Comment by jmalicki
5 hours ago
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?
5 hours ago
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?
Yes, the article seems to be not detailed enough. They show the pictures, and it is evident what the pressure release valve is, but I agree that by this logic any container or any steel water bottle is dangerous. Maybe there is some other additional feature that makes it particularly dangerous compared to other models (like, the new seal keeps higher pressure, or the lid needs fewer rotations to disengage, etc.) that is not explained here and makes all the difference. Older models didn't even have a pressure relief valve, did they?
I guess the amount of rotation needed between “airtight seal gets broken” and “lid can come off” is fairly short for these thermos.
If the difference is, say, a full 360° turn, pressure will get relieved before the lid can come off.
See also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48006887. Apparently, many bottles have discontinuities in the threading to allow for that.
> 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.
Well for one, so it doesn’t get recalled after getting a reputation for making people blind
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I think most people have the expectation of not getting a cap in the eyes when opening something.
If the safety feature is THAT simple and the lack of thereof literally costs people eyes, why wouldn't that be expectation?!
Because blinding people is bad and causes expensive lawsuits? How is this even a question.
1 reply →
> 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.
7 replies →
The whole point of Thermos is to keep things warm for a long time. That means pressure. It's a basic safety feature.
> The whole point of Thermos is to keep things warm for a long time. That means pressure.
That by far is not enough to forcefully yeet out the cap, probably not even if you take it to an Antarctic research base in -40 °C outdoor weather.
People forgetting about content that ferments however? Kaboom.
On a planet where fermentation exists, such as planet Earth, the only planet on which we, humans, reside and therefore where these containers are made and used, that means pressure.
Happy now?
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