Thermal barrier liner for containers

A container holder for holding at least one beverage container therein, said container holder having integral cooling capability, said container holder comprising:

• an upper surface;
• a lower surface;
• a plurality of sidewalls interconnecting the upper and lower surfaces of the container holder;
• a plurality of cavities defined by shaped internal walls forming compartments to receive the at least one beverage container;
• a plurality of gaps located between said shaped internal walls and said sidewalls, said lower surface, and said upper surface;
• a base material filling selected portions of said plurality of gaps, said base material having a plurality of microcapsules therein, said microcapsules each including phase change material therein.

A thermal barrier liner especially adapted for use with beverage containers or packaging for beverage containers, said thermal barrier liner comprising:

• a base material;
• a plurality of microcapsules dispersed in said base material, said microcapsules containing phase change material therein;
• and
• a thermochromatic layer in contact with the base material and the plurality of microcapsules, said thermochromatic layer including a formulation of a thermochromatic material formed of microcapsules each containing reversible coloring agents that exhibit a visible change in color between a first color state and a second color state in response to a change in temperature.

An insulated container comprising:

• a sidewall, a base connected to the sidewall, and a top forming an upper portion of the container;
• a thermal barrier liner applied to an interior surface of the sidewall, said thermal barrier liner comprising at least a first layer of barrier material adhered to the interior surface, and at least a second layer secured to said at least first layer wherein gaps are formed between the first and second layers and gas occupying the gaps;
• and
• wherein when said container is sealed and pressurized, gas within the container permeates through said thermal barrier liner and into said gaps, and when said container is open thereby exposing an interior of the container to ambient pressure, the thermal barrier liner expands in response to a drop in relative pressure.

An insulated container comprising:

• a sidewall, a base connected to the sidewall, and a top forming an upper portion of the container;
• a composite thermal barrier liner applied to an interior surface of said sidewall, said composite thermal barrier liner comprising:
• a base material and a plurality of microcapsules containing at least one of a gas or a liquid therein and wherein the microcapsules are dispersed in said base material, said composite thermal barrier liner having a surface in contact and adhered to the interior surface of said sidewall and said base;
• wherein said microcapsules are activated to expand by exposing the microcapsules to heat;
• and
• wherein the expanded microcapsules create voids in the base material.

A method of insulating a beverage in a container, said method comprising:

• providing a container having an interior surface;
• applying a thermal protective liner to the interior surface, said liner having a closed cell substrate being gas permeable wherein the liner equilibrates with ambient pressure conditions over a period of time;
• filling the container with the beverage;
• pressurizing and sealing the container;
• equilibrating the thermal protective liner to entrain pressurized gas within the sealed and pressurized container;
• opening the container to expose the thermal protective liner to ambient pressure;
• and
• increasing an overall thickness of the thermal protective liner based upon trapped pressurized gas within the closed cell substrate that expands.