Tempra Technology, Inc.

Alan James Maskell

Cullen M Sabin

Corey R Blanchette

Michael Sheppard Bolmer

A sealed package is disclosed for a self-heating assembly that produces heat by virtue of a liquid reactant reacting exothermically with a solid reactant to heat a product. The sealed package includes an outer container, a lower support structure (e.g., of open cell foam) within the outer container, a layer of the solid reactant above the lower support structure and within the outer container, an upper structure (e.g., of open cell foam, as well) above the solid reactant and within the outer container, and an upper layer that is permeable to liquid and that extends across an otherwise open top of the outer container above the upper structure.

Sealed package for solid reactant in self-heating assembly

A self-heating container assembly has a housing with a first portion and a second portion, each having a cylindrical cross-section. The first portion and the second portion are mated together in a manner that permits the first portion to rotate about a common axis relative to the second portion. A ring gear (or partial ring gear) is on or attached to the first portion and rotates with the first portion of the housing relative to the second portion. A rotatable cutting element is supported by a support connected to the second portion of the housing. There is a pinion gear on the rotatable cutting element. The pinion gear is coupled to the ring gear. A reactant container containing a reactant is adjacent to the rotatable cutting element, such that rotation thereof cuts into the reactant container.

Actuator for self-heating container

A self-heating assembly includes a product tray for containing a product to be heated and a heater tray outside the product tray and configured relative to the product tray to define a reaction space between the heater tray and the product tray. A frangible container made of a shrink film material is inside the reaction space. The frangible container contains a first reactant that is a liquid. A second reactant is outside the frangible container. The first and second reactants are configured to react exothermically upon contact with each other.

Shrink film container for self-heating assembly

An apparatus for heating a product includes a storage compartment for a product to be heated and a heater module physically and thermally coupled to the storage compartment. The heater module has a housing that defines a reaction chamber. A rigid barrier is inside the reaction chamber and defines first and second portions thereof. A first reactant is inside the reaction chamber, and a flexible bag (with a second reactant) is in the first portion of the first chemical reactant. The first and second reactants react exothermically upon contact. A piercing element can pierce the flexible bag. After piercing, the a fluid path and one or more fluid channels carry the second reactant to a section of the first portion of the reaction chamber away from where the flexible bag is located.

Portable heating for small quantities of consumer product

A self-heating product pouch has a first thin flexible material that surrounds and defines a product compartment. A second thin flexible material is coupled to an outwardly-facing surface of the first thin flexible material to define a first heater compartment that is outside, but thermally coupled to, the product compartment. A first thin porous substrate inside the first heater compartment. A granular reactant is distributed throughout the first thin porous substrate. A frangible container is inside the first heater compartment. A liquid reactant is inside the frangible container. The granular reactant and the liquid reactant are adapted to react exothermically upon contact with one another.

Self-heating food pouch with distributed reactants

A dish assembly for serving food includes a dish housing that defines a surface, upon which the food can be placed, and an inner compartment, a phase-change material within the inner compartment, and an electrically-conductive element inside the inner compartment and thermally coupled to the phase-change material. In a typical implementation, the phase-change material is adapted to melt in response to the electrically-conductive element being heated by an electromagnetic induction heater. The thus heated dish assembly can facilitate getting hot food to a table while it is still hot, and once at the table, keeping that hot food at least warm for quite some time, while it is consumed.

Heat retaining dish assembly and method of heating same

A self-heating container includes a first substance and a second substance that are adapted to produce an exothermic reaction upon contact with each other, a soluble material between the first substance and the second substance, a frangible membrane physically separating the second substance from the soluble material, and a means for rupturing the frangible membrane.

Product heating with soluble container

A self-heating assembly includes a product container for holding a product to be heated and a heater container coupled to the product container. There is a reaction space between the product container and the heater container. There is a support structure (made, for example, of open cell foam) in the reaction space and a granular second reactant distributed throughout the support structure. There is a liquid first reactant in the reaction space. A frangible membrane is configured so that, when intact, it separates the liquid first reactant from the support structure and from the granular second reactant. The liquid first reactant and the granular second reactant are adapted to exothermically react upon contact with one another. The support structure is permeable to the liquid first reactant and is configured to support and substantially maintain the distribution of the granular second reactant throughout the support structure before and during the exothermic chemical reaction.

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Venice, FL, United States of America

Alan James Maskell