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Heat it UP! The Vertigo Self-heating Container Keepin’ SolidWorks Design Toasty.

by Josh on April 8, 2009 · View Comments

What could be more exciting than a thermos filled with your favorite soup flying across the room and hitting you in the neck? A heated, self-illuminating thermos filled with your favorite soup, that’s what.

Nicolas Bernal, from Montreal, Quebec, has been busy finding ways to keep his mama’s best recipes warm on a long hike and sending SolidSmack some juicy insight to the design. What I’m wondering from you is, do you think this is a feasible concept?

Could it help developing countries? Take a look and join the discussion!

The concept

“Vertigo is a self-heating food and beverage container that is designed for outdoor travel and adventure. The high performance dynamo produces electric energy that heats the element. The element heats the contents to a palatable temperature in around three minutes. No need to recharge any batteries or transport combustible devices, this product it’s 100% autonomous and ecologically friendly.

The material used to do the external shell is Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT). The PBT it’s a polymer used for thermic isolation in the electronic industry. Because it has a very low percentage of deformation at the time of his molding, it is hermetically and mechanically resistant. This material is also resistant to temperatures up to 150° Celsius, and is a fire retardant.

The premise of this concept was to develop a device that was very resistant [to the elements] and gives the user the ease and freedom to prepare a meal anywhere, at any time. I would like to further develop the idea to cater for people in extreme [conditions or] third world [countries] where resources are limited.”

More ‘Hot’ Images
Here’s some more details of the container. Click the images to enlarge them.

So, what’s your opinion? Could this be the perfect food prep device for the long haul or countries needing to sanitize water and food?

Tagged as: container, Design Process, food, solidworks design, storage

  • Will
    Q: "Could it help developing countries? Take a look and join the discussion!"
    "Could this be the perfect food prep device for the long haul or countries needing to sanitize water and food?"

    3rd world countries would benefit from something that could cook & clean water at a fraction of the cost...Though that product looks cool, a cardboard box is usually all thats needed...

    http://solarcooking.org/newsletters/scrjul04.htm
    http://www.usscouts.org/scoutcraft/oven.asp
  • Chris
    I like the concept but can't see this being used in third-world countries. My guess is that people in third-world countries don't care too much about the environment. Look at it this way - if you had no money to spend would you buy something that would feed only yourself or would you create a fire, pull out that big rusty pot you have been eating from all your life, and make food for your entire family.

    Nice renderings - PV360?

    I do think it could work well for hikers around the world if it were light enough and held enough. I can imagine that my next trip to climb the Alps will have one of these so I don't have to bury myself inside a Llama to try to keep my food warm.
  • hahaha! bury yourself inside a Llama. Wooo! that's fun. I'm thinking the same thing. It would probably be better suited toward industrialized countries - factory worker, construction, lower to lower-middle class, but made a bit more rugged for the environment.
  • Yes, the shape's keen, but looks like a manufacturing challenge. The injection molded halves are probably ok, but that metal/stainless steel piece... yikes! Don't know what kind of die that's going to require. Maybe you can metal spin it? Who knows. Other than that it seems pretty feasible.

    Now for the important questions. What software was used for rendering?
  • I've got a thermos that is conical, but I see your point, that is a wicked curve. I imagine it could be an extruded SS piece with a bottom added.

    I'm gonna guess that it was Hypershot for rendering. That's pretty popular these days. I've asked Nicolas to stop by and drop some more info like that. Hope he will.
  • Mr. N
    I have seen pieces like this made with oil assisted pressure moulding.

    They use an aluminum cup, that is placed inside a mould made by two shells. The cup is firmly locked at the head of the mould.
    Oil at high pressure is injected (I have seen this done with water too, but only for easy shapes), and deforms the cup to the desired shape.

    You can obtain almost any bottle-like shape.
    This technology is used to make camping canteens.

    Guess you should use bigger fillets, anyway, and lose a little capacity.
  • That would be pretty cool on a hike! Easy food prep and I would think that cleanup would be easy.
  • Don't you think it looks like a small volume though? I like the shape. I could see a carabiner version too, to really go after the climb/hike types. I'm almost thinking, 'shake-and-heat' type device? Almost seems like I've seen that somewhere.
  • It does look small, couldn't find a listing for volume. But if it could hold 10-14 ounces of water, you could use it to easily make some tasty dehydrated goodness from http://www.trailfoods.com/#/products/!
  • Corey Wallace
    I don't think that's going to go over well here in the U.S. Does it come in a Mega Gulp or Supersize version?
  • Yeah, that's a tiny cup'o soup. I'm thinking the heating element could be done a little bit different. I have a hotcup that boils liquid in about 3 minutes. could use a smaller dynamo.

    The problem with dynamos is that they're usually pricier than batteries. I've not competitively cost smaller sizes though. The hand crank there at the bottom (I assume) to charge the dynamo could be a separate piece, that stores (snaps in) on the side of the container and inserted to crank. This would take care of that knob sticking out the bottom.

    I like the idea, especially for hiking. Cost considerations are gonna be a issue when applying it to developing countries. Recycled material needs to be looked in to and alternative/cheaper charging methods - power storage.
  • Chris Serran
    I really like the shape of it but agree, the volume should be larger.
    You could make the handle, or a portion of it removable for use as the crank. Just don't lose it mkay!
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