Flexible vacuum sealing adapter for use with food storage systems and methods of use

Abstract

The present invention relates primarily to vacuum preservation of items, and particularly to a flexible vacuum sealing adapter for use with food storage systems, wherein the flexible vacuum sealing adapter includes a flexible container interface, the flexible container interface having circumferential sidewall and an upper sealing wall, the flexible container interface being configured to seal an opening of a storage container, a vacuum port assembly being provided through the flexible container interface, the vacuum port assembly including a vacuum interface and a check valve configured to provide unidirectional flow of air from within the storage container to an exterior environment; and a deflection interface, the deflection interface including one or more input tabs, wherein a force input to the one or more input tabs results in an elastic deformation of the flexible container interface so as to cause an increase in diameter of the circumferential sidewall.

1 . A flexible vacuum sealing adapter for use with food storage systems, the flexible vacuum sealing adapter comprising:
 a flexible container interface, the flexible container interface having circumferential sidewall and an upper sealing wall, the flexible container interface being configured to seal an opening of a storage container;   a vacuum port assembly being provided through the flexible container interface, the vacuum port assembly including a vacuum interface and a check valve configured to provide unidirectional flow of air from within the storage container to an exterior environment; and   a deflection interface, the deflection interface including one or more input tabs, wherein a force input to the one or more input tabs results in an elastic deformation of the flexible container interface so as to cause an increase in diameter of the circumferential sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more input tabs of the deflection interface are provided as compression tabs, wherein the deflection interface further comprises a plurality of push rods operable by inputting a compressive force between one or more opposing compression tabs, wherein the push rods extend through the vacuum port assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 2 , wherein the deflection interface further comprises a plurality of tension tabs being located opposite each of the compression tabs on each of the plurality of push rods. 
     
     
         4 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum port assembly includes an exterior portion and an interior portion provided about an aperture in the upper sealing wall of the flexible container interface, the interior portion and the exterior portion being operatively connected to one another and sandwiching a portion of the upper sealing wall therebetween. 
     
     
         5 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 4 , wherein the check valve is provided within the interior portion of the vacuum port assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the check valve is biased in the closed position and open when a negative pressure is applied to the vacuum interface which is lower than the internal pressure of the container. 
     
     
         7 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 5 , wherein the check valve is biased in the closed position and open when a negative pressure is applied to the vacuum interface which is lower than the internal pressure of the container. 
     
     
         8 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 2 , wherein the push rods pass through a shield sleeve within the vacuum port assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 8 , further comprising a spring between the shield sleeve and a sealing flange of the check valve. 
     
     
         10 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 6 , wherein the check valve further comprises a sealing flange, and wherein the sealing flange is biased in a closed position by a spring being provided between the sealing flange and a valve body. 
     
     
         11 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum interface comprises a rim portion being provided as a flexible material and self-sealing material. 
     
     
         12 . The flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible container interface includes a sealing lip provided about an interior surface of the circumferential sidewall. 
     
     
         13 . A method of preserving the contents of a container using flexible vacuum sealing adapter, the method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining a suitable container;   placing items to be preserved within the suitable container;   obtaining a flexible vacuum sealing adapter comprising:
 a flexible container interface, the flexible container interface having circumferential sidewall and an upper sealing wall, the flexible container interface being configured to seal an opening of a storage container; 
 a vacuum port assembly being provided through the flexible container interface, the vacuum port assembly including a vacuum interface and a check valve configured to provide unidirectional flow of air from within the storage container to an exterior environment; and 
 a deflection interface, the deflection interface including one or more input tabs, wherein a force input to the one or more input tabs results in an elastic deformation of the flexible container interface so as to cause an increase in diameter of the circumferential sidewall; 
   inputting a compressive force into the deflection interface so as to deflect the flexible container interface;   placing the flexible container interface over an aperture of the suitable container;   releasing the compressive force after placement of the flexible container interface over the aperture of the suitable container; and   applying a vacuum to the vacuum interface so as to evacuate a portion of air from the suitable container.   
     
     
         14 . The method of preserving the contents of a container using flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more input tabs of the deflection interface are provided as compression tabs, wherein the deflection interface further comprises a plurality of push rods operable by inputting a compressive force between one or more opposing compression tabs, wherein the push rods extend through the vacuum port assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The method of preserving the contents of a container using flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 12 , wherein the vacuum port assembly includes an exterior portion and an interior portion provided about an aperture in the upper sealing wall of the flexible container interface, the interior portion and the exterior portion being operatively connected to one another and sandwiching a portion of the upper sealing wall therebetween. 
     
     
         16 . The method of preserving the contents of a container using flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 15 , wherein the check valve is provided within the interior portion of the vacuum port assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The method of preserving the contents of a container using flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 12 , wherein the check valve is biased in the closed position and open when a negative pressure is applied to the vacuum interface which is lower than the internal pressure of the container. 
     
     
         18 . The method of preserving the contents of a container using flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 16 , wherein the check valve is biased in the closed position and open when a negative pressure is applied to the vacuum interface which is lower than the internal pressure of the container. 
     
     
         19 . The method of preserving the contents of a container using flexible vacuum sealing adapter of  claim 14 , wherein the push rods pass through a shield sleeve within the vacuum port assembly. 
     
     
         20 . A flexible vacuum sealing adapter for use with food storage systems, the flexible vacuum sealing adapter comprising:
 a flexible container interface, the flexible container interface having circumferential sidewall and an upper sealing wall, the flexible container interface being configured to seal an opening of a storage container, wherein the flexible container interface includes a sealing lip provided about an interior surface of the circumferential sidewall;   a vacuum port assembly being provided through the flexible container interface, the vacuum port assembly including a vacuum interface and a check valve configured to provide unidirectional flow of air from within the storage container to an exterior environment, wherein the vacuum port assembly further comprises:
 an exterior portion; and 
 an interior portion provided about an aperture in the upper sealing wall of the flexible container interface, the interior portion and the exterior portion being operatively connected to one another and sandwiching a portion of the upper sealing wall therebetween, wherein the check valve is provided within the interior portion of the vacuum port assembly; and 
   a deflection interface, the deflection interface further comprising:
 a plurality of compression tabs; 
 a plurality of push rods operable by inputting a compressive force between one or more opposing compression tabs, wherein the push rods extend through the vacuum port assembly, wherein a force input to one or more opposing compression tabs results in an elastic deformation of the flexible container interface so as to cause an increase in diameter of the circumferential sidewall.