Abstract:
A portable container for storing a substance capable of having varying degrees of viscosity is described. The container holds the substance, such as marijuana concentrate, without leakage or spilling and at a nearly constant upright or level position. The container includes several components including an outer shell, an inner ball having a low center of gravity, and liners that are inserted into the inner ball to hold the substance. A heavy base in the inner ball provides a low center of gravity for the ball which helps keep it upright regardless of the orientation or movement of the container. The outer shell includes two components that are coupled tightly using a pin, track, and magnet mechanism requiring little effort by the user to open and close.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/316,415, filed Mar. 31, 2016, entitled “Spherical Container”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Marijuana concentrate is a fluid substance having varying degrees of viscosity depending primarily on the ambient temperature of the environment in which the concentrate is stored. At room temperature and cooler, the substance has a low viscosity, that is, it does not flow or flows slowly. Once the temperature increases and the ambient temperature becomes warmer, the substance has a higher viscosity; it can be characterized as slowly “melting” and becoming more of a liquid that seeks its own level. This causes at least two related problems for those carrying the substance. One is that it may seep out of a container if it is not tightly sealed. Second, if the container is properly sealed to prevent leakage, the substance, being more viscous, will seek its own level (like any liquid) and may settle in such a way that causes spillage or leakage when the user opens the container. Depending on how the container was positioned or oriented in the user&#39;s pocket or handbag, for example, opening the container can cause the substance to leak out and, generally, cause an unpleasant and messy experience. The substance may have melted to an extent that caused it to seek a level or position in the container (e.g., at a steep angle) that makes opening the container difficult without getting the substance on the user&#39;s fingers, on the container&#39;s edges and outer surface, or onto other articles. Moreover, the substance can be wasted or get on other articles in the user&#39;s pocket, handbag, and the like. Overall, all these factors diminish the user experience of storing, transporting, and accessing the concentrate or whatever substance is being stored. 
         [0003]    It would be desirable to have a container for marijuana concentrate or any viscous substance having similar properties that prevents seeping or leakage when closed. It would also be desirable to have the container allow the substance to always be upright, that is, conform to a level that is horizontal or flat (e.g., relative to the floor or ground) when its viscosity increases to prevent accidental spillage when opening. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The invention and the advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram of a bottom component of the container; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a perspective diagram of a top component of the container; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a perspective diagram showing a closed container; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective diagram of an inner ball in accordance with one embodiment; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4B  is a straight side view of the inner ball showing relative sizes of base and storage area; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a diagram showing inner ball resting in a container component; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  which shows a container component held at roughly an angle and inner ball remaining flat; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  shows various types of liners; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective diagram showing a liner in an inner ball. 
       
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    A portable container for storing a substance capable of having varying degrees of viscosity is described. The container holds the substance, such as marijuana concentrate, without leakage or spilling and at a nearly constant upright or level position. In one aspect of the invention, the container includes several components. The outer shell is made up of two components that interlock with each other using a series of pins that insert into a series of tracks or indentations. Magnets in each component pull the two components together in a manner where the pins easily fall into place in the tracks without effort from the user. The seal is tight to prevent leakage or spilling of the substance. The container can be opened by twisting the components in opposite directions to a point where the user can easily pull the two apart. In the shell is an inner ball that has a heavy base and a wide opening at the top. The storage area of the ball is surrounded by a lighter material and the floor of the storage area is a flat surface of the metal base. This base provides a low center of gravity for the ball which helps keep it upright regardless of the orientation or movement of the container. Various types of liners can be inserted into the cavity of the inner ball to hold the substance. In this manner the substance, which may become more viscous as temperatures rises, stays upright or level and thereby prevents leakage or spilling when the user opens the container. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    A container for storing a substance capable of having varying degrees of viscosity without leakage or spilling and at a nearly constant upright or level position is described in the various figures. In one embodiment, the container is generally spherical and is about one inch in diameter. In other embodiments, the container may have different volumetric shapes and dimensions. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, the container has an outer or exterior shell comprised of two components, a top and a bottom. As is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the two components are similarly shaped with the primary difference being the features that enable coupling of the two components to create the container. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram of a bottom component. As can be seen, bottom component  102  has a semi-spherical shape and a portion of the bottom is flat (not shown) so it can stand upright when placed on a level surface. A flat cross-cut section  104  traversing the top perimeter of the component shows a sample width or thickness of component  102 . This width can vary in other embodiments. In one embodiment, the edge has five notches or indentations with openings on the outer surface of component  102 . Each indentation holds a magnet where a first portion of the magnet is embedded in the notch and a second portion of the magnet protrudes or extends from the outer surface of component  102 . Shown are five magnets  106   a - 106   e.  The top surface of each magnet  106   a - 106   e  is flush with flat cross-cut section  104 . Also shown are five teeth or pins  108   a - 108   e,  each one adjacent to each of magnets  106   a - 106   e.  In other embodiments, teeth  108   a - 108   e  can be placed at any location between magnets  106   a - 106   e.  In one embodiment, they are made of the same material as the material used for the body of component  102 , such as plastic, aluminum, carbon fiber, lucite, or wood. In other embodiments, there may be fewer or more pins and magnets in component  102 . For example, there may be four or seven pins or magnets. The number of pins and magnets need not be the same. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a perspective diagram of a top component  202  of the container. Its shape is also semi-spherical and is nearly identical to dimensions of bottom component  102  in order to form a spherical container when coupled. In other embodiments, the shape of the container is not spherical and the two components  102  and  202  need not have identical dimensions. Component  202  also has a flat cross-cut surface  204  around its bottom perimeter. It also has five magnets  206   a - 206   e  embedded in five indentations. In the spaces between the magnets along surface  204  are indentations or cavities that form tracks that extends along the curved perimeter of component  202 . There are five such tracks,  208   a - 208   e.  Teeth  108   a - 108   e  fit into the tracks and can move in them when components  102  and  202  are coupled and turned in opposite directions as described below. 
         [0019]    In this manner, magnets  106   a - 106   e  in component  102  and magnets  206   a - 206   e  in component  202  attract each other to keep the two components tightly sealed. As noted, pins in component  102  fit into tracks (indentations) in component  202 . When a user wants to open the container, she turns or twists each component in opposite directions, thereby causing the pins to move inside the tracks. First, magnets that are attached to each other are pulled away horizontally along the edge (by virtue of the user only twisting the two components). When the magnets are about half way along the track and each tooth has traversed the entire length of the track, the attractive force of the magnets is significantly decreased and the user can now easily pull the two components apart, thereby opening the container. To close the container, the user brings the two components close to each other and the magnets quickly attract thereby pulling the two components together coupling them, and sealing the container. The teeth immediately engage, that is, fall into the tracks, without the user having to align them. This mechanism for opening and closing the container may be referred to as a “cam” mechanism which has as its primary means the easy and quick alignment of the pins with the tracks wherein the pins are directed into the tracks by virtue of the magnetic attraction and little effort from the user. More specifically, the locking or closing mechanism of the novel container is referred to as the AKS (Alex Kessler Sadowski) Locking mechanism. With the AKS mechanism, when a container  302  is sealed, magnets in each component are aligned with each other as shown in  FIG. 3 . In the sealed position, each tooth is adjacent to a paired set of magnets. As noted, to open the container, the user twists the components in opposite directions until each tooth is adjacent to the next paired set of magnets. For example, tooth  108   a  is adjacent to magnets  106   a  and  206   a  when the container is closed. Tooth  108   a  moves along track  208   a  to magnets  106   b  and  206   b  at which time the user can pull the two components apart. At this time the distance between magnets  206   b  and  106   b  is half the length of the track or, more specifically, half the length between each paired set of magnets. 
         [0020]    Each of components  102  and  202  may have ornamental design features on their outer surfaces. For example, the top of component  202  may be flat and have a trademark, logo, or other insignia to identify the source or manufacturer of the novel container. 
         [0021]    Another component of the container of the present invention may be characterized as an inner ball.  FIG. 4A  is a perspective diagram of an inner ball in accordance with one embodiment. The ball has an open top made of a material (e.g., the same material used for components  102  and  202 ) of a certain density and a base having a heavier density, for example, a base made of metal. More specifically, the inner ball can be described as two separate pieces, the spherically-shaped, open-top container and a metallic (or heavy) base that attaches to the bottom of the container. 
         [0022]    The shape, orientation, and dimensions of the substance stored in the container conforms to the inside of inner ball  402 . The dimensions of ball  402  are such that the ball fits into either of components  102  and  202 . As noted, a metallic base  404  may function as the bottom of the spherically-shaped, open-top container  406 . Collectively, they form inner ball  402 . The weight and size of base  404  is calibrated to provide inner ball  402  with the lowest center of gravity as possible. This is the goal of having a heavy base and its benefits are described below. In addition, the size of the open space or cavity within inner ball  402  is sufficiently large to hold a specific amount of concentrate. The relative sizes of base  404  and the storage area of inner ball  402  is shown more clearly in  FIG. 4B  where a straight side view shows the relatively smaller size of the heavy base and the larger storage area above it encased by a lighter material as noted above. In other embodiments, the ratio of the size of base  404  to the size of the opening or cavity may vary depending on the type of substance being stored. However, the objective of having a low center of gravity for inner ball  402  does not change. Ball  402  rests in either component  102  or  202  and rotate and swivel freely.  FIG. 5  is a diagram showing inner ball  402  resting in component  202 . When the orientation of the container changes (e.g., when inside a pocket, handbag, backpack, etc.), inner ball  402  remains essentially stationary. 
         [0023]    Heavy base  404  of inner ball  402  and the ability of ball  402  to move freely while in either or both of the components when the container is closed allows the substance stored in ball  402  to stay upright when viscosity increases (e.g., when it gets warm and the substance starts to melt). Heavy base  404  uses gravity to stay at bottom of the container regardless of orientation of the container or how much the container is being moved around or jostled. Because the inner ball tends to stay upright, the substance stays level. As such, the substance will not leak, spill, or seep out when the user opens the container. When the user opens the container, the substance is flat, that is, level with the flat surface of the metallic base. This is shown in  FIG. 6  which shows a container component held at roughly a 55 degree angle but inner ball  402  remaining flat (0 degrees), specifically, the flat, top portion of metallic base  404  where the substance rests, remains flat or upright. 
         [0024]    In one embodiment, the cavity or inside space of inner ball  402  allows for insertion of a secondary container or liner to hold the substance. A liner sits inside the inner ball to form a barrier between the encased substance and the inner ball. Examples of such inserts are shown in  FIG. 7 . A liner  702  has a divider so that two different types of concentrates can be stored and liner  704  is intended to store a larger volume of a single type of concentrate. They can be plastic or rubber containers that fit precisely into inner ball  402  wherein the rim of the liner is flush with the open-top edge of inner ball  402 . As noted, a liner may have a divider so that two types of substances can be stored separately to prevent mixing or either one coming into contact with each other. Other variations of liners or inserts may be used with inner ball  402 . Liners may also have caps or lids as an additional measure against spillage or leaking. As long as the liner is not heavier than metallic base  404 , the advantageous properties of inner ball  402  in keeping the substance upright at all times to prevent leakage will not be adversely affected.  FIG. 8  is a perspective diagram showing a liner  704  in an inner ball  402 . As noted there may be a lid over the liner. 
         [0025]    Although only a few embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it should be appreciated that the invention may be implemented in many other forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the present embodiments should be considered illustrative and not restrictive and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.