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SMART HEATING AND COOLING FLASK

[Category : - Heating & Cooling]
[Viewed 2442 times]

It is a recognised problem that liquid such as drinks stored in insulating containers are likely not to be at the optimum temperature when the time comes to drink them. For example hot drinks may be filled into the container at a temperature too high for drinking in order to counteract cooling in the container. If the drink is consumed soon after filling it will still be too hot; if consumed too long after filling it will be too cold. Cold drinks similarly warm up over time and ideally should be cooled before drinking.

A number of devices have been devised to prevent or to correct such problems. For example, for hot drinks, devices may comprise phase change material (PCM) having a melting point close to the desired drinking temperature in thermal contact with the drink: when the container is filled with liquid above the melting point the PCM is melted and later gives out heat to keep the drink warm as it solidifies

Some devices aim to keep the drink above the drinking temperature and to cool it at the point of drinking, for example by passing the drink through a conductive fluidic pathway where it will be cooled by thermal loss to the ambient, or by using a PCM in contact with the fluidic pathway to bring the liquid to the melting temperature of the PCM. Such passive devices have a number of drawbacks. Firstly, they have a limited thermal energy capacity, which means a limited capability to either cool a drink that is too hot or to keep a drink warm for a long period.

PCM is only operational at or close to its melting point: if a drink has cooled below the melting point, a passive device cannot then be used to warm it. Also, PCM devices can be used to keep drinks cold (ice is an example of a PCM coolant), but again have a limited thermal capacity. A PCM-based device can be used either for hot or for cold drinks, according to the PCM that is used, but cannot be used for both. Devices that cool drinks at the point of consumption rely on a slow rate of pour or drinking, and run the risk of the drink being too hot or too cold if the drink is consumed too fast or too slowly.

The cooling volume or extended fluidic pathway involved can be hard to clean effectively in a reusable container. Also for liquids such as soup, hot lumps can persist in such devices as insufficient time is provided for them to come to thermal equilibrium with the surrounding cooled liquid. It is an object of the invention to provide an actively heated and cooled container for liquids such as drinks that overcomes the disadvantages of prior art passive containers.

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I am considering an outright sale or licensing agreement. This invention has not been previously sold or marketed. The potential to succeed in the market place is strong based on market research and the advantage of the invention over current products in circulation. Although, the product is due to be published around December 2014 or thereabout. My intention is for the product to be manufactured and in circulation as soon possible. Hence, looking for interested manufacturers or companies with resources to turn this invention into a working product.

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lagos197 (United Kingdom)

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