Arrangement for and method of selectably changing the temperature of a product

Abstract

Radial pressure exerted against a deflectable sidewall of an outer container initiates a chemical reaction in which the temperature of a product in an inner cup is changed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to an arrangement that adds or removes heat from a product, such as a food, beverage, medicine, or like product and, more particularly, to promoting user acceptance of the arrangement by enhancing its operation.

2. Description of the Related Art

Self-heating or self-cooling arrangements are known in which a product, typically a beverage, is heated or cooled by employing two chemical reactants which are stable when separated, but which produce an exothermic or an endothermic reaction when mixed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,323 shows one example of a single-use, self-heating container for liquids or solids, in which a breakable membrane keeps the reactants apart, and a breakable member is actuated by a user to break the membrane and allow the reactants to mix to form the chemical reaction that changes the temperature of the product.

As advantageous as the known self-heating containers are, experience has shown that the actuation by the user is difficult for at least some users to perform. More specifically, the user is expected to axially depress an actuator button provided on the bottom of the container. Even if the user is prompted as to the location of the actuator button, the user is required to invert the container, and then exert a significant amount of physical force to depress the button along the axis of the container for the axial distance required to break the membrane and initiate the self-heating action. Some users, particularly the elderly and children, do not have the strength to activate the self-heating action.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to promote user acceptance, and to enhance the operation, of arrangements that add or remove heat from a product.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the amount of physical force required to activate the temperature-changing action.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a reliable arrangement for, and method of, selectably changing the temperature of a product.

FEATURES OF THE INVENTION

In keeping with the above objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in an arrangement for, and a method of, changing a temperature of a product, typically a food or a beverage, comprising an outer container, preferably made of a thermally insulating material, having a side wall bounding an interior and spaced radially from an axis, and an inner cup, preferably made of a thermally conductive material, fixedly mounted within the interior of the container and having a chamber for containing the product. Preferably, the cup and the container have juxtaposed flanges fused together by spin-welding.

A breakable membrane, for example a circular, thin foil, is fixedly mounted within, and subdivides, the interior of the container into a pair of compartments. The container is formed with an internal annular shoulder, and a circular periphery of the membrane is adhered to the shoulder. A pair of reactants is respectively contained in the compartments, and the reactants are kept apart by the membrane prior to use. For example, the reactants may be water and anhydrous calcium oxide or calcium chloride which, when mixed, produce an exothermic chemical reaction.

A breaking member is mounted within the interior of the container in a juxtaposed relationship with the membrane. The breaking member is at least partially supported by the internal shoulder of the container. In accordance with this invention, a radial pressure is exerted by the user on the side wall of the container, and this radial pressure causes the breaking member to break the membrane and allow the reactants to mix and produce the chemical reaction that changes the temperature of the product in the cup.

In contrast to the known art, the temperature changing action is not initiated by inverting the container to expose an actuator button on the bottom of the container. Nor is the temperature change actuated by axially depressing a button with a significant amount of force. Instead, the upright container is radially constricted by squeezing the side wall adjacent the shoulder between opposed fingers. The user need only hold the container in one's palm and close his or her fingers around the side wall in the action of making a fist. This fist-making movement is much easier for the user to perform as compared to the depression of a button.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an arrangement in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 after assembly;

FIG. 3 is a view analogous to FIG. 2, after exertion of radial pressure on a side wall of an outer container;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of a breaking member for use in the arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the breaking member of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a partially removed seal on a product cup for use in the arrangement of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a sip lid for use in the arrangement of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As best shown in FIGS. 1-2, an arrangement in accordance with this invention includes an outer container 10 having a side wall 12 bounding an interior, an inner cup 14 fixedly mounted within the interior of the container 10, a breakable membrane 16 fixedly mounted within the interior of the container 10 and subdividing the interior into a pair of compartments 18, 20, a pair of reactants 22, 24 respectively contained in the compartments 18, 20 and kept apart by the membrane 16 prior to use, and a breaking member 26 mounted within the container 10, preferably above the membrane 16, and operative for breaking the membrane 16, as described below, to allow the reactants 22, 24 to mix and form a chemical reaction that changes the temperature of a product contained in the cup 14. A seal 28 seals the product within the cup 14. An apertured sip lid 30 is optionally mounted over the seal 28 and over the container 10.

The container 10 is symmetrical about an upright axis 32, and the side wall 12 circumferentially surrounds the axis 32. The side wall 12 is preferably frusto-conical or cylindrical. The container 10 is formed with an interior annular shoulder 34 on which a circular periphery of the membrane 26 is adhesively secured. A circular periphery of the breaking member 26 also rests on the shoulder 34. The compartment 18 above the membrane 16 is filled with one of the reactants 22, for example, water, and the compartment 20 below the membrane 16 is filled with the other of the reactants 24, for example, anhydrous calcium oxide or calcium chloride. Other reactants are contemplated by this invention, and the positions of the reactants could be reversed, that is, the water could be in the lower compartment, while the anhydrous calcium oxide or calcium chloride could be in the upper compartment. The container 10 is preferably constituted of a thermally insulating material, for example, a thermoformed foamed polypropylene, and the side wall 12 is deformable radially inwardly, as described in detail below.

The inner cup 14 contains the product and can consist of a thermoformed plastic or is preferably constituted of a thermally conductive material, for example, a polyethylene coating over an aluminum core formed by a deep draw stamping process. The product can be virtually anything, but is preferably a beverage, such as coffee or tea, or a soup, or a foodstuff. The seal 28 seals the product within the cup. The seal 28, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, includes an annular rim 36 mechanically crimped over a radial annular flange 38 of the cup 14, and a diaphragm 40 adhesively mounted on the rim 36 and peelably removable from the rim 36 by pulling on a pull tab 42. The rim, diaphragm and pull tab are preferably constituted of aluminum which is stamped and die cut into their illustrated shapes. The seal 28 hermetically seals the product before and during the temperature change. Once the temperature change has been achieved, the pull tab is pulled to at least partially remove the diaphragm and gain access to the product.

The membrane 16 is a thin, tearable foil die cut into a circular shape and preferably constituted of aluminum. An adhesive at its periphery adheres the membrane to the shoulder 34 and is preferably thermally activated.

The breaking member 26, as best seen in FIGS. 6-7, is an injected molded polypropylene plastic operative to pierce and tear the membrane 16. The breaking member 26 has a plurality of radial arms 44, 46, 48, 50 having inner ends connected by respective living hinges 52 to a central, pointed barb 54 that lies along the axis 32 and faces the membrane 16. A plurality of abutments 56, 58, 60, 62 is connected by respective living hinges 64 at outer ends of the arms. The abutments are curved to conform to the curvature of the side wall 12 against which the abutments contact (see FIG. 5).

As shown in FIG. 2, the membrane 16 is intact, and the breaking member 26 rests on the membrane 16 and the shoulder 34. If a radial pressure is exerted on the side wall 12 adjacent the shoulder 34, as schematically illustrated by the opposing fingers 66 of a user's hand moving in the directions of arrows 68, then the side wall 12 deforms inwardly, the abutments are pushed inwardly, the living hinges 64 bend, the arms are pushed downwardly, the living hinges 52 bend, and the pointed barb 54 moves downwardly and pierces the membrane 16. The reactant 22 in the upper compartment 18 flows downwardly through the ruptured membrane and chemically reacts with the reactant 24 in the lower compartment 20.

To promote the speed and efficiency of the chemical reaction, the user can shake the arrangement, typically for about 10-20 seconds, and can even invert the arrangement and allow it to stand, typically for less than two minutes. In the preferred embodiment, about 28 grams of a granulated calcium chloride (grain size 1-2 mm) are used. The liquid reactant need not be pure water, but can be mixed with an acid, such as oxalic acid. In about one minute's time, the temperature of the exothermic reaction caused when water and calcium chloride interact rises from a room temperature of about 19° C. to a temperature of about 60° C., which is sufficient to heat the product within the cup.

The radial pressure is exerted between the opposing fingers 66. As shown, there are four zones, one corresponding to each abutment 56, 58, 60, 62, at which the finger pressure should be applied. These zones can be highlighted and marked on the side wall 12. Otherwise, it is sufficient for the user to merely hold the container in his or her hand and grip tightly as if making a fist. This radial squeezing is continued until resistance is felt when the side wall 12 engages the cup 14. This cup thus serves as a safety stop for preventing the user from completely crushing the arrangement. A label can be applied on the side wall which not only provides sales and marketing information, but also prominently displays the finger pressure zones.

Once the recommended waiting period has elapsed, the arrangement is returned to its original upright position, and the pull tab 42 is pulled back to either partially or completely remove the diaphragm 40 depending upon the type of product in the cup and how it will be consumed. For example, a spoon requires more room to access soup within the cup as compared to a beverage which is directly sipped. If the product is a beverage, such as coffee, then the sip lid 30 is snapped over the opened seal, and the beverage is consumed through an aperture 70 (see FIG. 9).

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a arrangement for and method of selectably changing the temperature of a product, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

Claims

1. An arrangement for selectably changing a temperature of a product, comprising:

a) an outer container having a side wall bounding an interior and spaced radially from an axis;

b) an inner cup fixedly mounted within the interior of the container and having a chamber for containing the product;

c) a breakable membrane fixedly mounted within, and subdividing, the interior of the container into a pair of compartments;

d) a pair of reactants respectively contained in the compartments and kept apart by the membrane prior to use; and

e) a breaking member mounted within the interior of the container for breaking the membrane upon exertion of radial pressure on the side wall of the container, to allow the reactants to mix and form a chemical reaction that changes the temperature of the product in the cup.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the container is constituted of a thermally insulating material, and wherein the cup is constituted of a thermally conductive material.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the container and the cup having abutting flanges spin-welded together.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the container has an internal shoulder on which the membrane is adhered.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the side wall is annular, wherein the container has an internal annular shoulder, and wherein the membrane is a foil having an annular periphery adhered to the shoulder.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the container has an internal shoulder on which the membrane is mounted, and wherein the breaking member is mounted on the membrane.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein the breaking member has a plurality of radial arms having inner ends hingedly connected together, and a plurality of abutments at outer ends of the arms, each abutment being in contact with the side wall within the interior of the container and being movable toward the axis upon radially constricting the side wall.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the reactants are water and anhydrous calcium oxide or calcium chloride.

9. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the cup has a flange; and a seal for sealing the cup, the seal including an annular rim mechanically crimped over the flange of the cup, and a peelable diaphragm detachably mounted on the rim, the diaphragm having a pull tab for enabling the diaphragm to be at least partly peeled from the rim.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, and an apertured lid mounted with snap action over the container and the cup.

11. A method of selectably changing a temperature of a product, comprising the steps of:

a) at least partly filling a cup with the product;

b) sealing the product within the cup;

c) fixedly mounting the sealed, product-filled cup inside a container having a side wall surrounding, and spaced from, an axis;

d) subdividing an interior of the container into a pair of compartments by mounting a breakable membrane within the container;

e) at least partly filling a pair of reactants respectively into the compartments;

f) mounting a breaking member within the interior of the container; and

g) exerting a radial pressure on the side wall of the container and causing the breaking membrane to break the membrane to allow the reactants to mix and form a chemical reaction that changes the temperature of the product in the cup.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sealing step is performed by mechanically crimping an annular rim of a seal over a flange of the cup.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the fixedly mounting step is performed by spin-welding the cup inside the container.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the subdividing step is performed by adhering a periphery of the membrane to an internal shoulder of the container.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the exerting step is performed by radially constricting the side wall of the container in a user's hand.

16. A method of consuming a product whose temperature has been changed, comprising the steps of:

a) at least partly filling a cup with the product;

b) sealing the product within the cup;

c) fixedly mounting the sealed, product-filled cup inside a container having a side wall surrounding, and spaced from, an axis;

d) subdividing an interior of the container into a pair of compartments by mounting a breakable membrane within the container;

e) at least partly filling a pair of reactants respectively into the compartments;

f) mounting a breaking member within the interior of the container;

g) exerting a radial pressure on the side wall of the container and causing the breaking membrane to break the membrane to allow the reactants to mix and form a chemical reaction that changes the temperature of the product in the cup;

h) unsealing the cup; and

i) consuming the product within the unsealed cup.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the unsealing step is performed by at least partly peeling a diaphragm off a seal sealed to the cup.

18. The method of claim 17, and the step of mounting an apertured lid on the unsealed cup, and wherein the consuming step is performed by consuming the product through the apertured lid.

19. A breaking member, comprising:

a) a pointed barb movable along an axis;

b) a plurality of abutments spaced apart circumferentially of the axis; and

c) a plurality of arms extending radially outwardly in different directions from the barb, the arms having inner ends hingedly connected to the barb, and outer ends hingedly connected to the abutments.

20. The breaking member of claim 19, wherein the abutments are curved and lie along an annulus surrounding the axis.