GB2324472A

GB2324472A - Temperature sensing container

Info

Publication number: GB2324472A
Application number: GB9708293A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arjang Shahrokhshahi Afshar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-04-24
Filing date: 1997-04-24
Publication date: 1998-10-28
Also published as: GB9708293D0

Abstract

A container (1) suitable for receiving a liquid up to a reasonably high temperature is provided. A thermometric device (5) is placed in association with the container and provided with temperature indications which can be viewed from the exterior of the container.

Description

TEMPERATURE SENSING CONTAINER This invention relates to a temperature sensing container.

In a number of circumstances it is necessary to determine the temperature of a liquid in a container and in one particular instance of this is the determination of the temperature of the contents of a baby's bottle.

When babies are bottle fed, the liquid which they are being fed must be within a suitable temperature range, as if it is either too hot or too cold, it can seriously affect the baby's health.

Unlike the situation of feeding a baby at the mother's breast which provides milk at just the right temperature for the baby, getting the temperature of the liquid in a bottle right can be difficult. Usually the liquid, in its basic state, is far too cold and must be heated but the problem exists as to how to determine whether the liquid is at the right temperature. One method of dealing with this in the past has been that the person feeding the baby will empty a few drops of the liquid on to the back of their hand and, if this feels comfortable, the liquid in the bottle is at the appropriate temperature.

However, particularly if the contents are much too hot, the person using this test could end up with a painful scald.

The present invention seeks to reduce or obviate the above disadvantages and provide a means for determining the temperature of the liquid in a container without the need for removing liquid therefrom.

According to the invention there is provided a container suitable for receiving a liquid up to a reasonably high temperature, for example, up to boiling point of the liquid, and a thermometric device placed in association with the container and provided with temperature indications which can be viewed from the exterior of the container.

Preferably the thermometric device comprises a chemical temperature indicator which may be secured on the outside of the container, the inside of the container, or embedded within the wall of the container. In the latter two cases, of course, the container will need to be transparent at least to the extent that the chemical temperature indicator is visible from the outside of the container.

Suitably the container is a baby's bottle and is suitably made of glass or of a suitable plastics material well known in the art for this purpose. Where the sensor is placed on the inside or the outside of the bottle it may be attached thereto either by means of a waterproof adhesive or by the use of a waterproof tape. On the other hand, if the sensor is provided within the wall of the bottle itself, this could be carried out during the bottle moulding operation.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a bottle in which a chemical or temperature indicator is indicated as applied to the bottle by means of an adhesive or alternatively embedded therein in accordance with the invention, and; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the chemical temperature indicator attached to the bottle by means of a waterproof adhesive.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 there is shown a baby's bottle, 1 of typical construction, the upper end of which is provided with a screw thread 3 for the attachment of a lid like arrangement adapted to carry a teat (not shown).

On the bottle there is provided a chemical temperature sensor and indicator 5 which provides an indication of the temperature of the bottle and as a result, of the contents of the bottle. It will be observed that the range of temperature being measured ranges from 35 to 40 degrees centigrade or between 95 and 104 degrees fahrenheit. It will be appreciated that the median of this measurement range is in fact normal body temperature which is, as is well known, the right temperature for a baby's feed.

The temperature indicator 5 suitably comprises a liquid crystal display 7 which is in the form of encapsulated liquid crystal material sandwiched between an adhesive backdrop and a film on both sides.

In one form of the invention, the thermal strip 5 is attached to the bottle with the use of a suitable waterproof adhesive of which one example is an adhesive sold under the name "LOCTITE Super ATTAK universal instant glue". It will of course be appreciated that any other suitable waterproof adhesive will do.

It will also be appreciated, as will be described hereafter, that it is not necessary for the glue to be heat resistant up to the boiling point of water since it is never necessary to heat the bottle 1 to a temperature much above the upper end of the range indicated by the thermal strip 5 although, of course, an adhesive which will withstand the temperature of boiling water is more desirable since it is always possible that the bottle 1 to be heated, will be placed in boiling water, at least by accident.

In a second form of the invention, which is also illustrated by the drawing of Figure 1, the thermal strip 5 instead of being attached to the outside of the bottle is attached either to the inside of the bottle or is embedded in the bottle itself during manufacture in the course of the bottle moulding operation.

Figure 2 shows a third embodiment of the invention in which the thermal strip, 5 such as shown in Figure 1, is attached to the bottle using a suitable waterproof adhesive tape 9 of a transparent nature. This will have the same affect as the previous embodiment but can have the advantage that the thermal strip is directly in contact with the bottle without the inter-position of a layer of adhesive.

It will be appreciated that where the thermal strip is placed either on the outside of the bottle or within the material of the bottle itself, there may be a slight delay in the strip reaching the temperature of the inside of the bottle due to the somewhat insulating properties of the material of the bottle. However, this is not a serious disadvantage because, at worst, it is merely necessary to allow the bottle to stand for a very short while so that the temperature becomes equalised but, at best, the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside of the bottle may be so small that the reading on the temperature indicator will nevertheless give a reading within the required range.

Alternatively, the calibration of the strip can be varied in order to take care of this consideration.

It will further be appreciated that where the bottle is heated in a water bath then the temperature sensor will initially read the temperature of the water bath rather than the temperature of the liquid in the bottle. However, once the temperature of the bottle is somewhat above the required temperature, it can be allowed to stand until the temperature reading has dropped to the required level.

The use of the invention will now be considered.

One of the more usual methods of heating babies bottles requires placing of the bottle into a container of hot water and allowing the bottle to heat up in this water bath. In these circumstances, the bottle can be observed until it reaches above the appropriate temperature whereupon it can be removed and allowed to stand until the correct temperature is achieved. Other methods of heating a bottle may of course be used.

There are certain circumstances, such as when travelling, where it is desirable to heat the bottle above the required temperature so as to allow for some cooling of the bottle during the period when it is away from the heat. In many circumstances, the bottle will be carried in an insulated container which will retain most of the heat and when it is required to use the bottle, it can be removed from the container and allowed to stand until the temperature of the contents drops to the required point.

It will be appreciated that while the invention has been described as being applied to a baby's bottle, it could equally be applied to other containers of liquid in which it is desired to be able to determine the temperature of the contents.

It will also be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, if desired, the range over which temperatures are measured could be increased to provide for a fuller indication as to the point to stop heating the bottle. Instead of the indication of the actual temperatures, the thermal strip could be marked out to indicate the area in which the temperature of the contents of the bottle are acceptable. For example, there could be a green area which is the acceptable range and a red area on both sides of this range in which the contents of the bottle are either too hot or too cold.

Claims

1. A container suitable for receiving a liquid up to a reasonably high temperature, and a thermometric device placed in association with the container and provided with temperature indications which can be viewed from the exterior of the container.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermometric device comprises a chemical temperature indicator.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermometric device is secured on the outside of the container.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermometric device is secured on the inside of the container.

5. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermometric device is or embedded within the wall of the container.

6. A container as claimed claim 4 or 5, wherein, the container is transparent at least to the extent that the thermometric device is visible from the outside of the container.

7. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the container is transparent.

8. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the container comprises a baby's bottle.

9. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, or claim 7 or 8 when appendent to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the thermometric device is attached to the container by means of a waterproof adhesive.

10. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 , or claim 7 or 8 when appendent to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the thermometric device is attached to the container by means of a waterproof tape.

11. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 or claim 7 or 8 when appendant to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 wherein the thermometric device is moulded into a wall of the container.

12. A temperature sensing container substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.