Patent ID: 7913513
Filing Date: 2011-03-29
Classification: A23B,F25D

Abstract:
1. A storage apparatus for boxes containing fruit, comprising: a cabinet including side walls, a rear wall, front walls, and a cover portion, said cabinet having upper and lower portions and an interior volume of a size sufficient to house a stack of said boxes and said volume being configured and sized to accept palletized produce; said front walls of said cabinet defining an access opening for insertion and withdrawal of one or more of said boxes; each of said side walls of said cabinet comprising an outer wall, an inner wall separated from said outer wall by a space, and a plurality of vertically oriented partitions being spaced from one another and disposed between said inner and outer walls, said plurality of partitions spanning vertically between the upper and lower portions while being in intimate contact with said inner and outer side walls, so that said inner and outer side walls define, with said partitions, air flow channels; said airflow channels including means to selectively dampen one or more of said airflow channels of each side wall; said means to selectively dampen each said air flow channel comprised of a slidable plate configured to selectively block one or more of said air flow channels; and said cover portion being positioned atop the front, side and rear walls, said cover portion housing blowers disposed atop the air flow channels of each side wall and conduit means interconnecting said blowers and said channels for fluidly communicating said blowers with said air flow channels.