Apparatus for heating or cooling a material contained therein
AssigneeBritish American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
InventorsSimon BRERETON, Graham PLEWS, Mark FORSTER, Richard PIKE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is described an apparatus for heating or cooling a material to be heated or to be cooled. The apparatus includes: a first compartment for containing the material to be heated or to be cooled; and a second compartment containing a phase change material, wherein the phase change material is either for generating heat to heat the first compartment or absorbing heat to cool the first compartment when undergoing a phase change. There are further described various different activating arrangements for activating a change of phase of the phase change material.
Claims18
An apparatus for heating or cooling a material to be heated or to be cooled, the apparatus comprising:
- a first compartment for containing the material to be heated or to be cooled;
- a second compartment containing a phase change material, wherein the phase change material is either for generating heat to heat the first compartment or absorbing heat to cool the first compartment when undergoing a phase change;
- and
- an activating arrangement comprising a phase change activating agent and a barrier that separates the phase change activating agent from the phase change material, wherein the activating arrangement is configured to cause the barrier to rupture when operated so that the phase change activating agent contacts the phase change material in order to activate a change of phase of the phase change material and wherein the barrier is configured to re-seal after being ruptured.
9-20. (canceled)
An apparatus for heating or cooling a material to be heated or to be cooled, the apparatus comprising:
- a first compartment for containing the material to be heated or to be cooled;
- a second compartment containing a liquid phase change material, wherein the phase change material is either for generating heat to heat the first compartment or absorbing heat to cool the first compartment when undergoing a phase change from a liquid phase to a solid phase;
- and
- an activating arrangement comprising means for generating shearing in the liquid phase change material to induce a phase change of the liquid phase change material.
An apparatus for heating or cooling a material to be heated or to be cooled, the apparatus comprising:
- a first compartment for containing the material to be heated or to be cooled;
- a second compartment containing a phase change material, wherein the phase change material is either for generating heat to heat the first compartment or absorbing heat to cool the first compartment when undergoing a phase change from a liquid phase to a solid phase;
- and
- an activating arrangement comprising a housing containing an activating agent for inducing a phase change of the phase change material, wherein the housing is configurable in a closed configuration and in an open configuration, wherein, when the housing is in the closed configuration the activating agent is unable to contact the phase change material and when the housing is in the open configuration the activating agent is able to contact the phase change material, wherein at least one component of the activating arrangement is moveable between first and second positions to configure the housing in the first and second configurations.
29-35. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.