Container Cap With Enhanced Shelf-Life Heating Or Cooling Agent Insert

Abstract

A container cap or lid used to make a self-heating or self-cooling container having an improved shelf-life and an independent heat-transfer compartment or insert in which are utilized liquid-activated endothermic or exothermic agents, a liquid-activated mixer within the compartment, a simple actuation means for initiating the cooling or heating processes and a method for using the same.

1 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover equipped with a self-heating or self-cooling device whereby the cover forms the top to a container, comprising:
 a. A first openable closure means incorporated within the cover such that the means can be penetrated or opened or removed to provide access to the liquid stored within the container; and   b. a self-heating or self-cooling device incorporated into or coupled to the cover such that the device can be located within the cavity of the container when the cover is affixed to the container, said device including: (i) at least one sidewall, a top end and a bottom end, (ii) a first cavity containing a heat-transfer material (i.e., heating or cooling agents) consisting of either an endothermic cooling agent or exothermic heating agent that will react when contacted with a liquid activator, (iii) a second cavity containing a liquid that will activate the heating or cooling process when in contact with the heat-transfer materials, (iv) a third cavity containing a heat-transfer material that is incompatible with the heat transfer material found in the first cavity and that will react when contacted with a liquid activator, (v) a rupturable membrane or barrier means separating the first and third cavities from the second cavity and which isolates the second cavity, (vi) an second openable closure or tear panel or means attached to the top end that provides tamper-free access to the interior or the device while preventing accidental activation of the heating or cooling mechanism, (vii) a diaphragm attached to or comprising the top end of the device and accessible through the second openable closure or tear panel located near the center of the diaphragm having an interior-oriented surface, an exterior-oriented surface and a portal or orifice extending through the diaphragm; (viii) a removable plug that is fitted into the orifice located in the center of the diaphragm that is held in place within the diaphragm by a pressure seal attached to the circumference of the bottom end of the plug or by modifying the bottom end of the plug to form a male threaded fitting that can be screwed into a female threaded fitting formed as a modification of the orifice within the diaphragm, (ix) a tearing filament attached to the bottom end of the removable plug that is of sufficient length to extend around 1.5 times the length of the inner compartment from the top end of the inner compartment through the first cavity and adjacent to or through the membrane or barrier separating the second cavity from the first and third cavities and finally terminating in the third cavity, said tearing filament comprised of four separated strands that have an abrasive coating or abrasive, sharp-edged objects attached to the distal one-third of each strand to a puncturing means for rupturing the membrane or barrier separating the first and third cavities from the second cavity, (x) a hollow tube of sufficient length to extend around 0.25 times the length of the inner compartment that is affixed to the bottom end of the removable plug to form a rigid conduit for the tearing filament, (xi) a plug pull tab attached to the top end of the removable plug such that when the tab and plug attached to the tearing filament are pulled by the user, the tearing filament travels from the third cavity through the second and first cavities, ripping open the barriers surrounding the second cavity, thus allowing the passage of liquids from the second cavity throughout the contents of the first and third cavities to promote rapid diffusion and ensure complete and thorough contact between the solid and liquid components or reactants, (xii) a heat transfer mechanism comprising the plug pull tab attached to the removable plug, the hollow tube and the tearing filament that is activated by pulling the tab and related assembly out of the portal attached to the diaphragm and away from the top of the container to allow the sharpened surfaces of the tearing filament to travel and to penetrate the membranes or barriers separating the two cavities such that the liquid from the second cavity gains access to the heating and cooling agents in the first and third cavities and (xiii) 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 heating or cooling agents adjacent to the interior surface of the bottom of the inner container such that the static spring mixer expands to mix the contents of the first, second and third cavities upon activation by water.   
     
     
         2 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the first openable closure means consist of a rupturable tear panel or pull tab which may be ruptured to provide access to the liquid stored within the 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 cavity, providing access to the beverage stored within. 
     
     
         3 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the tear panel can be an adhesive foil, a plastic cap or the like which can be peeled back, opened, or otherwise removed by the consumer. 
     
     
         4 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the cover performs as the first openable closure means when configures as a cap that can be firmly attached to top end of the container to form a sealed unit comprising: (i) a threaded cap equipped with a female-threaded fitting or other female-threaded means having an exterior surface and an interior surface such that the cap when screwed onto the self-heating or self-chilling container will create a self-contained unit, (ii) a portal or orifice made through the top surface of the cap of sufficient diameter to allow insertion of a self-heating or self-cooling device as described herein; (iii) a self-heating or self-cooling device incorporated into or coupled to the cap through the portal to form a leak-free cap; (iv) a seal or gasket affixed to the interior surface of the cap and forming around the outer circumference of the self-heating or self-cooling device that can also enclose the opening of the container to create an isolated cavity within the container that can contain any enclosed beverage or liquid without leakage or spillage and without any contamination from the environment even when the liquid is pressurized under those pressures typical of a carbonated beverage, and (v) a top end of the container equipped with a male-threaded fitting or other male threaded means that can mate with the threaded cap when screwed together to form a tight-fitting seal between the cap, the gasket, the top end of the container and the cavity of the container. 
     
     
         5 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  whereby the sidewalls of the self-heating or self-cooling device is constructed of a suitable heat transfer material and is preferably made from materials such as steel, aluminum or other metal alloys. 
     
     
         6 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the self-heating or self-cooling device has a first cavity, a second cavity and a third cavity whereby the first and third cavities contain water-activated heating or cooling agents and the second cavity contains water. 
     
     
         7 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the self-heating or self-cooling device allows compatible heating and cooling agents to be mixed together and stored in their dry state in the first cavity of the device while other heating and cooling agents that are incompatible with those stored in the first cavity are mixed together stored in the third cavity of the device and the incompatible materials of the first and third cavities are separated from each other by the sealing membranes or barriers that form the second cavity filled with water. 
     
     
         8 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the rupturable membrane is made out of material that can be punctured by the sharp surfaces of the tearing filament, including rubber, elastomers, latex, polychlororprene, films and plastics. 
     
     
         9 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the rupturable membrane consists of a balloon or plastic bag or pouch 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 heating or cooling agent in the first and third cavities. 
     
     
         10 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the means of rupturing the membrane or barrier consists of a plug pull tab attached to the removable plug, the hollow tube and the tearing filament. 
     
     
         11 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the plug pull tab is made from the same materials commonly used to manufacture metal cans including steel, aluminum and alloys, but can be made from any other suitable material including plastics and related polymers. 
     
     
         12 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the removable plug is made from any suitable material including plastics, metals and polymers. 
     
     
         13 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the hollow tube is made of plastic and has an inside diameter sufficient to allow free passage of the tearing filament through the tube during activation of the heat-transfer reaction and is of sufficient length to extend around 0.25 times the length of the device and is affixed to the bottom end of the removable plug to form a rigid conduit for the tearing filament. 
     
     
         14 . A self-heating or self-cooling container cover according to  claim 1  in which the tearing filament is in the form of a string or cord made from plastic, metal wire or natural fiber approximately 1.5 times the length of the device and is comprised of four separated strands. The tearing filament is attached at its top end to the removable plug and then threaded through the hollow tube during placement of the heating or cooling agents, activation liquid and barrier or sealing membranes or rupturable membranes. Each strand of the tearing filament has an abrasive coating or abrasive, sharp-edged objects attached to the distal one-third of its length. The abrasive coating typically consists of sharpened particles of garnet or glass having an average diameter of around 1/32 to 1/64 inch or sharpened metal shards of approximately the same size that are glued or applied in a coating onto the surfaces of the strands. The sharpened material is applied such that the sharpened edges of the particles are free to catch onto and rip through the barrier or sealing membrane when brought into contact with the membrane.