Physical method for maintaining freshness of vegetables and fruits via technology of optical signal and optical signal generator

• US 9,936,716 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jing L.I. Chen, Yu Chen
• Original Assignee: Jing L.I. Chen, Yu Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Jing Li, Chen, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US14/944,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20160143116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 99467, 99468, 426248
• 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: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

A physical method for maintaining the freshness of vegetables and fruits via the technology of the optical signal and optical signal generator are disclosed. By adopting the computer programmable pulsed scanning signal generator, it controls the light-emitting device mounted with red, green and blue light sources group to generate optical signal with pulsed or pulsed periodical scanning combined spectrum. The optical signal irradiates the fresh-cut fruits and vegetables preserved in the storage assembly at room temperature or at controlled temperature and humidity. By regulating the optical signal with periodical pulsed spectrum or pulsed scanning spectrum or periodical pulsed scanning combined spectrum, the irradiated vegetables and fruits obtain photon energy needed in light reactions of photosynthesis from the lighting environment of artificial optical signal which is in bright and dark periodic variation. The metabolism of the cellular tissue is recovered and maintained, and the growth inertia is kept at slow speed. It effectively prolongs the freshness state of vegetables and fruits which are preserved in the storage assembly.

Claims

1. An optical signal generator for maintaining freshness of vegetables or fruits and in the form of a cabinet structure, comprising:

an enclosure (3);

a main frame (2) disposed in the enclosure (3);

a lighting plate structure (1) mounted inside the main frame (2) and the enclosure (3),

a door (4) and a receiving device (6) for receiving vegetables or fruits to be placed within the enclosure (3),

a transparent isolation fence or glass-plate (7) mounted on the surface of the lighting plate structure (1);

a fan and an air duct (8) mounted inside the enclosure (3);

a wind hole (9) disposed on a bottom side of the enclosure (3); and

an automatic humidifying system (13) with a humidifying tube interface (14) mounted on a side of the enclosure (13),

wherein the lighting plate structure (1) comprises;

a computer programmable pulsed scanning signal generator (22),

a red light source group (26), a green light source group (27), and a blue light source group (28), and

a red light source TRIAC controller (23), a green light source TRIAC controller (24), and a blue light source TRIAC controller (25), each of which is connected to and is configured to receive a pulse from the computer programmable pulsed scanning signal generator (22) and thereby correspondingly controls the red light source group (26), the green light source group (27), and the blue light source group (28) to emit light signals, with a pulsed or pulsed periodical scanning combined spectrum, to the vegetables or fruits to maintain freshness of the vegetables or fruits.

2. The optional signal generator of claim 1, wherein the emitted light signal has a luminance of 40-1000 Lux.

3. The optical signal generator of claim 1, wherein the red light source group (26), the green light source group (27), and the blue light source group (28) each comprises single-linear or multi-linear lighting tubes, single-point or multi-point lighting lamps, or single-point or multi-point LED, or light emitter made of rare earth material with lower energy consumption.

4. The optical signal generator of claim 1, wherein the red light source group (26), the green light source group (27), and the blue light source group (28) are arranged in parallel and apart from each other.

5. The optical signal generator of claim 1, wherein the red light source group (26), the green light source group (27), and the blue light source group (28) are arranged on different concentric circles.

6. The optical signal generator of claim 1, wherein the red light source group (26), the green light source group (27), and the blue light source group (28) are arranged radially.

7. An optical signal generator for maintaining freshness of vegetables or fruits and in the form of a cabinet structure having channels, comprising:

an enclosure (3);

a main frame (2) disposed in the enclosure (3);

a lighting plate structure (1) mounted inside the main frame (2) and the enclosure (3), wherein the lighting plate structure is made in the form of an adjustable supporting rod in a vertical direction in the enclosure (3);

a fan and an air duct (8) mounted inside the enclosure (3); and

an automatic humidifying system (13) with a humidifying tube interface (14) mounted on a top side of the enclosure (13), the automatic humidifying system (13) being in communication with a water inlet tube (16),

wherein the lighting plate structure (1) comprises;

a computer programmable pulsed scanning signal generator (22),

a red light source group (26), a green light source group (27), and a blue light source group (28), and

a red light source TRIAC controller (23), a green light source TRIAC controller (24), and a blue light source TRIAC controller (25), each of which is connected to and is configured to receive a pulse from the computer programmable pulsed scanning signal generator (22) and thereby correspondingly controls the red light source group (26), the green light source group (27), and the blue light source group (28) to emit light signals, with a pulsed or pulsed periodical scanning combined spectrum, to the vegetables or fruits to maintain freshness of the vegetables or fruits.