DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE GAS MEDIUM INSIDE A CONTAINER
A device for controlling the composition inside a shipping/storage container for produce, such as bananas, is disclosed. Such atmospheric control is particularly important when dealing with the ripening of respiring fruit. The device comprises a chamber surrounded by an outer wall, at least a portion of that wall made up of a selectively gas-permeable membrane which is in communication with the outside atmosphere. The chamber also includes at least two channels which are connected to the container: one which transmits gas form the chamber to the container, and one which transmits gas from the container to the chamber.
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14 . A method for preserving and ripening produce during shipping and/or storage comprising the steps of:
(a) placing said produce in a container adapted for the shipping and/or storage of said produce;
(b) providing a device for achieving and maintaining the required composition of the gas medium within said container to achieve storage/ripening of said produce in said container;
said device being separate from and located outside said container and consisting essentially of a chamber surrounded by an outer wall, a portion of said outer wall being made up of a selectively gas-permeable membrane which is in direct communication with both the atmosphere outside the device and the atmosphere outside the shipping/storage container, wherein the membrane controls the identity and ratio of gases passing through it into the chamber, and the contents of said chamber being at substantially atmospheric pressure; and at least two channels, which are structurally adapted such that they can be removably attached to said container, one of which acts to transmit gases from the chamber to the container, and the other of which acts to transmit gases from the container to the chamber; and
(c) allowing atmospheric gases to flow through the membrane into the chamber and then into the container, thereby adjusting the gaseous content in the container.
15 . The method according to claim 14 wherein the device includes valves in one or more of said channels to control the extent and/or direction of gas flow.
16 . The method according to claim 15 wherein the device additionally comprises a sensor-based control system to control the inflow and outflow of gases from the chamber.
17 . The method according to claim 14 wherein the device includes one or more fans to assist with the gas flow.
18 . The method according to claim 14 wherein the device includes an additional inlet channel for feeding one or more additional gases into the chamber.
19 . the method according to claim 18 wherein said one or more additional gases includes ethylene.
20 . The method according to claim 19 wherein the produce comprises bananas.
21 . The method according to claim 20 wherein the membrane is selectively permeable to gases selected from oxygen, carbon dioxide, and mixtures thereof.
22 . The method according to claim 14 wherein the container for shipping and storage of produce and the device itself comprises a single entity.
23 . The method according to claim 21 wherein the ratio of permeability values of carbon dioxide:oxygen is about 4.