Patent Publication Number: US-11034476-B1

Title: High surface area beneficial container

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of the filing date of Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/505,883, filed May 13, 2017, for “HIGH SURFACE AREA BENEFICIAL CONTAINER”. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to devices structured to produce a beneficial effect. It is particularly directed to embodiments providing a reservoir that includes a high surface area material, with the reservoir being configured and arranged to cause one or more effect on a local environment. 
     State of the Art 
     It is known to provide various resealable containers or compartments in which to store perishable items, such as food. Commercially available containers include a variety of nonporous plastic resealable containers. Such plastic containers provide an initial environment in which to store items, but do not provide an inherent and on-going impact on their internally-confined environments. 
     Certain items like produce, such as tomatoes and lettuce, have a relatively short shelf life, even when stored in a nonporous sealed container under refrigeration. The produce tends to become soggy and/or limp due to an on-going ripening process. The ripening process can be retarded in one aspect by maintaining the humidity or moisture level in the storage compartment at a controlled and desirably low level. Sometimes, one or more paper towel(s) is also placed into the container to mitigate evolved water from the produce. It is easily observed that lettuce, e.g., processed by a spinner to remove water, remains firm and crisp much longer than lettuce that is allowed to retain water droplets on the leaves subsequent to a washing procedure. 
     Another way to retard ripening is to reduce the presence of a ripening agent, such as ethane. Ethane is naturally emitted by produce, and its presence in a storage compartment enhances and accelerates further ripening of the produce inside that compartment. Another way to retard ripening is to reduce the presence of microbes, bacteria, and/or other spoiling agents in a storage compartment. 
     Another way to retard spoilage is to provide a source of coldness to create a desirable local low-temperature area around one or more food item. Water-based ice packs and cold packs utilizing substitutes for water are known. Such sources of cold may be charged and/or recharged to a low temperature by placing the pack in a freezer for a period of time. The resulting low temperature cold pack can then be associated with a local environment to cause cooling of that local environment. 
     It is known to provide therapeutic devices to cause a beneficial effect such as to promote healing or a feeling of wellbeing in a human or animal. Certain known therapeutic devices include sources of cold and of heat. A cold pack that can be used for food storage can sometimes be cross-utilized to provide cooling for a portion of a human, such as to reduce swelling at an injury site. A counterpart therapy may include use of a heat pack to introduce heat to a portion of a human. For example, a heat pack may be applied to warm and relax a back muscle, thereby reducing back pain. Commercially available heat packs may be warmed in various ways, including by chemical reaction, soaking in hot water, and microwave activation. 
     It would be an improvement to provide devices including a reservoir having a high surface area material confined within the reservoir, with the reservoir being configured and arranged to cause one or more beneficial effect or impact on a local environment due in part to the presence of the high surface area material. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention may be embodied as a beneficial container. An exemplary beneficial container defines a first volume, and a quantity of high surface area material is disposed inside the first volume, the high surface area material having a surface area greater than 20 m 2 /g. The beneficial container is configured and arranged to cause one or more beneficial effect on a local environment, the beneficial effect resulting, at least in part, from presence of the high surface area material in the vicinity of the local environment. In certain embodiments, the high surface area material has a surface area greater than 100 m2/g. 
     Sometimes, a beneficial container includes a moisture permeable wall to allow moisture from a local deployed environment to be adsorbed into the high surface area material. A beneficial container may be associated with a storage box to define a second volume. In that case, the moisture permeable wall is typically disposed to define a boundary portion of the second volume and to permit transfer of moisture from the second volume to the first volume for adsorption of the moisture into the high surface area material. 
     Certain embodiments may include a pressure relief valve disposed to vent expanded gas from inside the first volume to permit reconditioning of the high surface area material. A silver and/or copper catalyst may be distributed into the high surface material to destroy, adsorb, or otherwise remove a portion of Ethane from a treatment volume. Some embodiments include a substantially saturating quantity of water preloaded into the high surface area material. Sometimes, an antimicrobial agent may be distributed into the high surface area material. 
     Embodiments may be used as heat packs, and/or as cold packs. A cold pack may be embodied as a removable lid for a tub or other volume-defining element. As is the case for other embodiments of beneficial containers, a pack may be structured as a portion of an enclosure, or as a drop-in item for association with an enclosure. Exemplary cold packs may be recharged by refreezing the moisture adsorbed into the high surface area material(s). A heat pack can typically be recharged in a commercially available microwave. A beneficial container, including a heat and/or a cold pack, may also include one or more therapeutic or medicinal agent pre-loaded into the high surface area material for emanation of the agent(s) into or onto a space or treatment area. 
     Certain embodiments are drapeable to conform to a portion of a human body. An adhesive portion may be disposed at a perimeter portion of a drapeable beneficial container to maintain an installed beneficial container at the installed position on a human body. A treatment agent may be carried by the high surface area material to emanate a treatment agent in vapor phase through a moisture permeable ply to cause a medicinal or therapeutic effect on the human body at the treatment site. 
     One drapeable beneficial container is structured as a bandage including a first ply that is moisture permeable, a second ply that is not moisture permeable, and a quantity of high surface area material disposed to form a thin layer of high surface area material distributed over an area between the first ply and the second ply. The first ply and the second ply may be quilted to urge the high surface area material to remain in a thin planar configuration with the high surface area being distributed over the area. 
     The invention may be embodied in a method for causing an effect on a local environment. One method includes providing a beneficial container having at least two walls configured and arranged to define a volume, and a quantity of high surface area material disposed inside the volume; and disposing the beneficial container in the vicinity of a local environment so that the high surface area may help to cause the desired effect. Effects within contemplation include causing one or more of: a decrease in temperature of the local environment; an increase in temperature of the local environment; a medical treatment of a human at the local deployed environment; a decrease in moisture content in the local environment; destruction of microbes or bacteria in the local environment; and destruction or sequestering of a ripening agent in or from the local area of deployment of the beneficial container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings, which illustrate what are currently regarded as the best modes for carrying out the invention: 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-section view in elevation of a device structured according to certain principles of the instant invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view from above of the embodiment in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment structured for wound therapy; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-section view of a storage box including an alternative lid embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a first currently preferred embodiment of a storage box, generally  100 , including a beneficial container, generally indicated at  102  and structured according to certain principles of the instant invention. The illustrated storage box  100  is structured to maintain food in fresh condition for an extended period of time by providing a moisture-controlled storage environment. The box  100  may also be structured to directly provide cooling to the stored items, or may be placed into a cool environment (like a refrigerator or freezer) to cool the items. The storage box  100  may be configured as desired to provide a storage volume  104  in which to hold food, for non-limiting example, and can have a cross-section or planform that is rectangular, circular, or any other desired shape. Typically, the box  100  has a floor  106  and one or more walls  108  that cooperate with a removable lid  110  to define interior storage volume  104 . 
     In the box  100  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the beneficial container  102  is included as an integral portion of a removable lid  110  of a generally rectangular tub  112 . However, it is within contemplation that the container  102  may be formed in other ways, including as an integral component of a wall or floor of a tub  112  (rather than the lid  110 ), or even as a separate and removable element from the box  100 .  FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate certain such separate and removable container embodiments  102 ′ and  102 ″, respectively, within contemplation. It is further within contemplation that a beneficial container  102  may be embodied as a structural element forming all of, or a portion of, a wall and/or lid of a storage box  100 . 
     A workable moisture-controlling beneficial container, such as container  102 , is desirably configured to permit moisture from an environment to be adsorbed onto high surface area (HSA) material  114  that is confined inside the container  102 . In that case, the container  102  may be used to extract moisture from, and consequently reduce moisture in, a local environment such as volume  104 . In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , moisture from inside the box  100  can be adsorbed onto and/or into HSA material  114  disposed inside the container  102 . Consequently, a beneficial moisture-controlling container  102  may be used to cause an effect or impact on a local environment defined inside the box  100 . That is, for one non-limiting example, a container  102  may be used to control moisture content or local humidity inside the box  100 . 
     With particular reference to  FIG. 1 , wall  116  provides a floor of the container  102  and is disposed as a cover over the volume  104 . Wall  116  is moisture permeable to permit transfer of moisture through wall  116  from the volume  104 . As illustrated, moisture permeable wall  116  is disposed to define a boundary portion of the storage volume  104 . Therefore, moisture from volume  104  may easily migrate through the wall  116  to be adsorbed into the HSA material  114 . 
     A workable moisture permeable wall  116  may include holes disposed in an otherwise impermeable wall (e.g., one or more hole(s) in plastic or plastic-like materials), a screen providing gaps or open pores, or a moisture permeable membrane, and the like. Desirably, both of the wall  118  forming the upper or outside surface of the lid  110  and the tub  112  are formed from one or more material(s) that is impermeable to moisture. Therefore, moisture will not propagate into the volume  104  from an external source. That construction ensures that the HSA material  114  acts to control humidity only inside the storage volume  104 . 
     With particular reference to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary beneficial container  102  is structured to define volume  120  in which hold and confine a quantity of HSA material  114 . Workable HSA materials include activated carbon, activated Alumina, activated Titanium oxide, (e.g., activated ceramics), metal/organic high surface area compounds, high surface area Silica, zeolites, molecular sieves, and the like. Such materials may be fabricated and used as powders, granules, beads, chunks, sheets, and/or formed into particular functional structures, and the like. By high surface area, it is intended to mean a material having surface area greater than 20 m 2 /g. It is generally preferred for HSA materials to be greater than 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and/or 600 m 2 /g. HSA materials having surface area of 2,000 or even 10,000 m 2 /g, or even more, are within contemplation. 
     Certain preferred reusable container embodiments have walls  116 ,  118  that are made from high temperature tolerant, food-grade, dishwasher- and microwave-safe materials, such as glass, metals coated with ceramic, plastic (e.g., PEEK (polyetheretherketone)), composites, and the like. Certain containers  102  are not intended for reuse, and may be manufactured from a wider range of materials that are not heat-resistant. 
     Containers may be structured to permit their reuse a number of times. Beneficial containers that have been used for moisture control can be quickly recharged or refreshed by heating, microwaving, or applying a vacuum to the HSA material. For example, adsorbed moisture may be removed by application of microwave energy to moisture-loaded HSA material. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , container  102 ′ includes a first wall or ply  122  and a second wall or ply  124 . Walls  122 ,  1214  are bonded together around a perimeter to form a pouch or satchel  126 . Typically, at least one of ply  122  and  124  is moisture permeable. Sometimes, a one-way pressure-relief venting valve  128  may be included to permit off-gassed steam to exit a container during a re-conditioning step or process. Sometimes, the entire container  102 ′ may be placed into a microwave for reconditioning the HSA material. In some embodiments, the HSA material may be removed from the container for reconditioning. HSA material may also be reconditioned by heating in an oven or kiln to drive off adsorbed substances. 
     Certain embodiments of a beneficial container  102  such as a pouch  102 ′ or  102 ″ illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , will typically have at least one moisture permeable wall, and may, or may not, include one or more moisture impermeable wall. Further, it is within contemplation that certain embodiments  102  may not include a moisture permeable wall  116  at all. For example, a beneficial container used as an ice pack may include only moisture impermeable walls as an additional safeguard against introducing moisture to an environment as moisture (adsorbed into the high surface area material and then frozen to form the ice pack) thaws. 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , a preferred container  102 ′ includes white ceramic HSA material formed into beads  130  having diameters of perhaps about ¼ inch. A similar bead-form HSA material may be included in container  102  (see  FIG. 1 ). The bottom container floor or layer  116  of container  102  may be formed from a plastic that is molded to define a screen or mesh with apertures too small for the beads  130  to pass through. The apertures promote circulation of moisture into the HSA material for adsorption. 
     Sometimes, the floor  116  or other part of a container may be removable or openable to permit washing food particles or other contaminants from the beads and/or inside of the container. For example, in  FIG. 4 , a resealable portion, generally  132 , is included at an edge of the pouch  134 . Resealable portion  132  includes an interlocking or “zipper-locking” connector such as may be found on a commercially available plastic sandwich bag. Alternative resealable structures are known in the art. Therefore, the beads or other HSA material may be reconditioned while inside, or outside, of a beneficial container. 
     In an exemplary use of the container illustrated in  FIG. 1 , food is placed into the storage volume  104 , and the lid  110  is sealed onto tub  112  of the storage box  100 . The storage box  100  is then typically refrigerated until access to the stored food is desired. Stored food can encompass foods such as produce including lettuce, fruit, vegetables, and the like. Excess moisture is removed from the storage volume  104  during the period of storage, and the removed moisture is adsorbed into the HSA material in the container/lid  110 . When reduced efficacy of the container  102  is detected, or perhaps after a proscribed interval of use, the lid  110  is removed and placed into a microwave on high power for a period of time until the adsorbed moisture is off-gassed and the HSA material is reactivated. Typically, a couple or a few minutes are all that is required to refresh or recondition the HSA material, and the storage box  100  is ready for another cycle of use. 
     Containers such as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4  may have any desired plan-form, including round, ovaloid, and rectangular. In an exemplary use of the containers illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a pouch  126 ,  134  may simply be placed into a storage box or other confined space to control humidity, or to modify or effect some other parameter, in the interior environment of the box or space during a period of storage. Sometimes, the entire storage box may be refrigerated or frozen. When reduced environmental control is detected, or perhaps after a proscribed interval of use, the pouch  126 ,  134  is removed and placed into a microwave on high power for a period of time until the adsorbed moisture is off-gassed and the HSA material is reactivated. Typically, a couple or a few minutes are all that is required to refresh the HSA material, and the pouch  126 ,  134  is ready for another cycle of use. 
     Embodiments structured similar to beneficial containers  102 ,  102 ′, and  102 ″ may be used as cold packs, and/or as heat packs. In use as a cold pack, water or another freezable fluid is introduced into the HSA material, and then the beneficial container is placed into a cold environment to freeze the adsorbed fluid. Typically, the HSA material is at least substantially saturated with fluid. However, sometimes, care is taken to avoid presence of moisture that can escape from a container when the pack is in a thawed condition. For example, when a container is embodied as a cold pack for a single sandwich, it is undesirable to permit moisture from a thawed pack to enter the sandwich. 
     In use as a heat pack, moisture adsorbed into the HSA material may be heated (e.g., by microwave), consequently heating the HSA material. HSA material may also be heated by immersion in hot water, soaking at elevated temperature in an oven, and the like. The heated HSA material may then be used as a carrier of heat for application to cause a therapeutic warming effect, sooth muscles, and the like. 
     The embodiment indicated generally at  140  in  FIG. 5  provides a drapeable bandage that may be applied to a wound or burn, for non-limiting examples. Generally, such bandage-like devices  140  are not structured for re-use. The container  140  may be formed as a relatively thin composite device including top ply  142 , bottom ply  144 , and a thin layer of high surface area material  146  distributed over an area between the first ply  142  and the second ply  144 . The first ply and the second ply of bandage  140  may sometimes be quilted to keep powdered or granular HSA material  146  distributed in a desired arrangement. For example, quilting may be configured to urge the high surface area material to remain in a thin planar configuration with the high surface area material being distributed over an area between the plies. For purpose of this disclosure, “thin” is defined as less than about ¼ inch in thickness. 
     A moisture permeable ply  144  is typically structured to permit its disposition in proximity to, or in direct contact with, a wound or other area in need of treatment or protection. Sometimes, a bandage/container device  140  may be used in combination with additional spacer materials, such as gauze, to avoid direct contact with a surface to be treated. 
     Certain embodiments  140  may include an adhesive element  148  disposed at a perimeter of the container to facilitate placement of the container  140  in association with the treatment site. Desirably, the top or exposed surface of ply  142  is made from a moisture-resistant material to provide a dry surface for contact by the patient, and to resist propagation of contaminants into, or out from, the treatment site. However, it is within contemplation that the container  140  may be provided as e.g., a stand-alone packet disposed inside a separate water-resistant cover element. 
     It is further within contemplation to structure a container  140  for delivery of a drug or therapeutic agent from HSA material in vapor form. For example, one or more drug or other medical agent may be introduced by a beneficial container to a site to facilitate healing of tissue wounds in a human. Operable medical agents include tissue-healing agents, antifungal agents, acne medicine, and the like. Certain embodiments  140  may place antimicrobial or antibacterial catalysts or agents in operable proximity to the wound. 
     Certain beneficial containers may be structured to release one or more beneficial agent responsive to adsorption of moisture onto the HSA material carried in that container. For non-limiting example: a catalyst such as catalytic Copper or Silver may be embedded into the HSA material as an antimicrobial catalyst and/or to disassociate ethylene gas, or to accomplish some other beneficial effect. One way to impregnate the HSA material with a catalyst is placing the HSA material into a solution of Silver or Copper Nitrate (AgNO 3  or CuNO 3 ), to adsorb the solution onto the HSA material. The metal-loaded HSA material is then placed in a heated environment (e.g., 300° C.) for perhaps ½ to 4 hours to leave behind nano-particles of the metal distributed over the surface area of the HSA material. The resulting impregnated HSA material may find exemplary use to reduce the “ripening hormone” ethylene gas and thereby extend freshness of a stored food item. 
     HSA materials can be infiltrated with various useful elements or compounds to accomplish desired effects. For example, enhanced beneficial results may be obtained by infiltrating the HAS material with oxygen grabber(s), ethylene destroyer(s), absorbers, and the like. Other beneficial agents may be disposed on, or infiltrated into, HSA materials to e.g., apply a drug, pain medication, anti-microbial agent, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory medicine, Oxygen, or other beneficial treatment product or agent to an area associated with a container in-use. 
     Many HSA materials adsorb Nitrogen, Oxygen, and moisture from the local atmosphere. When the local atmosphere is confined inside a storage box having a defined volume, the HSA material can actually reduce the pressure (e.g. create a partial vacuum) inside the box. As an example, certain zeolites (Alumina-Silicates) adsorb large amounts of Nitrogen, which can act to reduce local pressure inside a storage box. Similarly, ZSM5 (a molecular sieve) is known to adsorb ethylene. 
     The above-disclosed HSA materials, and mixtures thereof, may be used to adsorb ethylene, moisture, other gases including Nitrogen, Oxygen, etc., to create a healthy antimicrobial environment in a storage box to extend the storage shelf life of, e.g., produce including salad, fruit, and vegetables. HSA materials can also be incorporated with Oxygen grabbers like Perovskite ceramic materials including lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM), and lanthanum strontium cobaltite. Such materials become Oxygen-deficient when heated during conditioning or reconditioning, and adsorb Oxygen during use in food storage conditions. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , a storage box  160  may be embodied as an assembly including a removable container  102 ′″. The illustrated container  102 ′″ can be plugged into engagement with a removable or fixed lid  110  to place the environment inside the storage box in communication through an opening  162  with the beneficial HSA material  114  housed in the container  102 ′″. Structure to effect coupling a container  102 ′″ to a lid  110  may be embodied to form either a permanent or a removable connection. In preferred embodiments, the container  102 ′″ is made from heat-resistant material to permit recharging the HSA material  114  by way of microwaving. 
     Beneficial containers according to certain principles of the invention may be manufactured to interface with the entire range of commercially available storage boxes. That is, a beneficial container may be incorporated as a replacement for a component of a storage box, such as a replacement lid, or as the above-described “drop-in” package or pouch, and the like. 
     While aspects of the invention have been described in particular with reference to certain illustrated embodiments, such is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. For one example, one or more element may be extracted from one described or illustrated embodiment and used separately or in combination with one or more element extracted from one or more other described or illustrated embodiment(s), or in combination with other known structure. The described embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. Obvious changes within the capability of one of ordinary skill are encompassed within the present invention. 
     The scope of the invention for which a monopoly position is currently desired is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.