Freshness of fruit and/or vegetables

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12408678-B2
Application number	US-202117502201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A system to illuminate fruit and/or vegetables in the food storage facility, comprising a lamp ( 8 ) and a controller ( 12 ). The lamp is operable to provide the illumination with a first light output and a second light output, the first light output having a higher intensity and at least a red-bias spectrum relative to the second light output. Further, the system comprises a controller for controlling the illumination of the fruit and/or vegetables in the food storage facility by controlling the lamp. The controller is configured to apply the illumination in a sequence comprising a period of darkness, followed by the first light output for a first period, then followed by the second light output for a second period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting system for illuminating plant items in a food storage facility or display comprising:
a luminaire arranged to provide a first light output and a second light output, the first light output having a higher intensity and at least a red-bias spectrum relative to the second light output, the second light output being white, and the first light output having a spectrum with a peak wavelength of 660 nm; and
a controller for controlling the first and second light output by controlling the luminaire,
wherein the controller is configured to apply a sequence, at least once a day, comprising a first period of darkness, followed by a second period with the first light output, then a third period with the second light output, the second period is shorter in duration than the third period, a total intensity of the second light output of the third period is less than a total intensity of the first light output of the second period, a total of 15 to 50 μmol/s/m 2 of photons are output by the first light output total in the second period, and a total of 2 to 15 μmol/s/m 2 of photons are emitted by the second light output total in the third period.

2. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the second period lasts under 2 hours.

3. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first period of darkness lasts 10 to 12 hours;
the second period lasts 1 to 2 hours; and
the third period lasts the remainder of a daily cycle following the second period or lasts a period of 2 to 6 hours followed by a period of ambient light from elsewhere.

4. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to time said sequence to cumulate at a designated consumption time, designated by a user, for consumption of at least some of the plant items.

5. The lighting system of claim 4 , wherein the third period lasts 2 to 4 hours up until the consumption time, and the second period lasts 1 to 2 hours up until the third period.

6. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second light outputs are discrete channels of the luminaire with discrete spectra and/or intensity being applied for the second period and third period respectively.

7. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second light outputs have constant spectra and/or intensity within the second period and third period respectively.

8. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the first period of darkness, second period and third period are contiguous.

9. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein luminaire is associated with a retail display.

10. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the luminaire is located in an interior of a refrigerator.

11. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein during the first period of darkness, the luminaire is not emitting light.

12. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the first period is longer in duration than the third period.

Assignees

• Signify Holding Bv

Inventors

• Nicole Céline Catherine Sarah
• Schobben Daniël Willem Elisabeth

Classifications

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A23B2/50

  by irradiation without heating · CPC title

• A23B7/04

  Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling · CPC title

• F25D27/005

  combined with control means · CPC title

• A23B7/015 Primary

  Preserving by irradiation or electric treatment without heating effect · CPC title