Material heater

Abstract

A heater is provided for warming the contents of containers, such as milk in a baby bottle or soup in a can. The heater has a cover with heating and insulating surfaces and a number of independent heating elements positioned therein. Each of the heating elements has a valve-like mechanism for initiating a chemical reaction which results in the generation of thermal energy.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/753,894 filed Dec. 23, 2005, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Devices that employ chemical reactions, such as exothermic reactions, for heating materials in containers have been in use for some time. Conventional devices are usually provided with rigid cavities for receiving the containers to be heated (see, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,165). Such devices limit the size of the containers that may be heated. In addition, such devices may be utilized only once, after which they may be either discarded or require the installation of new heating elements. Further, such devices only produce a predetermined amount of thermal energy that is not controllable by the user at the time of usage. What is needed, but has yet to be developed, is a material heating device that can be (i) used to heat material contained in a variety of container sizes and shapes, and (ii) can adapt to provide variable amounts of thermal energy in accordance with varying amounts of material to be heated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and shortcomings discussed above by providing a device which offers a number of advantages over the prior art. For example, the device is flexible enough to be wrapped around the exterior of containers having various different sizes and shapes, such as bottles, cans, coffee cups, bags of food, etc., for the purpose of heating the contents thereof. In addition, the device is provided with a number of heating elements that are individually actuatable, whereby a user may heat the contents of a particular material container a number of times by activating fewer than the maximum number of heating elements at the time of each use. The user may also selectively activate any number of heating elements, depending upon the thermal energy required to heat the specific quantity of material to achieve a desired material temperature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of two exemplary embodiments considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a material heater constructed in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the front of the heater being defined by its heating surface;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the heater shown in FIG. 1, the rear of the heater being defined by its insulating surface;

FIG. 3a is a front elevational view of the heater shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the heating surface being broken away to show the heating element, which also have broken away portions;

FIG. 3b is a cut-away perspective view of the circled area of FIG. 3a, the elements within the circled area being shown in an enlarged scale for the purposes of clarity;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken along section line 4-4 of FIG. 3a and looking in the direction of the arrows, of the heater shown in FIG. 3a;

FIG. 5a is a perspective view of the heater of FIGS. 1-3b as it is being wrapped around a baby bottle;

FIG. 5b is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 5a, showing how the heater of FIGS. 1-3b can be reused to heat a baby bottle different from the one illustrated in FIG. 5a;

FIG. 5c is a perspective view the heater of FIGS. 1-3b as it is being wrapped around a can; and

FIG. 6 is a cut-away perspective view, similar to FIG. 3b, of another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is suitable for heating consumable materials such as milk, soup, coffee, tea, or food contained in bottles, cans, jars, cups, bags, etc. The invention is also applicable to heating other types of materials in other types of containers.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a material heater 10 includes a flexible cover 12 having a heating surface 14, which may be constructed of metal foil or other suitable material that possesses a high coefficient of heat conduction, and an insulating surface 16, which may be constructed of ethylene vinyle acetate (EVA) foam or other suitable material that possesses a low coefficient of heat conduction. The heating and insulating surfaces 14, 16 are glued, or otherwise attached, along edges 18, 20 and ends 22, 24, thereby forming a central pocket 26 within the cover 12.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3a, the heating surface 14 includes tabs 28, 30, which are fabricated from double-sided Velcro® material and positioned at the edge 22 of the cover 12, extending outwardly therefrom in parallel fashion. The heating surface 14 also includes strips 32, 34, which are fabricated from single-sided Velcro® material. More particularly, the strip 32 is positioned in a corner defined by the edge 18 and the end 24, while the strip 34 is positioned in a corner defined by the edge 20 and the end 24.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the insulating surface includes strips 36, 38, which are fabricated from single-sided Velcro® material. More particularly, the strip 36 is positioned in a corner defined by the edge 18 and the end 24, while the strip 38 is positioned in a corner defined by the edge 20 and the end 24.

The tabs 28, 30 and the strips 32, 34, 36, 38 can be attached to the cover 12 in any known way, such as by sewing or glue (not shown). The purpose and function of the tabs 28, 30 and the strips 32, 34, 36, 38 will be more fully described herein after.

Referring to FIGS. 3a-4, four heating elements 40a-40D are enclosed within the pocket 26 of the cover 12 for the purpose of producing thermal energy. The number of heating elements may be greater or less than four, depending upon on the total amount of the thermal energy desired to be generated by the heater 10, as well as amount of thermal energy that can to be generated each of the heating elements 40A-40D. Each of the heating elements 40A-40D includes fluid containers 42A-42D, respectively, and chemical containers 44A-44D, respectively. Fluid control mechanisms in the form of rotary-type valves 46A-46D separate the contents of the fluid containers 42A-42D, respectively, from the chemical containers 44A-44D, respectively, during assembly and non-use of the heating elements 40A-40D. The valves 46A-46D are also utilized to initiate the intermixing of the contents of the fluid containers 42A-42D with those of chemical containers 44A-44D, respectively, in order to produce chemical reactions which result in the generation of thermal energy. Briefly, the valves 46A-46D are adapted for manual operation through openings 48 in the heating surface 14 of the cover 12 (see, for example, FIGS. 1 and 5C). A more detailed discussion of the functioning of the heating elements 40A-40D follows.

Each of the fluid containers 42A-42D holds a predetermined quantity of water 50, while each of the chemical containers 44A-44D holds a predetermined quantity of calcium oxide 52 which, when mixed with the water, produces an exothermic chemical reaction resulting in the generation of thermal energy in the form of steam. Each of the heating elements 40A-46D may include a steam condenser, such as steel wool (not shown), for condensing the steam to condensate. Most of the thermal energy generated by the chemical reaction is conducted through the heating surface 14. A person skilled in the art can calculate the respective quantities of water 50 and calcium oxide 52 required to produce thermal energy sufficient to heat a specific quantity of material through a desired temperature gradient. Thus, the heating elements 40A-40D may be sized, for example, to heat four (4) ounces of milk from a refrigerated temperature to approximately 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (the serving temperature desired by babies). The mixing of the contents of the fluid containers 42A-42D with the contents of the chemical containers 44A-44D, and the resultant exothermic chemical reactions, are described in greater detail hereinbelow.

The fluid containers 42A-42D and the chemical containers 44A-44D are fabricated from metal foil or any suitable material possessing a high enough coefficient of heat conduction to permit efficient conduction of thermal energy therethrough. The fluid containers 42A-42D and the chemical contains 44A-44D are glued, or otherwise attached, to the valves 46A-46D, respectively.

FIG. 3b illustrates the components of the valve 46A, which is also exemplary of valves 46B-46D. The valves 46A includes a tube 54A and a rotor 56A, which controls liquid flow through the tube 54A. The rotor 56A includes a handle 58A, a stem 60A and a disc-shaped baffle 62A, which is mounted internally of the tube 54A. The handle 58A, the stem 60A, and the baffle 62A are rotatable conjointly about an axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube 54A. When the baffle 62A is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube 54A (in the position shown in FIG. 3b), the rotor 56A prevents liquid flow through the tube 54A.

As will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, the heater 10 is used by wrapping it around a container filled with material to be heated. As a result, the cover 12 of the heater 10 should have a length (L) which is equal to or greater than the circumference (C) of the container. In other words, the ratio of the length L of the cover 12 to the circumference C of the container, (L/C), should be equal to or greater than one (1.0). By increasing this ratio to, for example 2.0, the heater 10 can be adapted for use with a container having a circumference of C (where C=L), as well as with containers having a circumference between C and 2C. Once the heater 10 is turned on by activating the desired number of heating elements 40, the heating surface 14 of the heater 10 is then oriented so that all of the activated heating elements 40 are positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of the material container. After wrapping the cover 12 around the exterior surface of the material container, the heater 10 is fastened in place by attaching the tabs 28, 30 to either the strips 32, 34, respectively, or the strips 36, 38, respectively, depending upon the orientation of the cover 12 relative to the exterior surface of the container. This is further explained hereinbelow.

If the heater 10 has a length L and the container to be heated has a circumference C, which is less than L, a portion of the heating surface 14 will overlap the insulating surface 16 of the cover 12, when the heater 10 is wrapped around the container. In such a situation, the user is not able to effectively utilize all of the heating elements 40 at one time. The present invention solves this problem by the novel arrangement of the tabs 28, 30 and the strips 32, 34, 36, and 38. More particularly, for a given orientation of the cover 12 relative to the exterior surface of the container, a user first turns on only those heating elements 40 which are able to be to be positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of the container (and necessary to achieve the desired material temperature), and then wraps and secures the cover 12 around the container. When the heating of the container is completed, the heater 10 is removed from the container and then inverted or rotated 180 degrees (one half of a full rotation) relative to the exterior surface of the container. After activating the desired number of heating element(s) 40 which hitherto have not been able to be positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of the container, the cover 12 can be wrapped and secured around the exterior surface of the container. This may be done immediately following the first heating session, or at a later time, depending upon the desired temperature of the material being heated. In this manner, the heating surface 14 is positioned to maximize the conduction of thermal energy. The following examples illustrate these novel features of the heater 10.

Referring to FIG. 5a, a baby bottle 66, having an exterior surface 68 and a circumference C, is illustrated in conjunction with the heater 10. In this example, the length L of the cover 12 is fifty percent (50%) longer than the circumference C of the container (I. e., the ratio L/C is 1.5). Should a user wish to heat eight (8) ounces of milk in the baby bottle 66, to approximately 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the user first opens (turns on) valves 46C, 46D, for example, to activate the exothermic reactions in the heating elements 40C, 40D, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 3b (the operation/construction of valves 446B-46D being the same as illustrated valves 46A); the user turns on the valve 46C by grasping the handle 58C with the thumb and forefinger through an opening 48 in the cover 12 and then rotating the rotor 56C approximately 90 degrees. Once the valve 46C is opened, the user gently squeezes the fluid container 42C and shakes the heater 10, wherein the water 50 flows through the tube 54C into the chemical container 44C, thereby initiating the exothermic reaction in the heating element 40C. The user then activates the heating element 40D in the same manner as the heating element 40C. Obviously, if the baby bottle 66 contains only four (4) ounces of milk, the user would only need to activate one of the heating elements 40C, 40D.

Once one or both of the heating elements 40C, 40D have been activated, the user would wrap the heater 10 around the bottle 66 by first orienting the heater 10 so that the edge 22 is first positioned against the exterior surface 68 of the bottle 66 (in the direction of the arrow A), and the end 24 is then positioned against the insulating surface 16 of the cover 12 (in the direction of arrow B). Finally the Strips 32, 34, would be fastened to the tabs 28, 30 respectively, to removeably secure the heater 10 to the bottle 66. In this instance, unused heating elements 40A, 40B overlap the insulating surface 16.

Referring to FIG. 5b, the baby bottle 66 is illustrated in conjunction with the partially used heater 10. Should the user now wish to once again heat eight (8) ounces of milk in the baby bottle 66, to approximately 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the user would now open valves 46A, 46B. The user would then secure the heater 10 around the bottle 66 by first orienting the heater 10 so that the edge 24 is first positioned against the exterior surface 68 of the bottle 66 (in the direction of the arrow A), and the end 22 is then positioned against the insulating surface 16 of the cover 12 (as indicated by the direction of arrow B). Finally, the tabs 28, 30 would be fastened to the strips 36, 38, respectively, to removeably secure the heater 10 to the bottle 66. In this instance, the previously used heating element(s) 40C and/or 40D overlap the insulating surface 16.

Referring to FIG. 5c, a can 70, having an exterior surface 72 and a circumference C, is illustrated in conjunction with the heater 10. The ratio of the length L of the cover 12 to the circumference C of the container is, in this example, 1.0. Should the user wish to heat approximately sixteen (16) ounces of soup in the can 70 to a temperature in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, the user first opens all four (4) valves 46A-46D of a new heater (i.e., the heater 10 would have all of its heating elements 40A-40D unused). The user then secures the heater 10 around the can 70 by first orienting the heater 10 so that the edge 24 is first positioned against the exterior surface 72 of the bottle 66 (in the direction of the arrow A), and the end 22 is then positioned adjacent end 24 of the cover 12 (in the direction of arrow B). Finally, the tabs 28, 30 would be fastened to the strips 36, 38, respectively, to removeably secure the heater 10 to the can 70. In this fashion, the heater 10 may be utilized to heat a variety of materials contained in a variety of different sized containers.

Referring to FIG. 6, another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The elements illustrated in FIG. 6 which correspond to the elements described above with reference to FIG. 3b have been designated by corresponding reference numerals increased by one hundred, while new elements are designated by odd reference numerals in the one hundreds. The embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6 operates and is constructed in a manner consistent with the embodiment shown in FIG. 3b, unless otherwise indicated.

FIG. 6 illustrates a plug-type control mechanism 146A which includes a semi-flexible tube 173A, a barrel shaped solid plug 175A, and a conventional releasable tie wrap 177A. The wrap 177A includes a tie 179A and a trigger 181A, for securing and releasing the wrap 177A around the tube 173A. The tube 173A, the plug 175A, and the wrap 177A may be made of plastic or other suitable material. The outside diameter of the plug 175A is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the tube 173A. The assembly and functioning of the mechanism 146A are described hereinbelow.

To assemble the valve 146A, the plug 175A is placed within the center of the tube 173A, while the wrap 177A is secured tightly around the outer surface of the tube 173A proximate the center of the plug 175A. More particularly, the end of the tie 179A is threaded through the trigger 181A and then pulled snugly around the tube 173A, thereby compressing the inside surface of the tube 173A against the outer surface of the plug 175A to block liquid flow through the tube 173A. When a user wishes to activate the heating element 146A, the user's finger depresses the trigger 181A in the direction of the arrow A (as shown in FIG. 6). This releases the tie 179A which releases the pressure exerted by the inside surface of the tube 173A on the outer surface of the plug 175A, whereby the plug 175A is released and free to exit the tube 173A. The user then gently squeezes the fluid container 142A and shakes the heater, whereby the plug 175A is flushed out of the tube 173A into the chemical container 144A together with the water 150 to thereby initiate an exothermic reaction in the chemical container 144A.

The components of the present invention may be arranged in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in material heating applications where the circumference C of the container is always equal to the length L of the cover 12, the heating elements may be arranged in the longitudinal rather than transverse direction (relative to the longitudinal axis of the cover 12). Also, the number of heating elements may vary from as few as one to as many as necessary, depending upon the thermal energy required to heat a specific quantity of material to a desired temperature.

In this manner, the various details of the present invention may be changed without departing from its scope. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only.

Claims

1. A heater for warming materials in containers, comprising a flexible cover adapted to be wrapped around a container to be heated and a plurality of heating elements carried by said cover, each of said heating elements being individually and selectively actuatable, each heating element having a fluid container, a chemical container, and a control mechanism for controlling the intermixing of the contents of said fluid container with the contents of said chemical container in order to produce a chemical reaction which results in the generation of thermal energy.

2. The heater of claim 1, wherein said cover includes a pair of ends, a heating surface positioned on one side of said cover and extending between said ends thereof, and an insulating surface positioned on an opposite side of said cover and extending between said ends thereof.

3. The heater of claim 1, wherein said cover includes attaching means for attaching remote portions of said cover to each other, whereby said cover may be wrapped around a container to be heated.

4. The heater of claim 1, wherein said control mechanism is a valve which, in one position, separates the contents of said fluid container from the contents of said chemical container and, in another position, initiates the intermixing of the contents of said fluid container with the contents of said chemical container.

5. The heater of claim 4, wherein said valve includes a rotary-type valve.

6. The heater of claim 4, wherein said valve includes a plug-type valve.