FRESHNESS OF FRUIT AND/OR VEGETABLES

• US 20170135359A1
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: NICOLE, Cline Catherine Sarah, SCHOBBEN, Danil Willem Elisabeth
• Granted Patent: US 11,147,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/015 Preserving by irradiation or electric treatment without heating effect
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/04 Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/26 by irradiation without heating
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/005 combined with control means

Abstract

A system to illuminate fruit and/or vegetables in the food storage facility, comprising a lamp (8) and a controller (12). The lamp is operable to provide the illumination with a first light output and a second light output, the first light output having a higher intensity and at least a red-bias spectrum relative to the second light output. Further, the system comprises a controller for controlling the illumination of the fruit and/or vegetables in the food storage facility by controlling the lamp. The controller is configured to apply the illumination in a sequence comprising a period of darkness, followed by the first light output for a first period, then followed by the second light output for a second period.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

a lamp for illuminating fresh food items in a food storage facility, wherein the lamp is arranged to provide said illumination with a first light output and a second light output, the first light output having a higher intensity and at least a red-bias spectrum relative to the second light output; and

a controller for controlling the illumination by controlling the lamp, wherein the controller is configured to apply the illumination in a sequence comprising a period of darkness, followed by the first light output during a first period, then followed by the second light output during a second period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first light output has a spectrum with a peak wavelength of 660 nm.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second light output is white.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first light output has an intensity of 15 to 50 μ

mol/s/m².

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second light output has an intensity of 2 to 15 μ

mol/s/m².

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first period lasts 1 to 2 hours.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to apply said sequence in a daily cycle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the period of darkness lasts 10 to 12 hours;

the first period lasts 1 to 2 hours; and

the second period lasts the remainder of the daily cycle following the first period, or lasts a period of 2 to 6 hours followed by a period of ambient light from elsewhere.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to time said sequence to cumulate at a designated consumption time, designated by a user, for consumption of at least some of the fruit and/or vegetables.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second period lasts 2 to 4 hours up until the consumption time, and the first period lasts 1 to 2 hours up until the second period.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second light outputs are discrete channels of the lamp with discrete spectra and intensity being applied for the first period and second period respectively.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second light outputs have constant spectra and intensity within the respective period.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the period of darkness, first period and second period are contiguous.

14. A food storage system comprising:

a food storage facility for storage of fruit and/or vegetables, and

a lighting system according to claim 1.

15. A method of controlling illumination of fresh food items in a food storage facility, the method comprising applying the illumination in a sequence comprising a period of darkness, followed by a first light output during a first period, then followed by a second light output during a second period, the first light output having a higher intensity and at least a red-bias spectrum relative to the second light output.