Vacuum bag

Abstract

A vacuum bag includes a base; a peripheral wall formed on an edge of the base and including an opening and a plurality of sides; and a vacuum device disposed on one of the sides of the peripheral wall and including a first non-stick member on an inner surface of one of the sides of the peripheral wall, and at least one second non-stick member each disposed on an inner surface of one of the remaining sides of the peripheral wall.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to food storage and more particularly to a vacuum bag for storing an air sensitive material (e.g., food).

2. Description of Related Art

We may store a lot of air sensitive materials such as food including as vegetables, fruits and the like in a refrigerator in our daily life. Dried food such as beans, peanuts and biscuits are enclosed in a bag prior to store in a dried environment. However, moisture in the air may oxidize or even spoil the food if the storage is not sufficiently sealed.

Containers or bags made of environmentally friendly material are used to store food, daily items and the like. There are vacuum bags made of plastic available. However, the plastic bags cannot be heated. To the contrary, vacuum bags made of environmentally friendly material (e.g., silicon) can be heated. Further, no vacuum bags made of silicon for storing food are commercially available as the present inventor is aware. It is often that not all space of a bag is occupied by food. That is, there is air in the bag. Life of the stored food is short. It is also often that there is a large space of the bag not occupied by a large food bag therein. Thus, the precious space of a refrigerator having the stored bag is wasted.

A conventional vacuum bag can be squeezed to expel air out of it internal space and seal the bag by separating the atmosphere from the stored items. This not only decreases the size of the bag but also prevents air from oxidizing or even spoiling the stored items. It is typically used to store non-food items such as clothing due to its low air permeability, exceptionally good air separation capability and opaqueness.

However, there is no vacuum bags made of silicon for storing food such as beans, meats and the like are commercially available as the present inventor is aware.

Thus, the need for improvement still exists.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems of the conventional art including food spoiled by trapped air, short life of stored food, not all space of the bag being utilized when a large item is stored therein, and large unoccupied space of the refrigerator by providing a vacuum bag having novel and nonobvious characteristics.

To achieve above and other objects of the invention, the invention provides a vacuum bag comprising a base; a peripheral wall formed on an edge of the base and including an opening and a plurality of sides; and a vacuum device disposed on one of the sides of the peripheral wall and including a first non-stick member on an inner surface of one of the sides of the peripheral wall, and at least one second non-stick member each disposed on an inner surface of one of the remaining sides of the peripheral wall.

Preferably, the first non-stick member includes a plurality of projections equally spaced apart and a plurality of grooves equally spaced apart along the virtual circle, and each of the grooves is disposed between two adjacent ones of the projections.

Preferably, the projections are elongated, the grooves are elongated, and the projections and the grooves are disposed on an inner surface of the vacuum device. Preferably, the second non-stick member is a sheet of sandpaper formed on at least one of the sides of the peripheral wall.

Preferably, further comprises a closing device on the mouth of the opening for closing the opening prior to a vacuum operation.

Preferably, the closing device is elongated and alternated.

Preferably, the vacuum device is a vacuum valve.

Preferably, further comprises a releasable fixing member disposed across the mouth of the opening.

Preferably, further comprises two opposite rings disposed on the mouth of the opening.

Preferably, the vacuum device includes a vent hole and a plurality of numerals around the vent hole, further comprises a suspending plug configured to insert in the vent hole and including a pointer configured to point one of the numerals when the plug is inserted in the vent hole.

The vacuum bag of the invention has the following advantageous effects in comparison with the prior art: The vacuum device is provided on the wall and is capable of drawing air out of the bag. The non-stick member is provided on the inner surface of the wall. This arrangement prevents the sides of the wall from being stuck together in an air drawing operation. Thus, the vacuuming operation of drawing air out of the vacuum bag is made possible.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum bag according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the vacuum bag;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vacuum bag according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the vacuum bag of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is still another perspective view of the vacuum bag of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a vacuum bag in accordance with the invention comprises the following components as discussed in detail below.

A base 100 is provided. A peripheral wall 200 is formed on an edge of the base 100. A vacuum device 300 is provided on the wall 200. The wall 200 includes an opening 210 and a plurality of sides 220. The vacuum device 300 is disposed on an upper portion of one side 220. The vacuum device 300 includes a first non-stick member 410 on an inner surface of one side 220. A second non-stick member 221 is provided on an inner surface of one of the remaining sides 220. The first non-stick member 410 is provided on an inner surface of the vacuum device 300. This arrangement prevents the sides 220 from being stuck together in an air drawing operation. Thus, the vacuuming operation of drawing air out of the vacuum bag i is made possible.

In an embodiment, the first non-stick member 410 includes a plurality of projections 411 equally spaced apart along a virtual circle and a plurality of grooves 412 equally spaced apart along the virtual circle in which each groove 412 is disposed between two adjacent projections 411. The projections 411 serve as a means for separating one side 220 from contacting any of the remaining three sides 220 when the vacuuming operation is performed.

The projections 411 are elongated and the grooves 412 are also elongated. The projections 411 and the grooves 412 are provided on an inner surface of the vacuum device 300.

Preferably, the second non-stick member 221 is implemented as a sheet of sandpaper. Alternatively, the second non-stick member 221 is implemented a plurality of protrusions. Preferably, one or two sides 220 each are formed with the second non-stick member 221. More preferably, all sides 220 each are provided with the second non-stick member 221. Still more preferably, three sides 220 each are provided with the second non-stick member 221 and only one side 220 is smooth. One side 220 corresponds with the inner surface of the vacuum device 300.

As shown in FIG. 5, a smooth disc shaped member 2211 is provided on inner surface of one side 220 with the vacuum device 300 provided on an outer surface of one side 220 so that the smooth disc shaped member 2211 may stay attached to the inner surface of the vacuum device 300 when their corresponding sides 220 contact. This prevents air from flowing back.

It is known that the sides 220 are prone to stick together in the vacuum operation, thereby compromising the vacuum operation, thereby compromising the vacuum operation. Thus, it is preferred to have inner surfaces of two sides 220 each provided with the second non-stick member 221 implemented as a sheet of sandpaper or have the inner surface of one side 220 provided with the second non-stick member 221 implemented as a sheet of sandpaper and the inner surface of the other side 220 being smooth. This arrangement prevents the sides 220 from sticking together in the vacuum operation, thereby facilitating the vacuum operation.

There is further provided a closing device 500 on inside of the mouth of the opening 210 for closing the opening 210 prior to the vacuum operation.

Preferably, the closing device 500 projects out of the sides 220, is elongated, and is alternated.

Preferably, the vacuum device 300 is a vacuum valve which is a one-way valve for drawing air out of the vacuum bag.

There are further provided a rope 321 and a plug 320 at an end of the rope 321. The vacuum device 300 includes a vent hole 310 for drawing air out of the vacuum bag through the vent hole 210. After a vacuum has been created in the vacuum bag, a person may insert the plug 320 in the vent hole 310 to close the vent hole 310, thereby keeping the vacuum. Thereafter, the person may pull the rope 321 prior to storing the vacuum bag in a refrigerator.

Seven indicators 301 include numerals 1 (representing Monday), 2 (representing Tuesday), 3 (representing Wednesday), 4 (representing Thursday), 5 (representing Friday), 6 (representing Saturday) and 7 (representing Sunday) are provided circularly around the vent hole 310. The plug 320 has a pointer 3200 pointing at one of the seven indicators 301 when the plug 320 is inserted in the vent hole 310. This can remind a person when the plug 320 was inserted in the vent hole 310 and thus the person is aware of the life of stored food.

In use, a person first puts the food in the bag, then closes the bag, and then activates a vacuum pump to draw air out of the bag through the vacuum valve. Thus, the food is stored in a vacuum environment in the size decreased bag.

As shown in FIG. 2, a releasable fixing member 610 is further provided across the mouth of the opening 210 for keeping shape of the open bag prior to closing the bag.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, two opposite rings 620 are provided on the mouth of the opening 210.

The invention has the following advantageous effects in comparison with the prior art: The vacuum device 300 is provided on the wall 200 and is capable of drawing air out of the bag. The non-stick member is provided on the inner surface of the wall 200. This arrangement prevents the sides of the wall 200 from being stuck together in an air drawing operation. Thus, the vacuuming operation of drawing air out of the vacuum bag is made possible.

While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum bag comprising:

a base;

a peripheral wall formed on an edge of the base and including an opening and a plurality of sides; and

a vacuum device disposed on one of the sides of the peripheral wall and including a first non-stick member on an inner surface of one of the sides of the peripheral wall, and at least one second non-stick member each disposed on an inner surface of one of the remaining sides of the peripheral wall.

2. The vacuum bag of claim 1, wherein the first non-stick member includes a plurality of projections equally spaced apart and a plurality of grooves equally spaced apart along the virtual circle, and wherein each of the grooves is disposed between two adjacent ones of the projections.

3. The vacuum bag of claim 2, wherein the projections are elongated, the grooves are elongated, and the projections and the grooves are disposed on an inner surface of the vacuum device.

4. The vacuum bag of claim 3, wherein the second non-stick member is a sheet of sandpaper formed on at least one of the sides of the peripheral wall.

5. The vacuum bag of claim 1, further comprising a closing device on the opening for closing the opening prior to a vacuum operation.

6. The vacuum bag of claim 5, wherein the closing device is elongated and alternated.

7. The vacuum bag of claim 6, wherein the vacuum device is a vacuum valve.

8. The vacuum bag of claim 7, further comprising an elongated, releasable fixing member disposed across the opening.

9. The vacuum bag of claim 7, further comprising two opposite rings disposed on the opening.

10. The vacuum bag of claim 1, wherein the vacuum device includes a vent hole and a plurality of numerals around the vent hole, further comprising a suspending plug configured to insert in the vent hole and including a pointer configured to point at one of the numerals when the plug is inserted in the vent hole.