DE102012001652A1 - Lid, particularly reusable lid, for hermetically closing container, particularly re-usable container, has radio frequency identification-transponder with battery to supply power - Google Patents

Abstract

The lid comprises a valve system which is designed as a gas suction valve for creating a vacuum in the container and also as a gas supply valve (24) for exposing the contents of the container to gas. A temperature sensor is associated with a Radio frequency identification-transponder which is designed to additionally or alternatively measure pressure or time. The radio frequency identification-transponder is provided with a battery to supply power. A valve system allows a vacuum to be created in the container with a subsequent exposure to gas.

Description

The invention relates to a lid, in particular reusable lid, with a seal for hermetically sealing a container, in particular a reusable container, with a valve system having at least as a gas suction valve for establishing a vacuum in the container and further at least as a gas supply valve for Begasen the container contents is formed and an RFID transponder is assigned at least as a temperature sensor (according to patent application 10 2011 014 438.2).

Lids for closing containers made of metal, metallic multilayer material or plastic, in particular of GN containers, are known in a variety of forms, for example, from the dealer price book 2007/2008 of Rieber GmbH & Co. KG, D-72770 Reutlingen, S 20 and 21, wherein containers and lids for vacuuming are also known from this reference, pp. 26 and 27.

Furthermore, a vacuum packer "Kolibri" has already become known ( Instruction manual Vacuum Sealer "Kolibri", Rieber GmbH & Co. KG, D-72770 Reutlingen, August 2009 ). In this known vacuum sealer containers of metallic multilayer material, so-called "Thermoplate" are used, which result in a vacuum-tight closure of the container in conjunction with a so-called vacutec cover and a so-called vacutec valve. The vacuuming is carried out by means of a vacuum pump, which is placed with a suction tip on a valve of the container, that is the lid, and operated until a desired negative pressure value is reached. When the vacuum pump is removed, the valve closes the lid automatically. The vacuumizer simplifies the storage of food in a vacuum (ie without air), which significantly prolongs their storage time in the refrigerator, in the freezer or in the pantry. Vacuuming in containers is especially important for things that are needed frequently. Dry foods such as pasta, cereal products, flour, sugar, potato chips, pretzels or biscuits and animal feed will preserve texture, freshness and taste until the very end. Salads, vegetables and herbs can be cleaned for the coming week and vacuumed in such a thermoplate container. They will stay fresh and crisp.

It is in the main patent application, so in the above-mentioned patent application 10 2011 014 438.2, but not so much to the storage of food, but rather to the transport and logistics of everything airtight, vacuum, gassed, temperature and / or pressure-dependent needs to be transported such as electronic parts, pharmaceutical products, quality food, cigars cd. like.

From the EP 1 830 315 A1 An electronic control and communication system for monitoring the condition of products is known. The system includes a microcontroller, a passive transponder, a power supply and a number of sensors. The microcontroller is able to read the data from the sensors and store it in the transponder in the form of information relating to the condition of the products so that the information can be read from outside the product. Apparently in this case the products are in a container, which can be opened and closed electrically. The opening and closing of the container is also monitored by a sensor. The system is believed to be used along logistics lines, presumably to monitor the condition of containers and individual packages contained therein. Upon closer inspection, this system thus measures only the environmental condition of a product housed in a package within the container, but not the condition of the product within the package.

The main patent application is concerned with the aim of providing a suitable lid and a logistics system in which the lid can be used.

This object is achieved according to the main patent application with a cover of the type mentioned above in that the valve system is further formed at least as a gas supply valve.

The lid after the main patent application allows to achieve a clean room in a reusable container, that is the guarantee of pressure and temperature in one volume. This is made possible with the lid according to the invention with the aid of a valve system which is designed not only as Gasabsaugventil, but also as a gas supply valve. The gas to be supplied may be nitrogen, which keeps food fresh longer, or any other gas which, for example, keeps dry components stored in the vacuum container or protects them from the action of air.

Although the patent application for a cover of the type mentioned above is used, but this serves to achieve a different goal.

From the DE 10 2005 048 406 A1 is an intelligent GN (Gastronorm) container known, consisting in its entirety of a metallic multilayer material of several successive attached layers. At least one transmitting and / or receiving device, at least for temperature information, is integrated in the multi-layer material. With the help of the temperature information, a cooking process is temperature-dependent controllable. If the transmitting and / or receiving device is to provide temperature information, it requires a power supply for the temperature measurement process. In the temperatures occurring in the multi-layer material in a cooking process, a (high temperature resistant) battery is required, which does not yet exist in a marketable training for such a purpose.

The aim of the invention according to additional patent application is therefore to solve the problem of insufficient temperature resistance of the power supply and so to ensure the possibility of controlling the cooking process at least as a function of temperature.

According to the invention, the solution is that, starting from a cover of the type mentioned above, the RFID transponder additionally or alternatively for measuring pressure and / or time and has at least one information memory, wherein the information memory for wireless communication of stored and formed data to be stored is and wherein the RFID transponder is provided for its power supply with a battery.

The inventive solution is based on the consideration that on or in the lid during a cooking process, when the lid is on a food container, no high temperature as in the material of the food container itself occurs. The temperature will reach at the top of the maximum temperature of the water vapor formed over the cooking food. Therefore, when using the lid according to the invention, the temperature sensor can be equipped with a commercially available battery which is suitable for temperatures up to 125 ° Celsius and is available in marketable form. In this way, the temperature sensor can be equipped with a battery, but the temperature is kept away so far that the battery is not damaged by too high a temperature. When the lid is combined with a food container and contains food to be kept fresh, the combination of lid and container can be readily placed directly on a cooking utensil, so without the food is previously transferred to another cooking vessel. In addition, the solution according to the invention makes use of the fact that, when cooking under vacuum, the cooking temperature is only about 60 ° C., in contrast to cooking under normal atmospheric conditions, in which the cooking temperature is 100 ° C. If the RFID transponder also measures pressure and time and stores information / programs / data via its information store, the RFID transponder can communicate with an oven to control its operation. This means that a container provided with the lid according to the invention can be pushed into a furnace, where the RFID transponder then transmits a program to the oven or selects a corresponding program via the control unit at the oven. The RFID transponder measures the temperature on / in the container and acts accordingly on the controller. This ensures that food does not overcook or stay too cold.

Embodiments of the invention form the subject of the dependent claims.

In one embodiment of the container according to the invention, this is used in combination with a container, in particular a reusable container, which is hermetically sealed by the lid. This combination ensures that a product contained in the container can be transported safely without the risk that the lid detaches from the container during transport.

In a further embodiment of the lid according to the invention, it is combined or combined with a container made of stainless steel, plastic, enamelled material or metallic multilayer material, in particular a GN container. This embodiment results in the combination already described at the beginning, which is suitable for logistics in the catering trade as well as in the electronics or pharmaceutical sector.

In a further embodiment of the lid according to the invention, the temperature sensor is provided with a transmitting and / or receiving device, which is designed for wireless communication. This makes it easy to remotely interrogate the temperatures measured in the container and allows remote control of this parameter, for example, to maintain certain setpoints of the same.

A further embodiment of the invention additionally includes the lid in combination with a cooking appliance that can be remotely controlled or regulated by the RFID transponder. In this combination, the RFID transponder can communicate with the cooking device and provide it with information about the current temperature in the container. This allows the cooker to be remotely controlled or remotely controlled using the temperature information so that the temperature in the container remains constant. In the present case, the temperature of the food is not measured within the same, but the temperature immediately below the lid or on the Cover, for various cooking processes (sous-vide- or steam cooking), but it is rather incidental, what temperature prevails in the food, since it is about the temperature of the water or steam.

Furthermore, the invention provides a valve system with the features of the valve system used in the lid according to the invention.

Embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. It shows

1 An embodiment of the lid according to the invention in plan view,

2 a longitudinal sectional view of the lid according to the invention along the line II-II in 1 .

3a on a larger scale a detail of the lid after 2 .

3b on a larger scale a further detail of the lid after 2 .

4a on a larger scale than in 3a a gas suction valve,

4b the gas suction valve after 4a in plan view and

5 a combination of a container according to the invention with a reusable container and by a RFID transponder of the lid remotely controllable or controllable cooking appliance.

1 shows in plan view an embodiment of a lid 10 in particular designed as a reusable lid. The lid 10 is with a seal 12 Mistake. The seal 12 is in 2 to recognize the lid 10 in a longitudinal sectional view along the line II-II in 1 shows. The lid 10 serves to hermetically seal a container 14 who in 5 is shown. The lid 10 is preferably made of sheet metal made of stainless steel or of a metallic multilayer material, so-called thermoplate ^® . The same applies to the container 14 , The lid may instead be transparent or transparent and z. B. made of plastic or a heat-resistant glass.

The lid 10 is having a total of 20 designated valve system provided, inter alia, as a Gasabsaugventil 22 for building up a vacuum in the container 14 is trained. The valve system 20 is further than a gas connection or gas supply valve 24 educated. In addition, the valve system 20 one in the Gasabsaugventil 22 integrated RFID chip or transponder 28 on, which is designed at least as a temperature sensor. The gas exhaust valve 22 is together with the RFID transponder 28 on a larger scale each as a detail in the 3a and 4a shown.

The RFID transponder 28 is an active transponder with an only in 3a indicated power supply in the form of a battery 36 Mistake.

The RFID transponder 28 is not only designed as a temperature sensor, but alternatively or additionally to the measurement of pressure and / or time. The RFID transponder 28 has an information store 37 on, which is designed for wireless communication of stored and stored data. The information store 37 and the battery 36 are shown schematically as a common block for the sake of simplicity ( 3a ).

The RFID transponder 28 may have a separate information store for each of the pressure, temperature and time measurements. In the present case, only the information store 37 shown, which is assigned to all sensors and thus collects all pressure, temperature and time data together. The information store 37 is designed for wireless communication (eg FID, WLAN, Bluetooth etc.). The information store provides an integrated display for all readings that are remotely readable.

In addition to the detail in 3a is the gas exhaust valve 22 as a detail in 4a shown, in longitudinal section along the line IVa-IVa in 4b that the gas suction valve 22 shows in plan view. The valve seat 32 is in an opening in the lid 10 attached as it is in 3a can be seen. The closure piece 33 is a roughly U-shaped body in cross-section, which can easily be made of rubber. The body has an extension 34 that is in the container 14 extends, as is likewise in 3a can be seen. The only schematically illustrated RFID transponder 28 has an extension 35 passing through a passage opening of the extension 34 and thus also in the container 14 extends. The extension 35 symbolizes a pressure probe and a temperature probe for the RFID transponder 28 for measuring pressure and temperature inside the container 14 , The gas exhaust valve 22 serves to vacuumize the container 14 if this through the lid 10 hermetically sealed. The gas exhaust valve 22 also serves as a pressure relief valve.

The RFID transponder 28 is in the opening of the closure piece 33 arranged as it is in 4a is shown. The elastic closure piece 33 serves to close the container tightly 14 in its vacuum state. The seal 12 , in the 2 shown not only ensures a good seal of the container 14 in the vacuum state, but also when the vacuum is broken.

At the vacuuming of the container may be a gassing of the contents of the container 14 or a fumigation with rinsing of the container 14 the gassing or gassing using the RFID transponder 28 is monitored. For the gassing is the gas supply valve 24 used that in 1 in plan view, in 2 in the longitudinal sectional view of the lid 10 in a side view and in 3b as a detail is shown on an enlarged scale.

The container 14 It consists of stainless steel, plastic, enamelled material or metallic multilayer material and is in particular a catering or GN food container with the lid 10 can be combined.

The RFID transponder 28 can be part of the information store or form it yourself. In any case, it is designed to store the value of the vacuum and / or the temperature as well as the pressure and / or the time and keep it available for remote inquiry. For this purpose, the RFID transponder 28 provided with a transmitting and / or receiving device (not shown), which is designed for wireless communication.

5 shows in a side view a combination of the lid 10 with a container 14 , between them being the seal 12 is arranged. The container 14 stands on the cooking utensil 40 , The temperature of the cooking appliance 40 is through the lid 10 arranged RFID transponder 28 controllable. A wireless remote controlled transmitting / receiving unit of the cooking appliance 40 is in 5 With 42 designated.

The battery 36 can in practice be an RFID transponder 28 be assigned button cell. This is in 3a for the sake of clarity in relation to the RFID transponder 28 shown exaggeratedly big.

The gas exhaust valve shown in the drawings and described above 22 is an intelligent sensor valve for monitoring temperature, pressure and time as well as for the exchange of data for control purposes, security and logistics.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

cover

12

poetry

14

container

20

valve system

22

The gas purge valve

24

Gas supply valve

28

RFID transponder

32

valve seat

33

closing piece

34

extension

35

extension

36

battery

37

information store

40

cooker

42

Transmit / receive unit

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 1830315 A1 [0005]
• DE 102005048406 A1 [0010]

Cited non-patent literature

• Operating Manual Vacuum Sealer "Kolibri", Rieber GmbH & Co. KG, D-72770 Reutlingen, August 2009 [0003]

Claims (6)

Lid, in particular reusable lids, with a seal ( 12 ) for hermetically sealing a container ( 14 ), in particular a reusable container, with a valve system ( 20 ), at least as a gas exhaust valve ( 22 ) for building up a vacuum in the container ( 14 ) and further at least as a gas supply valve ( 24 ) is designed for gassing the container contents and to which an RFID transponder ( 28 ) is assigned at least as a temperature sensor, characterized in that the RFID transponder ( 28 ) is additionally or alternatively designed for the measurement of pressure and / or time and has at least one information store, wherein the information store is designed for the wireless communication of stored and to be stored data and wherein the RFID transponder ( 28 ) to its power supply with a battery ( 36 ) is provided. Lid according to claim 1 in combination with a container ( 14 ), in particular a reusable container, which passes through the lid ( 10 ) is hermetically closable. Lid according to claim 2, characterized in that it is provided with a container ( 14 ) made of stainless steel, plastic, enamelled material or metallic multilayer material, in particular a GN container, combinable or combined. Lid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the RFID transponder ( 28 ) is provided with a transmitting and / or receiving device, which is designed for wireless communication. Lid according to claim 4 additionally in combination with a through the RFID transponder ( 28 ) wireless remote control or adjustable cooking appliance ( 40 ). Valve system with the features of the lid ( 19 ) according to one of the preceding claims used valve system ( 20 ).

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