Methods for vacuum gas flush treatment of fresh produce

• US 6,379,731 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fresh Express Incorporated (Chiquita Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fresh Express Incorporated (Chiquita Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rizzo, Eugene D., Brown, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cano, Milton I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MADSEN, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US09/507,504
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 426/404, 426/418, 426/419, 426/392, 426/263, 426/106, 426/415, 426/410, 534/32, 534/33, 534/34, 53/39, 535/12, 383/80
• US Class Current: 426/392
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/041 combined with their conservation
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/024 specially adapted for wrappers or bags B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence

Abstract

A closure system for attachment to and use in gas flushing a container of fresh produce includes a body portion, a closure connected to the body portion, and a pressure-sensitive mechanism connected to the body portion and to the closure that moves the closure to an open position or to a closed position, depending on the pressure exerted on said mechanism.

Claims

1. A method for filling a sealed bag of fresh produce with a desired gas or gas mixture comprises:

attaching a closure device to an open end of said bag, said closure device comprising at least one opening through each of which gas will flow in or out of said bag;

placing said bag with its attached closure device entirely inside a vacuum chamber;

closing said vacuum chamber to the outside atmosphere;

drawing a vacuum within said vacuum chamber, sufficient to reduce the pressure inside said chamber below atmospheric pressure to open said at least one opening of said closure device, exposing the interior of said bag to the inside of said vacuum chamber and then;

filling said vacuum chamber and the interior of said bag of produce inside said vacuum chamber with a desired gas or gas mixture, and increasing the pressure inside said chamber to or near to atmospheric pressure, to close said at least one opening of said closure device, and seal said desired gas or gas mixture inside said bag of fresh produce.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising opening said vacuum chamber, removing said bag from said vacuum chamber, removing said closure device from said bag of produce, and sealing said bag with said desired gas or gas mixture inside said bag.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising opening said vacuum chamber, and removing said bag with said closure device attached thereto from said vacuum chamber.