Refrigeration – Processes – Treating an article
Patent
1996-10-08
1998-08-11
Joyce, Harold
Refrigeration
Processes
Treating an article
62237, 62236, 62384, F25D 2500
Patent
active
057911509
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to improvements in and/or relating to pallet based refrigerated transportation systems or storage/transport containers which enable mixed loads to be transported/stored within a common environment.
BACKGROUND ART
Many containerised systems have been proposed whereby refrigerated meats or respiring comestibles can be transported while under refrigeration and a controlled atmosphere.
The size and expense of such containers has meant that their size has been such that a great deal of produce needs to be assembled and even once packed in the containers there is a need to await specialised shipping.
There are applications for refrigerated cargoes based on a pallet system that do not require specialized shipping (as with containers) and, since a pallet system normally handles volumes less than that of a true shipping container, there is a very much reduced need to aggregate produce in sufficient quantities to enable the filling of the transporting apparatus.
This realization in relation to meats which, when in containers destined for the northern hemisphere, normally required atmospheric control (normally high carbon dioxide concentrations) in addition to refrigeration has meant that in many instances chilled meats can be packed on a pallet and reach the market place in the northern hemisphere within the shelf life of simple refrigeration without a controlled atmosphere. A hybrid version would be one including a simple gas flushing followed by a possible gas injection at the time of packing but without any ongoing control. A more sophisticated form would include some gas environment monitoring and adjustment (eg flushing/scrubbing).
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention however is directed to apparatus and means whereby, if desired, a pallet based transportation system for chilled meats or other produce (eg vegetables) can be provided irrespective of whether or not there is any initial gas flushing or continuing monitoring of the gas environment with corrective measures.
In a first aspect the present invention consists in a method of transporting and/or storing produce or other cargo comprising the steps of: cargo to be carried; said loading) with a barrier material (e.g. cardboard, paper or a plastics film material); within said pallet member, said refrigeration system having a gas inlet and a gas outlet (common or separate) to and from the evaporator region of the refrigeration system a gas intake gas air outlet (common or separate) to and from the condenser region of the refrigeration system, there being a gas barrier between the two intake/outlet systems to prevent the movement of gas from one to the other; and pallet member to cool the produce or cargo, said barrier material providing some measure of separation between the gas associated with the produce being cooled by the evaporator of the refrigeration system and the ambient gaseous environment being heated by the compressor of the refrigeration system.
Preferably said barrier material is of corrugated cardboard and/or a plastics film.
In another aspect the present invention consists in a method of transporting and/or storing produce or cargo comprising the steps of: therein a refrigeration system, said refrigeration system having gas inlet and a gas outlet (common or separate) to and from the evaporator region of the refrigeration system a gas intake and gas outlet (common or separate) to and from the condenser region of the refrigeration system, there being a gas barrier between the two intake/outlet systems to prevent the movement of gas from one to the other; carried; material (eg. cardboard, paper or a plastics film material or similar); associated with said produce, said barrier material providing some measure of separation between the gas associated with the produce or cargo being cooled by the evaporator of the refrigeration system and the ambient gaseous environment being heated by the compressor of the refrigeration system.
In yet another aspect the present invention consists in a for
REFERENCES:
patent: 3621672 (1971-11-01), Meredith
patent: 4852365 (1989-08-01), Elrod et al.
Bosher Paul Raymond
Grainger Philip Barry
Joyce Harold
O'Connor Pamela A.
Transphere Systems Limited
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