Self-contained hot meal assembly with steam vent

Abstract

A self-contained meal assembly comprises a heating bag, a food pouch, and a heating element. In operation, a heating element is placed along a bottom portion of a heating bag, a food pouch is placed inside proximate the heating element, a predetermined amount of water or other nonflammable aqueous liquid is added, and the heating bag is resealed thereby allowing an exothermic reaction to occur within the heating bag. One or more steam vents may be formed through a heating bag allow steam to discharge from the interior of the heating bag during operation. The configuration of the steam vent(s) allows a controlled release of high temperature steam from the heating bag as it circulates within the heating bag to the steam vent(s) at a safe discharge angle relative to the sides of the heating bag.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A self-contained hot meal assembly comprising:
 a heating bag including an access opening,   said access opening disposed in communicating relation with an interior of said heating bag,   a heating element disposed within said heating bag and comprising a predetermined amount of a reactive composition contained therein,   a food pouch removably retained within said heating bag, said food pouch including a food product removably contained within said food pouch,   said reactive composition reactive with nonflammable aqueous liquid, added to said heating bag, to initiate an exothermic reaction within said heating bag, said exothermic reaction sufficient to generate steam within said heating bag, upon interaction with said nonflammable aqueous liquid,   said predetermined amount of said reactive composition being reactive with said predetermined amount of nonflammable aqueous liquid to generate sufficient heat, via said generated steam, to maintain a threshold temperature for a predetermined time sufficient to heat said food product for consumption by a user, and   at least one steam vent disposed and structured to discharge steam from said heating bag at a controlled rate; said controlled rate sufficient to allow said threshold temperature to be maintained within said heating bag by circulating steam evenly around said food pouch to provide a fully heated food product.   
     
     
         2 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein at least said heating bag and said food pouch are prepackaged within said heating bag, to facilitate storage and transport thereof prior to use. 
     
     
         3 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said heating bag comprises a base dimensioned and configured to maintain said heating bag in a substantially upright, operative orientation while in use. 
     
     
         4 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said at least one steam vent is disposed and configured to discharge steam and an angle of approximately 90° relative to a side of said heating bag. 
     
     
         5 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said threshold temperature is about 82° C. 
     
     
         6 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 5  wherein said predetermined time sufficient to heat said food product for consumption by a user is about 3 minutes to about 5 minutes. 
     
     
         7 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said predetermined time sufficient to heat said food product for consumption by user is at least about 3 minutes to about 5 minutes. 
     
     
         8 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said nonflammable aqueous liquid added to said heating bag is between about 2 fluid ounces and about 8 fluid ounces. 
     
     
         9 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said access opening comprises a resealable structural configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said reactive composition comprises predetermined percentages by weight of aluminum, calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, accelerant and wetting agent. 
     
     
         11 . A self-contained hot meal assembly comprising:
 a heating bag including an access opening disposed in communicating relation with an interior of said heating bag,   a food pouch removably retained within said heating bag, said food pouch including a food product removably contained within said food pouch,   a heating element disposed within said heating bag in the heat transferring relation to said food pouch, said heating element comprising a predetermined amount of a reactive composition contained therein,   said reactive composition reactive with nonflammable aqueous liquid, added to said heating element within said heating bag, to initiate an exothermic reaction within said heating bag,   said exothermic reaction sufficient to generate steam within said heating bag, upon interaction with said nonflammable aqueous liquid,   said predetermined amount of said reactive composition being reactive with said predetermined amount of nonflammable aqueous liquid to generate sufficient heat to maintain a threshold temperature of about 82° C. for at least about 3 minutes to about 5 minutes, sufficient to heat said food product for consumption by a user, and   at least one steam vent disposed and structured to discharge steam from said heating bag at a controlled rate; said controlled rate sufficient to allow said threshold temperature to be maintained within said heating bag by circulating steam around said food pouch to provide a fully heated food product.   
     
     
         12 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 11  comprising a plurality of steam vents collectively dimensioned to discharge steam from said heating bag at said controlled rate. 
     
     
         13 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 11  wherein said heating bag comprises a base dimensioned and configured to maintain said heating bag in a substantially upright, operative orientation while in use. 
     
     
         14 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 11  wherein said nonflammable aqueous liquid added to said heating bag is between about 2 fluid ounces and about 8 fluid ounces. 
     
     
         15 . The self-contained hot meal assembly as recited in  claim 11  wherein at least said heating bag and said food pouch are prepackaged within said heating bag, to facilitate storage and transport thereof prior to use. 
     
     
         16 . A method for preparing a hot meal for consumption by a user utilizing a self-contained hot meal assembly, the method comprising:
 prepackaging a heating element and a food pouch, containing a food product, within a heating bag and including a reactive composition in the heating element   placing the heating element in heat transferring relation to the food pouch, within the heating bag,   adding a predetermined amount of a nonflammable aqueous liquid to the reactive composition in the heating bag to initiate an exothermic reaction resulting in the generation of steam;   concurrent to the generation of steam, maintaining the exothermic reaction sufficient to generate enough heat to maintain at least a predetermined threshold temperature within the heating bag for at least a predetermined period of time sufficient for heating the food product in the food pouch for consumption by the user,   sealing the heating bag, and   discharging an amount of steam via at least one steam vent at a controlled rate; establishing the controlled rate sufficient to maintain the threshold temperature within the heating bag, concurrent to circulating the steam around food pouch to provide a fully heated food product within said food pouch.   
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16  wherein said threshold temperature is about 82° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 16  wherein said predetermined time sufficient to heat said food product for consumption by a user is about 3 minutes to about 5 minutes. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 16  wherein said nonflammable aqueous liquid added to said heating bag is between about 2 fluid ounces and about 8 fluid ounces. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 16  wherein said reactive composition comprises predetermined percentages by weight of aluminum, calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, accelerant and wetting agent.