Self Heating Or Cooling Container

Abstract

A container ( 101 ), suitable for the inclusion of at least one product therein, which comprises an integral, activatable, heating (or cooling) system for the product, which container includes a lining, the lining and container defining at least three mutually segregatable zones, these being i) one or more zones in which product may be contained; ii) a zone ( 116 ) in which a first kind of chemical reactant may be contained and iii) a zone ( 115 ) in which a second kind of chemical reactant may be contained, the container including a rotatable activator ( 107 ), for example, an activation knob, located at the exterior of the container, and, rotatably mounted within the container, and operative by rotation of the activator, means for terminating the segregation of ii) and iii) wherein the upper of ii) and iii) is not located so as to impede in service, heat transference from the reactant mass to i) (or vice versa) container suitable for the inclusion of at least one product therein, which comprises an integral, activatable, heating (or cooling) system for the product, which container includes a lining, the lining and container defining at least three mutually segregatable zones, these being i) one or more zones in which product may be contained; ii) a zone in which a first kind of chemical reactant may be contained and iii) a zone in which a second kind of chemical reactant may be contained, the container including a rotatable activator, for example, an activation knob, located at the exterior of the container, and, rotatably mounted within the container, and operative by rotation of the activator, means for terminating the segregation of ii) and iii) wherein the upper of ii) and iii) is not located so as to impede in service, heat transference from the reactant mass to i) (or vice versa).

1 . A container, suitable for the inclusion of at least one product therein, which comprises an integral, activatable, heating (or cooling) system for the product, which container includes a lining, the lining and container defining at least three mutually segregatable zones, these being i) one or more zones in which product may be contained; ii) a zone in which a first kind of chemical reactant may be contained and iii) a zone in which a second kind of chemical reactant may be contained, the container including a rotatable activator, for example, an activation knob, located at the exterior of the container and, rotatably mounted within the container and operative by rotation of the activator, means for terminating the segregation of ii) and iii) wherein the upper of ii) and iii) is not located so as to impede, in service, heat transference from the reactant mass to i) (or vice versa).  
     
     
         2 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the upper of ii) and iii) is interposed between i) and an exterior side surface of the container.  
     
     
         3 . A container, suitable for the inclusion of at least one product therein, which comprises an integral, activatable, heating (or cooling) system for the product, which container includes a lining, the lining and container defining at least three mutually segregatable zones, these being i) one or more zones in which product may be contained; ii) a zone in which a first kind of chemical reactant may be contained and iii) a zone in which a second kind of chemical reactant may be contained, the container including a rotatable activator, for example, an activation knob, located at the exterior of the container and, rotatably mounted within the container and operative by rotation of the activator, means for terminating the segregation of ii) and iii) wherein the segregation of ii) and iii) includes an aperture closed by a moveable element and the means for terminating the segregation of ii) and iii) moves, e.g. by realignment, that element which, on activation, allows the two kinds of reactant to mix thereby heating or cooling i).  
     
     
         4 . A container according to  claim 3  wherein the aperture opening means comprises a manifold fluidly communicable simultaneously with ii) and iii) and registrable with the aperture by rotation of the activator.  
     
     
         5 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the activation knob comprises tamper-evident means.  
     
     
         6 . A container according to  claim 5  which includes a first tamper-evident means which comprises a frangible connection between a tab of the activation knob and the boss of the knob.  
     
     
         7 . A container according to  claim 6  which includes a second tamper-evident means effective to prevent counterotation of an at least partly rotated activation knob.  
     
     
         8 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the first kind of chemical reactant comprises a fuel and the second kind of chemical reactant comprises an oxidant.  
     
     
         9 . A container according to  claim 8  wherein the fuel comprises a glycol, for example glycerol, and the oxidant comprises a permanganate.  
     
     
         10 . A container according to  claim 8  wherein at least one kind of chemical reactant includes a diluent.  
     
     
         11 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein, in service, iii) is located below i).  
     
     
         12 . A container according to  claim 8  wherein the first kind of chemical reactant is present as a liquid which, in service, is gravity fed into iii).  
     
     
         13 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein pressure equalising means is included between the upper regions of zones ii) and iii).  
     
     
         14 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the container and/or the lining is injection moulded as a unitary structure.  
     
     
         15 . A container according to  claim 1  which has a generally circular configuration.  
     
     
         16 . A container according to  claim 1  which includes peripherical, spaced apart strengthening ribs.  
     
     
         17 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the container and/or lining are fabricated from a filled or unfilled plastics material with a flow point above 110° C., preferably above 135° C.  
     
     
         18 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the container and/or lining are fabricated from a plastics material which comprises a polyolefin or a polyester, for example polypropylene or CPET.  
     
     
         19 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the lining includes a contiguous barrier layer, for example EVOH.  
     
     
         20 . A container according to  claim 18  wherein the container is injection molded and the lining is thermoformed from, or includes, polypropylene.  
     
     
         21 . A container according to  claim 1  which includes an external thermochromic region in thermal contact with zone i) which is effective to change color on heating.  
     
     
         22 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of ii) and iii) is charged with reactant prior to adhering the lining to the container interior, for example by spot welding.  
     
     
         23 . A filled container according to  claim 1  which includes comestibles in i).  
     
     
         24 . A filled container according to  claim 23  which is sealed, the seal also acting as a third tamper-evident means.  
     
     
         25 . A filled container according to  claim 24  wherein the seal comprises paper, card, plastics foil or metal foil.  
     
     
         26 . A filled container according to  claim 25  which also includes a push-fit plastics lid.  
     
     
         27 . A filled container according to  claim 24  wherein the seal is a hermetic seal and the comestibles are sterilised, if required.  
     
     
         28 . (canceled)  
     
     
         29 . A process for the preparation of a filled container according to  claim 23  which process comprises incorporating first and second kinds of chemical reactants in zones ii) and iii), respectively; adhering the lining to the container; forming a vent in the lining over zone ii); filling zone i); and sealing the container.  
     
     
         30 . A process according to  claim 29  wherein zone i) is filled prior to adhesion of the lining to the container.  
     
     
         31 . (canceled)  
     
     
         32 . A container element as defined in  claim 22  in which the lining is absent.