WO2007012868A1

WO2007012868A1 - Electrically heating cans of food or drink

Info

Publication number: WO2007012868A1
Application number: PCT/GB2006/002823
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jung Quy Doe
Original assignee: Jung Quy Doe
Priority date: 2005-07-28
Filing date: 2006-07-28
Publication date: 2007-02-01
Also published as: GB0515487D0

Abstract

Apparatus for the electrical heating of food or drink contained in a can comprises a heat-insulating sleeve (10) lined internally with a surface heater mat (16) , the arrangement being such that when the can is inserted into the sleeve the mat is pressed into contact with the can periphery.

Description

ELECTRICALLY HEATING CANS OF FOOD OR DRINK

This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for electrically heating cans of food or drink.

Various proposals have been made for warming cans of coffee, soup or other comestibles in situations where it is impractical or inconvenient to use a kettle or saucepan or fire as a source of heat. Typical of such situations is when the occupant of a vehicle wants a hot drink, the only available source of energy being the low voltage electrical system of the vehicle. Chemical heating systems have been used but these are expensive and occupy considerable space so that for a given size of can the user receives only quite a small drink. A heating element plugged into the cigarette lighter socket of a car can be dropped into a cup to heat its contents, but this system is not very efficient and is potentially dangerous. It has also been proposed to insert a can in a socket which has a resistance heating element beneath the can or inductance elements around the can. However these systems are also inefficient and have a high power consumption.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved system.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided apparatus for the electrical heating of food or drink contained in a can, the apparatus comprising a heat-insulating sleeve lined internally with a surface heater mat, the arrangement being such that when the can is inserted into the sleeve the mat is pressed into contact with the can periphery.

Preferably the heater mat is surrounded by a heat reflective foil. Preferably the sleeve is expandable to receive the can and contractible to press the mat into contact with the can. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the sleeve can be split longitudinally into two halves. The two halves of the sleeve may be hinged on one side of the can.

Means may be provided for separating the halves of the sleeve against the action of means resiliently urging the halves of the sleeve together.

The apparatus may further comprise a temperature sensor and a thermal cut out which will actuate a switch to switch off the supply of electricity to the mat when the contents of the can have reached a predetermined temperature. Preferably the switch must be manually operated to restore the supply of electricity to the mat. A temperature control unit may be provided to select said predetermined temperature.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of a heat-insulating sleeve in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is an exploded view of a base unit for use with the sleeve of Figure 1.

The apparatus illustrated comprises the sleeve 10 of Figure 1 and the base 1 1 of Figure 2. The sleeve is split longitudinally into the two halves 14 and 15. When these are brought together they define an internal space in which a standard cylindrical can (not shown) for food or drink will be a close fit. The halves 14 and 15 are of a thermally insulating material and are externally ribbed for ease of handling. The interior of the sleeve 10 is lined with a surface heater mat 16 to which electricity is supplied via kettle connections 12 and 13 when the sleeve 10 is stood upright in the base unit 11. Surface heater mats are commercially available either in the form of fine resistance wires laminated between sheets of an insulating material such as silicone rubber or in the form of an etched foil. Acid is used to etch a circuit in a resistance alloy foil which is then insulated with a polyamide or polyester insulation. In either form a surface heater mat is flexible and will conform to the shape of an article against which it is pressed.

The heater mat 16 is surrounded by a heat reflective foil 30.

Included in the circuit between the kettle connection 13 and the mat 16 are a temperature sensor 17 and a thermal cut out. Included in the circuit between the kettle connection 12 of the base unit and the an electric power supply cable 31 is a switch 19. The cable 31 incorporates a variable temperature control unit 32.

The base moulding 33 is located in a rubber boot 34 which also contains the kettle contact 12 and switch 19.

An operator 20 travels in complementary grooves 21 A, 21 B in the sleeve halves 14 and 15. On the underside of the operator 20 is an arrow-shaped cam 22 which, as the operator 20 moves in one direction along the grooves 21 A, 21 B, pushes the halves 14 and 15 apart against the action of restraining rubber bands 23 and 24 located in respective grooves 25 and 26 or as the operator moves in the other direction along the grooves 21 A, 21 B allows the rubber bands 23 and 24 to bring the halves 14 and 15 together. Diametrically opposite to the grooves 25 and 26 are hinge formations, only one being visible at 27, whereby the halves 14 and 15 of the sleeve are connected together and about which they can swing to open or close the sleeve 10.

In use of the apparatus illustrated the operator 20 is moved to open the sleeve 10 sufficiently to allow the insertion into the sleeve of a can (not shown) containing food or drink. With the can in place the operator is moved in the opposite direction to close the sleeve, whereupon the surface heater mat 16 is pressed against the can periphery. By this arrangement the greater part of the surface area of the can is in intimate contact with the heater mat 16.

This permits more efficient heating requiring less power than known systems using resistance wires or inductance.

The assembled sleeve 10 containing the can is dropped into the base unit 11 , establishing a connection of the mat 16 to the source of electricity through the kettle connections 12 and 13. When the content of the can has reached a predetermined temperature sensed by the sensor 17 the thermal cut out breaks the circuit. The mat 16 cannot be re-energised until the switch 19 is first actuated. The sleeve 10 will nevertheless keep the content of the can warm for a prolonged period because of its thermally insulative properties. There is no need to remove the can from the sleeve 10 in order to drink from it. The sleeve provides a convenient way of handling the hot can without any discomfort.

The electrical lead 31 from the base unit 11 terminates in a plug (not shown) which may be insertable in a mains socket or in the 12 volt output socket such as a cigar lighter socket of a vehicle. The control 32 is used to select the maximum temperature to which the contents of the can will be heated.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the electrical heating of food or drink contained in a can, the apparatus comprising a heat-insulating sleeve lined internally with a surface heater mat, the arrangement being such that when the can is inserted into the sleeve the mat is pressed into contact with the can periphery.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heater mat is surrounded by a heat reflective foil.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either preceding claim, wherein the sleeve is expandable to receive the can and contractible to press the mat into contact with the can.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sleeve can be split longitudinally into two halves.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the two halves of the sleeve are hinged on one side of the can.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein means is provided for separating the halves of the sleeve against the action of means resiliently urging the halves of the sleeve together.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and comprising a temperature sensor and a thermal cut out which will actuate a switch to switch off the supply of electricity to the mat when the contents of the can have reached a predetermined temperature.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein a variable temperature control is provided to select said predetermined temperature.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the switch must be manually operated to restore the supply of electricity to the mat.

10. Apparatus for the electrical heating of food or drink contained in a can substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.