The Invention constitutes a device for treatment or analysis of the liquid inside a container, comprising: an universal connector having a first part for affixment to a portion of the container and a second part extending from the first part and made integral therewith; and, an active element for affixment to the second part of the universal connector and extending from the second part into an interior storage area of the container, and the active element affecting the characteristics of the liquid or measuring attributes of the liquid.

A packaged food product processing machine. The machine comprises a food consumer interface configured to receive a food consumer selection identifying an end state of a food product, a package cooling sub-system comprising a chilled fluid bath, a gripper component configured to agitate a package containing the food product in the chilled fluid bath, and a controller configured to command the gripper to control the rate of heat transfer from the package to the chilled fluid bath based on receiving an input identifying an end state selection from the food consumer interface and based on receiving an input containing a value of the physical parameter of the food product from the gripper component.

A liquid quality management device capable of being added to a liquid supply system which can supply a liquid within a storage container to a dispensing device in order to cool the liquid, and can dispense the liquid to a drinking container. The liquid quality management device includes an actual flow rate preparation unit including a flow rate sensor for determining an actual measured flow rate of the liquid; a dispensing liquid temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the liquid dispensed into the drinking container; and a determination unit electrically connected to the actual flow rate preparation unit and the dispensing liquid temperature sensor, for determining an integrated flow rate of the liquid when the liquid temperature is equal to or higher than a set temperature, and for determining whether or not coolability of the dispensing device is suitable by comparing the integrated flow rate with a determination value.

A primary beverage cooling circuit for refrigerating a fluid used in a secondary beverage cooling circuit that cools beverage in a beverage conduit by pumping the fluid through a heat exchange conduit adjacent the beverage conduit to transfer heat therebetween, the primary beverage cooling circuit comprising: a refrigerant circuit containing a refrigerant circulating through: a heat exchanger in heat transfer communication with the fluid to cool the fluid; a variable displacement compressor for circulating the refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit; a cooling device for cooling the refrigerant; and a valve for controlling the volume of fluid into the heat exchanger;
the primary beverage cooling circuit further comprising a controller for controlling the operation of the compressor and/or the cooling device and/or the valve based on one or more measurements from temperature and/or pressure sensors in the refrigerant circuit to thereby operate the system on an efficient basis.

An actively heated or cooled food container can have a lid movable between an open and a closed position and an insulated body to which the lid can be attached. The insulated body can have a sidewall that defines a perimeter of the container body and a base, the sidewall and base defining one or more chambers that can be sealed by the lid. The food container can have a temperature control system that can include one or more heating or cooling elements in thermal communication with one or both of the sidewall and the base and operable to heat or cool one or both of the sidewall and the base to thereby heat or cool the one or more chambers in the food container.

Provided is a sensor package in a refrigerator configured to provide information related to refrigerated food. The sensor package may include a body having a mark classified by a type of food allocated to the sensor package and indicating the type of food of a food to which the sensor package is coupled, a battery, an operation switch, a memory configured to store food information corresponding to the type of food corresponding to the mark, a sensor communication module that communicates with a display provided in the refrigerator, a sensing module that senses state information associated with the food, and a sensor control module that controls the sensor communication module to initiate communication between the sensor package and the display of the refrigerator based on the state information sensed by the sensing module.

Provided is a cooling device capable of appropriately cooling a cold insulator and keeping the cold insulator at an appropriate temperature. The cooling device includes a cooling portion that has an inner space storing an object, a measurement means of measuring a temperature corresponding to a temperature of the object stored in the inner space, and a control means of controlling a temperature of the inner space based on a measurement result by the measurement means, in which, based on the measurement result, the control means performs control to change the temperature of the inner space from a first setting temperature that is lower than a temperature at which the object in a liquid phase starts to be solidified to a second setting temperature that is higher than the first setting temperature and lower than a melting temperature of the object.

A method and system to control a refrigeration unit (104) in response to a cargo load (108) in a refrigerated container includes providing a plurality of sensors disposed within the refrigerated container, providing a cargo load temperature range and a cargo load excursion time limit corresponding to the cargo load, receiving a plurality of temperature readings corresponding to the cargo load via the plurality of sensors, operating the refrigeration unit in a power saving mode in response to the plurality of temperature readings within the cargo load temperature range, and operating the refrigeration unit in a standard mode in response to the plurality of temperature readings outside the cargo load temperature range for longer than the cargo load excursion time limit.

A refrigeration appliance and method for operation are provided. The refrigeration appliance includes a cabinet forming a refrigeration chamber. One or more of a shelf or a drawer is mounted within the refrigeration chamber and configured to retain a foodstuff. A sensor is positioned in the refrigeration chamber, the sensor configured with a field of view toward the shelf or the drawer. The sensor is configured to obtain a temperature measurement at the field of view. A controller is configured in operable communication with the sensor. The controller is configured to determine thermal mass of the foodstuff over a period of time.

A cargo transport system includes a container for storing perishable products, and a control assembly for controlling an environment parameter. A sensor of the system is configured to measure the environment parameter. A detector of the system may be directly secured to the perishable products for measuring a product condition. A control module of the system is configured to receive signals from the sensor and the detector indicative of the measured environment parameter and product condition, process the signals, and send a command signal to the control assembly for adjusting the environment parameter.