Multi-Sensor Meat Thermometer Probe for Center Temperature Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing meat thermometers struggle to accurately estimate the center temperature of meat, leading to inconsistent culinary quality and potential hygiene issues, while also being costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent meat thermometer with a stainless steel probe containing multiple temperature sensors, strategically placed to minimize heat conduction and maximize accuracy, uses a Lagrange polynomial or Newtonian algorithms to estimate center temperature, and integrates with a smartphone or tablet app for data processing and display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple temperature sensors are used to improve measurement accuracy, then the center temperature estimation precision is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable probe design where the entire probe including sensors is discarded after use. This allows using multiple sensors to improve measurement precision without increasing the cost of reusable components, as the probe itself is inexpensive and single-use.
Solution Approach 2:
The probe is divided into multiple segments with sensors positioned at different locations (including beyond the center point). This segmentation allows capturing temperature gradients across the meat, enabling accurate center temperature estimation through mathematical interpolation while keeping each sensor simple and inexpensive.
2Strength
If the probe is made of stainless steel for durability, then the probe strength is improved, but heat conduction along the probe walls increases causing measurement inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the temperature sensing function from the probe wall itself and places discrete sensors inside the probe lumen. This separates the structural function (provided by the stainless steel probe) from the measurement function (provided by internal sensors), eliminating heat conduction interference while maintaining probe strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary medium (air or fluid within the probe lumen) between the meat and the sensors, and between the meat and the probe wall. This intermediary reduces direct thermal contact and minimizes heat conduction along the probe walls, allowing accurate temperature measurement while maintaining probe structural integrity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides precise center temperature estimation, reducing measurement inaccuracies and manufacturing costs, ensuring consistent culinary quality and hygiene, while allowing for accurate cooking time calculation and temperature adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
a probe (1) for inserting into a piece of meat (2), the probe (1) comprising a number of sensors (5, 14), at least three of said sensors (5) being intended to measure the temperature inside the meat (2)
Implementation Method 2
The probe consists of a stainless steel tube with a diameter that is chosen to be so small that heat conduction along the walls of the probe is minimized
Data Source
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AI summary
Intelligent meat thermometer comprising a probe (1) with at least three temperature sensors (5) for temperature measurement in at least three regions of meat (2), a unit for calculating on basis of retrieved measurement data and displaying of results of these calculations and for setting of parameters for use in the calculations. The probe (1) comprises a tube of a stainless, heat conducting material having a material thickness of between 0.05 mm and 0.30 mm and is further designed with a distance of between 15 mm and 20 mm between the temperature sensors (5) in the heat conducting material at a material thickness of between 0.05 mm and 0.25 mm.