Patent Publication Number: US-6655157-B2

Title: Wet package precooler

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/313,467, filed Aug. 21, 2001, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/349,380, filed Jan. 22, 2002, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     (Not Applicable) 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the cooling of packaged flowers and, more particularly, to the cooling of packaged flowers using vertical air flow. 
     There are many references to the value and importance of removing heat from packaged flowers and lowering the temperature to near freezing. Product life is extended because the rate of respiration (heat generated by the flowers), the production of ethylene, the loss of moisture, and other effects of senescence are all slowed. 
     There are also proven processes for horizontally pre-cooling traditional dry packaged flowers. One method incorporates a horizontal tunnel cooler to direct the cooling air to the side of a Procona™ package. This method requires labor to position the packages on and off the pre-cooling equipment, and takes up valuable cooler space, neither of which shippers are willing to give over to the process. 
     It would thus be desirable to provide a low cost method of directing the air vertically through the packages, thereby using much less cooler space and very little handling. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Using a vertical air flow method, the machine according to the present invention cools packaged flowers as they slide through a slot type precooler, which directs the cooling air into the top of the package, down through the flowers, and exhausting it through the hand holes and vents in the water container part of the package. 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a precooler system for packaged flowers includes a closed cabinet having a slotted opening in an upper surface, the slotted opening being sized to receive the packaged flowers. A conveyor is disposed in the closed cabinet that supports the packaged flowers. A blower assembly is positioned either remotely with a closed duct connection to the cabinet or below within the cabinet to supply/draw airflow substantially vertically through the packaged flowers from top to bottom. The system may additionally include structure for covering any portion of the slotted opening that is not occupied by packaged flowers. At least one angle bracket may be extended along the full length of corresponding edges of the slotted opening, the angle bracket guiding the packaged flowers through the slotted opening. 
     The system may additionally include at least one gasket extending across a corresponding edge of the slotted opening, the gasket providing a seal between the packaged flowers and the slotted opening. The slotted opening can be sized to accommodate standard size packaged flowers, wherein the system may further include an adapter shaped to fit in the slotted opening, the adapter being sized to accommodate smaller non-standard sized packaged flowers. 
     In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a precooler system is provided for packaged flowers for operation within a flower cooler room. The precooler system includes a closed cabinet having a slotted opening in an upper surface, the slotted opening being sized to receive the packaged flowers; a conveyor disposed in the closed cabinet and supporting the packaged flowers; and a blower assembly positioned to supply airflow substantially vertically through the packaged flowers from top to bottom. The closed cabinet preferably includes sealing structure that provides a seal between the slotted opening and the packaged flowers. 
     In still another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of cooling packaged flowers is provided using the precooler system of the invention. The method includes (a) placing the packaged flowers in the slotted opening and on the conveyor; (b) moving the packaged flowers through the precooling system along the slotted opening via the conveyor; and (c) flowing conditioned air via the blower assembly substantially vertically through the packaged flowers from top to bottom. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wet package precooler according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 2 is an end view of the precooler shown in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the precooler machine  10  according to the present invention includes a generally closed cabinet  12  having a slotted opening  14  in the top. The slot  14  is generally sized to receive a conventional upright hamper  16 , which is traditionally used for shipping flowers. An example of conventional packaging for flowers is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,799. The upright hamper  16  typically includes at least one air vent  18  and two hand holes (not shown) on adjacent sides of the hamper  16 . A conveyor  20  supports and transports the packages in the slot  14 . 
     A motor/blower  22 ,  22 ′ provides the cooling vertical air flow. As shown, the motor/blower assembly  22 ,  22 ′ can be located inside the cabinet  12  as shown at  22  or ducted to or from the cabinet  12  from an exterior location as shown at  22 ′. Inside the cabinet  12 , the motor/blower assembly  22  draws the cold cooler air through a plenum which in turn causes the air to pass over and around the packaged flowers, subsequently lowering the temperature of the flowers. 
     With continued reference to FIG. 2, metal angle brackets  24  cover an edge of the slot  14  to guide the container  16  smoothly through the slot  14 . A gasket  26 , preferably formed of a pliable plastic material, runs the full length of the slot  14  overlapping the edge of the containers  16  providing a seal. Reinforced tarpaulin covers or the like may be used to close over any portion of the slot  14  not occupied by packages  16 , thereby stopping air flow bypass. Once the line of packages  16  fills the slot  14 , such covers are not needed. 
     The machine can be built to accommodate any number or size of containers  16 , and an adapter can be used so smaller containers will ride in the slot made for larger containers. The height of the packages is generally only limited by the flower cooler room in which the machine is placed. Mixed collar sizes can be used, which does not effect the flow or process. The slot  14  and conveyor  20  may also accommodate packages without ledges, assuming compatible air vent openings in the top and lower sides of the package. 
     The conveyor  20  can be made to abut any existing system and can be built to any height requirement, allowing continuous travel of the packages  16 . 
     The machine is preferably operated inside a flower cooler room, thus preferably in a room with cool ambient air. Since pre-cooling is a relationship of temperature, time, mass, and specific heat, each individual unit can be exposed to the cooling process for as long as may be necessary depending on its weight and the density of the flowers it contains. The term “field heat” represents the cooling necessary to reduce the product from harvest temperature down to the safe storage level. The quantity of product harvested, the harvest temperature, and the rate of cooling all affect the field heat load. The field heat load can be determined according to: 
     
       
         
           Q 
           1 
           =MCΔT, 
         
       
     
     where Q 1  is the field heat removal rate (Btu/24 hrs), M is the mass of product cooled per 24 hours (lb), C is the specific heat of the product (Btu/lb° F.), and ΔT is the temperature drop of the product in 24 hours (° F.). A probe thermometer can be readily pushed into the side of a package and the unit removed when the desired temperature is obtained. This is an added advantage over traditional dry package pre-cooling, where multiple units are cooled at one time, stored on carts or pallets and individual units are difficult to remove. 
     With the wet package precooler according to the present invention, typical flower cooler room cooling times, which can exceed twenty-four hours to attain proper temperatures, can be reduced to only 20-30 minutes, depending on the temperature and refrigeration capacity of the flower cooler. The machine utilizes controlled vertical air flow to cool packaged flowers. The machine is generally inexpensive to manufacture and can be easily positioned in the flower cooler room to facilitate storage and transfer of the packaged flowers. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.