	US 7,454,884 B2
	Appliance for vacuum sealing food containers
Jordan Aron Kahn, Wellesley, Mass. (US); Charles A. Boulos, Milford, Mass. (US); and Yigal Offir, Hopkinton, Mass. (US)
Assigned to Sunbeam Products, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla. (US)
Filed on May 04, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/744,575.
Application 11/744575 is a division of application No. 11/593681, filed on Nov. 06, 2006.
Application 11/593681 is a division of application No. 10/965705, filed on Oct. 14, 2004, granted, now 7,131,250, filed on Nov. 07, 2006.
Application 10/965705 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/675284, filed on Sep. 30, 2003, granted, now 7,076,929, filed on Jul. 18, 2006.
Application 10/675284 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/371610, filed on Feb. 21, 2003, granted, now 7,003,928, filed on Feb. 28, 2006.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/416036, filed on Oct. 04, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2007/0204561 A1, Sep. 06, 2007
Int. Cl. B65B 31/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 53—512 [53/374.9]

8 Claims

1. An apparatus for evacuating a flexible container, the apparatus comprising:

a base housing having a longitudinal axis for receiving therealong an open end of the flexible container;

a vacuum source disposed within said base housing; and

a generally elongate drip retainer being removeably disposed on said base housing, said drip retainer having a longitudinal axis extending in the direction of said longitudinal axis of said base, said drip retainer defining a chamber, said chamber having a vacuum opening in communication with said vacuum source, said drip retainer including a nozzle having a passage into said chamber, said nozzle being engagable with an opening of the flexible container, said nozzle passage being disposed at a first position on said drip retainer and said vacuum opening being disposed at a second position on said drip retainer, and wherein said first position is spaced from said second position a distance along said longitudinal axis of the drip retainer.