Single use self-heating cup

Abstract

A large self-heating cup having an injected plastic container body (1) with two cavities, separated by a central overmolded metal wall (10). The upper cavity (32) contains the beverage while the lower cavity (33) is used to contain the heating module, an exothermic reaction without toxic reactants. Said lower cavity (33) is closed by a plastic base (20) which is also used to divide this cavity into two chambers by the way of a breakable seal (19). A solid reactant (34) is placed above the breakable seal (19) and a liquid reactant (35) is inside the plastic base (20). With the cup in an upside-down position, the user pulls off a protective foil (31) and pushes the actuator (26) which pierces the breakable seal (19) causing the mixing of both reactants and thus generate heat. An effective heat transfer to the beverage is possible by way of the separating metal wall (10) allowing a quickly elevation of its temperature.A special coating on plastics and a reinforced design authorizing a sterilization stage. The conical outer shape (1) is compliant with standard accessories like lids and paper sleeves to increase tasting comfort.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention[0001]The present invention relates to a single use self-heating cup intended to contain beverages or soups.[0002]The field of the invention is the consummation of hot beverage everywhere through a packaging able to heat a liquid and / or solid quickly and safely before consuming it. In particular, the present invention relates to an innovative container body made of bi-material allowing to have all at once, heat-conductive walls and heat-protective walls.2. Description of the Related Art[0003]The demand for an effective self-heating container of liquid and / or solid consumables is becoming increasingly strong and it's justified because no manufacturer has responded in full to the problem posed by the consumer society.[0004]In general, container may have integral or separate insertable modules to heat a beverage or soup. Examples of such self-heating containers with integral thermal modules are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,117,684, is...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is about a self-heating cup made of plastic and metal that can safely and securely heat beverages to a desired temperature. The cup has a reaction chamber made of metal that allows for excellent heat transfer and operational security, while the container body is made of plastic that is easy to form and has low thermal conductivity. The cup can be filled with a variety of beverages and has a removable member to close the beverage cavity. The cup also has a special coating to seal the porosity of the plastic material and prevent moisture from entering the beverage chamber. The technology of the present invention allows for the manufacture of self-heating cups with a large volume of beverage.

Problems solved by technology

For example Scudder, U.S. Pat. No. 7,117,684 which has an interesting volume of beverage, 9.5 fl oz (281 mL) but its heat transfer wall is made of plastic, it's not effective because it's weakly heat-conductive, heat time is 5 to 8 minutes and there is an important risk due to the high temperature reached.

Fissures or punctures or distortions might appear in the heat transfer wall, such that the reactive product might come into contact with the consumable, making it unfit for consumption.

Product becomes complex and too expensive to manufacture, so hard to sell it for an average volume of beverage and only one use.

Fast Drink, U.S. Pat. No. 8,944,045 which has a good concept, minimal of parts and easy assembly, so a low manufacturing cost but his volume of beverage is limited, 7 fl oz (200 mL) and the user can burn his lips on the top made of steel when he drinks, it's uncomfortable.

In other models of containers provided with incorporated heating means have a complex structure demanding complicated and expensive manufacturing processes.

For models with insertable modules, there is a high risk to getting burned at its introduction into the container and the user may activate it by mistake.

The main difficulty in using plastic material in a self-heating container, other than its heat resistance, is to allow a long shelf life to its contents because gross plastics are permeable to small molecules.

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