Patent Publication Number: US-2013247591-A1

Title: Thermal Container

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application is a US utility patent application claiming priority from U.S. provisional application 61/613,536 filed on Mar. 21, 2012, the contents of which are fully incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The current invention relates to thermal containers. In particular, the current invention relates to containers such as bottles or pouches having easy to activate thermal control mechanisms such as a chemical heating pack or a chilling pack attached to the containers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various kinds of containers are widely used in everyday life. Bottles and pouches for a variety of purposes may be found in people&#39;s homes, stores, and other business establishments. In many occasions, containers are used to store or transport a liquid for convenience and later consumption and general use. Since temperature and method of storage can directly affect duration or longevity of a substance&#39;s shelf life, thermal regulation has a large bearing on how sought-after, enjoyable, and typically perishable a given substance is when it is stored in a container. More specifically, it is desirable to store the liquid at one temperature and adjust it to another temperature not long before use or application. In addition, it is advantageous that the thermal control process—the process to adjust the temperature, may be conducted quickly, within the original container, and/or without much additional equipment or assistance. In some cases, it is also desirable that the adjusted temperature may hold for a prolonged period of time, allowing continued consumption or enjoyment of the liquid in a variety of environments. 
     One fairly clear example for the benefit of thermal control container is the bottles or pouches used to store or transport baby formula. After mixing formula powder with water, the resulted formula milk is to be consumed by infants. Thus, it would be preferable if the temperature of the formula milk may be controlled. For example, the formula may be warmed up to around body temperature right before consumption. In addition, as many infants consume formula on a daily basis at regular intervals, the useful and practical nature of a self-contained temperature-regulated bottle for baby formula would be ideal. Aside from infant formula, other kinds of liquid containers such as beverage bottles/pouches may benefit from thermal control. For example, it is desirable to avoid using coolers or ice to achieve instant cooling of beverages that may be enjoyed in a picnic, sporting event, or outing. Therefore, the need for controlling the temperature of liquid containers is well-recognized. 
     Some inventions have attempted to deal with the problem. For example, US20100095948 discloses a bottle warmer includes a flexible tubular sleeve having a closed lower end and an open upper end. The open upper end is to receive a bottle therethough, and the closed lower end is to receive a bottom of the bottle thereagainst. An elastic band is carried by a medial portion of the flexible tubular sleeve to secure the medial portion to an adjacent portion of the bottle, and permit the open upper end to be folded back adjacent the closed lower end to define a pocket. A chemical heat source element is to received by the pocket for warming the bottle. 
     However, the above mentioned publication is limited in its usage because it requires separate manipulation of the heating source. Moreover, it does not provide for the thermal control to adjust to a lower temperature. The current invention, on the other hand, solves such problems. 
     Another aspect of container improvement is compartmentalization. This is somewhat related to the thermal control mechanisms because compartmentalization of containers also facilitates enhanced shelf-life, easy storage and transportation. Taking formula bottle as an example, it is desirable to store the formula powder and water separately because dry powder and water both have longer storage lives than the formula milk in similar conditions. Therefore, it is beneficial to separate the bottle or pouch for the formula into more than one compartment, using one for formula powder and the other for water, mixing the two by dislocating or breaking the separating mechanism shortly before consumption. 
     Some inventions attempted to address such issue. For example, US20110272379 discloses a container having a first compartment configured to hold a first substance, a second compartment configured to hold a second substance, a frangible separator coupled to both the first and second compartments, and an actuator operably attached to the frangible separator. The second compartment is removably attached to the first compartment. The frangible separator forms a seal between the first compartment and the second compartment such that the first substance and second substance do not mix. Actuating the actuator causes at least a portion of the frangible separator to rupture, which creates an opening in the frangible separator and allows the first substance and the second substance to mix. The actuator may be a string. 
     The above mentioned patent publication and a few similar inventions all share the same problem—they require an actuator, tedious multi-step actions, or extra specific devices to mix the contents of the different compartments. This may prove to be inconvenient and time-consuming. It also adds to the production costs. The current invention, on the other hand, deals with such issue with simple and effective designs. 
     In summary, various apparatus are known in the art, but their structures are distinctively different from the current invention. Moreover, the prior arts fail to address all of the problems solved by the invention described herein. Several embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As indicated above, the existing devices for thermal control and compartmentalization of containers have some notable flaws that require further improvement and optimization. The current invention addresses such issues. The current invention introduces a thermal container comprising a container having a container body and a thermal control assembly attached to the container body. Preferably the container body is made from flexible and malleable materials allowing deformation of the container body by manual force. The thermal control assembly is preferably a heating or chilling pack that contains chemicals. Manual manipulation of the heating or chilling pack may trigger a chemical process in which temperature of the pack is increased or decreased. Since the thermal control assembly is closely attached to the container body, the change of temperature of the thermal control assembly may in turn adjust the temperature of the container and the substances stored in the container, achieving the goal of temperature control. 
     Container here is broadly designed as any receptacle that may be used to store any substances. In particular, the preferred container is a container having an impervious container body that may be used for the storage and transportation of liquid and solutions. The container may refer to but not be limited to: bottles such as baby formula bottles, alcohol bottles and beverage or water bottles, pouches such as baby formula pouches and beverage pouches, soda cans, drinking receptacles such as mugs or cups, industrial containers for liquids such as fuel or lubricants, and household containers for detergents and cleaning agents. 
     The container may have a container body made of flexible and malleable materials. Preferably, the container body may be deformed by manual forces. “Deformed” or “deformation” refers to the visible and substantial change of shape and/or dimensions of any part of the container body. “Manual forces” refer generally to the forces that may be exerted by a human being through his/her hands or other body parts without the assistance of external devices. Since the thermal control assembly is attached to the container body, manipulation of the thermal control assembly usually results in the deformation of the container body. Therefore, it is desirable that the deformation of the container body does not result in the damages to the container body, preventing the leakage or spill of the substance stored inside the container body. 
     The thermal control assembly comprises a heating or chilling source that may effectively adjust the temperature of the substance being stored in the container body. The thermal control assembly may either be suitable to provide heating or chilling effects, depending on the specific purpose of the container design and usage. Preferably, the thermal control assembly comprises a heating pack or a chilling pack containing chemicals. Here the choice of such chemicals may be broad. As long as the chemicals may produce chemical reactions that generate heat or chilling effects at determinable levels, the chemical may be used. Preferably, the chemicals may not be toxic to humans. The heating or chilling reactions may be triggered by squeezing, pinching, bending, or other manual manipulation of the thermal control assembly. In addition, the heating or chilling effects may also be triggered by manually exposing the chemicals to air. To indicate the temperature of the container and the substances kept in the container, it is also desirable to have an indicator, such as temperature sensitive sticker, attached to the external surface of the container and serving to prevent over-heating/over-chilling and/or physical damages resulted from such adjustments. 
     The thermal control assembly is preferably attached to the container body, either permanently or removably. A permanent attachment is defined as a connection that cannot be broken without damaging the physical integrity of the connecting structures. A removable attachment is characterized with easy and damage-free detachment. Both permanent and removable attachments are within the purview of the current invention. According to the specific usage of the thermal container, either kind of attachment may be chosen. A permanent attachment, such as but not limited to co-welding and co-laminating, may have the advantage of easy to manufacture, cheaper to produce, and being disposable. A removable attachment, on the other hand, may have more flexibility and provide more choices as to what kind of thermal control assembly may be used. Which kind of attachment is used depends on the specific use of the thermal container. 
     As indicated above, a related feature of the thermal container is the compartmentalization of the container. Keeping different components of a solution or beverage in different compartments may facilitate transportation and prolong the storing period. One example is the formula powder and water that may be mixed to make formula milk. Another example is beverage concentrate and water that may be combined to produce beverages. Generally, the separated storage prevents early degradation and spoil of the substances kept in the container. The current invention uses a special separator to divide the thermal container into at least a first compartment and a second compartment, while the first compartment may be used to store a first substance and a second compartment may be used to store a second substance. In terms of physical arrangements, the first compartment and the second compartment may be positioned in anywhere as long as the two compartments are hermetically separated. One key feature of the separation is that the removal of the separator does not require any additional device or actuator. The preferred design in the current invention is that the separator may be dislodged by manual manipulation of the container body, such as but not limited to pinching, pulling, squeezing, bending, rubbing, and shaking. 
     The application of the current invention may be extremely broad. As long as it is desirable to have liquid container requiring swift adjustment of temperature without complicated processes or devices, the thermal container may be used for such purposes. For example, the current invention may be used for: baby formula milk, instant soup, protein shakes, chocolate drinks, sports drinks, ice teas, lemonades, instant coffee, and alcoholic drinks such as martini and margarita. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal container that may be heated before the substance in the container is consumed. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal container that may be chilled before the substance in the container is consumed. 
     It is another object of the current invention to provide a thermal container that does not require external energy for heating and chilling the container. 
     It is still another object of the current invention to provide a thermal container having a thermal control assembly attached to the container body. 
     It is another object of the current invention to provide a thermal container having a thermal control assembly that allows triggering the heating or chilling process by manual manipulation of the thermal control assembly. 
     It is yet another object of the current invention to improve the storage and transportation of the substances kept in the thermal container. 
     It is another object of the current invention to provide a thermal container having at least two compartments. 
     It is still another object of the current invention to provide a compartmentalized thermal container wherein the mixing of the substances kept in the different compartments does not require an actuator or special device. 
     It is another object of the current invention to provide a thermal container having a flexible container body that may be deformed by manual forces. 
     It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a thermal container that pinching, pulling, squeezing, rubbing, bending, or shaking the container may adjust the temperature of the container and the substances kept in the container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a front view of a first preferred embodiment of the thermal container. 
         FIG. 2A  shows a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the thermal container. 
         FIG. 2B  shows an alternative sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the thermal container. 
         FIG. 3  shows a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the thermal container with an insulation cover. 
         FIG. 4A  shows a front view of a second preferred embodiment of the thermal container. 
         FIG. 4B  shows a sectional view of the second preferred embodiment of the thermal container. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified, as far as possible, with the same reference numerals. Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto without deviating from the innovative concepts of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  shows a front view of a first preferred embodiment of the thermal container. Shown in  FIG. 1  are the thermal container  1  comprising a container body  10  having a bottom  18  and a side wall  15 , container cap  20  disposed on the container body  10 , a container nipple  30  disposed on the container cap  20  and being secured by the container cap  20  to the container body  10 , a thermal control assembly  50  comprising a heating pack  60 , a stabilizing structure  80  located at a bottom of the container body  10 , and temperature indicators  90  attached to the container body  10 . 
     Here in  FIG. 1 , the thermal container  1  generally takes the form of a baby formula bottle. However, it should be clear that the thermal container  1  may be any kind of fluid or liquid container as long as the general design of the current invention applies. In addition to baby bottle, embodiments of the thermal containers may include but not limited to: beverage bottles and pouches used for drinks such as water, coffee, tea, soda, juice, soup, cider and alcohol, containers for industrial materials such as fuel and lubricants, and other containers for household usage such as bottles and pouches for condiments, detergents, and cleaning agents. In accordance with the variability of the types of containers that are covered by the current invention, the container cap  20  and container nipple  30  shown in  FIG. 1  are not indispensible components of the thermal container  1 . On the other hand, while the container body  10  may take many shapes, sizes, colors, and designs, the container body  10  is an essential element of the thermal container  1 . The container body may generally have a bottom  18  and a side wall  15 . In particular, the container body  10  in  FIG. 1  has a top opening that is covered by the container cap  20  and the container nipple  30 , the container nipple  30  is secured by the container cap  20  on the container body  10 . 
     The container body  10  may be made from suitable material that is substantially impermeable to liquids at room temperature such as, but not limited to, metal foil, soft rubber, leather, or a plastic such as, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polycarbonate (PC), or paperboard coated with a suitable waterproof coating such as, but not limited to, polyethylene, or some combination thereof. Preferably the container body  10  is made from light, malleable, and flexible materials allowing significant deformation by manual forces. Though this feature is not indispensible, having this feature allows the easier manipulation of other components of the thermal container  1 . In particular, the preferred material to make the container body includes but not limited to polyethylene, soft rubber, paper coated with a suitable waterproof coating, or any combinations thereof. 
     The container cap  20  and contain nipple  30 , though not indispensible components of the thermal container  1 , may be important for the proper function of containers such as baby formula bottles. The basic design of the container cap  20  and container nipple  30 , in regard to their positioning and arrangement on the container body  10 , are well known in the arts and person skilled in the art may adjust the design according to the needs and cost of the intended uses. 
     The thermal control assembly  50  comprises a heating pack  60  which is attached to the side wall  15  of the container body  10 . The detailed structure of the heating pack  60  is discussed in the description for  FIGS. 2A and 2B . 
     The temperature indicators  90  provide indication as to the temperature of the container body  10  and the content of the container body  10 . A preferred embodiment is the temperature stickers known in the art, such as Factory Effex® temperature stickers, Wahl® temperature points, Four-Position IC Batch and Vacuum Chamber Labels, or any similar indicators that may provide rough estimate for temperature. With the temperature indicators  90 , it is easier for a user to decide whether it is necessary to initiate the temperature adjusting process. The temperature indicators  90  are also important to prevent over-heating or over-chilling of the thermal body, serving as a safety mechanism. 
     Since the container body  10  is preferably made from light, malleable, and flexible materials, it is sometimes desirable to have an additional structure to stabilize the container body  10 . The stabilizing structure  80  may be made from same or different material as the container body  10 . When it is made from the same material, the stabilizing structure  80  is generally thicker and stronger than the container body  10  to provide extra weight and support. The stabilizing structure  80  is preferably attached to the bottom and/or the lower part of the container body  10 , making the container body  10  less likely to roll over or fall down. 
     The stabilizing structure  80  may take various appropriate forms according to the particular design of the container body  10 . For example, the container body  10  may be a plastic pouch with very flexible and malleable walls. To provide for support and possibly insulation, a regular hard-wall baby bottle may be used as the stabilizing structure  80 . The thermal container  1  having the plastic pouch container body  10  may be inserted into the regular hard-wall baby bottle after the heating process has been initiated, allowing stable positioning and complete insulation. Using a plastic pouch may also reduce the cost of manufacture and allow easy disposal of the used thermal container and convenient cleaning of the regular baby bottle. 
       FIG. 2A  shows a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the thermal container. Shown in  FIG. 2  are the thermal container  1  comprising a container body  10  having a bottom  18  and a side wall  15 , container cap  20  disposed on the container body  10 , a container nipple  30  disposed on the container cap  20  and being secured by the container cap  20  to the container body  10 , a thermal control assembly  50  comprising a heating pack  60  having a heating pack cover  75  and heating pack chemical  70 , a stabilizing structure  80  located at the bottom of the container body  10 . Also shown in  FIG. 2A  are the first compartment  110  containing first substance  115 , second compartment  120  containing second substance  125 , and a separator  150  separating the first compartment  110  and the second compartment  120 . 
     In this particular embodiment, the thermal control assembly  50  comprises a heating pack  60 . However, it should be noted that the thermal control assembly  50  may comprise other forms of heat source or devices having chilling or cooling effects. For example, the thermal control assembly  50  may include a chilling pack that, when triggered, may cool the container body  10  to a desired temperature. In addition, the thermal control assembly  50  may also include other structure aside from the heat source or chilling packs. For example, the thermal control assembly may include attachment structures that allow the heat source to be secured to the container body  10 . Such an attachment structure may be, for instance, a hook-and-loop mechanism, a magnetic coupling, or any structures having similar effects. Preferably, the heating pack  60  is permanently attached to the container body  10 , using molding, co-molding, or laminating processes. Alternatively, the heating pack  60  may also be removably attached to the container body  10 , allowing more flexibility in terms of container usage. 
     The heating pack  60  includes a heating pack cover  75  enclosing heating chemicals  70 . The heating pack  60  may employ a one-time exothermic chemical reaction that may be triggered by mixing chemicals kept in separate compartments of the heating pack  60  or by exposing the chemicals to air. Such chemical reactions may include but not be limited to catalyzed rusting of iron, crystallization of the sodium acetate, or dissolving calcium chloride. The chemical components of such heat packs are known in the art and a skilled person should be able to adopt the most appropriate form. A user may squeeze or pinch the heating pack  60 , or peel away the heating pack cover  75  to trigger the chemical reactions that may generate heat and warm up the container body  10  and the content stored in the container body  10 . Since the container body  10  is preferably flexible and malleable, the squeezing or pinching or peeling—manual manipulation of the heating pack—does not require the removal of the heating pack  60  from the container body  10 . In fact, it is preferred that the heating pack  60  is not removed from container body  10  and the manual manipulation is conducted while the heating pack  60  is firmly attached. The heating pack cover  75  may also be a label of the container body  10  or the content of the container body  10 . When the heating pack cover  75  is peeled away, the label is also peeled away. Alternatively, the label may reside at a different location and stay intact when the heating pack cover  75  is peeled. 
     In addition, the heating chemicals  70  may also be air-activated heating chemicals that may initiate reactions generating heat when exposed to air. By removing part or all of the heating pack cover  75 , a user may expose the heating chemicals  70  and start the heating process. Such air-activated heating chemicals are known in the arts. 
     In  FIG. 2A , there are two heating packs  60  attached to the container body  10 . The two heating packs  60  are positioned on opposite sides of the container body  10 , ensuring comprehensive heating of the container body and the substances kept inside. It should be noted that the form or design of the heating pack  60  may be altered according to the particular usage and design of the thermal container  1 . For example, the heating pack  60  may be sleeve structure surrounding the side wall  15  of the container body  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2A , the interior of the container body is divided into a first compartment  110  and a second compartment  120 , separated by a separator  150 , wherein the first compartment stores a first substance  115  and the second compartment stores a second substance  125 . When the thermal container  1  is a baby formula bottle, the first substance is preferably powdered formula and the second substance is preferably water. 
     The separator  150  may be made from many kinds of materials as the ones for the container body  10 . In one form the separator  150  may be a soft plastic membrane that may be broken by pinching and pulling the connecting points of the separator  150  and the container body  10 . 
       FIG. 2B  shows an alternative sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the thermal container. The components shown in  FIG. 2B  are very similar to the ones shown in  FIG. 2A , except that the heating pack  60  comprises only one package having an inner portion  68  and two patch portions  69  connected by the inner portion. The design in  FIG. 2B  allows better temperature adjustment because the heating pack  60  is more closely in contact with the substances stored in the container body  10 . However, this design may be more difficult to manufacture and more expensive than what is shown in  FIG. 2A . 
       FIG. 3  shows a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the thermal container with an insulation cover  200 . The insulation cover  200  is an option structure that may be accompanying the container body  10 . The general function of the insulation cover  200  is to provide thermal insulation during and after temperature adjustment. The materials that may be used to make insulation cover  200  are known in the arts. One particular design for the current invention is that the insulation cover takes the form of a pouch structure that is generally elastic and has a top opening encircled by an elastic band  210 . When not in use, the insulation cover  200  may be rolled down to the bottom  18  of the container body  10 . When the thermal container is getting too hot or too cold, the insulation cover  200  may be rolled up to enclose the container body  10 , while the elastic band  210  is positioned closed to the container cap  20  so that the consumption of the liquid inside will not be affected. 
       FIG. 4A  shows a front sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of the thermal container. Shown in  FIG. 4A  are the thermal container  1  comprising a container body  10  having a bottom  18  and a side wall  15 , container cap  20  disposed on the container body  10 , a container nipple  30  disposed on the container cap  20  and being secured by the container cap  20  to the container body  10 , a thermal control assembly  50  comprising a heating pack  60  having a heating pack cover  75 . Also shown in  FIG. 4A  are the first compartment  110  containing first substance  115 , second compartment  120  containing second substance  125 , and a separator  150  separating the first compartment  110  and second compartment  120 . 
       FIG. 4B  shows a side sectional view of the second preferred embodiment of the thermal container. Essentially the same elements are shown in  FIG. 4B , compared to  FIG. 4A . In addition, shown in  FIG. 4B  is the basic structure of the heating pack  60  having heating pack chemical  70  covered by heating pack cover  75 . Also shown in  FIG. 4B  is that the container body  10  having an inner concave  40  and the thermal control assembly  50  is positioned in the inner concave  40  and connected to the container cap  20  by a suspension string  140 . 
     From  FIGS. 4A and 4B , it is clear that the thermal control assembly  50  may be positioned differently from what is shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . Here the heating pack  60  is disposed in the inner concave  40  of the container body  10 . Such a design allows more effective temperature adjustment because, compared with the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the heating pack  60  in  FIGS. 4A and 4B  has more contact with the container body. When the container body  10  is sufficiently flexible and malleable, manual manipulation of the container body  10  may result in the triggering of the chemical reactions in the heating pack  60  and the temperature adjustment process. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  demonstrates one of the many possibilities as to the form, position, size, and design of the thermal assembly  50 . Other variations may be adopted according generally to the thermal-control and compartmentalization designs. For example, the current invention may be used for ready made Sangria Mix—the thermal container having isle with fruit in one compartment and juices and alcohol in another; the thermal control assembly may be a long ladle like appendage attached from the cap of the container; and twisting the cap break the plastic separator between the two compartments and trigger a chilling process to provide cold sangria. It should be noted that such variations are limitless and they all fall under the purview of the current invention. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.