Actuating self-cooling can

A self-cooling container for cooling a liquid, the self-cooling container comprising:

• a first portion comprising a first frangible seal that extends across and seals off an internal evaporator unit containing a refrigerant;
• a second portion comprising a second frangible seal that extends across and seals off a desiccant chamber containing a desiccant,
• wherein the first portion is configured to rotate about an axis of the self-cooling container relative to the second portion;
• an actuator assembly between the first portion and the second portion of the self-cooling container, wherein the actuator assembly comprises:
• a cutter assembly coupled to the first portion of the self-cooling container, wherein the cutter assembly comprises a cutter coupled to a rotatable axle and a pinion gear coupled to the rotatable axle;
• and
• a drive gear assembly coupled to the second portion of the self-cooling container, wherein the drive gear assembly comprises a ring gear supported by a housing,
• wherein the pinion gear on the cutter assembly is mated to the ring gear of the drive gear assembly.

A method of manufacturing a self-cooling container for cooling a liquid, the method comprising:

• providing a first portion of the self-cooling container, wherein the first portion comprises:
• an internal compartment containing the liquid to be cooled;
• an internal evaporator unit containing a refrigerant;
• and
• a first frangible seal that extends across and seals off the evaporator unit;
• providing a second portion of the self-cooling container, the second portion comprising:
• an internal desiccant chamber containing a desiccant;
• and
• a second frangible seal that extends across and seals off the desiccant chamber,
• providing a cutter assembly for the self-cooling container, wherein the cutter assembly comprises:
• a cutter support;
• a rotatable assembly coupled to the cutter support, wherein the rotatable assembly comprises:
• a rotatable axle;
• a cutter coupled to the rotatable axle;
• and
• a pinion gear coupled to the rotatable axle;
• and
• providing a drive gear assembly for the self-cooling container, wherein the drive gear assembly comprises:
• a housing;
• and
• a ring gear supported by the housing,
• attaching the cutter support of the cutter assembly to the first portion of the self-cooling container;
• attaching the housing of the drive gear assembly to the second portion of the self-cooling container;
• placing the first portion of the self-cooling container with the attached cutter support in a vacuum chamber;
• placing the second portion of the self-cooling container with the attached drive gear assembly in the vacuum chamber;
• establishing a vacuum environment within the vacuum chamber;
• pressing the first portion of the self-cooling container with the attached cutter support against the second portion of the self-cooling container with the attached drive gear assembly, with an O-ring therebetween, within the vacuum environment so that the pinion gear of the cutter assembly engages the ring gear of the drive gear assembly;
• and
• removing the first portion of the self-cooling container with the attached cutter support and the second portion of the self-cooling container with the attached drive gear assembly, with the O-ring therebetween, from the vacuum environment,
• wherein the first portion of the self-cooling container with the attached cutter support remains connected to the second portion of the self-cooling container with the attached drive gear assembly after being removed from the vacuum environment by virtue of a low pressure environment persisting in an internal space between the first portion of the self-cooling container and the second portion of the self-cooling container after removal from the vacuum environment.