BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a prior art freshness maintaining apparatus;
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the electric lines of force showing distribution and a direction of an electric field in a single shelf of the prior art freshness maintaining apparatus depicted in the FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic depiction illustrating a structure of a freshness maintaining apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment described herein;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional exemplary depiction illustrating a shelf according to an exemplary embodiment described herein;
FIG. 5 is an exemplary depiction illustrating a structure in which an electrode is electrically connected to a power supply unit in the shelf of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an exemplary depiction illustrating simulation results of a distribution of the electric lines of force showing uniformity and density of an electric field at a point when a voltage is supplied from the power supply unit as described herein; and
FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are diagrams illustrating a distance controller used to control a distance between the shelves of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The exemplary embodiments are described below in order to explain the apparatus and the method described herein by referring to the figures.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a freshness maintaining apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, the freshness maintaining apparatus 300 includes a plurality of shelves 310 and a power supply unit 320.
The plurality of shelves 310 each contain an electrode (illustrated in FIG. 4). An object whose preservation is desired may be located on the plurality of shelves 310. As shown in the FIG. 3, in an exemplary embodiment, the surface of the electrode can be flat. The electrode may have at least one surface that has a cross-sectional geometry that is square, rectangular, triangular, circular, or polygonal. Also, the plurality of shelves 310 are parallel with each other.
The power supply unit 320 is in electrical communication with the plate-shaped electrodes disposed within each shelf 310. As noted above, the power supply unit 320 supplies a current of alternating electric polarity to the adjacent plate-shaped electrodes. In other words, as can be seen in the FIG. 3, when the power supply unit 320 supplies current having a positive polarity to a first electrode disposed within an first shelf 310, it supplies current having a negative polarity to a second electrode disposed within a second shelf 310 that is situated adjacent to the first electrode 310, while at the same time supplying current having a positive polarity to a third electrode disposed within a third shelf 310. Thus alternating electrodes in the freshness maintaining apparatus are supplied with electrical currents having an opposing polarity. As can be seen in the FIG. 3, the first and the third shelves are disposed on opposing faces of the second shelf.
When an alternating current is supplied to the electrodes, the alternating current promotes a reversal of polarity of the electrodes. After a while, the power supply unit supplies current having a negative polarity to a first electrode disposed in the first shelf 310, and supplies current having a positive polarity to a second electrode disposed in the second shelf that is disposed adjacent to the first electrode, while at the same time supplying current having a negative polarity to a third electrode disposed in the third shelf. Thus the first electrode and the third electrode alternate between having a positive polarity and a negative polarity, while at the same time, the second electrode alternates between having a negative polarity and a positive polarity.
In addition, the power supply unit 320 may supply a voltage, which is synthesized by at least one of a pulse voltage, an alternating current (AC) voltage and direct current (DC) voltage. The alternating electric field 330 is formed in a vertical direction by supplying a varying voltage.
The electrode in the plurality of shelves 310 is in electrical communication with the power supply unit 320 via the electrode connector 340. As illustrated in the FIG. 3, the plurality of shelves 310 are in parallel with each other and the electrical lines of force between a pair of shelves are opposedly disposed when compared with the electrical lines of force between a neighboring pair of shelves. For example, the electrical lines of force between the first and second shelves are opposedly disposed to the electrical lines of force between the second and third shelves. Consequently, the electric lines of force on a top and a bottom of the shelves 310 are so densely formed so that the ion flux in a microorganism is controlled to cause a disruption in an electrochemical balance of the microorganism. Conversely, electric lines of force on the top and the bottom of the shelves are thinly formed on the prior art freshness maintaining apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a shelf 310 according to another exemplary embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 4, the shelf 310 according to the exemplary embodiment includes an electrode 311 and an electrically insulating material 312. The electrically insulating material can be a dielectric. The electrically insulating material generally has an electrical resistivity greater than or equal to about 1012 ohm-cm.
The electrode 311 forms an electric field between the shelves 310, and is made of and electrically conducting material such as metals, conducting metal oxides or polymers. Examples of metals are gold (Au), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing metals. Examples of electrically conducting metal oxides are indium tin oxide (ITO), antimony tin oxide, tin oxide, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing electrically conducting metal oxides. Exemplary conducting polymers are polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, or the like, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing conductive polymers. A metal whose tendency to ionize is less than that of the aforementioned metals may be coated on a metal surface of the electrode 311.
The dielectric material 312 prevents the electrode 311 from making direct contact with an object in the apparatus, and is for electrical insulation from an external environment. Examples of electrically insulating dielectric materials are glass, alumina, teflon, TiO2, BaTiO3, polyimide, polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyvinylalcohol, polycarbonate, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene; polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate; polyvinylphenol, benzocyclobutene(BCB), parylene-C, 2-amino-4,5-imidazoledicarbonitrile, metal phthalocyanine, LiF, silicon dioxide, a silicon nitride or derivatives thereof, aluminum oxide (Al2O3), Ta2O5, AlN, AlON, La2O5, BaZrTiO3, PbZrTiO3, and an inorganic selected from derivatives of any one of the above inorganic compounds. The shelves of the present invention are not limited to those illustrated in FIG. 4, and a structure made of the dielectric material or a material surrounded by the dielectric material capable of electrical insulation, are sufficient for a structure for the shelves.
The encapsulation of the electrode by an electrically insulating material promotes the user's safety since direct contact by the user is prevented.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a structure in which the electrode 311 is electrically connected to the power supply unit 320 in the shelves 310 of FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 5, a power supply connector 350 of the power supply unit 320 is in electrical communication with the electrode connector 340 of FIG. 3 made of a conductive material. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the electrode 311 of the shelves 310 is in electrical communication with the power supply connector 350, which is also in electrical communication with the power supply unit 320 of FIG. 3. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the shelves 310 of FIG. 3 are alternatingly in electrical communication with the power supply connector 350 via the electrode connector 340 of FIG. 3. Accordingly, an alternating electric polarity of the electrode 311 included in the shelves 310 is formed, and the electric polarity of the electrode 311 of FIG. 3 periodically alternates between positive and negative when a voltage, supplied from the power supply unit 350 of FIG. 3, is an oscillating voltage such as an AC voltage.
As described above, when the oscillating voltage is harmonic or alternating, an external electric field functions as a periodical force not only on all ions in a plasma membrane but also on all ions in a protein channel. The external periodical force forces all ions to vibrate. When an amplitude of the oscillation of the ions is greater than a predetermined threshold, the oscillating ions may give an erroneous signal of “open and close signal” of the protein channel, i.e. a voltage channel. It is desired that the oscillating voltage is less than 10 kV considering ozone between the shelves 310. This phenomenon disrupts an electrochemical balance of the cell membrane, subsequently hinders the entire function of the cell.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating simulation results of a distribution of the electric lines of force showing uniformity and density of an electric field at a point when a voltage is supplied from the power supply unit according to an exemplary embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6, the electric lines of force are dense on top of the shelves 310 of FIG. 3 where an object such as food whose preservation is desired is actually located, and uniformity becomes lower and becomes relatively sparse as the electric lines of force near a wall of the freshness maintaining apparatus 300 of FIG. 3, from the shelves 310 of FIG. 3. Thus, according to the freshness maintaining apparatus 300 of FIG. 3, an ion flux in the microorganism may be easily controlled using the electrode formed with the alternating electric polarity.
FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are diagrams illustrating a distance controller to control a distance between the shelves 310 of FIG. 3.
Referring to FIG. 7A, the distance controller according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a motor 710, a rack 720 and a pinion 730. A distance between the shelves 310 of FIG. 3 may be automatically controlled by connecting the motor 710 to the pinion 730. Namely, when the pinion 730 rotates according to the operation of the motor 710 by connecting the motor 710 to the pinion 730, the rack 720, engaged with the pinion 730, rotates according to the rotation of the pinion 730, and the distance between the shelves 310 of FIG. 3 may be controlled according to the rotation of the rack 720.
In another embodiment, the plurality of electrode units may be configured to automatically ascend or descend by mounting a sensor and measuring a height of an object on a housing member of the maintaining apparatus, and the distance between the electrodes of the multiple electrode units may be controlled since a user controls the distance using a control button without the sensor.
Referring now to FIG. 7B, the distance controller according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a shelf which is supported by an X shaped link 740, the X shaped link 740 has a groove and a protrusion, and a location of the X shaped link 740 may be vertically controlled by a control button since the link is connected to a motor.
According to the present invention, there is provided a freshness maintaining apparatus having an electrode structure, the electrode structure forming an alternating electric polarity of the electrode.
Also, according to the present invention, there is provided a freshness maintaining apparatus, which can break an electrochemical balance of a microorganism by controlling an ion flux in the microorganism using an electrode forming an alternating electric polarity.
Also, according to the present invention, there is provided a freshness maintaining apparatus, which can promote user's safety since direct contact by the user is prevented by covering a metal electrode of shelves of the freshness maintaining apparatus with a dielectric material.
Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.
Patent Application
20080056938
