WO2009016172A2

WO2009016172A2 - A cooling device

Info

Publication number: WO2009016172A2
Application number: PCT/EP2008/059922
Authority: WO
Inventors: Deniz Taskin; Islam Bogachan Tahirbegi; Emre Ozyuksel
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2007-08-01
Filing date: 2008-07-29
Publication date: 2009-02-05
Also published as: WO2009016172A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooling device (1) that comprises a cabin, a door, a control unit (13) and an egg holder (2) wherein the freshness of the eggs stored therein is measured, having at least one body (3) into which eggs can be placed to be stored, at least one lid (4) for closing over the body (3), and at least one casing (5) formed by joining the body (3) and the lid (4), separate from each other and wherein the egg is placed.

Description

A COOLING DEVICE

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device that comprises an egg holder.

[0002] In cooling devices, for example refrigerators, egg holders are provided for storing eggs.

[0003] Egg is a type of food that can spoil fast when not stored in the appropriate conditions and time period. Therefore, in some cooling devices, units are formed that can inform about the freshness of eggs. However, the units used in cooling devices are systems that generally keep the time parameter of when the eggs are put in the casings and afterwards warn the user by means of a screen when the user wants to consume the egg instead of measuring the freshness of the eggs. In the Japanese Patent Document No JP2003240425, such a system is explained for a refrigerator.

[0004] In the German Patent Document No DE3904675, a system is explained that tests the degree of freshness of the eggs by using a light source. The freshness test is made by placing a light source on one side of the egg and a photodiode on the other side by measuring light transparency of the egg. [0005] In another state of the art refrigerator comprising an egg storage is explained in the Japanese Document No JP2006313076. The said egg storage is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to test for freshness. [0006] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cooling device that comprises an apparatus, which detects the freshness of eggs. [0007] The cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises an egg holder, an egg freshness detection means integrated to the egg holder and a control unit. [0008] The egg holder comprises a lid and a body. Recesses and protrusions are arranged at the inner surfaces of the lid and body. The said recesses and protrusions form at least one casing when the lid is closed on the body.

The casings, some of which are on the lid and some on the body, are configured in the same form as the eggs. Since the said casings are egg shaped, the eggs can be easily placed in these casings. Each casing in the egg holder is in the form of a closed cubicle and separated from the other cubicles. In each casing, an egg freshness detection means is provided and the egg freshness detection means function separately from each other. The egg freshness detection means comprises a light source situated at the lid and a light receiver situated at the body.

[0009] The lid and the body comprise housings wherein the light receiver and the light transmitter are emplaced. The light receiver and the light source are embedded into said housings.

[0010] The egg, when placed into the casing, remains between the light source and the light receiver. Thus, the light source and the light receiver embedded in the upper and lower part of the casing are positioned over and under the egg. By the said positioning, the amount of light generated from the light source that reaches the light receiver is measured. Consequently, the freshness of eggs is measured by controlling the light transparency.

[0011] The cooling device comprises at least one indicator for informing the user about the freshness of the egg of which light transparency is measured. The indicator is positioned at a place on the egg holder or the cooling device where the user can easily see. In an embodiment of the present invention, an indicator is used for each casing.

[0012] The cooling device comprises at least one protector for protecting the light receiver from ambient conditions, for example the humidity in the casing. The protector, even though positioned between the body and the sensor, does not affect the amount of light reaching the sensor since it is transparent.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device comprises at least one switch for controlling the test functions of the egg holder. The switch can be positioned on the cooling device or on the egg holder. By means of the said switch, the user not only can measure the freshness of all the eggs in the egg holder at once, but also can take measurements by selecting one or several of them according to need. [0014] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the cooling device door is opened the freshness of eggs is measured automatically and the user is informed.

[0015] In another embodiment of the present invention, when the lid of the egg holder is opened, the control unit automatically deactivates the egg freshness detection means used for measuring the freshness of eggs. The indicator continues to show the last record kept in memory when the lid of the egg holder is opened until the user closes the lid.

[0016] In another embodiment of the present invention, the indicator is in the form of a screen positioned on the cooling device. In this embodiment, the egg freshness detection means are operated periodically. Thus, the user can be informed about how many usable eggs are left in the egg holder without opening the door of the cooling device.

[0017] In another embodiment of the present invention, the indicator is positioned on the outer surface of the egg holder. Thus, whenever the user wants to take an egg from the egg holder s/he can detect the current status of the eggs without lifting the lid.

[0018] In another embodiment of the present invention, the indicator is disposed on the inner surface of the egg holder. Accordingly, the user can see whether the egg to be selected from the egg holder is fresh or not upon opening the lid of the egg holder.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, the indicator shows the user whether the casings in the egg holder are empty or not. Thus, the user can see from the indicator how many empty places there are in the egg holder without opening the door of the cooling device.

[0020] The cooling device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[0021] Figure 1 - is the schematic view of the cooling device of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 - is the front perspective view of the egg holder when the lid is open.

[0023] Figure 3 - is the rear perspective view of the egg holder when the lid is open. [0024] Figure 4 - is the schematic view of the electronic system of the egg holder. [0025] Figure 5 - is the cross-sectional view of the egg holder when the lid is closed. [0026] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Cooling device

2. Egg holder

3. Body

4. Lid

5. Casing

6. Indicator

7. Switch

8. , 81. Housing

9. Egg freshness detection means

10. Light receiver

11. Light source

12. Protector

13. Control unit

[0027] The cooling device (1) of the present invention comprises a cabin, a door, a control unit (13) and an egg holder (2).

[0028] The egg holder (2) comprises a body (3) wherein eggs can be placed to be stored, a lid (4) for closing over the body (3), at least one casing (5) formed by joining the body (3) and the lid (4), separate from each other and wherein the egg is placed, and an egg freshness detection means (9) disposed in each casing (5) that controls the freshness of eggs.

[0029] The egg freshness detection means (9) comprises a light receiver (10) and a light source (11). The light receiver (10) and the light source (11) are arranged oppositely, one at the lid (4) and the other in the body (3).

[0030] The body (3) comprises a housing (8) wherein the light receiver (10) is disposed. In an embodiment of the present invention, the light receiver (10) is embedded inside the housing (8). Thus, the light rays delivered from the light source (11) directly pass through the egg and reach the light receiver (10).

[0031] The lid (4) comprises a housing (81) wherein the light source (11) is disposed. The lid (4) is connected to the body (3) with a hinge.

[0032] When the lid (4) and the body (3) are joined egg shaped casings (5) are formed therein. The said casings (5) are closed volumes and each casing (5) comprises an egg freshness detection means (9) of its own. Thus the status of all the eggs can be detected one by one and shown at the same time. Since the freshness of the egg in each casing (5) is controlled, the number of light receivers (10) and the lights sources (11) is equal to the number of casings (5) in the egg holder (2). The eggs are positioned to be between the lights sources (11) and the light receivers (10) in the egg holder (2).

[0033] In the egg holder (2), freshness test is made by measuring the optical transparency of the eggs by means of the egg freshness detection means (9). A light of a certain wave length is sent to each egg from the light sources (11) for measuring freshness of the eggs. The amount of light that can reach to the light receivers (10) on the other side of the eggs is evaluated by the control unit (13) and the freshness of each egg is decided according to the amount of light that can pass through the egg. If the light transparency of the egg falls below a limit value, then it is understood that the egg is not fresh.

[0034] Since the casings (5) are configured to prevent entry of light from the outside, the measurement of outside light is prevented. In an embodiment of the present invention, the inner walls of the lid (4) and the body (3) are coated by a material like chrome or painted with a dark color so that the rays entering into the housing are not reflected and are held in the housing. Thus, the light opacity of the lid (4) and the body (3) is provided.

[0035] The egg holder (2) comprises a transparent protector (12) that covers the housing (8). The protector (12) protects the light receiver (10) from the effect of condensed water in the casing (5).

[0036] The cooling device (1) furthermore comprises at least one indicator (6) that informs the user about the freshness of the eggs and at least one switch (7) that turns on or off the egg freshness detection means (9).

[0037] The user operates the egg freshness detection means (9) with the switch (7). The data received from the egg freshness detection means (9) is evaluated by the control unit (13). The user can make the freshness control of some or all of the eggs in the casings (5) by means of the switch (7) at the same time.

[0038] In another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device (1) comprises a separate indicator (6) for each egg disposed in the body (3) or the lid (4). For example, the indicators (6) are arranged on the body (3) at the side of each casing (5), thus the user can see the freshness status of the egg in each casing (5) at the same time upon opening the lid (4).

[0039] In another embodiment of the present invention, the egg freshness detection means (9) is automatically activated when the door of the cooling device (1) is opened. Afterwards, the control unit (13) evaluates the data received from the egg freshness detection means (9), delivering the freshness status to the indicator (6) and informs the user.

[0040] In another embodiment of the present invention, the indicator (6) is in the form a screen on the outer surface, preferably on the door, of the cooling device (1). In this embodiment, the user is informed about the status of the eggs in the cooling device (1) when the door is closed. To this end, the egg freshness detection means (9) is operated at certain intervals by the control unit (13) and the control unit (13) makes evaluations as measurements are taken.

[0041] In another embodiment of the present invention, when the lid (4) of the egg holder (2) is opened, the control unit (13) automatically deactivates the egg freshness detection means (9). Moreover, the indicator (6) continues to show the latest measurement values of the egg freshness detection means (9) until the user resets or turns off the indicator (6). The indicator (6) is reset when the user closes the door of the cooling device (1) or the lid (4) of the egg holder (2).

[0042] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the light receiver (10), the light source (11) and the indicator (6) are operated by the current transmitted to the egg holder (2) by connecting to each other the sockets disposed in the egg holder (2) and the shelf whereon it is situated.

[0043] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, if all of the light reaches the light receiver (10), then empty warning is given for those casings (5) in the indicator (6) and the egg freshness detection means (9) of the empty casings (5) are automatically deactivated. By means of the egg freshness detection means (9) integrated to the egg holder (2) of the present invention, the user can easily understand the freshness status of the eggs in the cooling device (1). Since there is a separate egg freshness detection means (9) in each casing (5), the user can see the freshness status of all the eggs one by one at the same time and select the fresh eggs easily.

Claims

1. A cooling device (1) that comprises an egg holder (2) having at least one body (3) wherein eggs can be placed to be stored, at least one lid (4) for closing over the body (3), at least one casing (5) formed by joining the body (3) and the lid (4), separate from each other and wherein the egg is placed, and characterized by the egg holder (2) having at least one egg freshness detection means (9) disposed in each casing (5).

2. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 1 , characterized by the egg freshness detection means (9) comprising a light receiver (10) and a light source (11) arranged oppositely, one in the lid (4) and one in the body (3).

3. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by the body (3) having a housing (8) wherein the light receiver (10) is disposed and a lid (4) having a housing (81) wherein the light source (11) is disposed.

4. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 3, characterized by the egg holder (2) having a transparent protector (12) that covers the housing (8).

5. A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the opaque casing (5).

6. A cooling device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by an indicator (6) for each casing (5), disposed in the body (3) or the lid (4) that informs the user about the freshness of the egg.

7. A cooling device (1) as in any one of the Claims 1 to 5, characterized by the indicator (6) in the form of a screen and disposed on the door.

8. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 7, characterized by a control unit (13) that activates the egg freshness detection means (9) at certain intervals when the door is closed and transmits the results to the indicator (6).

9. A cooling device (1) as in any one of the Claims 1 to 8, characterized by the egg freshness detection means (9) that is automatically activated when the door is opened.

10. 10. A cooling device (1) as in any one of the Claims 1 to 9, characterized by the control unit (13) that automatically deactivates the egg freshness detection means (9) when the lid (4) is opened.

11. A cooling device (1) as in Claim 10, characterized by the indicator (6) that continues to show the latest measurement values of the egg freshness detection means (9) as of opening the lid (4) until the user resets thereof.

12. A cooling device (1) as in any one of above claims, characterized by the control unit (13) that maintains the indicator (6) to give empty warnings for the casings (5) in the egg holder (2) which are detected to be empty.

13. A cooling device (1) as in any one of above claims, characterized by the control unit (13) that automatically deactivates the egg freshness detection means (6) of those casings (5) that are detected to be empty in the egg holder (2).

14. A cooling device (1) as in any one of above claims, characterized by a switch (7) that turns on or off the egg freshness detection means (9).