EP1942064A2

EP1942064A2 - Self-heating container

Info

Publication number: EP1942064A2
Application number: EP20070380170
Authority: EP
Inventors: Santiago Canela Marcade
Original assignee: FAST DRINKS 2005 SL
Current assignee: FAST DRINKS 2005 SL
Priority date: 2006-06-13
Filing date: 2007-06-12
Publication date: 2008-07-09
Also published as: ES1063260Y; EP1942064A3; ES1063260U

Abstract

This type of container is designed to be used for liquid or solid foodstuffs, which due to a chemical and exothermic reaction produced in the centre of the container itself, heats up so that the contents can be consumed in optimum conditions. The construction design is such that the manufacturing costs are very low. The container is made up of an outer tubular body (1), which closes at the top end with an easy-open lid (2) and connects at the lower end (5) to a second body (6), which is a small compartment, that on one side is the base of the upper chamber (4) where the foodstuff is positioned and on the other, it is the receptacle that houses the two reagents separately (7), which when mixed, produce the exothermic reaction and consequently heat up the food product. The end of the outer tubular body (1) and that of inner compartment coincide and fit into the same perimeter rims that overlap and enable the simultaneous fixation of both bodies to the lower lid of the container (16), which is sealed along the perimeter to both rims (14-15) using a conventional metal sealing system (18).

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention herein refers to a self-heating container, like those used for drinks that, due to a chemical and exothermic reaction produced in the centre of the container itself, heats up so the contents can be consumed in optimum conditions.
The object of the invention is to achieve a container that is optimally designed so that, due to the premeditated automatic assembly of its components, it can be made at a price that is noticeably much cheaper than other models that have existed or that may exist in the market. In this respect, the so called "double closing" contributes fundamentally to the invention, as it enables two container bodies to be assembled with just one lid.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

These self-heating containers with the above mentioned practical application are known, in the centre there are two compartments, one for liquids and the other for the reagents that can produce the necessary heat by means of an exothermic reaction that increases the temperature of the liquid content in the first compartment. The reagents normally convert into calcium oxide and water and they are kept apart until the moment the contents of the container are consumed, which is when they mix to produce the reaction and the subsequent heating, as there is a way to break the membrane that separates both reagents.
The containers are also used to conserve the food product inside for a relatively long period of time, and therefore they are normally subject to a sterilisation process, at specific pressure and temperature conditions.
Up until now, some of these containers have satisfactorily fulfilled their function as a means to self-heat the contents, however due to their structure the manufacturing process is slow, complex and as a result, expensive. This is due to the fact that first of all, with the container open, you need to sterilize the foodstuffs and then hermetically close the corresponding compartment, next you have to insert the reagents in the container in the corresponding compartments and finally proceed to the final closing of the container, this means that two successive manipulations or closing operations are required.
This type of operation also creates important problems if you intend to automate the assembly process.
On the other hand when you are going to use the container, during the exothermic reaction there is overpressure in the thermal module and some of the steam that can be produced during the reaction escapes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The self-heating container proposed by this invention has been developed and designed to satisfactorily resolve the above mentioned problems related to the different aspects stated.
To do so, in a more specific way and in accordance with one of the characteristics of the invention, the tubular container body, closed at the top end by a partial or total easy-open lid, connects at the lower end to a second body which acts as a base. This is also cylindrical, the axial elevation is less that that of the main body, but the end coincides and together with the main body, they define an outer perimeter rim that enables the simultaneous fixing of both bodies by sealing the metals, helped by the lower closing lid itself. This is done in such a way that the second body, that contains the reagents in independent, hermetically sealed, small compartments and with a standard means of communication between both reagents, is "locked" in the centre of the main body before the sterilization operation. Now all you have to do is fit the lower closing lid to completely finish the container in one single operation, which is easy to automate and considerably reduces the production costs.
In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, a filter is inserted between the end of the second body and the lower closing lid and is conveniently fixed along its edges in the lid sealing operation. When the contents of the container are used or consumed, after the easy-opening of the lower lid, the filter permits the depressurisation of the second body or thermal module and absorbs and retains the steam that may be produced during the exothermic reaction, thus preventing the complete or partial escape of the steam.
This filter can also be printed with water soluble ink and acts as a seal that ensures the container has not been opened or activated. Another of the filter functions is to prevent the powder of the solid reagent from escaping to the outside, before or after the container is activated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMS

To complement this description and in order to offer a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a diagram in enclosed which is an integral part of the description to illustrate, but not limit, the invention and is an example of how it should preferentially be used. This schematic diagram shows the side elevation and is a diametrical cross section, done in accordance with the objective of this invention.

PREFERRED REALIZATION MODE FOR THE INVENTION

From the diagram you can see how the self-heating container proposed by the invention is made up of a tubular body (1), similar to that of a standard can, which closes at the top end with a lid (2), by means of a conventional sealing system (3). This lid (2) has a partial or total easy-open device, depending on the type of food product planned to put inside the chamber (4).
The lower end (5) of the body is attached to a second body (6), by way of a small cylindrical compartment, that on one side makes up the base of the aforementioned chamber (4) and on the other defines an area (7) to house the solid reagent, for example, calcium oxide, that occupies part of the second body (6), while the remainder is put into another small compartment (8), specifically in the area next to the end (9) of the first small compartment. This second small compartment (8) is designed to house the liquid reagent (10). There are spikes on the base (12) located in the central area (11), that extend to the end of the small compartment (8), and there is an upper lid that materialises into a sealing cover (13), made of aluminium, which can be easily broken with the piercing spikes (12).
The ends (5) and (9) of the two bodies (1) and (6) terminate at each rim (14-15) on the same level and point outwards, with a disc shaped filter on top (16) of the lower lid. The double closure with the lower lid (17) is performed by sealing the metals (18), and constitutes the base of the container as well as closing off the thermal module compartment.
To activate the thermal module you have to open the lower lid (17), press the base of the small compartment (8) through the filter (16) and break the membrane (13) that separates the two reagents.
From what has been explained above and from what has been seen in the diagram, the steam produced in the reaction and any other residual product generated by the reaction, are absorbed by the filter (16), which nevertheless permits any overpressure to be discharged. The outer surface remains dry when touched, due to the existence of an outer coating on the filter, and only leaves a small area free to function as a discharge valve.
As mentioned above, this filter (16) can also act as a safety seal, the inner side can be printed using water soluble ink that detects the presence of moisture, which would be determined by the existence of a prior reaction between the reagents and would mean the container should not be used; this can be detected by observing that the printing is blurred.

Claims

^a.- A self-heating container, similar to those used for conserving and later consuming food products, either solid or liquid, which has a tubular outer body that closes at the top end with an easy-open lid and that at its lower end, connects to a second body, as a small compartment, which on one side constitutes the base for the upper compartment where the food is added, and on the other, it constitutes a receptacle for the two reagents. The mixing of the reagents causes an exothermic reaction and consequently heat the food product. It is characterised because the outer tubular body and the inner small compartment ends coincide and fit into the same outer perimeter rims that overlap and enable the simultaneous fixing of both bodies to the lower lid of the container that is fixed around the perimeter to both rims by a conventional sealing system.
^a.- This self-heating container, according to the first claim, is characterised because the perimeter rims of the ends of both bodies and the easy-open lower lid, represent the edge of a disc shaped filter, so any product that is generated during the aforementioned exothermic reaction can escape.
^a.- This self-heating container, according to above claims, is characterised because the above mentioned filter has a water-tight outer coating.
^a.- This self-heating container, according to the above claims, is characterised because the filter can be printed with water soluble ink on the inside, visible through an outer water-tight, transparent coating, which shows the existence of moisture in the filter.