Two-phase indicator device for identifying defrost

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11313608-B2
Application number	US-202117409361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2021
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A defrost or thaw measuring device has a dumbbell or hourglass-shaped rotatable compartment with a cavity, the cavity being partly filled with at least two phase change materials having different melting points. The measuring device may determine the time period of thawing at two or more temperature intervals in the refrigeration space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A two-phase indicator device for measuring defrost time, comprising:
an hourglass shaped elongated compartment including a first end and a second end separated by a side wall along a longitudinal axis of the elongated compartment, thereby forming a cavity including a first chamber and a second chamber that are fluidly connected through a narrow section located between the first and second chambers, wherein at least a portion of the elongated compartment is made of a first transparent material;
a planar permeable structure in the form of a glass frit disposed at the narrow section and configured to prevent a movement of a solidified liquid from one chamber to another when the elongated compartment is vertically oriented;
a liquid, comprising a hydrocarbon phase change material and an inorganic phase change material, disposed in the cavity;
a substantially planar base containing a magnet to which the elongated compartment is releasably and rotatably attached, the base being configured to mount the elongated compartment to a wall, such that the two-phase indicator device is substantially planar in a plane parallel to the wall; and
a graduation arranged on an outside surface of the elongated compartment suitable for measuring a liquid level in the elongated compartment,
wherein the elongated compartment is configured to be rotated about a central axis orthogonal to the base, the first and second chambers being symmetric about the central axis,
wherein the first and second chambers are symmetric to each other, and
wherein the two-phase indicator device is configured to determine a phase change period for two or more temperature intervals in a cooled space.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first transparent material is polycarbonate or polymethylmethacrylate.

3. The device of claim 1 , configured such that the first and second chambers each include a cylindrical portion including a taper toward the narrow section.

Assignees

• Univ King Abdulaziz

Inventors

• Bahammam Laila Ahmed Salim

Classifications

• G01K11/06

  using melting, freezing, or softening · CPC title

• G04F1/06

  by flowing-away of a prefixed quantity of fine-granular or liquid materials, e.g. sand-glass, water-clock · CPC title

• F25D21/008 Primary

  by timer · CPC title

• F25D2600/02

  Timing · CPC title

• G04F13/06

  using fluidic means · CPC title