A self-contained meal assembly comprises a heating bag, a food pouch, and a heating element. In operation, a heating element is placed along a bottom portion of a heating bag, a food pouch is placed inside proximate the heating element, a predetermined amount of water or other nonflammable aqueous liquid is added, and the heating bag is resealed thereby allowing an exothermic reaction to occur within the heating bag. One or more steam vents may be formed through a heating bag allow steam to discharge from the interior of the heating bag during operation. The configuration of the steam vent(s) allows a controlled release of high temperature steam from the heating bag as it circulates within the heating bag to the steam vent(s) at a safe discharge angle relative to the sides of the heating bag.

The present invention relates to an instant cooking heating bag and, more specifically, to an instant cooking heating bag of which an inner bag, in which food is to be accommodated, is put into an outer bag so as to be integrally formed by the binding of the inner bag with the outer bag, provided with a heating agent and an aqueous solution bag in a space formed between the outer bag and the inner bag, and provided with a cutting means connected to the aqueous solution bag, so as to allow food to be heated and cooked instantly by a user's simple manipulation of pulling the cutting means, thereby allowing warm food to be conveniently consumed outdoors without using additional cooking utensils. An instant cooking heating bag according to the present invention comprises: an outer bag of which the upper part is open and the lower part is closed such that the upper end part is bound so as to seal the inside of the outer bag in a state in which contents are accommodated therein; an inner bag accommodated inside the outer bag such that the upper part thereof is open and the lower part thereof is closed, thereby allowing food to be accommodated therein and providing an opening/closing zipper at the opening of the open upper part; and a heating agent accommodated in a heating space formed between the outer bag and the inner bag and generating heat by reacting with an aqueous solution, and the instant cooking heating bag further comprises: an aqueous solution bag accommodated in the heating space and in which an aqueous solution, causing the reaction of the heating agent, is put; and a cutting means of which one end is connected to one side of the aqueous solution bag so as to cut the aqueous solution bag by being pulled by an external force, wherein the border of one side of the aqueous solution bag is bound to the inner surface of the outer bag along a first binding line.

A self-heating container includes a first substance and a second substance that are adapted to produce an exothermic reaction upon contact with each other, a soluble material between the first substance and the second substance, a frangible membrane physically separating the second substance from the soluble material, and a means for rupturing the frangible membrane.

An apparatus for heating a product includes a storage compartment for a product to be heated and a heater module physically and thermally coupled to the storage compartment. The heater module has a housing that defines a reaction chamber. A rigid barrier is inside the reaction chamber and defines first and second portions thereof. A first reactant is inside the reaction chamber, and a flexible bag (with a second reactant) is in the first portion of the first chemical reactant. The first and second reactants react exothermically upon contact. A piercing element can pierce the flexible bag. After piercing, the a fluid path and one or more fluid channels carry the second reactant to a section of the first portion of the reaction chamber away from where the flexible bag is located.

A heating device having at least one package surrounding a hygroscopic salt and a heater mix having at least a metal reactant. The heating device may include a source of moisture positioned in the package, the source of moisture initially generating an atmosphere having nearly 100% relative humidity inside the package. The hygroscopic salt is spatially separated from the source of moisture within the at least one package and positioned so as to absorb moisture out of the atmosphere to form an electrolyte, and the hygroscopic salt is further positioned so that the electrolyte generated by the hygroscopic salt is in contact with the heater mix. Rather than have an internal source of moisture, the at least one package may be water vapor permeable to allow ambient moisture from the atmosphere to enter the interior of the package to combine with the hygroscopic salt to generate an electrolyte.

A nested temperature regulation device includes a watertight pouch having a gas valve, a first plurality of reactive spheres and a rupturable fluid bag. The first reactive spheres are configured to create an endothermic reaction or an exothermic reaction for a set period of time when engaged by the fluid. At least one soluble barrier is positioned within the pouch and includes a hollow interior space that contains another plurality of reactive spheres. Each soluble barrier is constructed to dissolve and to permit the fluid from the bag to engage a subsequent plurality of reactive spheres after a predetermined period of time that is equal to the effective reaction time of the plurality of reactive spheres immediately previously engaged by the fluid. One or more of the plurality of reactive spheres includes a coating that delays the fluid from accessing the reactive material of the sphere having the coating.

A nested temperature regulation device includes a watertight pouch having a gas valve, a first plurality of reactive spheres and a rupturable fluid bag. The first reactive spheres are configured to create an endothermic reaction or an exothermic reaction for a set period of time when engaged by the fluid. At least one soluble barrier is positioned within the pouch and includes a hollow interior space that contains another plurality of reactive spheres. Each soluble barrier is constructed to dissolve and to permit the fluid from the bag to engage a subsequent plurality of reactive spheres after a predetermined period of time that is equal to the effective reaction time of the plurality of reactive spheres immediately previously engaged by the fluid. One or more of the plurality of reactive spheres includes a coating that delays the fluid from accessing the reactive material of the sphere having the coating.

A phase change apparatus has a generally tubular housing with an open upper and lower end and a sidewall having inner and outer surfaces with a chamber defined therein. At least one of the surfaces is convoluted, and a phase change material is disposed in the chamber. The upper end of the generally tubular housing engaged the upper end of an insulated cup. At least one passage is defined between the inner and outer surfaces of the generally tubular housing to allow the flow of liquid when the cup is tilted. The phase change material disposed in the chamber absorbs thermal energy from the liquid and then releases the thermal energy back to the liquid to maintain the temperature of the liquid.

A container may include a storage volume configured to store a payload. A thermal insulation layer may surround the storage volume. A thermoregulation layer may surround the thermal insulation layer. There may be activation of a chemical reaction in the thermoregulation layer. The thermal insulation layer may have R-value per inch configured to expose the payload to a desired temperature to ensure viability of the payload and dampen a temperature spike of the chemical reaction. A system of containers may include a system storage volume with N containers in the system storage volume, wherein N is a whole number of 2 or more. A method of making an insulated container may include preparing an outer skin barrier layer, stacking a thermoregulation layer on the outer skin barrier layer, stacking a thermal insulation layer on the thermoregulation layer, and stacking an inner skin barrier layer on the thermal insulation layer.

An oxygen-activated heat releasing enclosure includes an insulated shell with at least a first cutout portion, a second cutout portion, and a sealable opening that opens to a cavity of the oxygen-activated heat releasing enclosure. A transparent window, disposed within the first cutout portion, allows contents within the cavity to be visible from outside of the cavity. A heat releasing member, disposed within the second cutout portion, includes a powder chamber containing an oxygen-activated heat releasing powder. The powder chamber is formed by (i) an oxygen permeable membrane that allows oxygen to pass through the oxygen permeable membrane into the powder chamber and (ii) a thermally conductive membrane disposed between the oxygen permeable membrane and the transparent window. The oxygen-activated heat releasing enclosure also includes a sealing strip for sealing the sealable opening.