Self-heating assembly with distributed reactant

A self-heating assembly comprising:

• a product container for holding a product to be heated;
• a heater container coupled to the product container;
• a reaction space between the product container and the heater container;
• an open cell foam support structure in the reaction space;
• a granular second reactant distributed throughout the open cell foam support structure;
• a liquid first reactant in the reaction space;
• and
• a frangible membrane in the reaction space configured so that, when intact, it separates the liquid first reactant from the open cell foam support structure and from the granular second reactant,
• wherein the liquid first reactant and the granular second reactant are adapted to exothermically react upon contact with one another,
• wherein the open cell foam support structure is permeable to the liquid first reactant and is configured to support and substantially maintain the distribution of the granular second reactant throughout the open cell foam support structure before and during the exothermic chemical reaction, and
• wherein individual granules of the second granular material are sized so that at least some of the individual granules are able to pass into an open cellular structure of the open cell foam support structure and be supported within the open cell foam support structure and at least some of the individual granules are supported atop the open cell foam support structure without passing into any open cell of the open cell foam support structure.

A self-heating assembly comprising:

• a product container for holding a product to be heated;
• a heater container coupled to the product container;
• a reaction space between the product container and the heater container;
• an open cell foam support structure in the reaction space;
• a granular second reactant distributed throughout the open cell foam support structure;
• a liquid first reactant in the reaction space;
• and
• a frangible membrane in the reaction space configured so that, when intact, it separates the liquid first reactant from the open cell foam support structure and from the granular second reactant,
• wherein the liquid first reactant and the granular second reactant are adapted to exothermically react upon contact with one another, and
• wherein the open cell foam support structure is permeable to the liquid first reactant and is configured to support and substantially maintain the distribution of the granular second reactant throughout the open cell foam support structure before and during the exothermic chemical reaction,
• wherein the open cell foam support structure extends entirely across a width of the reaction space, such that outer edges of the open cell foam support structure press relatively tightly against inner sidewalls of the heater container,
• wherein some granules of the granular second reactant are wedged inside open cells of the open cell foam and held in place by virtue of being so wedged,
• wherein individual granules of the second granular material are sized so that at least some of the individual granules are able to pass into an open cellular structure of the open cell foam support structure and be supported within the open cell foam support structure and at least some of the individual granules are supported atop the open cell foam support structure without passing into any open cell of the open cell foam support structure.