Container Cap Containing Cooling Agent Insert

Abstract

A container cap or lid or insert for use in cooling food and beverage containers having a cooling chamber in which are utilized water-activated endothermic cooling agents, a water-activated mixer within the chamber, a simple actuation means for initiating the cooling process, a feature that facilitates the recycling of the spent cooling agents and a method for using the same.

1 . A self-cooling container cover for use in cooling food and beverage containers comprising:
 a. a closure means, shaped to fit over the opening or portal of a container and to enclose an outer compartment of the container holding the materials to be cooled and forming the top end of the outer compartment such that the sidewall, cover and the bottom end of the compartment form a first cavity for storing the materials to be cooled;   b. an openable closure means located, attached or coupled to the surface of the cover such that the means can be penetrated or opened or removed to provide access to the materials stored within the outer compartment of the container;   c. a self-cooling device comprising an inner compartment having a smaller diameter and volume than the outer compartment and attached or coupled to the cover forming the top end of the outer compartment such that the inner compartment can be located within the cavity of the outer compartment when the cover containing the inner compartment is affixed to the outer compartment, said inner compartment including: (i) at least one sidewall, a top end and a bottom end; (ii) a second cavity containing a liquid; (iii) a third cavity containing an endothermic cooling agent or composition that will react when contacted with the liquid to absorb heat; (iv) a rupturable membrane or barrier means separating the second and third cavities; (v) a openable closure or tear panel or means attached to the top end that provides tamper-free access to the inner compartment while preventing accidental activation of the cooling mechanism; (vi) a hollow, porous but rigid puncturing means located in its un-activated state within the third cavity and having a sharpened end for rupturing the membrane or barrier separating the second and third cavities, which further comprises a hollow tube of which one end is sharpened to a point and the other end is blunt and having sidewalls punctured by a series of openings or orifices that allow the passage of liquids from the second cavity throughout the contents of the third cavity to promote rapid diffusion and ensure complete and thorough contact between the solid and liquid components or reactants; (vi) a flexible diaphragm attached to or comprising the top end of the inner compartment and accessible through the openable closure or tear panel having an interior-oriented surface and an exterior-oriented surface whereby the interior-oriented surface is affixed to the non-sharpened end of the puncturing means; and (vii) a static spring mixer consisting of compressed spring held in its compressed state by a solvent-soluble tape or glue where the solvent is typically water located in the third cavity containing the cooling agent adjacent to the interior surface of the flexible diaphragm such that the static spring mixer expands to mix the contents of the second and third cavities upon activation by water.   
     
     
         2 . A cover according to  claim 1  whereby the self-cooling device is affixed with a balloon containing the liquid that is positioned to occupy all of the interior space of the second cavity such that the balloon forms the membrane or barrier that separates the liquid in the second cavity from the cooling agent in the third cavity. 
     
     
         3 . A cover according to  claim 1  whereby the self-cooling device is modified to allow the hollow, porous and rigid puncturing means to be extended through the flexible diaphragm to the open environment to allow a porous conduit between the cavities of the inner compartment and the environment whereby: (i) the puncturing means is connected by its blunt end to a removable plug that is fitted into an orifice located in the center of the flexible diaphragm that is held in place within the flexible diaphragm by a pressure seal attached to the circumference of the bottom end of the plug; and (ii) the puncturing means is equipped with a raised rib extending around the circumference of the sidewall of the hollow tube below the sharpened area that secures the extended puncturing means in place within the flexible diaphragm when the puncturing means is extended through the orifice of the diaphragm such that the contents of the inner compartment will flow through the series of openings within the sidewall of the hollow puncturing means in a predictable and controlled manner and not leak out around the orifice. 
     
     
         4 . A cover according to  claim 3  whereby the bottom end of the removable plug is modified to form a male threaded fitting that can be screwed into a female threaded fitting formed as a modification of the orifice within the flexible diaphragm. 
     
     
         5 . A cover according to  claim 3  whereby the rib or threaded means connects with the groves of the female fitting within the flexible diaphragm. 
     
     
         6 . A cover according to  claim 3  that minimizes the risk of contact between the consumer and the contents of the cooling device when the consumer activates the device. 
     
     
         7 . A cover according to  claim 1  consisting of a flat lid closure means that is directly and rigidly attached to the outer compartment and to the self-cooling device which is then in direct contact with the material contained within the outer compartment and located within the first cavity of the outer compartment. 
     
     
         8 . A cover according to  claim 7  whereby the lid has an openable closure means on the surface of the lid comprising a rupturable tear panel or pull tab which may be ruptured to provide access to the material stored within the first cavity of the outer compartment of a self-chilling container whereby (i) the pull tab has a front end and a bottom end and (ii) the back end of the pull tab is placed adjacent to the rupturable tear panel such that when the front end of the pull tab is pulled away from the lid, the rupturable tear panel ruptures and moves into the first cavity, provide access to the material stored within. 
     
     
         9 . A cover according to  claim 7  that is expanded to form a well that can extend into the interior of the first cavity, when the cover is secured to the outer compartment, to displace some of the volume of the first cavity that contains the material to be cooled such that a fourth cavity is formed that does not contain any material and is open to the environment. The fourth cavity conforms to the shape of the inner compartment of the self-cooling device and is made to hold the inner compartment in place. 
     
     
         10 . A cover according to  claim 9  whereby the self-cooling device is held in place within the well of the cover by a pressure seal attached to the circumference of the sidewall of the inner compartment. 
     
     
         11 . A cover according to  claim 9  whereby the self-cooling device is held in place within the well of the cover by modifying the bottom end of the sidewall of the inner compartment of the self-cooling device to form a male threaded fitting that can be screwed into a female threaded fitting formed as a modification of the top expanded end of the well. 
     
     
         12 . A cover according to  claim 9  whereby the self-cooling device can be manufactured separately from the cover and the container holding the materials to be cooled, and can be inserted into and removed from the cover and thus indirectly from a container for ease of use and to promote efficiency with respect to the manufacturing of the cover, container and the device and with respect to the recycling and reuse of the cover, containers and the spent cooling materials. 
     
     
         13 . A cover according to  claim 1  consisting of a threaded cap that functions as both a closure means and an openable closure means. 
     
     
         14 . A cover according to  claim 13  whereby the threaded cap is rigidly attached to the self-cooling device and fitted to outer compartment such that the cap can be screwed onto the top of the outer compartment to seal off the first cavity that contains the contents of the outer compartment and unscrewed and removed to access the materials in the first cavity of the outer compartment when desired. 
     
     
         15 . A cover according to  claim 13  whereby the sidewall adjacent to the top end of the inner compartment of the self-cooling device is modified to form a lip or concentric ring that extends outward perpendicular to the vertical axis of the sidewall of the inner compartment such that the lip has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a gasket attached to the bottom surface of the lip, and is extended such that the bottom surface of the lip forms a leak-free seal of the first cavity when the modified self-cooling device is placed into the first cavity of the outer compartment and onto the top of the outer compartment of the container and downward pressured is applied to the top surface of the lip when a threaded cap is screwed onto the outer compartment to seal or close off the outer compartment. 
     
     
         16 . A cover according to  claim 13  whereby the threaded cap can be screwed onto the outer compartment to make contact between the lip of a self-cooling device that lies on top of the first cavity such that a leak-free seal is formed between the cap, the lip of the self-cooling device and the outer compartment whereby the cap is not permanently attached to the outer compartment but can be unscrewed and removed to access the material in the first cavity of the outer compartment and also screwed back on to seal off the first cavity when desired. 
     
     
         17 . A cover according to  claim 16  whereby the separate cooling device can be manufactured and sold separately from the cover and the container, and the cooling device can be inserted into and removed from a beverage bottle or other related container having a cap or a lid without the need for a specially modified cap, lid or self-chilling container for ease of use and to reduce the cost of use.