Our Heritage

Creation of the Vacuum Flask

In 1892, Scottish scientist Sir James Dewar invented the vacuum flask. Through his work in cryogenics, he identified a need to keep a chemical placed in a flask at a stable temperature. To do this, Dewar placed a glass bottle in another larger glass bottle, and evacuated the air between the two bottle walls. In doing so, Dewar created a partial vacuum to keep the temperature of the contents stable. Hiring a professional glass blower to make a sturdier flask led to the commercial manufacture of the “Dewar Flask” in 1898.

The domestic vacuum flask

Reinhold Burger (Dewar’s glass blower) and his business partner Albert Aschenbrenner were manufacturers of scientific glass devices. While producing flasks for Dewar, they crafted a domestic vacuum flask with a protective metal casing and secured a patent for it.

The Thermos Brand

Burger and Aschenbrenner hosted a competition to name the vacuum bottle. A Munich resident submitted the word ‘Thermos’ derived from the Greek word Thérmē meaning ‘heat’ and Thermos GmbH was formed.

Thermos launches

In 1907, Thermos GmbH sold the Thermos trademark rights to three independent companies: The American Thermos Bottle Company, US; Thermos Limited, UK; and Canadian Thermos Bottle Co. Ltd. Canada. The three Thermos companies operated independently of each other, yet developed the Thermos vacuum flask into a widely sought after product that was taken on many famous expeditions, including: Lt E.H. Schackelton's trip to the South Pole; Lt Robert E. Peary's trip to the Arctic; Colonel Roosevelt's expedition to Mombassa and into the heart of the African Congo with Richard Harding Davis. It even became airborne when the Wright Brothers took it up in their airplane and Count Zepplin carried it up in his air balloon.

Grand Prize Award

Praised around the world for its revolutionary design, Thermos won the ‘Grand Prize Award’ at the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition and went on to be honoured at seven more world expositions.

World leader in glass vacuum technology

Thermos Limited, located in England produced the first machine-made glass filler, a critical industrial breakthrough for speeding up production. In automating this glass blowing process, Thermos became a world leader in glass vacuum technology and manufacturing.

Demand exceeds production!

The popularity of Thermos products grew tremendously – so much so that The American Thermos Bottle Company had to move to a new site in Norwich, CT to increase output.

Icy – Hot Bottle Co

Thermos Bottle Co. merged with the Icy-Hot Bottle Co. of Cincinnati Ohio, also a vacuum bottle company established in the early 1900s.

Technology developments

Advancements led to new uses for vacuum-insulated technology. Notable products were the insulated cabinets for ice cream and frozen fish, in demand until mechanical refrigeration became available in the 1930’s.

Thermos Limited economic recovery

Thermos Limited almost shut down because of the war, operating not as a manufacturer but as an assembler of imported products. Production restarted in 1931 and a metal canister factory was opened in Leyton in 1932.

World War II

When World War II broke out, virtually all of the capacity at Thermos Limited was changed over to requirements of the British military forces. Every time a thousand bombers went out on a raid 10,000 - 12,000 Thermos vacuum flasks went with them.

The Plastene Corporation

Thermos acquired the Plastene Corporation of Indiana, giving Thermos two injection moulding facilities in the US and greater expertise in this emerging technology.

2,000,000 units

Improving on their lunch kits, Thermos released the first fully lithographed steel lunch box with the image of Roy Rogers, which sold over 2,000,000 units in the first year.

Diversification

Thermos brand products, known almost universally now, had been used for plasma and insulin transit, as well as being utilised in various instruments measuring electric power, rate of climb in airplanes, detection of oil deposits and weather reporting.

Merger with King-Steeley Corporation

Thermos merged with the King-Seeley Corporation, thus entering the tent, camp stove, and lantern field.

Stainless steel

Thermos introduced the world to their first stainless steel vacuum bottle.

The Queen’s Award

The Queen’s Award to industry was presented to Thermos Limited, UK for exporting over 50% of their production to over 100 different companies.

The Thermos Coffee Butler

Successfully introduced onto the market was the Thermos Coffee Butler, a vacuum-insulated glass carafe, becoming one of the top household products in North America that year.

New UK Offices

In 1996 the UK Thermos plant moved from Brentwood to a new site in Thetford, adjacent to the glass plant.

IsoTec™

The high-performance IceBound line of soft coolers is introduced. Made with exclusive IsoTec™ multi-layered insulation and a leak-proof interior lining.

100 Years!

Thermos celebrated 100 years of designing and developing vacuum insulated products.

The FUNtainer®

Thermos introduced the FUNtainer® line of kids insulated products.

Thermos acquires Alfi

Thermos Parent companies acquire alfi GmbH, 100-year old German company specialising in premium carafes.

Thermos acquires Lifefactory

Thermos LLC acquires Lifefactory Inc., leader in glass hydration and baby products featuring silicone sleeves