GB2119511A - Sensor for signalling that a preselected temperature has been exceeded - Google Patents
Sensor for signalling that a preselected temperature has been exceeded Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2119511A GB2119511A GB08212284A GB8212284A GB2119511A GB 2119511 A GB2119511 A GB 2119511A GB 08212284 A GB08212284 A GB 08212284A GB 8212284 A GB8212284 A GB 8212284A GB 2119511 A GB2119511 A GB 2119511A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- exceeded
- temperature
- liquid
- sensor
- solidification
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01K—MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01K11/00—Measuring temperature based upon physical or chemical changes not covered by groups G01K3/00, G01K5/00, G01K7/00 or G01K9/00
- G01K11/06—Measuring temperature based upon physical or chemical changes not covered by groups G01K3/00, G01K5/00, G01K7/00 or G01K9/00 using melting, freezing, or softening
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Measuring Temperature Or Quantity Of Heat (AREA)
Abstract
A temperature sensor to detect if a certain limiting temperature has been exceeded, such as limiting temperature in the storage of deep frozen foodstuffs, comprises a casing (11) having transparent walls and containing a rupturable closed vessel (12) filled with a liquid (13) which is expanded upon solidification and so breaks the vessel. If subsequently the limiting temperature is exceeded the solidified liquid (13) becomes fluid again and warns the user that the preselected limiting temperature has been exceeded. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Sensor for signalling that a preselected temperature has been exceeded
An object of the present invention is to provide a sensing device for signalling that a well determined temperature has been exceeded, said device being simple and convenient in use. More particularly, it is known that in the field of deep frozen foodstuffs it is necessary to arrive at the use of the products through an uninterrupted refrigeration chain in which, by way of suggestion temperatures are adopted of at least 250C during shipping, -350C during extended storage and -200C in the retailers' premises. From deep freezing to consumption, the product must be stored at a temperature which must never exceed a preselected limiting value, for example -1 80C.
A disruption of the refrigeration chain at any instant of time prior to using the product irremediably jeopardizes the organoleptic integrity and the hygienic conditions of the product, so that the latter is to be discarded.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a means which is substantially simple and which gives a response capable of being immediately understood for signalling the possibility that a deep frozen foodstuff may have undergone a disruption of the refrigeration chain.
In order that the object mentioned above may be achieved, the present invention provides a sensor, more particularly one which is adapted to be packaged with a product for which it is desired to signal that a preselected temperature has been exceeded, said sensor being characterized in that it comprises a transparent wrapper in the interior of which a rupturable container is held, which is filled with a liquid the volume of which is expanded upon solidification, and the solidification temperature of which substantially corresponds to said preselected temperature.
In order that the features and the advantages of the invention may be better understood, an exemplary embodiment thereof will now be described without limitation, reference being had to the FIGURES of the accompanying drawings.
FIGURE 1 diagrammatically shows in lengthwise cross-sectional view a sensor according to the invention.
FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ll-Il of FIGURE 1, and
FIGURES 3 and 4 are views of the device of
FIG. 2 in a few stages of its use, and
FIGURE 5 diagrammatically shows a crosssectional view of the device according to the invention.
According to the embodiment shown in
FIGURES 1 and 2, a device according to the invention, which is particularly adapted to be packaged together with a deep frozen product, comprises a casing 11 having a substantially boxlike shape, made of an undeformable and transparent plastics material. Within said casing a cylindrical seat 1 6 is defined, in which there is, stably positioned, an ampoule 12, also cylindrical,
made of thin glass.
The ampoule 12 is filled with a liquid 13, for
example a mixture of water and a glycol, the
volume of which is expanded upon solidification,
and the temperature of solidification of which, to
be preselected with great accuracy, corresponds
to the preselected limiting temperature, for example -1 80C, above which the disruption of
the refrigeration chain for the product concerned
is defined.
The device shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 is
packaged, upon deep freezing, together with the
deep frozen foodstuff for which it is desired to
make conspicuous any disruption of the
refrigeration chain. At the temperature of deepfreezing, generally comprised between -300C and --400C, the liquid 13 contained in the ampoule 12 solidifies and, due to its increase in volume, causes the thin ampoule to break.
As shown in FIGURE 3, under these conditions, the frozen liquid has taken the cylindrical shape of the ampoule in which it was initially contained and remains stably positioned in the seat 16.
If the foodstuff to which the device according to the invention has been applied comes to the user after having been subjected to a correct refrigeration chain, that is it has constantly been held at a temperature below-180C, the device is in the conditions of FIGURE 3, that is, the initially liquid mixture retains its solid cylindrical shape.
If, conversely, in any instant of time prior to use there has been a disruption of the refrigeration chain, that is the deep frozen product has undergone a temperature rise above -1 80C, the mixture 13 has been brought back to its liquid state, as shown in FIGURE 4. Even if, after that instant, the temperature of the deep frozen product has been restored below the limiting temperature, the liquid 13, even though it is frozen again, cannot resume, obviously, its position and its cylindrical shape shown in FIGURE 3 any more.
Any user is thus warned that the refrigeration chain for the foodstuff concerned has been interrupted.
According to the present invention, the same functionality of the device shown in the previous example can be obtained by adopting, as shown in
FIGURE 5, an ampoule 14 in which a thin diaphragm 1 5 is formed, which is rupturable and defines a couple of chambers, in either of which the liquid 13 having a low melting point is contained.
Inasmuch as the rupturable diaphragm 15 is substantially thinner than the sidewalls of the ampoule 14, the solidification of the liquid 1 3 breaks the diaphragm.
The operation and the readout of the response given by the sensor of FIGURE 5 are substantially akin to those which have already been described for the sensor of FIGURES from 1 to 4.
The sensor according to the invention permits to achieve the object aforementioned, that is to give a response capable of being understood at a glance and by a means which is essentially simple and easy to use.
This device, which is especially useful for being adopted in the field of deep frozen products, is anyhow capable of being employed for the most differentiated applications in which it is required to detect that a certain critical temperature has been exceeded.
For example, it appears of interest and with a wide field of application the use of a sensor according to the invention in a freezer such as that of a conventional household refrigerator, in which deep frozen foodstuffs are to be stored prior to be consumed.
Placing a single sensor in the freezer is enough to establish if the temperature has risen above a preselected critical value, in correspondence of which it can be affirmed that a disruption of the refrigeration chain has taken place within the freezer concerned.
By knowing from time to time the critical temperature it is sufficient to select the low
melting liquid in such a way that its melting point is calibrated in correspondence with the critical value of the temperature which is desired to be detected as soon as it is exceeded.
It is appropriate to note that, in the practical
application of the invention, it is provided not to fill the container completely with liquid, but to maintain therein a certain volume of air, in order to
provide an air blanket which may allow a uniform
crystallization from the container walls to the core
and permits to control the volume increase in the
liquid-solid transition until said transition is
completed; this has the purpose of preventing the rupturable container from breaking before the complete solidification of the liquid. The volume of the air maintained in the interior of the liquid-filled container must therefore be carefully measured by carrying out preliminary tests.
A number of changes may be introduced in the device as substantially described above, without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, a plastics material sheath can be provided to surround the ampoule and the shape itself of the container and the outer wrapper can be varied as desired relative to what has been shown in the examples.
Claims (3)
1. A sensor adapted to signal that a certain critical temperature has been exceeded, characterized in that it comprises a transparent casing (11) within which a rupturable container (12) is held which is filled with a liquid (13) the volume of which is expanded upon solidification, and the solidification temperature of which substantially corresponds to said preselected critical temperature.
2. A sensor according to Claim 1, characterized in that said container from said liquid is defined by the wails of said casing and by a rupturable diaphragm (15) positioned internally of said casing.
3. A sensor substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB08212284A GB2119511A (en) | 1982-04-28 | 1982-04-28 | Sensor for signalling that a preselected temperature has been exceeded |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB08212284A GB2119511A (en) | 1982-04-28 | 1982-04-28 | Sensor for signalling that a preselected temperature has been exceeded |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB2119511A true GB2119511A (en) | 1983-11-16 |
Family
ID=10530028
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB08212284A Withdrawn GB2119511A (en) | 1982-04-28 | 1982-04-28 | Sensor for signalling that a preselected temperature has been exceeded |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2119511A (en) |
Cited By (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0238762A1 (en) * | 1986-02-20 | 1987-09-30 | Santiago Cabrero Cabrera | Defrosting detection device |
GB2203244A (en) * | 1987-02-13 | 1988-10-12 | Provera Gmbh | Indicator for monitoring the temperature of chilled or frozen products |
GB2215460A (en) * | 1988-02-29 | 1989-09-20 | Ashley John Phelan | Frozen food thaw indicator |
US4998827A (en) * | 1987-05-20 | 1991-03-12 | Walter Holzer | Cold indicator for controlling the cooling or freezing of foods, medicines and the like |
EP0486380A1 (en) * | 1990-11-15 | 1992-05-20 | SOCIETE COOL S.a.r.l. | Preservation condition indicator for refrigerated and frozen products |
FR2671402A1 (en) * | 1991-01-04 | 1992-07-10 | Cool Sarl | Indicator of the state of preservation for refrigerated or frozen products |
US5239942A (en) * | 1992-05-11 | 1993-08-31 | Pymah Corporation | Freeze indicator |
US5460117A (en) * | 1991-12-05 | 1995-10-24 | Loustaunau; Albert | Temperature indicator for refrigerated products |
GB2293879A (en) * | 1994-10-05 | 1996-04-10 | Solomon Unsdorfer | Defrost warning indicator |
GB2318871A (en) * | 1996-10-15 | 1998-05-06 | Univ Durham | Temperature change indicating device |
FR2756707A1 (en) * | 1996-12-10 | 1998-06-12 | Costanza Frederic | Frozen food safety indicator |
US5964181A (en) * | 1995-11-16 | 1999-10-12 | 3M Innovative Properties Company | Temperature indicating device |
ES2327478A1 (en) * | 2006-12-26 | 2009-10-29 | Jon Karla Maeso Echevarria | Indicator of the freezing process (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) |
WO2013132121A1 (en) * | 2012-03-06 | 2013-09-12 | Galián Peinado, Consolación | Device for controlling the freezing of food products |
RU199485U1 (en) * | 2020-06-11 | 2020-09-03 | Общество с ограниченной ответственностью «Криотех» | SELF-ACTIVATING LOW TEMPERATURE INDICATOR |
Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3786777A (en) * | 1970-12-31 | 1974-01-22 | Artech Corp | Irreversible warm-up indicator |
GB1370045A (en) * | 1971-06-22 | 1974-10-09 | Baumgartner Papiers Sa | Visual indicator arrangment for monitoring deep-frozen products |
GB1450381A (en) * | 1972-06-28 | 1976-09-22 | Hughes J E | Temperature indicator |
GB1487182A (en) * | 1973-09-28 | 1977-09-28 | Hughes J | Temperature indicator |
US4145918A (en) * | 1976-09-07 | 1979-03-27 | Akzona Incorporated | Freeze-thaw indicator |
US4191125A (en) * | 1978-07-03 | 1980-03-04 | Akzona Incorporated | Freeze indicator |
GB1576766A (en) * | 1976-08-13 | 1980-10-15 | Thomson Csf | Device using the degradation of a polymer for detecting and permanently indicating a transient reheating of a deep-frozen product |
US4280361A (en) * | 1979-06-08 | 1981-07-28 | Franco Sala | Device for detecting the defrosting of frozen products |
-
1982
- 1982-04-28 GB GB08212284A patent/GB2119511A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3786777A (en) * | 1970-12-31 | 1974-01-22 | Artech Corp | Irreversible warm-up indicator |
GB1370045A (en) * | 1971-06-22 | 1974-10-09 | Baumgartner Papiers Sa | Visual indicator arrangment for monitoring deep-frozen products |
GB1450381A (en) * | 1972-06-28 | 1976-09-22 | Hughes J E | Temperature indicator |
GB1487182A (en) * | 1973-09-28 | 1977-09-28 | Hughes J | Temperature indicator |
GB1576766A (en) * | 1976-08-13 | 1980-10-15 | Thomson Csf | Device using the degradation of a polymer for detecting and permanently indicating a transient reheating of a deep-frozen product |
US4145918A (en) * | 1976-09-07 | 1979-03-27 | Akzona Incorporated | Freeze-thaw indicator |
US4191125A (en) * | 1978-07-03 | 1980-03-04 | Akzona Incorporated | Freeze indicator |
US4280361A (en) * | 1979-06-08 | 1981-07-28 | Franco Sala | Device for detecting the defrosting of frozen products |
Cited By (18)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0238762A1 (en) * | 1986-02-20 | 1987-09-30 | Santiago Cabrero Cabrera | Defrosting detection device |
GB2203244A (en) * | 1987-02-13 | 1988-10-12 | Provera Gmbh | Indicator for monitoring the temperature of chilled or frozen products |
GB2203244B (en) * | 1987-02-13 | 1991-06-19 | Provera Gmbh | A method of producing an indicator for monitoring the temperature of a chilled or frozen product,and a indicator produced by the method. |
US4998827A (en) * | 1987-05-20 | 1991-03-12 | Walter Holzer | Cold indicator for controlling the cooling or freezing of foods, medicines and the like |
GB2215460A (en) * | 1988-02-29 | 1989-09-20 | Ashley John Phelan | Frozen food thaw indicator |
EP0486380A1 (en) * | 1990-11-15 | 1992-05-20 | SOCIETE COOL S.a.r.l. | Preservation condition indicator for refrigerated and frozen products |
FR2671402A1 (en) * | 1991-01-04 | 1992-07-10 | Cool Sarl | Indicator of the state of preservation for refrigerated or frozen products |
US5460117A (en) * | 1991-12-05 | 1995-10-24 | Loustaunau; Albert | Temperature indicator for refrigerated products |
US5239942A (en) * | 1992-05-11 | 1993-08-31 | Pymah Corporation | Freeze indicator |
GB2293879A (en) * | 1994-10-05 | 1996-04-10 | Solomon Unsdorfer | Defrost warning indicator |
US5964181A (en) * | 1995-11-16 | 1999-10-12 | 3M Innovative Properties Company | Temperature indicating device |
GB2318871A (en) * | 1996-10-15 | 1998-05-06 | Univ Durham | Temperature change indicating device |
GB2318871B (en) * | 1996-10-15 | 2001-04-18 | Univ Durham | Temperature change indicator |
FR2756707A1 (en) * | 1996-12-10 | 1998-06-12 | Costanza Frederic | Frozen food safety indicator |
ES2327478A1 (en) * | 2006-12-26 | 2009-10-29 | Jon Karla Maeso Echevarria | Indicator of the freezing process (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) |
WO2013132121A1 (en) * | 2012-03-06 | 2013-09-12 | Galián Peinado, Consolación | Device for controlling the freezing of food products |
EP2824436A4 (en) * | 2012-03-06 | 2015-10-21 | Galián Peinado Consolación | Device for controlling the freezing of food products |
RU199485U1 (en) * | 2020-06-11 | 2020-09-03 | Общество с ограниченной ответственностью «Криотех» | SELF-ACTIVATING LOW TEMPERATURE INDICATOR |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |