PRIOR ART

The present invention relates to a safety and control apparatus for an environment which is closed or provided with a perimeter.

It is known in various manufacturing and service sectors to use closed environments, for example, for the storage of products, in particular cold rooms for keeping products at a temperature and/or in a controlled atmosphere which may be critical if an operator is exposed to them for a long period of time.

The interior of these closed environments may be accessed more or less frequently by one or more users, for example in order to move products or perform maintenance of the products or the environment itself.

In these environments, in fact, there are normally present temperatures and/or environmental conditions which may pose a risk for a user who is exposed to them, for example if the user remains exposed to a very low temperature for an excessively long period of time. There exist in fact known harmful effects which the physical agents such as the low temperatures may have on human beings, depending for example on the temperature and/or time spent at said temperature.

Consequently, it is fundamental to ensure the safety and the health of a person who uses cold environments, such as cold rooms, in particular when there exist very low temperature conditions, for example below -18°C, hence freezing or deep-freezing conditions, or an atmosphere which may be dangerous for the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem underlying the present invention is to ensure the safety and the health of a user who is required to operate within a closed environment or environment provided with a perimeter. The task of a safety apparatus according to the present invention is therefore to provide an instrument which is able to protect a user from the known risks of exposure to hostile environmental conditions, and in particular for example low temperatures, also during long periods.

The object of the present invention is to provide a safety apparatus which allows the user to operate within the closed environment or environment provided with a perimeter in safe conditions and which also allows the user to avoid situations which are dangerous for their health when performing their duties or operation within the closed environment or environment provided with a perimeter.

A further object of the present invention is to propose a safety apparatus which is able to identify automatically a risk situation for a user, for example following a fall or loss of consciousness of said user, within the closed environment or environment provided with a perimeter in which hostile environmental conditions exist.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a safety apparatus which is able to assist the user during their stay within the aforementioned environment or perimeter, so as to allow the user to regulate the activities which may be performed and time spent in the latter before exiting, even momentarily.

This task, as well as these and other objects, which will become clearer below are achieved by a safety apparatus according to the attached claim 1.

Detailed characteristics features of a safety apparatus, according to the invention, are contained in the dependent claims.

In particular, the present invention envisages providing a safety apparatus which comprises a portable device and a fixed device, which is associated with or can be associated with an environment or a perimeter to be monitored. In particular, the portable device and the fixed device are configured to be able to interact once they approach each other within an interaction distance, while the safety apparatus is configured to process the signals relating to this interaction so as to detect access to the environment or perimeter by the portable device.

Other characteristic features and modes of use forming the subject of the present disclosure will emerge more clearly from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, provided by way of a non-limiting example. It is nevertheless evident that each embodiment may have one or more of the advantages listed above; in any case it is nevertheless not necessary that each embodiment should have simultaneously all the advantages listed.

It is also understood that the scope of the present disclosure includes all the possible combinations of the embodiments indicated above and of those described with reference to the following detailed description.

Reference will be made to the figures of the attached drawings in which:

- Figure 1 shows a simplified diagram of an operating process in accordance with which a safety apparatus according to the present invention may be configured.

With reference to the said figure, a safety apparatus, comprising a portable device 11 and a fixed device 12, is denoted as a whole by 10. The fixed device 12 is associated or can be associated with an environment S to be monitored, namely which is intended to be monitored by the said safety apparatus 10, which environment S has a perimeter P, namely is delimited or enclosed by a perimeter P. Alternatively, the fixed device 12 is configured to define the environment S or the perimeter P. In other words, the fixed device 12 is connected or can be connected to an environment S, which is preferably closed or defines a perimeter P, or is delimited or enclosed by a perimeter P. Alternatively, the fixed device 12 is configured so as to define the environment S or the perimeter P inside which the environment S intended by be monitored by means of the safety apparatus 10 is contained.

For example, in an entirely general manner, the environment S may be defined by the space surrounding an antenna designed to emit electromagnetic radiation in order to define the perimeter P at a distance from this antenna at which said signal is subject to a predefined deterioration, for example in strength.

Clearly, generally, the environment S could be defined by a plurality or by a network of these antennae, and the perimeter P could be correspondingly defined in view of the accumulated effect of their signals.

The portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 are configured to carry out a mutual interaction following mutual approaching within an interaction distance. The interaction distance, for example, may be chosen depending on the form and the dimensions of the environment S or the extension and form of the perimeter P so that, if a user with which the portable device 11 is associated is situated in the environment S, namely within the perimeter P, this situation may be always detected with suitable accuracy and a small margin of error.

For example, the fixed device 12 may comprise a plurality of transmitting and/or receiving devices, for example RFID tags, which are designed to interact with the portable device 11 and which are distributed along the said perimeter P so to detect with a high degree of reliability the entry or exit of a portable device 11 into/from the environment S and/or the perimeter P.

In other words, in general, the portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 may be configured so that, when they approach each other within the interaction distance, they are able to carry out a mutual interaction, for example they may communicate and/or interact with each other.

The safety apparatus 10 is configured to process the signals relating to the aforementioned interaction so as to detect access to the environment S by the portable device 11 or detect crossing of the perimeter by the portable device 11.

In other words, the safety apparatus 10 is able to process the signals relating to the interaction between the portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 so as to ascertain or signal the case where the portable device 11 accesses the environment S or crosses the perimeter P.

Generally, for example, the fixed device 12 may comprise a conductor element configured to interact electromagnetically with the portable device 11. This conductor element may be distributed along a closed trajectory which defines the perimeter P so that, in the case where the perimeter P is crossed by an operator carrying a mobile device 11, the latter interacts with the fixed device 12 so as to detect the entry of the operator in the environment S delimited by the perimeter P.

Clearly, the environment S may be delimited by walls which mainly define the perimeter P and which limit the access to the said environment S via apertures or openings provided in said walls.

In this case, the fixed device 12 and the mobile device 11 may be for example made of or comprise a device which is active or reactive to radiofrequency, also known by the specialist term RFID tag, and an associated antenna or network of antennae designed to interact with it in the event that one of the apertures or openings is crossed.

A safety apparatus 10 according to the present invention may specifically, even though not exclusively, be advantageously applied in the sector relating to the safety of cold rooms.

In fact, a cold room constitutes for an operator who must access it and carry out activities inside it a hostile and dangerous environment.

Firstly, the temperature inside the room is generally incompatible with the survival of human beings and, therefore, the operator must be exposed to said temperature for as little time as possible.

Furthermore, owing to the low temperature of the environment inside the cold room, especially following access thereto by the operator, condensation and/or frost tends to form on the internal surfaces of the cell, due in particular to the different relative humidity of the air entering the room following access by the operator.

The floor of the room may thus be slippery with the risk of operator falling.

In the case where an operator should lose consciousness inside the room, the hostile environment which it defines could result in damage - also of a severe nature - to the organism of said person, also to the point of death; therefore, there exists an urgent need to provide a safety apparatus 10 which, where implemented in a cold room, is able to increase greatly the safety thereof. According to the present teaching, therefore, the safety apparatus 10 may comprise or be incorporated in or be associated with a cold room, which in turn comprises a chamber provided with at least one access point.

Via the access point, a user may access the environment S by crossing the perimeter P. Namely, the chamber may delimit or define the environment S and may comprise walls which delimit or define the perimeter P.

In particular, the fixed device 12 may comprise a controller. Preferably, the controller is able to regulate the temperature of the environment S. More preferably, the controller is designed to keep the temperature of the environment S at a predefined value or in the region thereof, for example so as to achieve the cooling of products housed inside the said room.

In the case where the environment S consists of a cold room or comprises a cold room, said controller may be designed to regulate the temperature of the environment S by activating the cold room. Furthermore, the portable device 11 may be a device designed to be attached to an operator, or can be transported by the operator, in order to detect the access and/or the presence of the said operator inside the cold room. In other words, the portable device 11 may be associated in a fixed or removable manner with an operator of the cold room, so that the interaction between the portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 may be used to detect when the operator accesses and/or is situated inside the cold room.

For example, the portable device 11 may be configured to form a pendant or may be for example fastened in the manner of a bracelet, for example to a wrist or a heel, depending on the greater comfort requirements of the operator.

Preferably, the signals processed by the safety apparatus 10 comprise or consist of electromagnetic radiation. For example, said electromagnetic radiation may comprise electromagnetic fields which have a frequency in the infrared range or in the visible radiation range which may be used by means of continuous or pulsed emissions, for example using sensors known in the sector as time-of-flight sensors.

Furthermore, if the portable device is reactive and/or active, the aforementioned electromagnetic radiation may be in the range of ultra wideband radiation.

Furthermore, the portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 may be configured to transmit and receive the processable electromagnetic radiation so as to define a position of the portable device 11 with respect to the environment S and/or the perimeter P.

The portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 may also comprise means designed to transmit and/or receive the electromagnetic radiation.

The portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 may also comprise an electronic processor, which is connected to the transmission means and configured to cause interaction between the portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 via the transmission means in order to identify the relative position of the portable device 11 with respect to the environment S and/or the perimeter P. For example, the electronic processor may be configured to cause the portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 to interact with each other in order to detect whether the portable device 11 is situated inside the environment S and/or the perimeter P.

The portable device 11, for example, may be chosen from among a smartphone, a smartwatch, a smart-tag or a portable tag. In particular, the portable tag is preferably a device configured to be able to interact directly with the fixed device 11, for example without having to be programmed or activated by an operator using the cold room. The smartphone or smartwatch may perform the role of a portable device, namely in such a way as to be able to interact mutually with the fixed device 12, once they have been provided with a specific application for determining and/or allowing mutual interaction between the portable device 11 and the fixed device 12.

The transmission means may, for example, comprise electromagnetic radiation sensors, for example sensors designed to detect radiation in the infrared range or in the visible radiation range.

These sensors may be configured to use and/or detect continuous or pulsed emissions, for example may comprise sensors known in the sector as “time-of-flight” sensors.

Furthermore, if the portable device is reactive and/or active, it may comprise an ultra wideband electromagnetic radiation sensor.

The cold room, in a per se conventional manner not further described, may comprise a refrigerating apparatus having a cold exchanger which is in fluid communication with the environment S so as to absorb heat therefrom.

The electronic processor may be configured and/or programmed to operate the controller so as to switch the refrigerating apparatus from a normal operating mode 100 to an access operating mode 200, following detection of an access condition 300. In Figure 1 said detection has been indicated by way of a non-limiting example as a verification operation 400 configured to check whether the access condition 300 has positively occurred, this situation being exemplified by means of the branch extending towards the access operating mode 200 in the flow diagram, or has negatively occurred, represented by the branch extending on the left in the flow diagram.

In particular, the access condition 300 may occur if a presence of the portable device 11 in the environment S and/or entry of the portable device 11 within the perimeter P is detected by the portable device 11 and/or by the fixed device 12, following their interaction.

In other words, the access condition 300 may occur if at least either one of the portable device 11 and the fixed device 12 detects, following their mutual interaction, the presence of the portable device 11 in the environment S and/or entry of the portable device 11 within the perimeter P.

The electronic processor of the safety device 10 may also be configured and/or programmed so as to implement, following a transition to the access operating mode 200, at least one of the operations A, B, C, D, E, F described below by way of a non-limiting example.

In a refrigeration switching-off operation A, the electronic processor may operate the refrigerating apparatus in such a way as to prevent or reduce heat exchange between the cold exchanger and the environment S.

The operative state of the refrigerating apparatus, whether it is active or inactive, may be for example signalled by means of a first indicator lamp 13 which may be incorporated in the portable device 11 and/or in the fixed device 12 and, preferably, in the latter.

In other words, following detection of access of an operator to the environment S, namely to the chamber of the cold room, the safety apparatus 10 may temporarily interrupt the refrigerating action so as not to aggravate the thermal ambient condition to which the operator is exposed inside the chamber of the cold room.

In the case where the environment S, for example defined by the chamber of the cold room, is provided with lighting means, the electronic processors may be configured or programmed to carry out an operation B which involves switching-on of the lighting means, which may be configured to illuminate the interior of the environment S or specifically the chamber of the cold room.

The operative state of the lighting means may be signalled by means of a second indicator lamp 14 which may be incorporated in the portable device 11 and/or in the fixed device 12 and, preferably, in the latter. The safety apparatus 10 may comprise an alarm device configured so that, once it has been activated, indicated for example in Figure 1 by means of the reference number 500, it may perform a countdown, with respect to a predefined time, and activates an alarm following completion of the countdown, and the electronic processor may be configured or programmed to carry out a timing operation C which involves the activation of said alarm device.

The operative state of the alarm device may be signalled by means of a third indicator lamp 15, which may indicate the activation of the countdown, and/or by means of a fourth indicator lamp 16 which may indicate an activated state and/or deactivated state of the alarm.

The third indicator lamp 15 and/or the fourth indicator lamp 16 may be incorporated in the portable device 11 and/or in the fixed device 12 and, preferably, in the latter.

In particular, the alarm device can be deactivated manually, for example by means of the portable device 11 , for example as shown in Figure 1 indicated by the reference number 600, so as to disable the alarm and allow a prolonged presence of an operator in the environment S, for example the chamber of the cold room, without activation of the alarm. In the operation C activation of the alarm device may be performed, and in particular the predefined time can be adjusted if necessary or may be automatically set depending on an ambient temperature set for the environment S, for example for the chamber of the cold room, or detected in the same environment S, for example in the chamber itself. In particular, the countdown may be performed by the alarm device following activation thereof or may be performed only in the case where the cold room is intended to function in such a way as to keep the temperature of the environment S below a predefined temperature, for example below -25°C.

The environment S, especially in the case where it consists of (or comprises) a cold room, may be provided with at least one sensor able to detect the presence or the access of a person to the said environment S, for example, may be provided with a movement sensor or a heart beat detection sensors, per se conventional; in this case, the electronic processor may be configured or programmed to carry out an operation D which may involve activating the at least one sensor, which is configured and positioned to detect the presence and/or a movement of an operator inside the chamber of the cold room.

A fifth indicator lamp 17 may be provided in order to signal an active state or inactive state of the movement sensor and it may be incorporated in the portable device 11 and/or in the fixed device 12, and preferably, in the latter.

Furthermore, in the operation D it may be envisaged activating an alarm if, following an activation of the movement sensor, namely if the latter detects a movement of an operator inside the chamber, the movement sensor does not detect a movement for a safety time period, namely it does not detect a movement once the safety time period has lapsed.

The safety time may be pre-set or may be adjustable or may be automatically set depending on an ambient temperature set for the chamber or detected inside the chamber. The fixed device 12 and/or the mobile device 11 may have an input interface connected to the electronic processor and configured to be operated by an operator in order to control operation of the refrigerating apparatus.

The input interface may be connected to the electronic processor in a physical manner, namely by means of electric or electronic connections, or in “wireless” mode, namely for example by means of a device for receiving and transmitting electromagnetic signals.

In this case, the electronic processor may be configured or programmed to carry an input disabling operation E, which involves disabling the input interface, namely the latter can be rendered non-operable by an operator in such a way that it is not possible to perform activation of the refrigerating apparatus, namely the possibility of performing activation of the refrigerating apparatus is prevented.

For example, the operation E may be performed in the case where the access condition 300 occurs, in such a way that activation of the refrigerating apparatus is prevented until the portable device 11, which is preferably associated with an operator, is situated inside the environment S or has entered within the perimeter P.

In other words, the safety apparatus 10 may be configured in such a way that, if an operator accesses the interior of the cold room, then the refrigerating apparatus cannot be activated, thereby ensuring the safety of the operator.

The input interface may be for example a display or a control panel of the refrigerating apparatus, and may be for example incorporated in the fixed device 12.

The fixed device 12 may comprise at least one graphic interface or visual indicator.

In this case, the electronic processor may be configured or programmed to carry out an operation F warning of the presence of an operator in the environment S or within the perimeter P.

In particular, the operation F may involve activating the visual indicator or operating the graphic interface so as to indicate the presence of an operator inside said environment S and/or the perimeter P.

In particular, a safety apparatus 10 may comprise either one of or both the input interface and the graphic interface or visual indicator which may be preferably incorporated in the fixed device 12.

The refrigerating apparatus furthermore may comprise ventilation means which are in fluid communication with the chamber and the cold exchanger and can be operated so as to promote a heat exchange by means of forced convection between the cold exchanger and environment S. In the case where the electronic processor is configured to perform the operation A, the latter may involve deactivating the ventilation means at the same time as or separately from the interruption or reduction of the heat exchange between cold exchanger and the environment S.

The active or inactive state of the ventilation means may be signalled by means of the first indicator lamp 13.

The controller of the fixed device 12 may also be configured so that, in the normal operating mode 100, it activates the cold room so as to regulate the temperature of the environment S to a set-point value, which can be set and adjusted by an operator by means of the fixed device 12 and/or the portable device 11.

The safety apparatus 10 may also comprise at least one, optionally, of the following safety sensors:

- a temperature sensor designed to detect an ambient temperature to which an operator, entering into the environment S, preferably a chamber of a cold room, is exposed; in this case, a sixth indicator lamp 18 may be provided in order to order signal an active state or inactive state of said temperature sensor and it may be incorporated in the portable device

11 and/or in the fixed device 12 and, preferably, in the latter; - a biometric sensor, designed to detect biometric data of a user, for example incorporated in the portable device 11 which may be configured to be worn so as to allow the biometric sensor to detect biometric data, such as the heat beat rate, of an operator wearing said portable device 11 ; in this case, a seventh indicator lamp 19 may be provided in order to signal if data detected by said biometric sensor fall within predefined safety limits; this seventh indicator lamp 19 may be incorporated in the portable device 11 and/or in the fixed device 12, and preferably, incorporated in both of them;

- a light sensor designed to detect a light intensity in the environment A so as to detect possible insufficient lighting which may affect the visibility inside the environment S, preferably inside the chamber of a cold room; in this case, an eighth indicator lamp 20 may be provided in order to signal whether data detected by said light sensor complies with predefined safety limits; this eighth indicator lamp 20 may be incorporated in the portable device 11 and/or in the fixed device 12;

- a gas sensor designed to detect the presence of one or more specific gases in the environment A or detect a quantity thereof greater than a predefined threshold; for example said sensor may be intended to detect a carbon dioxide level which exceeds a safety threshold in the environment S; in this case, a ninth indicator lamp may be provided in order to signal whether said gas sensor detects a dangerous condition of the environment S; said ninth indicator lamp may be incorporated in the portable device 11 and/or in the fixed device 12;

- an acoustic sensor designed to detect the activity of an operator within the environment S by means of detection of the sounds resulting from said activity, aimed at deducing whether the operator has fainted and lost consciousness if, for a predefined safety time period, the acoustic sensor does not detect any noise inside the environment S, preferably inside the chamber of a cold room; it may therefore be envisaged that the electronic processor zeroes a safety timer whenever the acoustic sensor detects a sound which exceeds a predefined threshold; where instead the timer reaches the predefined time limit, the electronic processor activates an alarm; in this case, a tenth indicator lamp 21 may be designed to signal whether said acoustic sensor is active, is activated and/or whether it has not detected noise beyond the predefined threshold for a time period equal to or exceeding the pre-set limit of the environment S; said tenth indicator lamp 21 may be incorporated in the portable device 11 and/or in the fixed device 12;

- a radiation sensor and/or a humidity sensor and/or an electric sensor and/or a high- voltage sensor, respectively designed to detect radiation inside the environment S which is harmful for an operator, a quantity of moisture (in the form of vapour and/or condensation) such as to render dangerous the movement and the presence of the operator inside the environment S, preferably inside the chamber of a cold room, for example owing to the risk of slipping, the presence of currents induced by or resulting from stray currents or the presence of a high-voltage condition which could endanger the operator; in this case, respective indicator lamps may be provided, these being indicated in Figure 1 by the reference numbers 21 to 24 and being respectively designed to signal whether the radiation sensor has detected in the environment S harmful radiation beyond a predefined threshold, or whether the humidity sensor has detected dangerous conditions, for example slippery conditions, or whether the electric sensor has detected stray currents or whether the high-voltage sensor has detected the risk of electric shocks for the operator.

The electronic processor, which may be preferably mainly incorporated in the fixed device 12, may be designed or programmed to carry out a cyclical verification operation 600 designed to check cyclically whether, following the occurrence of an access condition 300, the exit of the mobile device 11 from the environment S or further crossing of the perimeter P, and therefore exiting from said perimeter, has been detected.

The electronic processor may be configured or programmed so that:

- if the outcome of this cyclical verification operation 600 is positive, the electronic processor operates the controller so as to cause switching of the refrigerating apparatus to the normal operating mode 100;

- if the outcome of this cyclical verification operation 600 is negative, the electronic processor activates a monitoring operation 700, which involves checking whether at least one of the aforementioned safety sensors detects a danger condition for an operator inside the environment S, such as the chamber of a cold room.

The electronic processor may be configured or programmed so that:

- if the outcome of the monitoring operation 700 is negative, reference number 701, it is repeated;

- if the outcome of the monitoring operation 700 is positive, reference number 702, an alarm procedure 800 is triggered and may result in the activation of the safety device with, for example, at least one of the following:

- activation of a siren 901 ;

- activation of a visual alarm signal 902, which may comprise lighting-up of one of said indicator lamps 15-24 in order to signal to any rescue workers the origin of the alarm condition; for example Figure 1 shows by way example the situation where the fifth indicator lamp 17 lights up, this indicating that no movement inside the room has been detected, this leading to the assumption that the operator may have fallen and/or lost consciousness inside the room.

In order to prevent false alarm situations, while ensuring the safety of an operator who accesses the environment S, such as a chamber of a cold room, as already described above, the alarm device can be deactivated manually, for example by means of the portable device 11 , for example as indicated in Figure 1 by means of the reference number 600, so as to disable the alarm and allow the prolonged presence of an operator in the cold room without activation of the alarm.

It can therefore be understood how a solution in accordance with the present invention is able to achieve the predefined objects and task, in particular ensuring a greatly increased level of safety for the persons operating within cold rooms.

The subject-matter of the present disclosure has been described hitherto with reference to its embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments relating to the same inventive idea may exist, all of these falling within the scope of protection of the claims which are attached below. Moreover, all the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

Where the operational characteristics and the techniques mentioned in the following claims are followed by reference numbers or symbols, these reference numbers or symbols have been assigned with the sole purpose of facilitating understanding of the said claims and consequently they do not limit in any way the interpretation of each element which is identified, purely by way of example, by said reference numbers or symbols.