GB2438641A

GB2438641A - A test instrument

Info

Publication number: GB2438641A
Application number: GB0610911A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Terry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-06-01
Filing date: 2006-06-01
Publication date: 2007-12-05
Also published as: GB0610911D0

Abstract

The invention provides an instrument comprising a test pad 18, a connecting rod 17, a housing 1 that moves against the force of a spring 15 and contains the electronic input terminals; a programmable IC that relates the movement of the housing to the tenderness of the steak; a light emitting diode (LED) display to show the tenderness of the steak; a battery power supply; an on/off switch; a handgrip that includes a release button 5 and guide collars.

Description

An Invention by Stephen Terry on the 31st May 2006 243864 1 uthor

Stephen Teny Submission Title A Test Instrument Back2round (A description of problems solved by this invention.) The invention relates to a test instrument. Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to an instrument for testing cooked beefsteak meat.

It is a known problem that when a piece of fillet steak or sirloin steak or rump steak or frying steak or T-bone steak is cooked it is difficult for the cook to know how much the steak has been cooked.

The amount of cooking varies with temperature and time and it is difficult to assess the condition or state of the steak. The common states of cooking steak range from very rare, known as blue, to well done. The states of cooking steak relate directly to the tenderness of the meat when it is eaten. It is difficult to cook steak to the required state, when one is not accustomed to cooking the steak to an unknown state.

A method to test the condition of a cooking steak is to compare the feel of the steak with the feel of the muscle between the thumb and forefinger However, such a conventional method to test the steak has the disadvantage that in order to assess the steak, the user must make physical contact with the steak and make a j udgement about the condition of the steak based on the sense of touch.

This has a number of associated risks.

Firstly, there is a risk that the cooking will be incorrectly assessed.

Secondly, there is a risk of the user being burnt This is because the steak that has been cooking for a period of time has areas that become rapidly very hot. When a user attempts to test the state of the steak he risks being burnt by the steak, or, burnt by accidentally touching the pan used for cooking the steak Thirdly, there is a risk of contamination through the user touching the steak in order to assess the cooking. A person may then eat the contamination at the same time as the steak is eaten. The contamination may be a disease or dirt.

Another, method to test the condition of a cooking steak is to cut the steak with a knife and observe the area of the incision. With this method there is a risk that the cooking of the steak will be incorrectly assessed. With this method the appearance of the steak has been disturbed.

Another, method to test the condition of a cooking steak is to press the steak and observe the presence or absence of blood or "juices" from the steak. With this method there is a risk that the cooking of the steak will be incorrectly assessed.

Statement of Invention

it is an object of the invention to provide an instrument to show the state or condition of a cooking steak, with reduced risk of injury.

It is an object of the invention to provide an instrument to show the state or condition of a cooking steak, without making a cut or incision or penetration to the steak under test.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an instrument comprising a test pad for contact with the steak, a connecting rod, a housing that moves against the force of a spring and contains the electronic input terminals, a programmable IC that relates the movement of An Invention by Stephen Terry on the 31 May 2006 -Page 2 of 10 11e housing to the tenderness of the steak, a light emitting diode (LED) display to show the tenderness of the steak; a battery power supply, an on/off switch; a handgrip that includes a release button and guide collars.

Advantages It is envisaged that one of the advantages of the invention is to display the tenderness of the beefsteak that is cooking.

Advantageously, the present invention allows the tenderness of the steak to be known independently from the skill or experience of the cook.

Advantageously, the present invention displays the state of the cooking steak without any physical contact with the steak, from the user.

Due to the tenderness of the steak being reported without the cook touchin.g the steak minimises the risk of cook being burnt during the cooking of the steak by touching the steak, or accidental contact with the cooking vessel.

Advantageously, the tenderness of the steak is determined without regard to the temperature of the steak or the time the steak has been cooking.

The invention provides an efficient way to test the cooking of many beefstcaks. Each steak may be tested one after the other using one invention.

Furthermore, due to the nature of the present invention the steak is not cut, penetrated or disfigured when assessing the condition of the steak.

Introduction to drawings

Figure 1 and Figure 2 show a test instrument according to the present invention.

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 and Figure 5 show an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5 are side elevation views that are not to scale.

Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3 show an example of a "contact" test instrument.

Figure 4 and Figure 5 show an example of a "light sensitive transistor" test instrument.

Description

Preferably, the moving means is a cylindrical housing. The movement of the cylindrical housing is relative to the connecting rod (con-rod) and handgrip of the present invention.

Preferably, the cylindrical handgrip encloses the cylindrical housing.

Preferably, the cylindrical handgrip contains a release button.

Preferably, the cod-rod is fixed to a test pad, which touches the steak, at one end and an electronic input terminal at the other end. Preferably, a spring is mounted on the con-rod that pushes against the housing.

Preferably, the con-rod operates a switch of an electronic circuit when the user releases the release button. Preferably, the time taken to move the cylindrical housing is converted into a degree of tenderness of the steak that is cooking, by an electronic integrated circuit micro-controller.

Preferably, the integrated circuit micro-controller executes a program that displays the tenderness of the steak using light emitting diodes (LED).

Preferably, the light emitting diodes display letters and words and symbols Preferably, the light emitting diodes used are in common use and display visible light and use the standard opaque and transparent back-light technique Preferably, the test pad area is between substantially 0.1 square centimetre and 12 square centimetre.

Preferably, the test pad area is the area in which the invention makes contact with the steak.

Preferably, the weight of the invention is between substantially 30g and 400g.

Preferably, the user is notified by a flashing light emitting diode (LED) and or an audible tone when the measurement is displayed.

Preferably, the display of the measurement shows the test is complete.

Preferably, power to the invention is switched on when in use and switched off when not in use.

An Invention by Stephen Terry on the 31 May 2006 -Page 3 of 10 rcferably, the invention is powered on when the release button is depressed and automatically powered off after a penod of time, to accommodate the use.

Preferably, power to the invention is off when the release button is depressed and a period of time of between substantially 20 seconds to 4 minutes has elapsed, with no additional presses of the release button during this period.

Preferably, power to the invention is supplied from standard common batteries that supply between substantially 1.5 volts to 9 volts.

Preferably, the integrated circuit micro-controller can relate the time taken to move the cylindrical housing to the tenderness of the steak that the test pad is touching Preferably, the measurement time period is a period of time of between substantially 0.2 seconds to 2 5 seconds Preferably, the measurement time period is the time taken between the release button being released and the condition of the steak being displayed Preferably, the con-rod completes different electrical circuits when the cylindrical housing changes position.

Preferably, the force of the spring (15) is between substantially 0.3N and 4N.

Preferably, an alarm is provided on the invention, which is adapted to signal when the invention is powered on. Preferably, an alarm is provided on the invention, which is adapted to signal when the battery power supply is low. Preferably, the alarm is at least one light emitting diode (LED) which preferably is adapted to flash, or alternatively, the alarm may be an audible alarm.

Preferably, to successfully operate the invention is within the capability of adults and children over years old Preferably, the invention is held and successfully operated by adults and children over 5 years old.

Preferably, the invention is held and successfully operated using one hand.

Preferably, the at least one test-pad is adapted to provide contact with the cooking steak for at least a measurement time period.

All of the features described herein may be combined with any of the above aspects, in any combination.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: The contact" test instrument Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3 comprises a cylindrical housing 1, a handgrip 2 and a con-rod 17. The cylindrical housing I contains an on/off switch 21, a battery power supply 9, a display of light emitting diodes (LED) 8, a micro controller 10, associated electronic hardware 11, electrical contacts 12 and 14, a retaining hole 6, a spring stop holed disk 19 and housing slide stops 7 and 20. The handgrip 2 comprises a release button 5, a release button spring 4 and guide collars 3 and 3a. The con-rod 17 has an electrical contact 13 fixed at on end and a test pad 18 fixed at the opposite end. The spring 15 is connected to the spring retainer 16 which is connected to the con-rod 17. Wires connect the power supply 9 to the electronic parts. For clarity the wires are not shown on the figures. The associated electronic hardware ii may comprise of resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, voltage regulators and ICs.

Figure 1 shows the invention held vertically above the piece of steak under test. The steak may be in a frying pan, in a grill pan, on a plate or in any position that allows the invention to be held above the steak. The test pad 18 is touching and resting on the steak under test. The release button 5 is in the retaining hole 6 and the cylindrical housing 1 is held in position. The electrical contact 13 is touching the electrical contact 14. The release button 5 is located in the retaining hole 6 by the user lifting the cylindrical housing I with one hand whilst simultaneously depressing the release button 5 with the other hand, until the release button 5 is located in the retaining hole 6 Alternatively, the test instrument may be inverted and the release button 5 may be located in the retaining hole 6 using only one hand. When the present invention is inverted the force of gravity on the mass of the cylindrical housing 1 is sufficient to allow the release button 5 to be located in the An invention by Stephen Ter on the 31 May 2006 -Page 4 of 10 4 taining hole 6. When the release button 5 is located in the retaining hole 6 the display of light emitting diodes (LED) 8 flash on and off to signify that the test instrument is primed and ready to make a measurement. When the release button 5 is released the display of light emitting diodes (LED) 8 stop flashing and a measurement of the tenderness of the steak is taken and displayed by An Invention by Stephen Terry on the 31 May 2006 -Page 5 of 10 osition and has pivoted at the hinge pivot 25. Light from the light emitting diode (LED) 24 now tails on the light sensitive transistor 23.

The micro controller 10 measures the time taken between a low level of light illuminating the light sensitive transistor 23 from the light emitting diode (LED) 24 to the maximum light illuminating the light sensitive transistor 23 from the light emitting diode (LED) 24. The variation of the level of light falling on the light sensitive transistor 23 is caused by the movement of the slotted cover 26.

The low level of light illuminating the light sensitive transistor 23 is slightly more than the minimum light level that illuminates the light sensitive transistor 23. The light sensitive transistor 23 converts the light., from the light emitting diode (LED) 24, that is falling on to it into a voltage level. For example, using a nine volt power supply 9, the minimum level of light, when the slotted cover 26 is closed, gives a voltage level of 1V; the low level of light, as the slotted cover 26 begins to open, gives a voltage level of 2V, the maximum level of light, when the slotted cover 26 is fully open, gives a voltage level of 8V.

When the power supply 9 is switched on using on/off switch 21, the light sensitive transistor 23 is biased in the quiescent state operating as an amplifier. The light sensitive transistor 23 may be replaced by a light sensitive resistor and associated electronic hardware Ii.

The micro controller converts the time taken for the movement of the slotted cover 26 into a measure of the cooking condition of the steak under test and displays the condition of the steak on the alphanumeric light emitting diode (LED) display 22. The force of gravity, the frictional forces, the force of the spring 15 and the light emitted from the light emitting diode (LED) 24 are constants. The time taken for the slotted cover 26 to move from the closed position to the open position varies depending on the tenderness of the steak under test. The alphanumeric light emitting diode (LED) display 22 displays the condition of the steak under test. For example the alphanumeric light emitting diode (LED) display 22 may display; "BLUE" or "VERY RARE" or "RARE" or "MEDIUM" or "WELL DONE".

It can be seen from the description and drawings that the present invention provides for a number of advantages for the cooking of beefsteak. Some of these advantages are previously listed in the this document.

The present invention is manufactured from suitable plastic and metal materials.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s) The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

An Invention by Stephen Terry on the 31 May 2006 -Page 9 of 10

_..-iaims 1. A test instrument comprising a test pad for contact with the beefsteak under test, a connecting rod, a housing that moves against the force of a spring and contains the electronic input terminals; a programmable [C that relates the movement of the housing to the tenderness of the steak; a light emitting diode (LED) display to show the tenderness of the steak; a battery power supply; an on/off switch; a handgrip that includes a release button and guide collars.

2. A test instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moving means is a cylindrical housing 3. A test instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cylindrical housing comprises a spring stop holed disk and retaining hole.

5. A test instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cylindrical handgrip encloses the cylindrical housing.

6. A test instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cylindrical handgrip contains a sprung release button 7. A test instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the test pad area is between substantially 0.1 square centimetre and 12 square centimetre.

8 A test instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the total weight is between substantially 30g and 400g.

9. A test instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the measurement time period is a period of time of between substantially 0.2 seconds to
2.5 seconds.

10. A test instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a spring is mounted on the connecting rod that pushes against the cylindrical housing.

ii. A test instrument substantially as herein before described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.