WO2001050103A1 - Electronic device for the control and the monitoring of the best conservation temperature of products - Google Patents

Abstract

Electronic device for control and monitoring of the best storage temperature, of drug and food raw material, semi finished products, final products in which the room temperature is continuously measured by a temperature sensor (block a) and elaborated by a microcontroller system (block b). According to its internal program, if the temperature exceeds the programmed limit values and the relative time intervals there is a permanent visualisation on the display (block d). Contemporarily date, hour and length of the event are recorded. A battery (block c) continuously supplies the entire system.

Description

ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR THE CONTROL AND THE MONITORING OF THE BEST CONSERVATION TEMPERATURE OF PRODUCTS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention concerns an electronic computer system for

temperature control, that is fit to monitor and eventually indicate

when a product, whose storage is based on refrigerating engineering

(raw material, intermediate materials, frozen and deep-frozen foods,

other foods, medicine etc.) is exposed to temperatures, that while

altering the characteristics, may jeopardise its use or consumption.

The system may furthermore contain other parameters, regarding

the product, which allow further checks together with that of the

temperature storage.

STATE OF THE ART

At the moment, most of the systems are based on chemical reactions

that cause colour changes in the labels, an example of this is shown

in the patent application n. EP0497459.

These systems would be however useable only for those products

that are stored at extremely low temperatures and that are nonetheless not used because they offer a meagre guarantee of

reliability.

Patent SE9201632 describes, instead, a food temperature monitoring

system through sensors that transmit information to a screen display

that is connected to a central processing unit of a computerised

system. The system described in patent SE9201632 is not sealed and

it does not allow having the certainty that it has been tampered with.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is made up of an electronic circuit with a liquid

crystal display (LCD), inserted in a fool-proof sealed case, built in

during production, in each single or multiple container or into the

product itself when this is not packaged.

The system is fit to check and monitor product storage temperature,

from production to use.

It is able to measure and mark temperature divergence from the

minimum and maximum limits established for each product and

taking into account eventual allowable residence times outside these

limits, to alert irreversibly, when for whatsoever reason, the best

conditions foreseen for its storage they cease The aim of the invention is to put the intermediate and final user in

the position to establish that the product that will be used, raw

material, semi-finished product, drug, food etc., still keeps its

qualities unchanged and it does not then turn out to be hazardous

for health.

This takes place by automatically incorporating the system in the

package (single or multiple) or directly in the product that must be

checked in a foolproof fashion.

If the product is submitted to temperatures that are outside the

limits that the producer has pre-programmed in the system,

according to if it exceeds the inferior or superior limit, a visual

warning is activated on the display, that cannot be changed.

The system is able to memorise and add up the partial interruptions,

of the best temperature, and the visual signal is set off, besides the

case of continuous interruptions, also should the sum of the single

interruptions exceed the residence time outside the limits that the

product can tolerate without alteration.

The user will be able, through this visualisation, to realise directly if

the product has been stored correctly until that moment and

continue its correct storage till its consumption. The device, furthermore will contain, within its memory, product

identification data and other check parameters.

The producer, using the invention, will have the guarantee that the

quality of what is released on the market will not be jeopardised, in

the distribution process, by the non-observance of the correct

storage criteria.

He will be able to acquire and supply in real time, through a

telematic system connected to the use of the present device, all

product information and data.

Main characteristic of the invention is to produce an electronic

device to check and monitor the best storage temperature, of food

and drug raw material, intermediate materials, and finished

products, which is made up of a central processing unit (CPU), of a

temperature sensor, of a liquid crystal display, of a battery that

supplies the device itself, all enclosed in a sealed container. In this

manner one obtains a device that cannot be tampered with.

Another characteristic is that the electronic device has a CPU that

contains product information and identification data.

Another characteristic is that the CPU of the electronic device has a

telematic connection that supplies product information and identification data on a terminal or a personal computer, for on line

monitoring of one or more products.

With the electronic device that is the subject of the present invention

it is possible to have a check method of storage temperature

maintenance of raw materials, intermediate materials, finished

products, food and pharmaceutical products that use the electronic

device characterised by the fact that the temperature sensor tracks

the storage temperature, the CPU receives the measured storage

temperatures, it compares them with those internally pre¬

programmed, it memorises them by associating them to the hour

and the day in which they were measured and sends a warning to

the screen that the temperature are out of the programmed

temperature range.

Another characteristic is that the method allows through a

temperature sensor to measure the storage temperature

continuously.

Another characteristic is that the method allows through a

temperature sensor to measure the storage temperature at

predefined intervals, the energy used by the battery will be inferior

and consequently the life of the device will be longer. Another characteristic is that the method allows through a CPU to

detect the anomalous situation when the maximum temperature

allowed is reached even for extremely short periods and it sends a

relevant warning to the display.

Another characteristic is that the method allows through a CPU to

detect the anomalous situation when for a pre-programmed interval

the pre-established temperature is reached and therefore the

relevant warning is sent to the display.

Another characteristic is that the method allows through a CPU to

detect the anomalous situation when for non-consecutive time

intervals a second pre-established temperature is reached, it adds

the intervals in which the aforementioned second temperature is

reached and sends the relevant warning to the display.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will

appear clear from the following realisation way given as an

unrestricted example in values 1 and 2.

Fig. 1 represents a flow diagram of the invention

Fig. 2 represents an electrical diagram of the invention.

Referring to figs. 1 e 2 room temperature is continuously measured

by a temperature sensor (block a) that is able to measure temperatures between -50 and + 105 degrees centigrade and

elaborated by a CPU-programmable microcontroller system (block

b), that allows to personalise the device use according to the needed

checks.

According to the program within it, if the temperature exceeds the

programmed limit values and the relative time intervals there is a

permanent visualisation on the display (block d), a LCD display,

that visualises through permanent icons, events that may have

deteriorated the product (ex. over range temperature, expiration

date, lack of a passage in the distribution chain etc.).

Contemporarily date, hour and length of the event are recorded.

A battery (block c) that guarantees the continuous working of the

entire system for about 2 years continuously supplies the entire

system. During production, the system is programmed by

parameters that allow storage temperature control.

- Minimum temperature.

- Maximum temperature.

- Length of term out of acceptable temperature.

Through the temperature sensor, there is a continuous monitoring of

the product storage temperature. The value measured by the sensor is continuously or at

predetermined intervals, compared to the values - minimum and

maximum - which are pre-programmed within the system memory,

in the event that the limit is exceeded, an internal time counting

circuit is activated that memorises all partial out of limits.

In the case in which the anomalous situation persists longer than the

programmed permanence time, out of temperature range, or if this

happens with the sum of the partial interruptions, the unchangeable

visualisation of the exceeding limit is shown and contemporarily the

date, hour and temperature reached are stored in the memory.

This information may be read on terminal or on a computer, in the

case of disputes or inspections.

The possibility of exactly establishing the moment in which the

anomalous situation is verified will require in all passages

responsible behaviour in order to correctly store products and for

there to be a guarantee for consumers and producers.

The present invention, it must be understood, is not limited to the

representation given by the tables but may receive improvements

and changes from the man of the art without going beyond the

invention area. The present invention allows numerous advantages and overcomes

difficulties that could not have been won with the systems today in

commerce.

Claims

1. Electronic device for the control and monitoring of the best

storage temperature of raw materials, intermediate materials,

finished products, food and pharmaceutical products

characterised by the fact that it is made up of a central

programmable unit (CPU), of a temperature sensor, of a liquid

crystal display, of a battery that supplies the device itself, by a

calendar clock, all included in a sealed container.

2. Electronic device for the control and monitoring of the best

temperature storage of drug and food raw material,

intermediate materials, finished products according to claim 1

characterised by the fact that the CPU contains product

identification data and information.

3. Electronic device for the control and monitoring of the best

temperature storage of drug and food raw material,

intermediate materials, finished products according to claim 2

characterised by the fact that the CPU has a telematic connection that supplies product identification data and

information on a terminal or a personal computer.

4. control method for storage temperature maintenance of raw

materials, intermediate materials, finished products, food and

pharmaceutical products using the electronic device according

to the preceding claims characterised by the fact that the

temperature sensor measures the storage temperature, the CPU

receives the measured storage temperatures, it compares them

with those internally pre-programmed, it memorises them by

associating them with the hour and day of measurement and it

sends a warning to the display that the temperatures are out of

the programmed temperature range.

5. control method for storage temperature maintenance of raw

materials, intermediate materials, finished products, food and

pharmaceutical products according to claim 4 characterised by

the fact that the temperature sensor continuously measures the

storage temperature.

6. control method for storage temperature maintenance of raw

materials, intermediate materials, finished products, food and

pharmaceutical products according to claim 4 characterised by

the fact that the temperature sensor measures the storage

temperature at predetermined intervals.

7. control method for storage temperature maintenance of raw

materials, intermediate materials, finished products, food and

pharmaceutical products according to claim 4 characterised by

the fact that the CPU detects the anomalous situation when a

maximum temperature allowed is reached even for only

extremely short periods and the relevant warning is sent to the

display.

8. control method for storage temperature maintenance of raw

materials, intermediate materials, finished products, food and

pharmaceutical products according to claim 4 characterised by

the fact that the CPU detects the anomalous situation when for

a pre-programmed interval the pre-established temperature is