Self-Heating Container Barrier for Rapid Beverage Warming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-heating systems for beverages and food are inefficient in rapidly heating larger volumes and maintaining temperature, often requiring slower exothermic reactions and inadequate separation and mixing of chemical reactants.
Innovation Solution
A compact, disposable self-heating container design that separates and rapidly mixes chemical reactants using a movable barrier system, allowing for efficient heat transfer and maintaining temperatures above 145°F for extended periods, with a coefficient of heat transfer between 0.0167 to 0.0833 BTU/(ft²·sec·°F).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional exothermic reaction systems are used, then heat generation is achieved, but the heating speed for larger volumes is slower than desired
Solution Approach 1:
The reaction chamber is divided into multiple compartments separated by breakable partitions, allowing segmented mixing of reactants. This segmentation enables controlled, rapid heat generation throughout the volume, improving heating speed for larger quantities of comestible substance while maintaining manageable reactant quantities in each compartment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement of multiple reaction compartments around the comestible substance container. This dimensional configuration allows heat to be generated and transferred from multiple directions simultaneously, dramatically increasing heating speed for larger volumes without requiring proportionally larger reactant quantities.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional self-heating containers are used, then heating is achieved, but the temperature cannot be maintained for an extended period of time
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs multiple reaction compartments that can be activated sequentially or simultaneously, providing continuous heat generation over an extended period. As reactants in one compartment are consumed, additional compartments can be broken to release more reactants, ensuring continuous exothermic reaction and sustained temperature maintenance without interruption.
3Reliability
If simple barrier separation is used, then reactant separation is achieved, but effective separation, deployment, and mixing of chemical reactants is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier partitions are designed to be breakable rather than fixed, transitioning from a static separation state to a dynamic mixing state upon activation. This dynamic design allows the barriers to be reliably intact during storage and transport, then easily broken to enable rapid and thorough mixing of reactants when heating is required, improving both separation reliability and mixing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The breakable partition acts as an intermediary structure that temporarily maintains reactant separation while enabling controlled mixing. This intermediary element provides reliable separation during storage but can be easily compromised to facilitate complete reactant mixing when the heating function is activated, resolving the contradiction between separation reliability and mixing efficiency.
4Speed
If rapid mixing of reactants is implemented, then heating speed is improved, but the system becomes more sensitive to environmental effects
Solution Approach 1:
The reactants are pre-positioned in separate compartments with breakable barriers already in place before use. This preliminary arrangement ensures that rapid mixing can be achieved simply by breaking the barriers, without requiring complex mixing mechanisms. The system is designed to be environmentally robust during storage, then enables rapid mixing upon activation by overcoming the simple barrier.
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 system effectively heats at least 6 fluid ounces of a consumable substance from room temperature to 145°F in under one minute and maintains the temperature for 2 minutes, with improved heat transfer efficiency and resistance to environmental effects, ensuring long shelf-life and safe handling.
Implementation Method 1
Self-heating technology based on an exothermic reaction between different reagents is often used in such containers
Implementation Method 2
a barrier positioned within the chamber to divide the chamber into a first and a second compartment, wherein each compartment is adapted to receive at least one chemical reactant
Implementation Method 3
the movable barrier member separates from the stationary barrier member in a manner such that the movable barrier member is completely detached from the stationary barrier member, resulting in the entire fixed sized opening being uncovered, thus allowing one or more chemical reactants to flow from one chamber to the other at a predictable rate
Implementation Method 4
wherein the pressure from the out-flowing chemical reactants pushes the movable barrier member away from the opening to substantially inhibit the movable barrier member from blocking portions of the opening
Implementation Method 5
with a coefficient of heat transfer between 0.0167 to 0.0833 BTU/(ft²·sec·°F)
Data Source
AI summary
Self-heating containers comprise a reaction chamber and a heating chamber. The heating chamber is sized to contain a substance to be heated. The reaction chamber contains reactants which, when contacted, exothermically react. The reaction chamber is divided into a first compartment and a second compartment with a barrier therebetween. The barrier comprises a first barrier portion and a second barrier portion. The first barrier portion is attached to a reaction chamber wall and has an opening sized to allow reactants to flow through from one compartment to the other. The second barrier portion is attached to the first barrier portion to close the opening. The barrier can be opened by moving an actuator into engagement with the second barrier portion to dislodge the second barrier portion from the first barrier portion and thereby open the barrier.