Method and apparatus for aging meat
OwnerClaus Schmitzinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for aging meat implemented in a form available to the general consumer market. A cooling device comprising a refrigerated chamber is instrumented to provide a controlled atmosphere. This means provides for the aging of meat. Sensors are provided to monitor controlled atmosphere parameters. These parameters may be commanded by a remote control unit via a local control unit or via a communications link. Commands to a control circuit can be provided from a smart phone loaded with an aging app. Through the app, the user may vary operational parameters. The user may vary the aging process, accelerate it, or stop it. The user can monitor the aging process, react to alarm conditions, derive new relationships between data and results, and develop new aging routines.
Claims18
A method for aging meat comprising:
- selecting an aging protocol defined by values of aging parameters over time;
- selecting a set of values of aging parameters to define a current aging environment in a curing chamber, the aging parameters comprising selectable characteristics controllable to produce a preselected aging process;
- operating environmental apparatus to establish the current aging operating environment;
- monitoring current values of aging parameters;
- remotely accessing current values of parameters;
- comparing values of aging parameters at a preselected time to desired values within the protocol;
- calculating a current proportion of the aging process compared to the complete aging process defined by the aging protocol;
- and
- varying the aging parameters to provide a current integrated value in accordance with the aging protocol.
A method for aging meat comprising:
- providing a processor and storing in the processor a protocol for aging meat, the protocol being defined as a set of aging parameter values each parameter having a preselected value for a given time, the protocol further being defined by a time period;
- monitoring current values of aging parameters and storing the current values in a memory;
- querying the memory from a remote location;
- displaying data indicative of the current values at the remote location;
- and
- selectively providing an input command from the remote location for controlling environmental apparatus to produce current values of aging parameters.
A meat aging apparatus comprising:
- a residential refrigerator-sized aging chamber;
- environmental apparatus comprising a fan, a humidifier, and a refrigeration compressor;
- a processor embodying a program operating the environmental apparatus to perform an aging process in accordance with a stored protocol;
- sensors connected for monitoring environmental parameters;
- an uplink controller;
- a network interface;
- an operation control circuit comprising a wireless terminal, and
- said network interface comprising a connection for communicating with the program for selectively modifying the protocol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.