Patent ID: 8583382
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: B67B,G01D,G01L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: an instrumented container, wherein said instrumented container generally has the contour and shape of a threaded production container, which threaded production container includes a first body portion and a second threaded portion, said instrumented container comprising: a container assembly which is at least partially hollow and which has an external contour and size which corresponds to the external contour and size of the first body portion, and which further has an upper part which includes a generally flat portion and an internally keyed portion, a neck assembly having an external contour and size which corresponds to the second threaded portion, which neck assembly includes an attachment blank which is adapted for use in supporting relation with a threaded component which has the contour and size of the second threaded portion of a threaded container and further has a lower part which includes a generally flat portion and an internally keyed portion, a torque sensor extending between the container assembly and the neck assembly, creating a gap between the upper part of the container assembly and lower part of the neck assembly, having an externally keyed first end, and an externally keyed second end, wherein the externally keyed first and second ends of the torque sensor are adapted to releasably mate in a rotationally fixed relationship with the respective internally keyed portions of the lower part of the neck assembly and upper part of the container assembly, respectively, a processor within the container assembly in operative connection with the torque sensor, which processor is adapted to periodically sample data representative of torques from the torque sensor while the instrumented container is being capped, a memory within the container assembly in operative connection with the processor to receive said data, and a communication port on the container assembly.