Heat transfer apparatus and container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for heating liquids such as breast milk, infant formula, and medical liquids like blood are inefficient, prone to overheating, and unsuitable for remote or emergency situations due to reliance on bulky equipment and manual temperature measurement, which can lead to nutrient denaturation and uneven heating.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchange apparatus and method using a closure with a crown portion that facilitates heat transfer without direct contact with the liquid, allowing for efficient and controlled heating or cooling of liquids within a container, utilizing a temperature control probe that extends into the container through a recessed area, enabling sealing and heat transfer without contamination or the need for external probe insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a microwave oven is used to heat breast milk or formula, then heating speed is improved, but hot spots are created leading to nutrient denaturation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary heat transfer system consisting of a container with thermally conductive walls and a heating element that heats the container rather than the liquid directly. This intermediary approach distributes heat through the container walls to achieve uniform heating without creating hot spots, resolving the contradiction between fast heating and preventing nutrient denaturation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a baby bottle is placed in an insulated cup with hot water for heating, then nutrient denaturation is prevented, but heating time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the container by using materials with high thermal conductivity for the container walls. This parameter change allows faster heat transfer from the heating element through the container walls to the liquid, reducing heating time while maintaining uniform temperature distribution that prevents nutrient denaturation.
3Productivity
If a heat exchanger with two pumps is used to heat blood, then heating efficiency is improved, but device complexity and portability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex pump system from the blood heating device. Instead of using active pumping mechanisms, the design relies on passive heat exchange through thermally conductive container walls, significantly simplifying the device structure while maintaining effective heating capability for portable use.
4Device complexity
If manual temperature measurement is used during heating, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but temperature control precision is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a temperature sensor that provides feedback on the liquid temperature to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables automatic temperature regulation, ensuring precise temperature control while preventing overheating, all within a relatively simple device architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures efficient, controlled heating or cooling of liquids, preventing overheating and nutrient denaturation, while being portable and suitable for remote use, as it allows for precise temperature control without direct contact with the liquid, ensuring the integrity and safety of the contents.
Implementation Method 1
a crown portion including an inner surface adjacent to an inner region of the container and an outer surface opposed to the inner surface, the crown portion attached to or integral with the engagement portion and adapted to form a recess which extends into the inner region of the container to facilitate heat transfer to or from contents of the container
Data Source
AI summary
A container for holding liquid is described. The container defines an inner region inside which liquid is adapted to be held and includes one or more walls for facilitating heating or cooling of the liquid therethrough, the one or more walls being adapted for invagination by a temperature control probe such that the temperature control probe extends into the container without directly contacting contents of the inner region of the container.