Nova Patents
EP2014202B9

Fruit ripening display

Abstract

This record has no abstract on file.

EP2014202B9, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 41

Term

Term ended

Expired 16 August 2024, 2.1 years ago.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Granted
  4. Expired
  5. Today

15 claims: 15 independent, 0 dependent

  1. c-en-01-0001
    An apparatus for fruit ripening comprising a) two or more display parts (1610, 1620) wherein the size of said two or more display parts permits them to fit entirely on a countertop 61.0 cm long by 61.0 cm wide (two feet long by two feet wide) when the display parts are combined;b) one or more chambers for retaining ripening gas wherein i) one or more of the chambers are formed at least in part by the combination of two or more of the display parts (1610, 1620)ii) at least one of said one or more of the chambers has one or more walls comprising gas impermeable material and at least one rounded inner surface;c) two or more support surfaces for ripening fruit wherein i) one or more of said two or more display parts comprise at least part of one of the two or more support surfaces for ripening fruit;ii) at least one support surface for ripening fruit is enclosed inside one or more chambers for retaining fruit ripening gas when the one or more of the chambers are formed at least in part by combination of two or more of the display parts;iii) one or more fruit support surfaces for ripening fruit are located outside of the one or more chambers for retaining --> ripening gas when one or more of the chambers are formed by the combination of two or more of the display parts;iv) the one or more of the fruit support surfaces located outside the one or more ripening chambers are at least in part concave;andv) one or more air vents (1602) are provided in the one or more of the fruit support surfaces located outside the one or more ripening chambers, said air vents being in a raised or lowered area relative to the surrounding support surface for ripening fruit, or in an area level with the surrounding support surface for ripening fruit.
  2. c-en-01-0002
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 1 wherein the one or more air vents (1602) are not on the same level as the surrounding support surface.
  3. c-en-01-0003
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 1 wherein at least one chamber is substantially hemispherical.
  4. c-en-01-0004
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 1 wherein at least one chamber is substantially ellipsoidal.
  5. c-en-01-0005
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 1 wherein the one or more air vents are located on the same level as their surrounding support surface area and the one or more of the fruit support surfaces located outside the one or more ripening chambers comprise a fruit guide.
  6. c-en-01-0006
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 2 wherein the one or more of the fruit support surfaces located outside the one or more ripening chambers comprises a fruit guide (e.g., 1619 and/or 1635).
  7. c-en-01-0007
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 1 wherein one or more of said two or more display parts comprises feet (3645). -->
  8. c-en-01-0008
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 1 wherein the at least two display parts comprise one bottom display part and one top display part, said top display part is stacked on the bottom display part, and is of different shape than the bottom display part.
  9. c-en-01-0009
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 8 wherein the support surface of the top display part that is located outside the one or more ripening chambers is shallower than the support surface of the bottom display part that is enclosed inside the one or more chambers.
  10. c-en-01-0010
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 1 wherein the one or more chambers is ventilated for substantially accelerated fruit ripening.
  11. c-en-01-0011
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 10 wherein the one or more air vents (1602) provided in the one or more of the fruit support surfaces located outside the one or more ripening chambers are higher than their surrounding support surface such that fruit tends not to cover the vents.
  12. c-en-01-0012
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 10 wherein the at least two display parts comprise one bottom display part and one top display part, said top display part is stacked on the bottom display part, and is of different shape than the bottom display part.
  13. c-en-01-0013
    The apparatus for ripening of Claim 10 wherein the display parts can be separated.
  14. c-en-01-0014
    A method for ripening fruit comprising the following steps:a) a step of placing fruit capable of ripening on one or more fruit support surfaces comprised by one or more display parts;b) a step for combining two or more display parts to form one or more chambers for ripening fruit whereby -->i) the size of said two or more display parts permits them to fit entirely on a countertop 61.0 cm long by 61.0 cm wide (two feet long by two feet wide) when combined;ii) at least some of the fruit placed on one or more fruit support surfaces is enclosed in one or more of the chambers when two or more of the display parts are combined;andiii) at least one of said one or more of the chambers comprises at least one rounded inner surface and is ventilated by one or more air vents provided in a support surface located outside the one or more chambers;c) a step for ripening fruit enclosed on one or more fruit support surfaces at an accelerated rate;d) a step of separating two or more of said display parts and removing some of said fruit capable of ripening from one or more of the open chambers;ande) a step of placing and selectively regulating fruit ripening at room atmosphere of at least one piece of the fruit that is ripe, that ripens quickly or that is being kept on one or more fruit support surfaces that are comprised by one or more display parts and located outside of the one or more chambers for retaining ripening gas when one or more of the chambers are formed by two or more display parts. -->
  15. c-en-01-0015
    A method of manufacturing an apparatus for fruit ripening and display comprising the acts of a) injecting a mold for one or more display parts with plastic resin creating a plurality of display parts wherein the size and shape of the molding surface i) permits the display parts to fit entirely on a countertop 61.0 cm long by 61.0 cm wide (two feet long by two feet wide) when combined;ii) permits the display parts to combine to form at least in part one or more chambers;iii) permits one or more of said two or more display parts to comprise at least part of one of two or more support surfaces for ripening fruit;iv) permits at least one support surface for ripening fruit to be enclosed within one or more chambers for retaining fruit ripening gas when the chambers are formed at least in part by the first and second display parts;v) permits one or more support surfaces for ripening fruit to be located outside of the one or more chambers for retaining ripening gas when one or more of the chambers are formed by at least the first and second display parts,vi) wherein the one or more support surfaces for ripening fruit that are located outside of the one or more chambers for retaining ripening gas when the chambers are formed by at least the first and second parts are at least in part concave and at least in part inwardly sloped;and -->b) creating holes in two or more display parts such that at least one of the one or more chambers formed at least in part by two or more display parts has one or more air vents provided in the fruit support surface located outside the one or more chambers.
Independent claims15