Electronic apparatus for monitoring the remaining storage period of frozen foods

• US 5,243,579 A
• Filed: 04/27/1992
• Issued: 09/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Diehl GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Diehl GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Potthof, Erwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US07/875,524
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 368/307, 368/107-113
• US Class Current: 368/107
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 1/005 using electronic timing, e.g. counting means pulse time delay arrangements H03K5/13; modifications of electronic switches for introducing a time delay before switching H03K17/28
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/00 Registering, indicating or recording the time of events or elapsed time, e.g. time-recorders for work people registering or indicating the working of machines or vehicles G07C3/00, G07C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/04 using counting means or digital clocks

Abstract

An electronic apparatus for monitoring the remaining storage period of frozen foods. The apparatus includes an electro-optical display, a control electronics with a memory or data storage, input elements for entering the data with regard to the frozen foods (type of commodity, remaining storage period) as well as one switch element for initiating the storage of the data in the apparatus, and wherein subsequent to the input of the data regarding a commodity which is to be newly stored, there appears on the display an identification number which has not been taken as yet and which is assigned to these data, which is to be applied onto the commodity and serves for the later identification thereof in the freezer; and wherein, after the expiration of the remaining storage period, there is generated an applicable warning signal.

Claims

1. Electronic apparatus for monitoring the remaining storage periods of different types of frozen commodities stored in a freezer, comprising:

a. an electro-optical display;

b. a control electronic means, including a control clock timer and a data storage memory for storing data related to each frozen commodity, said data including an identification number associated with each commodity, said identification number serving for the subsequent identification of each said frozen commodity in the freezer, said data further including the type of commodity, and a storage period for the commodity;

c. data entry elements for entering said data related to each frozen commodity into the data storage memory, and at least one switch element actuatable for initiating the entry of said data by said data entry elements into the data storage memory;

d. said control electronics means including means for causing the identification number associated with a newly stored commodity to be displayed on said electro-optical display upon the entry of data on the commodity which is to be newly stored in the freezer, said control electronics means further including means for selectively causing data to be displayed on the electro-optical display regarding a particular commodity, and the particular type of commodity, possessing the shortest remaining storage period for that particular type of commodity, and also including means for generating a warning signal upon the expiration of a storage period of any frozen commodity stored in the freezer.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data entry elements include a data entry element for the entry of an identification number.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including a second switch element for selectively erasing or for the interim storage of data on a commodity which is to be removed from or returned to the freezer for storage.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apparatus is an autonomously operating apparatus having a rechargeable battery, and a non-volatile energy storage means providing power in the event of a power outage.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said non-volatile energy storage means includes a power storage capacitance.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control electronics means includes an oscillator for generating pulses, and a microprocessor with a display control having transmitted thereto signals from the data entry elements for the type of commodity and the storage period and signals from the first and second switch elements for the entry or erasing of data, and wherein said data storage memory includes a main data storage memory and an interim data storage memory which are connected with the output of the microprocessor, and an evaluating unit for evaluating the signals from the data entry elements for at least the identification number.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electro-optical display includes displays for a symbol representing the type of commodity, a remaining storage period for a commodity, an identification number of a commodity, and for the warning signal.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electro-optical display comprises means for displaying a remaining storage period and an identification number for a commodity, and each different type of commodity having a separate switch element and a separate illuminatable display associated therewith.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the separate switch elements comprise a first slider switch for assuming different switching positions associated with each different type of commodity, and a second slider switch for assuming different switching positions associated with different time storage periods.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data entry elements include a rotary selector data entry element which controls the generating of bits for resetting the display.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including a scanning means for scanning a label bearing a line or bar code for imputing data on the type of commodity and a remaining storage period from a board which includes a plurality of line or bar codes associated with different types of commodities and different storage periods.