Atmosphere controlling method and apparatus for food storage

Claim 3

The method defined in claim 1, including displacing external atmospheric air in the adsorber for a predetermined period with air from the food storage chamber without introducing such external atmospheric air into the food storage chamber.

Claim 6

The method defined in claim 3, including performing step (2) by effecting the following two steps in sequence: (2) (a) disconnecting the adsorber inlet from the food storage chamber, connecting the adsorber inlet to the external atmosphere inlet and introducing external atmospheric air into the adsorber; and (2) (b) disconnecting the adsorber outlet from the food storage chamber, connecting the adsorber outlet to the external atmosphere outlet and circulating external atmospheric air through the adsorber for purging carbon dioxide from the adsorber.

Claim 7

The method defined in claim 4, including performing step (2) (a) until the adsorber is substantially full of external atmospheric air.

Claim 8

The method defined in claim 3 or 4, including performing step (3) until the adsorber is substantially full of storage chamber air.

Claim 11

The method defined in claim 7, including performing step (2) until the adsorber is substantially full of external atmospheric air for displacing substantially all of the scrubbed storage chamber air from the adsorber.

Claim 16

In atmosphere controlling apparatus for a food storage system including: a substantially sealed storage chamber for storing food; first adsorber means for scrubbing carbon dioxide from air passed therethrough; second adsorber means for scrubbing carbon dioxide from air passed therethrough; an external atmosphere inlet; an external atmosphere outlet; and conduit means interconnecting the storage chamber, the first and second adsorber means, the external atmosphere inlet and the external atmosphere outlet; the improvement comprising circulating means for automatically and sequentially effecting at least the following three circulations of air through the conduit means: (1) a first circulation in which purging atmospheric air passes from the external atmosphere inlet through the first adsorber means and out the external atmosphere outlet for purging carbon dioxide from the first adsorber means and storage chamber air is circulated from the storage chamber through the second adsorber means and back to the storage chamber for scrubbing carbon dioxide from such storage chamber air; (2) a second circulation in which air is transferred from the second adsorber means to the first adsorber means such that scrubbed storage chamber air from the second adsorber means is introduced into the first adsorber means and purging atmospheric air in the first adsorber means is displaced from the first adsorber means without being introduced into the storage chamber; and (3) a third circulation in which purging air passes from the external atmosphere inlet through the second adsorber means and out the external atmosphere outlet for purging carbon dioxide from the second adsorber means and storage chamber air is circulated from the storage chamber through the first adsorber means and back to the storage chamber for scrubbing carbon dioxide from such storage chamber air.

Claim 17

In atmosphere controlling apparatus for a food storage system including: a substantially sealed storage chamber for storing food; first adsorber means for scrubbing carbon dioxide from air passed therethrough; second adsorber means for scrubbing carbon dioxide from air passed therethrough; an external atmosphere inlet; an external atmosphere outlet; and conduit means interconnecting the storage chamber, the first and second adsorber means, the external atmosphere inlet and the external atmosphere outlet; the improvement comprising circulating means for automatically and sequentially effecting at least the following three circulations of air through the conduit means: (1) a first circulation in which purging atmospheric air passes from the external atmosphere inlet through the first adsorber means and out the external atmosphere outlet for purging carbon dioxide from the first adsorber means and storage chamber air is circulated from the storage chamber through the second adsorber means and back to the storage chamber for scrubbing carbon dioxide from such storage chamber air; (2) a second circulation in which air is transferred from the second adsorber means to the first adsorber means such that scrubbed storage chamber air from the second adsorber means is introduced into the first adsorber means and purging atmospheric air in the first adsorber means is displaced from the first adsorber means without being introduced into the storage chamber; and (3) a third circulation in which purging air passes from the external atmosphere inlet through the second adsorber means and out the external atmosphere outlet for purging carbon dioxide from the second adsorber means and storage chamber air is circulated from the storage chamber through the first adsorber means and back to the storage chamber for scrubbing carbon dioxide from such storage chamber air.

Claim 18

In the apparatus defined in claim 11, in which the circulating means includes means for circulating air from the first adsorber means to the second adsorber means and back to the first adsorber means for exchanging substantially all the air between the first and second adsorber means during the second circulation.

Claim 19

In the apparatus defined in claim 11, in which the circulating means includes an inlet check valve network for preventing the passage of air out through the external atmosphere inlet and an outlet check valve network for preventing the passage of air in through the external atmosphere outlet.

Claim 20

In the apparatus defined in claim 13, in which the circulating means further includes a first reversible fan connected to the first adsorber means by the conduit means and operable to blow air to the first adsorber means or draw air from the first adsorber means, a second reversible fan connected to the second adsorber means by the conduit means and operable to blow air to the second adsorber means or draw air from the second adsorber means, and the control means includes means for actuating both fans for blowing in a forward direction to draw air from the adsorber means for effecting the first circulation and in a reverse direction to blow air to the adsorber means for effecting the third circulation.

Claim 21

In the apparatus defined in claim 14, in which the circulating means further includes two control valves operable between open positions for effecting the second circulation and closed positions for effecting the first circulation when the fan actuating means actuates the fans to blow in the forward direction, the third circulation being effected by the circulating means when said valves are closed and the fan actuating means actuate the fans to blow in the reverse direction.

Claim 22

In the apparatus defined in claim 15, in which each of the inlet and outlet check valve networks is a four junction network including opposite tees A and C and opposite cross junctions B and D interposed between junctions A and C, and including at least four check valves connected, respectively, between junctions B and A, junctions C and B, junctions C and D and junctions D and A, one of the control valves being connected between junctions B and D of one of the networks and the other control valve being connected between junctions B and D of the other network.

Claim 23

In the apparatus defined in claim 16, in which one tee of one check valve network communicates with the external atmosphere inlet, one tee of the other check valve network communicates with the external atmosphere outlet, and each of the other network tees is connected to the food storage chamber.

Claim 24

In the apparatus defined in claim 17, in which the conduit means connected one cross junction of each check valve network to the first adsorber means and connects the other cross junction of each check valve network to the second adsorber means.

Claim 25

In the apparatus defined in claim 18, in which one of the fans is interpoed between one cross junction of the inlet check valve network and the second adsorber means, and the other fan is interposed between one cross junction of the outlet check valve network and the first adsorber means.

Claim 26

In the apparatus defined in claim 15, in which the control means includes means for actuating the following actions consecutively: close valves, fans forward, open valves, close valves, fans reverse, open valves.

Claim 27

The method defined in claim 1 or 2, including displacing external atmospheric air in the adsorber with air from the food storage chamber until the adsorber is substantially full of food storage chamber air.

Claim 28

In atmosphere-controlling apparatus including a substantially sealed food storage chamber, an adsorber for scrubbing carbon dioxide from air passed therethrough and control means for alternately performing the following two specified functions: (1) circulating air from the food storage chamber through the adsorber and back to the food storage chamber for scrubbing carbon dioxide from the food storage chamber air; and (2) circulating external atmospheric air through the adsorber for purging carbon dioxide from the adsorber; the improvement comprising the control means including means for automatically performing the following specified function after performing function (2) but before performing function (1): (3) displacing external atmospheric air in the adsorber with air from the food storage chamber without introducing such external atmospheric air into the food storage chamber.

Claim 29

In atmosphere-controlling apparatus including a substantially sealed food storage chamber, an adsorber for scrubbing carbon dioxide from air passed therethrough and control means for alternately performing the following two specified functions: (1) circulating air from the food storage chamber through the adsorber and back to the food storage chamber for scrubbing carbon dioxide from the food storage chamber air; and (2) circulating external atmospheric air through the adsorber for purging carbon dioxide from the adsorber; the improvement comprising the control means including means for automatically performing the following specified function after performing function (2) but before performing function (1): (3) displacing external atmospheric air in the adsorber with air from the food storage chamber without introducing such external atmospheric air into the food storage chamber.