System and method for providing a self cooling container

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container for storing a beverage, the container having a container body and a closure and defining an inner chamber, the inner chamber defining an inner volume and including a specific volume of the beverage. The container further includes a cooling device having a housing defining a housing volume. The cooling device includes at least two separate, substantially non-toxic reactants causing an entropy-increasing reaction producing substantially non-toxic products in a stoichiometric number. The at least two separate substantially non-toxic reactants initially being included in the cooling device are separated from one another and causing an entropy-increasing reaction and a heat reduction of the beverage of at least 50 Joules/ml beverage. The cooling device further includes an actuator for initiating the reaction between the at least two separate, substantially non-toxic reactants.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A system for providing beverage containers containing a beverage at a first temperature that is between an average ambient temperature and 0° C., the system comprising:
 a plurality of beverage containers, each container having a container body with an inner chamber that defines an inner volume dimensioned to contain a specific volume of beverage; 
 a cooling device in each of the containers, each of the cooling devices having a housing defining a housing volume not exceeding approximately 33% of the specific volume of the beverage and not exceeding approximately 25% of the inner volume, each of the cooling devices including at least two separate, substantially non-toxic reactants that are capable of reacting with one another to produce a non-reversible, entropy-increasing reaction producing substantially non-toxic products in a stoichiometric number at least a factor of 3 larger than the stoichiometric number of the reactants, wherein the reaction is capable of cooling a beverage contained in each of the containers from a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature to the first temperature within a period of time of no more than about 5 minutes; 
 an actuator operatively associated with each of the cooling devices and operable for initiating the reaction between the reactants when each of the containers is opened; 
 a cabinet having a cabinet chamber configured for storing the plurality of containers and for providing access to the containers stored in the chamber; and 
 a thermostatically controlled temperature controlling mechanism operable for maintaining the second temperature within the cabinet. 
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the actuator includes a pressure transmitter operable for transmitting a pressure change within the inner chamber to the cooling device for initiating the reaction in response to the pressure change. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each of the reactants is contained within a separate compartment within each of the cooling devices, the compartments being separated by a membrane that is breachable by the actuator. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each of the reactants is contained within a separate compartment within each of the cooling devices, the compartments being separated by a plug that is displaceable by the actuator. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each of the container bodies further comprises a closure for the inner chamber, and wherein the actuator is located outside of the container body and is operable to initiate the reaction through the closure. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the reaction produces a volumetric change from the reactants to the substantially non-toxic products of no more than about ±5%. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each of the cooling devices is vented to the atmosphere. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein at least the first reactant is formed of granules having an external coating that allows the reaction of the first reactant with another reactant only in response to the dissolution of the coating by a solvent. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each of the cooling devices further includes a chemical activator serving as a reaction-controlling agent. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the chemical activator is selected from the group consisting of one or more of water, alcohol, propylene glycol, and acetone. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the reaction-controlling agent is a selective adsorption-controlling agent. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the reaction-controlling agent is a retardation temperature setting agent. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the reactants comprise one or more salt hydrates deliberating in the non-reversible, entropy-increasing reaction a number of free water molecules. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a third separate, substantially non-toxic reactant, wherein the second and third reactants are formed as separate granules, and wherein the first reactant is a coating covering the granules of the second and third reactants. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the second and third reactants generate a first non-reversible entropy-increasing reaction producing an intermediate reaction product, and wherein the third reactant reacts with the intermediate reaction product generating a second non-reversible entropy-increasing reaction. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the intermediate reaction product is a gas, and wherein the second non-reversible entropy-increasing reaction generates one of a complex and a precipitate. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the coating is dissolvable by a solvent, and wherein the first, second and third reactants are reactable with each other only in response to the dissolution of the coating. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each of the cooling devices is accommodated within one of the container bodies. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the second temperature is between 15° C. and 30° C. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the temperature controlling mechanism is operable to both cool and heat the cabinet chamber. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each of the beverage containers stored in the cabinet chamber has a power consumption not exceeding 0.2 W. 
     
     
         39 . A method of providing a container containing a beverage at a first temperature that is between an average ambient temperature and 0° C., the container having a container body with an inner chamber defining an inner volume and containing a specific volume of the beverage, the method comprising:
 (a) providing the container with a cooling device having a housing defining a housing volume not exceeding approximately 33% of the specific volume of the beverage and not exceeding approximately 25% of the inner volume, the cooling device including at least two separate, substantially non-toxic reactants that are capable of reacting with one another to produce a non-reversible, entropy-increasing reaction producing substantially non-toxic products in a stoichiometric number at least a factor of 3 larger than the stoichiometric number of the reactants, wherein the reaction is capable of cooling the beverage in the inner chamber from a second temperature higher than the first temperature to the first temperature within a period of time of no more than about 5 minutes; 
 (b) providing an actuator operatively associated with the cooling device so as to initiate the reaction in response to opening the container; 
 (c) providing a cabinet having a cabinet chamber configured for storing the container and for providing access to the container stored in the cabinet chamber; 
 (d) controlling the temperature of the cabinet chamber to provide the second temperature in the cabinet chamber; 
 (e) storing the container in the cabinet chamber for a sufficient time to allow the beverage contained in the container to stabilize at the second temperature; 
 (f) removing the container from the cabinet chamber; and 
 (g) opening the container so as to initiate the non-reversible, entropy increasing reaction, thereby causing the beverage contained in the inner chamber of the container to cool to the first temperature. 
 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the actuator includes a pressure transmitter operable for transmitting a pressure change within the inner chamber to the cooling device for initiating the reaction in response to the pressure change. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein each of the reactants is contained within a separate compartment within the cooling device, the compartments being separated by a membrane that is breachable by the actuator. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein each of the reactants is contained within a separate compartment within the cooling device, the compartments being separated by a plug that is displaceable by the actuator. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the container body further comprises a closure for the inner chamber, and wherein the actuator is located outside of the container body and is operable to initiate the reaction through the closure. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the reaction produces a volumetric change from the reactants to the substantially non-toxic products of no more than about ±5%. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the cooling device is vented to the atmosphere. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein at least the first reactant is formed of granules having an external coating that allows the reaction of the first reactant with another reactant only in response to the dissolution of the coating by a solvent. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the cooling device further includes a chemical activator serving as a reaction-controlling agent. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the chemical activator is selected from the group consisting of one or more of water, alcohol, propylene glycol, and acetone. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the reaction-controlling agent is a selective adsorption-controlling agent 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the reaction-controlling agent is a retardation temperature setting agent. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the reactants comprise one or more salt hydrates deliberating in the non-reversible, entropy-increasing reaction a number of free water molecules. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising a third separate, substantially non-toxic reactant, wherein the second and third reactants are formed as separate granules, and wherein the first reactant is a coating covering the granules of the second and third reactants. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the second and third reactants generate a first non-reversible entropy-increasing reaction producing an intermediate reaction product, and wherein the third reactant reacts with the intermediate reaction product generating a second non-reversible entropy-increasing reaction. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the intermediate reaction product is a gas, and wherein the second non-reversible entropy-increasing reaction generates one of a complex and a precipitate. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the coating is dissolvable by a solvent, and wherein the first, second and third reactants are reactable with each other only in response to the dissolution of the coating. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the cooling device is accommodated within the container body. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the second temperature is between 15° C. and 30° C. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the temperature controlling mechanism is operable to both cool and heat the cabinet chamber. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the beverage container stored in the cabinet chamber has a power consumption not exceeding 0.2 W.