Preservation and dispensation by volumetric displacement

A volumetric displacement device (10) for retrofitting a preexisting container to maintain a substantially full-full state and thereby preventing usable material (50, 50c, 50d) within said container from degrading due to atmospheric exposure, comprising:

• displacement partition means (28) defining an outer boundary of a displacement matter chamber (48) and comprising a flexible membrane;
• container closure means (12) for sealably attaching to a top of said preexisting container;
• usable material passageway means (16) passing through said container closure means (12), for removing said usable material (50, 50c, 50d) from within said container while said container closure means (12) is sealably so-attached to said top of said preexisting container;
• displacement matter passageway means (44) also passing through said container closure means (12), for introducing displacement matter (52, 52a, 52d) into said displacement matter chamber (48) from outside of said container while said container closure means (12) is sealably so-attached to said top of said preexisting container.

A method for preventing usable material (50, 50c, 50d) from degrading due to atmospheric exposure, using a volumetric displacement device for maintaining a substantially full-fill state of a container said usable material (50, 50c, 50d), comprising the steps of:

• in an initial stage, occupying a usable material chamber (46) with a positive initial volume of usable material (50, 50c, 50d), and introducing a non-negative initial volume of displacement matter (52, 52a, 52d) into a displacement matter chamber (48) separated from said displacement matter chamber (48) using displacement partition means (28) comprising a flexible membrane, thereby substantially filling said device and substantially removing atmospheric air from said device and particularly from contact with said usable material (50, 50c, 50d), the sum of said initial volume of usable material (50, 50c, 50d) plus said initial volume of displacement matter (52, 52a, 52d) defining a total intial material volume;
• removing at least some volume of said usable material (50, 50c, 50d) from said usable material chamber (46), leaving a remaining volume of said usable material (50, 50c, 50d);
• introducing into said displacement matter chamber (48), a volume of new displacement matter (52, 52a, 52d) substantially equivalent to the volume of said usable material (50, 50c, 50d) so-removed from said usable material chamber (46), resulting in a subsequent volume of displacement matter (52, 52a, 52d), thereby again substantially filling said device and substantially removing atmospheric air from said device and particularly from contact with said usable material (50, 50c, 50d), the sum of said remaining volume of usable material (50, 50c, 50d) plus said subsequent volume of displacment matter (52, 52a, 52d) substantially equaling said total initial material volume;
• and
• repeatedly so-removing usable material (50, 50c, 50d) from said usable material chamber (46) and repeatedly so-introducing new displacement matter (52, 52a, 52d) into said displacement matter chamber (48), thereby substantially continuously maintaining said device in a substantially-full state and substantially removing atmospheric air from said device and particularly from contact with said usable material (50, 50c, 50d), as often as desired, until substantially all of said usable material (50, 50c, 50d) has been removed from said device.

A method for preventing usable material (50, 50c, 50d) from degrading due to atmospheric exposure, by retrofitting a volumetric displacement device for maintaining a substantially full-fill state to a preexisting container containing said usable material (50, 50c, 50d), comprising the steps of:

• fitting displacement partition means (28) comprising a flexible membrane and defining an outer boundary of a displacment matter chamber (48) into, and enclosing said displacement partition means (28) within, said preexisting container, said enclosing of said displacement partition means (28) into said preexisting container defining a usable material chamber (46) bounded outwardly by said preexisting container and inwardly by an exterior of said displacement partition means (28);
• and
• sealably-attaching container closure means (12) to a top of said preexisting container, said container closure means (12) comprising:
• usable material passageway means (16) passing through said container closure means (12), for removing said usable material (50, 50c, 50d) form within said usable material chamber (46) of said container while said container closure means (12) is sealably so-attached to said top of said preexisting container;
• displacement matter passageway means (44) also passing through said container closure means (12), for introducing displacement matter (52, 52a, 52d) into said displacement matter chamber (48) from outside of said container while said container closure means (12) is sealably so-attached to said top of said preexisting container.