GB2343746A - Frozen food defrost indicator - Google Patents

Frozen food defrost indicator Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2343746A
GB2343746A GB9824795A GB9824795A GB2343746A GB 2343746 A GB2343746 A GB 2343746A GB 9824795 A GB9824795 A GB 9824795A GB 9824795 A GB9824795 A GB 9824795A GB 2343746 A GB2343746 A GB 2343746A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
frozen
indicator
liquid
weight
transparent part
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.)
Granted
Application number
GB9824795A
Other versions
GB9824795D0 (en
GB2343746B (en
Inventor
Stuart Charles Willis
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB9824795A priority Critical patent/GB2343746B/en
Publication of GB9824795D0 publication Critical patent/GB9824795D0/en
Publication of GB2343746A publication Critical patent/GB2343746A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2343746B publication Critical patent/GB2343746B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D29/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • F25D29/008—Alarm devices

Abstract

A defrost indicator for providing a non-reversible visible indication of whether frozen food has been exposed to unacceptable high temperatures. The indicator comprises a liquid 13 and a coloured weight 12 housed within a container having a transparent part 11 and a non-transparent part 10. To prime the indicator the container is oriented with the non-transparent part 10 lowermost and then frozen to entrap the weight 12 within the frozen liquid 13. In use the indicator is inverted to the position shown in figure 3 and placed within a frozen food store. If partial defrosting of the food store occurs the frozen liquid 13 melts sufficiently to drop into the transparent part 11 as in figure 4. If complete defrosting of the frozen food store occurs the weight 12 will sink through the defrosted liquid 13 to rest on the bottom of the container as shown in figure 5.

Description

INDICATOR DEVICE.
The invention relates to a device intended to be used in any type of domestic or commercial deep-freeze appliance.
Thousands of cases of food poisoning occur every year involving food which has at some time been stored in a deep freeze. Some of these cases will be due to incorrect de-frosting or cooking times. Some of these cases may be due to the deep freeze unit thawing, either partially or totally, and then re-freezing without the owner being aware of this. The food will look usable, but will be potentially poisonous. An example of this could occur due to a power cut whilst away on holiday.
The object of this invention is to overcome the problem of deep freezes thawing and re-freezing, without the owners awareness.
Accordingly my invention provides a device which clearly indicates if a deepfreeze appliance has remained totally frozen since last inspected.
Preferably the device is constructed from a plastic material, in a cylindrical shape which can be freestanding or mounted on a suitable bracket within the deep freeze appliance.
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings where: Figure I shows a section of the assembled device.
Figure 2 shows a plan of the device.
Figure 3 shows a section of the device in use.
Figure 4 shows a section of the device if partial de-frosting has occurred.
Figure 5 shows a section of the device if total de-frosting has occurred.
As shown in figure 1 the device is constructed from an outer body, having a non-transparent area 10 and a transparent area 11. A brightly coloured indicator weight 12 and a measure of transparent liquid, with a suitable freezing point, are encapsulated within the outer shell.
The operation of the device is as follows : the device is placed vertically in a deep freeze with the non-transparent area 10 at the bottom, thus concealing the liquid 13 and the weight 12, as shown in figure 1. The device is left to totally freeze. When freezing has occurred the device is inverted to leave the transparent section 11 at the bottom. The weight 12 is trapped at the top of the device within the frozen liquid, and is not visible through section 10, as shown in figure 3.
If partial de-frosting occurs the block of frozen liquid will decrease slightly in diameter and slide downwards together with the trapped weight, and will be visible in the transparent area, as shown in figure 4.
If total de-frosting occurs the liquid will melt and allow the weight to travel completely to the bottom of the transparent area, as shown in figure 5.
If after de-frosting has occurred, either partial or total, the deep freeze then refreezes the indications shown in figures 4 or 5 will not alter.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS.
1. A mechanical device which shows if a deep freeze unit has remained totally frozen since last inspected.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1 which also shows if partial de-frosting has occurred.
3. A device as claimed in claims 1 & 2 which also shows if total de-frosting has occurred.
4 A device as claimed in claims 2 & 3 which also shows if re-freezing has occurred after partial or total de-frosting.
5. A mechanical device capable of conforming to show the difference between claims 1, 2,3 & 4.
GB9824795A 1998-11-12 1998-11-12 Defrost indicator device Expired - Fee Related GB2343746B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9824795A GB2343746B (en) 1998-11-12 1998-11-12 Defrost indicator device

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9824795A GB2343746B (en) 1998-11-12 1998-11-12 Defrost indicator device

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9824795D0 GB9824795D0 (en) 1999-01-06
GB2343746A true GB2343746A (en) 2000-05-17
GB2343746B GB2343746B (en) 2002-06-26

Family

ID=10842319

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9824795A Expired - Fee Related GB2343746B (en) 1998-11-12 1998-11-12 Defrost indicator device

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2343746B (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2415784A (en) * 2004-06-30 2006-01-04 Secr Defence Apparatus for determining if an environment temperature exceeds a threshold
GB2461865A (en) * 2008-07-14 2010-01-20 Nathan George Portlock Allan A Device to Indicate the Occurrence of a Defrost Event

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4114443A (en) * 1975-06-26 1978-09-19 Trevor Percival Clark Freeze thaw indicator
US4187799A (en) * 1978-04-21 1980-02-12 Propper Manufacturing Co., Inc. Temperature indicator
EP0279142A2 (en) * 1986-12-10 1988-08-24 José Angel Garrido Vazquez A frozen foodstuffs thawing detector device
GB2235969A (en) * 1989-07-21 1991-03-20 Francis Vincent Hurley Refrigeration indicator device
WO1994011717A1 (en) * 1991-05-17 1994-05-26 Micault Andre Edouard Isothermy indicator device

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4114443A (en) * 1975-06-26 1978-09-19 Trevor Percival Clark Freeze thaw indicator
US4187799A (en) * 1978-04-21 1980-02-12 Propper Manufacturing Co., Inc. Temperature indicator
EP0279142A2 (en) * 1986-12-10 1988-08-24 José Angel Garrido Vazquez A frozen foodstuffs thawing detector device
GB2235969A (en) * 1989-07-21 1991-03-20 Francis Vincent Hurley Refrigeration indicator device
WO1994011717A1 (en) * 1991-05-17 1994-05-26 Micault Andre Edouard Isothermy indicator device

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2415784A (en) * 2004-06-30 2006-01-04 Secr Defence Apparatus for determining if an environment temperature exceeds a threshold
GB2461865A (en) * 2008-07-14 2010-01-20 Nathan George Portlock Allan A Device to Indicate the Occurrence of a Defrost Event

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9824795D0 (en) 1999-01-06
GB2343746B (en) 2002-06-26

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20141112