Apparatus and method for automatically moving objects within a modified atmosphere environment

Apparatus for automatically moving one or more objects within a modified atmosphere environment, said apparatus comprising:

• a main chamber confined from an external environment,
• one or more base plates placed reciprocally contiguous to each other defining a driving surface within the main chamber,
• one or more working stations arranged within said main chamber,
• one or more transport members, each configured to support said one or more objects and configured to move contactless in a coordinated manner on said driving surface among said one or more working stations by means of magnetic interaction between said one or more base plates and said one or more transport members,
• a loading/unloading chamber arranged adjacent to said main chamber, and
• a separating door configured to be moved between a closed configuration in which the separating door confines the main chamber from the loading/unloading chamber and an opened configuration in which the separating door puts into communication the main chamber with the loading/unloading chamber, wherein said driving surface, made of said one or more base plates, extends also within the loading/unloading chamber allowing said loading/unloading chamber to be accessed by said one or more transport members when the separating door is in the opened configuration, so that said one or more transport members can be selectively displaced within the loading/unloading chamber by moving on said driving surface.