Apparatuses and Methods to Dry, Rehydrate, Cure, and Burp Product

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/568,849, filed Mar. 22, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The technology of the present application relates to apparatuses and methods to dry, rehydrate, cure, and/or burp product. More particularly, the technology of the present application relates to apparatuses and methods to dry, rehydrate, cure, and/or burp cannabis buds or the like.

Buds and flowers (generally referred to as “product” herein) from cannabis, like other plants, in some instances need to be dried, cured, rehydrated, and burped. The processes are very important to the overall quality of the product if not done well. However, the equipment for drying, curing, rehydrating, and burping product is difficult to use and expensive.

Thus, against this background, it is desirous to provide improved equipment for any of drying, rehydrating, curing, and burping product.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary, and the foregoing Background, is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The present application provides apparatuses and methods to dry, rehydrate, cure, and/or burp products, such as, for example cannabis buds and/or flowers. In certain aspects, the apparatuses comprise an apparatus with a bottom, at least one sidewall, and a removable top to access an internal storage compartment. A dry rack is secured in the internal storage compartment above the bottom to generally separate the internal storage compartment of the apparatus into a sump part and a product part. A fan, located in a sidewall, is configured to pump air into the pump part of the apparatus. The dry rack is configured to hold product above the sump such that the air pumped by the fan circulates in the sump and rises through the dry rack and product to dry, cure, or rehydrate the product. In some aspects, a check valve may be installed with the fan to isolate the sump part when the fan is not in operation. A controller in some aspects may control the speed of the fan during operation. In some aspects, a humidity sensor may interact with the controller to control the speed of the fan to maintain a selected humidity. In some aspects, a remote application may be operably coupled to the humidity sensor and the controller to control the speed of the fan to maintain a desired setpoint or range of a setpoints. In certain aspects, the setpoint or range of setpoints is selected from a group of setpoints consisting of humidity, temperature, or a combination thereof.

These and other aspects of the present system and method will be apparent after consideration of the Detailed Description and Figures herein.

Embodiments of the technology described by the present application are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the technology of the present application. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. Moreover, the technology of the present application will be described with relation to exemplary embodiments. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Additionally, unless specifically identified otherwise, all embodiments described herein should be considered exemplary.

shows a view of an apparatususeful for drying, rehydrating, curing, and/or burping cannabis buds (also known as “product” herein). The apparatusis a container having a bottom, a plurality of sidewalls, and a top. The apparatusis shown as having a generally rectangular cross-section in this exemplary embodiment, but could be other shapes. As a rectangle, the apparatusincludes a front, left, back, and right sidewall. In certain embodiment, more or less sidewalls are possible. For example, if the apparatushad a circular cross-section, there would only be a single cylindrically shaped sidewall.

The sidewalls (or sidewall)extends upwards from the bottom. The sidewallsand the bottomare formed of a singular unit in this exemplary embodiment, but could be multiple parts connected together. The sidewallshave a top edge(better seen in) that form an opening. The topis releasably coupled to the top edgeof the sidewallsin this exemplary embodiment. In other embodiments, the topmay be integral with the sidewalls(much the same as the bottomis with the sidewallsin this exemplary embodiment). If the case where the topis integral with the sidewalls, the topwould have a closable opening to allow access to the interior storage compartment(shown in FIG., for example) defined by the bottom, sidewalls, and the top. The closable opening may having a hinged door, a cap, or plug that fits within the opening to close the opening.

The topis releasably coupled to the top edgeof the sidewallsin this exemplary embodiment. The topmay be coupled to the top edgeof the sidewallsby a snap fit coupling, fasteners, or the like. A gasket (or seal), not shown, may reside between the top edgeand the top. As shown, the apparatusis generally similar to a conventional storage tote made from a durable plastic material. The apparatus, however, may be made of many materials including other polymers, plastics, ceramics, and metals to name but a few materials. Also, the apparatus, as shown, has an internal storage compartmentof approximately 20 gallons, which has been found to be satisfactory for the majority of uses. The apparatus, however, may be bigger or smaller. Generally, it is envisioned that the internal storage compartment in certain embodiments will be no less than about 5 gallons, in certain embodiments no more than about 100 gallons, and in certain embodiments between about 5 and 100 gallons. However, it is believed that less than about 5 gallons is not cost effective and more than about 100 gallons is relatively unwieldly.

shows a rackcapable of holding a plurality of apparatusesconsistent with the technology of the present application. The rackmay have casters, wheels or the like, attached to a bottomof the rackto allow the rackto be movable. The rackmay have 1, 2, 3, 4 (as shown), 5, or more shelvesto hold one, two, or more apparatuses.

With reference back to, the apparatushas a portin one of the sidewalls. The portis shown in this exemplary embodiment to be in the front sidewall, but could be located in the back, left, or right sidewall. A fanresides in the port. The fanis configured to be coupled to a power supply via a plug or a battery. The fanmay be a single speed or a variable speed fan.shows the fanby itself. The fanin this exemplary embodiment is capable of moving air between about 100 and 180 cubic feet per minute (CFM). The fanhas a power/control cordthat is configured to couple to a fan power supply and controlleras shown in. As can be appreciated, the fanin the present exemplary embodiment is a variable speed fan that can be controlled between a minimum and maximum speed by operation of a speed knob.

shows a view of the apparatuswithout the topsuch that the interior storage compartmentis visible. A dry racktraverses the width and length of the storage compartment. As formed, the sidewallsof the apparatusconverge from the top edgeto the bottomsuch that the dry rackcan be press fit into a secure position where the edgesof the dry rackfrictionally engage the inner surfaceof the sidewallssuch that the dry rackis supported from going further towards the bottomand is sufficiently secured not to tip or pitch when the apparatusis moved. In certain embodiments, a plurality of protrusions may extend from the sidewallin an inward direction to engage and support the dry rack. In either case, the dry rackcan be removed for cleaning of the like. The dry rackseparates the interior storage compartmentinto a sump partand a product part, which is shown in. While shown with only a single dry rack, multiple dry racksmay be installed in the interior storage compartment, and generally the sump partwould be defined by the lowest most dry rack.

shows the same view aswith productheld directly by the dry rack. Optionally, productmay be placed in one or more drying boxesas shown in.shows several (in this case) drying boxesplaced on the dry rank, without product for convenience.shows a view of the apparatuswith drying boxescontaining product.

shows another view of the apparatusfrom the back sidewall. The back sidewallis shown having a portcontaining a grommet. Although shown in the back sidewall, the portand grommetmay be located in any of the sidewalls. The grommet provides a sealable entry to insert a humidity sensor, see, such as a hydrometer, and a power/sensor cordto be placed into the sump partbut still maintain a seal.shows the humidity sensorand power/sensor cordoutside the apparatusand just prior to being inserted through the grommet. In certain embodiments, the humidity sensormay be battery operated and wireless, in which case the grommetwould be optional. As can be appreciated, the humidity sensoris generally located in the sump, but may, in certain embodiments, be located in the product part.

shows a view of the internal storage compartmentwith the dry rack, but without productfor clarity. The fan, not specifically shown in, draws air into the sump partof the apparatus. An optional check valvemay be placed between the fanand the sump partto isolate the internal storage compartmentfrom atmosphere except when the fanis operating. In this exemplary embodiment, the check valveis a flapper vale. The flapper valveis formed from a plastic or polymer material and secured to the inner surfaceof the sidewallthat has the fanby, for example, a member, see. As shown by arrows A, during operation, the fandirects a flow of air to the sump part. The airflow causes the flapper valveto lift. The air is diverted to move upwards through the dry rackand any product(which is not shown in). The air pumped into the sump partby the fan(or another type of pump) may be vented or burped as desired. The arrow A is an illustration to provide context for the present application and should not be considered to show the actual airflow as the airflow may in fact be turbulent or the like.

Apparatuswith the fanpumping air into the sump partgenerally dries the producton the dry rack. In some instances, apparatusrehydrates the product.shows a fluid sourceplaced in the sump partof the apparatus. The fluid source, in this exemplary embodiment, is a saturated towel or sponge. The air streaming over and around the sump partabsorbs water vapor prior to moving upwards through the dry rackand product. The now moist air rehydrates the product. The fluid sourcemay simply be a pool of water or the like in the sump. But using a saturated fluid carrying device such as a towel or sponge facilitates clean up and removal of the fluid sourcewhen no longer needed.

shows a controller (which may be a transceiver or the like)usable to controller the fan. The controllermay include a power and sensor cordas shown. The controlleris configured to be operably connected to a processor, see, such as a smartphone, or the like to allow an application APP on the processorto interact with the controller. The application APP provides a graphical user interface on a monitor operably coupled to the process, which monitor is integrated with the smartphone as shown. The controllermay be operably connected to the processorwirelessly or wired. When wirelessly connected, the controllerand processormay be paired. The application APP receives humidity and temperature signals. The humidity signal is received via the hydrometer. The temperature signal may be the atmospheric temperature (as received by a smartphone) or from a temperature sensor in the apparatus.show a view of the graphical user interface that is usable to set a humidity operation for the apparatus. In this embodiment, the application APP graphical user interfaceprovides data, such as a current temperature windowand a current humidity window, that provide the user with information. The application APP also provides a work mode selection menuto allow selection of the work mode of the apparatus, which may be, for example, dry (or dehumidification mode as shown), cure, rehydrate, or burp. As shown, the user sets the work mode selection menuas dehumidification mode (or dry mode). The application APP provides a setting menuto allow the user to set the desired humidity, which is 50% in this exemplary embodiment. During operation, the controllerwould use the setting and work mode selection to control operation of the fan, including speed or the like, to maintain the setting of the work mode selected by the user.shows an optional secondary graphical user interfacethat includes range menus. The range menus, in this exemplary embodiment, allow for the user to establish desired operating ranges for temperature and humidity.

The technology described herein optionally comprises one or many networked machines. The machine or machines, in the example form a computer system within which a set of instructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed.

The computer system includes a processor, memory, non-volatile memory, and an interface device. Various common components (e.g., cache memory) are omitted for illustrative simplicity. The computer system is intended to illustrate a hardware device on which any of the functions, applications, engines, and scripts are running as described herein and shown in figures (and any other components described in this specification) can be implemented. The computer system can be of any applicable known or convenient type. The components of the computer system can be coupled together via a bus or through some other known or convenient device.

The processor may be, for example, a conventional microprocessor such as an Intel microprocessor, Motorola microprocessor, or the like. One of skill in the relevant art will recognize that the terms “machine-readable (storage) medium” or “computer-readable (storage) medium” include any type of device that is accessible by the processor.

The memory is coupled to the processor by, for example, a bus. The memory can include, by way of example but not limitation, random access memory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM). The memory can be local, remote, or distributed.

The bus also couples the processor to the non-volatile memory and drive unit. The non-volatile memory is often a magnetic floppy or hard disk, a magnetic-optical disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), such as a CD-ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM, a magnetic or optical card, or another form of storage for large amounts of data. Some of this data is often written, by a direct memory access process, into memory during execution of software in the computer. The non-volatile storage can be local, remote, or distributed. The non-volatile memory is optional because systems can be created with all applicable data available in memory. A typical computer system will usually include at least a processor, memory, and a device (e.g., a bus) coupling the memory to the processor.

The software is typically stored in the non-volatile memory and/or the drive unit. Indeed, for large programs, it may not even be possible to store the entire program in the memory. Nevertheless, it should be understood that for software to run, if necessary, it is moved to a computer readable location appropriate for processing, and for illustrative purposes, that location is referred to as the memory in this paper. Even when software is moved to the memory for execution, the processor will typically make use of hardware registers to store values associated with the software, and local cache that, ideally, serves to speed up execution. As used herein, a software program is assumed to be stored at any known or convenient location (from non-volatile storage to hardware registers) when the software program is referred to as “implemented in a computer-readable medium”. A processor is considered to be “configured to execute a program” when at least one value associated with the program is stored in a register readable by the processor.

The bus also couples the processor to the network interface device. The interface can include one or more of a modem or network interface. It will be appreciated that a modem or network interface can be considered to be part of the computer system. The interface can include an analog modem, isdn modem, cable modem, token ring interface, satellite transmission interface (e.g. “direct PC”), or other interfaces for coupling a computer system to other computer systems. The interface can include one or more input and/or output devices. The I/O devices can include, by way of example but not limitation, a keyboard, a mouse or other pointing device, disk drives, printers, a scanner, and other input and/or output devices, including a display device. The display device can include, by way of example but not limitation, a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), or some other applicable known or convenient display device. For simplicity, it is assumed that controllers of any devices not depicted reside in the interface.

In operation, the computer system can be controlled by operating system software that includes a file management system, such as a disk operating system. One example of operating system software with associated file management system software is the family of operating systems known as Windows® from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, and their associated file management systems. Another example of operating system software with its associated file management system software is the Linux operating system and its associated file management system. Still other operating systems include iOS, Android, or the like for smart devices. The file management system is typically stored in the non-volatile memory and/or drive unit and causes the processor to execute the various acts required by the operating system to input and output data and to store data in the memory, including storing files on the non-volatile memory and/or drive unit.

Although the technology has been described in language that is specific to certain structures, materials, and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures, materials, and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended. Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers or expressions, such as those expressing dimensions, physical characteristics, etc. used in the specification (other than the claims) are understood as modified in all instances by the term “approximately.” At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter recited in the specification or claims which is modified by the term “approximately” should at least be construed in light of the number of recited significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Moreover, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or any and all individual values subsumed therein. For example, a stated range of 1 to 10 should be considered to include and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or individual values that are between and/or inclusive of the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less (e.g., 5.5 to 10, 2.34 to 3.56, and so forth) or any values from 1 to 10 (e.g., 3, 5.8, 9.9994, and so forth).