Flameless packaged food warmer

Abstract

FIELD: food product heating.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to devices for heating hermetically packaged food products by means of heat released during an exothermic reaction and can be used in the food industry, in particular for heating food products, for example, in field or hiking conditions. A flameless packaged food warmer consists of a sealed package and a heating element placed inside it that is activated upon contact with water. The heating element is made in the form of a sealed package made of non-woven porous polymer material, the outer surface of which has hydrophilic properties, and the inner surface has hydrophobic properties. The sealed package is divided into parts to form at least two sections, the internal space of which is uniformly filled with a chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminium. The sealed packaging is made in the form of a polymer bag, equipped with elements for opening and closing it. The polymer package is configured to visually control the level of its filling with water and heat it up to a temperature of 120-150 °C in the process of operation.EFFECT: increasing the efficiency of the device by increasing the amount and duration of thermal energy release during its operation while simultaneously increasing the safety of the device and reducing the time it takes to heat up packaged food products.14 cl, 3 dwg

Description

[0001] The invention relates to devices for heating hermetically packaged food products by means of heat released during an exothermic reaction and can be used in the food industry, in particular for heating food products, for example in field or hiking conditions.

[0002] A known contact heater for packaged food products (patent WO No. 2009 / 091276 A1, published July 23, 2009, IPC A47J 36 / 28, B65D 83 / 74, F24J 1 / 00) comprises a container made of flexible porous non-woven material with two identical heat-transfer walls located opposite each other, as well as a closed cavity for an exothermic composition initiated by water. In addition, the device comprises a gas-waterproof casing and a fiberglass cover. In this case, the exothermic composition is a homogeneous mixture of calcium oxide with anhydrous silica gel (the content of anhydrous silica gel in an amount of 1 part per 3.5-6.0 parts by weight of calcium oxide).

[0003] Disadvantages of the known invention include the complexity of the contact heater manufacturing process, as well as the excessive volume of water required to activate the exothermic composition. Furthermore, the stated heat release time is 8-10 minutes, which may be insufficient for heating food products.

[0004] Also known is a flameless heater for packaged food products (prototype), comprising a sealed package and a heating element placed inside it, activated upon contact with water (RU patent No. 121242 U1, published 06 / 19 / 2012, IPC B65D 81 / 32, B65D 77 / 00). In this case, the package is marked with transverse fold lines and tear lines of the sealed end, to which strips of adhesive tape are attached. The flameless heater also contains an autonomous sealed package with process water. The heating element is made of a mixture of lime, aluminum powder, table salt and soda ash, which are contained in the following range of ratios, wt. %: lime 45-85, aluminum powder 5-20, table salt 5-15, soda ash 5-20.

[0005] The disadvantages of this invention include the device's insufficient efficiency due to the inefficient use of generated heat and the long heating time of packaged food products (15-30 minutes). Furthermore, the need to use a large volume of process water to activate the heating element is also significant. Furthermore, if the packaging is damaged, the heating element is activated, which may pose a safety hazard to the consumer.

[0006] The technical result of the claimed invention consists in increasing the efficiency of the device by increasing the amount and duration of thermal energy release during its operation, while simultaneously increasing the safety of the device and reducing the time it takes to heat up packaged food products.

[0007] The claimed technical result is achieved in that the flameless heater for packaged food products includes a sealed package and a heating element placed inside it, activated upon contact with water, wherein the heating element is made in the form of a sealed bag made of a non-woven porous polymeric material, the outer surface of which has hydrophilic properties, and the inner surface has hydrophobic properties, wherein the sealed bag is divided into parts to form at least two sections, the internal space of which is uniformly filled with a chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum, and the sealed package is made in the form of a bag made of a polymeric material, equipped with elements for opening and closing it, wherein the bag of polymeric material is designed with the possibility of visually monitoring the level of its filling with water and heating it to a temperature of 120-150 ° C during operation.

[0008] In this case, 80-100 ml of water can be used to activate the heating element, and the activation time is 3-5 seconds.

[0009] The time for heating packaged food products to a temperature of 60-65°C may take 10-15 minutes.

[0010] Spunbond with a density of 40-80 g / m can be used as a non-woven porous polymer material. 2 .

[0011] The sealed bag made of non-woven porous polymer material can be divided into parts to form 2-4 identical sections.

[0012] The sealed bag made of non-woven porous polymer material can be separated into parts by ultrasonic or pulse welding.

[0013] The sealed bag made of non-woven porous polymer material can have dimensions: length 170-200 mm and width 120-130 mm.

[0014] The heating element may have an additional protective cover made of polyethylene film.

[0015] The polymer bag can have dimensions: length 290-350 mm and width 200-260 mm.

[0016] The polymer material bag can have a thickness of 70-80 microns.

[0017] To visually control the water filling level, the polymer bag can be made with a transparent section at the bottom and equipped with indicators of the minimum, optimal and maximum water levels, made in the form of straight or wavy lines applied to the transparent section.

[0018] Elements for opening a polymer bag can be made in the form of two pairs of notches and two tear lines located at the top of the bag and applied using a laser, and elements for closing are made in the form of an adhesive tape located at the top of the bag between the tear lines and equipped with a protective film.

[0019] Elements for opening a polymer bag can be made in the form of two pairs of notches and two tear lines located at the top of the bag and applied using a laser, and closing elements are made in the form of hot-melt PSA glue applied dotted at the bottom of the bag.

[0020] A chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum may contain sodium chloride, copper (II) chloride, copper (II) sulfate, aluminum and water in the following ratio of components, wt.%: sodium chloride 2.6 - 14.63; copper (II) chloride 2.02 - 6.8; copper (II) sulfate 4.68 - 13.9; aluminum 1.8 - 7.32; water - the rest.

[0021] The weight of the chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum can be 40-60g.

[0022] Increased device efficiency (flameless heater), improved safety, and reduced heating time for packaged food products are achieved through the use of a chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum and the heater's design features. Compared to known analogs, the heat efficiency of the claimed device (based on the heater's weight and dimensions) is 30%.

[0023] The heater's design with the stated structural elements ensures rapid activation of the heating element in 5-10 seconds and an increase in heat generation performance by 9 times greater (448 kJ per 50 g of chemical composition) than that of known analogues (50 kJ per 50 g of chemical composition).

[0024] The heater used in this device, a chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum, is environmentally friendly and fireproof (it has safety classes 3 and 4, respectively, and the amount of hydrogen released during the exothermic reaction is 12.4 liters). Furthermore, the products formed as a result of the activation of the chemical composition are safe and can be disposed of with household waste.

[0025] Also, thanks to the stated design of the device, the possibility of hot water spilling from the polymer packaging is eliminated, which also increases the safety of the device and prevents the possibility of burns during its operation.

[0026] Producing hermetically sealed packaging in the form of a polymer bag, such as polypropylene, produces a durable, flexible, and tear-resistant bag that can be easily folded without damage. Furthermore, the polymer bag can withstand temperatures of 120-150°C and creates a steam chamber within it during use.

[0027] The optimal dimensions for a polymer bag are 290-350 mm long and 200-260 mm wide, which allows for the simultaneous heating (if necessary) of several food products, for example, a main course, an additional course, and water for making a drink, which increases the functionality of the flameless heater.

[0028] The bag is made of polymer material with an optimal thickness of 70-80 microns, which ensures the integrity of the sealed packaging and the ability to heat up to the maximum required temperatures during operation.

[0029] To increase the convenience and safety of operation (use) of the flameless heater, the polymer material package is equipped with elements for opening and closing it.

[0030] Elements for opening and closing a package made of polymer material can have different design options.

[0031] For example, opening elements for a polymer bag may be designed in the form of two pairs of notches located at the top of the bag (applied to the side seams of the bag) and two tear lines, each applied between the pairs of notches along the width of the bag. The notches and tear lines can be applied using a laser. The first pair of notches and the tear line applied between them are intended for opening the polymer bag and inserting the packaged food product for subsequent reheating. The second pair of notches and the tear line applied between them are intended for opening the polymer bag and removing the packaged food product after it has been reheated.

[0032] And the elements for closing the polymer bag can be made, for example, in the form of an adhesive tape located between two tear lines in the upper part of the polymer bag, while the adhesive tape is provided with a protective film to prevent it from sticking to any surfaces before using a flameless heater.

[0033] Or the elements for closing the bag made of polymer material can be made, for example, in the form of dotted hot-melt adhesive PSA at the bottom of the bag.

[0034] Polymer bag closure elements are designed to hermetically seal the bag after placing the packaged food product in it and filling it with water.

[0035] For the purpose of convenient use and achieving the required efficiency of activation of the heating element, the polymer material package is designed with the ability to visually control the level of its filling with water during operation.

[0036] The heating element is activated upon contact with water. For maximum heating element activation efficiency, 80-100 ml of water is added to the polymer bag during operation. This volume of water is used because it releases a small amount of hydrogen, which does not carry away water vapor into the atmosphere, thus preventing water loss during heating. This is unlike known analogs, which require the addition of excess water, which negatively impacts the heating properties of the system. Moreover, due to the release of a larger amount of hydrogen (up to 6 times more than the stated heater) and the reduced volume of water in the reaction zone, not all substances in the chemical composition react with water, thereby reducing the thermal properties of the system.

[0037] To visually monitor the water level, a polymer bag can be designed in various ways. For example, a polymer bag can be made with one transparent side (front or back) and the other opaque (including with a foil layer). Alternatively, a polymer bag can be made with a transparent section at the bottom of one side of the bag or with transparent sections symmetrically located at the bottom of both sides.

[0038] The polymer bag may be provided with indicators of minimum, optimal and maximum water levels, made, for example, in the form of straight or wavy lines applied on one of the transparent sides of the bag or on a transparent section of one of the sides of the bag or on symmetrically located transparent sections on both sides of the bag.

[0039] Accordingly, with the optimal volume of water (80-100 ml) required to activate the heating element, the minimum, optimal and maximum water level indicators printed on the polymer bag correspond to the marks (lines) of 80, 90 and 100 ml of water.

[0040] The optimal option is to use a chemical composition containing sodium chloride, copper (II) chloride, copper (II) sulfate, aluminum and water in the following ratio of components, wt.%: sodium chloride 2.6 - 14.63; copper (II) chloride 2.02 - 6.8; copper (II) sulfate 4.68 - 13.9; aluminum 1.8 - 7.32; water - the rest.

[0041] The total weight of the chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum can be 40-60g, which is sufficient to activate the heating element and generate sufficient heat during the exothermic reaction during the operation of the flameless heater.

[0042] To achieve rapid activation of the heating element, it is made in the form of a sealed bag made of non-woven porous polymer material, the outer surface of which has hydrophilic properties, and the inner surface has hydrophobic properties.

[0043] The heating element (sealed bag made of non-woven porous polymer material) may additionally have a protective cover (protective packaging) made of polyethylene film to minimize the risks associated with accidental activation of the heating element upon contact with water.

[0044] For example, spunbond with a density of 40-80 g / m can be used as a non-woven porous polymer material for the heating element. 2 .

[0045] The optimal dimensions for a sealed bag made of non-woven porous polymer material are 170-200 mm long and 120-130 mm wide. This sealed bag size provides the necessary space to accommodate the largest possible food package for reheating and allows for the simultaneous reheating of multiple dishes (if necessary).

[0046] The non-woven material does not impede water penetration and does not allow the chemical composition components to spill out, which ensures the complete safety of the heating element, and, accordingly, the flameless heater itself, for humans and the environment.

[0047] The sealed bag is divided, for example, by ultrasonic or pulse welding, into parts to form two to four sections, which ensures uniform filling of the internal space with a chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum, and also allows for uniform heat distribution and heating of food products during operation of the flameless heater.

[0048] Using a heating element with a chemical (exothermic) composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum ensures an effective exothermic reaction, a 30% improvement in temperature performance compared to known analogues, and stable heating of packaged food products to a temperature of 60-65°C after 10-15 minutes from the start of activation of the heating element.

[0049] At the same time, the heating element can be used by placing it both vertically and horizontally, without loss of efficiency, unlike analogs, where it is recommended to place the heating element strictly vertically.

[0050] In addition, any water with a chemical composition can be used to activate the heating element, which is poured into a polymer bag.

[0051] The principle of action of the chemical composition is as follows.

[0052] Due to water penetration into the chemical composition, the heating element is rapidly activated, releasing a large amount of heat and a small volume of gas (hydrogen). The sealed packaging (a polymer bag), which forms a steam chamber, does not release heat along with the hydrogen flow, but rather accumulates it within the bag. Aluminum reacts to reduce copper from its salts, resulting in the formation of finely crystalline copper, which heats up during the reaction and gradually cools, transferring heat to the heated packaged food product.

[0053] In known analogs, when the substances of the chemical composition of the heating element interact with water, compounds such as calcium or magnesium hydroxides are formed, which do not have heat-conducting properties and partially block the release of heat into the outer sphere during the reaction of the chemical composition with water, which also leads to a decrease in the thermal capacity of the system.

[0054] Unlike its well-known counterparts, the claimed heater, when the substances of the chemical composition of the heating element interact with water, forms a well-conducting heat substance - copper, which heats up quickly and releases heat for a long time, thereby ensuring a heating process with a prolonged effect.

[0055] The proposed design of the declared flameless heater allows generating heat for up to 30 minutes while maintaining the temperature in the range of 80-130°C inside a polymer package.

[0056] The claimed invention is explained by schematic drawings, in which:

[0057] - Fig. 1 shows a general view of a flameless heater;

[0058] - Fig. 2 shows a view of a flameless heater with an opened polymer packaging;

[0059] - Fig. 3 shows a view of a flameless heater with a folded and fixed polymer material package after filling with water, inside which a packaged food product is placed.

[0060] A flameless heater for packaged food products (Fig. 1-2) includes a sealed package made in the form of a bag 1 made of a polymer material, and a heating element placed inside it, activated upon contact with water and made in the form of a sealed bag 2 made of a non-woven porous polymer material, the outer surface of which has hydrophilic properties, and the inner surface - hydrophobic properties. The bag 1 is provided with elements for opening and closing it. The elements for opening the bag 1 can be made, for example, in the form of two pairs of notches 3 and 4 applied on the side seams of the bag 1 and two tear lines 5, each applied between the notches 3 and 4 along the width of the bag 1. The notches 3, 4 and the tear lines 5 can be applied using a laser. The elements for closing the package 1 can be made, for example, in the form of an adhesive tape 6, located in the upper part of the package 1 between the tear lines 5 and provided with a protective film 7.Sealed bag 2 is divided into at least two sections (not shown in the figures), the interior of which is uniformly filled with a chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum. Bag 1 is designed to be heated to a temperature of 120-150°C during operation. To enable visual monitoring of the water level, bag 1 can be designed with a transparent section 8 at its bottom and equipped with indicators for minimum, optimal (not shown in the figures), and maximum water levels, such as straight or wavy lines 9 applied to the transparent section 8.

[0061] Flameless packaged food warmer is used as follows.

[0062] Open the sealed packaging - bag 1 made of polymer material (Fig. 2). Bag 1 is opened using the opening elements - the first (upper) pair of laser notches 3 and the tear line 5 located between them. The heating element - bag 2 with a chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum - is placed inside the opened bag 1, in the center. If a protective cover (not shown in the figures) made of polyethylene film is additionally provided for the heating element (bag 2), then bag 2 is first pulled out of the opened bag 1 and the protective cover is removed, after which bag 2 is placed in the center of bag 1. In this case, bag 2 can be placed (relative to its longer side) inside bag 1 both vertically and horizontally. Next, packaged food product 10 (Fig. 3), which needs to be heated, is placed inside package 1 (on top of package 2), and 80-100 ml of water (not shown in the figures) is poured into package 1.The filling of package 1 with water is controlled using indicators of the minimum, optimal (not shown in the figures) and maximum water levels, implemented, for example, in the form of wavy lines 9 applied to the transparent section 8 at the bottom of package 1. 30 seconds after adding water, package 1 is folded, for example, by 1 / 3 of the length of package 1 (depending on the size of the packaged food product 10) and tightly closed (fixed) using closing elements, for example, by means of adhesive tape 6 (Fig. 3), from which the protective film 7 is first removed, thereby accumulating heat inside package 1 and preventing the possibility of heat escaping from it. Package 1 must be placed on a horizontal surface during the entire heating process, while it is necessary to control the location of package 2 with the chemical composition strictly under the heated packaged food product 10.Due to water penetrating the chemical composition, the heating element is rapidly activated, releasing a large amount of heat and a small amount of gas (hydrogen). Depending on the type of food product 10 being heated, the heating time is 10-15 minutes. Once the heating process is complete, the package 1 is opened using the opening elements—the second (lower) pair of laser notches 4 and the tear line 5 located between them—and the heated food product 10, ready for consumption, is removed from the package 1.

[0063] After using the flameless heater, its structural elements (including bag 1 and bag 2) are subject to disposal in the usual manner provided for the disposal of household waste that does not require special methods and means for their disposal.

[0064] Thus, the claimed flameless packaged food heater ensures the efficient use of heat generated by the exothermic reaction, rapid and stable heating of packaged food, and safety in its use.

Claims

1. A flameless heater for packaged food products, comprising a sealed package and a heating element placed inside it, activated upon contact with water, characterized in that the heating element is made in the form of a sealed bag made of a non-woven porous polymeric material, the outer surface of which has hydrophilic properties, and the inner surface has hydrophobic properties, wherein the sealed bag is divided into parts to form at least two sections, the internal space of which is uniformly filled with a chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum, and the sealed package is made in the form of a bag made of a polymeric material, equipped with elements for opening and closing it, wherein the bag of polymeric material is designed with the possibility of visually monitoring the level of its filling with water and heating it to a temperature of 120-150 °C during operation.

2. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that 80-100 ml of water is used to activate the heating element, with the activation time being 3-5 seconds.

3. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the time for heating packaged food products to a temperature of 60-65°C is 10-15 minutes.

4. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that spunbond with a density of 40-80 g / m is used as a non-woven porous polymer material. 2 .

5. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the sealed package made of non-woven porous polymer material is divided into parts to form 2-4 identical sections.

6. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the sealed package made of non-woven porous polymer material is divided into parts using ultrasonic or pulse welding.

7. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the sealed package made of non-woven porous polymer material has the following dimensions: length 170-200 mm and width 120-130 mm.

8. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the heating element has an additional protective cover made of polyethylene film.

9. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the polymer material package has the following dimensions: length 290-350 mm and width 200-260 mm.

10. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the polymer material package has a thickness of 70-80 microns.

11. A flameless heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, in order to carry out visual control of the water filling level, the polymer material package is made with a transparent section in its lower part and is equipped with indicators of the minimum, optimal and maximum water levels, made in the form of straight or wavy lines applied on the transparent section.

12. A flameless heater according to claim 1, characterized in that the elements for opening the package made of polymer material are made in the form of two pairs of notches and two tear lines located in the upper part of the package and applied using a laser, and the elements for closing are made in the form of an adhesive tape located in the upper part of the package between the tear lines and provided with a protective film.

13. A flameless heater according to claim 1, characterized in that the elements for opening the package made of polymer material are made in the form of two pairs of notches and two tear lines located in the upper part of the package and applied using a laser, and the closing elements are made in the form of hot-melt PSA adhesive applied pointwise in the lower part of the package.

14. A flameless heater according to claim 1, characterized in that the chemical composition contains sodium chloride, copper(II) chloride, copper(II) sulfate, aluminum and water in the following ratio of components, wt.%: sodium chloride 2.6-14.63; copper(II) chloride 2.02-6.8; copper(II) sulfate 4.68-13.9; aluminum 1.8-7.32; water - the rest.

15. A flameless heater according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the weight of the chemical composition based on inorganic salts and aluminum is 40-60 g.

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