Patent Application
20240058721
Sand art bottles are popular ornamental objects or art that are created by pouring colored sand in different layers or patterns into transparent or semi-transparent bottles, jars, or other containers. These objects are often filled to the brim and sealed in order to prevent the sand from moving and changing shape over time. In other words, sand art bottles are static objects where the pattern of sand does not change over time and cannot be interacted with to create new patterns of colored sand.
Other toys that involve containers with visible moving internal powders or liquids have been popular for centuries. For example, the hourglass, colored water and oil toys, and moving sand art toys are readily available from many novelty vendors and create interest by allowing the observer to see the heavier granular contents gradually settle to the bottom of the device in a soothing manner. Variations include toys such as the rainstick1-3 where a vertical sealed tube having internal rods or lattice with gaps is partially filled with beads, pebbles, seeds, or other heavy particles that are smaller in size than the gaps in the lattice. On turning the tube upside down, the particles gradually filter down the lattice to make sounds or a visual pattern of particles spilling down the lattice. The dry granule/particle toys involve watching heavy particles fall with gravity. The liquid oil and water toys involve watching high specific gravity fluids fall, or lower specific gravity oils or bubbles float upwards, in a liquid medium.
Many toys or stress relief devices that focus on moving granules or powders rely on the presence of liquids such as oil or water to slow down the motion of sand, and the motion of interest is mostly downward settling of the sand along the dependent part of the toy, such as seen with moving sand art toys. These toys often involve colored sand with slightly different physical properties from each other, but the sand has higher true density than the liquid oil or water medium such that the sand falls with gravity within the liquid oil or water medium.
Fluidization of dry powder or granules is a well described phenomenon whereby a bed of dry powder or granules that is in static repose is then agitated either by shaking or by passing gas from beneath the powder or granule bed to then cause a dynamic state where the bed of granules become loosened and temporarily take on some physical properties similar to a liquid in that the powder or granules become flowable. This fluidized state generally ceases very soon after the agitating forces stop. Generally, the fluidized powder or granules settles to a static resting state almost instantly or within a couple of seconds after the agitating forces cease.
The rapid loss of fluidization is because the powder or granules being observed generally have a high bulk density >0.5 g/cm3 or high true density >0.8 g/cm3, which causes the powder or granules to fall quickly through gas, and the powder or granule particles are fairly large, often 0.1 mm or larger, such that gas is able to rapidly seep between the spaces of the powder or granules without much deflection of the granules. The rapidity of loss of fluidization means that the settling process is brief and not particularly interesting to see visually, especially compared to the fluidized state where the powder or granules rae dynamically moving and swirling. As such, fluidization demonstrations generally are only interesting when the active forces of fluidization, such as actively pumped air underneath a sand bed, are continually applied.
Another aspect of fluidization is that it is often messy. Powder and granules may fly out of the containers and cause dust that may be irritating to the observer, such as by inhalation or contact with the eyes and ears.
Toys that involve motion of powders or granules in a dry state to create dynamic motion of powders or granules generally focus on the motion of the powders or granules falling in gravity. For example, the hour glass and rainstick toys rely on fixed obstacles or channels through which sand falls from the top compartment to the lower compartment, and in those toys the main observation of interest is the visual falling or sound of clattering of the particles through a passageway with gravity from the top compartment to the bottom compartment of the toy. These toys, including the hour glass and rainstick, do not focus on the dynamic upwards motion of gas within the powders and do not focus on patterns generated by the particles and gas.
In science demonstrations as are common on YouTube.com, the focus of fluidization is on the visual appearance of the top of the sand surface where the sand takes on a fluid-like dynamic behavior so long as the agitating force is continually applied. Side views of fluidized sand do show expansion of the sand columns or large discrete bubbles of gas rising through the sand column, but generally these science demonstrations show static layers of different color sand in a transparent container, then show the dissipation of the patterned layers of sand as the sand is agitated and fluidized and mixed. There is little if any gain of interesting patterns with the fluidization process, except that large lower density objects such as buried tennis balls may rise to the surface of a fluidized sand bed, and heavy objects may sink down into a fluidized sand bed.
Other toys simulate volcanoes or spouts. These are commonly exemplified by chemical reactions within a container that create expanding gas, liquid, or foam that erupt from the top of the container, as may occur with baking soda and vinegar and soap solutions, or sugar in carbonated soda. Only the top of the simulated volcano eruption is generally of interest in these toys. Other volcano toys involve pumping liquids out of a container to create a volcano-like effect at the surface of the volcano. These toys or science demonstrations do not generally show the build up of and motion of forces below the ground surface, and they are often one-time or limited number eruptions that deplete the eruption material and require new unused chemicals or fluids to be re-introduced to create new eruptions.
Lava lamps are liquid based toys where different immiscible liquids with different thermoexpansion coefficients are mixed in a closed container, with gentle heat applied to the lower portion of the container. The blobs of liquid rise and fall within the container in an interesting and often unpredictable manner as the blobs of liquid expand and become less dense with heat and rise in the container, then cool and become more dense and fall in the container until the heat is turned off.
The present invention describes a toy in a partially or wholly transparent sealed container partially filled with dry very low true density powder vehicle that is highly flowable and filled with gas in the remaining headspace. In various embodiments of the invention, agitation of the powder such as by turning the container upside down to loosen the powder followed by shaking allows the powder to become readily fluidized by mixing with the gas in the headspace, thereby causing expansion of the apparent volume of the low density powder vehicle. In various embodiments of the invention, after fluidization of the powder and with the container held such that a transparent wall of the container is at a sloped angle from vertical away from the observer, the gas rising through the fluidized powder meets that sloped wall and then travels along the wall to form one or more rising channels of gas and powder that can be visibly observed through the transparent wall of the container. In various embodiments of the invention, the rising channel of gas and powder rises through to the powder surface where a plume or jet of gas and powder may be visibly seen through the transparent wall of the container. In various embodiments of the invention, the plume or jet of gas and powder at the surface of the powder layer resembles a miniature volcano or geyser. In various embodiments of the invention, multiple channels of gas and powder may form in parallel beneath the top surface of the powder and may coalesce in the container and be seen through the transparent wall of the container. In various embodiments of the invention, other materials may be present in the container to add interest to the dynamic action of the powder, such as objects that float on top of the fluidized powder, or different colored higher density powder that may highlight the paths of the channels of gas, or objects that may be captured and released into the fluidized powder either from below or above the powder upper surface. In various embodiments of the invention, the container may be shaped to create interest, such as for decoration or to alter the direction of flow of powder or channels of gas as the dynamic fluidized powder and gas settle to a resting state.
In various embodiments of the invention, the sealed container contains additional powder of smaller volume than the powder vehicle, and this smaller volume of powder has different physical properties than the powder vehicle, with these physical properties including one or more of the following: color, bulk density, true gravity, granule size, or ferromagnetic properties. In various embodiments, the smaller volume powder makes up less than about 49% of the volume of the total powder. In various embodiments, the smaller volume powder makes up less than about 20% of the total powder. In various embodiments, the smaller volume powder makes up less than about 5% of the total powder. In various embodiments, the smaller volume powder makes up less than about 1% of the total powder.
The powder vehicle of the invention, in various embodiments, is composed of low true density material with true density between about 0.8 g/cm3 and 0.05 g/cm3. In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle has a true density of between 0.2 to 0.6 g/cm3. In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle has a true density of between 0.25 to 0.45 g/cm3. In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle has a true density of between 0.1 to 0.25 g/cm3.
In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle has a low bulk density of less than 0.6 g/cm3. In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle has a bulk density between about 0.07 and 0.5 g/cm3. In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle has a bulk density between about 0.10 and 0.25 g/cm3.
In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle component is much lower in bulk density and finer in mean particle size than the sand used in prior sand toys. Sand is typically much denser than water with bulk density of over 2 g/cm3. For example, the true density of quartz is 2.65 g/cm3, and bulk density of sand is over 1.5 g/cm3. Even fine loam has a bulk density over 1.0 g/cm3. Such sand settles too rapidly to produce entertaining prolonged plumes and trails of gas and particles. In various embodiments of the invention, the mean particle size of the powder vehicle is less than about 200 microns. In various embodiments of the invention, the mean particle size of the powder vehicle is between about 5 to 100 microns. In various embodiments of the invention, the mean particle size of the powder vehicle is between about 10 to 80 microns.
In various embodiments of the invention, after full fluidization of the powder in the container, it takes over 10 seconds for the gas streams to cease being visible rising through the powder along the transparent wall of the container. In various embodiments of the invention, after thorough fluidization of the powder in the container, it takes over 30 seconds for the gas streams to cease being visible rising through the powder along the transparent wall of the container. In various embodiments of the invention, after thorough fluidization of the powder in the container, it takes over 45 seconds for the gas streams to cease being visible rising through the powder along the transparent wall of the container. In various embodiments of the invention, after thorough fluidization of the powder in the container, it takes over 60 seconds for the gas streams to cease being visible rising through the powder along the transparent wall of the container.
In various embodiments of the invention, the rising streams of gas in the fluidized powder mixture cause the lower true density powder to be preferentially carried upwards with the gas stream and out the surface plume, thereby causing the different colored higher true density powder to remain behind and form visible lines and patterns, or “ghosts”, along the path of the gas streams that had risen along the transparent wall of the container during the process of settling.
In various embodiments of the invention, the enclosed gas is a gas denser than room air which would cause longer duration of fluidization of the powder in the container of the invention. Such gases are known to practitioners of the art and would be selected from relatively non-toxic gases and include carbon dioxide, xenon, and argon.
In various embodiments of the invention, the toy differs from the water/oil mixture bottles in that the contents are dry rather than wet, and so the material will not suffer from evaporation of the contents which may affect function of the toy.
In various embodiments of the invention, the main component of the powder is dry powder rather than water or oil or wetted sand. Also the container is larger in volume than typical oil water toys because one needs to allow for the contents to mix well before settling
Advantages of the invention over oil and water toys is that leakage would not lead to a large wet mess. Rather, and admittedly, leakage would result in a powdery/aerosolized material which can cause its own problems, but would not risk damage upholstery or most electronics.
The settling of powders and sands in gas or air is different than that of settling in water and oil. Fluidization by shaking a light-weight bottle of dry sand is much easier to achieve than fluidization by shaking a heavy bottle of sand in water, particularly for children who may have less strength and coordination. The settling of pattern dry powders and sands of the invention teach physics of fluidization rather than surface tension and flow which are seen with sand and water toys.
An advantage of the invention is that it is more interactive than many water and oil or moving sand art toys. The settling of the toy of the invention occurs over a fairly short period of time (a few seconds to maybe a minute) rather than over a period of many minutes as with the water and oil toys or the moving sand art toys. Further, more vigorous shaking is required for best effect with the toy of the current invention, which requires more interaction with the toy. Unlike an hour glass which produces fairly monotonous and predictable results and is best observed without direct interaction, the current invention creates vibrant and unpredictable results and is best observed by dynamic tilting of the toy to cause changes in the powder and gas streams.
A google search of “Oil and water toys” provides many sellers and examples of flowing colored oil and water encased in transparent container toys. A similar search on Amazon shows multiple toys as well4.
A google search of “moving sand art toy” provides many sellers and examples of encased moving sand in liquid within transparent container toys. A similar search on Amazon also produces many products5.
The current invention arose from an unexpected observation made during attempts to remove or separate contaminant higher true density material from a sample of desired very fine and low true density powder. Initially, a traditional method of fluidization was utilized where a transparent 3 inch diameter 18 inch vertical acrylic tube of the powder was set up, with the bottom end sealed and the tube about half full of powder. To allow visualization of the separation process, a small sample of higher true density particles with a different color was put into the tube. Knocking and manual agitation of the open-ended tube did not show appreciable descent of the heavier particles toward the bottom of the tube. The powder remained fairly static except for the top-most surface where some mixing of the powders did occur.
Then, an air pump was added to pump room air into the bottom of the cylinder to promote particle movement throughout the column. The air pump caused bubbles of room air to rise up through the powder but did not cause appreciable separation of the powders. Rather, mixing of the powders occurred without predictable concentration of the denser powders in the lower portion of the tube. The rising air after a while would cause a fixed “rat hole” tracks to open in the powder through which the majority of the air would rise, and would not greatly move the rest of the powder. The bubbles of air that rose through the rat holes would cause bubble and plumes at the top surface of the powder.
Attempts were made to use simple gravity and agitation to allow the lighter true density powder particles to layer on top of the higher true density powder particles. Despite multiple attempts to agitate a container of mixed particles, there was not substantial separation of the low from high true density powder. The powder was then put in a different transparent 3 inch diameter acrylic tube with additional different color higher true density particles. The acrylic tube was then completely sealed without evacuation of room air to create a sealed tube. Vibration and gentle knocking of the cylinder to cause minor fluidization at the powder surface did not result in appreciable separation of the two populations of powder particles. In frustration, I shook the cylinder violently with inversion and strong agitation to completely fluidize the powder and observed the powder to see if there could be any separation. During that time, I saw that, immediately after shaking, the apparent powder volume could become almost twice as large as it is in the settled state, due to interspersed gas. During the maybe 15 seconds that it took to settle, occasionally plumes of powder could be seen on the top surface of the powder layer, looking like little volcanos or geysers that spewed plumes of powder about an inch or more high. Sometimes the plumes would occur, but sometimes not. Most of the time, the powder would just settle evenly without a plume. I carried this tube around, shaking it and then watching the powder settle over and over. After a while, I realized that plumes may occur more often when the cylinder was held at an angle from vertical, maybe 30 degrees or so, tilted away from me. Furthermore, deep below the top surface of the powder, fascinating dynamic flowing coalescing rivers of rising gas and particles could be seen along the non-dependent acrylic wall leading to the plumes at the top surface of the powder. These rivers of flowing gas and particles were mesmerizing to watch, with shifting patterns never repeating. Sometimes there were multiple deep subsurface streams and multiple spouts at the top powder surface that would then coalesce into a single main spout at the top of the powder surface or even divide further into multiple spouts. It was mesmerizing to see the little heterogeneous powder and gas streams rise from small tributaries up to join with other tributaries then to form the spouts. The paths of the tributaries and more violent rushing of the powder and gas paths would change quickly, like watching a time lapse view of rivers forming and changing course.
Over the next several months, the small scale models proved immensely fun to play with. The patterns could be emphasized by addition of small amounts different brightly colored sand which would stand out against the background color of the majority powder component. This dense colored sand is not lifted readily by the rising gas and powder streams, and so they become more concentrated along the pathways of the rushing powder and gas streams and thereby appear as colored “veins” that mark the paths of the rushing powder and would remain as a visible map of the paths that had been created even after the settling of the powder had halted. In other words, the additive heavy powder, if it was not overly dense relative to the substrate powder, paradoxically became concentrated along the non-dependent wall of the container surface, because the lighter substrate powder was carried even further up and away out the plume, leaving trails or veins of the denser particles behind along the path.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein generally have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Generally, the nomenclature used herein and the laboratory procedures in organic chemistry, pharmaceutically acceptable formulation, and medical imaging are those well-known and commonly employed in the art.
The articles “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e. to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, “an element” means one element or more than one element.
“Toy” as herein used means, unless otherwise stated, a play thing used by children or adults for amusement or stress relief or learning.
The terms “particle” and “particles”, used herein refers to small discrete objects larger than about 1 nm and smaller than 1 cm, such as powders, crystals, beads, beans, grains, pellets, spheres, and granules. A particle may be solid or may be hollow or porous or contain multiple internal cavities. A particle may be irregular in shape or smooth and spherical. A particle may contain gas or partial vacuum.
The term “granule”, used herein refers to a small discrete dry object larger than about 0.2 mm diameter and smaller than about 5 mm. A granule may be solid or may be hollow or porous or contain multiple internal cavities. A granule may be irregular in shape or smooth and spherical. A granule may contain gas or partial vacuum. A granule may be porous.
The term “powder”, used herein refers to a mass of small discrete dry objects with mean diameter larger than about 1 nm diameter and smaller than about 1 mm. The particles of a powder may be solid or may be hollow or porous or contain multiple internal cavities. The particles of a powder may be irregular in shape or smooth and spherical. The particles of a powder may contain gas or partial vacuum.
The term “powder vehicle” as used herein refers to a powder that is used as the majority volume component of a mixture of powders, meaning that more than 50% of the volume of the mixture of powders is composed of the “powder vehicle”. Exemplary specific sizes for the particle vehicles include mean diameter from about 1 nm to about 5 millimeters, e.g., 1 micron to about 500 microns encompassing each single mean diameter value and each mean diameter range within the larger range across all endpoints; in various embodiments, the particle vehicle has a mean diameter larger than about 5 microns. Further useful particle mean diameters include, for example, from about 5 microns to about 100 microns, e.g., from about 20 microns to about 300 microns.
“True Density”, as this term is used herein, refers to the mass of the material per volume that it occupies, excluding surrounding gas that is in free communication with the atmosphere, such as may be measured using a gas pycnometer. “Mean true density”, as this term is used herein, refers to the mass of a given sample of material per the volume that it occupies, excluding surrounding gas and gas between particles of the material that is in free communication with the atmosphere. Mean true density may be measured using a gas pycnometer.
“Bulk Density”, as this term is used herein, refers to the mass of the material per volume that it occupies after it has settled. Bulk density includes the gas between particles that is in free communication with the atmosphere in the volume measurement.
The term “hollow” as used herein refers to having a cavity of gas or partial vacuum within a particle of a powder or granule. The gas within the cavity may or may not be restricted from communication with the external environment, and gas may or may not be confined within the cavity.
“Fluidized” as used herein in regard to powder or particles is a state where the powder or particles is agitated and in a dynamic state of mixture with surrounding gas such that there is upward force of the gas on the powder or particles sufficient to visibly displace the powder or particles.
“Fluidization” as used herein in regard to particles and powder is a process by which the powder or particles is converted from a static solid-like state to a dynamic fluid-like state by mixing with a gas or fluid such as may be obtained with agitation or other process of introducing gas or fluid between the particles that were in a static solid-like state.
“Gas” as used herein refers to any substance in gaseous state at a given temperature or environment. “Gas” may include room air or any other mixtures of gas-state material, including single substance gas-state material. Generally, these temperatures and environments in which the “gas” needs to be in a gaseous state are those in which humans find habitable, and temperatures may range from −20 degrees to 45 degrees Celsius, and ambient pressures are that of 2.0 to 0.25 standard atmosphere of pressure.
“Fluidization” as used herein in regard to particles and powder is a process by which the powder or particles is converted from a static solid-like state to a dynamic fluid-like state by mixing with a gas or fluid such as may be obtained with agitation or other process of introducing gas or fluid between the particles that were in a static solid-like state.
In various embodiments, the present invention provides a device whereby powders or particles and gas are enclosed within a transparent or partially transparent container, and where the container may be agitated to cause fluidization of the powders within.
In various embodiments of the invention, the majority of the powder (the “powder vehicle”) in the container has a low bulk density of less than 0.6 g/cm3. In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle has a bulk density between about 0.07 and 0.5 g/cm3. In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle has a bulk density between about 0.10 and 0.25 g/cm3.
In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle in the container has a low true density of between 0.05 and 0.8 g/cm3. In various embodiments of the invention, the bulk density of the powder vehicle is between 0.10 and 0.50 g/cm3. In various embodiments of the invention, the bulk density of the powder vehicle is between 0.17 and 0.50 g/cm3.
In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle is composed of fine particles with mean particle size diameter of about 1 to 500 microns. In various embodiments of the invention, the mean particle size diameter of the powder is between about 5 to 100 microns
In various embodiments of the invention, the powder vehicle is composed of fine hollow particles which may have predominantly single cavities within each particle, or may have multiple cavities within each particle. In various embodiments of the invention, the powder is composed of highly porous material. In various embodiments of the invention, the mean particle size diameter of the powder is between about 1 to 300 microns. In various embodiments of the invention, the mean particle size diameter of the powder is between about 5 to 100 microns
In various embodiments of the invention, an anti-caking agent, such as fumed silica, calcium silicate, titanium oxide, is inside the container to prevent clumping of the powder vehicle or secondary powders. In various embodiments of the invention, the anti-caking agent may have a visibly different color and true density than the powder vehicle and contribute the formation of patterns related to the settling of the overall powder after fluidization.
In various embodiments of the invention, the container contains one or more dessicants that include, but are not limited to: Silica, Activated charcoal, Calcium chloride, Charcoal sulfate, Activated alumina, Montmorillonite clay, Molecular sieve. In various embodiments of the invention, the volume of dessicant may be up to 49% of the volume of the total powder. In various embodiments of the invention, the volume of dessicant is 2 to 10% of the volume of the total powder.
In various embodiments of the invention, the container is composed partially or entirely of a strong shatterproof material including but not limited to Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polyethylene terephthalate glycol, Acrylic, Amorphous Copolyester, Polyvinyl Chloride, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Polycarbonate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cyclic Olefin Copolymers, Ionomer Resin, Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene, Styrene Methyl Methacrylate, Styrene Acrylonitrile Resin, Methyl Methacrylate Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene.
In various embodiments of the invention, there is one or more openings in the container that may be permanently or temporarily sealed. In various embodiments of the invention, the seal may be a weld, bonded part, glued on part, heat seal, or other permanent seal. In various embodiments of the invention, the seal may be a screw on cap, a push on cap, a plug, a slide on cap, a tied opening, a screw, a diaphragm, or other temporary seal.
In various embodiments of the invention, a portion of the entirety of the container is composed of glass, and may be any form of semi-transparent or transparent, colorless or colored, patterned or solid color glass.
In various embodiments of the invention, the container holds fixed or freely mobile objects of interest, including but not limited to glitter, colored paper, beads, foam objects, figurines, toys, statuettes, models, rods, spheres, or balls. The objects may be permanently sealed within the container, or may be removeable or addable.
In various embodiments of the invention, the container holds freely mobile objects of interest that can be temporarily held against the side of the container by a magnet during the agitation of the container contents, and then let go once the contents are fluidized. In various embodiments of the invention, mobile object inside the container may incorporate a small ferromagnetic component or be entirely ferromagnetic, and may include but are not limited to beads, figurines, toys, statuettes, models, rods, spheres, or balls. In various embodiments of the invention, the objects with ferromagnetic component inside the container have a higher true density than that of the powder vehicle such that they would sink in the fluidized powder. In various embodiments of the invention, the objects with ferromagnetic component inside the container have a lower true density than that of the powder vehicle such that they would float in the fluidized powder.
In various embodiments of the invention, the container incorporates or is associated with one or more lighting device, including but not limited to glow-in-the-dark material, electric light, or motion activated light. In various embodiments of the invention, the lighting device is inside the container and may be fixed or mobile. In various embodiments of the invention, the lighting device may be rechargeable or may be powered by an external source.
In various embodiments of the invention, the container incorporates or is associated with one or more sound generating devices including but not limited to a whistle, rattle, squeeze device, or electronic device. In various embodiments of the invention, the sound generating device may be activated such as by agitation of the container or by placement of the container on a stand.
In various embodiments of the invention, material or objects may be within or attached to the container to produce tactile sensations when agitating the container. In various embodiments of the invention, granules or beads or other objects with high true density of >1.5 g/cm3 are inside the container to produce tactile vibration or knocking or swishing sensations when the container is agitated or shaken. In various embodiments, the granules or beads or other objects have a true density between about 1.5 to 2.5 g/cm3.
In various embodiments of the invention, material or objects may be within or attached to the container to produce audible sensations when agitating the container. In various embodiments of the invention, granules or beads or other objects with high true density of >1.3 g/cm3 are inside the container to produce audible swishing, knocking, or clicking noises when the container is agitated or shaken. In various embodiments, the granules or beads or other objects have a true density between about 1.6 to 2.6 g/cm3
In various embodiments of the invention, the container incorporates or is associated with an imaging device, including but not limited to a camera or a video camera. In various embodiments of the invention, the camera allows for better visualization of the moving powder or streams of gas or other objects in the container
In various embodiments of the invention, the container incorporates or is associated with a mechanical device that moves gas or powder inside the container, said mechanical device including but not limited to an internal fan or pump to move gas through the powder, or a mechanical paddle or other device to agitate the powder.
The invention provides for simple method of creating miniature spouts or eruptions of gas streams and powder at the top surface of a bed of powder inside of a closed container without need to replenish materials or chemicals, such as is needed with typical erupting fluid and chemical volcano toys.
The invention provides for a simple method of repeatedly creating dynamic visible streams of gas within a bed of powder inside of a closed container by simple agitation of the container.
The invention provides methods for shaking, tapping, rocking, inverting, applying magnets to, and otherwise physically interacting with a sealed container containing low density powder, gas, and other objects of interest to create interesting fluidized flow effects.
The invention provides methods for shaking, tapping, rocking, inverting, applying magnets to, and otherwise physically interacting with a sealed container containing low density powder vehicle, one or more other powders with slightly different physical properties, gas, and other objects of interest to create interesting patterns in static powder caused by settling of the powder during or as a result of settling of a fluidized state.
The invention provides methods for shaking, tapping, rocking, inverting, applying magnets to, and otherwise physically interacting with a sealed container containing low density powder vehicle to erase patterns of differently colored powder that were previously present in the container.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention provides methods for use of higher bulk density granules or objects within low bulk density powder vehicle to promote fluidization of the powder vehicle on agitation.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention provides methods for projecting or magnifying the dynamic gas and powder flow channels and surface eruptions, including by digital display, magnifying glass, or lighting.
The following Examples are offered to illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and do not define or limit its scope.
A clear acrylic tube 0.5 cm thick, and 45 cm long, and with inner diameter of 7.5 cm, was half filled with fine white hollow glass powder particles with bulk density 0.1 g/cm′ having mean diameter <0.05 mm. An additional 10 cm3 of fine black carbon powder with bulk density 0.15 g/cm′ with mean diameter <0.2 mm was introduced. This tube was then sealed and upon mild agitation and tapping of the sides of the container, some mixing of the black and white powder at the surface of the powder was seen but with only some migration of the black powder downward in the column of lower bulk density white powder. After inversion of the tube and loosening of the powder with vigorous shaking, the apparent volume of the powder increased to nearly fill the tube, at which point the powder was fluidized. At this point, the black powder seemed fairly well dispersed in the white powder, and the now greyish powder gradually settled back to its original volume. Further tapping on the sides of the container did not result in substantial black powder settling down to the bottom of the tube as the powder remained fairly static except for some motion at the top few centimeters of the powder column. After vigorous agitation of the tube to again fluidize the powder, the tube was then held at a slight angle and a jet of gas and powder could be seen intermittently at the top surface of the powder as the powder settled back to its original volume. Repeated agitation of the tube to re-fluidize the powder and careful angulation of the tube slightly away from the observer allowed visualization of interesting dynamic streams of gas and powder forming and shifting along the upper sidewall of the transparent tube, leading up to plumes of gas and powder at the top surface of the powder. The powder remained greyish in color without substantial separation of the black and white powders (
A clear acrylic tube 24 inch long and 2.5 inch diameter was half filled with fine white hollow glass powder particles with bulk density 0.17 g/cm3 having mean diameter <0.04 mm. An additional 2 teaspoons of red colored sand with granule size ˜0.3 mm and bulk density 1.6 g/cm3 was added and the tube was sealed. The red powder initially largely sank to the bottom of the tube. After vigorous agitation of the tube to fluidize the powder, the apparent volume of the powder expanded to fill about ¾ of the tube and the powder was overall a pinkish hue with some irregularity in the dispersion of the red sand in the tube. The tube was then immediately held at a slight angle and jets of gas and powder could be seen at the top surface of the powder as the powder settled back to its original volume. During this process, interesting dynamic streams of gas and powder formed and coalesced along the upper sidewall of the transparent tube, leading up to the plumes of gas and powder at the top surface of the powder. The paths of the channels of gas gradually became redder as the white hollow glass powder was carried with the channels of gas to the surface of the powder. As the strength of the gas channels diminished, the tube could be brought slowly to a more vertical position to increase temporarily the strength of the gas channels. The dynamic gas channels lasted up to 40 seconds before petering out. At that point, interesting red streaks along the paths of the prior gas channels remained along the upper sidewall of the transparent tube. This imprint of the prior gas channels was easily erased by mild shaking of the tube. The process of fluidization of the powder could be repeated indefinitely and produced many different dynamic patterns of red streaks along the gas channels in fluidized powder. Sometimes the channels were stronger, sometimes weaker. Sometimes the red streaks were more dramatic, other times less so, depending on random factors of the shaking of the tube, the contents, and the way the container was held during the settling process. (
Two 500 mL clear PET bottles were half filled with white hollow glass particles, one with true density 0.45 g/cm3 and one with true density 0.6 g/cm3, then sealed. Some moisture was present resulting in caking of the powder, which limited the amount of fluidization which could be achieved with manual agitation of the bottle. Although channels of gas could be seen after powder fluidization, the channels were not well formed and were of short duration. Then 5 mL of a dessicant flow agent fumed silica was added to each bottle then the bottles were re-sealed. The fluidization of the powders in each bottle were then improved and distinct channels of gas could be seen after fluidization and tilting of the bottles.
Twelve 20 oz wide mouth clear PET bottles were partially filled with different powders, two with true density 0.6 g/cm3, four with true density 0.45 g/cm3, four with true density 0.28 g/cm3, two with true density 0.11 g/cm3 white hollow glass particles. All were temporarily sealed. After powder fluidization and tilting the container, the 0.6 g/cm3 bottles showed only brief channels of gas rising through the powder, lasting less than 15 seconds, while the 0.28 g/cm3 and 0.45 g/cm3 bottles showed longer duration gas channels after fluidization, up to 40 seconds or more. The 0.11 g/cm3 bottle showed longer duration of gas channels, though the channels were harder to see.
In each bottle, 5 mL of colored sand was added. After fluidization of the powder and tilting the container, the 0.6 g/cm3 showed only faint colored trails of sand along the gas channels while the 0.45 g/cm3 powder bottles showed distinct colored trails. The 0.27 g/cm3 powder showed similar colored trails but the trails were more diffuse. The 0.11 g/cm3 powder did not show vivid colored trails since the colored sand ended up falling mostly into the bottom of the bottles rather than being suspended in the powder.
In one bottle of each true density powder described above, 5 mL of large granule sand (about 1 to 2 mm granule diameter) was added to the bottle. The density and large size granules of the sand caused the majority to sink to the bottom of all bottles. The sand caused a swishing sound on shaking the bottle, and added noticeable heft to the bottle.
Four 500 mL clear PET bottles were half filled with white hollow glass particles having true density 0.45 g/cm3. Two bottles were 6 inches tall, and two were 8 inches tall. On fluidization, the gas streams were of longer duration in the 8 inch tall bottles.
Styrofoam triangles and spheres, about 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter, were added to the bottles and the bottles were sealed. The Styrofoam pieces could be submerged in the powder when at rest. On fluidization, the styrofoam floated to the top of the powder while allowing visible channels of gas and powder to readily form in the containers and erupt from the top surface of the powder.
A metallic ferromagnetic fastener with bent arms was added to the bottles containing Styrofoam and the containers were sealed. The fastener sank to the bottom of the container, but could easily be moved about the container by use of a magnet outside the container. The fastener could be manipulated using a magnet to push Styrofoam down below the powder surface. The fastener, being manipulated by an external magnet, could also be used to alter the patterns of colored sand and dynamic streams of gas while the powder was fluidized or to alter the patterns of sand after the powder had settled.
About 5 mL of glitter was placed in one of the 8 inch tall bottles and the glitter behaved similar to the colored sand, and outlined the dynamic streams of gas. The glitter could also be manipulated by the metallic fastener and the magnet.
The present disclosure claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/355,437, filed on Jun. 24, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63355437 | Jun 2022 | US |
