Portable heating for small quantities of consumer product
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable heating systems for small consumer products face issues such as inadequate heat production, leakage, and inefficient chemical reactant distribution due to the design of flexible containers and piercing elements, which limit their effectiveness in heating applications like nacho dips and glues in cold weather.
Innovation Solution
A self-heating container design featuring a rigid barrier within the reaction chamber to create separate portions for fluid communication, a spring-loaded platform to ensure thorough mixing of chemical reactants, and a piercing element with grooves to facilitate efficient reactant flow, along with an elastomeric seal to prevent leakage, addresses the drawbacks of previous designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a flexible container is used to store the second reactant, then the device can be compact and portable, but the reactant distribution becomes inefficient and heat production is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The reaction chamber is divided into multiple sections by a rigid barrier with fluid channels. The second reactant is segmented into multiple streams that are distributed through separate channels rather than released as a single bulk flow, ensuring thorough mixing and efficient heat production throughout the entire reaction chamber volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid barrier acts as an intermediary structure between the flexible container and the reaction chamber. It includes fluid channels that mediate the transport of the second reactant from the flexible container into the reaction chamber, ensuring controlled distribution and preventing direct contact that would cause inadequate mixing.
2Device complexity
If the piercing element directly contacts the flexible container, then the structure is simple, but leakage occurs and reactant flow is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
An elastomeric seal is introduced as an intermediary component between the piercing element and the flexible container. This seal prevents leakage by creating a tight seal around the piercing element as it penetrates the flexible container, while still allowing the piercing action to occur. The seal mediates between the simple piercing action and the requirement for leakage prevention.
3Speed
If chemical reactants are released directly into the reaction chamber, then the process is fast, but mixing is incomplete and heat production is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The reaction chamber is segmented into multiple zones by rigid barriers with integrated fluid channels. As reactants are released, they are automatically divided into multiple streams that travel through separate channels and zones, ensuring thorough mixing throughout the chamber. This segmentation maintains fast release speed while preventing incomplete mixing.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid barrier structure adds a spatial dimension to reactant distribution. Instead of simple radial mixing from a central point, reactants are distributed along multiple spatial paths defined by the fluid channels in the rigid barrier, creating a three-dimensional mixing pattern that ensures complete reaction and sufficient heat production.
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
The improved design ensures thorough mixing and efficient heat production, overcoming previous limitations of inadequate heat, leakage, and incomplete reactant reaction, allowing for effective heating of small consumer products like nacho dips and glues in various conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second reactants react exothermically upon contact
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for heating a product includes a storage compartment for a product to be heated and a heater module physically and thermally coupled to the storage compartment. The heater module has a housing that defines a reaction chamber. A rigid barrier is inside the reaction chamber and defines first and second portions thereof. A first reactant is inside the reaction chamber, and a flexible bag (with a second reactant) is in the first portion of the first chemical reactant. The first and second reactants react exothermically upon contact. A piercing element can pierce the flexible bag. After piercing, the a fluid path and one or more fluid channels carry the second reactant to a section of the first portion of the reaction chamber away from where the flexible bag is located.