Pan in pan heater

Abstract

A device for heating the contents of a container when in contact with a container, comprising a sealed outer package, an actuatable heat source in the outer package and an inner package inside the outer package and having an actuation agent therein with a seal keeping the actuation agent in the inner package until the seal is broken. The preferred actuable heat source is a mixture of calcium oxide and a zeolite and the preferred actuation agent is water. Most preferred is the presence of an exotherm delaying material coating on said calcium oxide such as polyethylene glycol.

1 . A device for heating a container, comprising:
 a sealed outer package;   an actuatable heat source in said outer package;   an inner package inside said outer package and having an actuation agent therein and a seal keeping said actuation agent in said inner package; and   whereby heat is generated upon activation by said actuation agent upon breaking said seal keeping said actuation agent in said inner package.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said actuable heat source in said outer package is a mixture of calcium oxide and a zeolite. 
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the ratio of calcium oxide to powdered zeolite is about 20 to 40 for calcium oxide and from about 4 to 8 for powdered zeolite. 
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein said ratio of calcium oxide to powdered zeolite is 30-35 to 6-7. 
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein said actuation agent is water and the weight of the heat generating material to the volume of actuation agent ranges from about 1:2 to about 1:1. 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein said actuable heat source further includes a quantity of exotherm delaying material coating said heat source to slow down the penetration of said actuation agent. 
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein said exotherm delaying material as a polyalkyl glycol. 
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein said polyalkyl glycol is polyethylene glycol. 
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1 , which further includes a vacuum in said outer package sufficient to increase movement of said actuation agent into said outer package when said seal is broken. 
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 1 , which further includes an upper container for holding contents to be heated and a lower container for holding said device against said upper container. 
   
   
       11 . A device for heating a container, comprising:
 a sealed outer package;   an actuatable heat source means in said outer package for generating heat;   an inner package inside said outer package and having an actuation agent means therein for activating said heat source means and a seal means for keeping said actuation agent in said inner package; and   whereby heat is generated upon activation by said actuation agent means upon breaking said seal means keeping said actuation agent means in said inner package.   
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein said actuable heat source means in said outer package is a mixture of calcium oxide and a zeolite. 
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the ratio of calcium oxide to powdered zeolite is about 20 to 40 for calcium oxide and from about 4 to 8 for powdered zeolite. 
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein said ratio of calcium oxide to powdered zeolite is 30-35 to 6-7. 
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein said actuation agent means is water and the weight of the heat generating material means to the volume of actuation agent ranges from about 1:2 to about 1:1. 
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein said actuable heat source means further includes a quantity of exotherm delaying material coating said heat source to slow down the penetration of said actuation agent. 
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein said exotherm delaying material as a polyalkyl glycol. 
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein said polyalkyl glycol is polyethylene glycol. 
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 11 , which further includes a vacuum in said outer package sufficient to increase movement of said actuation agent means into said outer package when said seal means is broken. 
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 11 , which further includes an upper container for holding contents to be heated and a lower container for holding said device against said upper container.