Signals and indicators – Indicators – Temperature responsive or compensating means
Patent
1994-11-07
1996-07-02
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
Signals and indicators
Indicators
Temperature responsive or compensating means
116218, 374102, 374160, 426 88, G01K 102, G01K 300
Patent
active
055311806
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention concerns a device useful as an indicator of thermal history, particularly for frozen products and the like.
It is common knowledge that frozen foodstuffs should be kept at a predetermined low temperature, such as -18.degree. C., for instance, within a comparatively narrow range, and should not in any case be thawed and frozen again. At present no means is available to check the actual thermal history of frozen products, namely frozen foodstuffs and the like. The consumer therefore must choose the goods from the frozen food section in food stores and cannot check the thermal history of the goods. Purchasers can only rely on notions of "confidence" totally deprived of any scientfic relevance. The same problem applies to a number of other items such as pharmaceutical products which must be kept at a temperature much lower than room temperature to retain their effectiveness.
As far as these products are concerned there are no known means of telling first hand whether the pharmaceutical product has been exposed to temperature rises which might impare its properties.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an indicator of thermal history especially designed for frozen products and the like, which shows whether the product has gone through a rise in temperature in excess of the standards specified by the manufacturer, and might provide information concerning the time and the exposure to temperature variations in excess of the temperature recommended for a proper preservation.
It is well known that the above products can be exposed to temperature rises without ever exceeding 0.degree. C. and retain, at least seemingly, their frozen state; however if at -18.degree. C. undesired biological processes are practically stopped, at -3.degree. or -4.degree. C. such biological processes can take place, their occurrence being also a function of the time of exposure to a temperature higher than the recommended one, which as pointed out earlier is of about -18.degree. C.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a device which displays the thermal history of frozen products, and that gives an indication of the time of exposure to a temperature higher than the recommended temperature.
According to the present invention, there is provided a device based on the cooperation between an elastic element pre-loaded when the device is triggered and a fluid material with a controlled viscosity, which is a function of temperature; so that the indicator combined with the elastic member immediately shows consumers whether the frozen product on sale has gone through "thermal mishandling" which makes it unfit for consumption.
The present invention shall now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, shown by way of example which should not in any way limit other possible embodiments; and according to the attached drawings, wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a first embodiment of the device according to the above invention;
FIG. 2 shows a section along plane II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of a second embodiment of the device in question;
FIG. 4 shows a section along plane IV--IV of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 shows a partial section view of a triggering tool for devices according to the invention; and
FIG. 6 shows a temperature/viscosity diagram of a component designed for use in the devices according to the invention.
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, the above device includes a case made of transparent material shown in 10 with a lid 11.
Within the case there is a mixture with a predetermined viscosity as a function of the temperature, as we shall explain more in detail.
Inside the case 10 there is provided an indicator 13 with a neutral buoyancy in the mixture (meaning that the weight and the buoyant force are equal so that the indicator neither tends to rise nor to sink whil
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patent: 3656452 (1972-04-01), Kliewer
patent: 3820499 (1974-06-01), Kliewer et al.
patent: 3965741 (1976-06-01), Wachtell et al.
patent: 4143617 (1979-03-01), Youngren
patent: 4509449 (1985-04-01), Chalmers
Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Hirshfeld Andrew
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