Mobile ripening container

• US 6,012,384 A
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trans Tech Holdings Group
• Original Assignee: Trans Tech Holdings Group
• Inventors: Harmsen, Daniel S., Badalament, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMONE, TIMOTHY F
• Application Number:
  US09/303,302
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 99/352-355, 99/467, 99/468, 99/472, 99/473-476, 99/477, 99/484, 99/485, 99/516, 99/534, 99/517, 34/192, 34/194, 34/196, 34/222, 34/231, 62/329, 62/78, 62/89, 62/381, 62/408, 62/239, 62/179, 62/414, 62/419, 62/127, 62/141, 62/303, 62/374, 62/384, 165/65, 312/116, 312/236, 422/28, 422/40, 422/292, 426/316-320, 426/395, 426/419, 426/263
• US Class Current: 99/475
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/0433 with packages or with shaping in the form of blocks or portions
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/148 in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/152 in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O ; Elimination of such other gases
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/003 Transport containers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/005 in cold rooms

Abstract

A mobile container adapted for transporting perishable goods includes a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls extending therebetween so as to define an elongated enclosure having a longitudinal axis and adapted to receive a cargo load. An air recirculation plenum is defined in the enclosure adjacent to the front wall. A refrigeration system is in fluid communication with the air recirculation plenum and is adapted to induct air at a first temperature and to exhaust air at a second temperature. A pair of air delivery plenums extend from the bulkhead along the length of the enclosure parallel to the longitudinal axis. Each of the pair of air delivery plenums is defined by a corresponding one of the pair of side walls and a plenum wall disposed spaced from the corresponding side wall and extending from the upper margins of the enclosure such that the plenum wall is adapted to be co-extensive and in abutting contact with a portion of the cargo load. The container also includes a source of pressurized air having an inlet in fluid communication with the exhausted air from the refrigeration system and an outlet in fluid communication with the pair of air delivery plenums. A return air plenum is defined between the air delivery plenums such that the cool air is supplied under pressure along the longitudinal length of the enclosure parallel to and adjacent the pair of side walls and then flows through the cargo load in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis into the return air plenum whereafter the air flows substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis back to the air recirculation plenum.

Claims

1. A mobile container adapted for transporting perishable goods, said container comprising:

a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls extending therebetween, a ceiling and a floor disposed spaced apart from one another by said front, rear and pair of side walls so as to define an elongated enclosure having a longitudinal axis and adapted to receive a cargo load;

an air recirculation plenum defined in said enclosure adjacent said front wall;

a refrigeration system in fluid communication with said air recirculation plenum and adapted to induct air at a first temperature and to exhaust air at a second temperature;

a pair of air delivery plenums extending from said air recirculation plenum along the length of said elongated enclosure parallel to said longitudinal axis, each of said pair of air delivery plenums defined by a corresponding one of said pair of side walls and a plenum wall disposed spaced from said corresponding side wall and extending from the upper margins of said enclosure such that said plenum wall is adapted to be co-extensive and in abutting contact with a portion of the cargo load;

a source of pressurized air having an inlet in fluid communication with the exhausted air from said refrigeration system and an outlet in fluid communication with said pair of air delivery plenums; and

a return air plenum defined between said pair of air delivery plenums such that cool air is supplied under pressure along the longitudinal length of said enclosure parallel to and adjacent said pair of side walls and then flows through the cargo load in a direction substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis into said return plenum whereafter the air flows substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis back to said air recirculation plenum.

2. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said pair of air delivery plenums has a volume which decreases in cross-sectional area over the length thereof in the direction from said air recirculation plenum toward said rear wall of said container so as to limit the reduction in the velocity of the air flowing through said pair of air delivery plenums over the longitudinal length of said enclosure.

3. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said plenum walls are disposed substantially parallel to said associated side wall and includes a rigid portion and a flexible portion, said flexible portion extending vertically from the lower, terminal edge of said rigid portion for a limited extent and adapted to contact the cargo load in scaling engagement under the positive pressure induced in said pair of air delivery plenums.

4. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 including a bulkhead disposed spaced from said front wall and extending between said pair of side walls transverse to said longitudinal axis so as to define said air recirculation plenum, said bulkhead including a pair of lateral edges which abut a portion of said pair of plenum walls and a pair of flexible bulkhead gaskets attached to said lateral edges and extending vertically between said plenum wall and said floor, said gasket flexing into sealing contact with the cargo load located at said lateral edges of said bulkhead under the influence of pressurized air flowing through said pair of cool air delivery plenums.

5. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pair of air delivery plenums include end seals disposed spaced from said air recirculation plenum and extending for a substantial portion of the vertical extent of said pair of air delivery plenums and between said associated side wall and said plenum wall to seal the distal ends of air delivery plenums, said end seals being adjustable in the longitudinal direction along the length of said pair of air delivery plenums to limit the length of said air delivery plenums so as to correspond with the longitudinal distance within said enclosure which is occupied by the cargo load.

6. A mobile container as set forth in claim 5 wherein said end seals include a first portion which span the space between said associated side wall and said plenum wall and a flexible scaling portion which extends vertically between said plenum wall and said floor, said flexible sealing portion being capable of sealing contact with the cargo load.

7. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 further including a curb extending for at least a portion of the length of said enclosure adjacent each of said pair of side walls between said air recirculation plenum and said rear wall and having a width substantially corresponding to the space defined between said plenum wall and said associated side wall, said curb acting to space the cargo load from said side wall such that said plenum wall is adapted to be co-extensive and in abutting contact with a portion of the cargo load.

8. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 including a bulkhead disposed spaced from said front wall and extending between said pair of side walls transverse to said longitudinal axis so as to define said air recirculation plenum, said bulkhead including an opening providing fluid communication between said return plenum and said air recirculation plenum.

9. A mobile container as set forth in claim 8 wherein said return air plenum includes a central corridor defined between said pair of air delivery plenums and extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said elongated enclosure, said central corridor being in fluid communication with said air recirculation plenum through said opening in said bulkhead.

10. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 including a bulkhead disposed spaced from said front wall and extending between said pair of side walls transverse to said longitudinal axis so as to define said air recirculation plenum, said bulkhead extending from said floor substantially vertically but for an extent less than the height of said enclosure to define a top edge spaced from said ceiling.

11. A mobile container as set forth in claim 10 wherein said return air plenum includes an upper return duct defined between said ceiling and the top of the cargo load and between said pair of air delivery plenums, said upper return duct being in fluid communication with said air recirculation plenum via the space between said top edge of said bulkhead and said ceiling.

12. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said source of pressurized air includes a plurality of fans having inlets in fluid communication with said air recirculation plenum and having outlets in sealed, fluid communication with said pair of air delivery plenums, said plurality of fans providing cool, pressurized air to said pair of air delivery plenums.

13. A mobile container as set forth in claim 12 wherein said plurality of fans include a set of centrifugal fans associated with each one of said pair of air delivery plenums.

14. A mobile container as set forth in claim 13 wherein each of said set of fans includes four centrifugal fans and two motors, each of said motors operatively powering two of said centrifugal fans.

15. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said refrigeration system includes a compressor and an evaporator in fluid communication with said compressor for cycling refrigerant through said system, said evaporator being supported in a housing, said housing located in said air recirculation plenum and having an inlet for inducting a portion of the air in the recirculation plenum and an outlet directed toward said inlet to said source of pressurized air.

16. A mobile container as set forth in claim 1 including an upper air supply duct formed by a partition located spaced from, but substantially parallel to, said ceiling and between said plenum walls, said partition extending substantially for the length of said elongated enclosure with said pair of air delivery plenums being in fluid communication with said upper air supply duct at the upper margins of said air delivery plenums, said outlet of said source of pressurized air being in fluid communication with said upper air supply duct.

17. A mobile container adapted for transporting perishable goods, said container comprising:

a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls extending therebetween, a ceiling and a floor disposed spaced apart from one another by said front, rear and pair of side walls so as to define an elongated enclosure having a longitudinal axis and adapted to receive a cargo load;

an air recirculation plenum defined in said enclosure adjacent said front wall;

a refrigeration system in fluid communication with said air recirculation plenum and adapted to induct air at a first temperature and to exhaust air at a second temperature;

a pair of return air plenums extending from said air recirculation plenum along the length of said elongated enclosure substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, each of said pair of return air plenums defined by a corresponding one of said side walls and a plenum wall spaced from said corresponding side wall and extending from the upper margins of the enclosure such that said plenum wall is adapted to be coextensive and in abutting contact with a portion of the cargo load;

an air delivery plenum and a source of pressurized air, said source of pressurized air having an inlet in fluid communication with the exhausted air from said refrigeration system and an outlet in fluid communication with said air delivery plenum, said air delivery plenum defined between said pair of return air plenums such that cool air is supplied under pressure along the longitudinal length of said enclosure and then flows through the cargo load in a direction substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis into said pair of return air plenums whereafter the air flows substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis adjacent a corresponding side wall and back to said air recirculation plenum.

18. A mobile container as set forth in claim 17 wherein said air delivery plenum has a volume which decreases in cross-sectional area over the length thereof in the direction from said air recirculation plenum toward said rear wall of said container so as to limit the reduction in the velocity in the air flowing through said air delivery plenum along the longitudinal length of said enclosure.

19. A mobile container as set forth in claim 17 wherein said air delivery plenum includes an end seal disposed spaced from said air recirculation plenum and extending for a substantial portion of the vertical extent of said air delivery plenum and between associated columns of the cargo to seal the distal end of said air delivery plenum, said end seal being adjustable in the longitudinal direction along the length of said air delivery plenum to limit the length thereof so as to correspond with the longitudinal distance within said enclosure which is occupied by the cargo load.

20. A mobile container as set forth in claim 17 wherein said source of pressurized air includes a plurality of fans having inlets in fluid communication with said air recirculation plenum and having outlets in sealed, fluid communication with said air delivery plenum, said plurality of fans providing cool, pressurized air to said air delivery plenum.

21. A mobile container adapted for transporting perishable goods, said container comprising:

a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls extending therebetween, a ceiling and a floor disposed spaced apart from one another by said front, rear and pair of side walls so as to define an elongated enclosure having a longitudinal axis and adapted to receive a cargo load within said enclosure;

an air delivery plenum and a return air plenum, said air delivery plenum including at least one air supply housing extending along a substantial length of said elongated enclosure parallel to said longitudinal axis said at least one air supply housing having at least one inlet with a first, larger volume in fluid communication with said return air plenum and an outlet having a second, smaller volume; and

a source of pressurized air supported within said housing and adapted to induct air at a relatively lower pressure from said return air plenum through said inlet of said housing, to pressurize the air and to exhaust air at a relatively higher pressure through said outlet in said housing such that the air flows through the cargo load in a direction substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis into said return air plenum and is ultimately inducted into said inlet of said air supply housing.

22. A mobile container as set forth in claim 21 further including a pair of air supply housings extending along a substantial length of said elongated enclosure parallel to said longitudinal axis, each of said air supply housings having an inlet with a first, larger volume in fluid communication with said return air plenum and an outlet having a second, smaller volume.

23. A mobile container as set forth in claim 22 wherein said outlet in said pair of air supply housings is positioned to exhaust air in a substantially vertical direction adjacent to said pair of side walls, said return air plenum defined between said pair of air supply housings such that return air flow substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis through the cargo load and said return air plenum back to said inlet to said air supply housing.

24. A mobile container as set forth in claim 22 wherein said pair of air supply housings are positioned to exhaust air in a substantially vertical direction between said pair of side walls and said return air plenum such that return air flows substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis through the cargo load and said return air plenum back to said inlet in said pair of air supply housings.

25. A mobile container as set forth in claim 22 further including a refrigeration system having a compressor and an evaporator in fluid communication with said compressor for cycling refrigerant through said system, at least a portion of said evaporator being supported in said pair of air supply housings for cooling return air inducted through said inlet in said housings.

26. A mobile container as set forth in claim 25 wherein said source of pressurized air includes a plurality of fans supported in said pair of air supply housings for inducting return air through said inlet in said housing, past said evaporators, pressurizing the cool air and exhausting the pressurized air through said outlets in said pair of air supply housings.

27. A mobile container as set forth in claim 26 wherein said fans include centrifugal fans supported in said pair of air supply housings.

28. A mobile container as set forth in claim 21 wherein said at least one air supply housing extends along a substantial length of said elongated enclosure and approximately equidistant from said opposed side walls.