Background of the Invention It is a common knowledge that each and every food product must be consumed within a time indicated by the manufacturer and/or applicable standards to assure health safety of a consumer. With such a best-before date having been exceeded, consumption of such food product usually carries a risk of serious health consequences.

Therefore, it is essential in the interest of both the consumer and the manufacturers that the consumer is provided with a facility to clearly determine the date a given food product may be used up. The date for consuming such a product clearly follows from commonly applicable laws and from the properties of a specific food product. On the other hand, quite a technical progress, particularly in the field of food preservation processes and the use of preservatives, specifically chemical ones, caused that the best-before dates could be substantially extended in recent time. At present, in extreme cases, the best-before date is counted in months, even years. It, obviously, involves food products coming in original packaging and/or containers. Upon unsealing of the integrity of such packaging and/or container the best-before date usually lasts several, more than a dozen days, independently of the consumption end-date. It is a standard that the best-before date is made visible on the packaging. Upon opening such packaging such date becomes void, irrespectively of the manner and conditions of storaging a specific product. In one's everyday life situations are encountered where there are a variety of food products in one's refrigerator, which have been only partially consumed, without full control over the exact date of their opening and the time they could be safely consumed. This is associated with the fact that any food or beverage type has a different best-before date upon opening. For instance, with milk, it is one or two days, while, with jam, two or three weeks. While it is possible to remember in some hours'or one day's time when a given food product has been opened, so it can be very cumbersome for one to determine it after a longer time. Consumption of food with expired best-before date, even if in many cases no visible symptoms of deterioration are discovered, may cause severe health implications.

There are some mechanical devices known which, by appearance, resemble calendars or parking meters, which enable manual setting of elements reading the day on which a product has been opened and/or end-date for consumption. For instance, there are some devises known of this type which are equipped with hands such as those of a watch, while the dial shows week-days, hours, etc.

Proper adjustment of such hands enables the consumer to control safe consumption of a given product. Considering the number of food products found in the refrigerator of an average household, everyday monitoring of such readings is extremely cumbersome and inconvenient.

Summary of the Invention The subject matter of the invention is a food product freshness indicator. The said indicator according to the invention incorporates a programmable controller with power supply source connected to at least one actuator, which conveniently, in a visual and/or acoustic manner, warns the consumer about the approaching expiry time and/or about such date expired. To this end, the indicator accommodates at least one sensor and timer, and, conveniently, a memory module and programmer, too. The above elements are interconnected in a familiar manner. The sensor triggering off the timer action is controlled by an external impulse. The countdown of the time elapsing from the opening of a given packaging may be started automatically or selectively by the consumer. By the invention, the countdown may be released by an automatic impulse established chemically, electrically, luminously and mechanically. The automatic release may be triggered off by a sensor placed inside the packaging activated, for instance, by air or light. Such self-release of the countdown may also be done by placing the sensor in the confines of the packaging seal, for instance, in the bottle cap. By turning off the cap, the sensor would release the signal starting the countdown of the deadline. The consumer may start the countdown upon opening of a given food product by, for instance, pressing down a button placed at the indicator, removing the wrap over the indicator sensor or piercing through a minute container holding one or more chemicals. The exchange of impulses between different elements may come in a wireless manner or along the wiring.

In case of wireless communications the easiest would be to use electromagnetic waves. Determination of the time span to be monitored by the indicator may be pre-defined by the manufacturer of the indicator preventing any interference by the consumer. In such event, various indicator models are envisaged, for instance, a seven- day version for beverages, a twenty-one day version for mustard or a three-day version for milk. In addition, the indicator may be designed as equipped with a programmer for setting different deadline lengths by the consumer. Depending on the product variety and some case-by-case premises, everybody could adjust preferred customizable best-before date upon opening. It is also envisaged that at least one signaling element to warn the consumer about approaching expiry day or that the preset deadline has expired, will be connected to an additional impulse source. For instance, it is inconvenient that the signaling element of the indicator placed on the fruit juice in the locked refrigerator send warning signals. For such an event, it is foreseen that the signaling element be connected to an additional impulse source equipped, for instance, with a motion, light or sound monitor. Upon expiry of the set-point time, the signaling element of the indicator would be in the stand-by mode until additional signal is sent by such additional impulse source. With such indicator design, the warning system will not be actuated until the refrigerator is opened and the additional sensor has reacted.

Furthermore, it is envisaged to insert the signaling member of the indicator in a separate casing than the sensor releasing countdown.

Such design would allow the signaling member, as a warning for the consumer, to be placed, for instance, outside the refrigerator, in a place most convenient and visible to the consumer.

Moreover, the invention incorporates such a design of the indicator that the latter accommodates a signaling element mounted at the main console with a dedicated set of sensors. The main console is to be located outside, or close to, the refrigerator, or in any other location convenient for the consumer. The console to be equipped with at least one acoustic signaler and/or at least one visual signaler, conveniently a display. In each of the above designs, the display may indicate the best-before date as inscriptions, graphic symbols or light- ons. Additionally, the console may be fitted with a sensor register and a keypad. By placing an open packaging with a food product in the refrigerator the sensor dedicated to this packaging on the console is on to record the description of a given product and its best-before date to the memory of the console. Upon expiring of the set best-before date, the signaling element becomes activated and the display shows a message on any product the best-before date of which has just expired. The invention relates also to such a design where there are a number of sensors dedicated to the console of the indicator, which feature pre-set dates and each of such sensors is equipped with an individual marker. With such a design, it is not necessary to key in product dates and descriptions to the memory of the console since the display will show the information with identification of a specific sensor once such sensor has been registered and the pre-set date has expired. For such an event the sensor may be fitted additionally with a display unit to clearly identify such sensor in the refrigerator.

The indicator according to the invention may be equipped with two execution members, one visual and the other acoustic. A facility is provided that one of such execution members, for instance the visual one, will tell about the approaching end-day of the pre-set best- before date, while the other, for instance the acoustic one, will tell about such best-before date being expired.

The invention according to the invention relates to food product packaging featuring an indicator attached in an easily visible place to send warning signals, conveniently acoustically or visually, about the best-before date nearing the end since the first opening of the product.

Such indicator can be fastened to the packaging in a permanent or separable manner. Consequently, the indicator may be an integral part and parcel of the packaging, for example, may be built in permanently into a beverage cardboard box, or may be separably mounted onto such container, possibly using a magnet, clasp, clamp, slide, adhesive, tape, etc. Moreover, the indicator may be placed outside or inside the packaging, possibly in case of packaging featuring transparent parts.

In addition, it is envisaged for the indicator to be a mono-modular entity, alternatively, in extended versions, two-or multi-modular. In such cases, the packaging is designed to accommodate the sensor of the indicator placed at one point, inside or outside the packaging, while remaining components of the indicator, such as the display, are placed in another situation, possibly in another area of the packaging or in some close distance from the packaging, while such elements are interconnected via wireless, most readily by electromagnetic waves.

The invention involves also the packaging, specifically for food products, which is equipped with a dedicated sensor coupled with the food product freshness indicator. All afore-mentioned design variations of such indicator relate also to such packaging design.

The principal and essential virtue of the said invention is the possibility of individual and reliable control by the consumer of food product quality after first opening of the packaging and/or container with such victuals.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention is introduced more in-depth in the drawing with design examples, where Fig. 1 shows the packaging with the freshness indicator fastened to a metal cap using a magnet, Fig. 2-container with a different design version, Fig. 3-packaging in yet another design version, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5-more designs, Fig. 6-lay-out of indicator with main console and a set of sensors attached thereto, Fig. 7-indicator diagram with individual sensors in another design configuration, while Fig. 8-block diagram of the indicator.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Fig. 1 shows a jar 1 with freshness indicator 2 attached to metal cap 3 using magnet 4. Indicator 2 accommodates a signaling element designed as loudspeaker 5. Countdown of the best-before expiry date starts with the indicator 2 so designed with the consumer pushing down button 6, once the container with jam 1 is opened. After the manufacturer-set best-before date, say 20 days, has expired, the loudspeaker 5 releases sound telling the best-before date for the jam has elapsed. Fig. 2 illustrates a cardboard box 7 for fruit juice. Inside the cardboard box 7 a sensor 8 is placed which may be an air or light sensor. The cardboard box 7 incorporates an indicator 9 complete with display 10, which, apart from inscriptions, shows graphic symbols 11 and light elements: yellow 12 and red 13, as well as a keypad 14.

Sensor 8 coupled with the indicator 9 by means of electromagnetic waves. After opening the cardboard box 7 the air or light-sensitive sensor 8 sends an impulse to the indicator 9 and initiates the countdown of the pre-set time. The consumer determines the length of the time to be monitored using the keypad 14. Two time values can be determined: warning of approaching best-before day expiry-yellow diode 12, and the expired fit-for-consumption time-red diode 13, meaning no consumption. No-consumption may also be signaled with a graph 11. Fig. 3 shows a paper packaging 15 containing cold cuts.

The packaging 15 holds the indicator 17, attached with a clip 16, with red diode 18 to light on when the pre/set time expires. Fig. 4 illustrates a bottle 19, which, around its cap 20, accommodates a sensor 21. First opening of the cap sends an impulse via sensor to the indicator, which is not visualized on the drawing, and starts counting down the pre-set time. Fig. 5 shows a jar for food products 22, outside of which a sensor 23 sealed with a strip 24 is placed. Upon opening the consumer may remove the strip 24, thus making the sensor 23 send an impulse to the indicator to start counting down the preset time.

Fig. 6 shows a diagram of the indicator in another design example, where it has a main console 25 and a set of sensors 26, each of which is equipped with an individual marker 27. The console accommodates a signaling element 28 and a recording system 29 for sensors 26. The console may be mounted using a magnet, not shown at the picture, to the refrigerator door. When the packaging 30 is opened, the system 29 records a specific sensor 26'through the marker 27', whereby the sensor 26'allocates itself then to a given packaging 30. Each sensor 26 may get a manufacturer-set time as stored in the memory of the console 25. The sensor 26'record causes the specific time to be counted down, and its end will be shown at the display 28. In order to clearly determine for which sensor 26 the time being counted down has elapsed, sensor 26 has a light element 31 to go on after the time has expired and to identify the specific sensor 26 from among a multitude of sensors 26. Fig. 7 shows another design of the indicator. This design version has the console 25 additionally equipped with a keypad 32 and a loudspeaker 33. By having a specific sensor 26 recorded within the system 29 the keypad 32 can be used to key in, to the memory of the console 25, data on packaging 30 dedicated to such sensor 26 and on the time span left. Once the set time runs out, signals for the consumer may be sent through the display 28 and/or the loudspeaker 33. Fig. 8 illustrates the block diagram of the indicator, which features a controller 34, power supply unit 35, timer 36 to count the preset time. The timer 36 is started by an impulse from the sensor 37, which may be presented as a mechanical, electrical, light sensor etc. The indicator can also feature an additional programmer 38, with separate memory/storage area 39, connected to the keypad not shown on the diagram. Moreover, the controller 34 accommodates a signal generator 40, which, after the set time expires, sends impulses to the acoustic signaler unit 41 and/or visual signaler unit 42. In order to protect the indicator against sending signals when it is not advisable, e. g. with the refrigerator closed, the indicator may be equipped with an additional impulse source system 43 to accommodate possibly a motion, sound or light monitor. It is not until the impulse sent from such additional source 43 that the signaling 41 and/or 42 is activated.

Although different design examples of the invention are presented in the above, the experts know that different modifications, add-ons and substitutes thereof are possible without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention disclosed in the above description and in enclosed patent claims.