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

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a control indicator of a frozen product, or of a product whose storage temperature, below ambient temperature, must be controlled.
• a critical temperature threshold which generally corresponds to the thawing temperature; this temperature may vary depending on the nature of the product. It is most often significantly lower than 0 ° C and is not necessarily constant.
• control exercised by the manufacturer can also be exercised by the reseller, but also and above all by the consumer who must thus be able to refuse any product unfit for consumption.
• the means of controlling and maintaining the ambient temperature provide sufficient guarantees on the maintenance of the frozen state of the product.
• the last stages of distribution which will lead the product to the consumer, the diversity of handling, the quantity of frozen products. packaged or not, may cause thawing risks, even for a very short time.
• control witness of this type is described for example in Swiss patent n ° 416,148.
• This control witness comprises a holster closed in a tamper-proof manner, of predetermined internal shape and, in this holster, a fusible object of predetermined shape, less partially different from the internal shape of the case, and of volume less than the internal volume of the latter.
• This object has a melting temperature slightly lower than or equal to the thawing temperature of the product.
• the initial shape of the object is impossible to reconstitute after even a partial thawing of the product, having caused even a partial melting of this object in the case, whatever the subsequent conditions for refreezing the product.
• the major drawback of this type of control is that it cannot provide an indication of the importance of the possible thawing of the product and in particular of the depth at which the product has been partially or completely thawed, below its area. This indication is however particularly useful since it can make it possible to search for the causes of the thawing, the duration thereof, and the calorific energy received by the product during thawing. Indeed, the depth of thawing calculates the volume of product thawed and deduces from it the duration of defrosting as well as the heat energy received.
• the defrost threshold temperatures present risks which do not depend solely on this temperature, but more precisely on this temperature and on the period during which this defrost threshold has been crossed, or on this temperature and the calorific energy stored above this threshold temperature. These pairs of values are impossible to determine with the witness of known type.
• the object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks and in particular to provide a control indicator for a frozen product which makes it possible to indicate not only the surface thawing of this product, but also the depth of this product to which defrosting appears, while providing much more precise information on the duration during which the defrosting temperature has been exceeded and on the calorific energy stored by the product during this defrosting.
• the witness of the invention also makes it possible to obtain much more precise indications on the defrosting, by virtue of a better thermal conductivity between the product to be checked and the control witness.
• the invention also makes it possible to control the non-exceeding of a conservation limit temperature, even when this conservation limit temperature is greater than zero for example.
• the subject of the invention is a control indicator for a frozen product comprising a tamper-evident closed case, at least partially transparent, of predetermined internal shape and, in this case, a fusible object of predetermined shape, at least partially different from the internal form of The case and of volume lower than the internal volume of the case, this object and having a melting temperature lower than or equal to the thawing temperature or a storage temperature of said product, the initial shape of said object being impossible to reconstitute after a thawing or even partial heating of said product having caused even partial melting of said object in said case, whatever the subsequent conditions of refreezing or cooling of said product, characterized in that said case comprises a first part made invisible and integral of said product or of a packaging containing said product by packaging therein, a second visible part, integral with the first part.
• Said object comprising a first part at least partially filling the first invisible part of the case, and a second part having a shape at least partially different from the internal shape of the second visible part of said case, this second part of the object comprising at least one transparent window for viewing said object.
• the second part of the case projects above said packaging or said product.
• the second part of said case is at least partially contained in a housing belonging to said packaging or to said product, extending towards the interior of said packaging or of said product. Said transparent window being visible from the outside of said packaging or of said product.
• the first and second parts of the object are separated and formed in a same fusible material.
• the first and second parts of the object are integral and made of the same fusible material.
• FIG. 6 shows schematically and in section One of the variants of this first embodiment in the case where the frozen product has undergone thawing.
• FIGS 7 to 9 show schematically and in section different variants of a second embodiment of the control indicator of the invention
• Figures 10 to 12 show schematically a front view of the first visible part of the indicator control of the invention.
• the same elements are designated by the same references in these different figures.
• Figure 1 shows schematically and in cross section a first embodiment of a control indicator according to the invention. It comprises a case 1 closed in a tamper-resistant manner, partially or completely transparent, and of predetermined internal shape.
• This case contains a fusible object 2, of predetermined shape. This shape is at least partially different from the internal shape of the case; the object has a total volume less than internal volume of the case and a melting temperature which is less than or equal to the thawing or storage temperature of the product 3 to be checked.
• the initial shape of the ob and 2 is impossible to reconstitute after thawing or even partial heating of the product, this thawing or this heating having caused the object to melt.
• This predetermined form of the object is impossible to reconstitute even if the melting of the object is partial, whatever the subsequent conditions of refreezing or cooling of the product 3.
• the case 1 comprises a first part 4 made invisible and integral with the product 3, by insertion therein.
• This first part 4 of the case can also be made integral with a packaging by insertion into a housing provided for this purpose, in the packaging.
• Line 5 represents either The surface of frozen product 3, or a package of this product.
• the case 1 also includes a second part 6 integral with the first part e 4 of this case so as to form a sealed and tamper-proof assembly by opening the case.
• This second part includes at least one transparent window for viewing the object 2.
• This second part can be completely transparent to allow viewing of the object 2.
• the window not shown in the figure can be produced either on the periphery of the second part 6, or on one side 7 of this second part.
• the two parts of the case can be made of a plastic material and can be made integral by sealing two respective flanges 8, 9.
• the object 2 melts when the temperature reaches a threshold temperature. This temperature generally corresponds to the defrosting or storage temperature of the product 3.
• the fusible object 2 comprises a first part 10 at least partially filling the first invisible part 4 of the case 1, and a second part 11 located in the second part 6 of the case and having a shape at least partially different from the internal shape of this second part 6 of the case.
• Figures 10, 11 and 12 also represent different non-limiting examples of possible shapes of the second part 11 of the object seen from the side of the face 7 of the case 1. These shapes can also be provided either in season, or hollow.
• the first and second parts 10 and 11 of the object 2 can be separated or integral with one another.
• Figure 2 shows schematically and in section a variant of the previous embodiment; according to this variant, the first and second parts 10, 11 of the object are integral and the second part 11 is located in the extension of the first part 10.
• the object reaches the threshold temperature.
• the first part 11 of the object 2 begins to melt and loses its initial shape. Different shapes of this second part 11 are shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12.
• the initial shape of the second part 11 is impossible to reconstitute even by refreezing or cooling the product, after thawing or partial reheating. It follows that the consumer is warned of this thawing or warming and that the seller can withdraw the products from the sale.
• the defrosting or reheating reaches not only the surface of the product but also the deeper layers of it below its surface, there is also partial or total melting of the second part. 10 of the object 2.
• the two parts of the object are made of the same fusible material to avoid eutectic risks during fusion.
• the second part 4 of the case 1 has a conical shape.
• Figure 3 shows schematically and in section another variant of this first embodiment.
• the second part 4 of the case 1 has a helical shape. This second part can therefore be screwed directly into a thread made in the product 3 or in a suitably shaped housing made in the packaging of the product 3.
• the first part 6 of the case 1 can also present as shown in Figure 10, a square shape facilitating the gripping of the witness as well as its screwing.
• the first and second parts 10, 11 of the object 2 are integral, but they could also be separated.
• Figure 4 shows schematically and in section, another variant of the first embodiment of the control of the invention.
• the first part 10 of the case 1 has at its base, a bulged shape 12 favoring the maintenance of the case 1 in the product 3 , or in a suitably shaped housing, made in a packaging containing this product.
• Figure 5 shows schematically and in section another variant of the first embodiment of the case of the invention.
• the second part 6 of the case 1 has an asymmetrical shape.
• the indicator is pressed horizontally into product 3 or into a housing of a packaging for this product.
• the second part 11 of the fusible object is preferably located towards the bottom of the second part 6 of the case, while the first part 10 of the fusible object partially or totally occupies the first part 4 of the case 1
• This first part is of course inserted either directly into the product 3, or into an appropriate housing of a packaging for this product.
• the second part 11 of the object naturally presents one of the forms shown as an example in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12.
• Figure 6 shows schematically and in section The previous variant in the case where the threshold temperature has been exceeded.
• the second part 11 of the fusible object has melted at the bottom of the second part 6 of the case 1, while the first part 10 of the object has also partially or completely melted and has down to the bottom of the second part 6 of the case.
• the volume of the fusible object which has melted and which partially fills gives information on the depth of thawing or heating of the product 3 in- below its surface.
• the defrosting or reheating depth which is reached can also be evaluated by removing the case 1 from the product 3 or from the housing of the packaging containing this product, so as to measure the distance L which gives the defrosting or reheating depth reached.
• the second part 6 of the case 1 protrudes at the surface of the packaging or of the product.
• the melting of the second part 11 of the object can be caused when the defrosting or preservation threshold temperature is reached on the surface of the product 3, without this thawing reaching the layers situated below. of the surface of this product.
• the product can then be declared unfit for consumption when the thawing or reheating was only very superficial.
• Figure 7 shows schematically and in section a case according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• the second part 11 of the object 2 is at least partially contained in a housing belonging to the product 3 or to a packaging containing this product.
• This housing 13 extends inwardly from the product packaging; the transparent window which makes it possible to check the partial or total fusion of the object 2 is located on the face 7 of the second part 6 of the case.
• the first part 4 of the case has, as in the example in Figure 2, a conical shape.
• the second part 6 of the case is preferably completely contained in the housing 13 so that only the face 7 of the cover closing this second part of the case is flush with the surface of the product 3 or of the packaging which contains it.
• the transparent window 7, in this embodiment, as well as in all the other embodiments, can be covered with a thermally insulating and flexible layer 14, for example welded at a point 15 in the window and making it possible to avoid a greenhouse effect inside the case.
• This insulating layer can be lifted to check the condition of the object inside the case. It can be constituted for example by a sheet of expanded polyethylene covered with a thin film of a lu i ni um.
• Figure 8 shows schematically and in section a variant of the embodiment of Figure 7.
• the second part 6 of the case is here also contained in a housing 13 of the product 3 or of a packaging containing this product; the first part 4 of the case 1 has a helical shape as in the variant of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3.
• Figure 9 shows schematically and in section another variant of this second embodiment; the second part 6 of the case 1 is here also contained in a housing 13 of the product 3 or of a packaging containing this product.
• the first part 4 of the case is inserted into a housing for the product or its packaging and has a shape comparable to that of the first part of the case shown in the variant of the first embodiment of FIG. 4.
• the second part 11 of the object 2, for these different variants of the second embodiment, can have one of the shapes shown in figs 10, 11 and 12.
• This second embodiment of the witness of the invention has for main advantage of offering better information on Defrosting or possible reheating of the product.
• the melting of this second part 11 of the object only takes place when the threshold temperature is exceeded on the surface of this product or inside it, and not just outside this surface.
• the length of the first part 4 of the case of course depends on the dimensions of the product. This length will be more or less important depending on whether it is desired to control the thawing or the heating of this product in the vicinity of its surface layers, or in the vicinity of the core thereof.
• the volume of fusible object contained in the second part 6 of the case when there has been partial or total melting of this object makes it possible not only to determine whether the threshold temperature has been reached, but also to know approximately for what duration; this volume also makes it possible to determine the calorific energy stored by the product to be checked, above this threshold temperature.
• As part of the fusible object is made of the same fusible material, there is no eutectic risk that could falsify the control. Eutectic risks appear in the witnesses known in the state of the art, when the case contains several fusible objects of different materials. Indeed, in this case, the fusion of one of the materials can disturb the fusion of another of the materials and thus cause false indications on the threshold temperatures.
• Cookies can be set up after freezing;
• the product is conditioned or packaged and
• the packaging includes a housing for this witness. If the product is not conditioned, the Witness housing can be produced for example by drilling or tapping the frozen product. It is also possible to provide a template having the shape of the control which is put in place in the product before freezing thereof; this template is then replaced by the control, after freezing the product.
• the witness is arranged so that the melting of the object gives the best information on Defrosting or possible reheating.
• the axis of the witness is preferably close to a horizontal position.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Measuring Temperature Or Quantity Of Heat (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9377544

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1989
  • 1989-01-09 FR FR8900160A patent/FR2641611B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1990
  • 1990-01-08 WO PCT/FR1990/000014 patent/WO1990007699A2/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1990-01-08 AU AU49408/90A patent/AU4940890A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1990-01-08 EP EP19900901829 patent/EP0452394A1/de not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events