US3958028A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Low temperature hypobaric storage of metabolically active matter
Assignee: Grumman Allied Industries Inc
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Filing: 1974-08-26
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Granted: 1976-05-18
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Expires: 1994-08-26
Abstract
Abstract The preservation of metabolically active matter such as fruit, vegetables, meat, fowl, shrimp, fish, other food, cut flowers, cuttings, foliage plants and the like is disclosed, characterized by storage at controlled and correlated conditions of hypobaric pressure, temperature, humidity, air circulation and air exchange. A non-deleterious gas such as air is humidified by contacting it with heated water from a supply, and then the humid air is passed through, and when advisable, recirculated and/or rehumidified within a storage chamber containing the metabolically active matter. The relative humidity is maintained within the range of about 80 to 100% and the pressure is maintained continuously or intermittently at a selected value at least slightly higher than the vapor pressure of the water in the stored commodity.
Inventors
- 👤 Stanley P. Burg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:36
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25D; F25D17/00; F25D17/04; F25D17/042; A; A23; A23B; A23B2/00; A23B2/70; A23B2/704; A23B2/708; A23B4/00; A23B4/06; A23B4/066; A23B4/14; A23B4/16; F25D2317/00; F25D2317/04; F25D2317/041; F25D2317/0413; F25D2317/04131; F25D2317/043
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
The method of preserving metabolically active matter comprising placing said matter in air in an enclosed space, maintaining the relative humidity of said air between about 80 and 100%, adding fresh air to and moving humid air from said space, controlling the temperature of said matter, maintaining the pressure of said air between about 4 mm. Hg. and 100 mm Hg. absolute, and correlating pressure, temperature, air movement and relative humidity in said space with respect to the nature of the particular matter being preserved.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
85 words
The method of preserving metabolically active matter comprising placing said matter in air in an enclosed space, maintaining the relative humidity of said air between about 80 and 100%, adding fresh air to and moving humid air from said space, controlling the temperature of said matter, maintaining the pressure of said air between about 4 mm. Hg. and 100 mm Hg. absolute, and correlating pressure, temperature, air movement and relative humidity in said space with respect to the nature of the particular matter being preserved.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the air temperature is maintained between about minus 1° and plus 13°C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the stored matter comprises animal products such as beef, chicken, pork, shrimp and fish; vegetative materials and floral crops such as potted chrysanthemums, potted azaleas and Easter Lilies, rooted and non-rooted chrysanthemum cuttings, rooted and non-rooted carnation and geranium cuttings; cut flower such as snapdragon, carnation, roses, chrysanthemums and gladiolus; and green onions, apples, pears, nectarines and peaches, and the air temperature is maintained between about minus 1° and plus 4°C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the stored matter comprises said animal products and the pressure is maintained between about 8 mm and 50 mm Hg.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the stored matter comprises mature green tomatoes, avocados, green peppers, cucumbers, snap and pole beans, red ginger, helicania latispathea, and vanda joaquim, and the temperature is maintained above about 5°C and below about 13°C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 with the steps of cooling said air and recirculating cool humid air over and about said matter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 with the step of wrapping said matter with material tending to retain water vapor in the space between the surface of said matter and said material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 with the steps of maintaining said hypobaric conditions predominately and raising the air pressure to a value between about 100 mm Hg. and 760 mm Hg. periodically.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 with the step of humidifying said air by adding water thereto at a temperature not substantially less than the temperature of the air in said space.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
81 words
The method of preserving metabolically active matter comprising placing said matter in air in an enclosed space, maintaining hypobaric storage conditions of about 4 to 400 mm Hg. and predetermined related conditions of temperature, hypobaric pressure, relative humidity and air flow correlated to preserve said matter in said space at certain times, and maintaining conventional cold storage conditions in said space at other times to alleviate undesirable adaptation of said matter to the low oxygen environment of said hypobaric storage conditions.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
81 words
The method of preserving metabolically active matter comprising placing said matter in air in an enclosed space, maintaining hypobaric storage conditions of about 4 to 400 mm Hg. and predetermined related conditions of temperature, hypobaric pressure, relative humidity and air flow correlated to preserve said matter in said space at certain times, and maintaining conventional cold storage conditions in said space at other times to alleviate undesirable adaptation of said matter to the low oxygen environment of said hypobaric storage conditions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said conditions are modified cyclically.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said cold storage conditions are maintained for about 1 to 14 hours per day at least on certain days.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
90 words
The method of cooling metabolically active matter rapidly in air composed of gases and water vapor in an enclosed space at sub-atmospheric pressure comprising the steps of reducing the pressure of said air to between 4 and 100 mm Hg., cooling said air, increasing the thermal conductivity of said air by increasing the relative humidity thereof to between 80 and 100%, simultaneously increasing the relative proportion of water vapor to said gases in said air, and moving said cold, hypobaric, heat conductive mixture over said matter in thermal contact therewith.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
90 words
The method of cooling metabolically active matter rapidly in air composed of gases and water vapor in an enclosed space at sub-atmospheric pressure comprising the steps of reducing the pressure of said air to between 4 and 100 mm Hg., cooling said air, increasing the thermal conductivity of said air by increasing the relative humidity thereof to between 80 and 100%, simultaneously increasing the relative proportion of water vapor to said gases in said air, and moving said cold, hypobaric, heat conductive mixture over said matter in thermal contact therewith.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said matter is cooled rapidly to a temperature different from its desired steady-state storage temperature with the step of increasing the temperature and pressure employed for rapid cooling to the temperature, humidity and pressure desired for steady-state storage.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 13 with the step of temporarily interrupting the said conditions employed for cooling the matter rapidly by increasing the temperature and pressure thereof to preserve said matter from cold damage, freezer burn, or anaerobiosis during the cool-down process.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 13 with the step of wrapping said matter with material tending to retain water vapor in the space between the surface of said matter and said material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said matter has a water content with the step of reducing the pressure in said space as the temperature of said matter is reduced.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
99 words
The method of preserving metabolically active matter other than mature, but less than fully ripe, fruit which produces ethylene and is ripened thereby, in an enclosed space in moving hypobaric air at 4 to 400 mm Hg. comprising maintaining predetermined related conditions of temperature, hypobaric pressure, relative humidity and air flow co-related to preserve said matter, adding fresh air to and withdrawing humid air from said space, providing a supply of water, adding water vapor to said fresh air from said supply, and maintaining the temperature of said supplied water substantially as warm as the temperature of said air.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
99 words
The method of preserving metabolically active matter other than mature, but less than fully ripe, fruit which produces ethylene and is ripened thereby, in an enclosed space in moving hypobaric air at 4 to 400 mm Hg. comprising maintaining predetermined related conditions of temperature, hypobaric pressure, relative humidity and air flow co-related to preserve said matter, adding fresh air to and withdrawing humid air from said space, providing a supply of water, adding water vapor to said fresh air from said supply, and maintaining the temperature of said supplied water substantially as warm as the temperature of said air.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 18 in which the temperature of water in said body of water is 20°between about 2° to 20 C higher than the temperature of the air in said space.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 18 in which humid air is taken from and fresh air is added to said space, with the step of preconditioning said air entering said space to a temperature, pressure and humidity proximate the corresponding conditions in the air in said space.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 18 in which said heated water is introduced into said air through an hydraulic water atomizer with the step of exposing the water supply to atmospheric pressure to force the water into said space.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
61 words
The improvement of claim 18 with the steps of removing low pressure air from, and supplying higher pressure fresh air to, said space, humidifying part of said air on its way to said space, and inducing circulation of humid air within said space by the movement of another part of said air into said space through a pneumatically actuated air mover.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 18 with the step of wrapping said matter in water-retention means enclosing said matter and retarding water-loss therefrom and enhancing heat transfer therefrom.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 18 with the step of cooling said organic matter by progressively decreasing the pressure of said air as the temperature of said commodity is lowered.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
166 words
The method for preserving metabolically active matter other than mature, but less than fully ripe, fruit which produces ethylene and is ripened thereby comprising: a. placing said matter in air in an enclosed space, b. humidifying said air, c. moving said humid air in said space in contact with said matter, d. maintaining hypobaric pressure in said space within the range of about 4 mm Hg. to about 400 mm Hg., maintaining the air temperature in said space from about minus 2° to about 15°C, maintaining the relative humidity in said air between about 80 and 100%, and exhausting air from said space at a rate between one-fourth to ten times the volume of said space at the reduced pressure thereof per hour, e. said hypobaric pressure, humidity, air flow and temperature being dependent upon the nature of said matter and co-related to preserve said matter for a prolonged period of time, as compared with conventional cold storage, and f. recirculating said air in said space.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
166 words
The method for preserving metabolically active matter other than mature, but less than fully ripe, fruit which produces ethylene and is ripened thereby comprising: a. placing said matter in air in an enclosed space, b. humidifying said air, c. moving said humid air in said space in contact with said matter, d. maintaining hypobaric pressure in said space within the range of about 4 mm Hg. to about 400 mm Hg., maintaining the air temperature in said space from about minus 2° to about 15°C, maintaining the relative humidity in said air between about 80 and 100%, and exhausting air from said space at a rate between one-fourth to ten times the volume of said space at the reduced pressure thereof per hour, e. said hypobaric pressure, humidity, air flow and temperature being dependent upon the nature of said matter and co-related to preserve said matter for a prolonged period of time, as compared with conventional cold storage, and f. recirculating said air in said space.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 25 in which said matter comprises non-ripe fruits such as limes, pineapples, peaches and nectarines, said pressure is from about 80 to about 150 mm Hg., and said temperature is within the range of about 0° to about 10°C.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 25 in which said matter comprises ripe fully mature fruit such as Valencia oranges, ruby red grapefruit, pineapples, strawberries, sweet cherries, vine ripe tomatoes and blueberries, said pressure is from about 70 to about 400 mm Hg., and said temperature is within the range of about 0° to about 14°C.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 25 in which said matter comprises iceburg lettuce, said pressure is from about 80 to about 200 mm Hg., and said temperature is within the range of about 0° to about 2°C.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 25 including providing water retentive means substantially enclosing said matter to retard water loss therefrom and increase heat transmission therefrom.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 25 wherein said matter comprises animal products with the steps of maintaining said temperature between about minus 1° and plus 2°C and maintaining said pressure between about 8 and 50 mm Hg.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 25 with the steps of maintaining said hypobaric conditions for a period of time, and modifying said conditions from time to time.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 31 wherein said conditions are modified from hypobaric to cold storage.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-05-18 | 1979-11-17 | 1980-05-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-05-18 | 1983-11-17 | 1984-05-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-05-18 | 1987-11-17 | 1988-05-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |