Arrangement for and method of selectably changing the temperature of a product by employing a snap action invertible actuator

Abstract

Axial pressure exerted against an invertible actuator breaks a membrane with a snap action and initiates a chemical reaction in which the temperature of a product in an inner container is changed.

1 . An arrangement for selectably changing a temperature of a product, comprising: 
 a) an outer container having an upright axis and an interior;    b) an actuator invertible between stressed and unstressed positions;    c) an inner container mounted within the interior of the outer container and having a chamber for containing the product;    d) a breakable membrane mounted on the actuator in the stressed position to bound a compartment therewith, and bounding another compartment within the interior of the outer container;    e) a pair of reactants respectively contained in the compartments and kept apart by the membrane prior to use; and    f) the actuator being invertible, upon exertion of axial pressure thereon, from the stressed to the unstressed position with a snap action to break the membrane and to allow the reactants to mix and form a chemical reaction that changes the temperature of the product in the inner container.    
   
   
       2 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the outer container is constituted of a thermally insulating material, and wherein the inner container is constituted of a thermally conductive material, and wherein the inner container is fixedly mounted to the outer container.  
   
   
       3 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the outer container has a side wall bounding the interior, and wherein the actuator is integral with the side wall of the outer container.  
   
   
       4 . The arrangement of  claim 3 , wherein the side wall is annular, wherein the container has an internal annular shoulder, and wherein the membrane is a foil having an annular periphery adhered to the shoulder.  
   
   
       5 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the inner container has a bottom wall, and wherein the actuator is integral with the bottom wall of the inner container.  
   
   
       6 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a dome shape having opposite curvatures in the stressed and unstressed positions.  
   
   
       7 . The arrangement of  claim 6 , wherein one of the containers and the actuator are formed by a forming tool, and wherein the actuator has a dome shape with an initial curvature upon removal from the tool, and wherein the actuator has a curvature identical to the initial curvature in the unstressed position.  
   
   
       8 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the reactants are water and anhydrous calcium oxide or calcium chloride.  
   
   
       9 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the inner container has a flange; and a seal for sealing the inner container, the seal including an annular rim mechanically crimped over the flange of the inner container, and a peelable diaphragm detachably mounted on the rim, the diaphragm having a pull tab for enabling the diaphragm to be at least partly peeled from the rim.  
   
   
       10 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , and an apertured lid mounted with snap action over the containers.  
   
   
       11 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the outer container has a plurality of outer ribs, and a thermally insulating sleeve mounted on the ribs exteriorly of the outer container.  
   
   
       12 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the outer container has a bottom flange, and a tamper-resistant cap removably mounted on the bottom flange, the cap having a barrier wall for preventing access to the actuator until the cap is removed.  
   
   
       13 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the product is contained in a pouch, and wherein the pouch is received in the inner container; and wherein the inner container has a bowl shape.  
   
   
       14 . A method of selectably changing a temperature of a product, comprising the steps of: 
 a) at least partly filling an inner container with the product;    b) sealing the product within the inner container;    c) fixedly mounting the sealed, product-filled inner container inside an outer container having an upright axis and an interior;    d) forming an actuator of one-piece construction with one of the containers, the actuator being invertible between stressed and unstressed positions;    e) mounting a breakable membrane on the actuator in the stressed position to bound a compartment therewith, and to bound another compartment within the interior of the outer container;    f) at least partly filling a pair of reactants respectively into the compartments; and    g) inverting the actuator, by exerting an axial pressure thereon, from the stressed position to the unstressed position with a snap action to break the membrane and to allow the reactants to mix and form a chemical reaction that changes the temperature of the product in the inner container.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the forming step is performed by forming the actuator as a dome having opposite curvatures in the stressed and unstressed positions.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the forming step is performed by a forming tool by forming the actuator with a dome shape having an initial curvature upon removal from the tool, and wherein the actuator has a curvature identical to the initial curvature in the unstressed position.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the forming step is performed by integrally forming the actuator with the outer container, wherein the sealing step is performed by mounting a seal on the inner container, and wherein the inverting step is performed by exerting the axial pressure inwardly toward the seal.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the forming step is performed by integrally forming the actuator with the inner container, and wherein the inverting step is performed by exerting the axial pressure from inside the inner container.  
   
   
       19 . A method of making an arrangement for selectably changing a temperature of a product, comprising the steps of: 
 a) at least partly filling an inner container with the product;    b) sealing the product within the inner container;    c) fixedly mounting the sealed, product-filled inner container inside an outer container having an upright axis and an interior;    d) forming an actuator of one-piece construction with one of the containers with an unstressed curvature;    e) inverting the actuator to a stressed curvature opposite to the unstressed curvature;    f) mounting a breakable membrane on the actuator with the stressed curvature to bound a compartment therewith, and to bound another compartment within the interior of the outer container; and    g) at least partly filling a pair of reactants respectively into the compartments.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , and the step of removably mounting a tamper-resistant cap on the outer container, for preventing access to the actuator until the cap is removed.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , and wherein the forming step is performed by integrally molding the actuator with a side wall of the outer container.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , and wherein the forming step is performed by integrally stamping the actuator from a bottom wall of the inner container.  
   
   
       23 . A bowl-shaped container for receiving a product whose temperature is to be changed, the container comprising: 
 a) a bottom wall;    b) a dome-shaped actuator of one-piece construction with, and integrally formed from, the bottom wall, the actuator being invertible between a concave curvature above the bottom wall and a convex curvature below the bottom wall.    
   
   
       24 . The container of  claim 23 , and a breakable membrane mounted on the concavely curved actuator to bound therewith a compartment to be filled with a reactant.