Industrial equipment for the treatment of produce

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021289801-A1
Application number	US-201917263690-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2019
Priority date	Jul 27, 2018
Publication date	Sep 23, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described herein are industrial application systems for treating (e.g., forming protective coatings on) produce, agricultural products, or other items. An exemplary application system can include a bed comprising a plurality of rollers, one or more sprayers over a first portion of the bed, one or more blowers over a second portion of the bed, a mixing system configured to prepare a mixture comprising a coating agent in a solvent, and a liquid delivery system connected inline between the mixing system and the one or more sprayers. Items placed on the bed can have the mixture applied to their surfaces via the one or more sprayers, after which the one or more blowers can at least partially remove the solvent from the surfaces of the perishable items, thereby causing the protective coatings to be formed over the perishable items.

First claim

1 . An application system for forming protective coatings over perishable items, comprising:
a bed comprising a plurality of rollers, wherein each of the rollers is configured to rotate at a predetermined rotational rate, thereby causing the perishable items on the bed to rotate; one or more sprayers over a first portion of the bed; one or more blowers over a second portion of the bed; a mixing system configured to prepare a mixture comprising a coating agent in a solvent; and a liquid delivery system connected inline between the mixing system and the one or more sprayers.

2 . The application system of claim 1 , wherein the application system is configured such that the mixture is applied to the perishable items via the one or more sprayers while the perishable items are rotating and are over the first portion of the bed.

3 . The application system of claim 2 , wherein the application system is further configured such that after the mixture is applied to the perishable items, the perishable items move to over the second portion of the bed, and while the perishable items are rotating and are over the second portion of the bed the one or more blowers at least partially remove the solvent from the surfaces of the perishable items, thereby causing the protective coatings to be formed over the perishable items.

4 . The application system of claim 1 , wherein the mixing system causes at least 95% of coating agent particles in the mixture to have a size in a range of 50 nm to 2000 nm after the mixture has been mixed in the mixing system for between 5 and 30 minutes.

5 . The application system of claim 4 , wherein the size is in a range of 75 nm to 1000 nm.

6 . The application system of claim 1 , wherein the rollers comprise brushbed rollers.

7 . The application system of claim 1 , wherein one or more rollers in the first portion of the bed comprise a first type of brushbed roller and one or more rollers in the second portion of the bed comprise a second type of brushbed roller different from the first type of brushbed roller.

8 . The application system of claim 1 , wherein the blowers are configured to heat the air or gas dispensed therefrom.

9 . The application system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the bed is less than 12 feet long.

10 . The application system of claim 9 , wherein the entire length of the bed is less than 20 feet.

11 . The application system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more blowers are configured to substantially dry each of the perishable items in a time of 300 seconds or less.

12 . The application system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more blowers are configured to substantially dry each of the perishable items in a time of 300 seconds or less.

13 . A method of forming a protective coating over a plurality of perishable items, comprising:
(i) placing the perishable items on a bed of an application system, wherein the application system comprises:
the bed, wherein the bed comprises a plurality of rollers, wherein each of the rollers is configured to rotate at a predetermined rotational rate, thereby causing the perishable items on the bed to rotate;
one or more sprayers over a first portion of the bed;
one or more blowers over a second portion of the bed;
a mixing system configured to prepare a mixture comprising a coating agent in a solvent; and
a liquid delivery system connected inline between the mixing system and the one or more sprayers;
(ii) while the perishable items are rotating and are over the first portion of the bed, causing the mixture to be applied to the perishable items via the one or more sprayers; and (iii) while the perishable items are rotating and are over the second portion of the bed, allowing the one or more blowers to at least partially remove the solvent from the surfaces of the perishable items, thereby causing the protective coating to be formed over the perishable items.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the mixing system causes at least 95% of coating agent particles in the mixture to have a size in a range of 50 nm to 2000 nm after the mixture has been mixed in the mixing system for between 5 and 30 minutes.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the size is in a range of 75 nm to 1000 nm.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the rollers comprise brushbed rollers.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more rollers in the first portion of the bed comprise a first type of brushbed roller and one or more rollers in the second portion of the bed comprise a second type of brushbed roller different from the first type of brushbed roller.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the blowers heat the air or gas dispensed therefrom while the perishable items are over the second portion of the bed.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second portion of the bed is less than 12 feet long.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the entire length of the bed is less than 20 feet.

21 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Apeel Tech Inc

Inventors

• Hegel Cody
• Kaun Stephen William
• Patterson Claire
• Perez Louis
• Aronson Matthew Taylor
• Gaudioso Matthew Dominick

Classifications

• A23B2/792

  Apparatus for preserving using liquids · CPC title

• A23P20/18

  by spray-coating, fluidised-bed coating or coating by casting (combined with breading A23P20/12) · CPC title

• B05B16/95

  the objects or other work to be sprayed lying on, or being held above the conveying means, i.e. not hanging from the conveying means · CPC title

• A23B7/158

  Apparatus for preserving using liquids · CPC title

• A23N15/06

  Devices for other treatment of fruit, e.g. marking, maturing, polishing · CPC title