COMPLETE SPECIFICATION OF THE INVENTION
"ELECTRONIC MILK ALARM SYSTEM"
"Electronic Milk Alarms System" is a device used to provide audio &/or visual alarm & / or other suitable means to alert user(s) before the milk starts to spills over during heating.
People have been consuming milk for centuries. For hygienic reasons, to increase its life (avoiding it turning sour) etc., it needs to be boiled. With the fast changing life style one avoids or has less time to unnecessary stand in front of stove/ heater to check the condition of milk to avoid it's spilling over. It is particularly uncomfortable in certain seasons due to heat & humidity. At times people just forget that they have kept milk for boiling over stove and realize only when they hear / smell burning milk etc.
In case milk spills over, it makes a mess for cleaning. Some times the flame of gas burner (LPG / Kerosene/ CNG / Natural Gas etc.) may go off due to spilling of milk resulting in un-burnt gases to accumulate which may pose a risk hazard. In case of electric heater it may short - circuit the heater etc.
Many people minimize the heating rate of stove, use bigger / open / wide mouthed utensils etc so that milk does not spill over and they can switch off the stove when ever they realize so or feel convenient. In this process they waste lot of energy by unnecessarily re-heating milk over and over again.
"Electronic milk Alarm" provides audio and/ or visual alarm and / or other suitable means to alert user(s) to monitor the milk just before spilling of
starts. Thus time / attention required for milk boiling is reduced to great extent using Electronic milk Alarm.
System uses food grade material wherever there is contact with the milk during normal working conditions.
Some people use 'Milk Cooker' where in milk is indirectly heated through water/air trapped in the bottom (base) hollow space of the milk cooker. The cooker gives whistle (due to increase in pressure when heated), thus alerting user(s). The milk cooker has following shortcomings (list not exhaustive):
1. It consumes extra energy due to indirect heating of milk (due to hollow base & transferring heat through Water/air, both being bad conductor of heat as compared to Metals).
2. Cookers are fixed capacity utensils. One has to buy a higher capacity cooker to Heat/ Boil milk each time user's consumption/ demand goes up (assuming user(s) buy cooker according to their requirement).
Electronic Milk Alarm System is a system to provide audio & visual Alarm to user(s) when heating/boiling milk before the milk starts to spills over the utensil. The electronic milk alarm system uses (either / or combination(s) of the followings)
a) Temperature Sensors/Switch (Thermister, Bimetallic, Bipolar, and Infrared etc.),
b) Surface Level changes.
c) Surface Conditions changes etc.
to detect when milk is about to spill over and accordingly actuate the circuit for a flash-light as visual signal and/or Buzzer for audio signals, and / or to actuators to close Heat source etc.
The electronic milk alarm system having temperature sensors uses external power {D.C. / A.C. supply etc.} for the circuit to function which generates signal for Alarm to be further activated. In case of temperature switches, the circuit does not use external power for switching (sensing temperature) but only the alarming section (audio and / or visual etc.) uses the external source for Actuation.
When heated, the milk level starts to rise at around 99° C under atmospheric conditions (at mean sea level). The electronic milk alarm system suitably actuates the Audio &/or Visual alarm etc., considering the sensor errors along with the time for the user to react to switch off the heat source etc.
The Electronic milk alarm system may use housing for the sensors. In case of Temperature based alarm, sensing can be done either through use of sensors physically touching milk through probes or through use of non contact sensors such as infrared sensor's etc. The probes used for physically detecting temperature by dipping in milk are of food grade material.
Temperature sensing can further be divided as use of temperature sensor or temperature switch. As milk is heated, its temperature rises. Temperature sensor detects change in temperature & provides details to the circuit. The circuit uses a reference for the comparison of signal generated by sensor with that of reference point. When the sensor's signal exceeds or decreases with that of the reference, the circuit further processes signal and a path is provided for the Alarm actuation. With help of suitable means, reference signal can be re-adjusted according to the user's requirements. E.g. through use of variable resistance etc.
In Case of temperature switch, the switch acts as reference point (normally preset) which uses the thermal heat to actuate without use of electronic circuitry & provides path for the alarm to actuate. Temperature switch includes bimetallic switches etc. which open / close depending on the temperature exposed to.
Surface level changes occur when heating / boiling milk. This can be detected through various means as ultra-sonic sensors, tilt switches, etc. Similarly surface condition changes occur when heating/boiling milk in terms of a layer of cream formed at the top. This can be detected thro' various means as l/R sensors etc.
The Electronic milk alarm system can also use wireless to provide (Audio, Video and/or other means) to alert the users. Electronic milk alarm system can further provide signal to devices to automatically close heat source(s).
Diagram 1 represents the system. 'A' is a temperature sensor providing the parameters for comparison with a reference preset 'B'. C is the control circuit for actuating the Alarms. 'D' generates Audio and/ or Visual Alarms.
Diagram 2 represents 'E' is a temperature switch actuating Alarm.
Diagram 3 represents Additional attachment / actuator for closing Heat source automatically. 'M' represents a actuator (motor and/or switch etc.) to turn off heat source.

Claims:
I claim,
1. The 'Electronic Milk Alarm system' to provide Audio &/or Visual
Alarms, &/or other suitable means to alert user(s) before milk starts to
spills over.
A device using sensor and/ or Switch to detect parameters) as Temperature, Surface Level, Surface Conditions etc. & generating signal for actuating the Alarms for milk.
2. Electronic Milk Alarm system of claim 1 may further comprise of use of direct or indirect contact with the milk or utensil for switching Alarms.
3. Electronic Milk Alarm system of claim 1 may further comprise of additional electro- mechanical accessory which uses signal generated by electronic Milk Alarm system to further initialize automatic closure of heat source using actuators etc.
4. Electronic Milk Alarm system of claim 1 may further comprise of electronic wireless device for providing Alarm before milk spills, remotely.