THERMAL BARRIER LINER FOR CONTAINERS

• US 20130239607A1
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MillerCoors LLC (Molson Coors Beverage Co.)
• Original Assignee: MillerCoors LLC (Molson Coors Beverage Co.)
• Inventors: Kelly, Jason Morgan
• Granted Patent: US 9,066,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/457.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2288 with means for keeping liquid cool or hot
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/00 Packaging plastic material, semiliquids, liquids or mixed solids and liquids, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 17/4012 for opening partially by means of a tearing tab
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/18 providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient with thermal insulation B65D81/38; ice-boxes with cooling means F25D
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0831 the liquid is disposed in the space between the walls of the container
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0841 external to the container for a beverage, e.g. a bottle, can, drinking glass or pitcher
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0843 on the side of the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0845 below the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/085 Compositions of cold storage materials
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/805 Cans
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/809 Holders
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/81 Pitchers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/08 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/02 using latent heat
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/12 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/08 with food recipients having temperature sensing capability

Abstract

A thermal barrier maintains a beverage within a container at a desired temperature. The barrier may include gas or liquid filled microcapsules and a base material having microencapsulated solid-liquid phase change material, or combinations thereof. The thermal barrier may include a cooling element attached to the exterior of the container, the interior of the container, or free-floating within the container. Other embodiments include a container holder incorporating phase change materials to control temperature of the beverages. The holder includes enclosing sidewalls and a plurality of cavities to receive one or more containers. Gaps between the cavities and the enclosing sidewalls are filled with phase change materials, such as microencapsulated phase change materials. Another embodiment provides a double walled pitcher with phase change materials and a base material filling the space between the walls. The phase change material and base material are sealed between the walls enabling the pitcher to be re-used.

Claims

1. A beverage container with integral cooling capability, said container comprising:

a side wall, a base connected to the side wall, and a top forming an upper portion of the container;

said base of the container having a concave depression;

a cooling element secured to an exterior surface of the base at said concave depression, said cooling element including a protective outer shell and a phase change material placed within said shell, said cooling element having upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface of said cooling element conforming to the shape of the concave depression, and the lower surface of said cooling element residing above a most lower portion of said base.

2. A container holder for holding at least one beverage container therein, said container holder having integral cooling capability, said container holder comprising:

an upper surface;

a lower surface;

a plurality of sidewalls interconnecting the upper and lower surfaces of the container holder;

a plurality of cavities defined by shaped internal walls forming compartments to receive the at least one beverage container;

a plurality of gaps located between said shaped internal walls and said sidewalls, said lower surface, and said upper surface;

a base material filling selected portions of said plurality of gaps, said base material having a plurality of microcapsules therein, said microcapsules each including phase change material therein.

3. A container for holding a beverage comprising:

a pitcher having an interior wall, an exterior wall, and a gap between the interior and exterior walls; and

a base material and a phase change material sealed in the gap between the interior and exterior walls.

4. The container as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said base material is made of a thermoplastic material.

5. The container as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said base material is made of a varnish material.

6. The container as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said phase change material is contained within a plurality of microcapsules.

7. A thermal barrier liner especially adapted for use with beverage containers or packaging for beverage containers, said thermal barrier liner comprising:

a base material;

a plurality of microcapsules dispersed in said base material, said microcapsules containing phase change material therein; and

a thermochromatic layer in contact with the base material and the plurality of microcapsules, said thermochromatic layer including a formulation of a thermochromatic material formed of microcapsules each containing reversible coloring agents that exhibit a visible change in color between a first color state and a second color state in response to a change in temperature.

8. The thermal barrier liner, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the phase change material absorbs heat, and the phase change material changes phase from solid to liquid upon absorbing the heat.

9. An insulated container comprising:

a sidewall, a base connected to the sidewall, and a top forming an upper portion of the container;

a thermal barrier liner applied to an interior surface of the sidewall, said thermal barrier liner comprising at least a first layer of barrier material adhered to the interior surface, and at least a second layer secured to said at least first layer wherein gaps are formed between the first and second layers and gas occupying the gaps; and

wherein when said container is sealed and pressurized, gas within the container permeates through said thermal barrier liner and into said gaps, and when said container is open thereby exposing an interior of the container to ambient pressure, the thermal barrier liner expands in response to a drop in relative pressure.

10. The container, as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said thermal barrier liner is applied to the interior surface of said sidewall and said base.

11. The container, as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said thermal barrier liner is made of a thermoplastic material that is elastic.

12. The container, as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said first and second layers extend non-linearly and include continuous patterns of bends or curves in the layers that form the gaps.

13. An insulated container comprising:

a sidewall, a base connected to the sidewall, and a top forming an upper portion of the container;

a composite thermal barrier liner applied to an interior surface of said sidewall, said composite thermal barrier liner comprising;

a base material and a plurality of microcapsules containing at least one of a gas or a liquid therein and wherein the microcapsules are dispersed in said base material, said composite thermal barrier liner having a surface in contact and adhered to the interior surface of said sidewall and said base;

wherein said microcapsules are activated to expand by exposing the microcapsules to heat; and

wherein the expanded microcapsules create voids in the base material.

14. The container, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said composite thermal barrier liner is applied to the interior surface of said sidewall and said base as by spraying.

15. The container, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said base material is made of a thermoplastic material that is elastic.

16. An insulated container comprising:

a sidewall, a base connected to the sidewall, and a top forming an upper portion of the container; and

a thermal barrier liner applied to an interior surface of the sidewall and base, said thermal barrier liner comprising a composite structure, said composite structure comprising (i) a closed cell substrate having a plurality of cells defining voids, said closed cell substrate being gas permeable to allow gas to pass through the cells based upon ambient pressure changes within the interior of the container, and (ii) a plurality of microcapsules dispersed in said closed cell substrate, said plurality of microcapsules including at least one gas filled microcapsule and at least one phase change material filled microcapsule.

17. A method of insulating a beverage in a container, said method comprising:

providing a container having an interior surface;

applying a thermal protective liner to the interior surface, said liner having a closed cell substrate being gas permeable wherein the liner equilibrates with ambient pressure conditions over a period of time;

filling the container with the beverage;

pressurizing and sealing the container;

equilibrating the thermal protective liner to entrain pressurized gas within the sealed and pressurized container;

opening the container to expose the thermal protective liner to ambient pressure; and

increasing an overall thickness of the thermal protective liner based upon trapped pressurized gas within the closed cell substrate that expands.