초록 ▼

A beverage chilling monitoring and alarm device. The temperature sensing, beverage temperature estimating, and remote alarm device is adapted for use in quick chilling beverages in containers, and thus enables one who attempts to quick chill a beverage to avoid a freeze-ruptured container that messi

A beverage chilling monitoring and alarm device. The temperature sensing, beverage temperature estimating, and remote alarm device is adapted for use in quick chilling beverages in containers, and thus enables one who attempts to quick chill a beverage to avoid a freeze-ruptured container that messily or catastrophically loses some or all of its contents in the freezer. The device senses the temperature of a beverage container, uses a method which estimates the beverage temperature against a predetermined temperature profile, and provides multi-level alarms based on the temperature of the beverage. The apparatus includes a flexible thermal sensor support that is adapted for being detachably and non-invasively affixed to a container. The sensor support is provided in a stretch type or adjustable length material, such as elastic, or a narrow strip which is adjustably fastened around a container via detachably affixible fasteners, preferably via Velcro.RTM. brand hook and loop fasteners, or their functional equivalent. A digital thermal sensor is operably supported against a container wall by the flexible thermal sensor support. Data transfer capability is provided between the thermal sensor and the monitoring and alarm circuit. A monitoring and alarm circuit receives the output signal from the thermal sensor, and generates therefrom a monitoring signal, and, when appropriate, one or more alarm signals. When the estimated beverage temperature reaches a first preselected point, a first alarm signal is generated. As the temperature reaches a second preselected point, a second alarm signal is generated. And, as the temperature being sensed reaches a third preselected point, a third alarm signal is generated. An alarm signal is provided by a piezo electric buzzer and by a light emitting diode, or other multi-function audible or visual alarm signal.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A temperature sensing, monitoring, and alarm apparatus for sensing temperature of a container and for estimating the temperature of the contents of said container, said apparatus comprising:(a) a flexible thermal sensor support, said flexible thermal sensor support detachably affixa

[ I claim:] [1.] A temperature sensing, monitoring, and alarm apparatus for sensing temperature of a container and for estimating the temperature of the contents of said container, said apparatus comprising:(a) a flexible thermal sensor support, said flexible thermal sensor support detachably affixable to a beverage container;(b) a thermal sensor, said thermal sensor supported by said flexible thermal sensor support, said thermal sensor adapted to provide temperature data(c) a monitoring and alarm circuit, said monitoring and alarm circuit further comprisingdata transfer capability between said thermal sensor, and said monitoring and alarm circuit;(d) said monitoring and alarm circuit responsive to said temperature data from said thermal sensor to provide, as an output, at least one alarm signal, and wherein said monitoring and alarm circuit further comprises a microcontroller, said microcontroller comprisinga clock timer for generating clock data,a master signal generator to generate interrogation signals and to send said master signals to said thermal sensor,a data input device for receiving slave data sent by said thermal sensor in response to said master signal sent from said microcontroller, anda programmable computational sequence for evaluating said slave data from said thermal sensor and said clock data to generate at least one output signal,said at least one output signal operative to indicate a first alarm signal when a preset alarm condition has been computed to have been reached.