Containers and packagings for regulating heat transfer

• US 7,836,722 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Outlast Technologies, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Outlast Technologies, Incorporated
• Inventors: Magill, Monte C., Heimbach, Jeanette
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules; Frantz F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comings; Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US11/471,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20070000484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 624/571, 624/572, 624/573, 624/577, 625/30, 624/574
• US Class Current: 62/457.3
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/063 Materials absorbing or liberating heat during crystallisation; Heat storage materials
• CPC Class Codes: F24V 30/00 Apparatus or devices using heat produced by exothermal chemical reactions other than combustion
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/02 using latent heat
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

A food container includes an upper wall, a lower wall, and a side wall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall. At least one of the upper wall, the lower wall, and the side wall includes a plurality of microcapsules containing a phase change material. The phase change material has a latent heat in the range of 40 J/g to 400 J/g and a transition temperature in the range of 0° C. to 100° C. The phase change material provides thermal regulation based on at least one of absorption and release of the latent heat at the transition temperature.

Claims

1. A food or beverage container, comprising:

an upper wall;

a lower wall; and

a side wall extending between the upper wall and the lower wall,

at least one of the upper wall and the lower wall including a phase change material distributed with a first concentration on the at least one of the upper wall and the lower wall,

the side wall including a phase change material distributed with a second concentration on a portion of the side wall,

the phase change material on the side wall having a latent heat of at least 40 J/g and a transition temperature in the range of 0°

C. to 100°

C., the phase change material on the side wall having a higher latent heat than the phase change material on the at least one of the upper wall or the lower wall, the phase change materials on both the side wall and the at least one of the upper or lower walls providing thermal regulation based on at least one of absorption and release of the latent heat at the transition temperature,

wherein a portion of the side wall that includes phase change material corresponds to the portion of the food or beverage container that is typically in contact with a user during use of the container.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the upper wall, the lower wall, and the side wall define an internal compartment to contain a food item, and the upper wall includes a tab member operable to define an opening to provide access to the food item.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the side wall is substantially cylindrical.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the side wall includes a coating formed of a plurality of microcapsules containing the phase change material.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein the side wall further includes a substrate formed of a metal, and the coating covers at least a portion of the substrate.

6. The container of claim 4, wherein the coating is further formed of a binder, and the plurality of microcapsules are dispersed in the binder.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the coating includes from 10 percent to 40 percent by dry weight of the plurality of microcapsules containing the phase change material.

8. The container of claim 6, wherein the coating includes from 25 percent to 35 percent by dry weight of the plurality of microcapsules containing the phase change material.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein the latent heat of the phase change material on the side wall is at least 80 J/g.

10. The container of claim 2, wherein the food or beverage container contains a cold item, and the transition temperature of the phase change material is in the range of 0°

C. to 32°

C.

11. The container of claim 2, wherein the food or beverage container contains a hot food item, and the transition temperature of the phase change material is in the range of 32°

C. to 66°

C.

12. The container of claim 4, wherein the plurality of microcapsules have sizes in the range of 0.5 micron to 50 microns.

13. The container of claim 4, wherein the plurality of microcapsules have sizes in the range of 15 microns to 25 microns.

14. The container of claim 4, wherein the plurality of microcapsules are monodisperse with respect to their sizes.