AU5711499A - Device for the indication and display of a physical paremeter, particularly temperature, by use of coatings - Google Patents
Device for the indication and display of a physical paremeter, particularly temperature, by use of coatings Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- AU5711499A AU5711499A AU57114/99A AU5711499A AU5711499A AU 5711499 A AU5711499 A AU 5711499A AU 57114/99 A AU57114/99 A AU 57114/99A AU 5711499 A AU5711499 A AU 5711499A AU 5711499 A AU5711499 A AU 5711499A
- Authority
- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- indication
- temperature
- color
- display device
- sensitive
- 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.)
- Abandoned
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
- G01K11/12—Measuring temperature based upon physical or chemical changes not covered by groups G01K3/00, G01K5/00, G01K7/00 or G01K9/00 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
- G01K11/18—Measuring temperature based upon physical or chemical changes not covered by groups G01K3/00, G01K5/00, G01K7/00 or G01K9/00 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance of materials which change translucency
-
- 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
- G01K11/12—Measuring temperature based upon physical or chemical changes not covered by groups G01K3/00, G01K5/00, G01K7/00 or G01K9/00 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Measuring Temperature Or Quantity Of Heat (AREA)
Description
"r
AUSTRALIA
Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT *r
S
S
S
Applicant(s): MARIE-PIERRE CESBRON Invention Title: DEVICE FOR THE INDICATION AND DISPLAY OF A PHYSICAL PARAMETER, PARTICULARLY TEMPERATURE, BY THE USE OF COATINGS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: -2- DEVICE FOR THE INDICATION AND DISPLAY OF A PHYSICAL PARAMETER, PARTICULARLY TEMPERATURE, BY THE USE OF COATINGS The present invention relates to a device for the indication and display of a physical parameter, particularly temperature, from coatings, and more particularly the temperature of a food substance in a container such as a bottle of wine: It is desired to indicate the physical parameters and particularly the temperature by static means instead of ooooo .dynamic means.
S*.
Thus for example the temperature of a liquid in a container can be measured by means of a mercury thermometer S" 15 or preferably to avoid mercury and its drawbacks, by means .of an alcohol thermometer.
The alcohol thermometer is particularly well known and widely used, and especially its reading is facilitated by the generally red color which is associated with it, opposite a graduated scale corresponding to temperature increments.
Such a thermometer is well known for example to measure the temperature of a liquid, more particularly wine.
In this case, after uncorking, the thermometer is inserted in the container of liquid to permit learning the temperature by direct reading.
J \Speci\300 399\5 3993U5933doc The obvious drawback is that this operation requires opening the bottle and can be carried out only in the case in which the wine therein is to be drunk.
Moreover, if the liquid is at an unsuitable temperature, it is necessary either to replace the bottle in a cold place, if the temperature is too high, or to wait till the liquid rises in temperature, which requires carrying out the temperature measurement several successive times over a period of time.
o oo oloo 0 These alcohol thermometers have the advantage of being precise but they remain fragile and bulky, rendering them unsuitable for certain uses.
The art has developed and suggests liquid crystal thermometers disposed in very thin strips, crystals which o* change color as a function of temperature. Such liquid crystals give dynamic information as to temperature but reoeo remain difficult in the sense that it is necessary to associate a given color, if there is one, with the range of temperatures desired. It will be noted that the reading is indirect, because it is necessary to know the associated code, and because of this, the user may not immediately grasp the information, in an instinctive manner, contrary to the alcohol thermometer described above.
It has been desired to cause to appear directly on the products and the sealed contents in particular, data that can be instinctively read and that is quasi-dynamic, such as temperature, and it is then possible with liquid I \Sp-i3O0 399\350 399\35933 doc -4crystals disposed on a strip itself carried by the container to determine the temperature of the product contained in the container.
A drawback of this arrangement is the use of liquid crystals which do not give direct reading as explained above but which must be interpreted as a function of supplemental indications annexed to the strip.
Moreover, if it is decided that the green color covers the desired range of temperatures to provide an 10 instinctive reading, it is necessary to scale the green color region such that it covers this range, which renders said strip specific. Thus, if one color is associated with a given range, this prevents providing a single strip that covers several ranges of temperatures and hence it applicable to several products.
Finally, liquid crystals have as a substantial technical drawback their fragility in addition to the difficulties to produce them which lead to a substantial increase in cost.
In a different field, that of batteries and indicator means for the state of charge of the battery, there exist means such as those described in patent application WO 92/14144. In this case, there is provided a resistance subject to the charge of the battery undergoing the test, by the simple action of contact by the user. The resistance is measured by a current causing heating by the Joule effect. It suffices to calibrate different regions J \Spi\3OO 399U50 399V15933.d with resistances of given values to produce a given quantity of heat and to deduce from that the quantity of current which passes and hence the condition of the charge of the battery. To permit simplified reading, there is used a strip of a given color, for example yellow, and it is covered by a deposit of a thermochromic coating which is opaque when the temperature is below a given temperature threshold and transparent when this threshold is exceeded.
Thus, for sufficiently heated regions, in line 10 with resistances sufficiently supplied in energy, the thermochromic coating becomes transparent, rendering the yellow strip visible. One deduces from this the condition of the charge.
Such an arrangement is particularly interesting S. S° in the sense that it avoids use of liquid crystals but o* o remains a limited application because it is resistances which define the different heating regions, such that such a device is sensitive only to a single temperature.
5* 4 To this end, according to the invention, the indication and display device of a physical parameter, particularly temperature, by the use of thermochromic coatings on a support, according to a given color, is characterized in that it comprises a series of at least two juxtaposed regions, each covered with a layer of a coating sensitive to said physical parameter and having a first color for a given range of values and a second color beyond this range, each layer of coating of each region having a J 'Speci3OO 399\35 0 399US]3 doc -6transition point from the first color to the second for a given range of values, the ranges of two contiguous zones covering values of the physical parameter ensuring a continuity of said values.
Preferably an embodiment of the present invention provides a display device sensitive to a physical parameter, in this instance temperature, which is simple and very reliable, which is easy to produce, which has a high resistance to shock and blows, which is of readily 10 instinctive readability, which can cover several ranges, which has semicontinuous variations, which can take any suitable form, which can be integrated very easily on numerous supports, even labels, which can be produced in the ate course of stages of printing the product of which can be produced independently and which is of a low cost.
o. According to a preferred embodiment, the first aoo color is identical for each of the sensitive regions and a o a.second color is identical for each of these same sensitive aoa regions to ensure continuity of color of the sensitive regions over the common ranges.
According to a particular embodiment, the first color is dark to generate an opacity and the second color is very light to generate transparency.
According to another characteristic, the device comprises a base layer, of constant color, disposed below the assembly of the regions, below the layers of thermochromic coating.
J \Speci\300 399\350 399\3 533 do~ -7- According to a modification, the coating layer of each region covers all the other regions less sensitive to the physical parameter.
According to a particular application, the layers of coating are sensitive to temperature and the given shape defines a thermometer.
The support of the device can be a label to which the coating layers are applied by printing.
More specifically, the support is preferably a container receiving a fluid substance so as to determine the temperature of said substance.
Si.* The present invention will now be described in detail according to a particular embodiment, with respect to the accompanying drawings, on which the different figures 5* show: Figure 1, a perspective view of the device according to an embodiment of the invention, integrated into o S a bottle label, Figures 2A and 2B, front views of the device in a first and a second configuration, Figure 3, a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment, Figure 4, a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment, and Figure 5, a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment.
J \Speci\3O0 399\350 393933 do -8- In Figure 1, there is shown the display device which is in the form of an alcohol thermometer 10, printed on a paper support 12, in this case a label. This thermometer 10 has a reservoir 14 and a column 16 with which are associated graduations 18.
In the present case, for use with wine, the calibration comprises five graduations 4, 8, 12, 16 and 0 C. These graduations define five zones I, II, III, IV and V in the column, in addition to the region VI which 1. 0 corresponds to the reservoir.
A base layer 20 is printed on the support 12, over all the region of the reservoir VI and over all the regions I to V of the column, for example of red color to imitate the color of the marker fluid of alcohol thermometers.
In a first embodiment shown in Figure 3, there is used a thermochromic coating, in the form of a layer of paint or ink, which is clear, even transparent, at a temperature above 4°C for example, and dark, even opaque, at a temperature below 4 0
C.
On the base layer 20, in the zone II, there is a thermochromic coating which is clear, even transparent, at a temperature above 8°C, and dark, even opaque, at a temperature below 8 0
C.
In the base layer 20, over all the zone III, there is disposed a thermochromic coating which is clear, J Speci3oo Jq35 0 39)\3-S93 doc even transparent, at a temperature higher than 12°C and dark, even opaque, at a temperature below 12°C.
On the base layer 20, over all the zone IV, there is a thermochromic coating which is clear, even transparent, at a temperature higher than 16°C and dark, even opaque, at a temperature below 160C.
On the base layer 20, over all the zone V, there is a thermochromic coating which is clear, even transparent, at a temperature higher than 20°C and dark, even opaque, at a temperature below 200C.
It will thus be noted that the surface limited by the contour, in this event the thermometer, is of red color, thanks to the transparency and/or of a dark color, for example blue, with a transition region when the product is at an intermediate temperature.
Thus, in Figure 2A, it will be seen that the temperature of the bottle is below 8°C, because the zone VI appears in red while it is free from any thermochromic 9.
coating and the zone I also appears in red because the thermochromic coating of this zone is transparent in this temperature range. The other zones are opaque and appear in a dark color, opaque, masking the color red of the base layer Thus, if the device is applied to a champagne bottle, the user is informed that the bottle is at a suitable drinking temperature, similarly for a wine that is I %Spcci\0 399\350 39V35933 doc to be drunk fresh as rose wine, whilst this temperature is too low for most of the red wines.
In Figure 2B, the consumer immediately sees upon reading, as on a real thermometer, that the consumption temperature, substantially 20 0 C, is suitable for a red wine but much too high for a still white wine or for champagne.
In the case of the embodiment of Figure 4, it will be seen that the difference is in the level of the arrangement of the layers of thermochromic coating.
10 Thus, the base layer 20 remains unchanged but the 9 thermochromic coating layers are prolonged over all the *length of the zone in question and are prolonged over all the other zones whose transformation temperature is a higher temperature or generally speaking, which has less sensitivity.
Thus, the thermochromic coating of zone I covers the other zone II to V.
The thermochromic coating of zone II, without covering zone I, covers the other zones III, IV and V and so on for the other zones.
In this modification, the effects obtained are reinforced because the superposition of the layers permits obtaining a greater opacity and an even more progressive transparency, permitting giving more precisely an indication of the intermediate temperatures. Thus, the transparency is more or less pronounced, which permits the observer to J SpcciU3OO 399\150 3Q9935933 doc II deduce instinctively that the temperature is in the lower or upper portion of the range in question.
Such a device also has the advantage of very low inertia such that the indication is very faithful to temperature because the transition time is very short.
Another advantage is the facility of production.
The application of the different layers is obtained directly by printing, in a known manner with known means, in the course of printing steps of the rest of the label or of the 1. 0 product, without requiring supplemental steps or 9 supplemental and specific materials.
be The second embodiment is also interesting to use, because the layers being superposed, there is no risk of S"discontinuity between the different zones.
be.
I
It will thus be noted that both in the first and .999 9in the second embodiment, instantaneous reading of the oooo• temperature and the effect of modification of the *995 temperature is of the quasi-dynamic type.
9 9 According to another embodiment, shown in Figure 5, the different zones are each covered by a coating of a given color, in the absence of any base layer. Each of these coatings is of an initial given color, yellow for example, and changes to another color, red for example, when the transition temperature is reached. On the contrary, these different coatings, which have the same color characteristics, have transition points that are variable as a function of the temperature ranges. That of zone I IJ Vpeci\00 199\30 399\35933 d-c 12changes from yellow to red when the temperature is higher than 4 0 C, that of zone II changes from yellow to red when the temperature is higher than 8°C, that of zone III changes from yellow to red when the temperature is greater than 12 0 C, and so on.
There is thus obtained an identical instinctive reading effect. The difficulty resides in the elaboration of the thermochromic coatings, of the paint or ink type, that are suitable and in the application of these coatings 10 to the support 12.
According to an improvement of these embodiments S* of the invention, certain products can be degraded or of lesser quality when they have been exposed to a too high or too low temperature for a given period of time, as wine for example. However, traceability is impossible a posteriori.
Because of this, it is possible to add to a lower portion of the thermometer or to a higher portion, an irreversible thermochromic coating. Because of this, when the product is S S exposed to a too high temperature for a sufficient period of time, the thermochromic coating changes color irreversibly.
Thus, a transparent coating can become opaque beyond an exposure of more than eight hours at 50°C. It suffices to print with this coating a message or a pictogram adapted to inform the consumer visually.
As the user is preoccupied with temperature, he cannot avoid seeing the message indicating that the product J \.p3ciUO0 ;9\i50 39V3,59 doc 13is unsuitable for consumption or at least that it is degraded.
It will be seen that according to a particular non-limiting example given above, the uses of the invention are numerous. One can thus envisage, given the simplicity and low cost, applying the device to low value added products such as foodstuffs to be reheated in their packages, this being entirely suitable for food containers.
In this latter case, it is necessary to limit the reheating 10 temperature. However the reheating means such as microwave I ovens or portable reheaters are difficult to control.
Another pertinent application is the indication of temperature of depilation wax which is applied to the o skin and at a specific temperature: too hot, it risks burning and is too liquid, and too cold, it is inoperative.
The reliability of the product permits use for these safety purposes, without the risk of errors.
According to an embodiment of the invention, it is possible to provide different applications with coatings sensitive to other physical parameters such as for example the degree of humidity for products sensitive to variations thereof.
J \Speci\3iU 399 O5( 3')\5X3933 doc
Claims (6)
- 2. Indication and display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first color is identical for each of the sensitive zones and the second color is o e S.. identical for each of the sensitive zones to ensure continuity of color of the zones sensitive to the same ranges.
- 3. Indication and display device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first color is dark to generate an opacity and the second color is very light to generate a transparency. J VSpeiU3) 31\35 399\35933 doc
- 4. Indication and display device according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a base layer, of constant color, disposed below the assembly of the zones below the layers of thermochromic coating. Indication and display device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the coating layer of each zone covers all the other zones less sensitive to the physical parameter.
- 6. Indication and display device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coating layers are sensitive to temperature. O C*
- 7. Indication and display device according to claim 6, characterized in that the given shape defines a thermometer. S 8. Indication and display device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support is a label and in that the coating layers are applied by printing.
- 9. Indication and display device according to any one of claims 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that the support is a container receiving a food substance so as to determine the temperature of said substance. J \SpeciOO 39'A350 399\35933 do 16 An indication and display device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 29th day of October 1999 MARIE-PIERRE CESBRON By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK J \SpeciV,00 399350 399'\35933 dmc
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR9813879 | 1998-10-30 | ||
| FR9813879A FR2785386B1 (en) | 1998-10-30 | 1998-10-30 | DEVICE FOR INDICATING AND DISPLAYING A PHYSICAL PARAMETER, PARTICULARLY TEMPERATURE, FROM COATINGS |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU5711499A true AU5711499A (en) | 2000-05-04 |
Family
ID=9532356
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU57114/99A Abandoned AU5711499A (en) | 1998-10-30 | 1999-10-29 | Device for the indication and display of a physical paremeter, particularly temperature, by use of coatings |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0997717A1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU5711499A (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2785386B1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2818362A1 (en) * | 2000-12-19 | 2002-06-21 | Power Flex | Recipient containing compound which emits heat or stores cold has visual indicator of temperature state |
| GB2401176A (en) * | 2003-04-30 | 2004-11-03 | Ashley Gerrard Pert | Container with contents temperature indications |
| WO2007013105A1 (en) * | 2005-07-26 | 2007-02-01 | Safilo Società Azionaria Fabbrica | Improved mount for spectacles |
| KR20070041077A (en) * | 2005-10-14 | 2007-04-18 | 한미약품 주식회사 | Eye-drop case with temperature sign |
| FR2937279A1 (en) * | 2008-10-22 | 2010-04-23 | Arjowiggins | SAFETY DOCUMENT HAVING THERMOCHROMIC ELEMENTS AND INFORMATION REGARDING TEMPERATURE |
| CN102525428A (en) * | 2010-12-30 | 2012-07-04 | 捷威科技股份有限公司 | Heat conduction structure of mercury-free non-electronic type thermometer |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS61201125A (en) * | 1985-03-05 | 1986-09-05 | Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd | Temperature distribution measuring instrument |
| JPS6480841A (en) * | 1987-09-24 | 1989-03-27 | Shirakawa Seisakusho Kk | Humidity marker |
| DE3904859A1 (en) * | 1989-02-17 | 1990-08-23 | Krups Stiftung | Electrically operated appliance for preparing hot beverages, such as coffee, tea or the like |
| US5482373A (en) * | 1994-03-16 | 1996-01-09 | Cool-Drink, Inc. | Thermochromatic indicator for beverage containers |
-
1998
- 1998-10-30 FR FR9813879A patent/FR2785386B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1999
- 1999-10-29 EP EP99450023A patent/EP0997717A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1999-10-29 AU AU57114/99A patent/AU5711499A/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0997717A1 (en) | 2000-05-03 |
| FR2785386A1 (en) | 2000-05-05 |
| FR2785386B1 (en) | 2001-03-02 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US5720555A (en) | Temperature indicating container and lid apparatus | |
| US6260414B1 (en) | Liquid crystal liquid level indicator | |
| US6264049B1 (en) | Nursing bottle with integral temperature sensor | |
| US5997927A (en) | Indicator, an associated package and associated methods | |
| US2308087A (en) | Temperature indicator | |
| AU601256B2 (en) | Sun heat radiation sensor | |
| US5709472A (en) | Time-temperature indicator device and method of manufacture | |
| US4933525A (en) | Microwaveable container having temperature indicating means | |
| US6042264A (en) | Time-temperature indicator device and method of manufacture | |
| US6848355B2 (en) | Handle for cooking utensils including a temperature indicator device | |
| WO2001036916A3 (en) | Optical techniques for measuring parameters such as temperature | |
| CA1089253A (en) | Apparatus for temperature measurement | |
| WO2020097154A1 (en) | Printable irreversible minimum temperature indicator | |
| JP2001194248A (en) | Temperature indicating seal for food | |
| Selman | Time—temperature indicators | |
| AU5711499A (en) | Device for the indication and display of a physical paremeter, particularly temperature, by use of coatings | |
| GB2054847A (en) | Temperature-history indicator | |
| US20060182165A1 (en) | Device for can or bottle to determine temperature and amount of content of beverage | |
| GB2604009A (en) | Time-temperature exposure indicator with delayed threshold response | |
| US6761066B2 (en) | Level indicator | |
| EP1581441A1 (en) | A package for storing goods in a preservative state as well as a method for making such a package | |
| GB2373338A (en) | Temperature indicator | |
| US20030000451A1 (en) | Beverage container having thermal indicator | |
| EP1581440A1 (en) | s PACKAGE FOR STORING GOODS IN A PRESERVATIVE STATES, A METHOD FOR MARKING SUCH A PACKAGE, AS WELL AS A TEMPERATURE INDICATOR FOR THE PACKAGE | |
| DE19614112A1 (en) | Measurement and display of temperature and liquid level in Dewar vessels |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MK5 | Application lapsed section 142(2)(e) - patent request and compl. specification not accepted |