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Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

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Re: Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

#51

Post by Aachen »

gcr wrote: post #48
Aachen wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never seen a thermos bottle with a relief valve. Not sure if all manufacturers in Europe have nonexistent QA or if it's just not a thing that's commonly needed since you can't heat the contents up in there anyway (it's not like an insulated water boiler, which does have a release valve). Never considered that someone might leave food in there long enough to build up explosive pressure. Feels a bit like saying a…

I bet you’ve been using these your whole life without knowing it: in non-USA thermoses, the lid releases pressure before becoming mechanically free. You’d hear a “pop” and then the lid has to be twisted slightly further before it can be removed. Not all safety features have to be obvious/obtrusive.

I see no hole in the metal anywhere on the inside. The only non-metal part that touches the inside is a rubber(?) gasket/ring thingy that sits above the thread and is squeezed by the lid, which I take out to clean and there's only metal under there as well. How would this work? Did I get the exceptional model that doesn't have one and just didn't look at other models closely enough?

Re: Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

#52

Post by jeroenhd »

jmalicki wrote: post #7
traceroute66 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> is there some expectation that it should have pressure release? Scroll down in that article to the section with photographs of "recalled" and "not recalled" lids side by side.

Why is there an expectation that it should be a required feature?

The bottles were sold as "drink and food" bottles, but expiring/fermenting food turns the food bottle into a pressure vessel.

I was initially surprised too, because I mostly know Thermos from their coffee/water/etc bottles, but apparently they're also selling these with the intention of storing perishable goods, and in that case a pressure relief system of some kind is a necessity.

Often bottles have special threads with holes in them to let out the pressure when you twist them open, but it appears they didn't do that here.

Re: Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

#53

Post by brazzy »

roel_v wrote: post #39

That sucks. I have both and the ones with the pressure relieve valve are a pain in the ass to clean. You have to pull out the rubber inner thingy, you can't get a towel inside the hole that thingy goes into, and in general the rubber thing gets lost easily. I wish Thermos would send me a few of those 8 million stoppers, I'll promise I won't be a dumbass with them :(

> I'll promise I won't be a dumbass with them :(

Can you also guarantee with absolute certainty that you'll never forget them anywhere another person who's unaware of the contents or the danger could find them?

Re: Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

#54

Post by jeroenhd »

mschuster91 wrote: post #18
traceroute66 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why is there an expectation that it should be a required feature? What point are you trying to make here ?!?! Given that it should be there, it is quite clearly a product feature on Thermos jars. So, of many examples that cross my mind.... let's say you were a long-term user of Thermos products. There's your "expectation". I assume it probably features in the product literature that comes in the box too.

> Given that it should be there I've never seen a thermos-style container with a pressure relief in my life. However, I'm European, it appears that in the US (a country where you have to write disclaimers on microwaves that you shouldn't dry hamsters in them) common sense has been going down the toilet. Frankly, I'm all for a bit of darwinism here. It's bewildering that there are people who think it's a good idea to…

Thought the same, but the recalled bottles were "food and drink" bottles, and they do usually have a pressure relief system of some kind.

Seems to be like they sold a bottle designed for a pressure relief cap with the wrong model cap, turning food storage containers into launchers.

Re: Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

#55

Post by gcr »

Aachen wrote: post #51
gcr wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bet you’ve been using these your whole life without knowing it: in non-USA thermoses, the lid releases pressure before becoming mechanically free. You’d hear a “pop” and then the lid has to be twisted slightly further before it can be removed. Not all safety features have to be obvious/obtrusive.

I see no hole in the metal anywhere on the inside. The only non-metal part that touches the inside is a rubber(?) gasket/ring thingy that sits above the thread and is squeezed by the lid, which I take out to clean and there's only metal under there as well. How would this work? Did I get the exceptional model that doesn't have one and just didn't look at other models closely enough?

Huh. I’d imagined the threading in the cap could be made this way

Re: Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

#56

Post by numpad0 »

jofzar wrote: post #30
x______________ wrote: post #2

Initially assumed it was due to some sort of contamination or production defect. Turns out people leave perishable and fermenting foods in the thermos, and after a while when opened, the pressure lifts the lid of the thermos at quasi-unimaginable speeds, striking the curiously unsuspecting humans straight in the face, with some instances causing permanent damage to vision. Coffee is hot, but a pressure release system…

I really hope we get a video out of this to see how bad it actually is and how much "pressure" is needed for this. > Incidents/Injuries: Thermos has received 27 reports of consumers who were struck by a stopper that forcefully ejected from these containers upon opening, including complaints of impact and laceration injuries requiring medical attention. Three consumers suffered permanent vision loss after being struck…

Thermos jars have interior threads for an inner plug and an exterior thread(singular) for the cosmetic cap that doubles as a drinking cup. Maybe there's a condition where the external cup would be holding the inner plug from releasing, and then upon removing the cap, the entire lip starts tapering outward and lets go of the plug without gradually relieving pressure.

(to be fair, I don't think an externally threaded cap will solve this problem. If the thread held to a higher pressure, then the core part of the plug will eventually blow out even more energetically. An overpressure vent port is still necessary)

Re: Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

#57

Post by [deleted] »

baq wrote: post #42
jofzar wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really hope we get a video out of this to see how bad it actually is and how much "pressure" is needed for this. > Incidents/Injuries: Thermos has received 27 reports of consumers who were struck by a stopper that forcefully ejected from these containers upon opening, including complaints of impact and laceration injuries requiring medical attention. Three consumers suffered permanent vision loss after being struck…

> I wonder what about the design makes it a rocket compared to what I would assume is a pretty standard design? Injuries nonwithstanding, the quality of the seal means it was an exceptionally well designed item for the purpose of storing 99% water. side note: there's a reason you get a visit from the FBI if you buy ten pressure cookers (e.g. if you find a great Black Friday deal and have a large family and plan Chris…

[deleted]

Re: Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

#58

Post by subscribed »

jmalicki wrote: post #7
traceroute66 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> is there some expectation that it should have pressure release? Scroll down in that article to the section with photographs of "recalled" and "not recalled" lids side by side.

Why is there an expectation that it should be a required feature?

If the safety feature is THAT simple and the lack of thereof literally costs people eyes, why wouldn't that be expectation?!

Re: Over 8M Thermos jars and bottles recalled after 3 people lost vision

#60

Post by aaron695 »

jmalicki wrote: post #5
x______________ wrote: post #2

Initially assumed it was due to some sort of contamination or production defect. Turns out people leave perishable and fermenting foods in the thermos, and after a while when opened, the pressure lifts the lid of the thermos at quasi-unimaginable speeds, striking the curiously unsuspecting humans straight in the face, with some instances causing permanent damage to vision. Coffee is hot, but a pressure release system…

I'm a little surprised it's a recall - is there some expectation that it should have pressure release? Can you not sell simpler products legally?

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