MXPA01007131A - The apparatus and method for attaching heat exchange unit and valve to the bottom of self-cooling and self-heating food or beverage containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus of forming a flange (14) in the bottom of a container (10) by first removing a portion of the container bottom (28) and then forming or swaying the material around the opening (28) to form a flange (14) extending away from the container bottom. A valve (24) and valve cup (22) assembly along with a heat exchange unit (16, 18, 32) are positioned adjacent the flange (14) and the combination is crimped to permanently affix the heat exchange unit (16, 18, 32) to the bottom of the container (12).

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FIXING A HEAT EXCHANGE UNIT AND A VALVE TO THE BASE OF SELF-COOLING AND SELF-RESISTANT CONTAINERS FOR FOOD OR DRINKS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to containers for self-cooling and self-heating fluids and more specifically to such container that includes a heat exchange unit that is fixed • 'internally in it and that is portable and disposable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE Many foods and beverages obtainable in portable containers are consumed preferably when cooled; consumed for example carbonated soft drinks, fruit drinks, beers, • water, puddings and gelatins and the like preferably at a temperature ranging between 1.6 ° C and 10 ° C. When comfort is not available refrigerators or ice, for example when fishing, camping, on the beach and the like, it becomes more difficult to cool these foods or drinks before consumption. In such circumstances, one is normally required to use a box of ice that will provide ice that will last It has a limited time, and it is bulky, difficult to handle and requires the drainage of molten ice from time to time. In such circumstances, it is highly desirable to have a method for rapidly cooling the contents of the containers before consumption, without the need for these discomforts of the prior art. The prior art is replete with such containers for self-cooling beverage. Generally, such containers use a refrigerant, gas of some kind, or an endothermic reaction to provide the cooling medium. Such typical cooling devices are exemplified known by the applicant for cooling beverages and the like, by means of # 'structures set forth in the patents of E.U.A. Nos. 2,746,265; 1, 897,723; 2,882,691; 2,460,765; 3,373,581; 3,636,726; 3,726,106; 4,584,848; 4,656,838; 4,784,678; 5,214,933; 5,285,812; 5,325,680 and 5,331,817. Many of these prior art structures use a activation procedure in which the traction appendage used to extract the cooled content of the beverage can also be used, such as the activating device for releasing the refrigerant from a unit • heat exchange that is contained internally within the beverage can. In some cases, the differential pressure generated is used inside the beverage can, to effect the activation of the heat exchange unit that releases the refrigerant contained therein to cool the beverage. Although these structures work very well to release the refrigerant that conducts the heat contained within the food or the drinking out of the food or drink and thus cooling it, it has been observed that such structures are complicated, expensive to produce and sometimes disturb for the consumption of the beverage of the can. As a result, it has been recognized in the art that it is more effective and efficient to separate the activation of the heat exchange unit from the extraction of the food or drink content subsequent to the cooling step. This has been done by placing the heat exchange unit in the lower part of the can and the traction appendage in the upper part of the can, as it is traditionally located. Examples of such prior art apparatuses are shown in the U.S.A. 4,656,838 and 4,555,741. In each of these prior art applications, the heat exchange unit is fixed to the bottom of the beverage can and is also operated from the bottom of the beverage can. The drive in each case includes a mechanism for piercing a wall or diaphragm located in the lower part of the can that closes and seals the heat exchange unit. Although these structures solve some of the problems of the prior art, the mechanisms used are difficult to construct and do not provide adequate protection against the inadvertent activation of the UIC. There are also devices of the prior art that provide an isothermal reaction to heat food or beverages in situ. Such devices are convenient and useful in the same manner and for the same reasons set forth above with respect to recipients of self-cooling An example of such a prior art device is set forth in the U.S. patent. No. 5,620.02 of the prior art. Although the heat exchange unit for that structure is fixed at the bottom of the can and activated separately, the structure is complex and expensive to manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A method of manufacturing a container having a heat exchange unit therein, which includes removing a predetermined amount in the material from the central part of the bottom of the container, forming a flange extending substantially perpendicularly to the container. with respect to the lower part and surrounding the opening, and fixing a heat exchange unit to the flange. A can that includes an upper part and a lower part and that has a heat exchange unit fixed to the lower part of the can with a flange formed integrally with the lower part of the can. The heat exchange unit and a valve cup disposed on each side of the flange and permanently attached to the flange by shaping.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an exploded view of a self-cooling or self-heating beverage container constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates a step in the formation of a fastening flange in the lower part of the beverage container; Figure 3 illustrates the beverage container after the passage illustrated in Figure 2; Figure 4 illustrates the second step in the formation of the flange used in the beverage container of the present invention; Figure 5 illustrates the beverage can subsequent to the step illustrated in Figure 4; and Figure 6 illustrates a process for self-cooling beverage completed and constructed in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DECRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now more particularly to Figure 1, there are illustrated in exploded view the components of a process for self-cooling beverage constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Although the invention is equally applicable to containers for food or for self-cooling or self-heating beverage, the following description is given with respect to a self-cooling beverage container for purposes of illustration and description use, but without limitation of the invention. As shown therein, the general assembly for self-cooling beverage includes a beverage can 12 having a lower portion 14 and an upper portion (not shown). A heat exchange unit (UIC) comprises a vessel 16 having a lid 18 which will be fixed to the vessel 16 by crimping, soldering, with adhesives or the like. The UIC can be a one-piece structure with the upper part flanged inward for fixing. The vessel 16 contains a refrigerant which can be any known from the type of material of the art such as hydrofluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, a mixture of hydrocarbons and halogen gases or the like. In the presently preferred embodiment of this invention, the refrigerant is a carbon and carbon dioxide absorber / desorbent system of the type disclosed in the U.S. patent. 5,692,381 to which reference is made herein and is incorporated herein by such reference. When a device of the type using the carbon and dioxide system is used as the refrigerant, it is convenient to provide a heat collector as illustrated with 20 to help conduct the heat in the beverage contained within the beverage can 12 of the surface of the heat exchange vessel 16 to be discharged from the system 10 with the activation of the heat exchange unit. A valve cup 22 is also provided which it includes a valve 24 secured thereto. One adjusts cover or protective cap 26 on the valve 24 to protect it against inadvertent actuation thus activating the heat exchange unit when it is not needed and to provide an indicator to the consumer that the unit has not been activated. The combination of the valve cup 22 and the heat exchange unit must be fixed to the lower part 14 of the beverage can 12. This is done by providing a flange 28 directed downwards in the lower part 14 of the can. The flange is sandwiched between the valve cup 22 and the top or top 18 of the heat exchange unit and the material is then formed, preferably metal, with which these units are made, for example by crimping or stamping to secure these elements together and thereby fix the heat exchange unit permanently to the bottom part 14 of the beverage can 12. An elastomeric material is placed such as a washer 30 between the flange 28 and the inner surface 32 of the cover 18 of the heat exchange unit to provide an effective seal between them. A similar elastomeric material is applied on the outer surface of the valve layer 22 and thus a seal is provided between the valve layer 22 and the beverage can 14. The critical factor according to the principles of the present invention is to provide means for permanently sealing and fixing the heat exchange unit to the bottom of the beverage can. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, this means is the flange 28 directed downwards which, as will be evident subsequently, is formed as an integral part of the beverage can 12.

Although the flange directed downwards in Figure 1 is shown, it must be understood that with certain modifications the flange can be directed upwards (outside the container). Referring now to Figures 2 and 4, the apparatus for forming the flange 28 on the bottom of the can is shown. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that what is illustrated in Figures 2 and 4 are schematic sketches for carrying out manufacturing methods to form the flange 28. In actual production and particularly in mass production, the equipment will be automated and much more sophisticated than the one illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. However, the principle involved will be the same and therefore the invention should not be limited by the drawings. In order to form the flange 28, some material must first be removed from the bottom part 14 of the beverage can. As shown in Figure 2, an anvil 34 is provided that rests on a base 36 such that the anvil is well supported and in a position to receive the forces generated by the admission of a punch 38. The outer diameter d1 of the The punch 38 is substantially the same as the diameter of the hole 40 that is formed in the upper portion of the anvil 34. There will be a sufficient difference between the diameters that the clearance allows for the punch 38 to enter the hole 40 without adhering. The extraction of the material is performed by placing the beverage can 12 on the anvil 34 with the lower part 14 of the can placed on the bore 40. The can 12 must be placed centrally on the anvil 34 and an appropriate mounting device can be placed such as a separator 42 around the anvil 34. Obviously, other devices can be used to properly position the can 12 centrally with respect to the anvil 34. Once the can is placed like this, it moves downward as seen in Fig. 2 of so that the lower part 14 of the can rests securely on the upper load 44 of the anvil, with the center of the lower part 14 placed directly on the center of the bore 40. Appropriate force is then applied to the punch 38 as illustrated with the arrows 46 for moving the punch downwards and allowing the lower portion thereof to enter the bore 40. It should be noted particularly with respect to Figure 2 that only the lower portion of the punch 38 having the diameter d1 which is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the bore 40 can enter the bore 40. Once the portion 48 flared out of the punch 38 reaches the bore 40, the downward movement is restricted It is understood, however, that the central portion of the bottom part 14 of the beverage can 12 is separated from the beverage can by the downward movement of the punch 38. Once this occurs, the structure it is as illustrated in figure 3, in which the beverage can 12 is illustrated as having a hole or opening 50 therethrough. The opening 50 is formed by removing the material, moving the punch 30 from the position shown in Figure 2 down to the opening 40. Obviously, other devices can be used to extract the material from the bottom of the can. For example, the edge can be formed _-.____ t .__ ..-. .L _______, __ ,, .__ d ____ J _ ^ ____ _ | ß1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Of a cutting knife on the anvil or the end of the punch, the other surface being flat or defining a slight groove. When the surface meets the material of the can between them, a predetermined quantity of material is separated and extracted. The amount of material to be removed is that which is sufficient to allow the formation of the flange as described below without fracturing or otherwise destroying the integrity of the remaining portion of the lower part of the can. Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the next step in the formation of the flange 28 is illustrated. As shown in Figure 4, the beverage can 12 is placed on the anvil 52 which is formed similarly to that illustrated in Figure 2 and which also rests on a base 54 for the purposes described above. The anvil also includes a separate mechanism 56 for centrally positioning the can 12 with respect to the center line 58 of the anvil 52. Although the anvil 52 is similar in structure to the anvil 34 that includes a bore 60 therein, it should be noted that the The auger tapers outward as illustrated by 62 and terminates in an incoming bore 64 having a larger diameter than the bore 60. Likewise, the punch 66, which is driven downward as illustrated by the arrows 68 is also used towards outside as illustrated with 70 and terminating adjacent to the upper portion of the punch 66 of a vertically disposed region 72. It will be noted by inspection, that the punches 38 and 66 are constructed in substantially the same manner, however, the anvils 52 and 34 have a differently formed hole, as described previously. By using the anvil having the bore with the flared 62 and the straight diameter 64, when the punch 66 is allowed to fully enter the bore 60 to its full limit, the inner edge 74 surrounding the opening 50 in the band 12, down first with the tapered surface 70 and finally formed by positioning between the opposite vertical surfaces 72 and 64 on the punch 66 and the anvil 52 respectively. Obviously, the outer diameter of the surface 72 of the punch 66 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the vertical surface 64 of the hole 60, and an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the material of the bottom part 14 of the beverage can. The final result is shown in Figure 5 which clearly illustrates the downwardly directed flange 28 (the container) which leaves them to an opening 76 in the lower part 14 of the can 12. As indicated above, the flange 28 is of a of size sufficient to receive the elastomeric washer 30 and the opening 32 in the lid 18 of the vessel 16 about its outer diameter and to receive the valve cup 22 in its inner diameter. By using appropriate forming tools, the flange 28, the cap 18 and the valve cup 22 are formed so as to provide a sealed system for self-cooling beverage. In some applications, it is convenient to fix the valve and the valve assembly to the can so that there is no possibility of an internal leakage path for the refrigerant (or exothermic materials) entering the food or beverage in the container. This can be done by reversing the flange forming procedure described above. The tin is placed _, ___,., _ > _., _. __. ____t___ ___ J ____ M _ »_» »_____ M ^^ 12 with the opening 50 centered on the hole 64 in the anvil but with the side or body of the can extending upwards as seen in figure 4. The punch 66 is directed downwards as described above with the result that the direction of the flange is upwards (outside the container) as seen in figure 5 and as shown by the line of stripes 28. The flange 28 can then be curled over with an extension of the UIC of the valve cup received or formed as described above to provide an effective, sealed and permanently fixed UIC. In some cases, in which the container is made of aluminum material, the flange can be tempered to prevent further cracking when frizz occurs. Such tempering can be performed with the use of a polisher that rotates at high speed in contact with the flange. This raises the temperature of the flange sufficiently to temper it. Referring now more particularly to Figure 6, a schematic and partial cross-sectional form is illustrated of a system for self-cooling beverage completed and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as shown therein, system 110 includes the beverage can 112 having a bottom 114 and an upper part 116. The beverage can 112 contains a beverage 118. A heat exchange unit 122 is provided having a valve cup 124 that includes a valve 125 disposed in the same and that has a button 126 that can be pressed to activate the valve. The lower part 114 of the can 112 has an opening and a flange 128 hanging downwards which is interposed between the upper end 132 of the heat exchange unit 122 and the valve cup 134. As described above, an appropriate elastomeric side is disposed between the surfaces of the flange 128 and the valve cup and the heat exchange unit , to make the desired seals. A protective layer 136 is disposed over the valve 125 and held in place by pressurizing it downwardly by use of an appropriate retainer clamp 138. When the upper face of the protective cover 136 is pressed downwardly, will make contact with the button or cap 126 by activating the valve 125 to release the refrigerant contained within the heat exchange unit 122. If the unit exchanges heat uses a carbon and carbon dioxide system as described above, it is provided then the heat collector 140 internally suitable in the heat exchange unit 122 and is arranged in the form of a plurality of rib 142 through the 148 converging at a central point 150. Each of the ribs is in contact with the wall UIC interior 122 and conducts the heat contained within the beverage 118 internally through the agent carbon that can be discharged upwardly through the valve 125 with the carbon gas and carbon dioxide escaping. Obviously, the heat exchange unit and the refrigerant can take many other forms and can also be replaced by an exothermic reaction system without deviating from the spirit and scope of the present invention which is directed to the way of fixing the ^ '-J ._: - ¿i_fa _ * ._ Á_á_ - heat exchange unit to the lower part of the container for food or drink.

Claims (16)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A method for manufacturing a container, comprising: a can having an upper part and a lower part and a heat exchange unit having a valve cup, said unit placing heat exchange inside the beverage can and being fixed to the lower part thereof, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) extracting a predetermined amount of material centrally from said lower part of said can to provide an opening therethrough; b) forming a flange that extends substantially perpendicular to said lower part of the material surrounding said opening; and c) permanently attaching said flange to said heat exchange unit and said valve cup.

2. The method for manufacturing a container according to claim 1, further characterized in that said extraction step includes providing an anvil and a punch that defines cutting edges, placing said beverage can with said lower part disposed centrally on said anvil and contacting said cutting edges with said lower part, with sufficient force to extract said material.

3. The method for manufacturing a self-cooling container for beverages according to claim 1, further characterized because said extraction step includes providing an anvil defining a bore having a first diameter, placing said beverage can with said lower part disposed centrally on said bore and inserting a punch through said lower part and said bore, thus extracting said material .

4. The method for manufacturing a container according to claim 3, further characterized in that said forming step includes providing an anvil that defines a bore having a first diameter and an incoming bore having a second diameter, said second being greater diameter than said first diameter and interconnecting a tapered region with said first and second holes; providing a punch having first and second diameters separated by a tapered section, said second diameter of said punch being greater than said first diameter thereof and said second diameter of said punch being smaller than the diameter of said counterbarrel of said anvil; coloring said lower part of the can with said opening therein centrally on said hole in said anvil; and inserting said punch into said anvil in such a manner that said tapered sections of said punch make contact with said tapered sections of said hole.

5. The method for manufacturing a container according to claim 1, further characterized in that said fixing step includes sandwiching said flange between said heat exchange unit and said valve cup. , _ __-t__ «Mfkaa. j ,,, ». .a¡ ___ * __ _ «? SM_i_ & a

6. - The method for manufacturing a container according to claim 5, further characterized in that said fixing step also includes curling said flange, said heat exchange unit and said valve cup.

7. The method for manufacturing a container according to claim 5, further characterized in that it includes the additional step of placing an elastomeric sealing material between said flange and said valve cup and between said flange and said heat exchange unit.

8. A container having a heat exchange unit thereon for heating or cooling food or beverage, comprising: an outer vessel for containing said food or drink and having an upper part and a lower part; said lower part defining an opening therethrough and a flange surrounding said opening and extending said lower part; and means for non-releasably securing said heat exchange unit to said flange.

9. A container according to claim 8, further characterized in that it further includes a valve cup having a valve and means for non-releasably securing said valve cup to said flange.

10. A container according to claim 9, further characterized in that said flange is sandwiched between said valve cup and said heat exchange unit.

11. - A container according to claim 10, further characterized in that said flange extends into said lower part to said inner part of the vessel.

12. A container according to claim 11, further characterized in that it also includes an elastomeric seal between said flange and said heat exchange unit and between said flange and said valve cup.

13. A container according to claim 9, further characterized in that said valve cup is constructed of metal and said heat exchange unit and said non-detachably fastening means includes forming those portions of said valve cup and said heat exchange unit in contact with said flange.

14. A container according to claim 13, further characterized in that said formation includes frizz.

15. A container according to claim 10, further characterized in that said flange extends outwardly from said lower part from said inner part of the vessel.

16. A container according to claim 15, further characterized in that said flange extends outwardly from said lower part from said inner part of the vessel. ____! ___ fc «-UB- m-M. - ».. ___» a,. ^ .. ¿.. «« mKA- ».. ^