System, method and apparatus for sealing and applying modified atmosphere for bulk perishable bins
AssigneeRLMB Group, LLC
InventorsRandall Craig BOWDEN, Robert W. HERDEMAN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for sealing a bin includes a movable conveyor for moving one or more bins, a protective racking system for stacking one or more bins into the movable shuttle or conveyor, and a vacuum cooling tube. The one or more bins have an open top or vented bin lid configured to cool a product within the bin and protect the product from falling debris and cross contamination during vacuum cooling, gas flushing, substance treatments, further handling, or the covering, closing, and/or sealing of the bins.
Claims25
A method for sealing a perishable product within one or more containers, the method comprising:
- placing the one or more containers having a liner therein filled with the perishable product on a conveyor with the liner being partially closed;
- moving the one or more containers with the conveyor;
- cooling the one or more containers on the conveyor;
- providing nitrogen and/or other gasses to an interior of the liner of the one or more containers on the conveyor during or following the cooling to create a modified atmosphere within the interior of the liner;
- opening the liner;
- collecting the liner with a collecting apparatus, wherein the collecting occurs in tandem with the one or more containers moving along the conveyor;
- pulling together open edges of the liner;
- and
- sealing the liner together with a sealer, wherein the sealing occurs in tandem with the one or more containers moving along the conveyor.
(canceled)
9-17. (canceled)
A system for sealing a perishable product within one or more containers, the system comprising:
- a movable conveyor for moving the one or more containers, the one or more containers having a partially closed liner therein filled with the perishable product;
- a vacuum cooling tube for cooling the one or more containers on the conveyor as the one or more containers move along the conveyor;
- a gas supply system for providing nitrogen and/or other gasses to an interior of the partially closed liner of the one or more containers as the one or more containers move along the conveyor during or after cooling via the vacuum cooling tube to create a modified atmosphere within the interior of the liner;
- and
- a sealing apparatus for sealing the liner together as the one or more containers move along the conveyor from the vacuum cooling tube or the gas supply system.
A method for sealing a perishable product within a bin, the method comprising:
- placing the bin having a liner therein filled with the perishable product on a conveyor with the liner being partially closed;
- moving the bin with the conveyor;
- cooling the bin on the conveyor;
- providing nitrogen and/or other gasses to an interior of the liner of the bin on the conveyor during or following the cooling to create a modified atmosphere within the interior of the liner;
- opening the liner;
- collecting the liner with a collecting device, wherein the collecting occurs in tandem with the bin moving along the conveyor;
- pulling together open edges of the liner and twisting and looping the edges of the liner together via a collecting apparatus;
- and
- sealing the twisted and looped edges of the liner together with a sealer at the twisted and looped location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.