Timing apparatus for monitoring item out-time

• US 20070031649A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Bauer, Barry
• Application Number:
  US11/196,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20070031649A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/308.400
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 13/04 by cooling cooling moulded articles or half products B29C35/16
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2037/90 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 31/008 Handling preformed parts, e.g. inserts B29C37/001 takes precedence; for injection moulding B29C45/14008; for blow moulding B29C49/2408; for thermoforming B29C51/165
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/00 Component parts, details, accessories or auxiliary operations, not covered by group B29C33/00 or B29C35/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers

Abstract

One apparatus embodiment includes a timing apparatus for monitoring item out-time. The apparatus includes a timer and a triggering mechanism. The triggering mechanism is provided for changing the state of the timer based upon an environmental condition.

Claims

1. A timing apparatus for monitoring item out-time, comprising:

a timer; and

a triggering mechanism for changing the state of the timer based upon an environmental condition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering mechanism changes the state of the timer based upon temperature.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering mechanism is a temperature sensitive material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering mechanism includes two pieces of material which form an electrical connection when a change in an environmental condition occurs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering mechanism is two pieces of material that forms an electrical connection when a change in temperature occurs.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering mechanism forms an electrical connection due to the expansion of a piece of material.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes an adhesive on at least a portion of the apparatus for adhering the apparatus to a surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the timer includes logic to count from a first predetermined time to a second predetermined time.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the logic has a number of time thresholds associated therewith.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes an expired indicator.

11. An out-time apparatus, comprising:

a timer;

a triggering mechanism for changing the state of the timer based upon an environmental condition; and

an adhesive on at least a portion of the apparatus for adhering the apparatus to a surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus includes logic to record each time the triggering mechanism is triggered.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus includes logic to record each time the state of the timer is changed.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the timer counts down from a preset value and wherein the preset value cannot be reset.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the timer includes logic and wherein the logic includes a processor.

16. An out-time apparatus, comprising:

means for recording information about the out-time of an item;

means for changing the state of the means for recording based upon an environmental condition.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for recording includes one or more timing components selected from the group including:

a clock;

a decrementing timer; and

an incrementing timer.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for recording includes a logic component and memory.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the logic component includes a processor.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for changing the state of the means for recording based upon an environmental condition is a logic component.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for changing the state of the means for recording includes a mechanism to close an electrical connection.