Storage bag with fluid separator
AssigneeThe Glad Products Company
InventorsDean Zimmerman, Carl L. Bergman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The storage bag includes an interior volume for containing food items and a one-way valve element through which air from the interior volume can be evacuated. To prevent fluids and juices from the stored food items from contaminating the valve element, a separator defining a chamber is included that sealingly connects the valve element to the interior volume. In the separator, fluids and juices separate from the evacuating air by gravitational separation and are returned to the interior volume. In an embodiment, to facilitate packaging and distribution of multiple storage bags, the separator is adjustable between an expanded position for providing the chamber and a collapsed position substantially eliminating the chamber.
Claims19
A storage bag comprising:
- first and second flexible sidewalls, the sidewalls joined along a first side edge, a parallel second side edge, a closed bottom edge, the top edges of the sidewalls un-joined to form an opening for accessing an interior volume;
- first and second interlocking closure strips attached to the respective first and second sidewalls proximate the opening;
- a one-way valve element communicating with the interior volume;
- a separator sealingly connecting the one-way valve element to the first sidewall and being operative to separate fluids and juices entrained in evacuating air during evacuation of the internal volume such that the air that passes through the valve element is relatively devoid of entrained fluids and juices in liquid or droplet form;
- the valve element is positioned medial of the separator;
- wherein the separator is adjustable between a collapsed position and an expanded position, wherein:
- the separator spaces the valve element apart from the first sidewall when the separator is in the expanded position;
- and
- the separator and the valve element coincide with an outer surface of the first sidewall when the separator is in the collapsed position.
A method of evacuating a storage bag comprising:
- providing a bag including a pair of sidewalls joined together to define an interior volume, an opening for accessing the interior volume, first and second interlocking closure strips attached to the sidewalls proximate the opening, a one-way valve element communicating with the interior volume, and a separator protruding outwardly from a first sidewall and sealingly connecting the valve element to the first sidewall, the valve element is positioned medial of the separator, the separator being adjustable between a collapsed position and an expanded position, and wherein the separator spaces the valve element outwardly of and apart from the first sidewall when in the expanded position and the separator and the valve element coincide with an outer surface of the first sidewall when the separator is in the collapsed position;
- closing the opening;
- transferring air from the interior volume to the separator;
- separating fluids from the air in the separator and returning separated fluid to the interior volume;
- and
- exhausting air from the separator through the valve element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.