Device and method for ripening fruit

A device for ripening fruit comprising:

• a) a chamber;
• b) a frame contained within said chamber;
• c) at least two rows of loaded pallets supporting air-permeable loads of fruit contained within said frame wherein said pallets are placed one above the other to produce a free space on either side of Said rows of loaded pallets and wherein said frame provides for an essentially horizontal space between said rows Of loaded pallets;
• d) a bottom sealing plate and a top sealing plate, wherein said horizontal space is bounded by said sealing plates to prevent fluid flow directly out of said horizontal space into said loads;
• e) a vertical space at one longitudinal side formed by two adjacent rows of said loaded pallets;
• f) a vertical space at the Other longitudinal side formed by the opposite face of said loaded pallets and the inner surface of said frame;
• g) a cooling means disposed longitudinally, essentially at the level of said horizontal space for the cooling of fluid;
• and
• h) a circulation means disposed longitudinally, essentially at the level of said horizontal space for conveying said cooled fluid from one longitudinal side of said frame to the other whereby said fluid flows back essentially in the horizontal direction through said load on the pallets from said one longitudinal side to said other longitudinal side:
• whereby said device is operable to ripen fruit uniformly.

A device for ripening fruit in a chamber comprising:

• a) a frame containable within said chamber, said frame being adapted to support at least two rows of pallets bearing air-permeable loads of fruit, said rows extending in a longitudinal direction and being disposed one above the other and defining a free fluid flow space on either side of said rows of pallets and an essentially horizontal space between said rows of pallets;
• b) a bottom sealing member and a top sealing member bounding said horizontal space prevent fluid flow directly from said horizontal space into said loads;
• c) fluid cooling and circulating means disposed in said frame essentially at the level of said horizontal space and extending in said longitudinal direction;
• whereby cooling fluid can be circulated to flow back essentially in the horizontal direction through said loads of fruit from one longitudinal side of a row to the other longitudinal side to promote uniform cooling of said loads of fruit.