body to cover the vacuum chamber; and   a vertical moving unit connected between the cover and the lower body to allow the cover to move upwardly and downwardly with respect to the lower body and closely contact the lower body such that the vacuum chamber is hermetically sealed when the vacuum generating device starts a vacuum creating operation.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical moving unit includes:
 a cylinder body disposed in the lower body and having an air intake port connected to the vacuum generating device and a hollow space connected to the air intake port;   a piston having one end fixed to the cover and the other end inserted into the hollow space of the cylinder body and moving downwardly in a length direction of the cylinder body due to restoring force when the vacuum generating device starts the vacuum creating operation; and   an elastic member having one end fixed to the cylinder body, provided to surround the piston and moving upwardly in the length direction of the cylinder body when the vacuum generating device stops the vacuum creating operation.   
     
     
         3 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the vertical moving unit further includes a guide member disposed to be adjacent to the piston, fixed to the cover, and guiding movement of the piston when the piston is operated. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the air intake port includes an air intake hole having a smaller inner diameter than that of an end of the air intake port. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the vacuum generating device includes:
 a vacuum generating unit provided to withdraw air from within the vacuum chamber and the hollow space of the cylinder body such that the vacuum chamber and the hollow space are vacuumized;   a first vacuum hose connecting the vacuum generating unit to the air intake port of the cylinder body;   a second vacuum hose connecting the vacuum generating unit to the vacuum chamber; and   a controlling unit connected to the vacuum generating unit and controlling the vacuum generating unit to withdraw the air through at least one of the first vacuum hose and the second vacuum hose when the vacuum creating operation is started.   
     
     
         6 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the controlling unit performs a first vacuum creating operation by allowing the air within the hollow space of the cylinder body to be withdrawn into the vacuum generating unit through the first vacuum hose such that the piston moves downwardly in the length direction of the cylinder body to allow the cover and the lower body to contact one another, and performs a second vacuum creating operation by allowing the air within the vacuum chamber to be withdrawn into the vacuum generating unit through the second vacuum hose, and
 the second vacuum creating operation is performed independently of and subsequent to the first vacuum creating operation or is performed simultaneously with the first vacuum creating operation.   
     
     
         7 . A vacuum packaging apparatus comprising:
 a lower body having a vacuum chamber connected to a vacuum generating device;   a cover hinge-coupled to the lower body to cover the vacuum chamber and including a cover protrusion disposed on a lower end portion thereof and inserted into a protrusion through hole provided in the lower body; and   a locking unit fixing the cover to the lower body by allowing the cover protrusion to be fixedly inserted into the protrusion through hole when the cover is positioned to cover the vacuum chamber and the vacuum generating device starts a vacuum creating operation.   
     
     
         8 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the locking unit includes:
 a hook caught by a hook receiving hole formed in the cover protrusion to fix the cover protrusion;   a cylinder member having one end fixed to the hook and the other end connected to the vacuum generating device and performing a reciprocating piston operation when the vacuum generating device starts the vacuum creating operation such that the hook is caught by the hook receiving hole; and   an elastic member connected to the hook and allowing the hook to be separated from the hook receiving hole due to restoring force when the vacuum generating device stops a vacuum creating operation.   
     
     
         9 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the hook has an upper end thereof bent and caught by the hook receiving hole, and
 a lower end of the hook is hinge-coupled to a hinge member fixed to the lower body such that the hook pulls the cover protrusion downwardly while rotating at a predetermined angle using the hinge member as an axis of rotation when the cylinder member moves.   
     
     
         10 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the cylinder member includes:
 a cylinder body having a hollow space therein and installed in the lower body while being connected to the vacuum generating device; and   a piston having one end fixed to the hook and the other end inserted into the hollow space of the cylinder body and moving in a length direction of the cylinder body when the vacuum generating device starts the vacuum creating operation.   
     
     
         11 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the vacuum generating device includes:
 a vacuum generating unit provided to withdraw air from within the vacuum chamber and the hollow space of the cylinder body such that the vacuum chamber and the hollow space are vacuumized;   a first vacuum hose connecting the vacuum generating unit to the cylinder body;   a second vacuum hose connecting the vacuum generating unit to the vacuum chamber; and   a controlling unit connected to the vacuum generating unit and controlling the vacuum generating unit to withdraw the air through at least one of the first vacuum hose and the second vacuum hose when the vacuum creating operation is started.   
     
     
         12 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the controlling unit performs a first vacuum creating operation by allowing the air within the hollow space of the cylinder body to be withdrawn into the vacuum generating unit through the first vacuum hose such that the piston is operated to allow the hook to be caught by the hook receiving hole, and performs a second vacuum creating operation by allowing the air within the vacuum chamber to be withdrawn into the vacuum generating unit through the second vacuum hose, and
 the second vacuum creating operation is performed simultaneously with the first vacuum creating operation.   
     
     
         13 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the cylinder body is integrated with the lower body. 
     
     
         14 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum chamber includes a first sealing pad disposed on a circumference of an upper surface thereof, and
 the cover includes a second sealing pad disposed to be in contact with the first sealing pad in order to create a vacuum in the vacuum chamber, and further includes an elastic pressure member elastically pressing at least one of the first sealing pad and the second sealing pad such that the first sealing pad and the second sealing pad closely contact one another.   
     
     
         15 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the cover further includes:
 a fixed lower plate forming a bottom surface of the cover and fixedly installed; and   a pressure plate spaced apart from the fixed lower plate, having the second sealing pad bonded to a lower surface thereof, and movably installed, and   the elastic pressure member is disposed between the fixed lower plate and the pressure plate and elastically presses the second sealing pad in a direction toward the first sealing pad.   
     
     
         16 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the elastic pressure member is provided to elastically press the second sealing pad in a direction toward the first sealing pad, and
 the cover further includes a receiving groove having the elastic pressure member disposed therein and having the second sealing pad movably received therein.   
     
     
         17 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the elastic pressure member comprises a plurality of elastic pressure members spaced apart from one another in a length direction of the second sealing pad. 
     
     
         18 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the cover further includes a connection member connecting the second sealing pad to the receiving groove and elastically extended or contracted to allow the second sealing pad to move by the elastic pressure member. 
     
     
         19 . The vacuum packaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the cylinder body is integrated with the lower body.