Self-heating food pouch with distributed reactants
AssigneeTempra Technology, Inc.
InventorsAlan J. Maskell, Cullen M. Sabin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-heating product pouch has a first thin flexible material that surrounds and defines a product compartment. A second thin flexible material is coupled to an outwardly-facing surface of the first thin flexible material to define a first heater compartment that is outside, but thermally coupled to, the product compartment. A first thin porous substrate inside the first heater compartment. A granular reactant is distributed throughout the first thin porous substrate. A frangible container is inside the first heater compartment. A liquid reactant is inside the frangible container. The granular reactant and the liquid reactant are adapted to react exothermically upon contact with one another.
Claims39
A self-heating product pouch comprising:
- a first thin flexible material that surrounds and defines a product compartment;
- and
- a second thin flexible material coupled to an outwardly-facing surface of the first thin flexible material to define a first heater compartment that is outside, but thermally coupled to, the product compartment;
- a first flat piece of thin porous substrate inside the first heater compartment;
- a granular reactant distributed throughout the first flat piece of thin porous substrate;
- a frangible container inside the first heater compartment;
- and
- a liquid reactant inside the frangible container,
- wherein the granular reactant and the liquid reactant are adapted to react exothermically upon contact with one another.
A method for producing a self-heating product pouch, the method comprising:
- distributing a granular reactant throughout a first flat piece of thin porous substrate;
- placing the first flat piece of thin porous substrate in physical contact with a surface of a first thin flexible material;
- providing a frangible container that contains a liquid reactant;
- positioning the frangible container near or in contact with the thin porous substrate;
- and
- coupling a second thin flexible material to the surface of the first thin flexible material to define a first heater compartment that contains the first flat piece of thin porous substrate with the distributed granular reactant, and the frangible container,
- wherein the granular reactant and the liquid reactant are adapted to exothermically react upon contact with one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.