CN113494806A - Vacuum sealed container, storage chamber with the container and food storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

A vacuum containment vessel comprising: a container body having an open upper surface and a storage space formed therein; a vacuum valve for applying vacuum to the storage space and maintaining the vacuum state; a frame part airtightly connected with the upper end of the container main body, provided with a cover for airtightly covering the container main body and formed with a first ventilation flow path for ventilating the storage space and the outside; and a handle mounted on the frame part, provided with a valve member for selectively opening and closing the first ventilation flow path, and rotating between a storage state and a use state; when the handle is rotated from the storage state to the use state while the storage space is in the vacuum state, the valve member of the handle opens the first ventilation flow path to release the vacuum state of the storage space, and when the handle is rotated from the use state to the storage state, the valve member of the handle hermetically seals the first ventilation flow path. According to the present invention, the vacuum state of the storage space of the vacuum sealed container can be released by a simple operation of turning the handle from the storage state to the use state.

Description

Vacuum sealed container, storage chamber with the container and food storage device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vacuum sealed container, and more particularly, to a technique for applying and releasing vacuum to a container with a handle for vacuum storage of food materials.

Background

With the development of technology, food materials are increasingly stored in various ways, such as frozen storage, refrigerated storage, and vacuum storage. Among them, the vacuum preservation has the advantages that: the oxygen environment bred by bacteria and microorganisms is eliminated, so that the original color, aroma, taste, shape and nutrition of the food material can be more effectively maintained for a long time. Therefore, vacuum preservation apparatuses are becoming increasingly popular with consumers.

At present, a popular refrigerator is also provided with a vacuum storage chamber, but the vacuum storage chamber is a single space and cannot meet the requirement that a user wants to store different food materials in vacuum respectively.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a refrigerator provided with a single storage space in the related art, fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion a of fig. 1, and as shown in fig. 1 and 2, patent document 1 discloses a vacuum storage chamber 2 provided with a single storage space, the storage chamber 2 being connected with a vacuum pump P via a pipe 4. Reference numeral 1 denotes a cold air passage. A door 31 is provided in front of the storage chamber 2, and the door 31 isolates a storage space of the storage chamber 2 from the outside. A through hole 30a is formed in the door 31, and a valve including a valve body 33 for opening and closing the through hole 30a and a spring 34 for returning the valve body 33 is provided in the through hole 30 a.

As shown in fig. 2, a vacuum releasing mechanism for releasing the vacuum state of the storage space is provided in the door 31. This vacuum release mechanism includes: a handle 35 rotatably provided on the door 31, and a link 36 linked with the handle 35.

The storage space is in a vacuum state by driving of the vacuum pump P. When the door 31 is opened, the handle 35 is operated first, the valve body 33 is pushed by the lower end of the link 36 by the handle 35, the valve body 33 is moved inward (in the direction indicated by the arrow) against the spring force, and the storage space in the vacuum state is communicated with the outside through the through hole 30a, whereby the vacuum state of the storage space is released. When the operating force of the handle 35 is released, the valve body 33 is restored by the spring force of the spring 34, and the storage space is isolated from the outside again.

Patent document 1: KR2002-0043852A

In the prior art, a vacuum storage chamber is generally provided in a refrigerator refrigerating chamber having a limited space, and thus, as described above, a door is designed only as a front opening type, or a storage chamber is designed as a drawer type.

No vacuum sealed container with a handle suitable for a storage room of a food storage device such as a refrigerator has been found in the prior art.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liftable vacuum sealed container with a handle, which can easily release a vacuum state by a simple operation of rotating the handle, and a storage chamber and a food storage device having the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum hermetic container which is compact in structure, beautiful in overall appearance, and low in manufacturing cost, and a storage compartment and a food storage device having the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum tight container which is easily operated without distinguishing a direction when the container is put in a drawer, and a storage room and a food storage device having the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum hermetic container capable of rapidly releasing a vacuum state, and a storage chamber and a food storage device having the same.

Technical scheme for solving problems

The present invention in a first aspect provides a vacuum sealed container, comprising: a container body having an open upper surface and a storage space formed therein; a vacuum valve for applying vacuum to the storage space and maintaining a vacuum state; a frame portion airtightly coupled to an upper end of the container body, having a lid attached thereto to airtightly cover the container body, and having a first ventilation passage formed therein to ventilate the storage space from outside; and a handle attached to the frame, provided with a valve member for selectively opening and closing the first ventilation flow path, and rotatable between a storage state and a use state; when the handle is rotated from the storage state to the use state with the storage space in a vacuum state, the valve member opens the first ventilation flow path to release the vacuum state of the storage space, and when the handle is rotated from the use state to the storage state, the valve member hermetically seals the first ventilation flow path.

Preferably, the handle includes a grip portion extending in a horizontal direction and first and second extension portions bent perpendicularly from both ends of the grip portion, and the handle is coupled to opposite sides of the frame portion across the storage space.

Preferably, a first through hole communicating the storage space with the outside is formed at least at one of opposite sides of the frame part, and the vacuum valve is installed in the first through hole.

Preferably, a handle mounting portion is formed at a central position of each of the opposite sides of the frame portion in the horizontal direction to protrude outward by a predetermined thickness, and an insertion portion communicating with the first through hole and into which an external vacuum connector is inserted is formed at the handle mounting portion on at least one side.

Preferably, the receiving portion includes a central hole communicating with the first through hole and an umbrella surface spreading outward from the central hole to an end surface of the handle mounting portion.

Preferably, the first ventilation channel is formed in a portion of the frame portion that is spaced apart from the first through hole by a predetermined distance.

Preferably, a second ventilation passage communicating with the first ventilation passage and with the outside is formed in the handle attachment portion.

Preferably, the handle includes a grip portion extending in a horizontal direction, and a first extension portion and a second extension portion bent perpendicularly from both ends of the grip portion, wherein coupling portions coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the handle mounting portion are formed at both ends of the first extension portion and the second extension portion, respectively, and the coupling portions have coupling surfaces coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the handle mounting portion.

Preferably, a communication port of the second ventilation flow path, which communicates with the outside, is formed in an outer peripheral surface of the handle attachment portion, a third ventilation flow path, which communicates with the outside, is formed in an inner surface of the handle, which is close to the frame portion, the third ventilation flow path being partially recessed in the inner surface of the frame portion, penetrating the joint surface, and communicating with the second ventilation flow path via the communication port; the valve member is provided between the outer peripheral surface and the joint surface, a valve hole is formed in a portion of the valve member corresponding to the third air flow path, the valve member is fixed to the joint surface so that the valve hole communicates with the third air flow path, the valve hole and the communication port are offset when the handle is in the storage state, and the valve hole and the communication port overlap and communicate when the handle is in the use state.

Preferably, a communication port of the second ventilation channel communicating with the outside is formed in an end surface of the handle attachment portion, an annular flange portion covering the end surface is formed on an outer side of a coupling surface of the handle, and a third ventilation channel communicating the second ventilation channel with the outside is continuously formed on an inner surface of the annular flange portion, the coupling surface, and the inner surface of the handle; the valve member is provided between the end surface and the annular flange portion, a valve hole is formed in a portion of the valve member corresponding to the third communication path, the valve member is fixed to the annular flange portion so that the valve hole communicates with the third communication path, the valve hole is displaced from the communication port when the handle is in the storage state, and the valve hole overlaps and communicates with the communication port when the handle is in the use state.

Preferably, the handle is rotated by an angle of substantially 90 degrees between the storage state and the use state.

Preferably, at least a part of at least one of the container body and the lid is formed of a see-through material.

Preferably, the handle attachment portion is integrally formed with the frame portion.

Preferably, the frame portion is rectangular in shape.

Preferably, the vacuum valve includes: a cylindrical valve seat, a bottom wall of which is provided with a communication hole for communicating the storage space with the outside, and the opposite side of which is open; a valve body accommodated in the cylindrical space of the valve seat, and including a valve main body selectively closing the communication hole by moving, and a valve shaft formed to protrude from the valve main body; a guide member fixed to an opening of the cylindrical valve seat, having a guide hole formed at a center thereof to guide movement of the valve shaft, and having a vent hole formed at an outer periphery thereof; and a spring; the valve shaft is sleeved on the valve body and is positioned between the valve body and the guide piece.

Preferably, the guide is formed in a hub shape including an inner race having the guide hole and an outer race connected to the inner race via a plurality of connectors; the vent holes are formed among the plurality of connecting pieces.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a storage compartment comprising at least one vacuum tight container as provided in the first aspect.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a food storage device including the storage compartment provided in the second aspect.

Preferably, the method comprises the following steps: an instruction receiving unit for receiving an instruction for opening and closing the storage chamber from a user; a lead-in and lead-out unit that leads in and out of the storage room based on the instruction; and a control unit that controls an operation of the lead-in and lead-out unit based on the instruction.

Effects of the invention

(1) According to the present invention, when the handle is rotated from the storage state to the use state in the vacuum state of the storage space, the handle opens the first ventilation flow path to release the vacuum state of the storage space, and when the handle is rotated from the use state to the storage state, the first ventilation flow path is hermetically sealed, so that the vacuum state can be easily released by a simple operation of rotating the handle.

(2) The first through hole for the vacuum valve, the connection part for connecting the vacuum connector, the first ventilation flow path and the second ventilation flow path are formed on the frame part, so the whole structure is compact, and the third ventilation flow path is formed on the inner side surface of the handle, thereby the appearance of the container is not influenced. In addition, since the vacuum processing and the vacuum releasing mechanism are both provided in the frame portion formed integrally, the manufacturing process is simple and the manufacturing cost is low.

(3) Since the access portions are formed on both sides of the frame portion, the user can easily place the container in the drawer without having to distinguish the direction.

(4) Since the ventilation flow paths for releasing the vacuum state are provided on both sides of the frame portion and both end portions of the handle, the vacuum state can be released quickly.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a related art refrigerator provided with a single storage space.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion a of fig. 1, i.e., a schematic view of the vacuum release mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a state view of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention placed in a drawer, or a state view of the drawer drawn out from the storage space.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of a drawer housing the vacuum sealed container of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of a cover unit of the vacuum hermetic container of the present invention.

Fig. 7(a) and (B) are partial sectional perspective views of a frame of a vacuum hermetic container of the present invention, in which fig. 7(a) is a sectional perspective view taken along a-a in fig. 6, and fig. 7(B) is a partial perspective view taken along B-B in fig. 6.

Fig. 8(a) and (b) are partially enlarged views of a handle of a vacuum hermetic container according to the present invention, in which fig. 8(a) is a partially enlarged view of a first extension portion of the handle, and fig. 8(b) is an enlarged view of a valve member.

Fig. 9(a) and (b) are schematic structural views of a vacuum valve of a vacuum-tight container according to the present invention, in which fig. 9(a) is an exploded view and fig. 9(b) is a right side view of a valve seat.

Fig. 10(a) and (b) are schematic views showing the flow of air before and after the vacuum closed vessel of the present invention is subjected to vacuum treatment.

Fig. 11(a) and (b) are schematic views of the flow of air before and after the vacuum state of the vacuum sealed container of the present invention is released.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram of controlling the lead-in and lead-out unit based on the control unit.

Description of the reference numerals

h1 guide hole; h2 valve hole; h, ventilating holes; s, a storage space; 20 drawers; 30 containers; 40 a container body; 50 a frame part; 60, covering; 70 a handle; 80 a vacuum valve; a 90-lid unit; 100 a food storage device; 102 a control unit; 104 an instruction receiving unit; 105 a lead-in lead-out unit; 501 upper end part; 502 lower end portion; 503 intermediate portion; 504, installing a groove; 505 a central aperture; 506 an end surface of the handle mounting portion; 507 first through holes; 508 a first vent flow path; 509 a second vent flow path; 515 umbrella-shaped surface; 516 an outer peripheral surface of the handle mounting portion; 520 a handle mounting portion; 530 an access portion; 701 a holding part; 702 a first extension; 703 a second extension; 704 a third vent flow path; 705 a bonding hole; 706 a valve member; 801 a communication hole; 802 a valve seat; 803 a valve body; 804 a valve shaft; 805 a valve body; 806 a spring; 807 a guide member.

Detailed Description

The technical solution in this embodiment will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in this embodiment.

In the following embodiments, directional indications such as up, down, left, right, front, rear, and the like are used only to explain relative positional relationships between respective components, movement situations, and the like in a certain posture (illustrated state), and if the certain posture is changed, the directional indication is changed accordingly; and the dimensional relationships between the various elements in the drawings are illustrative and do not define the invention unless explicitly defined otherwise.

The descriptions of "first", "second", "third", etc. in the following embodiments are for the purpose of distinguishing components only, and do not indicate relative importance, the number of technical features, or the order. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the feature.

In the following examples, the terms "connected," "secured," "coupled," and the like are to be construed broadly unless otherwise explicitly stated or limited. For example, "fixed" may be a non-removable connection, or a removable connection; can be mechanically or electrically connected; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, or may be interconnected within two elements or in an interactive relationship between two elements, unless expressly defined otherwise; the "combination" may be a fixed combination or a movable combination. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In the following embodiments, "integrated" may mean that the product is manufactured at one time in one step (simply referred to as "integrated molding") in the manufacturing stage, and may mean that the product is subsequently bonded by means of welding, adhesion, or the like.

Technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention or technical solutions of the embodiments and the modifications may be combined with each other, but it is necessary that a person having ordinary skill in the art can realize the combination, and when the technical solutions are contradictory or cannot be realized, the combination of the technical solutions should be considered to be absent and not to be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a food storage device 100 to which a vacuum sealed container 30 of the present invention is applied, and in the drawing, reference numeral 20 denotes a drawer (hereinafter, may be referred to as "storage chamber") in which the vacuum sealed container 30 of the present invention is stored.

Fig. 3 shows a food storage device 100 having a three-tiered structure, in which a plurality of storage compartments are provided, and the temperature, humidity, vacuum degree, etc. of each storage compartment can be set according to the user's needs, and the user can store different food materials in the respective storage compartments. Although fig. 3 shows a three-column three-layer structure, the present invention is not limited to the three-column three-layer structure, and may be a single-column three-layer structure, which is not limited by the present invention.

The food storage device 100 may include: a machine room in which a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a capillary tube, etc. required for a refrigeration cycle are installed, and an electrical room in which various electronic and electrical components required for power supply and control of the food storage device 100 are installed. The condenser is used for condensing the gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor into a liquid refrigerant, the capillary tube is used for converting the liquefied refrigerant into a low-temperature low-pressure state, and the evaporator is used for absorbing latent heat of evaporation in order to vaporize the refrigerant liquefied into the low-temperature low-pressure state in the capillary tube, so that ambient air is cooled.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to only the machine room and the electrical room, and is not limited to only the machine room being installed with the above-mentioned devices, or to the machine room being installed with the above-mentioned devices, and the present invention is not limited thereto. No limitation is made to the electrical room as well. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that other refrigerants, piping, cooling fans, various sensors, vacuum pumps, etc. required for the refrigeration cycle are required in addition to the above-described devices, and are not listed here.

As shown in fig. 3, the drawer 20 has a box shape with an open top, and three vacuum sealed containers (hereinafter, referred to as "containers") 30 according to the present invention are accommodated therein, but the present invention is not limited to three, and two or four or more vacuum sealed containers may be provided as necessary, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Although not shown in the drawings, the drawing-in rails may be provided on both side surfaces or the bottom surface of the drawer 20 and on the inner surface of the storage space S of the food storage device 100, as needed.

In addition, although the handle of the drawer 20 is not shown in the drawing, a handle may be provided as needed. In the absence of a handle, the drawer 20 can be opened and closed automatically according to a user command. At this time, as shown in fig. 12, the food storage device 100 includes: an instruction receiving unit 104, a lead-in lead-out unit 105, and a control unit 102 that controls the lead-in lead-out unit 105 based on an instruction from the instruction receiving unit 104. The instruction may be a voice instruction, a tap instruction, or the like. If the command is a voice command, the drawer is automatically opened when the user says 'open the drawer', and the drawer is automatically closed when the user says 'close the drawer'; if the user can knock the drawer, the user can knock the drawer once to automatically open the drawer, and when the user can knock the drawer twice to automatically close the drawer, the knocking part and the knocking times are not particularly limited. In addition, the lead-in and lead-out unit 105 may be a linear moving mechanism such as an electromagnet mechanism or a rack and pinion mechanism that moves by using attraction and repulsion.

In order to prevent the leakage of the cool air in the storage space S, a sealing member may be provided on a surface of the drawer 20 facing the frame of the storage space S.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the drawer 20 housing the container 30. As shown in fig. 4, each container 30 is provided with an access portion 530 to which a vacuum connector of the food storage device is accessed, and the access portion 530 is exposed to the outside so as to drive a vacuum pump to perform vacuum processing on the container 30 when the drawer 20 is introduced into the receiving space S, wherein the vacuum connector is connected to the vacuum pump provided in the food storage device 100 via respective pipes. Vacuum degree sensors and electromagnetic valves can be arranged on respective pipelines. When the vacuum degree sensor detects that the pressure value (vacuum degree) inside the corresponding container 30 reaches a preset value, the vacuum degree sensor sends a stop signal to the control part, and the control part drives the electromagnetic valve to cut off the air circulation of the corresponding pipeline based on the stop signal. The control part stops the driving of the vacuum pump if it receives a signal that the degree of vacuum inside each container 30 reaches a preset value. The preset value can be arbitrarily set by a user according to needs.

It should be noted that the number of vacuum pumps may also be determined according to the number of containers 30, that is, each container 30 has a corresponding vacuum pump, and in this case, the above-mentioned solenoid valve may be omitted. When the pressure value reaches the preset value, the control part may directly stop the driving of the vacuum pump according to the stop signal. Fig. 4 shows a structure in which the insertion part 530 is disposed higher than the upper end of the rear wall of the drawer 20 and is exposed to the outside, but the present invention is not limited to the structure shown in fig. 4, and a vacuum valve and the insertion part 530, which will be described later, may be disposed on the container body 40, and at this time, three through holes may be formed in the rear wall of the drawer 20 such that the corresponding insertion parts 530 are exposed to the outside, so that the vacuum connector is coupled to the insertion part 530 through the through holes.

As shown in fig. 4, when the drawer 20 containing the three containers 30 is completely introduced into the storage space S, each access portion 530 is automatically connected to a respective vacuum connector to perform a vacuum process on each container 30. The user can selectively control the solenoid valve or the vacuum pump as needed to perform the vacuum processing only on the target container (individual container vacuum mode) or the entire container (entire container vacuum mode). In this case, a switch for controlling the solenoid valve or the vacuum pump corresponding to each container and a mode selection switch for selecting the total container vacuum mode and the individual container vacuum mode may be provided at an appropriate position such as the front surface of the drawer or the top surface of the food storage device. In the case of the all vacuum mode, a pressure sensor is provided at least one of the access portions 530, and when the pressure sensor detects that the vacuum connector is coupled to the access portion, one or all of the vacuum pumps are driven to perform vacuum processing on all of the vacuum sealed containers.

In order to improve the airtightness of the drawer 20, the food storage device 100 may include an electromagnet unit including a first electromagnet provided in the food storage device main body, a second electromagnet provided in the drawer main body to correspond to the first electromagnet, a detection portion that detects opening and closing of the drawer, and a control portion that controls the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet based on a signal from the detection portion.

The detection part can be a distance sensor, and when the drawer is pulled out and the distance between the rear surface of the drawer main body and the inner surface of the food storage device corresponding to the rear surface is more than a preset distance, the control part controls the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet to generate repulsive force to assist the pulling out of the drawer; on the contrary, when the drawer is pushed in and the distance between the rear surface of the drawer main body and the inner surface of the corresponding food storage device is smaller than or equal to the preset distance, the control part controls the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet to generate attraction force to assist the pushing in of the drawer.

The electromagnet unit may be linked with the command receiving unit 104. Specifically, when the command receiving unit 104 receives an "on" command from a user, the command is sent to the control unit, the control unit controls the first and second electromagnets to generate repulsive force, and when the command receiving unit 104 receives an "off" command from the user, the command is sent to the control unit, and the control unit controls the first and second electromagnets to generate attractive force.

Fig. 4 shows the handle 70 in the accommodated state as being positioned on the left side in the figure, but the handle 70 may be accommodated on the right side in the figure.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the container 30, the container 30 including a container body 40 and a cover unit 90. The cover unit 90 includes a cover 60, a frame portion 50, and a handle 70. At least a part of at least one of the container body 40 and the lid 60 is preferably made of a transparent material so that the user can see through the contents. Further, the container body 40 is preferably in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an upper opening, the opening shape is rectangular, and the peripheral wall is a vertical wall, so as to effectively utilize the limited inner space of the drawer when a plurality of containers 30 are put in the drawer 20, but the shape of the container body 40 and the opening shape are not limited thereto and may depend on the shape and structure of the drawer. The shape of the frame portion 50 depends on the opening shape of the container body 40. If the opening of the container body 40 has a circular or hexagonal shape, the frame portion 50 may have a circular or hexagonal shape.

Fig. 4 shows a structure in which an access portion 530 to which a vacuum joint is hermetically connected is provided at one side of the container 30, specifically, one side of the frame portion 50. It should be noted that the access portions 530 may be formed on two opposite sides of the frame portion 50, which will be described in detail later. This design has the advantage that the user does not have to consider the front-to-back orientation when placing the container 30 in the drawer 20. Obviously, the access portion 530 may be provided only on one side of the container 30 as needed. The place where the receiving portion 530 is provided is not limited to the frame portion 50, and may be provided in the container main body 40 as described above.

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the cover unit 90, showing that the shape of the frame portion 50 is a rectangle matching the shape of the opening of the container body. Fig. 7(a) and (B) are partial sectional perspective views of the frame portion 50, fig. 7(a) is a sectional perspective view a-a in fig. 6, and fig. 7(B) is a sectional partial perspective view B-B in fig. 6, in which illustration of the vacuum valve is omitted.

As shown in fig. 7(a) and (b), the frame portion 50 includes an upper end portion 501, a lower end portion 502, and an intermediate portion 503 connecting the upper end portion 501 and the lower end portion 502. The upper end portion, the intermediate portion, and the lower end portion are provided only for convenience of describing the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention, and the upper end portion, the intermediate portion, and the lower end portion are relative concepts and have no clear boundary therebetween.

The upper end portion 501 is formed with a mounting groove 504 to airtightly fix the mounting cover 60, and the mounting groove 504 may be formed to protrude from the upper end portion 501 in such a manner that the notch faces inward. The structure for fixing the cover 60 to the frame portion 50 is not limited to this structure, and a stepped structure for attaching the cover 60 may be formed at the upper end portion 501.

The lower end portion 502 is hermetically coupled to the upper end of the container body 40, and the coupling structure may be a groove structure or a step structure formed to protrude downward such that the notch faces downward. As shown in fig. 7(a), if the lower end 502 of the frame is formed in a stepped structure, the upper end of the container body 40 is also formed in a stepped structure matching the lower end, so that the outer surface of the frame portion 50 is matched with the peripheral wall surface of the container body 40, and the appearance is maintained. Further, at least the width of the upper end of the handle storage side in the container body 40 may be wide relative to the frame portion so that the handle is supported on the upper end when the handle is stored.

The frame portion 50 is preferably integrally formed.

In order to more firmly and airtightly couple the frame portion 50 and the container body 40, a lock structure may be formed on an outer surface of the frame portion 50 and a peripheral wall surface of the container body 40 along an outer periphery thereof, and the lock structure may be formed on at least opposite side surfaces. The arrangement of the locking structure not only can further ensure the air tightness of the storage space of the container, but also can facilitate a user to lift the container 30 from the drawer by holding the handle under the condition of releasing the vacuum state.

As for the latch structure, any structure commonly used in the hermetic container may be adopted, and a description of the structure is omitted here.

Next, the intermediate portion 503 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 7(a) and (b), and the intermediate portion 503 may serve as an attachment portion for the handle 70, a ventilation flow path forming portion for releasing the vacuum state, and an installation portion for a vacuum valve.

The frame portion 50 is described below as being rectangular, and since the rectangular frame portion 50 has a symmetrical structure, the structure of one side of the frame portion 50 will be described below as an example. If the other-side structure also has the one-side structure as needed, the other-side structure may be referred to the following embodiment.

As shown in fig. 7(b), a first through hole 507 is formed in the intermediate portion 503 so as to penetrate the inner and outer surfaces, and the first through hole 507 is preferably formed at a central position of the intermediate portion 503 in the horizontal direction. A vacuum valve 80 for applying vacuum to the storage space of the container 30 and maintaining the vacuum state is provided in the first through hole 507. The structure of the vacuum valve 80 will be described in detail later.

A handle attachment portion 520 to which the handle 70 is rotatably coupled is formed on the outer surface of the intermediate portion 503 at a position corresponding to the first through hole 507, and the handle attachment portion 520 is preferably formed at a central position of the intermediate portion 503 in the horizontal direction as a part of the frame portion 50. The handle mounting part 520 may be formed with the above-described receiving part 530. The receiving portion 530 may include a central hole 505 formed through the center of the handle mounting portion 520 and communicating with the first through hole 507. In order to air-tightly couple the vacuum connector (not shown) to the central hole 505, as shown in fig. 7(b), the end surface 506 of the inlet 530 may be formed to have an umbrella surface 515 by being recessed into the central hole 505 in an umbrella shape. The pressure sensor may be provided on the umbrella surface 515. Accordingly, the vacuum connector provided in the food storage device 100 also has an umbrella portion coupled to the umbrella surface 515, and the umbrella portion is preferably made of a material having excellent sealing properties and adhesion properties. Thus, the vacuum is better when the vacuum connector with the umbrella is air tightly coupled to the umbrella surface 515 of the access portion.

It should be noted that the handle mounting portion 520 may be formed as a cylindrical boss protruding from the outer surface of the frame portion 50 to the outside, i.e., in the axial direction, with a predetermined diameter and a predetermined thickness depending on the size of the vacuum valve 80 and the material thickness of the handle 70, and the axial direction is a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the intermediate portion 520. The handle mounting portion 520 may be integrally formed with the frame portion 50, or may be air-tightly coupled to the frame portion 50 in a subsequent process, and the coupling means may include welding, screwing, and the like, which is not limited in the present invention.

The intermediate portion 503 is further provided with a first ventilation channel 508 for releasing the vacuum state in the storage space of the container 30, and the first ventilation channel 508 and the first through hole 507 are formed independently of each other without interfering with each other. Fig. 7(a) shows a configuration in which the first ventilation channel 508 is preferably formed at a position spaced apart from the first through hole 507 by a predetermined distance in the intermediate portion 503, that is, a configuration in which the first ventilation channel 508 is formed directly above the first through hole 507, and in this case, a second ventilation channel 509 communicating with the first ventilation channel 508 is formed in the handle attachment portion 520.

The position of formation of the first ventilation channel 508 is not limited to the position directly above the first through hole 507, and may be formed at any position of the left side and the right side of the first through hole 507 shown in fig. 7 (a). If the communication port of the first ventilation flow path 508 that communicates with the outside is directly exposed to the outside at the outer surface of the intermediate portion 503, that is, the communication port is located on either the left or right side of the handle mounting portion 520, the second ventilation flow path 509 need not be formed. In this case, the handle attachment portion 520 need not be formed in the intermediate portion 503, and the handle 70 may be rotatably coupled to the intermediate portion 503. In this case, the handle 70 may be configured such that the communication port of the first ventilation flow path 508 exposed to the outside is closed by the inner surface thereof in the stored state, and the communication port of the first ventilation flow path may be opened in the used state. In this case, a gasket as a valve member is preferably provided at a position corresponding to the communication port of the handle 50. If the handle attachment portion 520 is not provided in the frame portion 50, the container body 40 may be provided with a first through hole for attaching a vacuum valve or with both the first through hole and the receiving portion. A vacuum valve described later is provided in the first through hole.

If the first ventilation channel 508 is located on the outer periphery of the first through hole 507 and the communication port of the first ventilation channel 508 is located on the interface between the intermediate portion 503 and the handle attachment portion 520, the second ventilation channel 509 needs to be formed in the handle attachment portion 520, and the communication port of the second ventilation channel 509 that communicates with the outside may be provided on the outer peripheral surface 516 or the end surface 506 of the handle attachment portion 520. If the communication port of the second ventilation flow path 509 is located on the outer peripheral surface 516, it is preferably located at the highest position of the outer peripheral surface 516. If the communication port of the second ventilation passage 509 is located on the end surface 506, it is preferably located in a vertical radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the handle attachment portion 520 of the end surface 506.

As shown in fig. 6, the handle 70 may include a grip 701 extending in a horizontal direction and first and second extensions 702 and 703 extending from both ends of the grip 701, respectively, and the first and second extensions 702 and 703 are preferably formed in a symmetrical structure. The handle 70 is coupled to the frame portion 50 across the storage space of the container, and is rotatable between a storage state (a standing state) shown in fig. 4 and a use state (a standing state) in which the container can be lifted up, as shown in fig. 5. The rotation range of the handle 70 is preferably set to substantially 90 degrees. In order to turn the handle 70 by substantially 90 degrees, when the handle 70 is in the storage state, the inner surface of the handle 70 is in contact with the outer surface of the frame portion 50, or as described above, the handle 70 is supported on the upper end of the container body 40.

The overall shape of the handle 70 may be arcuate or may be bent as shown in fig. 6, the shape of the handle 70 depending on the shape of the container opening and the shape of the frame.

Next, the first extension 702 will be described as an example with reference to fig. 8 (a). As shown in fig. 8(a), a coupling hole 705 as a coupling portion to be coupled to the outer peripheral surface of the handle attachment portion 520 is formed at the lower end of the first extension portion 702, and the coupling hole 705 may pass completely through the first extension portion 702, or an annular flange portion that is narrowed may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the coupling hole 705 in addition to passing completely through the first extension portion 702, and the annular flange portion may be in contact with the end surface 506. If the coupling hole 705 completely penetrates the first extension portion 702, the end surface of the handle attachment portion 520 is completely exposed through the coupling hole 705; if the coupling hole 705 is formed with an annular flange portion, the end surface of the handle attachment portion 520 is shielded by the annular flange portion and only the umbrella-shaped receiving portion 530 is exposed.

As described above, when the first ventilation flow path 508 is formed at any one of the left and right sides of the first through hole 507 and the communication port is directly exposed to the outside, the communication port can be sealed by the inner surface (i.e., the surface facing the frame portion) of the first extension portion 702 when the handle 70 is in the storage state, and the communication port is exposed to the outside and outside air enters the container through the communication port and the first ventilation flow path 508 when the handle is in the use state, so that the pressure in the storage space inside the container is brought to the atmospheric pressure to release the vacuum state.

If the communication port of the first ventilation flow path 508 is provided at the interface between the intermediate portion 503 and the handle attachment portion 520 and the communication port of the second ventilation flow path 509 is provided at the outer peripheral surface (for example, the highest portion) of the handle attachment portion 520, as shown in fig. 8 a, a third ventilation flow path 704 that communicates the second ventilation flow path 509 with the outside is formed on the inner surface of the first extension portion 702, and the third ventilation flow path 704 is formed partially recessed on the inner surface of the first extension portion 702 and penetrates to the inner peripheral surface (the coupling surface) of the coupling hole of the handle. At this time, a valve member 706 is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the coupling hole 705 of the first extension portion 702 and the outer peripheral surface of the handle attachment portion 520, and a valve hole h2 is formed in the valve member 706 at a position corresponding to the third air flow passage 704. As shown in fig. 8(a) and (b), the valve member 706 is formed as an annular seal ring having a shape matching the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 705, and has a predetermined width and thickness, and the valve member 706 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 705 such that the valve hole h2 communicates with the third communication path 704, so that the valve member 706 rotates together when the handle 70 is rotated. In this case, when the handle 70 is in the storage state, the portion of the valve member 706 not provided with the valve hole h2 seals the communication port of the second ventilation flow path on the outer peripheral surface of the handle attachment portion 520, and when the handle is in the use state, the third ventilation flow path 704 communicates with the second ventilation flow path 509 and the first ventilation flow path 508 via the valve hole h2, so that the outside air enters the storage space of the container via the third ventilation flow path 704, the valve hole h2, the second ventilation flow path 509 and the first ventilation flow path 508, and the vacuum state of the container is released.

When the communication port of the second air flow passage 509 is provided in the end surface 506 of the handle attachment portion 520, a third air flow passage 704 for communicating the second air flow passage 509 with the outside is continuously formed in the inner surface of the annular flange portion of the coupling hole 705 of the handle 70, the inner peripheral surface of the coupling hole, and the inner surface of the handle 70, so that the communication port is sealed when the handle 70 is in the storage state, and the communication port is opened when the handle 70 is in the use state. In this case, a valve member having a valve hole is similarly provided between the inner surface of the annular flange portion and the end surface 506.

When the communication port of the first ventilation flow path 508 is directly exposed to the outer surface of the frame portion 50 or the communication port of the second ventilation flow path 509 is formed in the end surface 506 of the handle mounting portion, at least the grip portion 701 of the handle 70 has elasticity such that the inner surface of the first extension portion 702 or the inner surface of the annular flange portion seals the communication port by the elasticity, in order to improve the sealing property of the communication port by facing the inner surface of the first extension portion 702 or the inner surface of the annular flange portion.

Fig. 9(a) and (b) show a schematic structural view of the vacuum valve 80, in which fig. 9(a) is an exploded view and fig. 9(b) is a right side view of the valve seat 802. As shown in fig. 9(a), the vacuum valve 80 includes: a valve seat 802, a valve body 803 having a valve shaft 804, a guide 807 that guides the axial movement of the valve shaft 804, and a spring 806 that is fitted over the valve shaft 804 between the valve body 803 and the guide 807. The spring 806 is used to restore the valve body 803 to hermetically seal the communication hole 801 and maintain the vacuum state of the container when the vacuum pump stops driving.

As shown in fig. 9(a) and (b), the valve seat 802 is cylindrical with one side surface open and the other side surface provided with a communication hole 801, and the valve main body 805 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the communication hole 801 and smaller than the inner diameter of the valve seat 802. The valve main body 805 may be formed of a sealing material, or in the case where the valve main body 805 and the valve shaft 804 are integrally molded from the same material, a sealing member may be provided between the valve main body 805 and the valve seat 802.

The guide 807 is preferably formed in a hub shape including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of coupling members that couple the inner ring and the outer ring, the inner ring having a guide hole H1 formed at the center thereof for guiding the axial movement of the valve shaft 804, and the inner ring and the outer ring having a vent hole H formed therebetween at intervals by the plurality of coupling members. Four connections are shown but are not limited thereto.

The vacuum valve 80 is constructed by sequentially installing a valve body 803, a spring 806 and a guide member 807 in a valve seat 802, wherein the guide member 807 is preferably detachably fixed to an opening side of the vacuum valve 80, thereby realizing modularization of the vacuum valve and facilitating replacement and maintenance of the vacuum valve.

The assembled vacuum valve 80 is fitted into the first through hole 507, and the outer circumferential surface of the vacuum valve 80 and the inner circumferential surface of the first through hole 507 are hermetically bonded.

In the vacuum valve 80, the cylindrical valve seat 802 forms an accommodation space for accommodating the valve element 803, the spring 806, and the guide 807, but the accommodation space is not essential in the present invention, and the first through hole 507 may be substituted for the accommodation space, and therefore, the valve seat 802 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a plate shape.

Considering only the vacuum process, only the vacuum valve 80 may be provided in the first through hole 507, and the handle mounting portion 520 having the receiving portion 530 formed therein is not required to be separately provided, and in this case, the communication port of the first through hole 507 near the outside is substituted for the receiving portion. If only vacuum treatment is considered, the first through-hole 507 may be provided in the container body or the frame portion as described above.

As another modification, the vacuum valve includes only a plate-shaped valve seat, a valve body, and a spring, and the guide 807 and the valve shaft 804 may be omitted. In this case, the inner diameter of the spring is not smaller than the inner diameter of the central hole 505 of the receiving portion 530, and one end of the spring 806 is fixed to the inner surface of the handle mounting portion 520 on the side opposite to the end surface, and the other end is fixed to the valve main body.

Next, referring to fig. 10 and 11, a procedure of performing a vacuum process on the container 30 and releasing the vacuum state of the storage chamber of the container 30 will be described by taking as an example a configuration in which an insertion portion is formed in the handle mounting portion, a vacuum valve is provided in the frame portion at a position corresponding to the insertion portion, and a communication port of the second ventilation channel is formed at a highest position in the outer peripheral surface of the handle mounting portion.

Fig. 10(a) is a schematic view showing an initial position of the valve main body 803 in a state where the container 30 is to be evacuated, and fig. 10(b) is a view showing the valve main body 803 moved to open the communication hole 801 by the driving of the vacuum pump; fig. 11(a) shows a view in which the valve main body 803 is returned to the initial position when the vacuum pump stops driving, and fig. 11(b) shows a schematic view in which the first vent flow path 508, the second vent flow path 509, the valve hole h2, and the third vent flow path 704 are communicated by rotating the handle 70.

As shown in fig. 3, three containers 30 are simultaneously placed in the drawer 20, and at this time, as shown in fig. 4, the access portion 530 of each container 30 is exposed to the outside, and the handle 70 is in the storage state to hermetically seal the communication port of the second ventilation flow path; then, the drawer 20 is pushed into the storage space S, at this time, the vacuum connector of the storage space S is automatically inserted into the receiving portion 530, the valve main body 803 opens the communication hole 801 against the spring force of the spring 806 by the suction force of the vacuum pump, so that the air in the storage chamber inside the container is discharged to the outside through the communication hole 801, the first through hole 507, the vent hole H, and the central hole 505 in the direction of the arrow shown in fig. 10(b), and when the vacuum sensor detects that the pressure inside the container reaches the preset value, a stop signal is transmitted to the control portion, and the control portion stops the driving of the vacuum pump. At this time, as shown in fig. 11(a), the valve main body 805 is restored by the spring force of the spring 806 to close the communication hole 801 airtightly again. Since the valve main body is reset to hermetically close the communication hole and the handle is in the stored state to hermetically seal the communication port of the second ventilation flow path, the container is kept in a vacuum state until the user pulls out the drawer and rotates the handle from the stored state to the use state.

When a user wants to take out food from a certain container 30, the user pulls out the drawer 20 as shown in fig. 3, the vacuum joint of the storage space S is automatically separated from the access part 530, and after the drawer 20 is completely pulled out, the user rotates the handle 70 of the target container from the storage state to the use state (the upright state), and at this time, as shown in fig. 11(b), the third ventilation flow path 704, the valve hole h2, the second ventilation flow path 509, and the first ventilation flow path 508 on the inner side surface of the first extension part 702 and/or the second extension part 703 are communicated, so that the external air enters the storage chamber inside the container through the third ventilation flow path 704, the valve hole h2, the second ventilation flow path 509, and the first ventilation flow path 508 in the arrow direction shown in fig. 11(b), thereby releasing the vacuum state, and then releasing the locking state of the locking mechanism, and opening the cover unit 90, and taking out the food.

As described above, if only the vacuum process is considered, in the container 30 shown in fig. 5, the vacuum valve may be provided at a portion of the container body or the frame portion corresponding to the vacuum connector of the food storage device.

In addition to the vacuum treatment, when it is considered that the vacuum state in the container is released by the rotation of the handle, the first ventilation channel is provided on either one of the left side and the right side of the joint portion between the handle and the frame portion in the frame portion, so that the handle hermetically seals the first ventilation channel in the storage state, and the second ventilation channel is opened to release the vacuum state in the container in the use state.

As described above, in the case where the connection portion of the vacuum joint and the second ventilation flow path are provided in the handle mounting portion which is the joint portion of the handle and the frame portion, the third ventilation flow path communicating with the second ventilation flow path is provided in the handle, and the vacuum valve is provided in the frame portion at a position corresponding to the handle mounting portion, since the vacuum processing mechanism and the vacuum releasing mechanism are both provided in the same portion, i.e., the handle mounting portion, the structure is simplified, and the user can complete two operations of releasing the vacuum state and lifting the container at the same time by only a simple operation of rotating the handle, thereby improving the user experience.

In the case where the vacuum valve, the receiving portion, and the first ventilation flow path for releasing the vacuum state are provided on both opposite sides of the frame portion, the user does not need to consider the front and rear when putting the container in the drawer, and the first ventilation flow paths on both sides of the frame portion are simultaneously ventilated to the outside, so that the time required for releasing the vacuum is shortened.

According to the invention, the vacuum state can be released by simple action of rotating the handle, and a user does not need to firstly release the vacuum state and then lift the container; because the vacuum pumping structure and the structure for releasing the vacuum state are both arranged on the handle mounting part, the structure is compact, and a vent valve for releasing the vacuum state is not required to be additionally designed, so that the container is simple in appearance and low in manufacturing cost; because the two sides of the frame part are respectively provided with the vacuum pumping structures, a user does not need to distinguish the direction when putting the container into the drawer, and the operation is easy; since the ventilation flow paths for releasing the vacuum state are provided on both sides of the frame portion and both end portions of the handle, the vacuum state can be released quickly.

The present invention has been described above by way of a modification of the embodiment. It should be understood that the above-described embodiments or modifications are only a part, not all, of the present invention, and the described embodiments or modifications are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. All other embodiments or modifications which can be obtained by a person skilled in the art without any inventive step based on the above embodiments or modifications belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (19)

1. A vacuum containment vessel, comprising:

a container body having an open upper surface and a storage space formed therein;

a vacuum valve for applying vacuum to the storage space and maintaining a vacuum state;

a frame portion airtightly coupled to an upper end of the container body, having a lid attached thereto to airtightly cover the container body, and having a first ventilation passage formed therein to ventilate the storage space from outside; and

a handle attached to the frame, provided with a valve member for selectively opening and closing the first ventilation flow path, and rotatable between a storage state and a use state;

when the handle is rotated from the storage state to the use state with the storage space in a vacuum state, the valve member opens the first ventilation flow path to release the vacuum state of the storage space, and when the handle is rotated from the use state to the storage state, the valve member hermetically seals the first ventilation flow path.

2. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 1,

the handle includes a grip portion extending in a horizontal direction and first and second extension portions bent vertically from both ends of the grip portion, and the handle is coupled on opposite sides of the frame portion across the storage space.

3. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 1,

a first through hole communicating the storage space with the outside is formed at least one of opposite sides of the frame part, and the vacuum valve is installed in the first through hole.

4. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 3,

the handle installation part is formed at the central position of two opposite sides of the frame part along the horizontal direction and protrudes outwards with a preset thickness, and the handle installation part on at least one side is provided with an access part which is communicated with the first through hole and is accessed by an external vacuum joint.

5. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 4,

the insertion portion includes a central hole communicating with the first through hole and an umbrella surface spreading outward from the central hole to an end surface of the handle mounting portion.

6. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 4,

the first ventilation channel is formed in a portion of the frame portion that is spaced apart from the first through hole by a predetermined distance.

7. The vacuum sealed container of claim 6,

the handle attachment portion is formed with a second ventilation flow path that communicates with the first ventilation flow path and communicates with the outside.

8. The vacuum sealed container of claim 7,

the handle comprises a holding part extending along the horizontal direction, and a first extending part and a second extending part which are vertically bent from two ends of the holding part, wherein combining parts combined with the outer peripheral surface of the handle mounting part are respectively formed at two ends of the first extending part and the second extending part, and the combining parts are provided with combining surfaces combined with the outer peripheral surface of the handle mounting part.

9. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 8,

a communication port of the second ventilation passage communicating with the outside is formed in an outer peripheral surface of the handle mounting portion, a third ventilation passage communicating with the outside is formed in an inner surface of the handle close to the frame portion, and the third ventilation passage is partially recessed in the inner surface of the handle, penetrates the joint surface, and communicates with the second ventilation passage via the communication port;

the valve member is provided between the outer peripheral surface and the joint surface, a valve hole is formed in a portion of the valve member corresponding to the third air flow path, the valve member is fixed to the joint surface so that the valve hole communicates with the third air flow path, the valve hole and the communication port are offset when the handle is in the storage state, and the valve hole and the communication port overlap and communicate when the handle is in the use state.

10. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 8,

a communication port of the second ventilation flow path communicating with the outside is formed in an end surface of the handle mounting portion, an annular flange portion covering the end surface is formed on an outer side of a joint surface of the handle, and a third ventilation flow path communicating the second ventilation flow path with the outside is continuously formed on an inner side surface of the annular flange portion, the joint surface, and the inner side surface of the handle;

the valve member is provided between the end surface and the annular flange portion, a valve hole is formed in a portion of the valve member corresponding to the third communication path, the valve member is fixed to the annular flange portion so that the valve hole communicates with the third communication path, the valve hole is displaced from the communication port when the handle is in the storage state, and the valve hole overlaps and communicates with the communication port when the handle is in the use state.

11. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 1,

the rotation angle of the handle between the storage state and the use state is approximately 90 degrees.

12. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 1,

at least a part of at least one of the container body and the lid is formed of a see-through material.

13. The vacuum sealed container according to claim 5,

the handle mounting portion is integrally formed with the frame portion.

14. A vacuum tight container according to any of claims 1 to 13,

the frame portion (50) is rectangular in shape.

15. A vacuum tight container according to any of claims 1 to 4,

the vacuum valve includes:

a cylindrical valve seat, a bottom wall of which is provided with a communication hole for communicating the storage space with the outside, and the opposite side of which is open;

a valve body accommodated in a cylindrical space of the valve seat, and including a valve main body selectively closing the communication hole by moving in the cylindrical space, and a valve shaft formed to protrude from the valve main body;

a guide member fixed to an opening of the cylindrical valve seat, having a guide hole formed at a center thereof to guide movement of the valve shaft, and having a vent hole formed at an outer periphery thereof; and

a spring; the valve shaft is sleeved on the valve body and is positioned between the valve body and the guide piece.

16. The vacuum sealed container of claim 15,

the guide is formed in a hub shape including an inner race having the guide hole and an outer race connected to the inner race via a plurality of connectors; the vent holes are formed among the plurality of connecting pieces.

17. A storage compartment comprising at least one vacuum tight container according to any of claims 1 to 16.

18. A food storage device comprising the storage compartment of claim 17.

19. The food storage device of claim 18,

the method comprises the following steps:

an instruction receiving unit for receiving an instruction for opening and closing the storage chamber from a user;

a lead-in and lead-out unit that leads in and out of the storage room based on the instruction; and

and the control unit is used for controlling the action of the lead-in and lead-out unit based on the instruction.

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