Method for transporting produce under controlled atmosphere

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PROTECTING FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES DURING TRANSPORTTION AGAINST DEGRADATION WHEN ENCLOSED IN A COMPARTMENT, COMPRISING: LOADING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES INTO SAID COMPARTMENT AT ABOUT FIELD TEMPERATURE AND SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSING SAID COMPARTMENT AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AGAINST INGRESS OF ATMOSPHERE; INITIALLY RAPIDLY INTRODUCING INTO SAID COMPARTMENT A VOLUME OF GAS OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NITROGEN AND ARGON TO DIFFUSE THROUGHOUT SAID COMPARTMENT TO PURGE RAPIDLY SAID COMPARTMENT AND SAID FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TO REDUCE THE OXYGEN LEVEL IN SAID COMPARTMENT TO THE RANGE OF 1/2% TO 4% WITHIN A TIME PERIOD SUCH THT FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL DEGRADATION OF SAID FRUITS AND VEGETABLES DOES NOT OCCUR; AND THEN OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME DURING TRANSPORT INTRODUCING INTO SID COMPARTMENT, AT VARYING RATES OF FLOW, ADDITIONAL SMALL VOLUMES OF SAID GAS, SAID VARYING RATES OF FLOW BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN DURING THE STEP OF INITIALLY RAPIDLY PURGING TO MAINTAIN THE OXYGEN LEVEL IN SAID COMPARTMENT IN THE RANGE OF 1/2% TO 4%, WHILE MAINTINING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID COMPARTMENT AND FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 33* AND 60*F.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PROTECTING FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES DURING TRANSPORTTION AGAINST DEGRADATION WHEN ENCLOSED IN A COMPARTMENT, COMPRISING: LOADING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES INTO SAID COMPARTMENT AT ABOUT FIELD TEMPERATURE AND SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSING SAID COMPARTMENT AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AGAINST INGRESS OF ATMOSPHERE; INITIALLY RAPIDLY INTRODUCING INTO SAID COMPARTMENT A VOLUME OF GAS OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NITROGEN AND ARGON TO DIFFUSE THROUGHOUT SAID COMPARTMENT TO PURGE RAPIDLY SAID COMPARTMENT AND SAID FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TO REDUCE THE OXYGEN LEVEL IN SAID COMPARTMENT TO THE RANGE OF 1/2% TO 4% WITHIN A TIME PERIOD SUCH THT FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL DEGRADATION OF SAID FRUITS AND VEGETABLES DOES NOT OCCUR; AND THEN OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME DURING TRANSPORT INTRODUCING INTO SID COMPARTMENT, AT VARYING RATES OF FLOW, ADDITIONAL SMALL VOLUMES OF SAID GAS, SAID VARYING RATES OF FLOW BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN DURING THE STEP OF INITIALLY RAPIDLY PURGING TO MAINTAIN THE OXYGEN LEVEL IN SAID COMPARTMENT IN THE RANGE OF 1/2% TO 4%, WHILE MAINTINING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID COMPARTMENT AND FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 33* AND 60*F.