초록 ▼

The present invention discloses a container for controlling odor and scent incident upon a hunter's clothing stored prior to hunting to prevent the stored items from contamination with a human scent and as well inhibit human scent on the clothing escaping from the container. The container includes a

The present invention discloses a container for controlling odor and scent incident upon a hunter's clothing stored prior to hunting to prevent the stored items from contamination with a human scent and as well inhibit human scent on the clothing escaping from the container. The container includes an open-topped housing and a lid removably connectible to the housing to form an enclosed accessible interior chamber. A check valve in communication with the interior chamber is connected to a vacuum pump for withdrawing air and reducing the pressure in said chamber to a value significantly lower than atmospheric pressure. A sheet or liner of activated carbon is disposed within the interior for adsorbing scents. The present container can be used to store household items, bridal accessories and gowns as well as other various and sundry items where odors are to be prevented.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A storage container for storing clothing or equipment to inhibit odors or scents from passing into the container and contaminating the stored items or escaping from the container and providing game with a human scent warning, comprising a housing comprising a bottom wal

The invention claimed is: 1. A storage container for storing clothing or equipment to inhibit odors or scents from passing into the container and contaminating the stored items or escaping from the container and providing game with a human scent warning, comprising a housing comprising a bottom wall, a sidewall projecting upwardly from said bottom wall, and a lid removably connectible to the upward extension of said sidewall to form an enclosed accessible interior chamber, first means for connecting and hermetically sealing the connection between the lid and the upward extension of said sidewall to form an airtight seal, said first means operating to prevent scents and odors from entering into and escaping from the interior chamber when the lid is connected to the sidewall, a check valve in communication with said interior chamber, said check valve connectible to a vacuum pump for withdrawing air and reducing the pressure in said chamber to a value significantly lower than atmospheric pressure, second means for indicating the chamber pressure is lower than atmospheric, and a sheet of activated carbon in said interior chamber for adsorbing scents. 2. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a divider wall for subdividing the interior chamber into at least two compartments for storing the stored items in separate compartments. 3. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first means comprises: an continuous annular airlock being formed between the sidewall and the lid when the lid is connected to the sidewall, and a continuous seal element in said airlock, said seal element being adapted to be compressed and form an airtight seal that inhibits air from passing into and from the interior chamber. 4. The storage container as claimed in claim 3, wherein said seal element comprises an elongated continuous cylinder formed of a flattenable elastomeric material. 5. The storage container as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cylinder comprises a thin walled tube. 6. The storage container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upward extension of said sidewall includes a transverse support flange projecting into the interior chamber, an exterior surface, and a mating end face provided with an annular groove, and, the lid includes an upper and a lower surface, the lower surface forming a mating end face provided with an inner and an outer flange, the flanges projecting from the lower surface of the lid to form an annular groove, wherein when the lid is connected to the upward extension of said sidewall the mating end faces and grooves are juxtaposed with one another, the grooves combine to form the airlock, the inner flange is seated atop the transverse flange of the sidewall, the outer flange is juxtaposed with the exterior surface of the sidewall, and the seal element is compressed in the airlock to inhibit air passing across the mating faces. 7. The storage container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the outer flange projecting from the lower surface of the lid includes an engagement surface, the engagement surface being complementary to and adapted to engage the exterior surface of the sidewall when the lid is fitted thereabout. 8. The storage container as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first means comprises a pair of latch receivers on said sidewall and a pair of latches on said lid, said latches being pivotably mounted to the lid for movement between a released position and a latched relation with a respective latch receiver, movement into latching relation substantially simultaneously causing the seal element to be compressed and the lid to be brought into clamped engagement against the upper end face of the sidewall. 9. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, further wherein said sidewall comprises a plurality of sidewall segments, the sidewall segments extending upwardly from the bottom wall and forming a generally rectangular shape, and a plurality of divider walls, the divider walls dividing the interior chamber into a plurality of separate compartments. 10. The storage container as claimed in claim 9, further comprising third means for removably mounting the divider walls to respective of the sidewall segments to change the size, shape and location of separate storage compartments. 11. The storage compartment as claimed in claim 10, wherein said wall segments have an interior surface, the wall dividers have opposite lateral edges, and said third means comprises a plurality of guide channels, the guide channels extending vertically along the interior surfaces of the wall segments with respective pairs of guide channels being adapted to receive the opposite lateral edges of a wall divider inserted therewithin. 12. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, further wherein said sidewall forms a container having opposite end portions, and further comprising fourth means for transporting the container, said fourth means comprising an axle and wheel assembly provided at one end portion, and a handle assembly provided at the other end portion, the handle assembly including a shaped recess, and a handle member pivotably mounted to said other end portion for movement between a stored position, held in a snap-fit locked engagement within the shaped recess, and a deployed position, projecting upwardly from the container. 13. The storage container as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a sheet of netting material attached to the lower surface of said lid, the sheet of netting defining an accessible pocket against the lower surface for storing items of interest such as maps and the like. 14. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second means for indicating the chamber pressure is lower than atmospheric comprises a circular opening in said sidewall, and a thin hemispherical membrane mounted in covering relation with said opening and normally biased outwardly when the chamber pressure is atmospheric, a lower pressure in said chamber pulling the membrane into the chamber when the pressure therein is lower than atmospheric. 15. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sidewall and lid are comprised of a rigid polymeric material. 16. The storage container as claimed in claim 15, wherein said polymeric material is transparent. 17. The storage container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sheet of activated carbon in said interior chamber is flexible and comprises a granular material capable of enabling air circulation for adsorbing human odor and scents. 18. In combination, the container of claim 1, and a portable hand held vacuum pump adapted to be detachably attached to said check valve to suction air from the interior chamber while in the field and in response to the said second means indicating that the interior chamber pressure is not a complete vacuum.