WO1990010184A1

WO1990010184A1 - Means for storing herbs and the like

Info

Publication number: WO1990010184A1
Application number: PCT/GB1990/000281
Authority: WO
Inventors: William Nevil Heaton Johnson
Original assignee: Scientific Applied Research (S.A.R.) Plc
Priority date: 1989-02-22
Filing date: 1990-02-22
Publication date: 1990-09-07
Also published as: AU5152690A; GB8903972D0

Abstract

A device for keeping herbs fresh comprising a refrigerated container (10) arranged to hold a number of storage cassettes (30) each containing a quantity of fresh herbs. The container is maintained at a predetermined low temperature, around freezing point by a heat pump based cooling system.

Description

Title: "Means for storing herbs and the like"

THIS INVENTION relates to food storage means and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with a means of storing fresh herbs in good condition until required.

It is well known that for culinary purposes, fresh herbs have an advantage in flavour over herbs which have been dried to permit storage over protracted periods. In recent times a combination of consumer demand and improved packing and transport facilities has made possible the relatively widespread retail of fresh herbs. However, whilst it is possible, as an economically viable exercise, to provide fresh herbs in reasonable condition at the point of sale, the use of fresh herbs has, for the consumer, the disadvantage over dried herbs, in the form in which these are conventionally retailed, that it is difficult or incon¬ venient for the customer to keep such herbs fresh after purchase. Whilst it is known that fresh herbs can keep well in a domestic refrigerator if kept at a location therein which happens to be at the appropriate temperature, it is, in practice, difficult so to arrange the various food items within a domestic refrigerator that a selection of fresh herbs stored there is readily accessible to a cook in the course of, for example, cooking a meal, whilst still ensuring that reasonably efficient use is made of the cold space within the refrigerator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to this problem. According to the invention there is provided the combination of a refrigerated container and at least one container for herbs or other culinary or food items, removably insertable in the refrigerated container.

An embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example, with reference to the single, perspective view of the accompanying drawing.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the refrigerated container, referenced 10, takes the form, in effect, of a miniature domestic refrigerator, for example being in the form of a cube of length, on the outside, of around 200 mm, and providing a correspondingly cubic or rectangular interior space, the container having a hinged lid or door which, when closed, affords one face of the cube. The refrigerating container is preferably cooled by means of a solid state heat pump, (not shown), so controlled that the interior space of the container is kept at a low temperature which is close to freezing point, for example -1° C, although a temperature slightly above freezing, such as +1°C, might be used. Preferably, in order to minimise size of the radiator and heat sink required, on the "hot" side of the heat pump, the device incorporates a fan for forced cooling of said radiator and heat sink.

The interior of the container accommodates a plurality of rectangular trays or cassettes 30 which fit within the rectangular interior of the container after the fashion of drawers, so that when the door 20 is opened, a selected cassette 30 may be slid out of the container, or such a container 30 slid into a vacant space or "slot" in the container interior. In the drawing, the uppermost cassette 30 is shown partially withdrawn. It is contemplated that the various cassettes 30 will bear labels or other identification on the edge faces thereof which are presented to view when the door 20 is opened, to identify the contents of the individual cassettes.

It will be appreciated that the refrigerated container may take any appropriate form. Thus, for example, instead of a hinged lid or door, the container may have a lift-off lid. Furthermore, the interior of the refrigerated con¬ tainer may be sub-divided in any way considered appropriate to the form of the cassettes which is found most convenient. For example, the interior of the refrigerated container may be divided by a vertical partition into two sub-compartments each adapted to support a respective stack of trays or cassettes, or the container may have lids at either end for access to trays or cassettes inserted from either end.

The user may store fresh herbs in the appropriate cassettes 30, after he has cut them to size, where necessary. However, it is contemplated that fresh herbs will be sold in such cassettes 30, of standard size and shape, in retail outlets, such herbs being, for example, packed in such cassettes shortly after harvesting and being kept therein up to the point of retail. Accordingly, the customer may simply purchase the appropriate cassettes containing the herbs he requires and, after such purchase, insert the respective cassettes in empty slots in the container, where they will remain until required. Because the temperature of the interior of the container is maintained at the optimum for keeping the fresh herbs in good condition, such herbs may be stored in this way for relatively long periods.

It will be appreciated that the retail outlets and the transportation used to convey the cut herbs from the producer to such retail outlets may likewise have purpose- built facilities for supporting quantities of such cassettes in orderly array or in packs, at the optimum keeping temperature, whereby the use of such a cassette system will be of assistance to the producer and retailer as well as to the customer.

In a variant, the individual trays removably inserted in the interior of the refrigerated container may be of a size and form suitable for growing herbs, so that the user may grow herbs in such trays outside of the refrigerated container, for example in a greenhouse, and when the growing herbs have reached the appropriate stage, the trays, with the growing herbs therein, may simply be inserted in empty "slots" or spaces within the refrigerated container. The trays may be fitted with respective covers or lids before such insertion, if desired.

Likewise, growing herbs may be supplied in identical trays in retail outlets, so that the user has the option of storing, in the refrigerated container, herbs grown by himself or herbs purchased from such a retail outlet. It will be appreciated that identical trays, without soil may be used for the retail and storage of cut herbs for example, of herbs which grow too tall for convenient storage whilst still rooted.

In the above described variant, of course, it may be appropriate to use a refrigerated container, and trays or cassettes, of somewhat larger size than in the first- described embodiment.

Claims

1. The combination of a refrigerated container and at least one container for herbs or other culinary items removably insertable in the refrigerated container.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the refrigerated container is refrigerated by means of a heat pump.