# US 9,752,810 B1 · Refrigeration unit temperature alarm using thermal properties of food to eliminate false alarms

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- Number: US 9,752,810 B1
- Document ID: US9752810B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 14/926,238
- Filed: 2015-10-29
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-29
- Assignees: Versid, Inc.
- Applicants: Ronald Charles Jacobson; Gregory Scott Lingerfelt
- Inventors: Ronald Charles Jacobson; Gregory Scott Lingerfelt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752810B1

## CPC

- F25B 49/005: {of safety devices (F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence)}
- F25D 29/008: {Alarm devices}
- F25D 29/006: {Safety devices}
- G01K 1/024: for remote indication
- F25D 2500/04: Calculation of parameters
- F25D 2700/12: Sensors measuring the inside temperature
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B)
- G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00)

## Abstract

A temperature sensing system for refrigeration and related methodology. The system has a refrigeration unit containing one or more food products, a temperature sensor disposed in the refrigeration unit. The temperature sensor is in communication with a remote computing device that is configured to calculate thermal data pertaining to said one or more food products. The remote computing device in communication with a temperature monitor that receives real-time temperature information from the temperature sensor. The monitor includes an alarm function that is activated if temperature inside said refrigeration unit causes a rise of the actual product temperature above a specified threshold such as 41° F. while noting the time remaining to return the product temperature to a safe level within the government specified 4 hour limit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for sensing the temperature of a refrigeration unit, comprising:
providing said refrigeration unit having an initial inside temperature below a threshold value;
providing one or more food products into said refrigeration unit;
providing into said refrigeration unit a temperature sensing unit, wherein said temperature sensing unit measures inside air temperature of said refrigeration unit;
establishing a communications link between said temperature sensing unit and a remote computing device, wherein said computing device is configured to determine thermal properties of said one or more food products;
transmitting from said temperature sensing unit to said remote computing device, temperature data corresponding to said inside air temperature of said refrigeration unit;
upon detection by said temperature sensing unit of a temperature above said threshold value, determining on said computing device based on said thermal properties, time needed for said one or more food products to spoil;
determining on said computing device based on said thermal properties, time needed for said one or more food products to return to said threshold value; and
providing an alarm signal if said computing device determines that said time needed for said one or more food products to spoil is less than time needed for said one or more food products to return to said threshold value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said temperature sensing unit includes a transmitter comprising a network adapter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said computing device comprises a central processing unit, a database, and a computer program.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said thermal properties are determined based on discharge air temperature of said refrigeration unit, specific heat of said food product, bulk density and moisture content of said food product, heat transfer coefficient of said food product, time intervals, surface area of aid food product, the volume of said food product, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including the step of:
activating an alarm if the temperature inside the refrigeration unit causes a rise of a selected actual product temperature above a specified threshold such as 41° F. while noting the time remaining to return the actual product temperature to a safe level within a specified time limit.