KR20030051759A - Device for evacuating a food storage container closable by a valve - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for emptying food storage containers. The invention is characterised in that the device is embodied as an attachment (1) for a hand-held electrical household appliance, particularly a rod mixer and comprises a vacuum pump (17). The invention also relates to a method for emptying a food storage container, whereby an attachment comprising a vacuum pump is disposed on a rod mixer. The inventive attachment is advantageous in that it is provided with a small, economical and easy to handle vacuum pump for use in the household. In contrast to prior art no completely new household appliance with corresponding additional storage requirements needs to be added. The inventive attachment is simple and safe to use in the household.

Description

Valve sealed food storage container vacuumizer {DEVICE FOR EVACUATING A FOOD STORAGE CONTAINER CLOSABLE BY A VALVE}

In the art, food storage systems are known that allow food to be preserved in a better basis than if stored without any treatment or improvement of storage conditions. One way to improve food storage is to keep food in a vacuum container. Such systems have been found to have very good results in the prevention of growth of certain microorganisms and pests, fungi and fungi. The system also helps to prevent oxidation of the food, thereby avoiding altering the moisture content and aroma of the food.

In order to create such a storage state, a device is needed to draw air out of the storage vessel and generate a vacuum. Pumps having such a function are known in the art. Household pumps are usually based on piston pumps or ventilators.

U.S. Patent 5,195,427 discloses a conventional portable electric vacuum pump for home use. This portable device is used solely as a vacuum pump and consists of a number of individual parts. In particular, there is provided a complex device for converting the rotational movement of the shaft into vibratory movement and a suitable reduction gear for driving the piston pump. This system is for evacuating food storage containers. Using this device, it is easy to obtain a pressure ratio suitable for storing food in a vacuum container.

Immersion blenders are known from DE 195 04 638 A1 for mixing or pulverizing food, which blades rotate in a bell-shaped recess to generate a vacuum through the fluid connection from the top of the blender shank. The vacuum in the bell-shaped recess serves to enhance and enhance the mixing of the food.

From German Utility Model 299 20 316 U1, an apparatus for generating a vacuum in a container using a vacuum cleaner as a vacuum generator is known. For this purpose, a connection member in the form of an attachment to a vacuum cleaner is used, which can be mounted to a valve located in the lid of the container. Vacuum generators composed of vacuum cleaners are difficult and complicated to handle. Hygiene problems may arise when used for food.

Electric vacuum pumps introduced for domestic use are very difficult to manufacture because of the large number of parts required for the rod mechanism and gears. In addition, the dimensions of the installation become relatively large. In addition, purchasing a corresponding vacuum pump means that you must have additional household items that are only used a few times.

The invention relates to an apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention for evacuating a food storage container.

2 is an exploded perspective view of the device of FIG. 1;

3 is a detailed perspective view of the vane type pump forming part of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

4 is a perspective view of the immersion blender together with the accessory device according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention for evacuating a food storage container having a float section.

6 is a graph comparing the time for evacuating the 700 ml container of the accessory device of the present invention with the time for evacuating the container in the case of a conventional household vacuum pump.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for evacuating food storage containers that is easy to manufacture and excellent in economy.

This object is achieved for a vacuuming apparatus of a valve-closed food storage container, having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

An accessory of the present invention for a portable household appliance has the advantage of providing a small, inexpensive and easily usable domestic vacuum pump. Unlike solutions known in the art, completely new home appliances and corresponding additional storage space are not needed. Rather, the accessory device of the present invention adds more useful components to existing accessory devices such as mixers, blenders and the like. This is a very space-saving and much less expensive solution than additional electrical appliances with their own drive. In addition, the accessory device of the present invention is easy and safe for home use. The present invention is a simple and economical solution because it connects the two shaft ends firmly in a simple manner by fastening the shaft couplings with a plug. In this configuration, the shaft coupling can be manufactured by spur gear.

One advantageous embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the features of claim 2. This type of vacuum pump has much higher suction power than the domestic vacuum pumps used today. The overall height can also be small because no complicated rod mechanism and gears are required. The vacuum pump may be directly driven according to the rotation frequency of the drive shaft of the household goods. It also has a positive effect on manufacturing costs by reducing the number of parts. Finally, such vane pumps can generate the required level of pressure in the food container in just a few seconds.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the features of claim 3. In this embodiment, a sealing lip is formed by the circumferential edge of the elastic plastic material protruding from the suction side. The cross section of this sealing lip can be widened towards the free end. This makes it easier for the accessory device of the present invention to be mounted on an appropriate valve of a food storage container. Thus, as in the prior art device, it is not necessary to position the accessory device in the center of the valve opening. In this case the sealing lip serves as a suction cup.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the features of claim 4. This embodiment enables a simple and inexpensive pluggable connection with a portable household appliance such as an immersion blender. This pluggable connection is very robust and can serve as a centering device for connecting shaft couplings.

Finally, another advantageous embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the features of claim 5. In this embodiment an additional safety function is provided to prevent liquid from entering the pump chamber during the operation of evacuating the container. This solution is simple and inexpensive. For example, a simple spherical float can be provided in the riser, which floats on the liquid surface, closing the valve opening when the liquid reaches a predetermined level.

Another advantageous aspect of the invention is disclosed in the features of claim 6. According to this aspect, the vacuum pump of the accessory device is temperature resistant in the operating range. It also exhibits self-lubricating effect. Therefore, this vacuum pump has a low pressure loss and requires no maintenance.

Another advantageous aspect is disclosed in the features of claim 7. As in the case of claim 6, temperature resistance is ensured in the operating range. However, it can withstand centrifugal forces that occur without deforming unacceptably. This is also facilitated by the lightweight construction associated with the material.

Another advantageous aspect is disclosed in the features of claim 8. In this configuration, a thin plate, for example a rectangular plate, can be freely moved, driven only by centrifugal force, or otherwise exposed to spring pressure. By properly selecting the material, a maintenance free self-lubricating structure can be obtained.

Finally, another advantageous embodiment of the accessory device of the invention is disclosed in the features of claim 9. The material selection in this embodiment is for an inexpensive hygienic structure that enables a variety of designs. Possible materials are, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamides or other thermoplastic materials.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be described in the description of the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the following, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one advantageous embodiment of the accessory device 1 according to the invention. This accessory 1 has a coupling section 2, a pump section 3 and a suction section 4.

The coupling section is formed from a cup-shaped plug shank 6 and a coupling gear 7 located within the shank. A base opening 9 is provided in the base region of the plug-in shank, and the shank 8 connected with the coupling gear 7 passes through the base opening.

The vacuum pump located in the pump section 3 is configured as a vane pump 17 as shown in the detailed perspective view of FIG. 3. The pump housing of the vane type pump is formed of a graphite ring 16, and the graphite ring is covered with a circular upper disk 18 and a lower disk 12 at upper and lower ends, respectively. The cylindrical rotor 10 is mounted in an eccentric state in the pump housing and rotates. The radial grooves 32 are uniformly distributed in the rotor 10. The radial groove 32 houses a thin plate 11 that can be displaced in the radial direction. In the present embodiment, the thin plate 11 is pressed against the graphite ring 16 by centrifugal force in a state supported by the force of the spring 26. As a result, a fluid supply cell 22 which is widened and narrowed in a crescent shape is formed.

As is apparent from FIG. 1, the rotor 10 is connected to a shaft 8, one end of which penetrates the upper disk 18. The end of the shaft 8 protruding from the upper disk 18 has a coupling gear 7 configured as a spur gear. In addition, the coupling section 2 is provided with an annular sheath continuously along the wall of the housing 5. The axial side housing end of the accessory device 1, configured as a plug-in shank 6, is for connecting to the tool side end of the immersive blender.

At the other end of the housing 5, a circumferential sealing lip 13 made of elastic rubber material is formed around the outer circumference, which is connected to the bar 14 via the groove 15. The sealing lip 13 is configured to act as a kind of suction cup during operation. The cover 33 fitted to this end of the housing is provided with an appropriate suction slot 28. This suction slot 28 is located in the cover 33 section surrounded by the annular sealing lip 13.

2 is a schematic exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 1. In Fig. 2 a generally cup-shaped plug shank 6 is shown in the coupling section 2, with the coupling gear 7 at the bottom of the plug shank. In addition, a rotor 10 and a shaft 8 are schematically shown in the pump section 3, which connects the coupling gear 7 to the rotor 10. The rotor 10 is housed in a graphite ring 16, which is disposed in the housing 5. Finally, the suction port 4 is shown at the bottom of the elongate cylindrical housing 5 together with the sealing lip 13 made of elastic plastic.

3 schematically shows a detailed perspective view of the vane pump 17 of FIG. 1. An open top disc 18 is shown, which, like the cylindrical graphite ring 16 and the bottom disc 12, is made of graphite. In the center of the circular top disk 18 a bore is provided in an eccentric state, which serves as a shaft bearing 20 of the rotor shaft 8, not shown. The shaft bearing 20 is composed of a self-lubricated plain bearing. The rotor 10 supported on the rotor shaft 8 is arranged in a cylindrical graphite ring 16 which, together with the upper disk 18 and the lower disk 12, deflects the pump housing of the vane pump 17. Form.

The carbon fiber rotor 10 is disposed in a state off of the center of the graphite ring 16. Three grooves 32 are formed in the rotor 10 at intervals of 120 ° to each other, and within these grooves, a thin plate 11 is guided to enable longitudinal displacement in the radial direction. The thin plate 11 is manufactured as a generally rectangular graphite plate. At the end facing the shaft bore 21 of the rotor 10, the thin plate 11 is pressurized by the compression spring 26. Also shown is a suction opening 19 disposed in the bottom disk 12 through which the air escapes from the reservoir. The fluid supply cell 22 is formed of a rotor 10, an upper disk 18, a lower disk 12, a graphite ring 16, and a thin plate 11.

When the vane pump 17 is in operation, the rotor rotates at the axial speed of the immersion blender 23. Because of the centrifugal and spring forces the thin plate 11 slides along the inner wall of the graphite ring, resulting in no pressure compensation between the various fluid supply cells.

4 is a perspective view of the accessory device 1 of the present invention mounted to the output end of the immersion blender 23. In the combination of the generally elongated cylindrical structures, the grip 24 is provided at the top, which the user can hold widely by hand. On the front side of the immersed blender 23 there is provided an operating switch 25 in the upper section which can be easily operated by the holding hand.

In this configuration, the upper region of the housing of the accessory device 1, which is configured as a plug-in shank 6, is pushed over the slightly conical output end of the immersive blender 23. At the same time, the shaft connection for driving the vacuum pump is made simultaneously.

At the lower end of the accessory device 1, a circumferential sealing lip 13 made of elastic plastic is arranged. The smooth outer walls of the accessory device 1 and the immersive blender 23, made of thermoplastic material, make it easy to clean the installation combination, which is particularly important for household goods for hygienic reasons.

The accessory device 1 is connected to the output end of the immersive blender 23 during operation. The accessory device 1 is fixed to the output end of the immersive blender 23 by an annular sheath so that it is not tilted or warped. The output shaft of the immersion blender 23 is firmly engaged with the coupling gear 7 of the vane pump 17. The suction side of the accessory device 1 rests on a valve device located in a food container. The circumferential sealing lip 13 is in intimate contact with the smooth circumferential edge of the connecting mechanism of the valve device. During the evacuation of the reservoir, the rotor 10 of the accessory device 1 is set in rotation by the drive shaft of the immersion blender 23.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the invention in which a float section 29 is further provided. The float section prevents the liquid from entering the vane pump 17. The structure of the coupling section 2 and the pump section 3 in this embodiment is the same as that described above in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4.

In this embodiment the float section 29 is adjacent to the pump section 3. The float section 29 is formed from a cylindrical float housing 31 which is generally made of thermoplastic material. At the lower end of the float housing 31 is provided a bar 14 which engages with the groove 15 of the sealing lip 13 forming the suction port 4.

The float housing 21 is provided with a spherical float 30. Since the float 30 is a hollow body, it floats well on the incoming liquid. When the level of liquid in the float housing 30 reaches a threshold, the bottom opening of the suction pipe 27 is closed by the float 30. This prevents liquid from entering the vane pump 17. An additional suction slot 28 is provided at the bottom of the float housing 31 to ensure that the air in the food container is reliably evacuated.

6 shows a graph showing the time to evacuate the 700 ml vessel. The time t is plotted in seconds on the X axis, and the pressure is plotted in mbar on the Y axis. When t = 0, the pressure inside the vessel is equal to the ambient pressure. When the vacuum pump is activated, the pressure inside the vessel is reduced. The change in pressure as a function of time can be represented by a logarithmic function. Using the embodiment of the present invention, the vessel pressure reached about 300 mbar in 5 seconds, but in the case of the comparative example it only reached a pressure of about 500 to 700 mbar during that time. In the case of the accessory of the present invention, the pressure became 200 mbar immediately after 15 seconds had elapsed, and since then, it has not decreased much. In contrast, in the case of the comparative example, it was only about 300 to 400 mbar after that time. This difference is due to the force and speed for evacuating the container of the accessory device of the present invention.

Claims (9)

A valve-closed food storage container vacuuming apparatus having a vacuum pump driven by rotational movement, It is configured as an accessory device 1 for a portable appliance, in particular an immersion blender or a hand mixer, characterized in that it comprises a shaft coupling 7 which can be connected to the drive shaft of the appliance and actuates the vacuum pump 17. Valve-type food storage container vacuuming apparatus. 2. The vacuum pump (17) according to claim 1, characterized in that the vacuum pump (17) is configured as a vane-type pump in which a rotor (10) formed on a thin plate (11) is formed to move outwardly facing an inner wall of the graphite ring (16). Valve-type food storage container vacuuming apparatus. The valve-sealed food storage container vacuumization according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the accessory device (1) is provided with a circumferential sealing lip (13) which engages in a sealed state with the connecting device on the suction side. Device. The valve-enclosed food storage container vacuum according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the accessory device (1) has a plug-in shank (6) which slides on the conical output end of the portable appliance at the input end. Device. A float section (29) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a float section (29) is provided between the vacuum pump (17) and the sealing lip (13) to prevent liquid from entering the vacuum pump (17). Valve hermetically sealed food storage containers. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the housing of the vacuum pump (17) is formed of a graphite ring, an upper disk (18) and a lower disk (12). 3. The valve-closed food storage container vacuuming device according to claim 2, wherein the rotor (10) of the vacuum pump (17) is made of graphite fibers. 3. The valve-closed food storage container vacuuming device according to claim 2, wherein the thin plate (11) of the vacuum pump (17) is made of graphite. The device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (5) of the accessory device (1) is made of a suitable thermoplastic material.