Food/beverage container with thermal control

• US 10,316,235 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2015
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trent University
• Original Assignee: Trent University
• Inventors: Narine, Suresh S., Floros, Michael C., Tessier, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Delcotto, Gregory R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Preeti
• Application Number:
  US14/605,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20160215194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 41/0044 comprising heat or cold storing elements or material, i.e. energy transfer within the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 41/02 Vacuum-jacket vessels, e.g. vacuum bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3841 formed with double walls, i.e. hollow
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3846 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3869 formed with double walls, i.e. hollow
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3874 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/063 Materials absorbing or liberating heat during crystallisation; Heat storage materials
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/02 using latent heat
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

A container for a food and/or beverages is provided. The container is designed such that it may have the capability of absorbing excess thermal energy from the food or beverage, thereby cooling the consumable material to a desired temperature and maintaining the material at the desired temperature for a considerable period of time. The container typically includes an outer insulating shell; an inner heat conducting liner and a phase change material (PCM). To facilitate heat transfer to and from a food or beverage stored in the container, the PCM is commonly disposed between the outer insulating shell and the inner heat conducting liner and positioned in thermal contact with the inner heat conducting liner. The PCM may include a diol diester having a melting point of about 30 to 90° C.

Claims

1. A food/beverage container comprising an outer insulating shell;

an inner heat conducting liner and a phase change material (PCM) disposed between the outer insulating shell and the inner heat conducting liner;

wherein the PCM is in thermal contact with the inner heat conducting liner; and

the PCM has a melting point of about 30 to 90°

C. and comprises a diol diester represented by a formula I

R—

C(O)O—

(CH₂)_n—

OC(O)—

R′

 

 

(I)

wherein the R—

C(O)O—

and R′

—

C(O)O—

groups are fatty acid acyl groups and the R- and R′

-groups independently have from 5 to 30 carbon atoms; and

n is an integer from 3 to 22;

and the PCM has a latent heat enthalpy of at least about 225 kJ/kg.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the outer insulating shell comprises a vacuum chamber.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein the phase change material is dispersed in a heat transfer fluid.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein the PCM has a melting point of about 50 to 70°

C.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein the PCM has a latent heat enthalpy of at least about 240 kJ/kg.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein the PCM comprises at least about 98 wt. % of the diol diester.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein derivative thermogravimetric analysis of the diol diester does not exhibit a thermal degradation peak below 300°

C.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein the fatty acid acyl groups comprise one or more saturated fatty acyl groups.

9. The container of claim 1 wherein the fatty acid acyl groups comprise one or more unsaturated fatty acyl groups.

10. The container of claim 1 wherein the diol diester has a melting point of at least about 60°

C.; and

the fatty acid acyl groups comprise stearoyl groups.

11. The container of claim 1 wherein at least about 90% of the fatty acid acyl groups are stearate, palmitate and/or oleate groups.

19. The container of claim 1 wherein the fatty acid acyl groups are fatty acyl groups from a fatty acid composition of a vegetable oil or fraction thereof.

20. The container of claim 1 wherein the fatty acid acyl groups are fatty acyl groups from a fatty acid composition of a hydrogenated vegetable oil or fraction thereof.

12. A food/beverage container comprising an outer insulating shell;

sidewalls comprising an inner hear conducting liner and a phase change material (PCM) disposed between the outer insulating shell and the inner heat conducting liner, such that the PCM is in thermal contact with the inner heat conducting liner; and

the PCM has a melting point of about 50 to 90°

C. and comprises a diol diester represented by formula (II)

Me-(CH₂)_x—

C(O)O—

(CH₂)_n—

OC(O)—

(CH₂)_x-Me 

 

(II)

wherein x is an integer from 4 to 30 carbon atoms; and

n is an integer from 3 to 22;

wherein the diol diester has a latent heat enthalpy of at least about 230 kJ/kg; and

the outer insilating shell comprises a vacuum chamber.

13. The container of claim 12 wherein x is an integer from 8 to 16 carbon atoms;

and n is an integer from 3 to 15.

14. The container of claim 12 wherein x is 14 and n is 3 and/or 4.

15. The container of claim 12 wherein x is 14.

16. The container of claim 12 wherein x is 16 and n is 5, 7 or 9.

17. The container of claim 12 wherein the fatty acid acyl groups are stearate groups;

and the PCM has a peak melting point of at least about 60°

C. and a latent heat enthalpy of at least about 225 kJ/kg.

18. The container of claim 12 wherein n is 5, 7, 9 or 11;

and the diol diester has a latent heat enthalpy of at least about 240 kJ/kg.

21. The container of claim 12 wherein x is 16.

22. The container of claim 12 wherein x is 16 and n is 3 or 4.

23. The container of claim 12 wherein x is 12.

24. The container of claim 12 wherein x is 16 and n is 5.

25. The container of claim 12 wherein x is 16 and n is 7.

26. The container of claim 12 wherein x is 16 and n is 9.

27. A food/beverage container comprising an outer insulating shell, which comprises a vacuum chamber;

side walls including an inner heat conducting liner adjacent the inside compartment of the container and a phase change material (PCM) disposed between the outer insulating shell and the inner heat conducting liner;

wherein the PCM is in thermal contact with the inner heat conducting liner; and

the PCM comprises at least about 98 wt % of a diol diester represented by a formula

R—

C(O)O—

(CH₂)_n—

OC(O)—

R′

wherein the R—

C(O)O and R′

—

C(O)O—

groups are fatty acid acyl groups, which have 16 or 18 carbon atoms; and

n is an integer from 3 to 10;

the diol diester has a melting point of about 50 to 70°

C. and a latent heat enthalpy of at least about 230 kJ/kg; and

derivative thermogravimetric analysis of the diol diester does not exhibit a thermal degradation peak below 300°

C.

28. The container of claim 27 wherein the R- and R′

- groups are palmitate groups.

29. The container of claim 27 wherein the R- and R′

- groups are stearate groups.

30. A food/beverage container comprising an outer insulating shell, which comprises a vacuum chamber;

side walls including an inner heat conducting liner adjacent an inside compartment of the container; and

a phase change material (PCM) disposed between the outer insulating shell and the inner heat conducting liner such that the PCM is in thermal contact with the inner heat conducting liner;

the PCM comprises at least about 98 wt % of a diol diester represented by a formula

R—

C(O)O—

(CH₂)_n—

OC(O)—

R′

wherein the R—

C(O)O and R′

—

C(O)O—

groups are fatty acid acyl groups having 8 to 18 carbon atoms; and

n is an integer from 3 to 15;

the diol diester has a melting point of about 50 to 90°

C. and a latent heat enthalpy of at least about 225 kJ/kg.

31. The container of claim 30 wherein n is 5, 7 or 9.

32. The container of claim 30 wherein the diol diester has a latent heat enthalpy of at least about 240 kJ/kg;

and the fatty acid acyl groups include stearate groups.

33. The container of claim 30 wherein the phase change material is dispersed in a heat transfer fluid.

34. The container of claim 30 wherein n is 3 or 4;

and at least about 90% of the fatty acid acyl groups are stearate, palmitate and/or oleate groups.

35. The container of claim 30 wherein the fatty acid acyl groups correspond to a fatty acid composition of a vegetable oil or fraction thereof.

36. The container of claim 30 wherein the fatty acid acyl groups correspond to a fatty acid composition of a hydrogenated vegetable oil or fraction thereof.