U.S. patent number 3,726,106 [Application Number 05/001,239] was granted by the patent office on 1973-04-10 for self-refrigerating and heating food containers and method for same.
Invention is credited to Wilbert J. Jaeger.
United States Patent |
3,726,106 |
Jaeger |
April 10, 1973 |
SELF-REFRIGERATING AND HEATING FOOD CONTAINERS AND METHOD FOR
SAME
Abstract
A self heating or cooling container having in one embodiment two
separable sections of the container, one for enclosing a cooling or
heating chemical and the other for enclosing the product to be
cooled or heated, and in another embodiment a cooling or heating
section within the product section. The section for enclosing the
coolant or heating agent has a conical portion and two different
diameter cylindrical portions while a closure for the product
section has a closely parallel shape. The coolant-heating agent
section also has a valve assembly responsive to the section's
position and when activated causes the product to change
temperature. The separable sections allow forming and filling each
section individually during the manufacturing process with
combination of the sections achieved as a last step.
Inventors: |
Jaeger; Wilbert J. (Orange,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
21695050 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/001,239 |
Filed: |
January 7, 1970 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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737121 |
Jun 14, 1968 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
62/294; 62/457.1;
126/262; 62/371; 62/457.9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D
3/107 (20130101); F25D 2331/805 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F25D
3/10 (20060101); F25d 003/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;126/262,263
;62/294,457,371,372,331 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wye; William J.
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE
This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application
Ser. No. 737,121, filed June 14, 1968, now abandoned, for
"SELF-REFRIGERATING AND HEATING FOOD CONTAINERS" by Wilbert J.
Jaeger.
Claims
I claim:
1. A container comprising:
a. a first elongated hollow body having first and second ends;
b. a first closure having first and second ends, a portion of said
closure having a conical shape and a portion of said closure having
a cylindrical shape, said first closure being located within and
extending substantially the length of said first hollow body, the
first end of said first closure being connected to the first end of
said hollow body;
c. a second hollow body having first and second ends, a portion of
said second hollow body having a conical shape and a portion having
a cylindrical shape, said portions of said second hollow body being
disposed within said first closure, and substantially parallel and
slightly spaced from said portions of said first closure;
d. a second closure connected to said first end of said second
hollow body and said second end of said second hollow body being
closed;
e. a third closure connected to said second end of said first
hollow body; and
f. means connected to said first closure for retaining said second
hollow body within said first closure in either of two positions
while insuring the slight spacing therebetween.
2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for
retaining said second hollow body includes a set of projections
extending between said first closure and said second hollow body,
said set comprising at least two projections spaced from one
another in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said
first elongated body;
in said first position one projection is adapted to engage a
corresponding recess in the second hollow body and the other
projection is adapted to contact said second end of said second
hollow body which in said second position said other projection is
adapted to engage said recess.
3. A container as claimed in claim 2 wherein said set of
projections includes four projections, a first pair of projections
spaced from the second pair of projections in a direction parallel
to the longitudinal axis of said first elongated body, each
projection of a pair oppositely disposed from the other projection
of the pair, when said second hollow body is in said first position
said first pair of projections engages an annular groove in the
second hollow body while the second pair of projections abut said
second end of said second hollow body and when said second hollow
body is in said second position said second pair of projections
engages said annular groove.
4. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first closure has
said conical shape adjacent its first end and said cylindrical
shape adjacent its second end.
5. A container as claimed in claim 1 including means for
communicating the interior of said second hollow body and the
environment about said first hollow body.
6. A container as claimed in claim 5 wherein said communicating
means comprises:
a. a tubular body having a plurality of longitudinally disposed
ribs spaced about the circumference of the interior of said
body;
b. a frangible diaphram connected to said tubular body for covering
the interior opening thereof;
c. a tubular plunger adapted to slidably engage the interior of
said tubular body, said plunger having one closed end, one open
end, and a laterally extending aperture of predetermined size
through the plunger wall, said plunger being movable from a first
position wherein said closed end is adjacent said frangible
diaphram to a second position wherein said closed end has broken
said diaphram and is located within said tubular body so that said
aperture communicates the interior of said second hollow body and
the open end of said plunger.
7. A container as claimed in claim 6 including said means for
retaining said second hollow body includes a set of projections
extending between said first closure and said second hollow body,
said set comprising four projections, a first pair of projections
spaced from the second pair of projections in a direction parallel
to the longitudinal axis of said first elongated body, each
projection of a pair oppositely disposed from the other projection
of the pair, when said second hollow body is in said first position
said first pair of projections engages an annular groove in the
second hollow body while the second pair of projections abut said
second end of said second hollow body and when said second hollow
body is in said second position said second pair of projections
engages said annular grove; and wherein
said first closure has said conical shape adjacent its first end
and said cylindrical shape adjacent its second end.
8. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first closure and
said first hollow body are integral.
9. A container for cooperating with another container for changing
the temperature of the content of said second mentioned container
comprising:
a. An elongated hollow body having first and second ends, a portion
of said hollow body adjacent said first end having a conical shape
and a portion adjacent said second end having a cylindrical
shape;
b. A first closure connected to said first end of said hollow
body;
c. A second closure connected to said second end of said hollow
body; and
d. A valve assembly connected to said second closure.
10. A container as claimed in claim 9 wherein said second closure
has an annular shape, said valve assembly is positioned in the
center of said second closure and said second closure has a ring
shaped recess for receiving a toroidal shaped chemical tablet which
will, when contacted by the content of the hollow body, react to
generate heat.
11. A container as claimed in claim 9 wherein said valve assembly
comprises:
a. a tubular body having a plurality of longitudinally disposed
ribs spaced about the circumference of the interior of said
body;
b. a frangible diaphram connected to said tubular body for covering
the interior opening thereof;
c. a tubular plunger adapted to slidably engage the interior of
said tubular body, said plunger having one closed end, one open
end, and a laterally extending aperture of predetermined size
through the plunger wall, said plunger being movable from a first
position wherein said closed end is adjacent said frangible
diaphram to a second position wherein said closed end has broken
said diaphram and is located within said tubular body so that said
aperture communicates the interior of said hollow body and the open
end of said plunger.
12. A container as claimed in claim 11 including a seal disposed
about the tubular plunger and positioned to sandwich said frangible
diaphram between itself and the end of said tubular body; and
a flange about said closed end of said tubular plunger, said flange
being positioned between said seal and said diaphram when said
plunger is in its first position.
13. A self-refrigerating container comprising:
a body adapted to contain a quantity of beverage, said body having
a side structure;
a first closure connected to a first end of said side structure
with said first closure being so shaped that the surface of said
first closure forms an enclosure within said side structure;
a second closure adapted for sealing a second end of said side
structure;
a coolant body adapted to contain a quantity of a coolant;
a third closure sealed to said coolant body and including means for
venting said coolant body, the seal between said third closure and
said coolant body being formed by rolling the upper edge of the
coolant body and the peripheral portion of said third closure
inwardly of the third closure, said coolant body being adapted to
mount within said closure formed by said first closure, the shape
of the surface of said coolant body conforming closely to the shape
of the surface of said first closure whereby said surfaces thereof
are in tight heat-conductive engagement throughout substantially
their areas.
14. The self-refrigerating container of claim 13 wherein said side
structure is a cylinder and said cylinder is sealed to said first
closure by a rim formed by rolling the upper edge of the first
closure and the peripheral edge of the first end of the cylinder
outwardly of the cylinder, and said coolant body is mounted to the
first closure by means of a heat conductive adhesive material.
15. A self-refrigerating container comprising:
a body adapted for containing a quantity of a beverage, said body
having a cylindrically shaped side structure with a first closure
member of a concave shape formed in a first end of said side
structure so as to form an enclosure within said side structure,
and a second closure adapted for sealing a second end of said side
structure;
a coolant body charged with a quantity of coolant under pressure,
said coolant body having a concave shape of slightly less dimension
than the enclosure formed by said first closure, a third closure
sealed to said coolant body, and means formed in said third closure
for venting said coolant body;
and means for bonding said coolant body to said first closure
member, said bonding means including a thermal conductive substance
disposed between the coolant body and the first closure.
16. A container for cooperating with another container for changing
the temperature of the content of said second mentioned container
comprising:
a. An elongated hollow body having first and second ends, a first
portion of said hollow body adjacent said first end having a
cylindrical shape, a second portion adjacent said second end having
a cylindrical shape, a third portion of said hollow body positioned
adjacent said second cylindrical portion having a cylindrical
shape, said third cylindrical portion having a larger diameter than
said second cylindrical portion, and a fourth portion of said
hollow body having a conical shape, said fourth conical portion
being positioned between said first cylindrical portion and said
first end of said hollow body; and
b. A first closure connected to said first end of said hollow
body.
17. A container for cooperating with another container for changing
the temperature of the content of said second mentioned container
comprising:
a. An elongated hollow body having first and second ends, a portion
of said hollow body adjacent said first end having a conical shape
and a portion adjacent said second end having a cylindrical shape;
and
b. A first closure connected by a lock seam to said first end of
said hollow body.
18. A container for cooperating another container for changing the
temperature of the content of said second mentioned container
comprising:
a. An elongated hollow body having first and second ends, a portion
of said hollow body adjacent said first end having a conical shape
and a portion adjacent said second end having a cylindrical shape,
said second end of said hollow body having an annular recess
therein; and
b. A first closure connected to said first end of said hollow
body.
19. A container for cooperating with another container for changing
the temperature of the content of said second mentioned container
comprising:
a. An elongated hollow body having first and second ends, a portion
of said hollow body adjacent said first end having a conical shape
and a portion adjacent said second end having a cylindrical
shape;
b. A first closure connected to said first end of said hollow
body;
c. A second closure connected to said second end of said hollow
body, said second closure having an opening;
d. A flexible bag disposed within said hollow body and connected to
said hollow body at said second end; and
e. An elongated rod slidably disposed within said bag and through
said opening in said second closure whereby said rod is selectively
movable to rupture said bag.
20. A container for cooperating with another container for changing
the temperature of the content of said second mentioned container
comprising:
a. An elongated hollow body having first and second ends, a portion
of said hollow body adjacent said first end having a conical shape
and a portion adjacent said second end having a cylindrical
shape;
b. A first closure connected to said first end of said body;
c. A second closure connected to said second end of said hollow
body; and
d. A valve assembly comprising two openings in said first closure,
and an elongated flexible tab having two openings adjacent one end
thereof corresponding to the two openings in the closure, and a
resilient elongated tube having two ends, one of said ends disposed
in one set of corresponding openings in the tab and the closure and
the other of said ends disposed in the other set of corresponding
openings in the tab and the closure whereby pulling said tab
removes the tube ends from the opening in the first closure.
21. A container having means for selectively changing the
temperature of the content of the container comprising:
a. A first elongated hollow body having first and second ends;
b. A first closure having first and second ends and having a
cylindrical portion and a transversely extending annular portion,
said cylindrical portion forming a male threaded connector section,
said first end of said closure being connected to said first end of
said first hollow body, said first closure extending into sad first
hollow body;
c. A second elongated hollow body having first and second ends
positioned within said first elongated body, a portion of said
second hollow body adjacent said first end having a cylindrical
shape, said portion forming a female threaded connector section, a
portion adjacent said second end having a cylindrical shape and a
portion between said first and second mentioned portions having a
conical shape, said male and female threaded sections being in
threaded engagement, said second elongated hollow body extending
substantially the length of said first elongated hollow body;
d. A valve assembly for selectively communicating the interior of
said second elongated hollow body and the environment about said
first hollow body, said valve assembly connected to the second end
of said closure;
e. A second closure connected to the second end of said second
hollow body forming a first sealed enclosure;
f. A third closure connected to the second end of said first hollow
body forming a second sealed enclosure;
g. Means for having a temperature to be changed disposed within
said second enclosure; and
h. Means for changing the temperature of said second enclosure
disposed within said first enclosure.
22. A temperature regulating food container comprising: shaped;
a body adapted for container a quantity of a food, said body having
a side structure, said side structure being cylindrically
shaped;
a first closure having a generally conical configuration extending
within said side structure substantially the entire length of said
side structure and connected to a first end of said side structure,
the surface of the first closure forming an enclosure within said
side structure;
a second closure adapted for sealing a second end of said side
structure;
a heat exchange body having a generally conical configuration, said
heat exchange body being adapted to contain a quantity of a
specific substance;
a third closure sealed to said heat exchange body; and
means formed in said third closure for venting said heat exchange
body, said heat exchange body being adapted for mounting within
said enclosure formed by said first closure, so that the surface of
said heat exchange body is in engagement with the surface of said
first closure.
23. A self-refrigerating container comprising:
a body adapted to contain a quantity of a beverage, said body
having a side structure;
a first closure connected to a first end of said side structure
with said first closure being so shaped that the surface of said
first closure forms an enclosure within said side structure;
a second closure adapted for sealing a second end of said side
structure;
a coolant body adapted to contain a quantity of a coolant, said
coolant body being mounted to said first closure by means of an
adhesive material disposed between said coolant body and said first
closure; and
a third closure sealed to said coolant body and including means for
venting said coolant body, said coolant body being adapted to mount
within said closure formed by said first closure, the shape of the
surface of said coolant body conforming closely to the shape of the
surface of said first closure, whereby said surfaces thereof are in
tight heat-conductive engagement throughout substantially their
entire areas.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to self-refrigerating and heating
containers and more particularly to containers having an
independent heating or cooling portion and product portion and to
the method of forming, assembling and using such containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Although self-refrigerating and heating food containers have been
long known and long desired, there has not been a commercial
development because of various economic, health, and safety
problems.
For example, the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: Whalen 3,320,767, Warner
3,285,033, Palaith 2,460,765 and Blake et al., 2,185,799, have all
shown devices comprising a single walled partitioned container for
separating a heating or cooling substance from a food product. The
health hazard due to possible mingling of the food product and the
chemical used for heating or cooling is too great, and the
containers cannot be made cheaply enough for low cost mass produced
items; both of these factors have contributed to the lack of
commercialization of the containers disclosed in the
above-mentioned patents.
In a later Warner U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,067 a double walled unit was
disclosed with separate containers for the food product and for the
cooling chemical. While this construction appears to abate the
health problem, there is still the problem of economics in that the
container described cannot conveniently be manufactured on
equipment which is presently used to manufacture food cans. It is
to be understood that a large investment exists in present can
making and assembling equipment, and it is highly desirable that
any container developed has the ability to be manufactured on the
existing equipment or at least not require expensive modification
of the equipment.
Additionally, any self-cooling or self-heating food container must
also be of such construction as to allow processing of the food
after it has been packed and sealed; one such further processing
step is the pasteurization of beer, for example. Subjecting a
container having a chemical coolant to pasteurization temperatures
would cause sufficiently high pressures to make a safe container
for the coolant prohibitively expensive.
Generally, while it is obvious that a self-heating or self-cooling
container would be more expensive than a conventional container, an
analysis of the costs involved in cooling soft drink containers,
such as in supermarkets, reveals that it costs approximately a
penny a day per can based on an average shelf life of four to five
days. It is noted that this cost does not include the cost that the
consumer has in storing such cans in a home refrigerator.
Complementing this cost is further expense of ice and other cooling
devices when the cans are to be kept cool outdoors as on a picnic
for example. Finally, there are certain regions where refrigeration
is not even available and cooled drinks just do not exist.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art
mentioned above by providing a container having an enclosure
adapted to include means for selectively changing the temperature
of the content within another enclosure of the container comprising
a first elongated hollow body having first and second ends; a first
closure sealed to said first end; a second closure sealed to said
second end of said first hollow body and extending into said first
hollow body and having a surface at least a portion of which has a
conical shape said first and second closures and said first
elongated body forming said first mentioned enclosure; a second
elongated hollow body having first and second ends and a surface
having at least a portion with a conical shape, said surface of
said second elongated hollow body is closely disposed to said
surface of said second closure and parallel thereto, said second
body forming said other enclosure; and means communicating the
other closure of said second hollow body with the environment about
said first hollow body. In addition the present invention includes
among several methods a method of forming the container comprising
the steps of providing a strip of material; cutting said strip to a
pre-determined size; forming said cut strip into a hollow cylinder
having two open ends; providing a first plug of material; pressing
said first plug into a first elongated hollow body having two ends
and having a portion adjacent one end with a conical shape and a
portion adjacent the other end with a cylindrical shape; connecting
said one end of said first hollow body and one end of said cylinder
to form a first enclosure; providing a second plug of material;
pressing said second plug into a second elongated hollow body
having two ends and having a portion of cylindrical shape and a
portion of conical shape; providing a closure; lock seaming said
closure to an end of said second hollow body; filling said hollow
body in a high pressure environment with a coolant; sealing said
other end of said filled second hollow body; and inserting said
second hollow body into said first hollow body so that said second
hollow body is locked into position slightly spaced from said first
hollow body.
An object of the present invention is to provide a self-cooling or
heating container which is safe, convenient to use, and economical
to manufacture because of its adaptation to existing manufacturing
equipment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a
self-cooling or heating container having a construction which
reduces the health hazard of mingling the product to be heated or
cooled and the chemical which provides the heating or cooling.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
self-cooling or heating container which allows the product to be
heated or cooled to be disposed within the container within a
sealed enclosure as part of a process which is independent of the
formation, filling and sealing of the cooling or heating section of
the container.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a
self-cooling or heating container which has efficient heat transfer
properties and when in the cooling mode has the ability to form ice
within the product to be cooled.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view partially in phantom of an embodiment
of a self-cooling or heating container oriented in an upright
position.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view partially in phantom of the
self-cooling or heating container of FIG. 1 oriented in an inverted
position.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 2 showing a "pop"
top.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal partially broken away, partially sectional
view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal partially broken away, partially sectional
view of the self-cooling or heating container after the "pop" top
has been removed.
FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged sectional view taken along curved line
6--6 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view taken along line 7--7 of FIG.
5.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view partially broken away of the inner and
outer sections of the container of FIG. 1.
FIG. 9 is a partially broken away perspective view of the FIG. 1
embodiment shown in integral form.
FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the FIG. 9 container showing both the
inner and outer sections.
FIG. 11 is a longitudinal partially broken away, partially
sectional view taken along line 11--11 of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged sectional view taken along curved
line 12--12 of FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a container
partially in phantom.
FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the container of FIG. 13 showing a pull
tab.
FIG. 15 is a longitudinal partially broken away, partially
sectional view taken along line 15--15 of FIG. 14.
FIG. 16 is an isometric bottom view of the pull tab of FIG. 14.
FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line 17--17 of FIG. 14.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a container
oriented in an upright position.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view partially in phantom of the container
shown in FIG. 18, oriented in an upside down position.
FIG. 20 is a partially exploded, partially broken away perspective
view of the container oriented as in FIG. 19.
FIG. 21 is a longitudinal partially broken away, partially
sectional view taken along line 21--21 of FIG. 19 illustrating the
inner container in its first position.
FIG. 22 is a plan sectional view taken along line 22--22 of FIG.
21.
FIG. 23 is a fragmentary longitudinal view as shown in FIG. 21
rotated 90.degree..
FIG. 24 is a partial enlarged sectional view taken along curved
line 24--24 of FIG. 21.
FIG. 25 is a partial enlarged sectional view of the embodiment
shown in FIG. 24 before the container body and the closure have
been connected.
FIG. 26 is a longitudinal partially broken away, partially
sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 21 illustrating the
inner container in its second position.
FIG. 27 is a partially exploded perspective view of the valve
assembly and closure for the inner container.
FIG. 28 is a fragmentary enlarged partially sectional view taken
along line 28--28 of FIG. 21.
FIG. 29 is a fragmentary enlarged partially sectional view taken
along line 29--29 of FIG. 26.
FIG. 30 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along line
30--30 of FIG. 28.
FIG. 31 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along line
31--31 of FIG. 29.
FIG. 32 is a plan sectional view taken along line 32--32 of FIG.
31.
FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the plunger element of the valve
assembly.
FIG. 34 is a longitudinal partially broken away, partially
sectional view of the container of FIG. 20 modified to provide
heating for the container.
FIG. 35 is an enlarged partially sectional view of the valve
assembly taken along line 35--35 of FIG. 34.
FIG. 36 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 36--36 of
FIG. 35.
FIG. 37 is a block diagram of a method of forming the embodiment
shown in FIG. 20.
FIG. 38 is a longitudinal partially broken away, partially
sectional view of another embodiment of a container.
FIG. 39 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 38.
FIG. 40 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along the
curved line 40--40 of FIG. 38.
FIG. 41 is a sectional view taken along line 41--41 of FIG. 38.
FIG. 42 is a sectional view of the valve assembly taken along line
42--42 of FIG. 38.
FIG. 43 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 24
illustrating the container in integral form.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
Referring first to FIGS. 18, 19 and 20 there is illustrated a
container 99 having an outer container section 100 and an inner
container section 107. The outer container 100 comprises a hollow,
elongated body 101 in the form of a conventional beverage can
having a closure 102 with a conventional "pop" top 104 connected to
the body 101 at one end and a uniquely shaped recessed or concave
closure 106 connected to the other end; according to usual usage
the closure 102 is at the top of the can and the recessed closure
106 is at the bottom. As seen in FIG. 20, the inner container 107
includes an elongated hollow body 108 having a shape very similar
to that of the recessed closure and cooperates with the outer
container 100 to fit within the recessed closure. The inner
container forms an enclosure for a heating or cooling chemical
which when activated will heat or cool the content within an
enclosure 110 formed by the outer container 100.
As mentioned, the hollow body 101 is shaped as a conventional
beverage container and, as such, has a cylindrical shape which is
formed by having a strip of suitable material, usually a properly
coated metal, cut to a pre-determined size dependent upon the size
of the can desired; the strip is then rolled into the cylindrical
shape and retained by a suitable connection such as spot welding to
form a seam 114. The hollow body 101 is connected to the top
closure 102 by a standard rolling operation to form a lock seam.
The pop top 104 includes a ring portion 116 and a tear portion 118.
The tear portion is formed by having the closure 102 partially cut
in the shape of an opening desired, usually triangular or
rectangular, while the ring 116, which is attached by a spot weld
designated 120, is pulled by a user when it is desired to have
access to the content of the outer container.
The closure 106 is comprised of a large conical portion 122, FIG.
20, a small conical portion 124 (better seen in FIG. 24), a large
diameter cylindrical portion 126, and a small diameter cylindrical
portion 128. In addition the closure 106 has a first end portion
130, FIGS. 24 and 25, which forms with the hollow body 101 the lock
seam 132, FIG. 24, and a second end portion 134, FIG. 20, which is
integrally connected to the cylindrical portion 128 and forms a
flat surface, generally transverse to the direction of the
longitudinal axis of the container 99.
Referring now to FIG. 24, there is shown in more detail the two
conical portions 122 and 124 of the recessed closure 106. The
conical portion 122 is sloped at an angle of about 14.degree. from
the vertical, while conical portion 124 is sloped at an angle of
about only 4.degree.. The difference in angle is due primarily to
the conventional machines used to form the lock seam 132 to connect
the recessed closure to the cylindrical body 101. The lock seaming
machine grips the cylindrical body 101 and the closure 106, thereby
deforming the closure's original 14.degree. conical portion 122 and
causes the two elements to rotate while the locking seam 132 is
formed by rolling the end 130 of the recessed closure and an end
136 of the cylindrical body 101. A different variation of the
connection between the cylindrical body and the closure is shown in
FIG. 43 wherein the cylindrical body 101' is made integral with the
closure 106' so that no lock seam is necessary.
The conical portion 122 and the cylindrical portions 126 and 128
may be made by a process which is commonly called "drawing." The
drawing process begins by providing a plug of material, such as a
malleable metal, which is processed through a series of pressing
operation to progressively form the desired shape as shown in FIG.
20, for example. Generally the first pressing operation would form
the conical portion 122 by having a male die enter a female die
which are dimensioned to allow the plug of material to expand
through a restricted spacing between the two dies so as to form a
tubular conical structure. After the conical portion 122 is formed,
progressive punching with different sets of male and female dies
creates the remaining cylindrical portions 126 and 128 and the end
portion 134. It is to be understood that material other than metal
may be used to form the outer container 100 so that other processes
may be used dependent upon the choice of materials. For example, a
molding operation might be used to form the outer container if the
material is a synthetic resin. And it is to be understood that some
other process may be used if desired when metal is the
material.
Again referring to FIG. 20, the inner container 107 has a shape
similar to the shape of the closure 106 and comprises a conical
portion 140, a large diameter cylindrical portion 142, and a small
diameter cylindrical portion 144. The conical portion 140 is
located adjacent a first end 146, FIG. 24, and between the end 146
and the conical portion 140 there is still another cylindrical
portion 148. A closure 150, FIG. 20, is connected to the hollow
body 108 with a lock seam 152 in a fashion similar to that
described for lock seam 132. However, once again referring to FIG.
43 the hollow body 108' may be made integral with the closure 150'
so as to obviate the need for a lock seam. Another closure 154 is
positioned over the second end 156 of the body 108.
The hollow body 108 of the inner container 107 may be made in a
manner analogous to that of the closure 106 of the outer container
101. That is, except for dimensional variation, the same drawing
process which is used for closure 106 may be used for the hollow
body 108. Since the closures 150 and 154 are of simpler design and
substantially flatter than the body 108, they may be stamped from
sheet metal in the conventional fashion.
Referring now to FIG. 23, there is illustrated in more detail the
interior of the container near its top closure 102. As the
cylindrical portion 144 approaches the end 156, there is formed an
angular recess 160, which cooperates with the closure 154 to form a
means for retaining the inner container 107 within the outer
container 101 as shown in FIG. 21. Helping to retain the inner
container 107 are four projections or indentations 162, 164, 166
and 168, FIG. 22. As seen in FIG. 22, the projections are evenly
spaced around the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion
128 of the closure 106. However, as seen in FIGS. 21 and 23, which
are views separated by 90.degree., two of the projections 162 and
166 are spaced from the other two projections 164 and 168 in a
direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container 99.
This may best be seen when comparing the recess 160 and closure 154
in FIGS. 21 and 23. In FIG. 21 the projections 162 and 166 are
shown abutting the closure 154 so as to prevent the movement of the
inner container 107 toward the end portion 134 of the closure 106.
However, when the vantage point is rotated 90.degree., as is done
when moving from FIG. 21 to FIG. 23, it is noted that the
projections 164 and 168 fit within the recess 160. Thus, in the
position shown in FIGS. 21 and 23 the inner container 107 is locked
within the outer container 101 unable to be separated due to the
combination of the projections 164, 168 and the recess 160 and
unable to move further into the closure 106 because of the abutment
of the projections 162, 166 and the closure 154. This position is
the first or storage position of the inner container 107 relative
the outer container 101.
Referring now to FIG. 26, the second or activating position of the
inner container 107 relative the outer container 101 is
illustrated. The inner container 107 has been pushed further into
the closure 106 so that the closure 154 is spaced closely to the
end portion 134 of the closure 106. In this second position the
projections 162 and 166 are located within the recess 160 while the
projections 164 and 168 have been permanently distorted. The
significance of the first and second positions for the inner
container 107 will be explained in detail hereinbelow. The
projections 162, 164, 166 and 168 may be formed in the closure 106
by a simple crimping operation if the material of the closure 106
is metal or metal be molded integrally if the material is a
synthetic resin.
In the storage position, the seam 152 of the inner container 107 is
disposed inwardly of the seam 132 to prevent accidental activation
of the container should a force be applied against the bottom of
the container during transportation or handling. The slightly
inward position of the inner container so as to leave the seam 132
in a protective position is shown clearly in FIGS. 19 and 32.
Referring to FIGS. 20 and 27, there is illustrated a portion of the
valve assembly 170, which is connected to the closure 154 of the
inner container 107. In FIG. 30, the valve assembly 170 is shown in
more detail. The valve assembly comprises a generally tubular
sleeve 172 having plurality of longitudinally extending ribs 174
spaced about the interior circumference of the sleeve, a frangible
diaphragm 176, a tubular plunger 178, (also see FIG. 33), which
includes a bottoming head 179 and a flanged head 180, a
longitudinal opening 182, and a small control aperture 184, which
is positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal opening 182 and
proceeds through the body of the tubular plunger 178. Additionally,
a seal such as an O-ring (not shown) or a resilient washer 186 is
provided to sandwich the diaphragm 176 between itself and the
sleeve 172. The washer 186 also seals an opening 196 about the
plunger 178 to prevent leakage of the content of the inner
container 107.
The valve assembly 170 is held together by the closure 154 by
having one shoulder 190 of the closure 154 abut a slanted shoulder
192 of the valve sleeve 172 while a second shoulder 194 of the
closure 154 abuts the washer 186; by press forming the closure 154
about the valve assembly opposing forces are created by the
shoulders 190 and 194 to form a fluid tight, operable valve
assembly. During manufacture the valve assembly 170 is positioned
so that the plunger 178 fits through the opening 196 in the closure
154 and then the shoulders 190 and 194 may be crimped about the
valve assembly.
In the views shown in FIGS. 28 and 30, the flanged head 180 is
positioned adjacent the diaphragm 176, but has not yet broken the
diaphragm so that the content within the container 107 fills the
interior of the sleeve 172. As illustrated in FIG. 28 the container
107 is in its first position relative the closure 106 and has the
closure 154 abutting the projections 162 and 166. When pressure is
applied to the inner container 107 as indicated by the arrow in
FIG. 26, such as by a user pressing down with his thumbs on the
closure 150, FIG. 20, with sufficient force to move the inner
container further into the closure 106, the plunger 178 of the
valve assembly will come into contact with the end portion 134 of
the closure 106 as shown in FIGS. 29 and 31. It has been found that
with a conventionally shape can having an 8 ounce beverage
compartment and a 4 ounce coolant compartment (12 ounces total) and
conventional can material, about 4.5 pounds of force is necessary
to move the inner container from its first to second positions.
When the bottoming head 179 of the plunger 178 abuts the end
portion 134, the actuating force is transmitted to the flanged head
180 which breaks through the diaphragm 176 and moves upward into
the sleeve 172. Movement of the plunger 178 is relatively easy
because of the sliding relationship established between the flanged
head 180 and the ribs 174 of the sleeve 172. As the flanged head
moves into the sleeve, the content of the inner container begins to
communicate with the longitudinal opening 182 by way of the control
aperture 184 as can be seen by the arrow in FIG. 31 and by the plan
view in FIG. 32. The flanged head is slightly spaced from the ribs
and there are spaces, such as that designated 198, FIG. 32, which
surround the plunger to allow movement of the container content
around the flanged head, into the control aperture, through the
longitudinal opening and past the bottoming head.
When the inner container 107 is pushed beyond the projections 162
and 166, the projections are somewhat distorted and the closure 154
is flexed sufficiently so that the projections retain a sufficient
protrudence inwardly toward the inner container to move into the
recess 160, thereby retaining the inner container in its second or
activating position. The flex of the closure 154 is attained by the
inherent flexibility of the material used and by a seal 199
disposed between the closure and the end of the inner
container.
As mentioned earlier, the content of the inner container may be any
chemical compound which will create the desired heating or cooling
effect. For cooling, a preferred compound is Freon 12, which is a
gas at room temperature and becomes liquid at about -21.degree.F.
However, there is a pressure-temperature relationship, which will
allow the boiling point temperature of Freon to be raised if the
Freon is contained in a vessel where the pressure is greater than
one atmosphere pressure (about 15 psi). Thus, if Freon is placed
within the inner container 107 with a pressure of 109.24 pounds per
square inch the Freon will be a liquid up to a temperature of
100.degree.F. If the Freon in the inner container communicates with
the ambient environment, which may be assumed to be at a pressure
of about 15 psi then the boiling point temperature of the Freon
drops to its normal -21.degree.F. Since in almost all cases, the
environment about the Freon would be at a temperature much greater
than -21.degree.F, the Freon will change from its liquid phase to
its gaseous phase and boil off; during this time the Freon will
increase in temperature as a liquid and then while at the same
temperature change from a liquid to a gas. However, the Freon will
be absorbing heat during the entire process with most of the heat
being absorbed during the Freon's change of phase, the quantity of
heat per unit mass that must be supplied to a material at its
boiling point to convert it completely to a gas at the same
temperature, being called the heat of vaporization of the material.
It is this process of absorbing heat from the surrounding to change
the Freon from a liquid to a gas that provides the Freon with the
quality of being able to lower the temperature of the immediate
environment. Ideally, given enough Freon and a small enough
environment to cool, the Freon will continue to absorb heat until
an equilibrium has been reached at -21.degree.F. However, for
purposes of cooling a beverage, for example, if a certain amount of
Freon can lower the temperature of the beverage environment to the
range of about 32.degree. to 38.degree.F that is all that is
necessary.
Referring now to FIGS. 21, 26, 29 and 31, there is illustrated the
way in which the Freon within the inner container 107 is
selectively exposed to atmospheric pressure to cause the Freon to
boil and absorb heat from the content within the enclosure 110. As
shown in FIG. 31, once the plunger 178 breaks the diaphragm 176 the
Freon is able to communicate through the opening 184 to a spacing
designated 200 between the inner container and the closure 106.
This spacing is about the plunger 178 as shown in FIG. 31,
continues around to the side of the inner container as shown in
FIG. 29, continues along the entire length of the inner container
as shown in FIG. 26, and continues finally to the environment about
the container 99 as shown in FIG. 24. It is noted that in addition
to locating the inner container in its first and second positions
the projections 162, 164, 166 and 168 also position the inner
container within the closure 106 to provide for the spacing 200.
The only points of contact between the inner container and the
closure 106 are those made by the projections. The spacing 200 is
important as it affects the cooling efficiency of a given amount of
Freon relative to a given amount of product within the outer
container 101. In a similar manner the diameter of the control
aperture 184 is also important in regard to the efficiency of the
cooling process and is a function of the coolant used. For example,
for Freon the control aperture has a diameter of 0.013 inches,
while the spacing 200 is 0.005 inches (distance between the inner
container surface and the surface of the closure 106) for a
container having the size of a conventional 12 ounce beverage can.
It is also noted that for Freon, the inner container should have a
volume approximately one-third the volume of the outer container
when the outer container contains a beverage and for best heat
exchange efficiency the heat exchange surface should be as large as
possible, however, taking manufacturing considerations and
conventional styling considerations into account, the part conical,
part cylindrical shape of the inner container and closure 106 with
the inner container extending almost the full longitudinal length
of the outer container has been found most effective.
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 18 through 33 also has the unique
advantage of being able to selectively form ice within the beverage
in the enclosure 110 if it is found desirable. For example, if the
beverage in the enclosure is beer, it is normally undesirable to
have any ice formation, however, if the beverage is a soft drink or
certain types of liquor, such as scotch, the formation of ice may
be highly desirable. Since Freon will boil at the surface which is
in communication with the low pressure environment if the container
99 is activated in an upside down position as shown in FIG. 26,
liquid Freon will escape through the valve assembly 170 into the
spacing 200. Initially the liquid Freon will immediately start
absorbing heat and will boil while adjacent the closure 134 and
cylindrical portion 128. As more liquid Freon is supplied the
temperature of the beverage in the region about the closure 134 and
the portion 128 will drop below 32.degree.F and ice will be formed.
As the temperature drops in that region less heat exchange occurs
so that the liquid level of the Freon slowly creeps upwardly in the
spacing 200 progressively cooling the beverage throughout the
enclosure 110. The reason that there is less heat exchange as the
temperature is reduced is that a temperature differential between
two objects is the driving force to cause a transfer of heat from
the object at the higher temperature to the object at the lower
temperature. The liquid level may reach the seam 152 in a cool
environment while in a warm environment the liquid level may only
proceed partly along the longitudinal length of the container.
However, since liquid Freon will always be present adjacent the
closure 134 and the portion 128 during the cooling process, the
beverage in the region adjoining the closure and the portion 128
will be cold enough to form ice. After the cooling process has been
accomplished, the user turns the can upright and pulls the pop top
104 so that he can drink the beverage; ice that has formed will be
immediately under the pop top to insure that the user receives a
very cool and refreshing drink.
If ice is not desired then activation of the inner container may be
accomplished while holding the container in the position shown in
FIG. 21, using the thumbs against the closure 105 to push the inner
container deeper into the closure 106, or activation may be
accomplished while the container is in a position shown in FIG. 18.
If the former method is used, and it appears to be the easier of
the two mentioned methods, then as soon as the plunger 178 of the
valve assembly 170 has broken the diaphragm 176, the container
should be rotated to the position shown in FIG. 18. When this is
done boiling of the liquid will occur within the inner container
because of the clearance or head room provided between the liquid
Freon and the valve assembly. The head room amounts to about 17 to
20 per cent of the volume of the inner container and is provided as
a safety precaution to prevent a dangerously high level of pressure
existing within the inner container. Under these circumstances
cooling is not concentrated at any one portion or region along the
container. However, heat is transferred from the beverage to the
Freom in a slower more evenly distributed manner so that the final
temperature of the beverage using this second activation process is
about the same as when using the first mentioned activation process
thus when beer is the beverage within the enclosure 110 a
temperature of 38.degree.F has been achieved using either of the
activation processes.
The particular shapes of the inner container and the closure 106
provide unique advantages in that they are conveniently
manufactured by the same type of machines presently used in the can
industry and may be attached to conventional can bodies using
presently available machines and yet provide a relatively large
surface area through which heat exchange may be accomplished. Since
the heat transfer occurs at a much faster rate around the
cylindrical portion 128 of the closure 106, there is less need for
large heat exchange surface relative the amount of beverage in the
vicinity. However, as the coolant proceeds along the closure 106 to
the cylindrical portion 126 and to the conical portion 122 there is
a lesser rate of heat exchange occurring so that a larger heat
exchange surface area is necessary relative to the amount of the
beverage. The advantage of the geometric structure illustrated is
best seen in FIG. 24 where as the heat transfer surface area
reaches a maximum the amount of beverage to be cooled reaches a
minimum due to the conical portions 122 and 124.
It is also noted that in either method of operation of the cooling
process there is little likelihood of Freon in the liquid state
being spilled upon the user's hands. As mentioned, such events have
occurred with prior art devices and is very undesirable from a
product liability standpoint because of the frostbite occasioned by
contact of liquid Freon and skin. The use of a control aperture
184, 0.013 inch in the example mentioned, the specific coolant,
Freon 12, the spacing 200, 0.005 inch in the example mentioned, and
the specific shape of the inner container to give the heat exchange
surface all combine to provide the proper and necessary cooling
without the usual disadvantages such as the frostbite just
mentioned. Another advantageous feature of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 20 is the double walled construction between the refrigerant
and the beverage. In case either fluid should lead from its
respective enclosure, it would be to the external environment
rather than mingling with the other fluid. Thus, there is a
definite health advantage and an avoidance of product liability
disadvantages should a coolant and beverage mix and be consumed
unknowingly.
A still further advantage is achieved when the present invention is
used with a beverage whose flavor is a function of temperature. For
example, beer is generally thought to have the best taste when it
is at a temperature between 38.degree. and 42.degree.F. Generally
most refrigeration units in stores and at home cool beer to about
38.degree.F. However, when the beer can is removed from the
refrigeration unit, the excellent heat conducting properties of the
metal can immediately transfers heat from the environment to the
beer. Within 30 seconds after a beer can is opened the temperature
of the beer is about 42.degree.F and continues to climb thereafter.
One reason for the rapid temperature increase is that water vapor
in the environment will condense on the can and cause an even
greater heat transfer than usual because water conducts heat much
better than air. Hence, beer, for example, is rarely consumed at
its most flavorful temperature.
The container of the present invention provides the cooling while
the container is in the environment. Generally all that is needed
to cool 8 ounces of liquid is about 19 Btu; 4 ounces of Freon 12
will generate about 27 Btu so that extra cooling "power" is
available to offset the immediate heating from the environment and
to cool the inner container and outer container themselves. Once
the cooling process is complete, the inner container and the outer
container will continue to act to retard and to offset the heating
effect of the environment and thereby keep the beer below the
42.degree.F level for a longer period of time. At 70.degree.F, 45
per cent relative humidity, beer will remain at or below
40.degree.F for up to 5 minutes. Of course, the same advantage is
achieved when using the present invention for heating purposes.
Referring again to FIG. 27 there is illustrated a variation of the
inner container to adapt it for heating purposes. The modification
includes simply adding a toroidal shape tablet 202 to an annular
recess 204 formed in the closure 154 about the valve assembly 170.
If the proper chemical compound is provided within the inner
container then upon release of the chemical within the inner
container there will be an exothermic chemical reaction to provide
heat for the content within the enclosure 110. For example, the
tablet 202 may be comprised of sodium thiosulfate or potassium
thiosulfate while the material within the inner container is a
solution of Freon and hydrogen peroxide. The Freon is used to eject
the hydrogen peroxide from the inner container. Experiments have
shown that with an 8 per cent hydrogen peroxide solution in the
inner container a temperature of 120.degree.F can be reached in the
beverage situated within the enclosure 110. If the solution is 10
per cent the temperature reached is 140.degree.F; if the solution
is 12 per cent the temperature reached is 160.degree.F; and if the
solution is 14 per cent the temperature reached is 180.degree.F, a
temperature that is higher than necessary for most heated
foodstuff.
Referring now to FIGS. 34, 35 and 36 there is shown another version
of a container 210 which may be used to heat a product. The
structure of the outer container 101' is identical to that shown in
FIG. 18. Likewise the structure for the inner container 107' is
identical to the structure of inner container 107 in the embodiment
shown in FIG. 18, except for the valve assembly and the chemicals
used. As illustrated in FIG. 36, the valve assembly 212 includes an
elongated rod 214 moveable through a tubular sleeve 216 and a seal
218 which is to prevent leakage. Included within the inner
container 107' are two separated chemicals, the chemicals being
separated by a flexible bag 220, FIG. 34, made of a suitable
material such as a synthetic resin which is attached to an end 156'
of the inner container by being sandwiched between the inner
container and a closure 154'. The inner container has both storage
and activation positions analogous to the inner container 107. In
the storage position the rod 214 is completely contained within the
bag 220. However, in the activating position the rod is moved a
sufficient distance to pierce the bag 220 as is shown in FIG. 34,
thereby allowing the chemical 222 within the bag to mix with the
chemical 224 outside the bag. Since many chemicals give off heat
when reacting without the need of exposure to atmospheric pressure,
there is no need to have any communication with the environment
about the container 210 in order to have a heating effect. An
example of a suitable chemical for being within the bag is hydrogen
peroxide while suitable chemicals to be placed within the inner
container include sodium thiosulfate crystals.
Referring now to FIGS. 38 through 42, there is illustrated another
embodiment of the present invention. The container 230 comprises an
outer cylindrical body 232, a closure 234 with a pop top 236
located at one end of the cylindrical body and a second closure 238
located at the other end of the cylindrical body 232. The closure
238 has a generally cylindrical portion 240 which is formed into a
male threaded section. Integral with the cylindrical portion 240 is
an annular ring portion 242 which is deposed generally
perpendicular to the cylindrical portion 240 and connects at an end
244 to an end 246 of the cylindrical body 232 to form a lock seam
247 similar to that described for the embodiment of FIG. 18.
The method of forming the cylindrical body 232 may be identical to
that used to form outer container 101. The same is true of the
methods forming the closure 234 and the closure 102. The closure
238 may be pressed into a generally cup shape with one set of dies
and then threads formed with another set of dies. The male die of
the second set of dies is removed with a twisting motion thereby
causing the cylindrical portion 240 to be threaded. A consumable
beverage or other foodstuff may be located within the enclosure 248
formed by the cylindrical body and the closures 238 and 234.
A second inner container 250 is positioned within the container 230
and has a shape very similar to the inner container 107. For
example, the container 250 is comprised of a first cylindrical
portion 252 integrally connected to a larger cylindrical portion
254 which in turn is integrally connected to a conical portion 256.
A closure 258 is sealed to the cylindrical portion 252. The other
end of the inner container is comprised of a generally cylindrical
portion 260, FIG. 40, which is formed into a set of female threads
to allow engagement with the male thread 240 of the closure 238. To
insure a fluid type connection an O-ring seal 262 is provided
between the closure and the inner container. Within the enclosure
264 formed by the inner container is a refrigerant, such as the
Freon 12 mentioned above.
Also connected to the closure 238 is a valve assembly comprising a
tubular sleeve 268 having spaced ribs 270, a frangible diaphragm
272, a tubular plunger 274 having a flanged head 276, a
longitudinally extending opening 278, a transversely extending
control aperture 280, a pressure platform 282 and an O-ring seal
283. Operation of the valve assembly 266 is identical to that
described earlier for the valve assembly 170. The pressure platform
282 is the only different element, which is provided because the
valve assembly is located in a different position and is activated
by a user pressing upon the pressure platform to cause the plunger
and therefore the flanged head to break through the diaphragm. The
breaking of the diaphragm allows communication of the content
within the enclosure 264 to communicate through the control
aperture 280 and through the longitudinal opening 278 with the
external environment. The inner container 250 may be formed by the
same drawing process used for the inner container 107 with the
additional step of forming the threads within the cylindrical
portion 260.
Operation of the valve assembly 266 is desirable when the container
230 is situated in a position as shown in FIG. 38. If the container
were turned upside down, there would be the possibility of leaking
liquid coolant on the user. Because there is only a single wall
separating the enclosure 248 from the enclosure 264 and because the
inner container will be constructed of a good heat conducting
metal, there is excellent heat transfer between the product within
the enclosure 248 and the refrigerant in enclosure 264 once the
valve assembly has been activated. To assemble the container 230,
the inner container 250 is formed by drawing while the closure 238
is pressed. The closure 238 is then engaged to the inner container
to form a fluid tight seal. The cylindrical body 232 is formed and
lock seamed to the closure 238. A vacuum is created, Freon is
inserted into the inner container and the closure 258 is sealed to
enclose the Freon. The beverage is then added to enclosure 248 and
the container is sealed with the closure 234. To conform to
existing practices the containers are usually shipped from a can
manufacturer to a bottler before the beverage is added to the
container.
Current production of beer and soft drinks in metal cans occur in a
two step manufacturing procedure. Generally, a can company will
manufacture a portion of the finished can, while a bottling company
fills the can and completes the can structure. Usually, a can
company will receive a roll of metal, which is coated twice and cut
to a pre-determined size to form the cylindrical can body. In a
separate operation the pop top closures are formed and are mated to
the can body by lock seaming. Generally, the cans will also be
imprinted with appropriate labels. The cans are then pelletized and
forwarded to a bottling company, which then sends the partially
completed can through further processes to insure cleanliness
before they are filled and sealed.
In keeping with the traditional two step manufacturing process a
method has been devised for forming a container, such as the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 18. The method comprises, providing
a strip of material, which is then cut to a pre-determined size to
allow the formation of a hollow cylinder, such as the cylindrical
body of the outer container 101, FIG. 18. There is also provided a
plug of material, which, as mentioned earlier, is pressed into an
elongated hollow body by the above mentioned drawing process which
includes a series of pressing operations. The elongated hollow body
may be formed with a configuration identical to the closure 106,
FIG. 20, which includes two conical sections 122 and 124 and two
cylindrical portions 126 and 128. The formation of the container,
the formation of the closure and their connection is graphically
described in FIG. 37 in the rectangular figures designated 300, 302
and 304 respectively. It is, of course, understood that the
projections 162, 164, 166 and 168 may also be crimped into the
closure during its forming process. The three rectangular figures,
300, 302 and 304, are surrounded by a larger rectangular figure
drawn in phantom designated 306 to indicate that those steps may be
accomplished by one manufacturer while the remainder of the method
to be described may be accomplished by others.
A second container, such as the inner container 107, may be formed
by a manufacturer totally divorced from the manufacturer forming
the conventional container, or the inner container may be formed on
another forming line by the same manufacturer of the conventional
can. Forming a container having a unique shape, such as the inner
container 107, may be accomplished by providing a plug of material
and then drawing that material by the progressive pressing steps as
already described. A closure is then stamped out of sheet metal and
connected to the coolant container body by a lock seaming process.
These two steps are described graphically by the rectangular
figures designated 308 and 310 respectively. Next the inner
container is filled with a coolant under pressure if the coolant
responds in a manner analogous to Freon. This step is designated
312. The coolant filling step may be accomplished by any standard
aerosol filling machine. After filling the inner container, the
container is then sealed as designated 314. The large rectangular
figure drawn in phantom line and designated 316 is used to indicate
the separate manufacturing operations necessary to form the coolant
cartridge. The coolant container may then be inserted into the
product container in a bottler's plant or prior to reaching the
bottler's plant depending upon convenience. For example, if the
manufacturer forms the outer product container and the inner
coolant container, then economics would probably dictate that he
insert the inner container into the outer container before shipment
to the bottler. Regardless of the approach followed, the step is
designated 318. The insertion of the inner container into the outer
container may be accomplished by a magnet attaching itself to a
closure, such as closure 150, if the closure is made of tin plated
steel so as to be magnetic. The remainder of the container may also
be steel or could be aluminum if an all metal container is
desirable.
Once within the bottler's plant the additional operation of filling
the product container and sealing the container may be accomplished
in the usual way. Rectangular Figures 320 and 322 designate
respectively these last two processing steps. It is to be noted,
however, that in bottling some products such as beer, it is
undesirable to have the coolant container inserted within the
product container until after the beer is sent to a pasteruization
station subjecting the beer to a relatively high temperature which
would usually be detrimental to a coolant such as Freon 12. Thus,
an advantage of the embodiment shown in FIG. 18 is that the coolant
container may be added to the product container after the product
container has been filled, completely processed and sealed in a
fashion which would not require any changes from present day
processing.
The process above described for forming the various containers may
be altered somewhat should material other than metal be used or if
it is found desirable for other reasons not to follow the more
traditional approach. For example, using the drawing process
described, it is possible to press a hollow, elongated body that
includes the outer cylindrical and the uniquely shaped closure as
an integral element. The cylindrical portion, which eventually
forms the outer body of the container, is then rolled under heat
and pressure in a fashion similar to turning one's sock partially
inside out. This is known as a outer wall reversed draw. In an
analogous fashion an inner wall reversed draw may be used to
"stuff" the portion representing the closure into the large
cylindrical portion, which eventually forms the outer body. As
mentioned earlier, should plastic be used the various parts may be
molded or extruded and then fastened together.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 4 a container comprises an outer
container 12 for depositing a product and an inner container 14 for
housing a cooling or heating compound. In the interest of clarity
the self-refrigerating or heating container 10 will be described as
a self-refrigerating device for a liquid food or beverage 19, FIG.
4. However, it will be readily apparent as the description
proceeds, and as will be explained subsequently, that the container
10, may be utilized to regulate the temperature of solid or liquid
foods so as to either heat or cool the food. Further it will be
understood that the inner container 14 may be charged with a heat
producing substance or a refrigerant depending on the selected
application of the container 10. It is to be understood, however,
that the container described could also be used to store other than
foodstuff and could be used to heat or cool any one of a number of
items.
The outer container 12 has a top closure 15 sealed to a cylindrical
side body 16 in a conventional manner such as by a rolled seal 17;
and the top closure 15 may include a conventional pull pop top
opening arrangement 18 scored into the outer surface thereof as
already described. The outer container 12 is closed after the
beverage 19 has been placed therein, by the attachment of the
bottom closure 21, FIG. 4 to the lower end of the side body 16. As
seen best in FIG. 6, the side body 16 may be attached to the
closure 21 by a rolled seal 22, for example. The closure 21 has a
generally conical configuration with a relatively large head
portion 23, FIG. 8 and a tapering seam portion 24, with the seam
portion 24 extending into the side body 16 the greater part of the
length of the side body, and preferably substantially the entire
length of the side body.
The coolant inner container 14 comprises a closure 27, FIG. 8 and a
tank 26 which is adapted to contain a quantity of liquid coolant 28
under pressure, for example. The inner container 14 is designed to
withstand more pressure than the outer container 12 and therefore
the tank 26 and the closure 27 may be constructed from stronger or
thicker material than the corresponding members of the outer
container 12. Further to insure a pressure tight vessel the seal
29, FIG. 6 between the tank 26 and the closure 27 may be formed by
double rolling these surfaces inwardly of the periphery of the
closure; a gasket material or sealant (not shown) may be disposed
between the surfaces of the folded portions of these just mentioned
members. A plurality of ridges 30, FIGS. 2 and 3 are formed in the
closure 27 to increase the rigidity thereof. It is important for
best performance of the container 10 that the configuration of the
tank 26 be similar to the configuration of the closure 21, but of
slightly smaller dimensions so that close contact may be maintained
between the closure 21 and the inner container.
Means for venting the interior of the inner container 14 to the
atmosphere is attached to the closure 27, and for the selected
embodiment the venting means is shown as a pull pop top arrangement
31, FIG. 8 scored into the closure. The pull-tab arrangement 31 may
be of conventional type with the depth of the scoring slightly
reduced so that the lid may withstand greater pressures and with
the size of the resulting opening 32 being adapted for a selected
cooling rate as will be explained subsequently. Although the
venting arrangement 31 has been selected herein as a "one-shot"
type just as the valve assembly 170 it will be understood that in
accordance with the subject invention any suitable venting assembly
may be incorporated into the closure, including those of the
manually controllable valve type assembly that the inner container
14 may be more readily recharged if it should be desired that the
unit be reusable.
As noted previously, one of the primary objects and advantages of
the subject invention is that the container may be processed with
the least possible modification of existing manufacturing
equipment, in which equipment the industry presently has a large
capital investment. It should be noted that in accordance with the
subject invention that the outer container 12, before the closure
21 is attached thereto, may be filled by standard equipment without
modification. However, it will be recognized that since the closure
21 will displace a given volume within the outer container 12 that
the volume of the liquid filling each container should be reduced
proportionally. For example, the filling machine should be set so
as to place 12 ounces of beverage in a standard 16 ounce can. An
important advantage of the conical configuration of the closure 21
is that it may be nested (stacked) in a modified closure feeder
machine and then inserted into the outer container so that the seal
22 may be subsequently formed in the conventional manner at the
normal high rate of production.
As with the FIG. 18 embodiment, since the outer container 12 and
the inner container 14 are structurally independent, the filled
outer container may be processed without concern as to the effects
of such processing on the coolant.
The inner container 14 may be assembled by placing the required
amount of coolant 28 into the tank 26 and then spinning the closure
27 onto the tank so as to form the double seal 29. Once again the
structural independence of the beverage container 12 and the
coolant container 14 is advantageous, as the coolant container may
be assembled at a completely different facility under the most
favorable environmental conditions.
The amount and type of coolant is determined by the requirements of
the particular application and the beverage selected. In addition
to Freon 12, propane, butane or a mixture thereof are satisfactory
refrigerants. It will be understood, however, that the subject
invention is not limited to the proportions or type of coolants
stated by way of example and that any suitable coolant may be
utilized in the inner container in accordance with the principles
of the subject invention.
After the outer container 12 has been filled, sealed and processed,
the inner container 14 may be adhered to the outer surface of the
closure 21 by means of any conventional adhesive such as epoxy.
However, since conventional epoxy is a poor heat conductor only
small quantities should be utilized. Preferably, the inner
container 14 may be bonded to the outer surface of the closure 21
by a thermal conductive adhesive 33, such as Thermo-mastic for
example, disposed between the closure 21 and the tank 26. The use
of the conductive adhesive 33 as a bonding agent has the advantage
of increasing the thermal conductivity between the tank 26 and
crown 21 as well as compensating for any minor irregularities in
the surfaces that may otherwise prevent close contact
therebetween.
In the embodiment of the container 10' shown in FIGS. 9 through 12,
the conically shaped bottom member or conical section 21' of the
outer container 12' is formed as an integral part of the side body
16'. In formation the same drawing processes may be employed as
described for the FIG. 18 embodiment. One advantage of the
container 12' is that it may be filled from the top end in exactly
the manner now conventionally employed in the industry, and the
closure 15 may be sealed to the side body 16' without any
modification of existing equipment. For the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 9 through 12 the inner container 14' (which is identical to
unit 14) may be mounted within the opening formed by the outer
surfaces of the closure structure 21' in an identical manner to
that described previously.
Shortly before the beverage 19 is to be consumed, the user may vent
the inner container 14 by means of the pull-tab arrangement 31; and
the pressure within the coolant container 14 is quickly reduced
towards atmospheric pressure through the opening 32. The coolant
such as Freon 12 will boil causing the structure of the inner
container 14, the closure 21 and therefore the beverage 19 to be
cooled. It should be noted that the rate of cooling may be
controlled by the relationship of the size of the head of the tank
26 and the size of the opening 32. These just mentioned parameters
are selected so that the beverage is uniformly cooled as quickly as
possible without degrading the flavor. As the beverage 19 is cooled
it will settle towards the closure 15, the container being then
inverted, and the resulting convection current of the beverage will
help provide uniform cooling. Also, since the lower portion of the
stem 24 will retain the coolant longest, the portion of the
beverage near the closure 15, which will be consumed first will be
cooled first. Further, the beverage adjacent to the expanded
portion 23 of the closure 21 which will be consumed last will tend
to be maintained cooler longer due to this larger heat transfer
area.
The container 10 may be utilized as a self heating device by the
simple expedient of using a heat producing substance instead of a
refrigerant in the tank 26 of the inner container 14. In the
heating application a mixture of phosphorus and magnesium filings
for example may be loaded and sealed into the unit 14 in such a
manner as to form an inert environment. Shortly before the food is
to be served the user may vent the unit 14 by means of the pull-tab
arrangement 31 allowing air to oxidize the phosphorus which in turn
ignites the magnesium. The heat produced by the burning of this
mixture is transferred through the tank 26, the conductive adhesive
33 and the closure 21 in a manner similar to that described
previously for the cooling application. The amount of heat
generating compound which is loaded into the unit 14 is selected so
as to heat the food contained in the unit 12 to a desired
temperature.
Referring to FIGS. 13 through 17, another embodiment of the
self-refrigerating and heating container of this invention is
illustrated. Again, container 10" comprises beverage outer
container 12" and coolant inner container 14".
Referring principally to FIG. 15, which is a longitudinal section
through container 10", the beverage unit comprises can body 34
which is a conventional, commercially available lock seam can body.
At the bottom of FIG. 15, which is the top of con-tainer 10",
closure 36 is sealed to the end of the body. Closure 36 is provided
with a conventional pop-top opener 38. Bottom closure 40 is secured
to body 34 by means of lock seam 42. In view of the fact that the
bottom closure 40 is of a special configuration, it may be
preferable that the bottom closure be first sealed onto the can
body, followed by the can being filled and sealed by adding the
closure 36. In either event, one of the closures is secured to the
body, the can is filled with its food material and the other end is
sealed.
Bottom closure 40 has a conical portion 44 which provides a
beverage space 46 between the bottom closure and the can body.
Beyond the conical portion 44 is a cylindrical portion 48 which is
integral through transition portion 50 to a cylindrical portion 52.
The entire bottom closure 40 may be drawn so that it has an
integral closure head 54 thereon. Thus, with the two closures
sealed in place upon can body 34, the outer container 12" is
created.
Inner container 14" is formed of a body 56, closure 58 and closure
60. Body 56 has a tapered or conical portion 62 which is of such
angle and such diameter as to closely fit against the outside of
conical portion 44. Additionally, body 56 has cylindrical portion
64 which extends through transition portion 66 into cylindrical
portion 68, which respectively fit closely adjacent the
corresponding portions 48, 50 and 52 of the closure 40. These
respective parts lie closely together as is practical, consistent
with convenient and economical manufacturing processes, such as
tolerances and the like. The end of cylindrical portion 68 is
finished off in a rolled edge 70 which is of such dimensions as to
accept closure 60. Furthermore, the diameter of cylindrical portion
68 and the size of closure 60 is such that unit 14" can be filled
in a standard under-the-cap pressure can filling machine. Such
machines engage around the neck of a vessel adjacent the open end
through which the pressurized contents are to be inserted. The
pressurized fluid is placed in the vessel, and while the seal is
maintained around the neck, in this case cylindrical portion 68,
the cap 60 is put in place and rolled down to close in the
pressurized material.
Of course, closure 58 is already installed on the body 56 of the
inner container, and thus filling is the last step in producing the
inner container 14". Closure 58 can be of convenient and standard
manufacture. It is provided with an opening 72 in which is inserted
a plug device 74. Opening 72 is of such size as to provide for a
proper rate of discharge of the refrigerant material to provide for
the proper rate of cooling, as is described above. Plug 74 includes
a pull-tab and a tube of synthetic resin which is effected by heat.
The tube of resin has each end 76 disposed through corresponding
openings in the tab. The openings also correspond to the opening 72
through which the tube ends also fit. Upon the application of heat,
the tube expands to fill the openings and provides a fluid tight
seal by squeezing the region 78 adjacent the tube ends 76.
However, the resiliency of the material is such that in
over-pressure situations, the material around the groove will not
hold, and the tube will blow out of the opening 72 to provide
safety relief. Furthermore, lifting of the handle on closure 74
will pop the tube out of openings 72 to permit the voluntary
release of the refrigerant material therein. Closure 74 may be
placed in opening 72 either before or after closure 58 is sealed on
body 56 by means of lock seam rolled edge 80, but in either event
it is put in place before the filling of the inner container from
the other end.
Accordingly, the beverage unit 12" and the heat transfer unit 14"
are separately completed and filled, and separately processed until
they are each completed and ready for joining. As described above,
a thermally conductive adhesive can be placed between the units to
fill any interstices that may result from manufacturing tolerances.
By this means, thermal conductivity between the units is good.
* * * * *