Patent ID: 8808776

Claim:
A produce chamber for subjecting produce in a produce crate to a controlled atmosphere, said chamber comprising: at least one inflatable/deflatable balloon seal means for sealingly engaging with a side wall of a produce crate, the produce crate having at least one opening in the side wall to allow controlled atmosphere to be introduced to the produce crate, the balloon seal means having at least one atmosphere discharge opening therein to align with the at least one opening in the produce crate when the produce crate is located in the chamber; the balloon seal means being arranged so that when a produce crate with produce therein is to be introduced into the chamber, the balloon seal means can be deflated, the produce crate located in the chamber, and then the balloon seal means inflated and controlled atmosphere allowed to discharge into the chamber through the balloon seal means, so that the balloon seal means will inflate and seal against the side wall of the produce crate and so that the controlled atmosphere can be discharged from the at least one discharge opening through the at least one opening in the side wall of the produce crate to expose produce therein to the controlled atmosphere; and an atmosphere circulating means for circulating controlled atmosphere away from the produce crate, the balloon seal means comprising at least two upright extending elongate socks spaced apart by the width of a produce crate so that when a plurality of produce crates are located in the chamber, one sock will engage with side walls of corners of two side by side adjacent produce crates, and each sock has at least two discharge openings disposed at an angle relative to each other in the circumference of the sock, each discharge opening arranged to direct the circulating controlled atmosphere to a respective one of the two adjacent produce crates.