Fruit sterilizing and cooling device using plasma-activated ice-water mixture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12408679-B2
Application number	US-202418991794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2024
Priority date	Feb 24, 2023
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A fruit sterilizing and cooling device using a plasma-activated ice-water mixture includes a top-opened tank body, where the tank body includes a front side provided with an ice-water tank, and a rear side provided with a cooling tank; a clapboard is provided between the ice-water tank and the cooling tank; a water passing port is formed in an upper portion of the clapboard; a grid plate is inserted at the water passing port; ice cubes are added to an upper portion of the ice-water tank; one side of a lower portion of the ice-water tank is connected to a plasma-activated water (PAW) generator; a valve is provided at a water outlet of the PAW generator; a fixed fence frame and a movable fence frame are provided in the cooling tank; and fruits to be treated are placed in the movable fence frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fruit sterilizing and cooling device using a plasma-activated ice-water mixture, comprising
a top-opened tank body, wherein the top-opened tank body comprises a front side provided with an ice-water tank, and a rear side provided with a cooling tank;
a clapboard provided between the ice-water tank and the cooling tank;
a water passing port formed in an upper portion of the clapboard;
a grid plate inserted at the water passing port;
ice cubes added to an upper portion of the ice-water tank;
a plasma-activated water (PAW) generator connected to one side of a lower portion of the ice-water tank;
a valve provided at a water outlet of the PAW generator; and
a fixed fence frame and a movable fence frame, wherein the fixed fence frame and the movable fence frame are provided in the cooling tank;
wherein fruits to be treated are placed in the movable fence frame; both the fixed fence frame and the movable fence frame are a grid frame; a grid bar at a bottom of the fixed fence frame and a grid bar at a bottom of the movable fence frame are provided alternately in a staggered manner; the bottom of the fixed fence frame and the bottom of the movable fence frame are wave-shaped; a peak at the bottom of the fixed fence frame and a valley at the bottom of the movable fence frame are aligned up and down; and a valley at the bottom of the fixed fence frame and a peak at the bottom of the movable fence frame are aligned up and down;
wherein the movable fence frame is provided with lifting handles higher than the top-opened tank body; a rear side of the cooling tank is provided with an overflow port; and a rear side of the overflow port is provided with an overflow tank.

2. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom of the fixed fence frame and the bottom of the movable fence frame are identically wave-shaped; and when the valley of the movable fence frame comes in contact with a bottom of the cooling tank, the peak of the movable fence frame is flush with the valley of the fixed fence frame.

3. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 2 , wherein a cover plate is provided on the tank body; and an avoidance groove for allowing each of the lifting handles of the movable fence frame to pass through is formed in the cover plate.

4. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 2 , wherein the grid plate is provided with a plurality of groups of grids from a top to a bottom; and each grid in a group of the plurality of groups of grids at the bottom is narrower than each grid in a group of the plurality of groups of grids at the top.

5. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 2 , wherein a water outlet is formed in a sidewall of a rear end of the cooling tank; the water outlet is connected to the ice-water tank through a circulating pump; a three-way valve is provided between the circulating pump and the ice-water tank; the three-way valve comprises two inlets and one outlet; and a second inlet of the three-way valve is connected to the water outlet of the PAW generator.

6. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 2 , wherein a water outlet is formed in a sidewall of a rear end of the cooling tank; the water outlet is connected to a circulating water tank through a circulating pump; a water outlet of the circulating water tank is connected to the ice-water tank; the water outlet of the PAW generator is connected to the circulating water tank; and a water level of the circulating water tank is higher than the ice-water tank.

7. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 1 , wherein lugs are respectively provided at a front end and a rear end of the fixed fence frame; and cross-bars for supporting the lugs are respectively provided above the water passing port and the overflow port.

8. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 7 , wherein a cover plate is provided on the tank body; and an avoidance groove for allowing each of the lifting handles of the movable fence frame to pass through is formed in the cover plate.

9. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 7 , wherein the grid plate is provided with a plurality of groups of grids from a top to a bottom; and each grid in a group of the plurality of groups of grids at the bottom is narrower than each grid in a group of the plurality of groups of grids at the top.

10. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 7 , wherein a water outlet is formed in a sidewall of a rear end of the cooling tank; the water outlet is connected to the ice-water tank through a circulating pump; a three-way valve is provided between the circulating pump and the ice-water tank; the three-way valve comprises two inlets and one outlet; and a second inlet of the three-way valve is connected to the water outlet of the PAW generator.

11. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting handles are respectively provided at a front end and a rear end of the movable fence frame, or at a left side and a right side of the movable fence frame.

12. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 11 , wherein a cover plate is provided on the tank body; and an avoidance groove for allowing each of the lifting handles of the movable fence frame to pass through is formed in the cover plate.

13. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 11 , wherein the grid plate is provided with a plurality of groups of grids from a top to a bottom; and each grid in a group of the plurality of groups of grids at the bottom is narrower than each grid in a group of the plurality of groups of grids at the top.

14. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 11 , wherein a water outlet is formed in a sidewall of a rear end of the cooling tank; the water outlet is connected to the ice-water tank through a circulating pump; a three-way valve is provided between the circulating pump and the ice-water tank; the three-way valve comprises two inlets and one outlet; and a second inlet of the three-way valve is connected to the water outlet of the PAW generator.

15. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 1 , wherein a cover plate is provided on the top-opened tank body; and an avoidance groove for allowing each of the lifting handles of the movable fence frame to pass through is formed in the cover plate.

16. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 1 , wherein the grid plate is provided with a plurality of groups of grids from a top to a bottom; and each grid in a group of the plurality of groups of grids at the bottom is narrower than each grid in a group of the plurality of groups of grids at the top.

17. The fruit sterilizing and cooling device using the plasma-activated ice-water mixture according to claim 16 , wherein a width of each

Assignees

• Univ Zhejiang

Inventors

• Wu Di
• Jiang Feng
• Yang Xiangzheng
• Sun Chongde
• Chen Kunsong

Classifications

• A23B7/055 Primary

  with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid N2, at cryogenic temperature · CPC title

• A23B7/158

  Apparatus for preserving using liquids · CPC title

• A23B7/157

  Inorganic compounds · CPC title

• A23B7/153

  in the form of liquids or solids · CPC title

• A23B7/04

  Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling · CPC title