TIME TEMPERATURE INDICATOR

• US 20100296545A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freshpoint Quality Assurance Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Freshpoint Holdings SA
• Inventors: Gueta-Neyroud, Tali, Salman, Husein, Haarer, Dietrich
• Granted Patent: US 9,011,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/102
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/12 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/04 in respect of time
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/773 Porous polymer jacket; Polymer matrix with indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/78 producing a change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/22 using chemical indicators G01N31/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/229 for investigating time/temperature history
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 252/962 Temperature or thermal history

Abstract

The present invention is generally in the field of measuring and indicating techniques and relates to a time-temperature indicator and methods of manufacturing and use thereof. More specifically, the time-temperature indicator comprises a time temperature indicator comprising at least one metal layer or metal containing layer and in direct contact to the metal layer or to the metal containing layer at least one doped polymer layer, wherein the dopant is an acid, a base or a salt or a photolatent acid or a photolatent base which dopant is added to the polymer, and/or at least one polymer layer wherein a polymer is functionalized with acidic or latent acidic or basic or latent basic groups; or a time temperature indicator comprising at least one polymer layer containing metal particles and a photolatent acid or a photolatent base, or at least one polymer layer containing metal particles wherein the polymer is functionalized with latent acidic or latent basic groups.

Claims

1. A time temperature indicator comprising at least one metal layer or metal containing layer and in direct contact to the metal layer or to the metal containing layer at least one doped polymer layer, wherein the dopant is an acid, a base or a salt or a photolatent acid or a photolatent base which dopant is added to the polymer, and/or at least one polymer layer wherein the polymer is functionalized with acidic or latent acidic or basic or latent basic groups;

or

a time temperature indicator comprising at least one polymer layer containing metal particles and a photolatent acid or a photolatent base, or at least one polymer layer containing metal particles wherein the polymer is functionalized with latent acidic or latent basic groups.

2. A time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the dopant is a salt.

3. A time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the dopant is an acid.

4. A time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the dopant is a base.

5. A time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the dopant is a photolatent acid where the acid is released upon irradiation with light.

6. A time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the dopant is a photolatent base where the base is released upon irradiation with light.

7. A time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the dopant is a polymer which is functionalized with acidic or latent acidic or basic or latent basic groups.

8. The time temperature indicator according to claim 7, wherein the functionalized polymer comprises monomers corresponding to (a), (b) or (c)

9. A time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the dopant is added in a concentration of 1-20%.

10. The time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the metal is selected from aluminium, copper, silver, iron magnesium, tin, chromium, zinc, nickel, titanium and alloys of these metals.

11. The time temperature indicator according to claim 10, wherein the metal layer is an aluminium layer.

12. The time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer is a metal containing layer and consists of inks based on metal pigment dispersions.

13. The time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer is a polymer matrix containing metal particles.

14. The time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer is part of a resistor device.

15. The time temperature indicator according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer is part of a capacitive TTI device which is characterized by at least two conductive layers with a dielectric/insulating layer in between.

16. A method for producing the time temperature indicator as described in claim 1 comprising the steps of

a) doping a polymer by adding a salt, an acid or a base to the polymer or preparing a functionalized polymer thus obtaining a reactive polymer,

b) applying the polymer of step a) on a substrate thus obtaining one label;

c) applying a metal layer or a metal containing layer on a substrate thus obtaining a second label

d) activating by applying the reactive polymer label of step b) onto the metal layer of step c)

17. A method for producing the time temperature indicator as described in claim 1 comprising the steps of

a) doping a polymer by adding a latent acid or a latent base to the polymer or preparing a functionalized polymer having latent acidic or basic groups thus obtaining a latent reactive polymer,

b) activating the latent reactive polymer of step a by irradiation with light thus obtaining a reactive polymer;

c) applying the polymer of step a) on a metal layer or a metal containing layer on a substrate thus obtaining a label whereby placing one layer atop the other may be done either before activation or after or at the same time;

or

d) adding a metal particles to the polymer layer that contains the latent acid or base or to the functionalized polymer having latent acidic or basic groups and activating by irradiation with light.

18. A method of activating and dispensing a TTI label according to claim 1, comprising two label dispensers where one dispenser attaches the label bearing the doped polymer layer to the surface of the metal layer while the second dispenser deposits the combined labels atop the surface of the good to which the TTI indicator is to be attached.

19. A method of activating and dispensing a TTI label according to claim 1, comprising two label dispensers where one dispenser attaches the metal containing label atop the surface of the good to which the TTI indicator is to be attached while the second dispenser deposits the layer bearing the doped polymer layer to the surface of the said metal containing label.

21. A time temperature indicator according to claim 9, wherein the dopant is added in a concentration of 1-10%.

20. (canceled)