Granted Patent B2

US 12,235,164 · App. 17/714,633 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

Inventors: Antonio Mure (Los Angeles, CA); Arturo Richi (Los Angeles, CA)

G01K1/024G01K1/026G01K2207/02G01K2207/04

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A temperature monitoring assembly for monitoring the temperature of foods being stored in a refrigerated environment, said assembly comprising:

a plurality of sensing units, each of said sensing units being assigned a unique identification with respect to each other, each of said sensing units having a bar code being printed on an outside of said sensing units which corresponds to said unique identification, each said sensing units having an input port, each of said sensing units being configured to broadcast a data signal;

a first temperature sensor being pluggable into said input port on a respective one of said sensing units, said respective sensing unit being positionable in a fluid food item such that said first temperature sensor is in thermal communication with the fluid food item wherein said first temperature sensor is configured to sense the temperature of the food item, said data signal broadcast by said respective sensing unit including a temperature sensed by said first temperature sensor;

a second temperature sensor having a data cord, said data cord being pluggable into said input port on a respective one of said sensing units to facilitate said respective sensing unit to be remotely positioned with respect to a solid food item in which said second temperature sensor is inserted, said second temperature sensor being in thermal communication with the solid food item wherein said second temperature sensor is configured to sense the temperature of the solid food item;

a clip being removably attachable to a respective one of said sensing units, said clip being engaged to an upper edge of a cooking pot for suspending said respective sensing unit from the upper edge of the cooking pot to facilitate said first temperature sensor to extend downwardly into a food item in the cooking pot; and

a personal electronic device storing a temperature analysis program, said personal electronic device being in remote communication with said sensing units such that said personal electronic device is configured to receive said data signal broadcast by each of said sensing units, said personal electronic device being in remote communication with an extrinsic data storage device, said personal electronic device being configured to display temperature data corresponding to each of said sensing units, said temperature data being arranged according to said unique identification of said sensing units wherein said personal electronic device is configured to facilitate a user to remotely monitor the temperature of the food items that each of said sensing units is measuring.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each of said sensing units comprises:

a housing having an outer wall, said outer wall being continuously arcuate about a central axis of said housing such that said housing has a rounded shape, said housing being elongated along said central axis such that said housing has an ovoid shape, said bar code being printed on an outer surface of said outer wall, said input port being integrated into said outer wall;

a control circuit being positioned within said housing, said control circuit being electrically coupled to said input port;

a transmitter being positioned within said housing, said transmitter being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said transmitter being configured to broadcast said data signal;

a power button being movably integrated into said outer wall of said housing, said power button being electrically coupled to said control circuit for turning said control circuit on and off, said power button being hermetically sealed with said outer wall of said housing thereby inhibiting moisture from entering said housing around said power button;

a power supply being positioned within said housing, said power supply being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said power supply comprising a rechargeable battery; and

a charge port being recessed into said outer wall of said housing wherein said charge port is configured to receive a charge cord, said charge port being electrically coupled to said rechargeable battery for charging said rechargeable battery.

3. The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said housing has a plurality of covers each being movably integrated into said outer wall of said housing, each of said covers being positionable over a respective one of said input port and said charge port such that said covers forms a fluid impermeable seal with said housing to protect said input port and said charge port from moisture.

4. The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said first temperature sensor having a top end and a bottom end, said first temperature sensor tapering to a point between said top end and said bottom end, said first temperature sensor having a first data plug being integrated into said top end, said first data plug being electrically matable to said input port on said housing of said respective sensing unit such that said first temperature sensor is in electrical communication with said control circuit associated with said respective sensing unit.

5. The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said second temperature sensor has an upper end and lower end, said second temperature sensor tapering to a point between said upper end and said lower end, said data cord extending away from said upper end, said data cord having a distal end with respect to said upper end, said data cord having a data plug being electrically coupled to said distal end of said data cord, said data plug being electrically matable to said input port on said respective sensing unit such that said second temperature sensor is electrically coupled to said control circuit associated with said respective sensing unit.

6. The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said clip comprises:

a mating member having a first surface and an outer edge, said first surface being releasably engaged to said outer wall of said housing associated with a respective one of said sensing units; and

an engaging member having a first end and a second end, said engaging member being elongated between said first end and said second end, said first end being coupled to said outer edge of said mating member, said engaging member having a series of curves being distributed between said first end and said second end such that said engaging member has an S-shape, a respective one of said curves being configured to receive the upper edge of the cooking pot having said housing being positioned inside of the cooking pot and having said engaging member extending downwardly along an outside of the cooking pot.

7. The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein:

said temperature analysis program analyzes temperature data broadcast in said data signal to facilitate said personal electronic device to display a temperature analysis in a graphical form wherein said personal electronic device is configured to facilitate the user to verify that the temperature of the food items is decreasing in accordance with food safety guidelines; and

said personal electronic device includes a transceiver and a display, said transceiver being in wireless communication with said receiver associated with each of said sensing units, said display being configured to display indicia comprising graphs and charts generated by said temperature analysis program.

8. A temperature monitoring assembly for monitoring the temperature of foods being stored in a refrigerated environment, said assembly comprising:

a plurality of sensing units, each of said sensing units being assigned a unique identification with respect to each other, each of said sensing units having a bar code being printed on an outside of said sensing units which corresponds to said unique identification, each said sensing units having an input port, each of said sensing units being configured to broadcast a data signal, each of said sensing units comprising:

a housing having an outer wall, said outer wall being continuously arcuate about a central axis of said housing such that said housing has a rounded shape, said housing being elongated along said central axis such that said housing has an ovoid shape, said bar code being printed on an outer surface of said outer wall, said input port being integrated into said outer wall;

a control circuit being positioned within said housing, said control circuit being electrically coupled to said input port;

a transmitter being positioned within said housing, said transmitter being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said transmitter being configured to broadcast said data signal;

a power button being movably integrated into said outer wall of said housing, said power button being electrically coupled to said control circuit for turning said control circuit on and off, said power button being hermetically sealed with said outer wall of said housing thereby inhibiting moisture from entering said housing around said power button;

a power supply being positioned within said housing, said power supply being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said power supply comprising a rechargeable battery;

a charge port being recessed into said outer wall of said housing wherein said charge port is configured to receive a charge cord, said charge port being electrically coupled to said rechargeable battery for charging said rechargeable battery; and

a plurality of covers, each of said covers being movably integrated into said outer wall of said housing, each of said covers being positionable over a respective one of said input port and said charge port such that said covers forms a fluid impermeable seal with said housing to protect said input port and said charge port from moisture;

a first temperature sensor being pluggable into said input port on a respective one of said sensing units, said respective sensing unit being positionable in a fluid food item such that said first temperature sensor is in thermal communication with the fluid food item wherein said first temperature sensor is configured to sense the temperature of the food item, said data signal broadcast by said respective sensing unit including a temperature sensed by said first temperature sensor, said first temperature sensor having a top end and a bottom end, said first temperature sensor tapering to a point between said top end and said bottom end, said first temperature sensor having a first data plug being integrated into said top end, said first data plug being electrically matable to said input port on said housing of said respective sensing unit such that said first temperature sensor is in electrical communication with said control circuit associated with said respective sensing unit;

a second temperature sensor having a data cord, said data cord being pluggable into said input port on a respective one of said sensing units to facilitate said respective sensing unit to be remotely positioned with respect to a solid food item in which said second temperature sensor is inserted, said second temperature sensor being in thermal communication with the solid food item wherein said second temperature sensor is configured to sense the temperature of the solid food item, said second temperature sensor having an upper end and lower end, said second temperature sensor tapering to a point between said upper end and said lower end, said data cord extending away from said upper end, said data cord having a distal end with respect to said upper end, said data cord having a data plug being electrically coupled to said distal end of said data cord, said data plug being electrically matable to said input port on said respective sensing unit such that said second temperature sensor is electrically coupled to said control circuit associated with said respective sensing unit;

a clip being removably attachable to a respective one of said sensing units, said clip being engaged to an upper edge of a cooking pot for suspending said respective sensing unit from the upper edge of the cooking pot to facilitate said first temperature sensor to extend downwardly into a food item in the cooking pot, said clip comprising:

a mating member having a first surface and an outer edge, said first surface being releasably engaged to said outer wall of said housing associated with a respective one of said sensing units;

an engaging member having a first end and a second end, said engaging member being elongated between said first end and said second end, said first end being coupled to said outer edge of said mating member, said engaging member having a series of curves being distributed between said first end and said second end such that said engaging member has an S-shape, a respective one of said curves being configured to receive the upper edge of the cooking pot having said housing being positioned inside of the cooking pot and having said engaging member extending downwardly along an outside of the cooking pot; and

a personal electronic device storing a temperature analysis program, said personal electronic device being in remote communication with said sensing units such that said personal electronic device is configured to receive said data signal broadcast by each of said sensing units, said personal electronic device being in remote communication with an extrinsic data storage device, said personal electronic device being configured to display temperature data corresponding to each of said sensing units, said temperature data being arranged according to said unique identification of said sensing units wherein said personal electronic device is configured to facilitate a user to remotely monitor the temperature of the food items that each of said sensing units is measuring, said temperature analysis program analyzing temperature data broadcast in said data signal to facilitate said personal electronic device to display a temperature analysis in a graphical form wherein said personal electronic device is configured to facilitate the user to verify that the temperature of the food items is decreasing in accordance with food safety guidelines, said personal electronic device including a transceiver and a display, said transceiver being in wireless communication with said receiver associated with each of said sensing units, said display being configured to display indicia comprising graphs and charts generated by said temperature analysis program.

Continuity (1)

References Cited (20)