Thermal barrier liner for containers

• US 8,336,729 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• 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, Smith, Herbert Bruce, Toms, Ray Alan, Thiemann, Daniel Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): POOS, MADISON LYNN
• Application Number:
  US12/249,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20090095758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 220/62.12, 220/62.22, 220/592.16, 220/592.17, 220/592.2, 220/592.25, 220/592.26, 624/573, 624/574, 428/34.1, 428/34.4, 428 357- 359, 428 364- 368, 428/320.2, 428/321.1, 428/323, 428/327, 428402-407
• US Class Current: 220/592.16
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 17/4012 for opening partially by means of a tearing tab
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3811 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/023 the latent heat storage material being enclosed in granular particles or dispersed in a porous, fibrous or cellular structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

A thermal barrier liner is preferably spray coated onto the internal surface of a container. The liner is provided in embodiments including a closed cell substrate, a base layer having gas or liquid filled microcapsules, a base layer having microencapsulated solid-liquid phase change material, or combinations thereof. For the closed cell substrate embodiment, when the liner is under pressure within the container prior to the container being opened, the liner maintains a minimum thickness. When the container is opened and as pressure is released within the container, the liner expands to achieve equilibrium. The liner can be supplemented with a foaming agent to create cellular structures. Voids created by the microcapsules enhance the thermal barrier characteristics of the liner. The phase change material changes phase from a solid to a liquid state upon absorbing heat.

Claims

1. 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 thermal barrier liner comprising a base material and a plurality of microcapsules containing phase change material mixed therein, said microcapsules being dispersed in said base material, wherein said microcapsules absorb heat upon a temperature increase within an interior of the container and the phase change material changes from solid to liquid, and said base material of said thermal barrier liner is made of a thermoplastic material, that is elastic; and

a closed cell substrate material incorporated in said base material, said closed cell substrate material having a plurality of cells defining voids, wherein said closed cell substrate material is gas permeable such that when said container is sealed and pressurized, gas within the container permeates through said composite thermal barrier liner and into said voids, and when said container is open thereby exposing the interior of the container to ambient pressure, the thermal barrier liner expands in response to a drop in relative pressure.

2. A container, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said liner is applied to an interior surface of said sidewall and said base.