Self cooling container and a cooling device

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 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A container for storing a beverage, said container having a container body and a closure and defining an inner chamber having a chamber volume dimensioned to contain a specific volume of the beverage, the container further comprising:
 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 chamber volume, wherein the cooling device comprises:
 at least first and second reactants separately contained in the cooling device, the first and second reactants being capable of reacting with one another in a non-reversible, entropy-increasing reaction to produce a product in a stoichiometric number at least a factor of 3 larger than the stoichiometric number of the reactants, the reaction resulting a heat reduction of the beverage of at least 50 Joules/ml within a period of time of no more than 5 minutes; 
 an outer cooling surface located so as to contact the beverage in the inner chamber; and 
 an actuator operable for initiating the reaction between the first and second reactants; 
   wherein the inner chamber defines an inner top half space and inner bottom half space, and wherein any point within the top half space defines a maximum distance A of about 0.5 cm to about 2.0 cm to an adjacent point on the outer cooling surface.   
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein any point within the bottom half space defines the maximum distance A to an adjacent point on the outer cooling surface. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the inner chamber defines an inner surface, and wherein the outer cooling surface defines an area at least 3 times the area of the inner surface. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the cooling device defines an interior beverage space at least partly enclosed by the outer cooling surface, wherein the interior beverage space defines a transverse dimension between adjacent points of the outer surface, and wherein the transverse dimension defines a maximum distance of 2 A. 
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the outer surface of the cooling device defines a top surface, a bottom surface, and a substantially cylindrical surface enclosing the top and bottom surfaces. 
     
     
         21 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the outer surface of the cooling device defines a top surface, a bottom surface, and a corrugated surface enclosing the top and bottom surfaces. 
     
     
         22 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the outer surface of the cooling device defines a top surface, a bottom surface, and an intermediate surface enclosing the top and bottom surfaces, and wherein the intermediate surface has a shape selected from the group consisting of an annular shape, a helical shape, a helicoid shape, and a spiral-shape. 
     
     
         23 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the at least first and second reactants are separated from one another by a water-soluble membrane, and wherein the actuator includes a first actuator chamber containing an aqueous liquid equivalent to the beverage. 
     
     
         24 . The container of  claim 23 , wherein the first actuator chamber is flexible, deformable and separated from the water-soluble membrane by a pressure-activated seal that is configured to be ruptured in response to a pressure inside the first actuator chamber above a specific high pressure 
     
     
         25 . The container of  claim 24 , wherein the specific high pressure is a pressure above atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         26 . The container of  claim 23 , wherein the first actuator chamber is configured to withstand pressure variations while it is closed, and wherein the actuator further includes a second actuator chamber filled with a foam-generating material, the second actuator chamber being located between the first actuator chamber and the water-soluble membrane, and separated from the first actuator chamber by a first pressure-activated seal, the second actuator chamber being separated from the water-soluble membrane by at least a second pressure-activated seal. 
     
     
         27 . The container of  claim 26 , wherein the beverage is a carbonated beverage, wherein the first actuator chamber contains a gasified aqueous liquid equivalent to the carbonated beverage, and wherein the reaction is initiated when the pressure-activated seal ruptures in response to a decrease in pressure outside of said first actuator chamber from an initial pressure above atmospheric pressure to atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         28 . The container of  claim 26 , wherein said first actuator chamber comprises a substantially rigid ampoule encapsulated within the second actuator chamber. 
     
     
         29 . The container  claim 24 , wherein the pressure-activated seal comprises a plug of liquid metal. 
     
     
         30 . The container of  claim 29 , wherein the liquid metal is selected from the group consisting of one or both of gallium and indium. 
     
     
         31 . The container of  claim 23 , wherein the water-soluble membrane is configured in a layered structure. 
     
     
         32 . The container of  claim 23 , wherein the water-soluble membrane is configured in a honeycomb structure. 
     
     
         33 . The of  claim 23 , wherein the water-soluble membrane is a coating. 
     
     
         34 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the cooling device is made at least partly of plastic foils.