Patent Application
20250197082
The present invention refers to an air flow control system for packaging, and more particularly refers to an air flow control system that allows the passage of air currents into the packaging in any direction of the axes “X”, “Y” and “Z”, providing sufficient air flow to preserve the products contained inside in optimal conditions, preventing their deterioration. Additionally, the present invention relates to an air flow control system for packaging, adapted to interact jointly with other similar packaging arranged adjacently and/or stacked, and/or grouped in packing, in such a way that in each and every each of the packaging, a necessary and sufficient air flow is maintained for the good conservation of the products.
The growth in the world population, the increase in the pace of life and the change in lifestyles are factors that the industrial sector has had to face to satisfy the needs of consumers. The industrial sector has been developing technologies and strategies that allow it to provide quality products at competitive prices to increasingly demanding consumers. Even the way of marketing products has also undergone changes, and one of the industries that has been favored by these factors is the packages and packaging industry, due to the increase in sales through the Internet, even managing to serve companies and sectors of essential activities.
The distribution chain to meet the growing demand for packaging and packing has improved over time and because packaging and packing are necessary so that products are handled, stored and shipped to the final consumer in adequate conditions, considering that said products also include those that are raw materials for the production of other products, in the packaging industry there has been a concern for the permanent development of both better logistical processes in the supply chain, as well as producing quality packaging that guarantees that the products will be in perfect conditions during the necessary time until reach the end user.
Although the role that packaging plays is important to store, protect and serve as a means to manipulate products, in the food industry this role is vital, since this industry is one of the pillars of modern society, being responsible for transporting, receive, store, process and preserve food for human and animal consumption, and must guarantee that the products that are marketed retain their nutritional and organoleptic properties for as long as possible. Food packaging is directly related to the health of consumers. This is why there are standards such as the IFS PACsecure and the BRC IOP Packaging that exist to ensure quality and safety of product packaging.
Packaging in the food industry must not only protect and extend the life of food by isolating it from external contamination, but must also preserve its quality, freshness, and organoleptic properties, minimizing the possibilities of deterioration, prolonging storage time, regulating the humidity of foods and helping to make the use of additives and preservatives less necessary.
Food chain processes include growing, harvesting, transporting, receiving, storing, processing, preserving and food serving. These processes include all the necessary procedures to protect the safety of food during its transfer from the place of production to the place of storage or processing, also considering maintaining adequate temperatures and avoiding environmental contamination.
In the food industry, raw materials are mainly products of plant, animal and fungal origin and advances in science and technology have allowed an increase the number of possible foods available in the diet. The increase in production has been united with a progressive effort to monitor hygiene and food laws in different countries, in order to regulate and unify processes and products. Processes and procedures have been developed for each type of product, since each product requires specific procedures and technologies for and its transportation, reception, storage, processing, conservation. Thus, in the case of products of plant origin, the procedures cover from sowing until said products reach the consumer, and in this chain of procedures and technologies, packaging has an outstanding role in post-harvest and logistics technologies.
Post-harvest technology includes post-harvest handling and storage of agricultural products and aims to improve the quality and shelf life of agricultural products, while reducing waste, through proper management for their conservation. In maintaining the physical integrity and quality of the products, both in the post-harvest process and in the transportation process and in general, in the product logistics until it reaches the final consumer, packaging is a primary factor.
Not all products have the same resistance to the handling conditions to which they will be subjected during transport. Most foods available today are not very resistant once harvested; for example, most vegetables and fruits must be harvested before ripening, so that they withstand transportation and can reach their destination for consumption in good condition. However, this strategy is only feasible if the vegetable or fruit to be harvested can be ripened during transportation or once it arrives at the place of consumption, which is not possible with some types of fruits such as forest fruits, also known as wild fruits, or berries, among which are strawberries, mulberries, blackberries and blueberries to name a few. This type of fruit cannot be harvested before ripening, since once cut there are no intrinsic metabolic mechanisms or environmental stimuli that allow the maturation of its tissues once removed from the plant, so these types of products must be harvested until they are completely ripe, so that they can later be sent to consumption sites. Furthermore, these fruits are very perishable, having a truly short life after harvest under optimal handling conditions. For example, the maximum shelf life of blackberries and raspberries is 2-5 days, while that of strawberries is 7-10 days. A characteristic of these fruits is their insensitivity to cold damage after harvest and therefore it is important to always keep them at low temperatures.
The deterioration causes of vegetables and berry fruits are rot, physical and mechanical damage, water loss and damage caused by extreme concentrations of gases.
In this way, for both berries and vegetables, it is important that the packaging meets specific characteristics that allow the conservation of the most important quality indices such as appearance, that is, color, size, shape, absence of defects and firmness; flavor; and nutritional value. There are vegetables and fruit that are normally packaged in consumer containers directly and these containers are placed in a shipping packaging. Both packaging and containers, as the packing must protect the product from physical and mechanical damage and at the same time must prevent heating and allow cooling.
Although it is true that correct packaging of products can prevent their deterioration, in many cases it is not enough to avoid damage caused by storage, since conventional containers are not specifically designed to control the humidity accumulation or allow aeration of packaged products, so they tend to accumulate moisture due to lack of aeration, generating an environment conducive to mold growth.
Because there are products that require correct aeration for their conservation during transportation, adapted packaging or containers have been designed to facilitate the entry of air flows into their interior, which allows the renewal of the air that is in contact with the product, also favoring the escape of humidity produced by the stored products. These packaging have a series of perforations arranged in their walls, designed to allow air to enter the interior of the packaging; However, these packaging, such as those used for strawberries sale, do not favor a free air flow towards their interior cavity, because the perforations are arranged in locations that are often blocked by external elements, such as walls of the shelves where they will be displayed or the packing used to transport them.
In order to avoid the limitations of packaging available with perforations and slots to allow air exchange between the internal cavity of the packaging and the environment, alternatives have been developed that improve air flow by channeling it through specific areas, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,890A, which shows a packaging system for agricultural products that comprises a basket for the products, with a ventilation channel formed on the lower surface of the body of the basket, said channel being in communication with ventilation holes that communicate said ventilation channel with the interior of the basket. In this system, the ventilation channel is adapted to conduct a flow of chilly air through the lower surface of the basket, which is first directed through a series of vents in a tray designed to receive the baskets. This system has the disadvantage of only allowing a horizontal air flow in a single direction that runs below the baskets, having to be redirected through the ventilation holes to enter the internal cavity where the products are stored. Therefore, by having to redirect the air flow, its force is reduced, thus limiting the amount of air that can enter the interior of the basket, causing, as a consequence, poor aeration of the products contained in the basket. Additionally, because the basket base has a ribbed shape, areas with poor aeration are generated in which humidity can accumulate, in such a way that the products in contact with the ends of the ribbed base, can deteriorate rapidly due to the moisture accumulation.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,263B2, describes a packaging for agricultural products, comprising a basket for agricultural products having a plurality of ventilation channels formed in the lower part of the basket, adapted to facilitate a cooling air flow through from the basket. Said channels are arranged in two transversely oriented directions, the basket also having a series of perforations in contact with the channels, to allow air to enter its interior, and at least one vent in the basket hinge for the exit of the air inside said basket. The channels design shown in the patent favors air exchange inside the basket; However, due to the channels configuration, areas of low aeration are formed where humidity can accumulate, so the products that are in contact with the lowest parts of the channels are in an environment with little aeration and high humidity, which are conditions that favor the growth of microorganisms such as molds, which would affect the integrity of the stored products.
As can be seen from the above, the packaging available with perforations and slots to allow air to enter inside do not favor the generation of air flows in “X”, “Y” and “Z” directions, so there are always areas inside the containers with poor aeration, which causes the humidity accumulation on the stored products. Additionally, packages with adaptations to promote air flow in specific directions have the disadvantage of requiring molded surfaces on the packaging that create areas in which moisture can accumulate, and therefore, favor the growth of microorganisms that deteriorate stored products.
In view of the previous problem, there is a need to provide an air flow control system for containers or packaging, which facilitates the generation of air flows inside the packaging in any of the “X”, “Y” and “Z” directions, with a flow rate sufficient to limit the deterioration of stored products by avoiding the generation of favorable conditions for humidity accumulation and the growth of microorganisms.
Likewise, there is a need to provide an air flow control system for packaging, which can be used in any type of packaging without affecting the structural integrity of its walls or allowing products to exit from the internal cavity of the packaging. Likewise, there is a need to provide an air flow control system for packaging, adapted to interact jointly with other similar packaging arranged adjacently and/or stacked, and/or arranged in packing for transportation and/or storage, in such a way that in each and every one of the packaging, a necessary and sufficient air flow is maintained for the good conservation of the products.
In order to overcome the limitations of available packaging for food products, the object of the present invention is to provide an air flow control system for packaging, designed to promote the flow of air inside them in “X”, “Y” and “Z”, directions to improve the aeration of the products contained inside the packaging.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an air flow control system for packaging, adapted to prevent the humidity accumulation inside the packaging, without allowing the output of the products contained therein.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an air flow control system for packaging that does not affect the structural integrity of the walls of the packaging where it is used.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an air flow control system for packaging, which facilitates the flow of air inside the packaging, when they are placed on shelves for sale to the public.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an air flow control system for packaging, capable of being used in packaging arranged on conventional pallets and interacting together with other similar packaging arranged adjacently and/or stacked, and/or or arranged in packing, in such a way that in each and every one of the packaging, a necessary and sufficient air flow is maintained for the good conservation of the products.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an air flow control system for packaging, which can be applied to several types of packaging, regardless of the material they are made, their configuration and dimensions.
The above objects, as well as others and the advantages of the present invention, will become apparent from the following detailed description thereof.
The present invention provides an air flow control system for packaging that facilitates the passage of air currents into the packaging where it is used, without affecting the structural integrity of its walls. Likewise, the system of the present invention is designed to favor the entry and exit of air currents from the packages, even when they are contained inside packing adapted for their transportation.
Additionally, the air flow control system for packaging of the present invention is designed to allow the free air flow into the packaging, even after said packaging is placed on shelves for sale to the public, thus guaranteeing a adequate air flow to increase the useful life of perishable products stored in said packaging, by improving aeration inside the packaging, thus avoiding the creation of conditions that favor the growth of microorganisms on the surface of the products.
In the context of the present invention, packaging refers to any recipient or container that contains a product and is in contact with it. Likewise, opening area for ventilation should be understood as the area for air flow formed by the slots provided in the packaging and/or packing.
To achieve the advantages described above, the air flow control system for packaging of the present invention is made up of a series of slots arranged and distributed in the packaging and/or packing in a predetermined manner to achieve specific air flows in the packaging and/or packing in the directions of the “X”, “Y” and “Z” axes, said air flows being sufficient to achieve adequate aeration for the best conservation of the packaged product.
The air flow control system for packaging of the present invention comprises at least one lateral slot (1) arranged in each of the side walls of the packaging, each of said at least one lateral slot (1) having adequate shape to encourage the passage of air into the packaging; and at least one lower slot (2), arranged at the base of the packaging, with a configuration such that it allows the passage of air, such that said at least one lateral slot (1) and said at least one lower slot (2), allow air flow into the packaging, but prevent the exit of the product, and together, have a total ventilation opening area that corresponds to at least between 8% and 16% of the packaging total area.
Likewise, the at least one lateral slot (1) and said at least one lower slot (2) are configured and arranged in such a way that they allow obtaining an opening area for ventilation between 80% and 95% in the direction of the “X” and “Z” axes respect to the opening area for total ventilation, while the area for the upward and downward air flow in the direction of the “Y” axis is between 5% and 20% respect to said opening area for total ventilation. The opening area for total ventilation of the air flow control system of the present invention allows a free air flow into the internal cavity of the packaging, with a sufficient volume to promote the correct aeration of the products contained in the packaging cavity, at the same time limiting excessive accumulation of moisture in order to avoid generating adequate conditions for the growth of microorganisms.
Likewise, the air flow control system of the present invention, in one of its preferred embodiments, also comprises at least one upper slot (3) arranged in a lid of the packaging, which has an opening area between 18 and 8% respect to the total area of the surface of said lid, in such a way that said at least one upper slot (3) allows the entry and exit of an ascending and/or descending air flow that passes through the packaging between said at least one upper slot (3) and at least one lower slot (2), also allowing the escape of vapors and condensates formed on the products contained in the internal cavity of the packaging.
Additionally, the air flow control system of the present invention is adapted to allow sufficient air flow to preserve the product in optimal conditions even when the packaging is arranged in packing for transportation and storage. In this embodiment, the system also comprises at least a second lateral slot (4), arranged on each side of the packaging. The configuration, number and arrangement of the at least one second lateral slot (4) are such that they provide a ventilation opening area respect to the total area of the packing between 3% and 6% in the “X” axis direction, and between 0.5% and 2% in the “Z” axis direction, and between said at least a second lateral slot (4) and said at least one lateral slot (1), a passage is formed for the free air flow, which maintains the same air flow volume as with the packaging alone. Likewise, at least one bottom slot (5) with a ventilation opening area respect to the total area of the packaging between 0.4% and 1.5% in the “Y” axis direction, is arranged at the base of the packaging in such a location that a passage is formed for the free air flow from said at least one bottom slot (5) towards said at least one lower slot (2) of the packaging. Therefore, the total ventilation opening area obtained in the “X”, “Y” and “Z” directions is such that said at least one second side slot (4) and said at least one bottom slot (5) allow a free air flow through them that affects the at least one lateral slot (1) and said at least one lower slot (2) of the packaging respectively, which is sufficient to cause the passage of an air flow towards the internal cavity of the packaging that is sufficient to allow proper aeration of the stored products, while at the same time preventing excessive accumulation of humidity even when several packages are placed in the same packing.
The air flow control system for packaging of the present invention allows several packaging to be placed in the same packing; for example, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention represented in
The packages in which the air flow control system of the present invention has been applied, allow a more efficient air flow in said packaging, for example, when they are placed on refrigerated shelves such as those used to display fruits and vegetables in the supermarkets. When the packages with the air flow control system of the present invention are placed on a refrigerated shelf, the at least one side slot (1) and the at least one lower slot (2), allow the exchange between cold air that circulates through the refrigerated shelf and the air contained inside the packaging, in such a way that an air flow is generated that crosses the packaging in the “X”, “Y” and “Z” directions with a volume sufficient to keep the product contained at a constant temperature, with good air exchange and without excessive moisture accumulation or the deposition of condensate films.
Additionally, a substantially rectangular configuration packaging made of an environmentally friendly material was used so that the packing can be reused for the transportation of packaging on multiple occasions and recycled after the end of its useful life.
Likewise, in a further embodiment of the present invention, both the packaging and the packing in which the air flow control system is used, have a complementary configuration that improves the packaging reception within the packing, in such a way that unwanted movements of the packaging are avoided during transport maneuvers. For example, if the packaging has a substantially rectangular shape, the packing will have a complementary shape that will allow it to receive the packaging in a 2×2, 2×3, 3×3 grid, or any other configuration adequate that maximizes the effective storage area of said packing. Additionally, the walls of the packing may have any suitable adaptation to facilitate stacking, such as receiving tabs and/or projections on its walls.
To demonstrate the efficiency and operation of the air flow control system for packaging of the present invention, and as an illustrative, but not limiting, example of the present invention, the air flow control system was tested in a substantially rectangular packaging of the type used to contain fruits and vegetables, such as those used to transport strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, mulberries and blueberries. In this illustrative example, both the at least one lateral slot (1) and said at least one lower slot (2) of the system have a width that is less than the smallest diameter of the berries to be contained, in such a way that the exit thereof from the internal cavity of the packaging is avoided. The packaging material used was suitable to withstand cold transport chain storage conditions between 0° C. and 5° C., and humidity between 75% and 95%.
The air flow control system of the present invention was also tested using compostable and biodegradable packaging that maintained the structural integrity of its walls and also limited the excessive humidity accumulation inside their storage cavities. In these tests, the at least one side slot (1) and said at least one lower slot (2), have a suitable shape and configuration to avoid the loss of the structural integrity of the packaging, so they do not affect the resistance of the walls of it. Additionally, in the biodegradable and compostable material packaging, lids made of polylactic acid (PLA) were used, and the at least one upper slot (3) was circular.
The air flow control system for packaging of the present invention was tested in the packaging of strawberries from post-harvest to placement at the point of sale, through transportation and storage, and probed to be able to increase the half-life of stored products, improving their aeration and avoiding excessive accumulation of humidity. Additionally, the system of the present invention increased the shelf life of the strawberries since it can easily interact with any air flow direction incident on the product, so the system is also not limited to being used on shelves of specific construction.
It will be evident to a person skilled in the art that the configuration of the at least one side slot (1) and the at least one lower slot (2) may be any suitable shape to contain the product to be packaged. Likewise, the number and distribution of the at least one side slot (1) and the at least one lower slot (2) may vary depending on the shape and dimensions of the packaging, the packaging material and the type of product to be stored, and that said variations are included within the scope of the present invention, provided that the opening areas for ventilation are maintained in the percentages specified here.
The present invention has been described according to a preferred embodiment; however, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| MX/A/2023/015539 | Dec 2023 | MX | national |
