Berry Processing Device Using High-Pressure Water Jets and Vacuum Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Berries have a short shelf life and are prone to degradation due to moisture, making them difficult to ship and distribute year-round without causing mechanical harm, which limits their availability and freshness.
Innovation Solution
A three-step berry washing, sanitizing, and disinfecting method followed by drying and packaging using a device that includes specific wash processes, temperature control, and humidity management to minimize bruising and extend shelf life, utilizing GRAS-sanitized wash agents and air blade and vacuum dryers to prevent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If berries are washed to remove contaminants and extend shelf life, then safety and shelf life are improved, but mechanical damage and bruising increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical washing systems with high-pressure water jets that clean berries through fluid dynamics rather than physical contact. This substitution eliminates mechanical bruising while maintaining effective contaminant removal, resolving the contradiction between shelf life extension and mechanical damage prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the washing process by using controlled high-pressure water jets with specific pressure ranges and flow patterns. This parameter optimization allows thorough cleaning without excessive force that would cause bruising, simultaneously improving shelf life while minimizing mechanical damage
2Adaptability or versatility
If berries are shipped from South America to North America to achieve year-round availability, then availability is improved, but shelf life requirements cannot be met due to transit time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary sanitizing and drying treatments to berries before shipping, preparing them in advance to withstand long-term storage and transit. This preliminary action extends the effective shelf life, enabling berries to survive the 2-3 week shipping journey from South America while maintaining quality and achieving year-round availability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes controlled drying that transitions berries to a low-moisture state suitable for long-term storage and shipping, then maintains this state throughout transit. This phase transition allows berries to endure the extended shipping period from South America without degradation, enabling year-round availability despite the mismatch between seasonal production and year-round demand
3Object-affected harmful factors
If berries are not washed before shipping to preserve freshness, then mechanical damage is reduced, but consumer safety and cleanliness are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces contact-based washing with non-contact high-pressure water jets that sanitize berries without physical handling. This substitution eliminates the mechanical damage associated with traditional washing while still removing contaminants, simultaneously reducing mechanical damage and ensuring consumer safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses high-pressure water jets as an intermediary medium to transfer cleaning energy to berries without direct mechanical contact. This intermediary approach allows thorough sanitization while minimizing physical interaction that would cause bruising, resolving the contradiction between contamination removal and mechanical damage prevention
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method significantly increases the shelf life of berries to at least 21 days, maintaining freshness and safety, and allows for year-round availability without mechanical damage, improving export and import viability and consumer safety.
Implementation Method 1
The berries are then moved into a second drying room and subjected to air blade and vacuum drying
Implementation Method 2
The berries are then moved into a second drying room and subjected to air blade and vacuum drying
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for processing berries. The method may comprise: providing a berry preparation device that is configured to prepare a plurality of berries; placing the plurality of berries in a plurality of trays; loading the plurality of trays into the berry preparation device; wherein the berry preparation device may be positioned substantially within two rooms, a first room and a second room; wherein the berry preparation device may comprise a first wash portion, a second wash portion, a third wash portion, a first drying portion, and a second drying portion; wherein the first wash portion, the second wash portion, the third wash portion, and the first drying portion may be within the first room; wherein the second drying portion may be within the second room; and wherein the plurality of berries may be prepared by the berry preparation device are ready-to-eat and have a shelf life of at least 21 days.