Container with module for heating or cooling the contents

Abstract

A container comprises a container body for containing contents to be heated or cooled, a thermic module at one end of the body, and a closure at the other end of the body. Within the thermic module, an internal exothermic (or, alternatively, endothermic) chemical reaction is initiated to heat its contents when a user actuates the thermic module. The thermic module includes a heat exchanger portion extending proximally into the container and a thermic module cap distal to the heat exchanger portion. The heat exchanger portion has a pleated wall to improve the heat transfer to the contents of the container. The container includes a rotatable cover adhered to the container end over the closure with heat-sensitive adhesive that prevents a user from accessing the contents until a certain temperature is reached. The container further includes a full panel pull-off which covers and protects the actuator from being actuated until the pull-of lid is removed from the full panel pull-off. The container may also include features which reduce the damage or deformation to the container components which may be caused by the heat and pressure of a retort/sterilization process or mixing of reactants.

1 . A container for selectably changing the temperature of its contents by mixing a first reactant with a second reactant, comprising: 
 a container body having a material chamber for containing said contents;    a thermic module connected to one end of said container body and extending at least partially into said container body, an opposite end of said container body having a container opening for providing accessing to said material chamber, said thermic module comprising an actuator, a piercing member movable between a retracted position and an extended position in response to a force placed on a portion of said actuator, first and second chambers for containing said reactants, said first reactant chamber having an opening in communication with said second reactant chamber, said opening having a surface surrounding said opening and said first reactant chamber having a wall extending from said opening, said surface having a concave curvature, and a breakable barrier bonded to said surface which seals said first reactant chamber from said second reactant chamber, wherein a distal end of said piercing member breaks said breakable barrier when said elongated member is in said extended position to allow mixing of said reactants.    
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein said surface is manufactured with a concave curvature prior to bonding said barrier to said surface.  
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1  wherein said concave curvature of said surface is formed by the process of bonding said barrier to said surface.  
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1  wherein said barrier is also bonded to said wall of said first reactant chamber.  
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 2  wherein said barrier is also bonded to said wall of said first reactant chamber.  
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 1  wherein said material chamber is pressurized with nitrogen gas to a pressure above atmospheric pressure.  
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 1  wherein said material chamber is pressurized with an inert gas to a pressure above atmospheric pressure.  
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 1  wherein said thermic module comprises a heat exchanger portion having a plastic wall with an inner surface defining at least a portion of said second reactant chamber and an outer surface in contact with said contents, said plastic wall having a thickness of between 0.004 inches and 0.012 inches, and said contents is a liquid material which acts as a heat sink to prevent said plastic wall from failing when said first and second reactants are mixed.  
   
   
       9 . A container for selectably changing the temperature of its contents by mixing a first reactant with a second reactant, comprising: 
 a container body having a material chamber for containing said contents; a thermic module connected to one end of said container body and extending at least partially into said container body, an opposite end of said container body having a container opening for providing accessing to said material chamber, said thermic module comprising an actuator, a piercing member movable between a retracted position and an extended position in response to a force placed on a portion of said actuator, first and second chambers for containing said reactants, said first reactant chamber having an opening in communication with said second reactant chamber, said opening having a surface surrounding said opening and said first reactant chamber having a wall extending from said opening, and a breakable barrier bonded to said surface which seals said first reactant chamber from said second reactant chamber, wherein a distal end of said piercing member breaks said breakable barrier when said elongated member is in said extended position to allow mixing of said reactants; and    wherein said material chamber is pressurized with an inert gas to a pressure above atmospheric pressure.    
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 9  wherein said inert gas is one of nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, neon or helium.  
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 9  wherein said thermic module comprises a heat exchanger portion having a plastic wall with an inner surface defining at least a portion of said second reactant chamber and an outer surface in contact with said contents, said plastic wall having a thickness of between 0.004 inches and 0.012 inches, and said contents is a liquid material which acts as a heat sink to prevent said plastic wall from failing when said first and second reactants are mixed.  
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 9  wherein said first reactant comprises calcium oxide particles in which between 10% and 20% of said particles filter through a #14 mesh.  
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 9  wherein said calcium oxide particles comprise a mixture of calcium oxide particles of differing sizes in which between 10% and 20% of particles filter through a #20 mesh; between 75% and 85% of particles filter through a #7 mesh and less than 3% of particles filter through a mesh finer than a #14 mesh.  
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 1  wherein said first reactant comprises calcium oxide particles in which between 10% and 20% of said particles filter through a #14 mesh.  
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 13  wherein said calcium oxide particles comprise a mixture of calcium oxide particles of differing sizes in which between 10% and 20% of particles filter through a #20 mesh; between 75% and 85% of particles filter through a #7 mesh and less than 3% of particles filter through a mesh finer than a #14 mesh.