IT202200023475A1 - DEVICE FOR DETECTING A PROPERTY OF A LIQUID - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Attached to a patent application for an INDUSTRIAL INVENTION having as its title

?DEVICE FOR DETECTING A PROPERTY? OF A

LIQUID?

The present invention relates to a device for detecting at least one property of a liquid contained in a container.

The present invention is part of the sector of production and storage of liquids, even for long periods, which require monitoring the properties of liquids while they are stored or undergo transformation processes in various stages. The present invention can find use in various sectors, including the chemical-industrial, food, cosmetic and similar sectors. In particular, the aforementioned liquids are placed in suitable containers and over time can undergo various physical changes (temperature variations, evaporation, coagulation, decantation) with consequent variation of the physical properties (such as volume, temperature, pressure, density, physical state) and chemical properties (oxidation, fermentation, acidification).

For a company operating in these sectors, it is therefore of fundamental importance to discern the evolution of these changes and, above all, to distinguish and identify unwanted changes from desired ones. In particular, the present invention is particularly advantageous when applied in the wine sector. For example, within the wine production chain, the present invention can be used as a work tool to support the maturation process in wood, the last process prior to bottling the wine.

The maturation of a wine is the period necessary for the wine to harmonize its components, where the wine is placed in appropriate containers for a minimum period of about three months up to longer periods of about four or five years. Generally, this maturation occurs in inert containers, made for example of steel, fiberglass or cement. For more structured wines, wooden containers are often chosen which can be large barrels (10 or 20 hl) or small ones (2 or 4 hl).

During the refinement of wine, various phenomena occur that can be physical (sedimentation or flocculation of suspended substances, evaporation of volatile substances) or chemical, that is, the transformation or combination of substances present in the wine. These chemical reactions are of various nature (esterification, polymerization) but the most significant are attributable to oxidations induced by oxygen present in the air or dissolved in the wine.

The methods by which the wine is stored (storage rooms, control of humidity, temperature, light and odors) are very important for maturation, depending on the properties of the container used (capacity, material, physical layout) and the properties of the environment (temperature, humidity) in which the process takes place. One of the major problems is the more or less intense losses caused by evaporation of the product, with a significant economic impact in terms of a lower volume of final product available on the market. Evaporation of the product during maturation requires continuous monitoring to control the associated risks and to plan appropriate corrective actions, such as "topping up", i.e. the introduction of more wine into the barrel to fill the level of evaporated wine.

Furthermore, due to evaporation, an excessive volume of oxygen can accumulate in the barrel and a large surface area of the product can be exposed to it, triggering chemical processes (oxidation) outside the control of the producer.

Producers in the above-mentioned sectors, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises, and even more so in the wine sector, need to carry out checks to assess the physical and chemical state of liquids. Disadvantageously, such checks rely on methods that are highly dependent on the experience of their operators, who perform subjective sensory assessments and manual empirical checks, with a large margin of human error and poor precision.

When checking the state of the liquid inside the containers, a manual visual check is still in use by periodically opening the container containing the liquid of interest. For the chemical properties, the above-mentioned producers rely on chemical analysis laboratories, often external to the company, which periodically require samples of the liquid to be taken to perform expensive analyses to evaluate these properties.

This type of control involves a great risk of contamination of the liquid contained as contaminants or, generally, air including oxygen, can be introduced during the sampling due to the opening of the container or by incorrect sterilization of the sampling instrument.

Recently, the prior art has seen the emergence of new tools to support the monitoring process of the state of liquids placed in containers that are able to overcome such practices, thanks to the application of already mature techniques, technologies and tools. These new technologies introduce the use of detection devices or sensors applied on site to monitor the aforementioned properties. The adoption of these new technologies allows manufacturers to streamline several of the processes previously mentioned, with obvious time savings, risk reduction and greater process control, being able to monitor and collect data without incurring human errors.

Unfortunately, these new solutions also have some unresolved drawbacks.

In particular, a first disadvantage is given by the fact that the known type of sensors require physical contact with the liquid contained in the container in order to carry out measurements on the properties of interest. Such sensors are arranged inside said containers or cyclically introduced with appropriate probes. Disadvantageously, even the simple contact between the sensor and the contained liquid can cause unwanted effects impacting the physical or chemical state of the liquid.

Furthermore, these technologies, in addition to being expensive, can also require non-negligible energy consumption. Consequently, the use of such sensors weighs further on the total investment cost also due to the operational maintenance cost of such sensors. Since these technologies are often used jointly within a work area, such costs increase proportionally to the number of devices used.

Furthermore, these technologies mostly use centralized data management and consultation systems. These systems often require remote processing units that make consultation difficult for operators present in the work area.

Furthermore, these known technologies are quite sophisticated and can make data interpretation difficult for operators without adequate technical knowledge.

The technical task of the present invention is therefore to provide a device for the detection of at least one physical property and/or of a liquid contained in a container which is free from the drawbacks that have emerged from the prior art.

In particular, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for detecting at least one property of a liquid contained in a container, wherein such property is indicative of the physical or chemical state of the liquid present in a container, and in particular for detecting variations in the volume of a liquid or tracking the evaporation of a liquid or monitoring the composition of the liquid, wherein said device performs a remote detection and without contact with the liquid, avoiding possible contamination of the liquid.

A further technical aim of the present invention is to provide a device for the detection of at least one property of a liquid contained in a container which is able to guarantee detection without the need to open the container and, preferably, guaranteeing a hermetic seal of the container.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a device for the detection of at least one property of a liquid contained in a container which allows the detection to be carried out without the presence of elements in contact with the liquid present inside the container.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a device for the detection of at least one property of a liquid contained in a container in which such a device requires low energy consumption.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a device for the detection of at least one property of a liquid contained in a container in which such device allows the possibility of obtaining feedback on the properties of the liquid to an operator from within the work area in an immediate and simple manner.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a system for monitoring a plurality of liquid containers present within a work area which allows the exploitation of an optimised number of devices to guarantee economies of scale in terms of investment costs and overall energy consumption.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a method for monitoring a plurality of liquid containers present within a work area that can be exploited by the above-mentioned system to allow the exploitation of an optimised number of devices to ensure economies of scale in terms of investment costs and overall energy consumption.

The specified technical task and the specified purpose are fully achieved by a device for detecting at least one physical property of a liquid contained in a container comprising the technical characteristics set out in one or more of the appended claims.

In particular, the sensing device detects at least one property of a liquid contained in a container without being in contact with the liquid itself. Preferably, this property is a property indicative of the evaporation rate and/or the volume of the liquid and/or the composition of the liquid and/or the oxidation rate of the liquid. This device is configured to make a watertight connection with the container.

Furthermore, such a device is configured to be energy efficient and easily engageable by an operator and whose information relating to the detected properties can be directly consulted from within the work area where the devices are used. The specified technical task and the specified purposes are also achieved by a monitoring system of at least one property of a liquid contained in a plurality of containers, comprising a plurality of liquid containers located in the same work area; a plurality of detection devices, each coupled to a liquid container; wherein the devices are preferably fewer in number than the number of containers, each detection device being coupled to a respective container; and wherein the monitoring system comprises a processing unit configured to receive and process the signals emitted by said detection devices. Such a system is able to monitor such plurality of devices as a whole, obtaining information on the properties of each container, even if some of the containers are not equipped with said detection element. This system allows to exploit an optimized number of sensing devices, this number of devices being lower than the total number of containers, allowing to achieve economies of scale in terms of total investment and maintenance costs of such devices.

The specified technical task and the specified purposes are further achieved by a method of monitoring at least one property of a liquid contained in a plurality of containers which allows such monitoring of at least one property of a plurality of containers to be carried out by means of such detection devices, some of such containers being devoid of devices, so as to exploit an optimised number of detection devices and to allow the aforementioned economies of scale to be achieved.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the indicative, and therefore non-limiting, description of an embodiment of a device for the contactless detection of at least one physical property of a liquid contained in a container.

This description will be set out below with reference to the attached drawings, provided for indicative purposes only and therefore not limiting, in which: - Figure 1 is an overall view of a device for detecting at least one physical property of a liquid contained in a container, comprising a base body suitable for engaging inside a container and a support body suitable for being coupled to the base body;

- Figure 2 is an overall view of the device according to Figure 1, showing in detail the inside of the support body;

- Figure 3 is a sectional view of the device illustrated in Figure 1, showing in detail the internal components of the support body and the base body;

- Figure 4 is a sectional view of the device in Figure 3, illustrating the coupling to a container;

- Figure 5 is an overall view of a detection device according to Figure 1, illustrating the coupling to a container without the use of the base body;

- Figure 6 is an overall view of a detection device according to Figure 1, showing how the device is coupled to a container using a base body.

With reference to the attached figures, 1 indicates a device for the contactless detection of at least one physical property of a liquid contained in a container ?C?, where the container ?C? is used for the purpose of storing the liquid or employed during physical and chemical transformation processes of the liquid.

The purpose of the device 1 is to track and predict said at least one property of the liquid contained inside the container "C".

The present invention may find use in various sectors, including the chemical-industrial, food, cosmetic and similar production sectors.

Preferably, such a device is used in the wine sector. Even more preferably, such a device is associated with containers used in the maturation process of wine products, in particular wine, such as wooden barrels used for the wine maturation process.

Device 1 is designed to comply with the boundary conditions for being a product compatible with the environment in which this product is used, preferably compatible with the food world, and made of materials compatible with contact with food products, and designed to include protection methods from dust or splashes of water, wine or other components contained in the liquid.

The device 1 comprises a support body 3 that can be coupled to said container ?C?. In particular, the support body 3 has an overall geometry, preferably axisymmetric, developed around an axis ?A?, having a first end 4 and a distal end 5, where the distal end 5 is intended to be at least partially inserted inside said container ?C? when the support body 3 is operationally in use.

The device 1 comprises a detection element 6. This detection element 6 is mounted on the support body 3, preferably inside the support body 3, and is configured to face the inside of the container ?C? and the liquid contained therein. In particular, this detection element 6 detects a property of the liquid contained inside the container ?C? by means of electromagnetic radiation emitted by an appropriate emitter facing in the direction of this distal end 5, and in particular in the direction of the inside of the container ?C?. The emitted electromagnetic radiation interacts with the liquid inside the container ?C? and is modified by this interaction. Consequently, the detection element 6 is able to capture this variation by using an appropriate receiver and is configured to generate an identification signal corresponding to the detected property being analyzed. Advantageously, a detection measurement using electromagnetic radiation emissions does not require contact with the liquid inside the container ?C?, but rather requires contact with the liquid inside the container ?C?. that it can also be carried out remotely, provided that there are no obstacles blocking or shielding the beam of electromagnetic waves emitted and received by the detection element 6. Advantageously, this prevents the liquid from undergoing unwanted contact with the detection element 6, with the risk of contamination or unwanted alterations to its physical and chemical properties.

With reference to the present figures, the support body 3 has an external portion 7 and an internal portion 8. In particular, the external portion 7 is intended to be positioned at least partially outside said container ?C?, while the internal portion ? is intended to be positioned so as to be oriented towards the inside of the container 2, preferably, extending at least partially inside the container ?C? or extending to a hole ?F?, located on the surface of the container ?C? and communicating with the inside of the container ?C?.

The support body 3 can have different geometries and dimensions, which can vary depending on the container to which it must be associated and the coupling method with that container.

In the present embodiment, the external portion 7 comprises a tubular support structure 9, internally hollow, extending around the axis "A". This structure is intended to accommodate and support the electronic components internal to the device 1 and at least one autonomous, compact, and preferably battery-powered power supply element 10. The external portion 7 is defined longitudinally between a first end 12 and a second end 13, the first end 12 of the external portion 7 being substantially coincident with the first end 4 of the support body 3. The various internal components are arranged in a distributed manner within the external portion 7, preferably in layers and, if necessary, also protruding from the internal volume defined by the support structure 9.

The external section 7 of the device 1, in addition to housing the aforementioned electronics, further comprises a control unit (not shown), preferably equipped with a local data storage device (not shown), for managing and saving the data acquired locally, as well as sharing the data outside the device 1. The internal portion 8 also has an axisymmetric shape, developed around the same axis ?A?, more precisely with a substantially tubular or truncated cone shape and presenting an internal cavity 14 passing through, also developing around the axis ?A?. The internal portion 8 is defined longitudinally between a first end 15 and a second end 16. In particular, the second end 16 coincides with the distal end 5 of the support body 3. The internal portion 8 constitutes the element of the support body 3 suitable for participating in the coupling with the container ?C?.

The internal portion 8 may alternatively be a natural extension of the external portion 7 or, preferably, as a separate element but physically coupled to the external portion 7. In particular, in the present embodiment, the internal portion 8 is a separate element but solidly coupled with the external portion 7, where the second end 13 of the external portion is arranged in proximity, preferably adhering, to the first end 15 of the internal portion 8.

The internal portion 8 has a diameter smaller than or at most equal to the external portion 7. The internal portion 8 is fixed to the external portion 7 by means of appropriate fastening members 16.

The external portion 7 and the internal portion 8 are internally communicated, as both portions are hollow.

The detection element 6 can be arranged flexibly inside the support body as long as the emission of electromagnetic radiation and its reception are not hindered by intermediate components. For the purpose of example, such detection element 6 can be arranged at any point inside the internal cavity 14 of the internal body 8. To ensure the passage of electromagnetic wave radiation, the internal cavity 14 can alternatively be empty or at most contain a protective filling in transparent material to said emission of electromagnetic radiation which is capable of allowing the passage of electromagnetic radiation.

In the present embodiment, the detection element 6 is arranged entirely internally to said external position 7, facing the liquid contained inside the container ?C?, so as to be able to emit electromagnetic radiation in the direction of the distal end 5 of the support body 3, this defining exclusively a transit region of the electromagnetic radiation associated with the detection element 6. Such electromagnetic radiation passes through the internal cavity of the internal portion 8, exiting from the second end 16 of the internal portion 8 inside the container ?C?. The return of the electromagnetic waves reflected by the liquid follows the same path but in the opposite direction. Preferably, the container ?C? has a suitable hole ?F?, located on the surface of the container ?C? and communicating with the inside of the container ?C?.

For example, we can refer to the container ?C? equipped with a hole ?F? and a barrel containing wine and featuring a bunghole.

The device 1 is inserted or insertable into the hole ?F? by a form-fitting connection between the internal end 8 of the support body 3 and the internal walls of the hole ?F?, provided that the diameter of the internal end 8 is sized so that it can be inserted into the hole ?F? by a form-fitting connection and kept stably in position by mechanical interference.

In the present embodiment, preferably the support body 3 is configured overall in the shape of a pin, arranged or available at least partially in the hole ?F?.

Advantageously, this geometry allows the device to act as a ?plug? inside the bunghole.

Advantageously, the device 1 allows to detect the properties of the liquid contained inside the container ?C? not only without coming into contact with the liquid itself but also by being able to be kept in position for prolonged use, isolating the inside of the container ?C? from the outside and preventing air components, such as oxygen, from penetrating inside the tank itself.

The support body 3 has a removable cover 17 on the top. This cover has a shape that is preferably dome-shaped or cup-shaped, which can be inserted and stably fixed for shape compatibility, preferably by interlocking, to the external portion 7. In particular, this cover 17 is arranged all around the external portion 7 and the electronic components contained inside or in proximity to the external portion 7, such as for example the control unit and the power supply unit 10. The cover 17 is preferably fixable in proximity to the second end 13 of the external portion 7, and is intended to remain operationally outside the container "C". Alternatively, the cover 17 can be fixed to the external portion 7 by means of screw fixing members arranged transversely to the surface of the cover 17 itself.

This geometry allows for easy manipulation of the device 1 by an operator during the positioning operations, but above all the extraction, of the device 1 inside the hole ?F? of the container ?C?. Furthermore, an operator is able to access the internal components of the device 1 to carry out the appropriate cleaning and maintenance operations.

The device 1 may further comprise a base body 100, in the shape of a hollow ring or tubular element made of elastic material, applied or hermetically applicable to the hole ?F? of the container ?C?. Preferably, this base body 100 is made of silicone material.

This base body 100 can be used as an additional intermediary element between the support body 3 and the container hole ?F?.

The base body 100 has a central hole 101 arranged axially passing through the base body 100 and intended to receive the lower portion 8 of the support body 3. The central hole 101 is sized to preferably allow this lower portion 8 to determine an elastic widening of the central hole 101 and a hermetic compression of the base body 100 against the hole ?F? of the container. To reinforce this compression, the inside of the central hole 101 may include variations in diameter resulting in reliefs 102, intended to strengthen the coupling between the internal portion of the internal portion 8 of the support body 3 and the central hole 101.

The base body 100 is arranged or available reversibly at least partially inside the hole ?F? of the container ?C?. The base body is externally constituted in such a way as to provide a grip against the walls of the hole ?F? by means of appropriate extensions, arranged transversally as a projection preferably at the ends of the base body 100, allowing the base body 100 to arrange itself in a ?U? shape all around the walls of the hole ?F?. In particular, the base body 100 has a first extension 103, arranged on a first end 104, intended to be inserted inside the hole ?F? and a second extension 105 arranged on a second end 106 intended to be arranged outside the hole ?F?. The second extension 105 is placed adherently on the external surface of the container ?C? and is made in such a way as to be mutually connectable with the support body 3 so as to create a hermetic seal with the latter. In particular, the support body 3 may further comprise a coupling portion 18, substantially L-shaped or S-shaped and preferably arranged entirely around the support body 3 itself, close to the first end 15 of the internal section 8. This coupling portion forms a concavity 19 with the support body 8 itself, the opening of which is oriented in the direction of the distal end 5 of the support body 3. The coupling portion 18 is available at least partially around the external portion 8 and internally accommodates the concavity 19 entirely or at least partially of the second portion 106 of the base body 100 so as to create a connection for shape compatibility, preferably keeping this connection stable by means of mechanical interference. Preferably, the second portion 106 may comprises a third extension 107, also arranged transversely with respect to the second portion 106, which can be inserted inside the concavity 19 while the second extension 105 can remain outside the concavity 19, acting as a support bearing for the coupling portion 18 when the support body 3 is coupled with the base body 100. Advantageously, this composition of the base body 100, in addition to ensuring a more effective connection in terms of insulation of the inside of the container, protects the surface of the container ?C? and/or the hole ?F? from wear caused by friction during coupling with the support body 3.

Alternatively, such third extension 106 can couple with the coupling portion 18 by means of an auxiliary connecting member 200, of substantially hollow tubular shape. Such auxiliary connecting member 200 can be connected by means of a first group of gripping members 201 around the base portion 100 and a second group of gripping members 202 to the support body which can be inserted into the concavity 19 and making an interference connection.

Advantageously, such auxiliary connecting member 200 can be made of a different material than the base body 100.

Preferably alternatively, to ensure a better hermetic seal between the support body 3 and the base body 100, the gripping members 202 of the auxiliary connecting member 200 may have a thread arranged all around to make a reversible screw connection with the support body 3, in particular, with a counter thread arranged inside the concavity 19.

The detection element 6 preferably consists of a laser and/or Lidar optical sensor, capable of detecting the properties of the liquid inside the container by emitting electromagnetic waves, preferably having an analysis area consisting of a solid detection angle between 5? and 30?, more preferably between 15? and 20?. The internal detection element is calibrated so as to allow the electromagnetic waves to pass through the internal cavity 14 of the internal section 8 without touching the walls of the internal cavity 14.

Preferably, the container "C" should be oriented in such a way that the emitted electromagnetic waves strike the surface of the liquid at an angle as close as possible to 90°, in order to optimize the reflection as much as possible. However, by allowing a solid angle of different openings, it also allows reading in the case of oblique arrangements of the detection element 6 with respect to the surface of the liquid.

The detection element 6 is preferably arranged on a first printed circuit board 20, and comprises a laser and/or Lidar emitter and an optical detector. This first board 20 comprises processing organs capable of converting the reflected electromagnetic emission received in response from the liquid into an identification signal transmittable outside the device 1.

The properties of the liquid analyzed by the detection element 6 are chosen in such a way as to obtain feedback on the state of the liquid, in particular, to analyze the presence of any variations in volume due to evaporation or other chemical phenomena.

The sensing element 6 can detect properties including the temperature of the liquid, the level of the liquid inside the container, the density of the liquid, or the composition of the liquid by spectroscopic analysis.

With reference to the wine sector, these properties of the liquid are particularly useful for monitoring the wine maturation process. Knowing the temperature of the liquid in real time allows you to estimate how the product (wine) is evolving in terms of chemical reactions. Similarly, based on the level of the liquid, the evaporation rate detected is evaluated accordingly. This allows you to know in advance any necessary corrective actions, leading to a drastic reduction in the time by the producer in carrying out this detection.

In particular, spectroscopic analysis is used to identify the concentration of oxygen in the liquid or in the atmosphere inside the container "C". Monitoring the oxygen concentration is essential to identify the quantities of oxygen that have penetrated the container "C" from the outside rather than predicting the oxidation reactions that the contained liquid may undergo.

Furthermore, the sensing element 6 ensures the possibility of evaluating the level of the wine and its temperature without having to lift or extract the sensing device to carry out an inspection, thus avoiding large quantities of oxygen entering the container and compromising the quality of the final product.

Advantageously, the use of a laser-emitting optical sensor or Lidar has low power consumption, thus allowing to limit the overall power consumption of the device 1.

An additional advantage is the ease of cleaning or maintenance of the sensor itself as it does not operate in contact with the liquid.

In addition to the sensing element 6, the device may also comprise at least one auxiliary sensing element (not shown), configured to detect at least one property of the environment outside the container ?C?. In particular, this auxiliary sensing element may be incorporated inside the external portion 7 of the device 1 so as to face the environment outside the container ?C?. The auxiliary sensing element preferably comprises a temperature sensor and/or hygrometer and/or barometer. In particular, knowing the temperature immediately surrounding the container ?C? may allow for the identification of any temperature gradients that form within a work area, a particularly important detail in processes related to the wine-growing sector and in particular, in the case of the wine maturation process.

Similarly, knowing the height above the floor at which the detection device and, consequently, the container is located, by measuring the atmospheric pressure using a barometer, allows us to identify the temperature variation due to the stratification of the air away from the ground. This factor is particularly important because some containers may be exposed to different temperature gradients if they are placed vertically at different positions within a work area.

By means of the hygrometer, on the other hand, it is possible to obtain information regarding the overall humidity and evaporation rate deferred in various points of a work area, an aspect that can impact the temperature of an environment and how this can influence a container "C".

Furthermore, the auxiliary sensing element may comprise an accelerometer configured to measure the change in positioning of the device 1 with respect to the container ?C?. The device 1 is able to automatically detect that it has been removed from the container ?C?, and therefore can potentially be programmed not to record further data relating to the properties of the liquid or the environment of interest until it is repositioned. In this manner, there is no risk of detecting false data.

Device 1 also uses the accelerometer to recognize the inclination angle of container “C” in order to optimize the readings by detection element 6.

The auxiliary detection element also includes processing organs capable of converting the detection carried out into signals that can be transmitted outside the device.

The device 1 may further comprise an interface 21 arranged on the cover 17 which can be engaged by an operator. In particular, such interface 21 is designed to provide a signal, visual and/or audible, which identifies the state of the device 1, or in other words, the state of at least one property detected by said detection element 6 and/or said auxiliary detection element.

The device generates the visual signal by means of one or more low-energy LED lighting devices, preferably RGB LEDs, arranged on a second printed circuit board 22 arranged inside the external section 7 of the support body 3.

The interface 21 includes a semi-transparent band 23 integrated into the cover 17 that allows the passage of light transmitted by the RGB LED to the outside of the device 1.

In particular, the transmission of light between the RGB LED and the semi-transparent band 23 occurs by means of a guide 24. For the purpose of example, this guide 24 can be made with characteristics of conduction of the emitted light, made of fiber optic material, or with reflective characteristics, made of a mirror. This guide 24 is made of a curved surface, appropriately shaped to allow the transmission of light towards the semi-transparent band 23. Through flashes and different colors, the band 23 provides feedback on the operation of the device 1. For purely exemplary purposes, the device 1 can be programmed to emit orange light to indicate that the battery is almost flat, magenta light instead that there is no connection with the gateway and similarly for other functions.

Similarly, the interface 21 can provide feedback on the status of the data relating to the properties detected in real time by the sensing element 6 and the auxiliary sensing element. For example, to indicate that the liquid level inside the container is within the preset limits, green light signals are used, to indicate that the liquid level in the barrel has dropped below the preset limits, red light signals are used and similarly for other functions.

Similar considerations can be made for the sound signal, where different types of sound signals can be assigned to indicate different feedback that device 1 can provide.

Even more advantageously, the device 1 may comprise an interface 21 that can be engaged by an operator by means of a double physical touch on the interface 21 itself. By means of a double touch, an operator may be able to immediately activate the RGB LED or any sound signals.

The device may further comprise a short-range signal emitter (not shown) for transmitting the signals detected by the sensing element (6) or the auxiliary sensing element to a remote receiving device.

Short-range transmission refers to the wireless emission of signals of specific frequencies over a distance of about a hundred meters. This type of transmission is particularly useful when wirelessly sending non-complex data to devices or interfaces within a work area.

In the present embodiment, such transmitter may provide a Wifi transmission or, preferably, Bluetooth or BLE or UWB. The Bluetooth connection uses short-range radio waves with a frequency range of 2.45 Ghz. The Bluetooth 5 version, released in December 2016, reaches a range of 200 meters outdoors and 40 meters indoors. This emission can be detected by portable devices such as, for example, smartphones or tablets by operators directly inside the work area.

The device may further comprise a long-range signal emitter, in particular of the LoRaWAN type. LoRaWAN devices preferably use the 863-870 MHz band in Europe, and constitute transmission networks between multiple devices, available both internally and externally to the work area for transmission distances from a few tens of meters to hundreds of meters.

The acquired data are transferred via wireless communication (LORA) to a Gateway, which via a modem and a network connection transmits this data to a remote computer, capable of processing and storing this data.

Both the short-range transmission element and the long-range element are arranged internally to the external section 7 of the device, preferably on suitable printed circuit boards (not shown). Advantageously, the use of BLE and LoRaWAN transmitters results in low energy consumption required by the device 1 and guarantees greater autonomy.

The transmission of short-range signals and the long-range transmission are managed by a monitoring system, capable of monitoring alternatively or jointly a plurality of containers ?C? located in the same work area, each container ?C? being coupled to a device 1. The monitoring system comprises a processing unit configured to receive and process the signals emitted simultaneously by each device 1. This processing unit can be alternatively defined by an application installed on each portable computer provided to the operators present in the work area or by the remote computer, which in turn can result in a program installed on a physical or cloud-based device, even outside the work area.

This system allows operators to constantly monitor the properties of one or more devices located in the work area in an instantaneous manner. In particular, this processing unit is able to automatically alert the user of the properties detected by a device 1 based on the information collected in real time.

Advantageously, the processed signals can be exchanged between the remote computer and the applications installed on the portable devices provided to the operators within the work area.

Advantageously, the device 1 may provide for activating data transmission by means of the short-range signal emitter to a portable device by means of a double tap on the interface 21 of the device 1. This function allows temporarily activating communication between the portable device supplied to the operator and the device by means of short-range transmission of the detected properties of the device 1.

Advantageously, the system described above can also be used to program the various activities related to liquid containers throughout the year. For example, in the wine sector, the time dedicated to filling can be scheduled, thus optimizing the management of human resources and working time.

Advantageously, this type of double-touch feedback is extremely intuitive to use and does not require any particular technical knowledge from an operator.

In addition to the latest values acquired by the sensors, the processing unit can display information on the diagnostics of the device 1 and allow you to change parameters and settings related to its operation.

Thanks to the large amount of data collected, the operator is able to achieve a high level of awareness on the evolution of the product differentiated by container "C", having access to both historical detection data and being able to count on real-time data.

Advantageously, the monitoring system can not only be implemented to perform an environmental survey on the entire plurality of liquid containers ?C? coupled to devices 1 and located within a work area, but it can also be used in the event that the devices 1 used are fewer in number than the number of containers ?C? present in the work area.

In particular, this system allows for differentiated surveys to be carried out for each zone of the work area, with each zone being characterised by the presence of at least one container "C" equipped with a detection device 1 and at least one container "C" without a detection device.

In particular, by means of an appropriate monitoring method, this system is able to combine the data acquired from the entire system, and in particular the properties detected by the devices 1 associated with a container "C" to obtain information and forecasts also related to the evolution of the properties of the containers "C" not equipped with such devices 1.

In particular, this method includes the following phases.

First, you have a plurality of “C” containers within that workspace that can potentially be associated with devices 1 and pair devices 1 to some of those “C” containers.

By activating the detection of at least one property of the inside of the containers ?C? by means of the detection element (6) and of at least one property of the environment outside the containers ?C? by means of the auxiliary detection element, each device 1 transmits the signals relating to these properties by means of the short-range emitter or by means of the long-range emitter respectively towards said processing unit installed on a portable device that can be consulted by an operator within said work area or installed on said remote computer. At that point said processing unit performs a logical subdivision of the work area into work zones, each zone comprising at least one container ?C? equipped with device 1 and at least one container ?C? without device 1. The computer, based on the data obtained from the containers equipped with device 1, performs inferential and/or predictive estimates on the properties of the containers ?C? without device 1 based on their corresponding membership in a specific zone. Using this information, the system is able to map the properties for each container included in each zone of the work area, even if they do not have device 1.

Advantageously, the use of this method in this monitoring system allows to optimize the number of devices needed to monitor the properties of liquids contained in the containers "C" arranged in the work area, allowing not only to lower the investment cost, by purchasing a smaller number of devices 1 compared to the number of containers "C" available, but also to lower the overall maintenance cost by using a smaller number of such devices 1.

Claims (20)

1. Device (1) for detecting at least one property of a liquid contained in a container (C), said device comprising: - a support body (3) coupling to said container (C), comprising a first end (4) and a distal end (5) intended in use to be at least partially inserted inside said container (C); - a sensing element (6) of said at least one property of the liquid mounted in said support body (3) and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation emitted in the direction of said distal end (5) and towards the inside of the container (C), said detection element (6) being configured to generate an identifying signal of a corresponding radiation received from the property under analysis. 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said support body (3) has an external portion (7) intended to be positioned at least partially outside the container (C) and an internal portion (8), integral with or coupled to the external portion (7), intended to be coupled to the container (C) and to extend at least partially inside the container (C), wherein said internal portion (8) preferably has a tubular shape. 3. Device according to claim 2, wherein said sensing element (6) is mounted internally to the external portion (7). 4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said support body (3) is configured in the shape of a pin and has a removable lid (17) on the top preferably having a dome or cup shape, arranged or available at least partially in a hole (F) located on the surface of said container (2) and communicating with the inside of said container (C), coupled or coupleable with said hole (F) by means of a shape coupling. 5. Device, according to claim 4, wherein said device (1) further comprises a base body (100), annular in shape and made of elastic material, applied or hermetically applicable to the hole (F) of said container (C) and wherein said base body (100) has a central hole (101) intended to receive said lower portion (8) of the support body (3), preferably said lower portion (8) of the support body (3) having a size such as to determine an enlargement of said central hole (101) and a hermetic compression of the base body (100) against the hole (F) of the container (C). 6. Device, according to claim 5, wherein said support body (3) and said base body (100) can be connected to each other by screwing to define said hermetic seal. 7. Device according to claim 6, wherein said internal detection element (6) comprises a laser and/or Lidar emitting optical sensor, preferably having a solid detection angle between 5° and 30°, more preferably between 15° and 20°. 8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said property detected by said optical sensor comprises at least one of: temperature of the liquid, the level of the liquid inside the container, density of the liquid, composition of the liquid by spectroscopic analysis. 9. Device, according to claim 1, comprising at least one auxiliary sensing element configured to detect at least one property of the environment external to the container (C), said auxiliary sensing element, preferably comprising at least a temperature sensor and/or a humidity sensor and/or a pressure sensor. 10. A monitoring instrument according to claim 9, wherein said auxiliary sensing element comprises an accelerometer configured to measure the inclination of said container (C) and/or the change in positioning of said device (1) with respect to the container (C). 11. Device according to claim 1, wherein said device (1) further comprises a short-range signal emitter for transmitting said signal to a remote receiving device, in particular said emitter being a bluetooth, Wifi or BLE or UWB emitter. 12. Device according to claim 1, wherein said device (1) further comprises a long-range signal emitter, for transmitting said signal to a remote receiving device, in particular said long-range emitter comprising a LoRaWAN emitter. 13. Device, according to one or more of claims 4 to 12, wherein said cover (17) comprising an interface (21) engageable by an operator and adapted to provide a visual and/or audible signal to said operator, said visual or audible signal being identifiable of said at least one property detected by said detection element (6) and/or said auxiliary detection element. 14. Device, according to claim 13, wherein said cover (17) has one or more RGB LEDs for generating said visual signal. 15. Device, according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said interface (21) is engageable by an operator by means of a physical touch on the interface (60) itself. 16. A device according to claim 15, wherein said physical touch activates said short-range signal emitter. 17. System for monitoring liquid containers, comprising: - A plurality of liquid containers (C) located in a work area; - A plurality of devices (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, said devices (1) being preferably smaller in number than the number of containers (C), each device (1) being coupled to a respective container (C); wherein said monitoring system comprises a processing unit configured to receive and process signals emitted by said detection devices. 18. System according to claim 17, wherein said processing unit is configured to perform a differentiated mapping of at least one of said properties of a liquid within the work area by means of differentiated surveys in zones of the work area, each zone being characterised by the presence of at least one container (C) equipped with a device (1) and at least one container (C) without a device (1). 19. System according to claim 17 or 18, wherein said processing unit is defined by an application installed on a personal electronic device, in particular a smartphone or a tablet, or is installed on a remote computer or in a cloud. 20. A method of monitoring liquid containers according to one or more of claims 17, 18 or 19, comprising the steps of: - Arrange a plurality of containers (C) of a liquid within a work area; - Provide a plurality of devices (1); - Couple each of said devices (1) to some of said containers (C); - Activate the detection of at least one property of a liquid contained within said containers (C) by means of a detection element (6); - Activate the detection of at least one property of the environment outside said containers (C) by means of said auxiliary detection element; - Perform a transmission of the signals relating to such properties of a liquid by means of said short-range emitter or by means of said long-range emitter respectively towards said processing unit installed on a personal electronic device consultable by an operator within said work area or installed on said remote processor and/or installed on a cloud; - Perform a logical subdivision of the work area into work zones, each work zone comprising at least one device (1) coupled to a container (C), by means of said processing unit installed on said personal electronic device or said remote computer and/or said cloud; - Carry out interference and/or predictive estimates on the properties of the liquids contained in each of the containers (C) not equipped with said device (1) based on their corresponding belonging to a specific work zone; - Perform a property mapping for each container (C) included in each zone of the workspace.