Patent ID: 11905099
Assignee: TEMPRA TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  A  F | IPC A  B  F

Claim 12:
13. A method of heating a product, the method comprising:
providing a self-heating container, the self-heating container comprising:
an inner cup containing a product to be heated, wherein the inner cup comprises an inner cup side wall, an inner cup bottom wall that extends entirely across and seals off a circular opening at a bottom of the inner cup side wall, and an inner cup cover;
an outer cup, wherein the outer cup comprising an outer cup side wall, and an outer cup bottom wall that extends entirely across and seals off a circular opening at a bottom of the outer cup side wall,
wherein the inner cup is at least partially inside the outer cup to define a space beneath a downward-facing surface of the inner cup bottom wall of the inner cup and above an upward-facing surface of the outer cup bottom wall of the outer cup, wherein the space contains:
a granular first substance and a liquid second substance that are adapted to produce an exothermic reaction upon contact with each other,
a soluble container or bag containing and completely surrounding the first substance, wherein the soluble container of bag is made entirely of a soluble material that is soluble in the liquid second substance; and
a frangible membrane physically separating the liquid second substance from the soluble container or bag;

a means for rupturing the frangible membrane;
wherein the inner cup is configured to rotate about a concentric axis relative to outer cup,
a cam or a screw thread configured to cause the inner cup to move in an axially downward direction relative to the outer cup as the inner cup is rotated about the concentric axis relative to the outer cup, thereby causing the means for rupturing the frangible membrane to tear into and through the frangible membrane while rotating and moving in the axially downward direction with the inner cup; and

rupturing the frangible membrane by rotating the inner cup relative to the outer cup.