Patent ID: 6538727
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A device for discreetly determining if a beverage is sugar sweetened comprising:an enclosure; A unitary electronic circuit held by said enclosure, said unitary electronic circuit including an alarm; a battery connected to said electronic circuit; a light source connected to said battery, said light source emitting a beam of light; an elongated probe having a light receiving end and a faceted end, said elongated probe being fabricated from a transparent material and having a longitudinal axis extending from said light receiving end to said faceted end, said light source being positioned to shine a beam of light on said light receiving end of said probe and to transmit said beam of light along said elongated probe parallel to said longitudinal axis and said faceted end having at least two facets comprising an inclined face and a mirrored face, said inclined face being formed at an angle with respect to said longitudinal axis so that said beam of light is totally reflected when said inclined face is immersed a beverage comprising pure water, and further that said beam of light is transmitted through said inclined face when said inclined face is immersed in a beverage containing at least about six percent of dissolved sugar and said mirrored face being formed at an angle with respect to said longitudinal axis and to said inclined face so as to reflect so much of said beam of light which is reflected from said inclined face into said probe and to provide a reflected beam of light; a photodetector positioned to receive light from said reflected beam, said photodetector being connected to said electronic circuit and said electronic circuit including means to activate said alarm when said photodetector receives light from said reflected beam; and a plurality of light beam blocking elements extending through said elongated probe positioned on said longitudinal axis of said unitary elongated probe, said light beam blocking elements being oriented normal to said longitudinal axis.