WIRELESS COOKING THERMOMETER

Abstract

The present invention provides a wireless cooking thermometer system, comprising: a food temperature indicator configured to provide a temperature reading, and a wireless transmitter unit operably connected to the food temperature indicator to receive a temperature reading therefrom and to wirelessly transmit an information representing the temperature reading.

Claims

1. A wireless cooking thermometer system, comprising: a food temperature indicator configured to provide a temperature reading, a wireless transmitter unit operably connected to the food temperature indicator to receive a temperature reading therefrom and to wirelessly transmit an information representing the temperature reading.

2. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a food temperature indicator housing, the temperature indicator housing comprising the food temperature indicator and the transmitter unit.

3. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a largest distance between a temperature-sensitive part of the food temperature indicator and a temperature-sensitive part of the transmitter unit is less than 6 cm, such as less than 4 cm, such as less than 2 cm, such as less than 1 cm.

4. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a distance between central parts of the food temperature indicator and the transmitter unit is less than 6 cm, such as less than 4 cm, such as less than 2 cm, such as less than 1 cm.

5. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the food temperature indicator is located within 6 cm, such as within 3 cm, from an end of the food temperature indicator housing.

6. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the food temperature indicator is located within 6 cm, such as within 3 cm, from a pointy or sharp end of the food temperature indicator housing.

7. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a temperature indication receiver unit configured to receive the information representing the temperature reading.

8. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a food temperature indicator housing, the temperature indicator housing comprising the food temperature indicator and the transmitter unit, and the receiver unit or food temperature indicator housing further comprises a digital processor for providing, based on one or more temperature readings from the food temperature indicator, a value representing a first time or a first time interval, the first time or first interval corresponding to a time which is within 10 minutes from a time at which a temperature reading will correspond to a selected or pre-defined target temperature.

9. A wireless cooking themiometer system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the digital processor uses at least two temperature readings to provide said value representing the first time or first time interval, the providing using an extrapolation-like calculation involving at least the at least two temperature readings and the target temperature.

10. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 1, comprising a transmission enhancer housing, and a tip of the transmission enhancer housing is made of stainless steel, and the tip is distal from the transmitter unit.

11. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmitter unit uses a Bluetooth standard or an ANT+ protocol.

12. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the food temperature indicator is located in a substantially central position of the food temperature indicator housing.

13. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 12, wherein an outer surface of the food temperature indicator housing comprises one or more marks, such as line(s) and/or number(s) and/or letter(s), each mark representing a distance from said each mark to the food temperature indicator.

14. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 2, further comprising a cooking device temperature indicator configured to take frequent temperature measurements of an ambient temperature.

15. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 14, wherein a printed circuit board connects the food temperature indicator, a cooking device temperature indicator, a power source, the transmitter unit and a transmission enhancer.

16. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the transmitter unit is configured to transmit said frequent temperature measurements.

17. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least two elements from the set consisting of {the food temperature indicator, the transmitter unit, a battery for powering the food temperature indicator and the transmitter unit} are placed within a distance of 5 cm from a pointy tip of the indicator housing.

18. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 1, comprising exactly one operative temperature indicator.

19. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 1, comprising exactly two operative temperature indicators.

20. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the food temperature indicator housing comprises a heat conducting contact element located at an external surface of the food temperature indicator housing.

21. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 20, wherein heat conducting contact element is connected to the food temperature indicator by a heat transfer element.

22. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 20, wherein heat conducting contact element and/or the heat transfer element is metal-based, such as made from steel or copper or copper-based alloys or from aluminium or aluminium-based alloys.

23. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 2, wherein a smallest external dimension of the food temperature indicator housing is in the interval 1-3 mm and a second external dimension of the food temperature indicator housing is at least twice the size of said smallest dimension.

24. A wireless cooking thermometer system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the food temperature indicator housing comprises an accelerometer, and the transmitter unit is configured to wirelessly transmit an information representing an orientation or an acceleration of the food temperature indicator housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] FIG. 1 is a prior art food thermometer having a food temperature indicator and a proximal non-digital display.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a prior art food thermometer having a food temperature indicator and a proximal digital display.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a prior art food thermometer having a food temperature indicator and a distal digital display connected by a long flexible connector.

[0050] FIG. 4 is a prior art food thermometer having a food temperature indicator and a distal transmitter unit connected by a long flexible connector.

[0051] FIG. 5 illustrates a pointy wireless cooking thermometer having food a temperature indicator and a proximal transmitter unit, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0052] FIGS. 6A-6C show schematically various embodiments of the present invention.

[0053] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate embodiments wherein the food temperature indicator has a central position in the food temperature indicator housing.

[0054] FIG. 8A illustrates an embodiment where the food temperature indicator has a central position.

[0055] FIG. 8B illustrates an embodiment where the food temperature indicator has a central position and the outer surface of the thermometer housing has markings for aiding in positioning the thermometer in a food item.

[0056] FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate embodiments with and without antenna for enhancing the strength of the signal from the transmitter unit.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0057] In the following, the invention is illustrated in terms of selected embodiments. Reference is now made to FIG. 6A, which illustrates a wireless cooking thermometer 500 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. It comprises a housing 5.60, a food temperature indicator 5.40 and a wireless transmitter unit 5.50 operably connected to the food temperature indicator to receive a temperature reading therefrom and to wirelessly transmit an information representing a temperature reading. The embodiment also comprises an antenna 5.100.

[0058] FIG. 5 also illustrates an embodiment of the wireless cooking thermometer 5.30. It comprises a food temperature indicator 5.40 and a wireless transmitter unit 5.50. As used herein, the term food temperature indicator 5.40 means an element capable of taking frequent temperature measurements of a foodstuff. A food 5.20, for instance a meat, a chicken, a fish or a cake, is illustrated in a cooking device 5.10, such as a grill, a rotating barbeque or an oven. The food temperature indicator 5.40 and a transmitter unit 5.50 may be connected to one another by an electrical current carrier. The food temperature indicator 5.40 and a transmitter unit 5.50 are located within a thermometer housing 5.60. The housing 5.60 may also comprise a battery 5.70. The battery 5.70 provides power to the food temperature indicator 5.40 and the transmitter unit 5.50.

[0059] The transmission enhancer 5.100 may reside within a transmission enhancer housing 5.80. Typically, however, the food temperature indicator housing houses the food temperature indicator and the transmitter unit A supporting element 5.90 may further reside within the transmission enhancer housing 5.80 thereby protecting its completeness, increasing its endurance, supporting its physical shape, increasing its rigidity and or increasing its ability to penetrate through food. FIG. 5 illustrates an antenna 5.90 that extends from the temperature indicator housing to the enhancer housing. It is therefore most useful to consider the enhancer housing 5.80 as being part of the indicator housing 5.60.

[0060] Optionally, the wireless cooking thermometer 5.30 further comprises a cooking device temperature indicator 5.110. The cooking device temperature indicator 5.110 may be mounted on the distal tip 5.81 of the transmission enhancer housing 5.80. As used herein, the term cooking device temperature indicator 5.110 means an element capable of taking frequent temperature measurements of a cooking device such as, but not limited to, a grill, a barbeque and an oven. The transmitter unit 5.50 may transmit the cooking device temperature indicated by the cooking device temperature indicator 5.110 in addition to the food temperature and/or instead of the food temperature measured by the food temperature indicator 5.40.

[0061] Optionally, the food temperature indicator 5.40 and the cooking device temperature indicator 5.110 are a TI: LM35 component. Optionally, the distal tip 5.81 of the transmission enhancer housing 5.80 is made of stainless steel. Optionally, the supporting element 5.90 is made of Aluminum. Optionally, the transmitter enhancer housing is made of silicon. Optionally, a custom made printed circuit board (PCB) connects the food temperature indicator 5.40, the cooking device temperature indicator 5.110, the power source 5.70, the transmitter unit 5.50 (for example a Bluetooth chip) and the transmission enhancer 5.100 (for example an antenna). Optionally, the PCB further acts as a memory unit, storing temperature reading and other temperature related data. Optionally, the PCB implements an algorithm to determine the transmission interval by the transmitter unit 5.50. FIG. 9A shows schematically a thermometer without an additional antenna. FIG. 9B shows schematically a thermometer with an internal antenna that does not extending out of the housing 5.60, thereby being protected. FIG. 9C shows schematically a thermometer with an internal antenna that extends out of the housing 5.60, thereby providing a slightly stronger signal.

[0062] In any case, the invention is at least partly based on the feature that the electronic parts are protected from high heat by locating them within the food being prepared. A distance, D, illustrated with reference number 5.55 in FIG. 6A and 6B, between the transmitter unit 5.50 and the temperature indicator 5.40 can be dependent on the food to be prepared. When preparing a large item of food, the thermometer is advantageously long enough to be inserted into a core of the food where the temperature is lowest. This is one area that is of most interest when preparing food, since a food that has not been sufficiently heated may pose a health risk. Many meats also tend to toughen when reaching higher temperatures, for instance 70 C and above. If preparing for instance a pig or a cow as a spit roast, the distance between the surface of the meat and a core of the meat may be on the order of 50 cm. In that case, the thermometer should be long, such as 50 cm or even more, such as 60 cm, 70 cm, or 80 cm, or even more.

[0063] On the other hand, it allows the transmitter unit, temperature indicator and power source to be located with larger mutual distances, since the meat protects them from the temperatures of meat located closer to the surface of the food, where the temperature is higher. Typically, roasts and other foods being prepared in ovens or on spits or other heat sources have a distance from their surface to their core of less than about 20 cm, such as less than 15 cm, such as less than 10 cm, such as less than 5 cm. In order for the thermometer to function well also for smaller items of food, the temperature-sensitive elements—i.e. the food temperature indicator, the transmitter unit and, when included, a battery power source—are preferably placed within a region that is surrounded by food even for small items of food. This includes items of food dimensioned as mentioned above. Some embodiments are configured to operate also in smaller items of food, for instance in items wherein the distance from the surface of the food to a core of the food is not just less than the abovementioned distances, but even less than 3 cm or 2 cm or 1 cm. Accordingly, at least two of the temperature-sensitive elements are preferably located within a region of a corresponding or smaller size. FIG. 6A and 6B illustrate a largest distance 5.55 between the transmitter unit and the temperature indicator. No absolute size is implied in the figure. Also, FIGS. 6A and 6B refer to the entire elements, not only to temperature-sensitive parts.

[0064] FIG. 6C illustrates a thermometer having a dedicated external heat conducting element 5.41 for allowing heat to quickly be transferred to the temperature indicator 5.40 via heat transfer element 5.42. In some embodiments, the housing 5.60 is made of or (at least partly) covered by a material with a relatively low thermal conductivity. In that case, an external heat conducting element 5.41 can provide more effective transfer of heat from the food to the temperature indicator.

[0065] The position of the temperature-sensitive elements relative to the housing 5.60 may also be varied between embodiments. For instance, at least two of them (such as the temperature indicator and the transmitter unit) or all three may be placed within a distance (illustrated with reference 5.67 in FIG. 6B) from the (pointy) tip 5.61 of for instance 5 cm or 4 cm or 3 cm or 2 cm or 1 cm, or as close as their sizes allow.

[0066] In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the temperature-sensitive elements are located substantially in the middle of the thermometer in a lengthwise direction, i.e. considered along a longest dimension of the thermometer. In FIGS. 7A and 7B, the length 5.65 of the thermometer is L, and the transmitter unit 5.50, temperature indicator 5.40 and battery 5.70 are located a distance 5.66 substantially halfway, L/2, from either end of the thermometer. In these embodiments, it may be easier to ensure that a temperature reading is taken as close as possible to the core of the food. By visually determining that the thermometer extends by substantially the same length outside both sides of the food, this is ensured.

[0067] FIG. 7B shows a substantially symmetric thermometer having the temperature-sensitive elements near halfway in a lengthwise direction. An advantage of this embodiment is that it is easier to judge that the thermometer has been inserted in such a way that the temperature indicator, which reads the temperature, is placed as close as possible to the core of the food, as also described above. In FIG. 7A and 7B, the second end 5.61 is illustrated as pointy and/or sharp, allowing more easy insertion of the thermometer into the food. In FIG. 7B, the first end 5.62 has substantially the same shape as the second end 5.61. This allows for easy insertion of the thermometer into the food from either end of the thermometer.

[0068] Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the other end 5.62 can be dull to allow it to be used for leverage in pushing the pointy or sharp end 5.61 into the food. Other shapes are of course also available. Factors such as handling and aesthetics might influence the choice of shape. If the dimensions resemble those of the second end 5.61, it is easier to allow easy judgment of whether the thermometer is inserted half way.

[0069] In some embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 8B, markings starting from the middle of the thermometer can allow even more precise insertion or measurement of the thickness of the meat. For illustrative purposes only, not as a limitation of the scope of the invention as defined by the claims, the thermometer is shown as being 20 cm long. The temperature-sensitive parts are located in a substantially central position of the food temperature indicator housing near the center of the thermometer in a lengthwise direction, i.e. around 10 cm from either end 5.61 and 5.62. It may or may not also be a central position in another direction. Although a central position in more than one direction is often desirable, a more peripheral position in a perpendicular direction, may be desirable. This is illustrated in FIG. 8B. For illustrative purposes, the markings in FIG. 8B are illustrated as being separated by 1 cm (optionally with a marking in the middle of the thermometer along the long axis). The markings can be spaced further or closer to one another. In FIG. 8B, the printed numbers are cm-indications. The dashed box 5.20 illustrates a item of food, such as a piece of meat, into which the thermometer might be inserted. The thermometer has been inserted into the meat in such a way that the distance from both sides of the piece of meat has about the same distance from both “8”-markings. The markings that fall inside the meat 5.20 will not be visible since they are covered by the meat. The numbers change by 2 from marking to marking because when the thermometer is inserted into the meat in a symmetric fashion, the marking will show the thickness of the meat along the direction of insertion. In the example, this thickness is just below 8 cm. Further markings will allow a more precise determination of thickness, if desired. For the purpose of inserting the thermometer so that the temperature indicator 5.40 is as close to the center of the piece of meat as possible, the illustrated markings provide a good aid. This thermometer will be useful for foods with a thickness up to about 20 cm. The thermometer can be shorter or longer, depending on the thickness of the food into which it is expected to be inserted. Even though the thermometer is twice as long compared to what is necessary if the temperature indicator is located at an end of the thermometer, as in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the cost needs only be slightly higher. The electronics is the same, so it is mostly the cost of the extra housing material that determines the extra cost.

[0070] FIG. 9A shows schematically a thermometer without an additional antenna. (Only one end of the housing 5.60 is shown in this and in FIGS. 9A-9C.) FIG. 9B shows schematically a thermometer with an internal antenna that does not extend outside of the housing 5.60, thereby not receiving direct heat from outside the housing. FIG. 9C shows schematically a thermometer with an internal antenna that extends out of the housing 5.60, thereby providing a slightly stronger signal, but also working as a heat conductor that will transfer heat from outside the housing to the inside of the housing where the temperature-sensitive parts are located.

[0071] Optionally, the food temperature indicator 5.40 is a TI: LM35 component. Optionally, the transmitter unit is a Bluetooth module, such as a TDK: SESUB-PAN-T2541. Alternatively, the transmitter unit uses an ANT+ protocol. Although Bluetooth and ANT+are currently prevailing technologies, other options exist that may be used instead. Optionally, the power source 5.70 is a Panasonic BR125A battery or other battery providing appropriate power to enable the reading of temperature and/or transmitting the information representing the temperature reading.

[0072] It is expected that during the life of a patent maturing from this application many relevant temperature indicators, transmitter units, receiver units, power sources, housing materials and memory units will be developed and the scope of the terms temperature indicators, transmitter units, receiver units, power sources, housing materials and memory units are intended to include all such new technologies a priori.

[0073] As used herein the term “about” and “substantially” refers to a deviation of at most ±20%. For instance, in a thermometer having a total length of 10 cm, a central position is 5 cm from each end of the thermometer housing. A distance of 4 cm from a first end of the thermometer housing is “substantially central”, being 20% less than 5 cm. (The distance from the other end will be 6 cm, 20% more than 5 cm).

[0074] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes”, “including”, “having” and their conjugates mean “including but not limited to”.

[0075] It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the invention. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements.

[0076] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the wording of the appended claims.