Universal air removal port

Abstract

Universal air removal port comprises of check valve, air sieve and adhesive inserts. Check valve is bonded to exterior and air sieve to interior hole created on food bag, converting to manual vacuum sealer. Multiple small openings prevent blocking of air sieve by foods and flat top plate reinforces bonding of food bag and valve. Amorphous viscid adhesive inserts fill micro holes and grooves on part surfaces, preventing formation of micro tracts and loss of vacuum. Universal air removal port can be removed from empty bags and reused on new food bags.

1 . A universal air removal port comprising:
 a one-way check valve of either a tubular flat disk valve or a box shape valve having a compressed foam sponge block;   an air sieve with a central air passage and cylindrical walls with multiple openings and a top flat plate;   a first and a second double-sided amorphous viscid adhesive inserts;   said first double-sided amorphous viscid adhesive insert having a central bore that is bonded to an inferior flat surface of said valve housing;   said second double-sided amorphous viscid adhesive insert that is bonded to a top flat plate of said air sieve;   said double-sided amorphous viscid adhesive inserts fill any micro holes or grooves on the rigid valve housing or air sieve top plate, eliminating formation of micro tracts for air passage between the food package and the valve or air sieve;   a hole created in a plastic food bag;   the valve is bonded to the exterior hole of the plastic food bag and the air sieve is bonded to the interior hole;   a central bore of the air sieve is aligned with an inlet leg of the valve which sticks out through the hole of the plastic food bag, whereas when the both the valve and air sieve are pressed firmly towards each other, they sandwich walls of the plastic food bag and the universal air removal port is bonded to the plastic food bag without formation of micro tracts for air passage.   
     
     
         2 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein the closing force of the box shape valve is a combination of dominant expansive force of the compressed foam sponge block and minimal traction force on the foam sponge block by the internal vacuum pressure of the plastic food bag, thereby the valve remains shut regardless of the interior vacuum pressure of the sealed food bag, and a manual compression of the box shape valve is feasible only after the top part of the valve housing is disengaged from the bottom part, relieving the compression of the foam block or a spatula is inserted into the valve, creating a free air passage. 
     
     
         3 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein the closing force of the flat disk valve solely depends on the traction force generated by the internal vacuum of the plastic food package, and air flow is generated by manual compression on a sealed bag expels the interior air from the food package readily through the tubular flat disk valve, and when the vacuum pressure of the sealed food bag is low, the traction force on the valve disk is weak and the tubular valve outflow leg needs to be capped, thereby preventing inflow of air into the sealed bag. 
     
     
         4 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein the remaining air in the sealed plastic food bag following manual compression is further removed by a vacuum pump, achieving high vacuum. 
     
     
         5 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein the universal air removal port is installable on an existing plastic food bags such as factory sealed food bag. 
     
     
         6 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein the existing plastic food bag is selected from a group consisting of polyethylene, nylon, polyester, polyurethane, or laminate. 
     
     
         7 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein the existing plastic food bag has a built-in resealing zipper strips with or without slider. 
     
     
         8 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein the existing plastic food bag does not have a built-in resealing zipper strips. 
     
     
         9 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein the existing plastic food bag has open ends sealed by an impulse heat sealer. 
     
     
         10 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein said amorphous viscid adhesive bonding element eliminates surface imperfections between the selected plastic food bag walls and said first or said second part of an air removal port. 
     
     
         11 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein said first part and said second part of said air removal port is removable from the food bag when the plastic food bag becomes unsuitable for further use and be installed on another new plastic food bag, thus are re-usable. 
     
     
         12 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 1  wherein a loss of vacuum is visible when food content within the plastic food bag is no longer clearly delineated or the food contents moves around inside the plastic food bag when pressed by fingers. 
     
     
         13 . The universal air removal port according to  claim 13  wherein the loss of vacuum in the plastic food bag is rectified by manual compression on the plastic food bag, pushing air out or aspirating air from the plastic food bag by a vacuum pump.