United States Patent [19] [li] Patent Number: 4,808,303
Edwards et al. [45] Date of Patent: Feb. 28,1989
[54] PRODUCE HYDRATION SYSTEM
[75] Inventors: Tim L. Edwards, Oregon City; James A. Aamodt, Canby, both of Oreg.
[73] Assignee: Fractal, Inc., Clackamas, Oreg.
[21] Appl. No.: 898,928
[22] Filed: Aug. 21,1986
[51] Int. CI.* B01D 36/00; B05B 12/02;
B05B 15/00
[52] U.S. CI 210/138; 210/141;
210/153; 210/202; 210/257.1; 210/259; 210/423; 312/115; 62/247; 239/70; 239/106;
239/320
[58] Field of Search 312/115; 62/231, 247,
62/311; 99/487, 536; 210/138, 141, 153, 192, 202, 251, 257.1, 259, 295, 409, 422, 423, 433.1; 239/69, 70, 96, 99, 106, 113,119, 124, 289, 320,
323, DIG. 15
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OTHER PUBLICATIONS
KES Irrigation Systems, Inc. Documents.
The Oregonian, "Lake Oswego Safeway Given Aspects
of Gourmet's Dream", Kim Severson.
Detroff, J., Supermarket News, "Tomorrow's Produce
Dept. is Finding Itself Today", Oct. 21, 1985.
Primary Examiner—Richard V. Fisher
Assistant Examiner—Linda S. Evans
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Klarquist, Sparkman,
Campbell, Leigh & Whinston
[57] ABSTRACT
The present invention represents an automatic produce hydration system of improved efficiency and design. The system is self-contained, and adaptable for use in both pre-existing and new produce display racks. The system first includes a filter unit designed to remove foreign particulate materials from incoming water. In fluid communication with the filter unit is an automatic filter cleaning system for ejecting collected foreign particulate materials from the system at selected time intervals. After filtration, the water is introduced into a pressurization system. Once the pressure has been increased, pressurized water is delivered through an external water delivery line having a plurality of spray heads associated therewith. The spray heads have restriction means therein to ensure that a fine mist-like spray is delivered to the produce materials. The pressurized water delivery system also ensures that the flow of water through the spray heads occurs instantaneously, thereby eliminating the initially slow delivery of water and gradual increase to full delivery pressure characteristic of non-pressurized systems. In fluid communication with the external water delivery line is a drippage control system which prevents water from dripping onto the produce materials from the spray heads after the delivery of water thereto has stopped. A timer control unit is used to coordinate all of the systems and subsystems of the present invention to ensure smooth, efficient, and automatic operation.
