초록 ▼

Method and apparatus for treating fruits including use of an air plenum above palletized boxes of fruit to force air through the plenum and to the front of the trailer containing the palletized fruit. The air in very high volume per minute is forced downwardly and drawn through the fruit to provide

Method and apparatus for treating fruits including use of an air plenum above palletized boxes of fruit to force air through the plenum and to the front of the trailer containing the palletized fruit. The air in very high volume per minute is forced downwardly and drawn through the fruit to provide controlled temperature and humidity. A portion of the exhaust air is recirculated while maintaining high humidity of at least 75% and temperature difference between inlet and exhaust air of no greater than 5°F.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of treating fruit in ventilated stacked boxes within a housing having a front, rear, ceiling and sides with controlled temperature and humidity conditions comprising, forming a separate air plenum independent of the top of the boxes and within the space between the top of the boxes and the

A method of treating fruit in ventilated stacked boxes within a housing having a front, rear, ceiling and sides with controlled temperature and humidity conditions comprising, forming a separate air plenum independent of the top of the boxes and within the space between the top of the boxes and the ceiling, and air plenum extending from one side of the housing to the other and extending from the rear of the housing toward the front thereof and terminating at approximately the boxes located at the front of the housing, forming an air space between the boxes and the front of the housing that extends substantially at least the height of said boxes, introducing high air flow into said air plenum at the rear of said housing above said boxes and thereafter out of said air plenum toward the front of said housing, drawing said air flow substantially from said air space, in a horizontal direction through said boxes and into contact with said fruit and out from the rear of said housing to form return air, and conditioning said air flow into said air plenum in part by recycling at least a portion of said return air into said air flow to attain a desirable environment for said fruit.