Monitoring system for beverage chilling

Abstract

A beverage chilling monitoring and alarm device. The temperature sensing, beverage temperature estimating, and remote alarm device is adapted for use in quick chilling beverages in containers, and thus enables one who attempts to quick chill a beverage to avoid a freeze-ruptured container that messily or catastrophically loses some or all of its contents in the freezer. The device senses the temperature of a beverage container, uses a method which estimates the beverage temperature against a predetermined temperature profile, and provides multi-level alarms based on the temperature of the beverage. The apparatus includes a flexible thermal sensor support that is adapted for being detachably and non-invasively affixed to a container. The sensor support is provided in a stretch type or adjustable length material, such as elastic, or a narrow strip which is adjustably fastened around a container via detachably affixible fasteners, preferably via Velcro.RTM. brand hook and loop fasteners, or their functional equivalent. A digital thermal sensor is operably supported against a container wall by the flexible thermal sensor support. Data transfer capability is provided between the thermal sensor and the monitoring and alarm circuit. A monitoring and alarm circuit receives the output signal from the thermal sensor, and generates therefrom a monitoring signal, and, when appropriate, one or more alarm signals. When the estimated beverage temperature reaches a first preselected point, a first alarm signal is generated. As the temperature reaches a second preselected point, a second alarm signal is generated. And, as the temperature being sensed reaches a third preselected point, a third alarm signal is generated. An alarm signal is provided by a piezo electric buzzer and by a light emitting diode, or other multi-function audible or visual alarm signal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.