Container Cap Containing Heating Agent Insert

Abstract

A container cap or lid or insert for use in heating food and beverage containers having an independent heating chamber in which are utilized a trigger capable of initiating crystallization of a super-cooled salt solution comprising: a thin metallic strip which is bendable with snap displacement having a centrally located crystallization strike zone consisting of an orifice with a saw-toothed patterned inner diameter; a simple actuation means for initiating the heating process upon contact with the strike zone; and a structure for holding the trigger in position. The independent heating chamber can be made to be a permanent fixture of the cap or lid or may be a removable insert.

1 . An self-heating container cover for use in heating 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 heated 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 heated;   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-device 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 heating agent consisting of a super-cooled salt solution that exists as a liquid in its pre-activation state, (iii) an openable closure or tear panel or means attached to the bottom end that provides tamper-free access to the inner compartment while preventing accidental activation of the heating mechanism, (iv) a structure or fixture in the form of a concentric ring that is attached to the interior sidewall of the inner compartment at the bottom quadrant of the compartment that is designed to rigidly hold the trigger in place such that it is in contact with the heating agent and positioned to be struck by an actuator means, (v) an actuator means comprising a solid rod-like or cylindrically shaped piece having an etched, pock-marked or roughened surface with a sharpened end, (vi) a trigger formed from a thin metallic strip having an etched, pock-marked or roughened surface which is bendable with snap displacement and having a centrally located crystallization strike zone consisting of an orifice with a saw-toothed patterned inner diameter, (vii) a flexible diaphragm attached to or comprising the bottom 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 rod-like actuator and (viii) a heating mechanism comprising the compressible diaphragm attached to the actuator means that is activated by compressing the diaphragm towards the interior of the inner compartment to allow the actuator means to strike against the saw-tooth surfaces of the trigger in the strike zone, scraping against those surfaces while simultaneously causing the metal strip of the trigger to bend with a snap displacement such that the forces released initiate the crystallization of the super-cooled salt solution, thus releasing heat to heat up the beverage or food stored in the first cavity of the container.   
     
     
         2 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the preferred heating agent is a super-cooled solution of aqueous sodium acetate. 
     
     
         3 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the crystallized heating agent can be regenerated by slowly warming the crystallized salt above the melting temperature of the salt in such a manner as to make a stable super-cooled salt solution. 
     
     
         4 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the trigger is a thin, flat metal strip with dimensions of around ½ inch in width, 0.001 to 0.004 inches in thickness and of sufficient length to attach to the supports, and having an etched, pock-marked or roughened surface which is bendable with snap displacement. 
     
     
         5 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the trigger can be made of any suitable metal, including iron, steel, tin brass, aluminum, bronze or alloys and 305 or 312 alloyed steel such that the trigger will not corrode excessively when in contact with the super-cooled salt solution during storage. 
     
     
         6 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby trigger has a centrally located crystallization strike zone consisting of an orifice with a saw-toothed patterned inner configuration of approximately ¼ th  to ⅜ th  inch in diameter at the base of the saw-teeth. 
     
     
         7 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the entire surface of the trigger is etched, pock-marked and roughened such that some of the surface deformities are deep enough to penetrate through the strip of metal, forming pin-holes and cracks in the trigger. 
     
     
         8 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the trigger is secured in place within the lower quadrant of the inner compartment by the fixture which is in turn attached to the inner sidewall of the inner compartment at a location approximately 1 inch above the bottom end of the inner compartment. 
     
     
         9 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the fixture is a concentric ring shape approximately ¼ th  inch to ½ inch in width and thickness having two rectangular support members  31  of approximately ¼ th  inch to ½ inch in thickness and ½ inch in width extending outwards from the circumference of the concentric ring to attach to opposite ends of the trigger to secure the trigger within the center of the fixture. 
     
     
         10 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the actuator is a rod-like structure having approximately the same as the diameter of the orifice contained within the trigger as measured at the base of the saw-toothed edges of the orifice, and of sufficient length to extend from its attachment to the flexible diaphragm at the base of the inner compartment to just below the location of the trigger. 
     
     
         11 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the actuator is a solid and rigid structure having a top end, a bottom end and at least one sidewall whereby the top end of the actuator is sharpened and the bottom end is blunt. 
     
     
         12 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the actuator is of sufficient length to penetrate within around 0.25 inches through the orifice of the trigger. 
     
     
         13 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the bottom end of the actuator is coupled or attached to the interior surface of the flexible diaphragm by a housing such that the housing orients the actuator to move vertically upward towards the strike zone of the trigger without moving significantly side-to-side. 
     
     
         14 . A self-heating container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the surface of the actuator is etched, pock-marked or roughened such that upon activation the actuator surface will rub against the saw-toothed edges of the trigger and compress the heating agent trapped between the surface deformities of the actuator and the edges of the trigger, initiating crystallization. 
     
     
         15 . 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-heating 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. 
     
     
         16 . A cover according to  claim 15  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-heating 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. 
     
     
         17 . A cover according to  claim 15  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 heated such that a third cavity is formed that does not contain any material and is open to the environment. The third cavity conforms to the shape of the inner compartment of the self-heating device and is made to hold the inner compartment in place. 
     
     
         18 . A cover according to  claim 17  whereby the self-heating 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. 
     
     
         19 . A cover according to  claim 17  whereby the self-heating 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. 
     
     
         20 . A cover according to  claim 17  whereby the self-heating device can be manufactured separately from the cover and the container holding the materials to be heated, 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 heating materials. 
     
     
         21 . A cover according to  claim 1  consisting of a threaded cap that functions as both a closure means and an openable closure means. 
     
     
         22 . A cover according to  claim 21  whereby the threaded cap is rigidly attached to the self-heating 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. 
     
     
         23 . A cover according to  claim 21  whereby the sidewall adjacent to the top end of the inner compartment of the self-heating 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-heating 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. 
     
     
         24 . A cover according to  claim 21  whereby the threaded cap can be screwed onto the outer compartment to make contact between the lip of a self-heating 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-heating 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. 
     
     
         25 . A cover according to  claim 21  whereby the separate self-heating device can be manufactured and sold separately from the cover and the container, and the self-heating 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-heating container for ease of use and to reduce the cost of use.