OVEN WITH WIRELESS TEMPERATURE SENSOR FOR USE IN MONITORING FOOD TEMPERATURE

• US 20090188396A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Brian, Yang, Qian, Long, Jessica N., Hofmann, Matthias C., D'Fantis, Michael, Holchin, John, Wahl, Jacob D., Engelsman, Jon K.
• Application Number:
  US12/186,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20090188396A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/342
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/06 for preparation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6452 the sensors being in contact with the heated product
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6467 using detectors with R.F. transmitters

Abstract

An oven includes a housing including a heating chamber. A door has an open position for allowing operator access to the heating chamber and a closed position for preventing user access to the heating chamber. A heating system heats a food product located within the heating chamber. A wireless temperature sensor is configured to be inserted into the food product by an operator for measuring food product temperature and to provide a wireless signal indicative of food product temperature. An oven control system includes a sensor communicator for receiving the temperature indicative signal from the wireless temperature sensor. The oven control system operates in response to the wireless signal.

Claims

1. An oven, comprising:

a housing including a heating chamber;

a door having an open position for allowing operator access to the heating chamber and a closed position for preventing user access to the heating chamber;

a heating system for heating a food product located within the heating chamber;

a wireless temperature sensor configured to be inserted into the food product by an operator for measuring food product temperature and to provide a wireless signal indicative of food product temperature;

an oven control system including a sensor communicator for receiving the temperature indicative signal from the wireless temperature sensor, the oven control system operating in response to the wireless signal.

2. The oven of claim 1 wherein the wireless temperature sensor is an active component and includes:

a wireless transmitter that transmits the temperature indicative signal;

a thermobattery providing power to the wireless transmitter and including a hot sink for positioning external of the food product and a cold sink for positioning internal of the food product.

3. The oven of claim 2 wherein the wireless temperature sensor includes a thermally insulated portion extending between the hot sink and the cold sink, the wireless transmitter located within the thermally insulated portion.

4. The oven of claim 3 wherein the temperature sensor includes an outwardly extending stop located adjacent the hot sink for preventing the hot sink from entering the food product.

5. The oven of claim 2 wherein the thermobattery comprises a plurality of thermopiles, each thermopile having one end connected with the hot sink and an opposite end connected with the cold sink.

6. The oven of claim 1 wherein the wireless temperature sensor is passive component and includes:

a resonant circuit including a temperature sensitive component located toward a probe end of the wireless temperature sensor such that a resonant frequency of the circuit varies with temperature of the food product.

7. The oven of claim 6 wherein the sensor communicator includes a loop antenna located for inductively coupling with the resonant circuit of the wireless temperature sensor and sensing a feedback resonance of the resonant circuit.

8. The oven of claim 7 wherein the loop antenna is located on or proximate to the door of the oven.

9. The oven of claim 1 wherein the oven control system operates in response to the wireless signal by displaying a temperature indication on a user interface.

10. The oven of claim 1 wherein the oven control system operates in response to the wireless signal by saving an indicated temperature value in memory.

11. The oven of claim 1 wherein the oven control system operates in response to the wireless signal by adjusting or varying oven operating conditions based upon the wireless signal.

12. The oven of claim 1 wherein the wireless temperature sensor is a first wireless temperature sensor, the oven further includes at least a second wireless temperature sensor and a third wireless temperature sensor, each of the first, second and third wireless temperature sensors includes a respective RFID tag uniquely identifying the wireless temperature sensors for communication with the oven control system.

13. A wireless temperature sensor for use in ovens, the wireless temperature sensor comprising:

a probe end and an opposite end;

a wireless transmitter that transmits a temperature indicative signal;

a thermobattery providing power to the wireless transmitter and including a cold sink at or proximate to the probe end and a hot sink positioned at or proximate to the opposite end.

14. The wireless temperature sensor of claim 13, including a thermally insulated portion extending between the hot sink and the cold sink, the wireless transmitter located within the thermally insulated portion.

15. The wireless temperature sensor of claim 14 wherein the temperature sensor includes an outwardly extending stop located adjacent the hot sink.

16. The wireless temperature sensor of claim 15 wherein the thermobattery comprises a plurality of thermopiles, each thermopile having one end connected with the hot sink and an opposite end connected with the cold sink.

17. A passive wireless temperature sensor, comprising:

a probe end and an opposite end;

a resonant circuit including a temperature sensitive component located toward a probe end of the wireless temperature sensor such that a resonant frequency of the circuit varies with temperature of the food product.

18. The passive wireless temperature sensor of claim 17, wherein the resonant circuit includes an inductor for coupling with a near-field RF signal.