Selectively sealable evacuable storage bag and method of making and using the same

A method of making a selectively sealable evacuable storage bag, comprising:

• forming a first side comprising a flexible waterproof bag material having a first peripheral shape, a thickness, a first inner surface and a first outer surface;
• forming an opposed second side comprising the flexible waterproof bag material having a second peripheral shape that comprises a mirror image of the first peripheral shape, the thickness, a second inner surface, and a second outer surface;
• forming a conduit opening in one of the first side or second side;
• placing the first peripheral shape and first inner surface in corresponding engagement with the second peripheral shape and second inner surface;
• welding the first side to the second side and forming a waterproof weld joining a first peripheral portion of the first side to a second peripheral portion of the second side and defining an opening on an open end, a closed end, and a storage chamber extending between them, the opening configured to receive an article within the storage chamber;
• disposing a conduit over the conduit opening and welding the conduit sealably to the respective first side or second side, the conduit extending from a conduit opening in the respective first side or second side to an outlet opening;
• disposing a selectively actuable valve in the conduit so that the selectively actuable valve is sealably disposed on the respective first side or second side;
• and
• forming a selectively openable and closable seal disposed proximate the opening and configured to enable insertion and extraction of the article in an open condition and a watertight and airtight seal in a closed condition, wherein in the closed condition of the selectively openable and closable seal the storage chamber is evacuable from an unevacuated condition to an evacuated condition by selective removal of a gas through the selectively actuable valve.

A method of using a selectively sealable evacuable storage bag, comprising:

• forming a selectively sealable evacuable storage bag, comprising:
• a first side comprising a flexible waterproof bag material having a first peripheral shape, a thickness, a first inner surface and a first outer surface;
• an opposed second side comprising the flexible waterproof bag material having a second peripheral shape that comprises a mirror image of the first peripheral shape, the thickness, a second inner surface, and a second outer surface, the first peripheral shape and first inner surface in corresponding engagement with the second peripheral shape and second inner surface;
• a waterproof weld joining a first peripheral portion of the first side to a second peripheral portion of the second side and defining an opening on an open end, a closed end, and a storage chamber extending between them, the opening configured to receive an article within the storage chamber;
• a selectively actuable valve sealably disposed on the first side or the second side, the selectively actuable valve disposed in a conduit that is sealably attached to the respective first side or second side and extends from a conduit opening in the respective first side or second side to an outlet opening;
• and a selectively openable and closable seal disposed proximate the opening and configured to enable insertion and extraction of the article in an open condition and a watertight and airtight seal in a closed condition, wherein in the closed condition of the selectively openable and closable seal the storage chamber is evacuable from an unevacuated condition to an evacuated condition by selective removal of a gas through the selectively actuable valve;
• disposing the article within the storage chamber;
• closing the selectively openable and closable seal;
• evacuating the storage chamber to the evacuated condition;
• wherein the flexible waterproof bag material is configured to conform to the article in the evacuated condition, and wherein the flexible waterproof bag material is selected to provide selective operability of the article and a predetermined member of the article in the non-evacuated condition or the evacuated condition;
• and
• operating the article within the storage chamber.