Patents
US 8293025 B2: Method and apparatus for washing fruits and vegetables
- Granted
- 2012-10-23
- Filed
- 2008-11-19 application 12274270
- Type
- Utility · 12 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention includes an apparatus for washing a product with a fluid. The tank may receive a plurality of product, such as fruits and vegetables, into the fluid and be configured to receive a moving conveyor, having a first end, a second end, a first section, and a second section. The conveyor may have a plurality of protruding panels being structured and arranged on the conveyor to push the product through the fluid in the tank and to lift the product from the fluid in the tank to the second end of the conveyor. At least one first nozzle may be positioned substantially above the conveyor and configured to deliver the fluid onto the product as the product is pushed by the plurality of panels. The fluid delivered from the at least one first nozzle may rotate the product in the fluid in the tank.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg121023.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh Express Incorporated 26 patents | US company or organization | Salinas, CA | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David K. Lewis | Salinas, CA | 2 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A23B | Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables | A23B7/158 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| A23L | Foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages, not otherwise provided for; preparation or treatment thereof | A23L5/57 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| A23N | Machines or apparatus for treating harvested fruit, vegetables or flower bulbs in bulk, not otherwise provided for; peeling vegetables or fruit in bulk; apparatus for preparing animal feeding- stuffs | A23N12/023 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-28 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. signed 2020-04-27 | CHIQUITA BRANDS L.L.C. DANIA BEACH, FL FRESH EXPRESS INCORPORATED DANIA BEACH, FL TRANSFRESH CORPORATION DANIA BEACH, FL | 52519/255 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2016-07-19 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | B C SYSTEMS, INC. signed 2016-07-05 CB CONTAINERS, INC. signed 2016-07-05 CHIQUITA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC. signed 2016-07-05 CHIQUITA BRANDS L.L.C. signed 2016-07-05 CHIQUITA FRESH NORTH AMERICA L.L.C. signed 2016-07-05 FRESH EXPRESS INCORPORATED signed 2016-07-05 FRESH INTERNATIONAL CORP. signed 2016-07-05 TRANSFRESH CORPORATION signed 2016-07-05 V.F. TRANSPORTATION, L.L.C. signed 2016-07-05 VERDELLI FARMS INC. signed 2016-07-05 | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION NEW YORK, NY | 39389/596 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2015-02-26 | Security interest Security interest Patent security agreement | CHIQUITA BRANDS L.L.C. signed 2015-02-05 FRESH EXPRESS INCORPORATED signed 2015-02-05 | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. NEW YORK, NY | 35105/335 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2015-02-23 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION signed 2015-02-05 | FRESH EXPRESS INCORPORATED CHARLOTTE, NC | 35009/721 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2013-02-22 | Security interest Security interest Security agreement | B C SYSTEMS, INC. signed 2013-02-05 CB CONTAINERS, INC. signed 2013-02-05 CHIQUITA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC. signed 2013-02-05 CHIQUITA BRANDS L.L.C. signed 2013-02-05 CHIQUITA FRESH NORTH AMERICA L.L.C. signed 2013-02-05 FRESH EXPRESS INCORPORATION signed 2013-02-05 FRESH INTERNATIONAL CORP. signed 2013-02-05 TRANSFRESH CORPORATION signed 2013-02-05 V.F. TRANSPORTATION, L.L.C. signed 2013-02-05 VERDELLI FARMS INC. signed 2013-02-05 | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION NEW YORK, NY | 29854/576 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2013-02-06 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | COOPERATIEVE CENTRALE RAIFFEISEN - BOERENLEENBANK B.A., RABOBANK NEDERLAND, NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT signed 2013-02-05 | CHIQUITA BRANDS L.L.C. CHARLOTTE, NC FRESH EXPRESS INCORPORATED CHARLOTTE, NC TRANSFRESH CORPORATION CHARLOTTE, NC | 29761/651 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2013-02-05 | Security interest Security interest Security agreement | FRESH EXPRESS INCORPORATED signed 2013-02-05 | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT CHICAGO, IL | 29759/581 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2009-07-24 | Security interest Security interest Security agreement | CHIQUITA BRANDS L.L.C. signed 2009-05-31 FRESH EXPRESS INCORPORATED signed 2009-05-31 TRANSFRESH CORPORATION signed 2009-05-31 | COOPERATIEVE CENTRALE RAIFFEISEN - BOERENLEENBANK B.A., "RABOBANK NEDERLAND", NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT NEW YORK, NY | 23005/455 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.