Wine thermometer

• US 5,738,442 A
• Filed: 08/13/1996
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vinometer Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Amy C. Fritz, Todd C. Paron
• Inventors: Paron, Todd C., Fritz, Amy C.
• Primary Examiner(s): GUTIERREZ, DIEGO F
• Application Number:
  US08/696,109
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 374/150, 374/162, 116/216
• US Class Current: 374/162
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/165 of organic liquid crystals

Abstract

A wine thermometer for adhesive application to a wine bottle to determine wine temperature therein comprising an adhesive backed flexible plastic substrate having a liquid crystal temperature panel on the substrate, a temperature scale adjacent the panel and quick reference category ranges adjacent the panel whereby the color of a small band of the panel indicates the temperature of the panel substrate, bottle and wine therein. Contrasting colors of bands above and below the small band indicate a 1° or 2° difference in temperature and at the ends of the panel indicate a temperature 1° to 2° beyond the printed temperature at the panel end. In the preferred embodiment a small band indicates the panel temperature by turning a green color. The band thereabove exhibits a tan color and the band therebelow becomes a blue color. Bands further away remain black. When the panel temperature exceeds the printed temperature of the highest band by 1 degree or 2 degrees, the highest band exhibits the blue color. If the panel temperature further increases, the highest band will return to black. In a similar manner the lowest band will exhibit the tan color as the panel temperature decreases 1 or 2 degrees below the printed temperature of the lowest band with the lowest band returning to black as the panel temperature further decreases.

Claims

1. A wine thermometer comprising

an adhesive backed flexible substrate;

a liquid crystal temperature panel having a predetermined color and mounted on the substrate;

at least one temperature scale mounted on the substrate adjacent to the panel; and

plural quick reference category ranges corresponding to specific wine categories mounted on the substrate adjacent to the panel;

the liquid crystal temperature panel having a composition differing along the panel so that at a specific panel temperature, a first contrasting color appears in the panel at a location adjacent the corresponding specific panel temperature on the scale and corresponding quick reference category range; and

wherein

the liquid crystal temperature panel comprises indicator bands having said predetermined color and corresponding to the temperature scale, the first contrasting color appears in an indicator band adjacent the corresponding specific panel temperature on the scale and corresponding quick reference category range; and

wherein

at said specific panel temperature, second colors appear in the adjacent indicator band above and adjacent indicator band below the indicator band of the first contrasting color, the second colors contrasting with the first contrasting color and with the predetermined color of the other indicator bands.