Abstract:
A food or beverage container includes a receptacle and an assembly for generating a change in temperature. The assembly includes two reactive components in a housing and which are separated from each other by a frangible member within the receptacle. The receptacle includes a wall with a movable portion and which opposes a movable part of a housing wall, and means for transmitting movement of the movable portion to the movable part of the housing wall. A liquid is disposed inside the receptacle and at least partly surrounds the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a container which is suitable for use with a food or beverage and which can be used in a convenient and easy manner for preparing or making the food or beverage warmer or cooler. 
   Various compound devices, which contain a packaged assembly of food or beverage, and a temperature altering arrangement, have been proposed for heating and warming food or beverage. To the applicant&#39;s knowledge such devices which generate heat, or which exhibit a cooling effect, suffer from disadvantages which include difficulty in fabricating and packing or filling containers, the wastage of energy due to the fact that an energy source, which heats or cools the food or beverage, is not totally enveloped in the food or beverage, and the complexity of construction. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is concerned with an assembly, and with a container, which at least partly address the aforementioned problems. 
   The invention provides, in the first instance, an assembly for generating a change in temperature which includes a housing with a wall, at least part of the wall being movable, at least two reactive components inside the housing which are separated from each other by at least one frangible member, and a device inside the housing which is movable by moving at least part of the wall to break the frangible member and thereby allow the components to react with each other. 
   The wall may be moved by flexing the wall. 
   The housing is preferably metallic. The housing may include a cylindrical body with opposed ends. Each end may be in the nature of a lid which is sealed to the body. 
   In a preferred form of the invention one lid, ie. an end of the housing, is domed outwardly and is flexible inwardly. Upon being flexed inwardly the lid acts on the device and causes it to break the frangible member. 
   An opposed end or lid of the housing may be inwardly extending, for example domed inwardly, and may be flexible outwardly as pressure is generated inside the housing by the components which react with each other. On the other hand if the nature of the reaction inside the housing is such that pressure inside the housing is reduced then the said opposed lid may extend outwardly so that it then flexes inwardly as the pressure in the housing decreases. 
   The frangible member may be of any suitable shape or size. In one example of the invention the frangible member is a diaphragm or similar device which forms a partition between the two reactive components. The frangible member may, in this form of the invention, be attached to an inner surface of the wall of the housing. 
   In an alternative form of the invention the frangible member is formed by, or directly forms, an enclosure for at least one of the components. The frangible member may for example be a sachet in which one component is packaged. It is possible to package both components in separate sachets and position the sachets inside the housing. 
   The components may be used to generate a cooling effect and in this regard the components may comprise materials which are known in the art. For example it is known that ammonium nitrate, when mixed with water, causes a reduction in temperature. Alternatively the assembly is used for generating an increase in temperature and, in this case, the components which react with each other may, for example, be calcium or lime, and water. In this example of the invention the calcium or the water or both may be packaged in respective sachets. 
   The said device inside the housing which is used for breaking the frangible member is preferably loose inside the housing in the sense that it is not attached to a wall of the housing but, instead, is simply contained inside the housing. 
   The invention extends, in the second instance, to a food or beverage container which includes a receptacle, an assembly of the aforementioned kind inside the receptacle, the receptacle including a wall with a movable portion which opposes the said movable part of the wall of the housing of the assembly, a liquid inside the receptacle which at least partly surrounds the said housing, and means for transmitting movement of the said flexible portion to the said movable part of the wall of the housing. 
   Preferably the wall portion is flexible. 
   The container may include a diaphragm which is fixed to an inner surface of the receptacle and which forms at least part of at least one sealed compartment which contains an ingredient which is intended to be mixed with the liquid. The said assembly may be positioned so that when its lid or wall which extends inwardly is moved outwardly the diaphragm is caused to be broken or fractured and the ingredient is mixed with the liquid inside the receptacle. 
   Alternatively the assembly, or at least the housing, may be movable thereby to cause the diaphragm to be broken or fractured. A suitable component may be positioned between the diaphragm and the housing to achieve this effect or a surface of the housing may be shaped and positioned to achieve this effect (ie. breaking the diaphragm). 
   The container may include a dispensing aperture in the nature of a spout or an orifice which is designed to be engaged with a teat, depending on the application. The dispensing aperture may be sealed by means of a removable cover. 
   The container may include a plurality of sealed compartments which respectively house different ingredients and which are selectively accessible or breakable to allow a chosen ingredient or ingredients to be added to the liquid. 
   The ingredients may vary according to requirement and may be selected (by way of example only) to meet particular requirements, from the following: tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, soup powder, salt, pepper, sugar, milk, etc. 
   The invention further extends to a method of packaging a container which includes the steps of placing an ingredient inside the container, sealing the ingredient inside the container by means of a diaphragm which is attached to an inner wall of the container, placing an assembly for generating a change in temperature inside the container above the diaphragm, locating the assembly correctly inside the container by means of a spacing device, filling the container above the diaphragm with a liquid which surrounds the assembly, engaging a lid with the container and sealing the lid to the container. 
   The aforementioned process is preferably carried out without altering the orientation of the container. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is further described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view in section of a food or beverage container according to the invention, 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of the container of  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional side view of a container according to a second form of the invention, 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of the container of  FIG. 3 , 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged side view of a portion of the container of  FIG. 3 , 
       FIG. 6  is a cross sectional side view of a container according to another form of the invention, and 
       FIG. 7  shows certain variations of the invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a container  10  according to a first form of the invention which is designed for providing a food or beverage, at a desired temperature, upon demand. The invention is described hereinafter with reference to the provision of a beverage at an elevated temperature but it is to be understood that any appropriate food can be provided at an elevated temperature or that a food or beverage, according to requirement, can be provided at a relatively cooler temperature. 
   The container  10  includes a receptacle  12  which is made from a suitable plastics material and an assembly  14  which is positioned inside the receptacle. 
   The receptacle has a domed upper end  16  which is formed, on one side, with a dispensing aperture  18  which is in the nature of a drinking spout. A removable cover  20  eg. of foil or a plastics material, is adhesively attached to a mouth of the aperture. A wall of the upper end  16 , which bounds a portion of the spout, is formed with a number of holes  22 . 
   A sheet material diaphragm  24  which is made for example from aluminium foil or a plastics material is adhesively fixed at its periphery to an internal shoulder  26  of the receptacle. A seated compartment  28  is thereby defined inside the upper region of the receptacle. A granular food ingredient  30  for example in the nature of coffee granules is positioned inside the compartment. 
   The assembly  14 , which is further described hereinafter, rests on a spacing device  32  which has four ribs  34  at right angles to each other which are suitably shaped to engage with a rim  36  on the assembly. The ribs extend from a domed lid  38  which is sealingly engaged at its periphery, for example by means of ultrasonic welding, to a flange  40  on the receptacle. A cylindrical formation  42  on an inner surface of the lid  38  abuts an underside of the assembly  14 . 
   The assembly  14  includes a metallic housing  44  which is in the nature of a tin can. The housing has a cylindrical wall  46  with an inwardly domed upper lid  48  and an outwardly domed lower lid  50  which rests on the formation  42 . A moulded plastic insert  52  with a sharpened upper end  54  rests on the upper lid  48  opposing the underside of the diaphragm  24 . 
   A sachet  56  which is pre-packaged with water  58  is inside the housing  44 . Granular, calcium  60  rests on the sachet. A device  62  which is made from a hard plastic material is also positioned inside the housing. The device has flanges  64  which position it inside the housing and which prevent it from moving sideways relatively to the housing. The device is not attached to an inner surface of the housing and a lower pointed  66  end rests on the sachet  56 . 
   Water  68  fills the receptacle  12  and surrounds the assembly  14 . 
   The container  10  is packaged with its contents in the following way. The container initially is empty and the lid  38  is not engaged with the container. The container is turned through 180° so that the open end adjacent the flange  40 , which forms a mouth to the container, is uppermost. The cover  20  is previously attached to the dispensing aperture  18  in any appropriate way using techniques which are known in the art. 
   On an assembly line the container is moved passed a plurality of stations. At a first station the granular coffee  30  is placed through the mouth into the container in a desired quantity. The diaphragm  24  is then sealingly engaged with the shoulder  26 . The assembly  14 , which is preformed, is placed together with the spacing device  32  inside the receptacle at a following station. Movement of the receptacle along the assembly line brings the receptacle to a filling station at which water  68  is placed inside the receptacle whereafter, at a final station, the lid  38  is engaged with the flange  40  and is fixed thereto by means of ultrasonic welding. 
   As has been indicated the assembly  14  is prepackaged and preformed. Use is made, for example, of a small tin can which is suitably coated on inner and outer surfaces so that it is non-contaminating and rust resistant. The prepackaged sachet of water  56  is placed in the can and the device  62  is positioned over the sachet. A predetermined quantity of calcium granules  60  is placed inside the housing  44  whereafter the domed upper lid  48  is engaged with the housing  44  and is sealingly fixed thereto using techniques which are known in the art. 
   It is pointed out that the domed lids  48  and  50  of the assembly  14  are metallic but are highly flexible. Another aspect which is to be noted is that the water  68  totally surrounds the metallic assembly  14 . 
   For the given example, when hot coffee is required, a user presses on the lower domed lid  38 . The lid is capable of flexing inwardly and the formation  42 , which is an integral part of the lid, bears against the outwardly domed lower lid  50  of the assembly  14  and thereby pushes the lid  50  inwardly. As has been pointed out the lid  50  is capable of flexing inwardly, 
   The inwards movement of the lid causes the device  62  to press against the sachet  56  and the flexible wall of the sachet is fractured by the device. The water in the sachet is released and contacts the calcium granules  60  reacting therewith almost instantaneously. The reaction gives rise to heat and pressure inside the housing  44  which is totally sealed. The increase in pressure causes the upper inwardly domed lid  48  to flex outwardly and the member  52  is thereby forced against the diaphragm  24 . The sharp end  54  of the member fractures the diaphragm and the water  68 , inside the receptacle, which is being warmed by the heat which is released by the chemical reaction inside the housing  44 , can therefore mix with the coffee granules  30 . In a short space of time a warm coffee mixture is prepared. This process ie. the mixing of the coffee and the heat transfer to the coffee can be expedited by shaking the container  10 . The user can then remove the cover  20  an drink from the dispensing aperture  18  with coffee flowing through the holes  22 . 
   The heat which is released by the assembly  14  is effectively transmitted to the water  68 . This is attributable to two factors namely, that the housing  44  is made from a heat conducting material i.e. a metal and, secondly, that the water totally surrounds the housing. No portion of the housing  44  is exposed to atmosphere nor is it possible for a portion of the housing to be contacted directly by a hand of a user. 
   In a variation of the invention when the lid  36  is pushed inwardly there are two consequences, namely the sachet  56  is fractured in the manner described and heat is thereby generated in the resulting reaction and, secondly, the entire housing  44  is moved upwardly so that the movement of the housing causes the diaphragm  24  to be broken. In other words it is not necessary to wait for the pressure which is exerted inside the housing to build up to a level which is sufficient to cause the inwardly domed upper end  48  to be flexed outwardly. 
   The invention has been described with reference to the preparation of a beverage such as coffee. Clearly this is not limiting and has been given only by way of example. Any other beverage or food mixture can be prepared. One composition is the preparation of milk for an infant from a milk formula which is used in place of the coffee and which is mixed with water, in the manner described. A teat, not shown, is held inside the spout and when the cover  20  is removed the teat can be extracted from the spout and engaged with a suitable formation, provided for the purpose, on the spout so that an infant can drink through the teat. Variations of this kind are intended to fall within the scope of present invention. 
   It is to be understood that any number of ribs  34  may be used to support the assembly. 
   It is further to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of a metallic housing  44  and any suitable material which allows sufficient heat transfer and flexibility such as polypropylene or acetal may be used. 
     FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  illustrate a container  10 A according to a second form of the invention. In many respects the container  10 A is similar to the container  10  and thus, where applicable, the same reference numerals are used in connection with the container  10 A, as are used in connection with the container  10 , to designate similar components. 
   The container  10 A includes a receptacle  12  in which is mounted a housing  44 . A diaphragm or aluminum foil sheet  24  extends over the interior of the receptacle  12  some distance above an upper end of the housing  44 . A section of the receptacle  12 , designated  80 , defines three compartments  82 ,  84  and  86  respectively, divided from each other by partitions  87  shown in dotted outline in FIG.  4 . 
   The receptacle  12  has a lower base or lid  38  which is domed outwardly and which is flexible. The housing  44  is positioned on supports  88  which extend from the base  38 . The housing has a downwardly facing flexible and preferably domed lower lid  50 . 
   The housing  44  is essentially a can with a wall  90 , the lower lid  50  which, as noted, is flexible, and an upper lid or seal  92 . In this case the upper lid  92  is not necessarily flexible as is the case with the embodiment shown in FIG.  1 . 
   A shaped plastic insert  94  is located inside the can or housing  44 . The insert has a central slightly tapered tubular formation  96  which rests on an inner upper surface of the lower lid  50  and a number of arms  98  which curve outwardly and upwardly from a base of the formation  96 . A ring  100  is engaged with upper ends of the arms  98  and supports a diaphragm or foil  102 . The ring  100  is engaged in a leak-proof manner with an inner surface of the wall  90  and together with the foil  102  divides the interior of the can  44  into an upper compartment  104  which is filled with water and a lower compartment  106  which contains calcium  105 . 
   A rim  108  of the can  44  rests on formations  110  on the supports  88 . A small ridge  112  on each support abuts the rim  108  and ensures that at least initially the can is restrained from being moved in a vertical sense. The upper lid  92  bears against a plastic component  114  which has a number of serrations which underlie the diaphragm or foil  24 . 
   In this example of the invention the compartment  82  in the upper section of the receptacle  12  contains coffee granules. An upper surface  116  of the receptacle is formed with a mouth  118  which opens into the compartment  82 . A cover plate  120  normally seals the mouth. The cover plate is engaged with the mouth with a snap-fit and can be disengaged from the mouth when required. The cover plate extends from a projection  122  which is fixed with a swivel or pivot connection  124  to a centre point of the cover plate  120 . Two small domed and flexible buttons  126  and  128  respectively are provided in the cover plate  120  over the compartments  84  and  86  respectively. These compartments respectively contain powdered milk and sugar in appropriate quantities. 
     FIG. 5  shows one of the buttons  126  in cross section. The button is made from thin plastics material and is integrally moulded with the cover plate. Three spaced spike formations  130  depend downwardly from an inner surface of the button and are positioned slightly above the diaphragm or foil  24  which separates the upper section  80  from the lower portion of the receptacle. 
   As is the case with the  FIG. 1  embodiment water  68  fills the receptacle  12  and surrounds the tin  44  essentially providing a water jacket for the tin. 
   The container  10 A may be packaged generally in the same way as what has been described in connection with the container  10 . 
   When a user wishes to prepare a hot coffee drink the base  38 , which as noted is flexible, is pushed upwardly towards the interior of the receptacle  12 . The lower lid  50  is thereby urged towards the interior of the can  44 . The formation  96  which has a pointed upper end is moved upwardly and penetrates the foil diaphragm  102  thereby allowing water from the compartment  104  to enter the lower compartment  106  and mix with the calcium contained therein. Heat is thereby generated which raises the temperature of the water  68  in the jacket surrounding the tin  44 . 
   As an alternative to the ring  100  which is supported on the arms  98  it is possible, as is shown in  FIG. 7 , to form the wall  90  of the can with an inwardly extending ridge  200  to which the foil  102  is directly fixed. This reduces the cost of construction of the heating assembly. 
   When an upwardly directed force is exerted via the base  38  on the can  44  the ridges  112  initially prevent movement of the tin for they abut the rim  108 . As the degree of force is increased the rim distorts the ridges  112  and the can then rises to a maximum extent. The upwardly moving can bears against the plastic component  114  and the foil  24  Which divides the compartment  82 , which contains the coffee, from the water jacket around the can  44  is severed thereby allowing the coffee granules to be mixed with the water. 
   In a variation of the invention, shown schematically in  FIG. 7 , the can  44  is formed on its upper rim  128  with upwardly extending formations  202 , or its upper lid  92  has an outwardly projecting formation  204 . The formations  202  or formation  204 , as the case may be, bears against the underside of the diaphragm  24  and when the can is moved upwardly the diaphragm is punctured, allowing mixing of the can&#39;s ingredients to take place. This approach allows a component  114  of the assembly to be eliminated. 
   The aforementioned procedures thus cause the water around the can to be heated and secondly allow the water to be mixed with coffee granules thereby creating a hot coffee drink. 
   If a user wishes to drink the coffee then the cover plate  120  is pulled upwardly away from the mouth  118  and pivoted to one side. The user then drinks from the mouth  118 . The cover plate can be re-engaged with the mouth, when required, to seal any remaining coffee, within the container. 
   If the user wishes to have milk or sugar then the appropriate button  126  or  128  is depressed. When this happens the downwardly depending spike formations  130 , shown in  FIG. 5 , penetrate the respective portion of the foil diaphragm  24  and the contents of the respective compartment  84  or  86  as the case may be can then be mixed with the hot coffee. 
   The flexible button  126  (or  128 ) is constructed in such a way that a fair amount of energy is needed to depress the button from the position shown in  FIG. 1  to a lower dotted line position  126 A shown in  FIG. 5  at which the spike formations  130  fully penetrate the foil  124 . When the button is depressed in this way it is not able, due to its own resilience, to rise upwardly to its initial position. This feature therefore provides an indication of whether the container  10 A has been tampered with. 
   The embodiment of the invention shown in  FIGS. 3  to  5  thus allows for the production, almost instantaneously, of hot coffee with milk or sugar, or both, as desired. 
   It has been found through experimentation that the calcium/water mixture inside the tin has a high specific heat and once these ingredients are mixed the water in the jacket around the tin, or the prepared coffee, as the case may be, stays hot for a considerable period. 
   The principles which have been described can be used with equal effect for the production of other hot drinks such as chocolate, cocoa, soup or the like. 
   If the calcium in the lower compartment  106  is replaced by ammonium nitrate then when water is added to the ammonium nitrate the resulting reaction will lower the temperature of the water in the jacket around the can. This can be used to cool a beverage which can be premixed or which can be mixed when required, by breaking the diaphragm  24  to allow an appropriate ingredient to be mixed with the water in the jacket. 
     FIG. 6  shows a third embodiment of the invention, designated  10 B, which is particularly suitable for producing hot drink such as soup. A heat generating assembly  44 A, which is similar to what has been described in connection with  FIG. 3 , is located inside a receptacle  12 A. The assembly  44 A is not described in detail for it functions essentially in the way which has already been elaborated on. Water  160  surrounds the assembly  44 A and is separated from an upper compartment  162  by means of a foil diaphragm  164 . Powered soup  166  is positioned in the compartment  162  and is sealed in the compartment by means of a removable seal or lid  168 . 
   When soup is to be prepared the assembly  44 A is activated in the manner which has been described and the water  160  is heated. At the same time the diaphragm  164  is perforated and the soup powder is allowed to mix with the water. Once mixing and heating have taken place to a required extent, and as noted this can be expedited by shaking the container, the seal or lid  168  is removed and the user can drink directly from the container, as if it were a cup.