Vacuum drawer for vacuumizing foodstuffs with actuatable lid

• US 10,383,348 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gronbach K.S.
• Original Assignee: Michatek KS
• Inventors: Bocks, Stefan, Kofler, Robert, Weweck, Alexander, Harlander, Florian, Kopfensteiner, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Weeks, Gloria R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seif, Dariush
• Application Number:
  US15/028,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20160324196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 53510, 53512, 53 79, 16221-392
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/015 by treatment with pressure variation, shock, acceleration or shear stress or cavitation
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/08 Covers or lids for sliding drawers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 77/08 for incorporating apparatus operated by power, including water power; for incorporating apparatus for cooking, cooling, or laundry purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 77/16 by adaptation of compartments or drawers for receiving or holding foodstuffs; by provision of rotatable or extensible containers for foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/0071 for perishable goods
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/024 specially adapted for wrappers or bags B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/146 Closing bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/148 Hand-operated members
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/2007 under vacuum

Abstract

A vacuum drawer for vacuumizing foodstuffs with a vacuum chamber is closed by an actuatable lid at least partly is made of glass, with the glass part of the lid having two or more laminated glass panes which are arranged to at least partly overlap each other face to face.

Claims

1. A vacuum drawer for vacuumizing foodstuffs with a vacuum chamber (20) which is closeable airtight by an actuatable lid (21), wherein

the lid (21) is at least partly made of glass,

the glass part of the lid (21) comprises two or more laminated glass panes (23a, 23b) which overlap each other face to face, with an outer one (23a) of the laminated glass panes (23a, 23b) larger in surface area and protruding beyond all lateral edges of an inner one (23b) of the laminated glass panes (23a, 23b),

the inner and outer glass panes (23a, 23b) are positioned to define a groove (27) therebetween,

several spacer profiles (25) are positioned within the groove (27) to space the inner and outer glass panes (23a, 23b) from one another,

an inner surface of the inner glass pane (23b) opposite the outer glass pane (23a) is lined (26),

a circumferential sealing lip (24) extends into and around the groove (27) formed between the inner and outer glass panes (23a, 23b) and covers an edge of the lining (26),

the sealing lip (24) includes flanges extending around both surfaces of the inner, smaller glass pane (23b) and extending into the groove (27) formed between the two glass panes (23a, 23b) and a groove formed between the inner, smaller glass pane (23b) and the inner liner (26), and

the outer glass pane (23a) configured to completely press against an entire outer edge of an opening of the vacuum chamber (20) and the inner glass plane (23b) configured to be entirely received within the opening of the vacuum chamber (20) and extending into the vacuum chamber (20) upon closing.

2. The vacuum drawer according to claim 1, wherein the glass panes are additionally arranged at a distance to each other by bonding the glass panes, in particular by double-sided adhesive tape of corresponding thickness.

3. The vacuum drawer according to claim 1, wherein the glass panes are bonded to each other face to face, point by point or via an adhesive contour at their edge.

4. The vacuum drawer according to claim 1, wherein between the glass panes a vacuum for fixing the glass panes and/or an inert gas at least partly is provided.

5. The vacuum drawer according to claim 1, wherein the lid is articulated to the vacuum chamber body via at least one rotary hinge.

6. The vacuum drawer according to claim 5, wherein a stationary part of the at least one rotary hinge is releasably accommodated by at least one tab of the chamber body.

7. The vacuum drawer according to claim 6, wherein due to an axial clearance the rotary hinge can be removed from the tab in direction of the rotational axis.

8. The vacuum drawer according to claim 7, wherein a releasable sliding insert is provided in the region of the attachment of the rotary hinge to the lid, to at least partly limit the axial clearance.

9. The vacuum drawing according to claim 5, additionally comprising a tubular profile (40) arranged to receive the hinge (50) and extend along a transverse edge (28) of the lid (21), the profile (40) having openings (41) at opposite ends thereof and flanks (42) extending parallel from an outer circumference thereof to form a groove for receiving the outer glass pane (23a).

10. The vacuum drawer according to claim 9, wherein the hinge (50) is arranged to be received through one of the openings (41) of the profile (40) which are circular and additionally have a milled groove (43),

the hinge (50) is composed of a shaft (51) in turn having, at an end thereof, a sleeve (52) rotatably mounted relative thereto,

the sleeve (52) having a carrier (51) arranged to fit in the milled groove (43) of the respective opening (41) to be non-rotatably fixed in the profile (40) while the hinge shaft (51) remains rotatable with respect to the profile (40),

the hinge (50) also comprising, at an end opposite the sleeve (52), a head (55) in turn having a longitudinal web (56) seated thereon and on a side facing the sleeve (52), a ring-shaped formation (57) arranged to non-rotatably fix the head (55) on the shaft (51), and

a spring (58) interconnecting the sleeve (52) and formation (57).

11. The vacuum drawer according to claim 10, additionally comprising a clamp-like slide (60) arranged to seat around the formation (57) and having a handle-like bulge (61) protruding away from a side thereof arranged to clamp around the formation (57).

12. The vacuum drawer according to claim 1, wherein at the edge of the laminated glass panes a tubular profile is attached, which extends coaxially to the axis of rotation and at its end includes a receptacle for at least one rotary hinge, in particular corresponding receptacles on both sides.

13. The vacuum drawer according to claim 12, wherein the tubular profile comprises two flanks protruding in parallel to form a receptacle for at least one glass pane.

14. The vacuum drawer according to claim 1, wherein corners of a transverse edge (28) of the lid (21) are rounded, together with corners of the inner and outer glass panes (23a, 23b) and lining (26).

15. The vacuum drawer according to claim 1, wherein both said inner and outer panes (23a, 23b) have planar surfaces.

16. A piece of furniture, in particular a kitchen cabinet, comprising the vacuum drawer according to claim 1.

17. A kitchen cabinet comprising a vacuum drawer according to claim 1.