Self-heating product container and/or associated waxing kit

Abstract

A kit is disclosed that includes a self-heating product container that includes a self contained heater, a flexible container physically and thermally coupled to the self-contained heater and containing a product, such as wax, to be heated by an exothermic reaction within the self-contained heater, and a nozzle or spout physically coupled to the flexible container to define a fluid flow path through which the product to be heated exits the flexible container. The self-contained heater defines a first heater compartment and a second heater compartment with a first reactant inside the first heater compartment, a second reactant within the second heater compartment; and a frangible seal or barrier (e.g., in the form of a liquid fuel pouch) between the first heater compartment and the second heater compartment and configured such that rupturing the frangible seal enables the first reactant to physically contact the second reactant to thereby produce the exothermic reaction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A kit comprising:
 a self-heating product container comprising:
 a self-contained heater; 
 a flexible container physically and thermally coupled to the self-contained heater and containing a product to be heated by an exothermic reaction within the self-contained heater; and 
 a nozzle or spout physically coupled to the flexible container to define a fluid flow path through which the product to be heated exits the flexible container, 
 wherein the self-contained heater comprises:
 a package that defines a first heater compartment and a second heater compartment; 
 a first reactant inside the first heater compartment; 
 a second reactant within the second heater compartment; and 
 a frangible seal or barrier disposed between the first heater compartment and the second heater compartment and configured such that rupturing the frangible seal or barrier enables the first reactant to physically contact the second reactant to thereby produce the exothermic reaction. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of product applicators attachments, wherein each of the product applicator attachments is configured to interchangeably engage the distal end of the nozzle or spout. 
     
     
         3 . The kit of  claim 2 , wherein each of the product applicator attachments has a housing that defines a first end configured to engage the open end of the nozzle or spout, a second end that is opposite the first end and configured to apply the product onto a surface, and an internal fluid flow path between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         4 . The kit of  claim 3 , and wherein the second end of each respective one of the plurality of product applicator attachments is shaped differently than the second ends of the other product applicator attachments, and wherein the different shapes make the different product applicator attachments suitable for applying the product to surfaces that have different shapes. 
     
     
         5 . The kit of  claim 3 , wherein the second ends of at least some of the product applicator attachments are flared to facilitate applying the product across a wider surface than the nozzle or spout would accommodate in a single pass. 
     
     
         6 . The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising a cap for the self-heating product container, wherein the cap is configured to removably engage a distal end of the nozzle or spout. 
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 6 , wherein the cap and/or each of a plurality of product applicator attachments in the kit has a set of threads configured to engage a corresponding set of threads at the distal end of the nozzle or spout. 
     
     
         8 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the flexible container is transparent, and wherein the product is able to be seen from outside the flexible container through the transparent portion of the flexible container. 
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 8 , wherein the product is able to be seen from outside the flexible container through the transparent portion of the flexible container as the product melts in response to the exothermic reaction. 
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 9 , wherein the product comprises a wax. 
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein prior to the exothermic reaction the wax forms a plurality of solid pellets, and
 wherein after the exothermic reaction the wax forms a liquid.   
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the self-heating product container is shaped as a pouch with a bottom gusset. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 An outer box or container that contains the self-heating product container, and a plurality of product applicator attachments configured to interchangeably engage the distal end of the nozzle or spout.   
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the self-heating product container is implemented as an Inverted pouch-style container with a downward-facing discharge nozzle or spout and a cap with a flat surface that enables the inverted pouch-style container to sit upon a surface with the cap facing and in direct physical contact with the surface and a package portion of the container extending upward from the cap. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 providing a kit comprising:
 a self-heating product container comprising:
 a self-contained heater; 
 a flexible container physically and thermally coupled to the self-contained heater and containing a product to be heated by an exothermic reaction within the self-contained heater; 
 a nozzle or spout physically coupled to the flexible container to define a fluid flow path through which the product to be heated exits the flexible container, 
 wherein the self-contained heater comprises:
 a package that defines a first heater compartment and a second heater compartment; 
 a first reactant inside the first heater compartment; 
 a second reactant within the second heater compartment; and 
 a frangible seal or barrier in the form of a liquid fuel pouch disposed between the first heater compartment and the second heater compartment and configured such that rupturing the frangible seal or barrier in the form of a liquid fuel pouch enables the first reactant to physically contact the second reactant to thereby produce the exothermic reaction; and 
 
 a plurality of product applicators attachments, wherein each of the product applicator attachments is configured to interchangeably engage a distal end of the nozzle or spout; 
 
   activating the self-contained heater by rupturing the frangible seal or barrier in the form of a liquid fuel pouch to initiate the exothermic reaction; and   attaching a first one of the product applicator attachments to the open end of the nozzle or spout.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein rupturing the frangible seal or barrier in the form of a liquid fuel pouch comprises squeezing an outer surface of the self-heating product container to apply a pressure inside the self-contained heater. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising causing the product to melt with heat from the exothermic reaction. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising urging the melted product to exit the flexible container through the nozzle or spout and pass through the first product applicator attachment. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein urging the melted product to exit the flexible container through the nozzle or spout and pass through the first product applicator attachment comprises:
 squeezing an outer surface of the self-heating product container.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising applying a first portion of the melted product to a first surface using the first product applicator attachment attached to the distal end of the nozzle or spout. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 removing the first product applicator from the distal end of the nozzle or spout;   attaching a second one of the product applicator attachments to the open end of the nozzle or spout;   urging the melted product to exit the flexible container through the nozzle or spout and pass through the second product applicator attachment; and   applying a second portion of the melted product onto a second surface that is different than the first surface using the second product applicator attachment attached to the distal end of the nozzle or spout.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the flexible container is transparent, the method further comprising:
 watching the product melt, at least partially, through the transparent portion of the flexible container in response to the exothermic reaction.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the product comprises a wax,
 wherein prior to the exothermic reaction the wax forms a plurality of solid pellets, and   wherein after the exothermic reaction the wax forms a liquid.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein each of the first and second surfaces is a surface of a person's skin. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the self-heating product container is shaped as a pouch with a bottom gusset, the method further comprising:
 setting the pouch upon the bottom gusset after activating the self-contained heater.   
     
     
         26 . A self-heating product container comprising:
 a self-contained heater;   a flexible container physically and thermally coupled to the self-contained heater and containing a product to be heated by an exothermic reaction within the self-contained heater; and   a nozzle or spout physically coupled to the flexible container to define a fluid flow path through which the product to be heated exits the flexible container,   wherein the self-contained heater comprises:
 a package that defines a first heater compartment and a second heater compartment; 
 a first reactant inside the first heater compartment; 
 a second reactant within the second heater compartment; and 
 a frangible seal or barrier disposed between the first heater compartment and the second heater compartment and configured such that rupturing the frangible seal or barrier enables the first reactant to physically contact the second reactant to thereby produce the exothermic reaction.