Tamper-Evident Container with Integrated Environmental Sensors for Storing and Monitoring Fine Wines

Abstract

A tamper-evident container for storing and monitoring fine wines includes a receptacle portion for receiving a wine bottle or case, a lid portion that engages the receptacle to seal the contents, and integrated sensors for detecting temperature extremes, humidity, and shock. The container may include thermochromic temperature indicators, a tamper-evident locking mechanism, a humidity indicator, and a shock sensor. The invention comprehensively assures a wine's authenticity and ideal storage conditions throughout its lifecycle, enabling verification that the wine has not been subjected to tampering or improper storage. The unique integration of anti-tampering and environmental monitoring features enhances quality assurance and facilitates trustworthy and efficient commerce in collectable wines.

Claims

1. A tamper-evident container for storing and monitoring wine, comprising: I. a receptacle portion configured to receive a wine bottle or case, said receptacle portion having an opening for inserting the wine bottle or case; II. a lid portion configured to engage with said receptacle portion and seal said opening, thereby enclosing the wine bottle or case within the container; III. a first temperature indicator disposed within said receptacle portion, said first temperature indicator providing a visual signal when an interior temperature of the container exceeds a predetermined upper threshold; and IV. a second temperature indicator disposed within said receptacle portion, said second temperature indicator providing a visual signal when the interior temperature of the container falls below a predetermined lower threshold.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein said receptacle portion and said lid portion are formed from a rigid, impact-resistant polymeric material.

3. The container of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism configured to securely engage said lid portion with said receptacle portion, said locking mechanism comprising a tamper-evident seal that provides a visual indication when the container has been opened.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein said first temperature indicator and said second temperature indicator each comprise a thermochromic material that undergoes a ireversible color change when exposed to temperatures outside of a predetermined acceptable range for wine storage.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein said thermochromic material is in the form of a strip or label adhered to an interior surface of said receptacle portion, said strip or label being visible from an exterior of the container.

6. The container of claim 1, further comprising a shock or vibration sensor disposed within said receptacle portion, said shock or vibration sensor configured to provide a visual signal when the container has been subjected to potentially damaging impact or movement.

7. The container of claim 1, further comprising a humidity indicator disposed within said receptacle portion, said humidity indicator providing a visual signal when an interior humidity of the container exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein said receptacle portion is configured to receive and enclose a standard 750 mL wine bottle.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein said receptacle portion is configured to receive and enclose a standard 12-bottle wine case.

10. The container of claim 1, further comprising a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed to an exterior of the container, said RFID tag encoding information about the wine stored within the container and readable by an RFID scanner.

11. A multi-piece wine packaging system for ensuring authenticity and proper storage conditions, consisting of: I. a lower housing member defining a cavity adapted to receive a quantity of wine; II. an upper housing member configured to mate with said lower housing member and sealingly close said cavity to form an enclosed chamber containing the quantity of wine; III. wherein said lower housing member and said upper housing member cooperate to form a tamper-proof seal when mated together; IV. a maximum temperature indicator positioned within said lower housing member, said maximum temperature indicator configured to irreversibly change state when exposed to a temperature above a preset maximum temperature limit; and V. a minimum temperature indicator positioned within said lower housing member, said minimum temperature indicator configured to irreversibly change state when exposed to a temperature below a preset minimum temperature limit.

12. The multi-piece wine packaging system of claim 11, wherein said upper housing member comprises a lid portion configured to engage with said receptacle portion and seal said opening, thereby enclosing the wine bottle within the packaging system.

13. The multi-piece wine packaging system of claim 11, wherein said tamper-proof seal comprises a tamper-evident locking mechanism that irreversibly indicates when said upper housing member has been disengaged from said lower housing member.

14. The multi-piece wine packaging system of claim 11, wherein said maximum temperature indicator comprises a thermochromic material that permanently changes color when exposed to a temperature exceeding the preset maximum temperature limit.

15. The multi-piece wine packaging system of claim 11, wherein said minimum temperature indicator comprises a thermochromic material that permanently changes color when exposed to a temperature below the preset minimum temperature limit.

16. The multi-piece wine packaging system of claim 11, wherein said maximum temperature indicator and said minimum temperature indicator each comprise a visual reference scale proximate to the respective thermochromic material for determining the exposure temperature.

17. The multi-piece wine packaging system of claim 11, wherein said preset maximum temperature limit is approximately 25 C. and said preset minimum temperature limit is approximately 7 C.

18. The multi-piece wine packaging system of claim 11, further comprising a shock indicator positioned within said lower housing member, said shock indicator configured to irreversibly change state when exposed to an impact force exceeding a preset threshold.

19. The multi-piece wine packaging system of claim 11, further comprising a humidity indicator positioned within said lower housing member, said humidity indicator configured to irreversibly change state when exposed to a relative humidity above a preset humidity limit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, which will become more apparent as the description proceeds, are described in the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a tamper-evident container for storing and monitoring a wine bottle, according to one embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a system flow diagram of a multi-piece wine packaging system for ensuring authenticity and proper storage conditions of a quantity of wine, according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be used and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0019] The following description is provided as an enabling teaching of the present systems, and/or methods in its best, currently known aspect. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspects of the present systems described herein, while still obtaining the beneficial results of the present disclosure. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present disclosure can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the present disclosure without utilizing other features.

[0020] Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the present disclosure are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances and are a part of the present disclosure. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure and not in limitation thereof.

[0021] The terms a and an and the and similar references used in the context of describing a particular embodiment of the present invention (especially in the context of certain claims) are construed to cover both the singular and the plural. The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.

[0022] All systems described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (for example, such as) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the application and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the application otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the application. Thus, for example, reference to an element can include two or more such elements unless the context indicates otherwise.

[0023] As used herein, the terms optional or optionally mean that the subsequently described event or circumstance can or cannot occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.

[0024] The word or as used herein means any one member of a particular list and also includes any combination of members of that list. Further, one should note that conditional language, such as, among others, can, could, might, or may unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain aspects include, while other aspects do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particular aspects or that one or more particular aspects necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular aspect.

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a tamper-evident container 100 for storing and monitoring a wine bottle 10. The container 100 comprises a receptacle portion 102 configured to receive the wine bottle 10 through an opening (not shown) formed between the respective parts. A lid portion 106 is configured to engage with the receptacle portion 102 and seal the opening (not shown), thereby enclosing the wine bottle 10 within an interior chamber of the container 100.

[0026] In one embodiment, the receptacle portion 102 and lid portion 106 are formed from a rigid, impact-resistant polymeric material. In another embodiment, the lid portion 106 includes a tamper-evident locking mechanism that securely engages with the receptacle portion 102. According to an embodiment, by way of example and not limitation, the locking mechanism comprises four fastener ports 112 and adjoining fasteners 114 disposed on the corners of the lid portion 106 and the receptacle portion respectively. Alternatively, the locking mechanism 110 may further comprise a tamper-evident seal 112 that provides a visual indication when the container 100 has been opened or compromised.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, a first temperature indicator 120 and a second temperature indicator 122 are disposed within the receptacle portion 102. The first temperature indicator 120 provides a visual signal when the interior temperature of the container 100 exceeds a predetermined upper threshold, while the second temperature indicator 122 provides a visual signal when the interior temperature falls below a predetermined lower threshold. In one embodiment, the temperature indicators 120, 122 each comprise a thermochromic material in the form of a strip or label coupled to an interior surface of the lid portion 106, wherein the thermochromic material undergoes a reversible color change when exposed to temperatures outside of a predetermined acceptable range for wine storage. The strips or labels are visible from the exterior of the transparent or translucent container 100.

[0028] The container 100 further comprises a shock or vibration sensor 130 disposed within the receptacle portion 102, wherein the shock sensor 130 is configured to provide a visual signal when the container 100 has been subjected to potentially damaging impact or movement that exceeds a preset threshold.

[0029] Additionally, a humidity indicator 132 is disposed within the lid portion 106, wherein the humidity indicator 132 provides a visual signal when the interior humidity of the container 100 exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0030] In one embodiment, the receptacle portion 102 is dimensioned to receive and enclose a wine bottle having a volume between about 375 mL and about 1.5 L. Alternatively, the receptacle portion 102 can be configured to receive and enclose a wine case holding a plurality of bottles.

[0031] As depicted in FIG. 1, a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag 140 is positioned adjacent to an exterior surface of the container 100, wherein the RFID tag 140 encodes information about the wine 10 stored within the container 100 and can be read by an RFID scanner for tracking and monitoring purposes.

[0032] The container 100 has a generally rectangular prismatic shape. The receptacle portion 102 comprises a flat bottom wall 150, four sidewalls 152 extending upward from the bottom wall 150, and an open top defined by the upper edges of the sidewalls 152. The lid portion 106 has a complementary rectangular shape and comprises a top wall 160. Chamfered or rounded edges 170 are provided along the junctions between the top wall 160 of the lid portion 106 and the four sidewalls 152 to facilitate handling.

[0033] Optionally, a resilient and shock-absorbing element (not shown), including but not limited to a liner or cushioning element, may be provided within the receptacle portion 102 to further protect the wine bottle 10 during transport and handling. In one embodiment, the shock-absorbing element may be formed of a material that provides cushioning and impact resistance.

[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram 200 for operation of the multi-piece wine packaging system 100 for ensuring authenticity and proper storage conditions of a quantity of wine. The system 100 comprises a lower housing member 102 defining a cavity adapted to receive the quantity of wine. In one embodiment, an upper housing member 106 is configured to mate with the lower housing member 102, thereby sealingly closing the cavity to form an enclosed chamber containing the quantity of wine.

[0035] In operation, a user places a quantity of wine, such as a wine bottle 10, into the cavity of the lower housing member 102 (step 201). According to an embodiment, the upper housing member 106 is then mated with the lower housing member 102 to sealingly close the cavity, thereby forming the enclosed chamber containing the wine (step 202). In another embodiment, a tamper-proof seal 110 is activated upon mating the upper housing member 106 with the lower housing member 102, thereby ensuring the integrity of the packaging system 100 (step 204).

[0036] During storage and transport, the maximum temperature indicator 120, minimum temperature indicator 122, shock indicator 130, and humidity indicator 132 are configured to continuously monitor the conditions within the enclosed chamber (step 206). In one embodiment, if any of the preset limits are exceeded, the corresponding indicator irreversibly changes state, thereby providing a permanent visual indication of the exposure event (step 208).

[0037] When the user wishes to access the wine, they disengage the upper housing member 106 from the lower housing member 102 (step 210). According to an embodiment, if the tamper-proof seal 110 has been compromised, the tamper-evident locking mechanism will provide a clear visual indication of the tampering event (step 212). Alternatively, the user can then check the state of the maximum temperature indicator 120, minimum temperature indicator 122, shock indicator 130, and humidity indicator 132 to determine if the wine has been exposed to any potentially damaging conditions during storage and transport (step 214). In one embodiment, this multi-piece wine packaging system 100 enables the user to ensure the authenticity and proper storage conditions of the wine, thereby enhancing consumer confidence and protecting the quality of the wine.

[0038] The embodiments described herein are given for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the interpretation of the present invention. The respective elements and their arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, or the like of the embodiment are not limited to the illustrated examples but may be appropriately changed. Further, the constituents described in the embodiment may be partially replaced or combined together.