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US 8,074,685 B2Granted
One-way valve with flapper for vacuum bag
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsMartin Calvo, Linh Pham, Michael Burton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A one-way valve allows air to be drawn from a collapsible, flexible, airtight bag using a vacuum source. When the vacuum source is removed, the one-way valve prevents air from re-entering the bag. The valve assembly comprises a valve base attached to a bag wall and having an opening, a cap base coupled to the valve base, a flapper held in place by the valve base and cap base, and a cap connected to the cap base by a living hinge. When the cap is snapped onto the cap base after bag evacuation, the cap maintains the flapper in a position so that the opening in the valve base stays closed, preventing the admission of ambient air into the evacuated bag.
Claims20
A valve assembly comprising:
- a valve base having an air escape opening, said valve base comprising a seat that surrounds said air escape opening;
- a cap base coupled to said valve base, said cap base having an opening that at least partly overlies said air escape opening of said valve base;
- a flapper having a first portion held in place by said valve base and said cap base and a second portion that is not held in place by said valve base and said cap base;
- and
- a cap capable of being press-fit onto said cap base, said cap comprising a first portion that contacts a portion of said cap base when said cap is press-fit onto said cap base, a second portion that covers said air escape opening of said valve base when said cap is press-fit onto said cap base, and a third portion that maintains said second portion of said flapper in airtight sealing contact with said seat of said valve base along an entire perimeter of said seat when said cap is press-fit onto said cap base,
- wherein when said cap is not press-fit on said cap base, said second portion of said flapper is free to adopt a configuration whereby said second portion of said flapper is not in airtight sealing contact with said seat.
3 more elements
A valve kit comprising:
- a valve base having an opening, said valve base comprising a seat that surrounds said opening;
- a part comprising a cap base, a cap and a living hinge that connects said cap to said cap base, said cap base having an opening;
- and
- a flapper comprising first and second portions,
- wherein said cap base is capable of being coupled to said valve base, and said cap is capable of being press-fit onto said cap base, said kit being assembled by placing said first portion of said flapper between respective portions of said valve base and said cap base and then coupling said cap base to said valve base,
- wherein when said kit is assembled and said cap is press-fit onto said cap base, a first portion of said cap contacts a portion of said cap base, a second portion of said cap covers said opening of said cap base, and a third portion of said cap maintains said second portion of said flapper in airtight sealing contact with said seat of said valve base along an entire perimeter of said seat, and
- wherein when said kit is assembled and said cap is not press-fit on said cap base, said second portion of said flapper is not maintained in airtight sealing contact with said seat.
4 more elements
A bag comprising:
- a receptacle having a mouth at an upper end and comprising a first wall having an aperture and a second wall opposing said first wall;
- a resealable airtight sealing device joined to said mouth;
- and
- a one-way valve assembly installed in said aperture in said wall of said receptacle and comprising:
- a valve base comprising an air escape opening, a seat disposed along a periphery of said air escape opening, and a flange surrounding said seat and joined to said wall of said receptacle;
- a cap base coupled to said valve base, said cap base having an opening that at least partly overlies said air escape opening of said valve base;
- a flapper having a first portion held in place by said valve base and said cap base and a second portion that is not held in place by said valve base and said cap base;
- and
- a cap capable of being press-fit onto said cap base, said cap comprising a first portion that contacts a portion of said cap base when said cap is press-fit onto said cap base, a second portion that covers said air escape opening of said valve base when said cap is press-fit onto said cap base, and a third portion that maintains said second portion of said flapper in airtight sealing contact with said seat of said valve base along an entire perimeter of said seat when said cap is press-fit onto said cap base,
- wherein when said cap is not press-fit on said cap base, said second portion of said flapper is free to adopt a configuration whereby said second portion of said flapper is not in airtight sealing contact with said seat of said valve base.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.