Self-heating/cooling arrangement for beverage and/or food

Abstract

An arrangement for heating or cooling a pre-sealed container for beverage and/or food includes a reaction vessel with a reaction volume in which first and second reactants intermix when desired to change the temperature in the reaction volume. A pre-sealed beverage and/or food container thermally contacts the reaction volume, and has a generally tubular shape with a bottom, and a top with means for opening the container. A lid surrounds, and is sealed to, the top portion of the container, for enclosing part of the reaction volume. Confronting surfaces of the top portion of the container and the lid have respective cooperating, portions shaped in an overall tapering manner, more narrow towards the top of the container, so that downward pressure from the lid towards the container substantially aids in holding the container against a bottom support for the container. A seal is positioned between the confronting surfaces.

1 . An arrangement for heating or cooling a pre-sealed container for beverage and/or food, comprising: 
 a) a reaction vessel with a reaction volume in which first and second reactants intermix when desired to change the temperature in the reaction volume;    b) a pre-sealed beverage and/or food container in thermal contact with the reaction volume;    the container having a generally tubular shape with a bottom, and a top with means for opening the container;    c) a bottom support for supporting the bottom of the container;    d) a lid, surrounding the top portion of the container, for enclosing part of the reaction volume;    e) confronting surfaces of the top portion of the container and the lid having respective cooperating, portions shaped in an overall tapering manner, more narrow towards the top of the container, so that downward pressure from the lid towards the container substantially aids in holding the container against the bottom support; and    f) a seal between the confronting surfaces.    
   
   
       2 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the confronting surfaces of the container and the lid are so shaped that downward pressure from the lid towards the container substantially fully holds the container against the bottom support.  
   
   
       3 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises a compressible gasket.  
   
   
       4 . The arrangement of  claim 3 , wherein seal is principally formed by squeezing the gasket between a shoulder portion of the container and an adjacent portion of the lid.  
   
   
       5 . The arrangement of  claim 3 , wherein, in its initial unflexed state, the gasket is a flat annular band whose inner diameter is sufficiently smaller than the top portion of the container over which the gasket extends, so that the gasket forms a substantially unpleated skirt when initially placed over the top portion of the container.  
   
   
       6 . The arrangement of  claim 5 , wherein the compressible gasket comprises foamed plastic.  
   
   
       7 . The arrangement of  claim 6 , wherein the compressible plastic comprises foamed polyethylene.  
   
   
       8 . The arrangement of  claim 7 , wherein the foamed polyethylene is at least about 20 mils thick in its initial, uncompressed state before being placed on the container.  
   
   
       9 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the seal is free of adhesive.  
   
   
       10 . The arrangement of  claim 9 , wherein the seal further comprises compressible material.  
   
   
       11 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the top portion of the container comprises a necked-in region and a double-seamed end above the necked-in region.  
   
   
       12 . The arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein the can is made from aluminum.  
   
   
       13 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , further comprising a removable spritz guard placed over a location on the top of the container from which contents of the container can be removed.  
   
   
       14 . The arrangement of  claim 13 , wherein the spritz guard comprises a removable, pressure-sensitive label.  
   
   
       15 . An arrangement for heating or cooling a pre-sealed container for beverage and/or food, comprising: 
 a) a reaction vessel with a reaction volume in which first and second reactants intermix when desired to change the temperature in the reaction volume    b) a pre-sealed beverage and/or food container in thermal contact with the reaction volume; the container having a generally tubular shape with a bottom, and a top with means for opening the container;    c) a membrane for separating the first and second reactants prior to intermixing the reactants in the reaction volume;    d) a breaching member for breaching the membrane, to initiate intermixing of the reactants, when desired;    e) the mid-ring being interposed between the bottom of the pre-sealed container and the membrane; the mid-ring supporting the bottom of the container; and    f) stop structure within the reaction vessel providing a stop to downward movement of the mid-ring.    
   
   
       16 . The arrangement of  claim 15 , wherein the top of the container comprises a necked-in region and a double-seamed end above the necked-in region.  
   
   
       17 . The arrangement of  claim 16 , wherein the container rests against the mid-ring without being affixed thereto and the mid-ring rests against the stop structure without being affixed thereto.  
   
   
       18 . The arrangement of  claim 17 , wherein the container rests directly against the mid-ring.  
   
   
       19 . The arrangement of  claim 15 , wherein the membrane is supported on the stop structure; the stop structure comprising an annular surface on the interior of the reaction vessel.  
   
   
       20 . The arrangement of  claim 15 , wherein the mid-ring is configured to allow reactants to be transported through substantial channels, when desired, from one side of the mid-ring to the other when the container bottom is supported by the mid-ring.  
   
   
       21 . The arrangement of  claim 15 , wherein the mid-ring serves to provide substantially the entire support for the bottom of the container.  
   
   
       22 . The arrangement of  claim 21 , wherein the mid-ring presses the container upwardly within the reaction vessel without being affixed to the container.  
   
   
       23 . The arrangement of  claim 22 , wherein the mid-ring is not affixed to the stop structure that stops downward movement of the container.  
   
   
       24 . The arrangement of  claim 15 , wherein the mid-ring presses the container upwardly within the reaction vessel.  
   
   
       25 . The arrangement of  claim 15 , wherein the mid-ring overlies the membrane, and has a generally vertical aperture for receiving the breaching member when breaching of the membrane is desired; the aperture overlying a partial area of the membrane, substantially less than the full area of the membrane, to reduce the extent of movement of the breaching member required for breaching the membrane.  
   
   
       26 . The arrangement of  claim 25 , wherein flow of liquid reactant from the reaction volume to below the membrane is slowed by restricting the liquid reactant to a principal path from laterally outside the lower edge of the container, through channel regions in the mid-ring below the container, and, via the aperture of the mid-ring, to a volume below the mid-ring.  
   
   
       27 . The arrangement of  claim 25 , wherein the partial area is less than about 25 percent of the full area of the membrane.  
   
   
       28 . The arrangement of  claim 27 , wherein the partial area is less than about 15 percent of the full area of the membrane.  
   
   
       29 . The arrangement of  claim 25 , wherein the maximum horizontal dimension of the breaching member is at least about 60 percent of the maximum horizontal dimension of the generally vertical aperture of the mid-ring.  
   
   
       30 . The arrangement of  claim 25 , wherein the maximum horizontal dimension of the breaching member is at least about 75 percent of the maximum horizontal dimension of the generally vertical aperture of the mid-ring.  
   
   
       31 . An arrangement for heating or cooling a pre-sealed container for beverage and/or food, comprising: 
 a) a reaction vessel with a reaction volume in which first and second reactants intermix when desired to change the temperature in the reaction volume;    b) a pre-sealed beverage and/or food container in thermal contact with the reaction volume;    the container having a generally tubular shape with a bottom, and a top with means for opening the container;    c) a bottom support for supporting the bottom of the container;    d) a lid, surrounding the top portion of the container and sealed to the top portion of the container, for enclosing part of the reaction volume; the lid including an upper, outwardly-facing, lip-receiving surface that surrounds a top portion of the container; the lip-receiving surface receiving a portion of a lower lip of the mouth of a person consuming the contents of the container.    
   
   
       32 . The arrangement of  claim 31 , wherein the wherein the top portion of the container comprises a double-seamed end.  
   
   
       33 . The arrangement of  claim 32 , wherein the top portion of the container comprises a necked-in region below the double-seamed end.  
   
   
       34 . The arrangement of  claim 32 , wherein the container is made of metal.  
   
   
       35 . The arrangement of  claim 34 , wherein the metal is aluminum.  
   
   
       36 . The arrangement of  claim 31 , wherein the lip-receiving surface extending upwardly at an angle from straight upward between about 5 and 45 degrees.  
   
   
       37 . The arrangement of  claim 31 , wherein the angle is between about 10 and 20 degrees.  
   
   
       38 . The arrangement of  claim 31 , wherein the lip-receiving surface of the lid extends upwardly so as to allow more than about 5 mm of the lower lip of a person to be received thereby.  
   
   
       39 . The arrangement of  claim 38 , wherein the lip-receiving surface of the lid extends upwardly so as to allow between about 5 to 15 mm of the lower lip of a person to be received thereby.  
   
   
       40 . The arrangement of  claim 31 , wherein the lid includes a further lip-receiving surface located near the bottom of the first-mentioned lip-receiving surface; the further lip-receiving surface having a concave surface for receiving a portion of the lower lip of the mouth of a person consuming the contents of the container.  
   
   
       41 . The arrangement of  claim 40 , wherein the further lip-receiving surface includes a substantially horizontal surface below the concave surface for receiving a portion of the lower lip of the mouth of a person consuming the contents of the container.  
   
   
       42 . The arrangement of  claim 31 , wherein the upper surface of the lid is so shaped as to form a trough for collecting spilled contents of the container; one wall of the trough comprising a lower part of the lip-receiving surface.  
   
   
       43 . The arrangement of  claim 42 , wherein a 10-centimeter length of the trough holds a volume of more than about 1 milliliter of volume of contents from the container when the container is vertically upright.  
   
   
       44 . The arrangement of  claim 43 , wherein the volume is less than about 3 milliliters.  
   
   
       45 . The arrangement of  claim 42 , wherein the trough has a drain region for allowing contents of the trough to flow into the mouth of a person consuming the contents of the container.  
   
   
       46 . The arrangement of  claim 45 , wherein the drain region has a concave surface for receiving a portion of the lower lip of the mouth of a person consuming the contents of the container.  
   
   
       47 . The arrangement of  claim 46 , wherein the drain is so constructed that substantially all the contents of the trough would flow through the drain if the arrangement is placed on a level surface.  
   
   
       48 . The arrangement of  claim 46 , wherein the drain further includes a substantially horizontal surface below the concave surface for receiving a portion of the lower lip of a person consuming the contents of the container.  
   
   
       49 . An arrangement for heating or cooling a pre-sealed container for beverage and/or food, comprising: 
 a) a container for beverage and/or food whose temperature is desired to be substantially changed to a temperature before being consumed;    b) a reaction vessel with a generally tubular exterior surface; the vessel having a reaction volume in which first and second reactants intermix when desired to change the temperature in the reaction volume; the reaction volume being in thermal contact with the beverage and/or food container in such manner as to change the temperature of the beverage and/or food at least about 50 degrees F. before the beverage and/or food is consumed; and    c) a label on the generally tubular exterior surface of the reaction vessel; the label being affixed to the exterior surface substantially only by heat shrinking, so as to minimize thermal transfer from the reaction volume to the surface of the label;    d) the reaction vessel and the label being so constructed that the temperature of the outside of the label does not exceed about 120 degrees Fahrenheit.    
   
   
       50 . The arrangement of  claim 49 , the reaction vessel and the label are so constructed that the temperature of the outside of the label does not exceed about 115 degrees Fahrenheit.  
   
   
       51 . The arrangement of  claim 49 , wherein the polystyrene has a thickness of less than about 60 mils.  
   
   
       52 . The arrangement of  claim 51 , wherein the polystyrene has a thickness of less than about 30 mils.  
   
   
       53 . The arrangement of  claim 49 , wherein the reaction volume thermally contacts the beverage and/or food container in such manner as to change the temperature of the beverage and/or food from 70 degrees Fahrenheit at least about 70 degrees Fahrenheit higher before the beverage and/or food is consumed.  
   
   
       54 . The arrangement of  claim 49 , wherein the reaction vessel is made of high impact polystyrene.  
   
   
       55 . The arrangement of  claim 49 , wherein the label is made of polyvinyl chloride.  
   
   
       56 . The arrangement of  claim 55 , wherein the label is at least about 2.7 mils thick.  
   
   
       57 . An arrangement for heating or cooling a pre-sealed container for beverage and/or food, comprising: 
 a) a reaction vessel with a reaction volume in which first and second reactants intermix when desired to change the temperature in the reaction volume;    b) a membrane for separating the first and second reactants prior to intermixing the reactants in the reaction volume;    c) a breaching member for breaching the membrane, to initiate intermixing of the reactants, when desired;    d) a pre-sealed beverage and/or food container in thermal contact with the reaction volume;    the container having a generally tubular shape with a bottom, and a top with means for opening the container;    e) a lid, surrounding the top portion of the container and sealed to the top portion of the container, for enclosing part of the reaction volume;    f) confronting surfaces of the top portion of the container and the lid having respective cooperating, portions shaped in an overall tapering manner, more narrow towards the top of the container, so that downward pressure from the lid towards the container substantially aids in holding the container against the bottom support; and    g) a seal between the confronting surfaces;    h) a mid-ring, separate from the reaction vessel and being positioned generally mid-way between top and bottom of the reaction vessel; the mid-ring supporting the bottom of the container; the mid-ring being interposed between the bottom of the pre-sealed container and the membrane; and    i) stop structure within the reaction vessel providing a stop to downward movement of the mid-ring.    
   
   
       58 . The arrangement of  claim 57 , wherein the lid includes an upper, outwardly-facing, lip-receiving surface that surrounds a top portion of the container; the lip-receiving surface receiving a portion of a lower lip of the mouth of a person consuming the contents of the container.