Heat exchange – Structural installation – Heating and cooling
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-24
2003-09-09
Ford, John K. (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Structural installation
Heating and cooling
C165S263000, C165S061000, C165S064000, C062S239000, C062S274000, C062S405000, C062S406000, C062S417000, C062S078000, C062S096000, C062S440000, C426S418000, C426S419000, C426S263000, C426S312000, C099S474000, C099S476000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06615908
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to improvements in and/or relating to a method of transporting (or readying for transport) or (ready for storing) storing perishable produce it also relates to apparatus, containers and palletized loads
BACKGROUND ART
Perishable produce is transported by road, sea, rail and air using a variety of different techniques. With high value perishable produce it has been usual to rely not only upon refrigeration but also or instead the use of a controlled atmosphere that best suits the preservation of the produce.
By controlled atmosphere is meant any infusion, scrubbing or the like of a sealed or controllable atmosphere about the produce and usually involves the control of one or more of the gases: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and ethylene.
By perishable produce is meant any produce the value of which can be maintained or enhanced by slowing senescence (ageing) thereof while being stored, readied for transport and/or being transported. The produce can be a respiring comestible such as a Suit or vegetable, a non-respiring produce such as meat or fish as well as any mixture or combination of produce made using any of the foregoing with or without other additives. Perishable produce could include within its ambit live fish, shell fish of any form, crustaceans in any form etc.
Perishable produce could also include flowers, drugs, body organs or other items requiring a controlled temperature.
Transportable container could include pallet based transportable items such as plastics wrapped stacks of produce or cartons of produce.
A feature of current technology is the trend towards the use of refrigerator containers of standard sizes capable of being handled by container handling equipment onto and off of trucks, railway trucks, ships, etc. The present invention however recognizes the possibility of some advantage over customizing such containers to provide some enhanced control insofar as the atmosphere and/or temperature is concerned which if desired can lend itself to the use of existing refrigerated shipping, cool stores, refrigerated transportation containers or the like thus reducing the level of commitment that might be required to capital expenditure.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of storing, transporting or readying for transport of perishable produce including apparatus applicable thereto which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.
Examples of the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,237. This relates to a solid sided insulated pallet sized container which incorporates spaces for forklift, it includes fans for air circulation. However, this system utilizes solid CO2 for cooling, it does not utilize heat transfer across the walls of the container to possibly cool the interior. No form of sealing the container is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,381 discloses an open cycle portable refrigerator which uses a compress gas cooling system. It provides a insulated box and the air is circulated by convection means and not forced. There is no use of heat transfer across the walls of the container to provide for maintenance or alteration of the internal temperature.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
In a first aspect the present invention consists in a method of transporting, storing (or readying for transport or storing) perishable produce which comprises;
(i) loading and sealing the produce into a sealable transportable container or onto a pallet (hereinafter “container”) to substantially isolate gas associated with said produce from the surrounding environment, said container or pallet having
means electrically energizable or otherwise actuable and powered to circulate said gas associated with said produce amongst the produce and in some heat exchange relationship with or through at least part of a sealing periphery of said sealed produce and its associated gas; and
(ii) holding the temperature of the sealed produce/gas environment or lowering the temperature of and then holding the temperature of the sealed produce/gas environment at a refrigerating temperature by ensuring a controlled refrigerating environment outside of said container which is in a heat exchange relationship with said at least part of a sealing periphery and hence said said produce/gas environment,while the gas within said container being continuously or continually circulated therein.
Preferably said container is transported, if needed, while within said controlled refrigerating environment.
Preferably said method also utilizes means to control the atmosphere or to provide a displacing gas for the purpose of controlling the gas environment within said transportable container.
Preferably control of said gas environment involves the control of at least one or more of the nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and ethylene content of the gas environment within the container.
Preferably there is provided means to maintain the humidity of said gas environment.
Preferably there is provided means to control the humidity of said gas environment.
Preferably said means to control the humidity of said gas environment utilizes a water trap to collect some or all condensation within the transportable container in a tray.
Preferably heating means is provided to substantially heat said collected condensation so as to raise the humidity within said transportable container.
Preferably said controlled refrigerating environment is that of a refrigerated shipping container, such as, is currently used for refrigerated cargoes.
Preferably said transportable container includes means internally thereof to raise (preferably under temperature sensor control) the temperature of the circulating gas environment therein (e.g. an electrical heater) to a desired temperature or temperature range above the temperature of said controlled refrigerating environment.
Preferably said means electrical energizable within the container is a fan.
Preferably the locus of urged circulation of the gas environment is up the walls of the container, over the top of produce stack back down the walls of the container.
Alternatively and preferably if said produce is fruit, vegetables or similar the locus of urged circulation is up the walls of said container across and through the produce at various levels and back down the walls of the container.
Preferably said container is formed with an outer skin of a conductive material and the gas environment is ducted downwardly by fan means through at least one or a number of chambers or ducts defined against, within or between panels forming part of the container to thereafter issue upwardly from below any produce loaded therein (preferably up through a raised floor).
Preferably said containers are formed of a metal such as aluminum and preferably said containers are formed largely with a double skin spaced apart.
Alternatively said containers are formed by placing a plastics bag over said product, said bag then being braced so as to provide air gaps or ducts around said produce.
Preferably said container carries a controlled atmosphere generating and controlling unit.
Preferably that unit is electrically energizable and preferably includes a compressor.
Preferably the compressor is in a direct heat exchange relationship with the refrigerated environment rather than the interior of the transportable container.
Preferably in other forms of the present invention a controlled atmosphere can be ducted into the container from some centralized controlled atmosphere generating unit not itself carried by the transportable container.
Alternatively each said container may carry its own controlled atmosphere generating unit.
Preferably said container includes heat sensors and means to sense the gas environment and the container has means responsive thereto for the control of the temperature therewithin and the atmosphere therein.
Alternatively a centralized control system is possible whereby said container includes heat sensors and means to sense the gas environment and a central unit has means responsive thereto for the control of the temperatu
Barnes Robert
Bosher Paul Raymond
Ford John K.
Transphere Systems Limited
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