Apparatus for detecting humidity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10467882-B2
Application number	US-201615547625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus comprising: a humidity-dependent electrical energy source configured to provide electrical energy when an environment occupied by the humidity-dependent electrical energy source becomes humid; and an electrically activated visual indicator coupled to receive provided electrical energy from the humidity-dependent electrical energy source and configured to provide a visual indication that the environment occupied by the humidity-dependent electrical energy source has become humid.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources configured to provide electrical energy when air of an environment occupied by the one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources becomes humid;
one or more electrically activated visual indicators coupled to receive provided electrical energy from the one or more humidity dependent electrical energy sources and configured to provide a visual indication that the air of the environment occupied by the one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources has become humid; and
wherein the one or more electrically activated visual indicators are switched from a first non-alert state to a second alert state using an electro-chromic display when the one or more electrically activated visual indicators have received different thresholds of electric charge from respective of the one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources; and
wherein the one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources each produce different electric charges in response to the same levels of humidity by using different lengths of interfaces between a proton conductor region and an electron conductor region.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources is humidity activated having a de-activated state before exposure to humidity and having an activated state that provides electrical energy after exposure to humidity.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , comprising:
one or more battery cells, each cell comprising:
the proton conductor region configured to conduct proton charge carriers in the presence of water;
the electron conductor region configured to conduct electrons;
a first electrode associated with one of the proton conductor region and the electron conductor region; and
a second electrode associated with the other of the proton conductor region and the electron conductor region.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , comprising a buffer layer overlying at least the proton conductor region and the electron conductor region.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the buffer layer is meshed material and/or wherein the buffer layer is hydrophobic and/or wherein the buffer layer is breathable textile.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the one or more battery cells further comprise multiple different battery cells, each different cell comprising an interface region between the proton conductor region and the electron conductor region, wherein the multiple different battery cells produce different electric currents in response to the same levels of humidity; and
wherein the one or more electrically activated visual indicators comprises multiple electrically activated visual indicators, wherein each of the multiple electrically activated visual indicators is coupled to receive electric charge from one of the multiple different humidity-dependent electrical energy sources and each of the multiple electrically activated visual indicators consequently provides a visual indication that the air of the environment occupied by the one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources has become humid after different exposure times.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the interface regions of the multiple different battery cells have different lengths.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the one or more battery cells are two dimensional and/or wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes are interdigitated and/or wherein the proton conductor region comprises a graphene derivative, comprises graphene oxide, or comprises charge-donating functional groups comprising one or more of carboxyl, hydroxyl, and epoxy and/or wherein the electron conductor region comprises at least one of: a graphene derivative different to the proton conductor region, reduced graphene oxide and conjugated polymer.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrically activated visual indicators in the second alert state uses a clock to provide a time dependent output.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,
comprising a sealed container defining an interior space, comprising a controlled low-humidity atmosphere, as the environment, the interior space housing one or more products; or comprising a sealable container for defining an interior space, comprising a controlled low-humidity atmosphere, as the environment,
wherein the one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources are configured to provide electrical energy when humidity enters the interior space and the one or more electrically activated visual indicators are configured to provide one or more visual indications of humidity entering the interior space.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources are located within the interior space.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein one or more of the electrically activated visual indicators are coupled to receive provided electrical energy from the one or more humidity-dependent electrical energy sources via conductive interconnects through the container.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein one or more of the electrically activated visual indicators are removably detachable from an exterior of the container.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Borini Stefano
• Wei Di

Classifications

• G01N33/02

  Food · CPC title

• G08B21/20 Primary

  responsive to moisture · CPC title

• H01M6/32

  activated through external addition of electrolyte or of electrolyte components · CPC title