SELF-HEATING ASSEMBLY WITH DISTRIBUTED REACTANT

摘要

A self-heating assembly includes a product container for holding a product to be heated and a heater container coupled to the product container. There is a reaction space between the product container and the heater container. There is a support structure (made, for example, of open cell foam) in the reaction space and a granular second reactant distributed throughout the support structure. There is a liquid first reactant in the reaction space. A frangible membrane is configured so that, when intact, it separates the liquid first reactant from the support structure and from the granular second reactant. The liquid first reactant and the granular second reactant are adapted to exothermically react upon contact with one another. The support structure is permeable to the liquid first reactant and is configured to support and substantially maintain the distribution of the granular second reactant throughout the support structure before and during the exothermic chemical reaction.

主权项

1. A self-heating assembly comprising:
a product container for holding a product to be heated; a heater container coupled to the product container; a reaction space between the product container and the heater container; a support structure in the reaction space; a granular second reactant distributed throughout the support structure; a liquid first reactant in the reaction space; and a frangible membrane in the reaction space configured so that, when intact, it separates the liquid first reactant from the support structure and from the granular second reactant, wherein the liquid first reactant and the granular second reactant are adapted to exothermically react upon contact with one another, and wherein the support structure is permeable to the liquid first reactant and is configured to support and substantially maintain the distribution of the granular second reactant throughout the support structure before and during the exothermic chemical reaction.