Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Measuring – testing – or controlling by inanimate means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-06
2004-11-09
Yeung, George C. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Measuring, testing, or controlling by inanimate means
C073S861410, C099S276000, C099S277000, C099S323100, C426S011000, C426S592000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06814992
ABSTRACT:
REFERENCE TO COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX
This patent includes a computer program listing appendix on compact disc. Two duplicate compact discs are provided herewith. Each compact disc contains a computer program listing as follows:
Filename: hc11
Size: 4 kilobytes
Date Created: Oct. 15, 2002
Filename: switch28
Size: 14 kilobytes
Date Created: Oct. 15, 2002
The computer program listing appendix is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the present application.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus useful during anaerobic fermentation, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for measuring the volume and rate of gas produced during anaerobic fermentation, this invention having particular utility during the making of alcoholic beverages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common when making alcoholic beverages in the home to place the liquid subject to fermentation into a vessel for anaerobic fermentation, the vessel being closed by a fermentation airlock. The purpose of the fermentation airlock is to prevent undesirable dust and bacteria from contaminating the material being fermented. Therefore it is common to utilize an airtrap, the gas produced by fermentation bubbling though a liquid in the airtrap, the liquid typically containing water and a sterilizing agent such as sodium or potassium metabisulfite. Differing types of fermentation locks are employed, various examples being shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,517,884, 4,842,869, and 5,950,524. A favorite form of airlock is the “S” type airlock, variations being shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,023,153 and 4,717,031, and German patents 412,918 and 957,563. Another prior art form of “S” type airlock is shown in
FIG. 1
of this application, this particular form of “S” type airlock being sold under the tradename of TRIPLE RIPPLE.
The TRIPLE RIPPLE airlock is molded from a clear plastic, all airlocks being quite uniform in size. It has been observed that when using a TRIPLE RIPPLE airlock that each bubble has substantially the same volume, i.e., 1.7 ml. It is also known that during fermentation that equal mole volumes of CO
2
and alcohol are produced.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to monitor bubble events through an “S” type airlock to determine the volume and rate of alcohol production. A bubble event, as used in this application, refers to when a bubble passes through the air lock.
More particularly, it is a further object of the present invention to utilize the bubble events to set various alarms so that the operator of the anaerobic fermentation apparatus will be provided with certain information to facilitate the making of alcoholic beverages.
The above objects, and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred form of this invention is illustrated.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2023153 (1935-12-01), Stella
patent: 2594668 (1952-04-01), Mannal
patent: 2683986 (1954-07-01), Bartlett et al.
patent: 2967450 (1961-01-01), Shields et al.
patent: 3681985 (1972-08-01), Rudd
patent: 4517884 (1985-05-01), Jandrich
patent: 4557186 (1985-12-01), Brown
patent: 4717031 (1988-01-01), Hewson
patent: 4842869 (1989-06-01), Forino
patent: 5092181 (1992-03-01), Kuss et al.
patent: 5555797 (1996-09-01), Chun
patent: 5950524 (1999-09-01), Reitz et al.
patent: 412 918 (1925-05-01), None
patent: 957 563 (1957-02-01), None
patent: 2 801 676 (2001-01-01), None
Kornacki Daniel C.
Pazik Andre J.
Simpson & Simpson PLLC
Yeung George C.
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