Timing Device

• US 20130010574A1
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elegio BV
• Original Assignee: Elegio BV
• Inventors: Freijsen, Marion, Finlan, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,703,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 1/00 Apparatus which can be set and started to measure-off predetermined or adjustably-fixed time intervals without driving mechanisms, e.g. egg timers
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 1/02 by consuming prefixed quantities of materials, e.g. by burning candle
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 13/04 using electrochemical means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0291 Labels or tickets undergoing a change under particular conditions, e.g. heat, radiation, passage of time
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0292 tamper indicating labels
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/08 composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The timing device is used as a lifetime monitor for providing an indication of when the usable lifetime of a product has ended or as a usage monitor for indicating the timing of regular usage of a product. The timing device consists of a main body and a timing initiator (20). The main body consists of a power supply in the form of a membrane zinc air battery and a visual or audible indicator for indicating when the product has been opened for a predetermined duration of time corresponding to the recommended lifetime of the product or alternatively the timing or repeated use of a product such as toothpaste or medicaments. The timing initiator (20) is a tear-off air blocking membrane and the membrane zinc air battery comprises: a porous air input controlling layer (21), which lets in air when the tear off film is removed; a porous air electrode, the anode (22); an interface containing electrolyte (23); a zinc electrode (24); and an outer adhesive film for attaching the timing device to a product package (25). The timing device is capable of indicating a predetermined passage of time which is substantially independent of ambient temperature.

Claims

1. A timing device comprising a timer, an informative device, and a trigger and wherein the timing device is adapted for attachment to a product container;

the trigger is connected to the timer and adapted to automatically activate the timer the first time the product container is opened; and

the timer is connected to the informative device to confirm expiration of a predetermined duration of time since the product container has been opened representative of the end of useful life of the product.

3. A timing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the timing device is a multi-laminar product.

4. A timing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the timer comprises a flexible laminar battery with a predetermined charge which will discharge over the predetermined duration of time.

5. The timing device of claim 1, wherein the timer comprises a flexible laminar battery selected from the following list:

copper/zinc, zinc/air, lithium ion.

7. A timing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the timer is substantially independent of ambient temperature.

8. The timing device of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises an adhesive tab adapted to overlie and be attached to the opening junction of the product container.

9. The timing device of claim 1, wherein the trigger is attached to one selected from the following list:

a light blocking foil, a conducting strip, an air valve.

10. The timing device of claim 1, comprising a first layer impregnated with a first compound and a second layer impregnated with a second compound, the first and second compounds being reactive and the second layer being the informative device with the timer being a transport means provided to control movement of at least one of the first and second compounds between the first and second layers.

11. The timing device of claim 10, wherein the transport layer is a diffusion layer.

12. The timing device of claim 10, wherein the first compound is an acid and the second compound is an alkali or a litmus dye.

13. The timing device of claim 4, wherein the informative device comprises an electroluminescent device connected between the terminals of the battery.

14. The timing device of claim 1, wherein the timer and informative device are jointly provided by a layer reactive to air pre-printed with an expiry message only visible when the layer'"'"'s reaction to air is complete.

16. The timing device of claim 1, wherein the informative device includes a display which has a permanent visual message that is obscured until elapse of the predetermined duration of time.

17. The timing device of claim 1, wherein the informative device includes a display for displaying a visual message generated after expiration of the predetermined duration of time.

2. A timing device comprising a timer and an informative device wherein the timing device is adapted for attachment to a product container;

the timer is connected to the informative device and is adapted to prompt the informative device to produce a visual or audible reminder at predetermined time intervals after initial activation.

20. A timing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the timing device is a multi-laminar product.

21. A timing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the timer comprises a flexible laminar battery with a predetermined charge which will discharge over the predetermined duration of time.

22. The timing device of claim 2, wherein the time comprises a flexible laminar battery selected from the following list:

copper/zinc, zinc/air, lithium ion.

23. A timing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the timer is substantially independent of ambient temperature.

24. The timing device of claim 2, comprising a first layer impregnated with a first compound and a second layer impregnated with a second compound, the first and second compounds being reactive and the second layer being the informative device with the timer being a transport means provided to control movement of at least one of the first and second compounds between the first and second layers.

25. The timing device of claim 24, wherein the transport layer is a diffusion layer.

26. The timing device of claim 24, wherein the first compound is an acid and the second compound is an alkali or a litmus dye.

27. The timing device of claim 2, wherein the informative device has a display which has a permanent visual message that is obscured until elapse of the predetermined duration of time.

28. The timing device of claim 2, wherein the informative device has a display for displaying a visual message generated after expiration of the predetermined duration of time.

6. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)