Methods and Apparatus for Thermal Regulation of Perishable Products
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Thermal regulation of perishable products is achieved using a container (2) having an elongate thermal member (14) which extends into a central region of the container. Thermal regulation is also achieved by selected direction of airflow about walls (4) of the container and providing the container with a rib (5) to facilitate air circulation between adjacent containers.
58 Citations
77 Claims
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1-42. -42. (canceled)
- 43. A container for perishable products, the container including a base and one or more walls dependent therefrom, and an elongate thermal member extending from the base into a substantially central region of the container, the thermal member including a cavity adapted to be filled with a substance having predetermined thermal properties to thereby control the temperature of a product placed in the container, and wherein the thermal member comprises part of a compression means to exert a compressive force on the product.
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50. Apparatus for treatment or storage of meat, the apparatus including a portable containment means for containing the meat and a compression means to apply compression to meat contained within the containment means, the compression means including a cavity for containing a refrigerated substance.
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51. A method of storing or treating meat, the method including the steps of:
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providing a container; placing a refrigerated object or an object containing a coolant into the container; placing the meat into the container adjacent to the object; placing the meat under compression. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
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54. A method for the post slaughter cooling and storage of meat, the method including the steps of:
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placing the meat within a rigid reusable container having at least one side wall, placing the container in a chiller such that the at least one side wall is exposed to a flow of air in a temperature range of substantially −
2 degrees Celsius to 3 degrees Celsius at a velocity of substantially 1 meter per second to 2 meters per second. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
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58. A method for the post slaughter cooling and storage of meat, the method including the steps of:
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providing a rigid reusable container having a spacing means, placing meat in the container, placing the container in a chiller adjacent to another container such that the spacing means of at least one container provide a separation between walls of the adjacent containers to allow airflow between the walls. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A method for the post slaughter cooling and storage of meat, the method including the steps of:
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placing a refrigerated object or an object containing a coolant within a rigid reusable container having at least one substantially planar side wall, placing the meat within the container, placing the container in a chiller such that the side wall is exposed to a flow of cooled air. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A post slaughter meat processing chiller having:
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a container support structure adapted to support a plurality of containers of meat, a plurality of air duct outlets arranged to direct a flow of cooled air over an external surface of each of a plurality of containers, a container transport means to transport containers to and from the support structure, and wherein the container transport means automatically transports containers from an entry to the chiller to one or more selected positions in the chiller, and from the one or more selected positions to an exit from the chiller. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A method of storing or treating meat, the method including the steps of:
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providing a container; placing a refrigerated object or an object containing a coolant into the container; placing the meat into the container adjacent to the object; placing the container into a chiller, and the meat in the container under compression. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77)
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Specification