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US 11,905,099 B2Granted
Product heating with soluble container
AssigneeTempra Technology, Inc.
InventorsCullen M. Sabin, Alan James Maskell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-heating container includes a first substance and a second substance that are adapted to produce an exothermic reaction upon contact with each other, a soluble material between the first substance and the second substance, a frangible membrane physically separating the second substance from the soluble material, and a means for rupturing the frangible membrane.
Claims15
A self-heating container comprising:
- an inner cup comprising an inner cup side wall, an inner cup bottom wall that extends entirely across and seals off a circular opening at a bottom of the inner cup side wall, and an inner cup cover;
- an outer cup comprising an outer cup side wall, and an outer cup bottom wall that extends entirely across and seals off a circular opening at a bottom of the outer cup side wall,
- wherein the inner cup is at least partially inside the outer cup to define a space beneath a downward-facing surface of the inner cup bottom wall of the inner cup and above an upward-facing surface of the outer cup bottom wall of the outer cup,
- wherein the space contains:
- a granular first substance and a liquid second substance that are adapted to produce an exothermic reaction upon contact with each other,
- a soluble container or bag containing and completely surrounding the granular first substance, wherein the soluble container or bag is made entirely of a soluble material that is soluble in the liquid second substance;
- and
- a frangible membrane physically separating the liquid second substance from the soluble container or bag;
- a means for rupturing the frangible membrane, wherein the means for rupturing the frangible membrane is coupled to the inner cup,
- wherein the inner cup is configured to rotate about a concentric axis relative to outer cup, and
- a cam or a screw thread configured to cause the inner cup to move in an axially downward direction relative to the outer cup as the inner cup is rotated about the concentric axis relative to the outer cup, thereby causing the means for rupturing the frangible membrane to tear into and through the frangible membrane while rotating and moving in the axially downward direction with the inner cup.
8 more elements
A self-heating container comprising:
- an inner cup;
- an outer cup, wherein the inner cup is at least partially inside the outer cup to define a space beneath a downward-facing surface of the inner cup and above an upward-facing surface of the outer cup, wherein the space contains:
- a granular first substance and a liquid second substance that are adapted to produce an exothermic reaction upon contact with each other,
- a soluble container or bag containing and completely surrounding the granular first substance, wherein the soluble container or bag is made entirely of a soluble material that is soluble in the liquid second substance;
- and
- a frangible membrane physically separating the liquid second substance from the soluble container or bag;
- a means for rupturing the frangible membrane,
- wherein the inner cup is able to rotate about a concentric axis relative to outer cup without moving in an axial direction relative to the outer cup,
- the self-heating container further comprising:
- a cam or a screw thread configured to cause the means for rupturing the frangible membrane to move in an axial direction toward and through the frangible membrane as the inner cup is rotated about the concentric axis relative to the outer cup;
- and
- a fitment coupled to the means for rupturing the frangible membrane and arranged such that as the means for rupturing the frangible membrane moves in the axially downward direction, the fitment also moves in the axially downward direction pushing the soluble container toward the second substance.
9 more elements
A method of heating a product, the method comprising:
- providing a self-heating container, the self-heating container comprising:
- an inner cup containing a product to be heated, wherein the inner cup comprises an inner cup side wall, an inner cup bottom wall that extends entirely across and seals off a circular opening at a bottom of the inner cup side wall, and an inner cup cover;
- an outer cup, wherein the outer cup comprising an outer cup side wall, and an outer cup bottom wall that extends entirely across and seals off a circular opening at a bottom of the outer cup side wall,
- wherein the inner cup is at least partially inside the outer cup to define a space beneath a downward-facing surface of the inner cup bottom wall of the inner cup and above an upward-facing surface of the outer cup bottom wall of the outer cup, wherein the space contains:
- a granular first substance and a liquid second substance that are adapted to produce an exothermic reaction upon contact with each other,
- a soluble container or bag containing and completely surrounding the first substance, wherein the soluble container of bag is made entirely of a soluble material that is soluble in the liquid second substance;
- and
- a frangible membrane physically separating the liquid second substance from the soluble container or bag;
- a means for rupturing the frangible membrane;
- wherein the inner cup is configured to rotate about a concentric axis relative to outer cup,
- a cam or a screw thread configured to cause the inner cup to move in an axially downward direction relative to the outer cup as the inner cup is rotated about the concentric axis relative to the outer cup, thereby causing the means for rupturing the frangible membrane to tear into and through the frangible membrane while rotating and moving in the axially downward direction with the inner cup;
- and
- rupturing the frangible membrane by rotating the inner cup relative to the outer cup.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.