Blueberry dryer

An apparatus for drying bulk quantities of small produce, the apparatus comprising;

• a drying chamber defining an open drying bay having a first end and a second end;
• and
• a longitudinally extending conveyer through the drying bay for carrying the produce deposited through the drying bay, the conveyer allowing air to pass therethrough;
• the drying chamber includes a first fan mounted to a frame over the conveyer and a second fan mounted to the frame beneath the conveyer, one of the first fan and the second fan for blowing air onto the produce carried atop the conveyer, and the other of the first fan and the second fan for pulling air through the conveyer belt and around the produce carried atop the conveyer;
• and
• a plurality of baffles mounted to the frame and suspended between the first fan and the conveyer for directing air onto the produce carried atop the conveyer.

A drying apparatus for removing moisture and water droplets from the surface of blueberries, the apparatus comprising;

• a frame having a first end and a second end;
• a drying chamber supported atop the frame between the first frame end and the second frame end, the drying chamber defining an open drying bay therein;
• a longitudinal conveyer supported by the frame and extending through the drying bay for carrying the bulk blueberries deposited thereupon through the drying chamber from the first frame end to the second frame end;
• and
• means for vibrating the conveyer under the first fan so as to shake the moisture and the water droplets from the produce,
• the conveyer allowing air to pass therethrough,
• the drying chamber includes a first fan mounted to the frame over the conveyer for blowing air onto the bulk blueberries carried atop the conveyer, a second fan mounted to the frame beneath the conveyer for pulling air through the conveyer belt and around individual berries of the bulk blueberries carried atop the conveyer, and a plurality of baffles suspended between the first fan and the conveyer for directing air onto the bulk blueberries carried atop the conveyer.

An apparatus for removing moisture and water droplets from the surface of small produce, the apparatus comprising;

• a frame having a first end and a second end;
• a longitudinally extending conveyer supported by the frame for carrying the produce deposited thereupon from the first frame end to the second frame end, the conveyer allowing air to pass therethrough;
• a first fan mounted to the frame over the conveyer;
• a second fan mounted to the frame under the conveyer, one of the first fan and the second fan for blowing air onto the produce carried atop the conveyer, and the other of the first fan and the second fan for pulling air through the conveyer belt and around the produce carried atop the conveyer;
• and
• means for vibrating the conveyer under the first fan so as to shake the moisture and the water droplets from the produce.

An apparatus for drying bulk quantities of small produce, the apparatus comprising:

• a drying chamber defining an open drying bay having a first end and a second end;
• and
• a longitudinally extending conveyer through the drying bay for carrying the produce deposited through the drying bay, the conveyer allowing air to pass therethrough;
• the drying chamber includes a first fan mounted to a frame over the conveyer and a second fan mounted to the frame beneath the conveyer, one of the first fan and the second fan for blowing air onto the produce carried atop the conveyer, and the other of the first fan and the second fan for pulling air through the conveyer belt and around the produce carried atop the conveyer, the drying chamber also includes means for vibrating the conveyer under the first fan so as to shake the moisture and the water droplets from the produce.