Self-Righting Container

Abstract

An open self-righting container comprising a convex shell with an outer truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like surface, an interior cavity, a rest surface at a stable equilibrium point of the shell, and an opening opposite the rest surface where the interior cavity may include a meltable fuel fitted with a wick.

Description

STATEMENT UNDER 37 C.F.R. §1.77(b)(5)

This application refers to a “Computer Program Listing Appendix,” which is provided on compact disc. The file is entitled “gomboc_container.stp” (531 Kilobytes, created May 26, 2011), and is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosures relate generally to self-righting objects and, more particularly, to open self-righting containers for holding spillable materials including, particularly, meltable solid fuels.

BACKGROUND

Vertically oriented containers that are open at their top are commonly used to hold liquids, powders, various particulates, and other spillable matter. In order to maximize the container interior space, minimize interior nooks and crannies and weight, and for aesthetic reasons, such containers often comprise a convex shell with a flat bottom.

When such vertically oriented open containers filled in whole or in part with liquids, powders, various particulates and other spillable matter tip over, they spill their contents, requiring anything from a simple clean-up to more active remediation if the spilled material is toxic or otherwise requires special attention. Also, when located at the edge of a support surface like a table, the tipped open container may go over the edge, causing the container to fall from a height, producing more serious spillage and possibly breakage of the container.

When such vertically oriented open containers having generally round or spherical exteriors and a generally flat bottom are displaced less than an amount needed to tip them over, the containers can repeatedly rock back and forth on their rounded or spherical outer surfaces before coming to rest. Prolonged rocking can produce spillage over the edge of the container by amplifying the disturbance of the material within the container and can also lead to the container traveling a distance while rocking so that it may reach and fall over support surface edges such as table edges.

Some vertically oriented open containers are provided with substantial weights near their bottoms or use widened bottoms to reduce the possibility that the containers could tip over. Substantial weights significantly increase the overall weight of the containers, making them harder to use, move, and manufacture and more energy intensive and expensive to ship. Weighted bottoms can also impair the aesthetics of the containers if they require thickened bases. The thickened bases will reduce the capacity of the containers relative to their overall size. Containers with widened bottoms may also be undesirable if they become more difficult to handle and store than similarly sized containers without widened bottoms. Widened bottoms may also have a detrimental effect on the aesthetics of containers. Further, neither weighted bottom nor widened bottom containers are generally able to self right after being tipped over onto their sides.

Other vertically oriented open containers use a rounded bottom in conjunction with a substantial weight to lower the center of mass of the container and enhance the container's ability to right itself. These containers, however, generally right themselves slowly because they must rock back and forth for a significant period of time before coming to rest. Such rocking can produce spillage as described above due to material in the container coming over the side of the container as it rocks. Prolonged rocking can also increase the chance that the container will strike another object (or inadvertently be struck) while rocking, causing it to tip over. Further, weighted rounded bottom containers typically move even more than unweighted rounded bottom containers while attempting to self right, making such containers more likely to move to unintended locations and potentially to fall over support surface edges.

In addition to liquids, powders and particulates, open vertically oriented containers may be used to hold solids. For example, candles are often provided in open containers, where the solid wax of the candle rests in the container interior cavity and a wick fitted into the wax is accessible from the top opening of the container. If such candle-containing containers tip over after the wick is lit, loose melted wax may spill out or other difficulties may arise. If the containers rock too much after being displaced, displaced liquid wax may come over the container sides. Providing such candle-containing containers with bottom weights, widened bottoms or rounded bottoms may be undesirable for all of the reasons discussed above with regard to open containers generally. A container design that resists tip-over and quickly self-rights therefore would comprise an important advancement in such container-based candles.

Embodiments of the present disclosures right themselves and improve spill resistance without requiring bottom weighting of the container or widening the container bottom. Even in embodiments where bottom weights are used, the mass of the weight is significantly decreased from that required in prior art weighted containers of like size and mass. Embodiments of the present disclosures return to their resting, equilibrium position after being tipped or pushed and recover with minimal rocking and little or no travel even if tipped more than 90 degrees from their upright position. Embodiments of the present disclosures self-right when filled in whole or in part with liquids, powders, particulates, or other matter including solids. Embodiments of the present disclosures are particularly suitable for use as self-righting candle holders.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosures relate to a recently discovered mono-monostatic “Gomboc” structure which currently is of interest primarily to mathematicians and as a toy or object of curiosity. The Gomboc structure is defined in a paper incorporated herein by reference which was published by Gabor Domokos and Peter Varkonyi: Peter L. Varkonyi & Gabor Domokos, Mono-monostatic bodies: the answer to Arnold's question, 28 (4) THE MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCER 34-38 (2006). The paper describes Gomboc structures using the following set of equations:

$R\left(\theta ,\varphi ,c,d\right)=\left(1+d\right)·\Delta R\left(\theta ,\varphi ,c\right)$ $\mathrm{where}-\pi /2<\varphi <\pi /2;0\le \theta \le 2\pi ;c>0;0<d<1$ $f\left(\varphi ,c\right):\left(-\pi /2,\pi /2\right)\to \left(-\pi /2,\pi /2\right):f\left(\varphi ,c\right)=\pi ·\left[\frac{{}^{\left[\frac{\varphi }{\pi c}+\frac{1}{2c}\right]}-1}{{}^{1/c}-1}-\frac{1}{2}\right]$ $f_1\left(\varphi ,c\right)=\sin \left(f\left(\varphi ,c\right)\right)$ $f_2\left(\varphi ,c\right)=-f_1\left(-\varphi ,c\right)$ $a\left(\theta ,\varphi ,c\right)=\frac{{\cos }^2\left(\theta \right)·\left(1-f_1^2\right)}{{\cos }^2\left(\theta \right)\left(1-f_1^2\right)+{\sin }^2\left(\theta \right)·\left(1-f_2^2\right)}$ $\Delta R\left(\theta ,\varphi ,c\right)=\left\{\begin{array}{cc}a·f_1+\left(1-a\right)·f_2& \mathrm{if}\varphi <\pi /2\\ 1& \mathrm{if}\varphi =\pi /2\\ -1& \mathrm{if}\varphi =-\pi /2\end{array}\right\}$

The Domokos/Varkonyi Gomboc structures are homogeneous, convex, have a continuous outer surface, with both minimal flatness and thinness as those terms are understood in solid geometry and topology. When a Gomboc structure rests on a generally flat surface it has only one stable resting position (defining as its “bottom” the portion resting on the flat surface) and only one unstable equilibrium point. If initially oriented or displaced away from its one stable resting position on a flat surface, the Gomboc structure rights itself returning to the stable resting position without intervention. Furthermore, it returns to its stable resting position with its bottom at rest again on the flat surface regardless of how the structure is initially placed on the flat surface or how it is moved after being placed on that surface.

Domokos and Varkonyi identified a multitude of Gomboc structures that are homogenous, convex have one stable and one unstable equilibrium point and respond to displacement as described above. However, all of the structures identified but one—referred to herein as “the non-spherical shaped Gomboc”—are nearly spherical in outer shape. The remaining near-spherical Gomboc structures are referred to herein as “the near-spherical shaped Gomboc shapes”.

Non-spherical Gomboc-like structures of the present disclosures differ from the non-spherical shaped Gomboc structures described by Varkonyi and Domokos, inter alia, in that their shape is truncated or cut off opposite the bottom determined by the stable resting position of the structure and they have a top opening where they are truncated. Also, structures of the present disclosures are inhomogeneous since they comprise a shell with an open interior cavity that may be filled in whole or in part with material that differs in density from the density of the material making up the shell. Accordingly, the outer shape of the shell structures of the present disclosures will be referred to herein as a “truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like” shape. The computer program listing of the Appendix is a computer-readable ASCII-formatted list of coordinates and other geometric indicia that may be used by computer aided design or other programs to visually represent an embodiment of the truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shape.

Open self-righting containers of the present disclosures thus comprise a convex shell structure with an outer truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shape as described above. The truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shape has a stable bottom equilibrium point at the bottom of the shell which defines a rest surface. The rest surface of the shell is at the opposite end of the shell from its opening and preferably is generally planar although it may be convex or concave.

Embodiments may comprise the above described empty shell as well as such a shell filled in whole or in part with liquids, powders, loose particulates and other spillable matter. Also, the shell may be filled in whole or in part with a solid including particularly a meltable solid fuel. The solid fuel may be provided with a wick and function as a candle. When a meltable solid fuel is present, the fuel may include an active material selected from the group consisting of fragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators, malodor counteractants, insecticides, insect repellants, medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, mood enhancers and aroma-therapy compositions.

A weight may be positioned in the shell between its center of mass and the rest surface to shift the center of mass of the container toward the rest surface. This increases the stability of the container and hence its ability to quickly return to its rest position.

The above and still other objects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosures will be apparent from the description which follows. The following description is merely of preferred embodiments, and the claims should be looked to in order to understand the full scope of the disclosures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the disclosures below that are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The disclosures, together with their objects and advantages, may be best understood with reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell containing a candle in accordance with embodiments of the disclosures;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the container comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the container comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1, rotated 90 degrees from the view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the container comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the container comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway view of an alternate embodiment of a container comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1 including a weight positioned adjacent to the resting surface of the container;

FIG. 7 is a partial cutaway view of another alternate embodiment of a container comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1 with a thickened shell to provide increased mass at the rest surface of the shell; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a container comprising a truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like shell of FIG. 1 coming to rest after being disturbed from its equilibrium position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the disclosures described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosures to the precise structures and operation disclosed. Rather, the described embodiments have been chosen and described to explain the principles of embodiments of the disclosures and their application, operation and use in order to best enable others skilled in the art to follow the present teachings.

Turning first to FIGS. 1-5, a container 10 is shown comprising a shell 12 having an outer surface 14 and an interior cavity 15 with an interior bottom surface 17. Container 10 can be any desired size or weight. Shell 12, which is symmetrical about its central axis A, includes a series of opposed intersecting outwardly bowed laminae 16A/16B, 18A/18B, 20A/20B and 22A/22B. Lamina 16A intersects lamina 18A along curve 24A, lamina 20A along curve 26A, lamina 22A along curve 28A and lamina 18B along curve 24B. Lamina 16B intersects lamina 18A along curve 30A. Lamina 18A also intersects lamina 20B along curve 32A and lamina 22A along curve 34A. Lamina 18B intersects lamina 16B along curve 30B, lamina 20A along curve 32B and lamina 22B along curve 34B. Finally, lamina 16B intersects lamina 20B along curve 26B and lamina 22B along curve 28B.

The base or rest surface 32 of container 10 is best seen in FIG. 4. When the shell is disturbed from its stable rest or equilibrium position on a flat surface it will almost always return to the stable equilibrium position with base 32 resting on the flat surface regardless of how the container is placed on the flat surface or how it is displaced after being placed on that surface. Preferably, base 32 will be flat although it may have a convex or concave shape. Base 32 may be shifted upwardly or downwardly along axis A to create a larger or smaller rest surface. It is preferred, however, to make the base as large as possible subject to constraints on the minimum desired interior cavity size and any interference with the self-righting properties of the container that may be experienced when the lamina are unduly reduced in size.

Shell 10 has an opening 40 to interior cavity 15 located opposite base 32. Opening 40 is defined by a lip 42 at the top of shell 12 as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. In the illustrated candle-holding embodiment, opening 40 should be large enough to provide proper air for combustion and to ensure that the candle flame does not touch the sides of the opening. It also should be large enough to prevent undue heat buildup within the container. With these constraints in mind, it is noted that opening 40 should be as small as possible when it is desired to optimize the self-righting properties of the shell.

Container 10 has two perpendicular planes of symmetry P1 and P2 as seen in the top views of FIGS. 4 and 5. Planes P1 and P2 intersect along axis A (FIG. 1).

The container can be made of conventional materials such as glass, resin, polymer, metal, ceramic, rock, or the like. These materials may be clear, opaque, translucent, or partially translucent and may refract or reflect light. Among these materials, glass is preferred when container 10 is partially filled with a meltable fuel and wick as described below.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, container 10 is partially filled with a meltable and preferably solid fuel 50 which may be a wax or other fuel known in the art for use in candles. The fuel may be a solid fuel which is liquified, i.e. melted, before or during consumption, such as any conventional candle wax, such as petrolatum or a microwax, including paraffin, beeswax, montan wax, carnauba wax, microcrystalline wax, stearic acid, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty esters, or the like, or gels incorporating such fuels, having melting temperatures above ambient, but below the flame temperature of a wick burning such fuel. Such solid fuel may be colored for decorative effect, if so desired.

The fuel may contain an active ingredient capable of imparting a benefit to the surrounding space or enclosed space in which the fuel is consumed, and may be accompanied by optional ingredients which can be beneficial to the active volatile material. The active composition will comprise an active volatile material including at least one ingredient, and optionally one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of solvents, thickeners, anti-oxidants, dyes, bittering agents and UV inhibitors. The active ingredient may comprise one or more fragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators, insecticides, insect repellants, medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, mood enhancers and aroma-therapy compositions to provide the functionality of these additives.

As perfume there can be used any ingredient or mixture of ingredients currently used in perfumery, i.e. capable of exercising a perfuming action, meaning modifying or imparting odor to the surrounding air. This means that a malodor counteracting composition, capable of reducing or suppressing a large variety of malodors, such as body malodor, tobacco malodor, kitchen or bathroom malodor for example, are also understood herein as being comprised in the “perfume,” “fragrance” or “perfuming composition” definition. Often, such a perfuming composition will be a more or less complex mixture of ingredients of natural or synthetic origin. The nature and type of said ingredients do not warrant a more detailed description here, which in any case would not be exhaustive, the skilled person being able to select them on the basis of its general knowledge and according to intended use or application and the desired organoleptic effect. In general terms, these perfuming ingredients belong to chemical classes as varied as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, ethers, acetates, nitriles, terpene hydrocarbons, nitrogenous or sulphurous heterocyclic compounds and essential oils of natural or synthetic origin. Many of these ingredients are in any case listed in reference texts such as the book by S. Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Chemicals, 1969, Montclair, N.J., USA, or its more recent versions, or in other works of a similar nature, as well as in the abundant patent literature in the field of perfumery. Many are known to possess malodor counteracting and/or antibacterial activity so that, in addition to being capable of perfuming, and thus imparting a pleasant smell to the surrounding air, they also help purify and sanitize the latter, and/or remove any malodor (i.e. unpleasant smell) thereof.

Natural oils such as lavender, cedar, lemon and other essential oils and extracts are particularly preferred active ingredients for advantageous embodiments of the invention.

The total amount of active ingredient in the fuel may comprise between 5% and 100%, and preferably, between 30% and 70% of the weight of the fuel.

A wick 52 is embedded or located in the fuel and protrudes therefrom. The wick preferably constitutes a conventional wicking material, such as cotton, cellulose, nylon, or paper, or a porous ceramic, fiber glass, or pumice wick, or the like, which by capillary action will carry liquid fuel to the flame. Suitable permanent or non-consumable wicks may comprise such materials as porous ceramics; porous metals; fiber glass; metal fiber; compressed sand, glass, metal, or ceramic microspheres; foamed or porous glass, either natural or man-made, such as pumice or perlite; gypsum; and chalk. In addition, non-combustible materials such as metal may be used to create capillary grooves, spaces, or tubes in or between closely spaced sheets. However, the use of conventional consumable wicks is preferred. The wick may be centrally located or may be off-center as desired. The presence of two or more wicks is also within the scope of embodiments of the present invention. The wick may be attached to, adhered to, or incorporated in any manner which does not inhibit the capillary action of the wick in feeding its flame once lit.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a container 10′ of the disclosures in which shell 12′ with meltable solid fuel 50′ and wick 52′ is provided with a weight 60 that rests on interior bottom surface 17′ of cavity 15′ of the container. The shell containing the solid fuel has a center of mass CM. The incorporation of weight 60 shifts the center of mass of the container downwardly to improve the stability of the container and the rate at which it returns to its stable resting position. As noted above, the mass of the weight can be significantly decreased from that required in prior art weighted containers of like size and mass.

Weight 60 may be made of metal, lead, ceramic, or another material more dense than meltable solid fuel 50′. Also, the weight may vary in size and shape so long as it does not unduly limit the container's available holding capacity.

FIG. 7 illustrates yet another container embodiment 10″ with solid fuel 50″ and wick 52″ in which the base 62 of shell 12″ of the container has a height or thickness greater than the thickness of shell 12″. This provides increased mass at the bottom of the container thereby shifting the center of mass of the container downwardly to improve the stability of the container and the rate at which it returns to stable resting position.

Finally, FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of the self-righting process of container 10 which is shown as initially in a vertically oriented stable resting position I on a flat surface 64. The container is inadvertently or purposely pushed to the left and so it moves to position II. Immediately, it will rock back to positions III and IV and quickly return to its stable resting position I on a flat surface 64. A like righting of the container will occur even if it is initially pushed more than 90° from its vertically oriented position so that, e.g., point P strikes flat surface 74.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein. The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the disclosures (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language herein is intended to better illuminate the disclosures and not to impose limitation on their scope.

Preferred embodiments are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out embodiments of the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosures.

Claims

1. An open self-righting container comprising: a convex shell with an outer truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like surface, an interior cavity, a rest surface at a stable equilibrium point of the shell, and an opening opposite the rest surface.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the shell is made from a material chosen from the group consisting of glass, resin, polymer, metal, ceramic and rock.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein the shell is made from a clear, opaque, translucent, refracting or reflecting material.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein the rest surface of the container is generally planar.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein the rest surface of the container is concave.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein the rest surface of the container is convex.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein the interior cavity is filled in whole or in part with liquids, powders, particulates or other matter.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein the interior cavity is filled in whole or in part with a meltable solid fuel.

9. The container of claim 8 in which the meltable solid fuel is wax.

10. The container of claim 8 including a wick embedded in and extending from the meltable solid fuel.

11. The container of claim 8 wherein the meltable solid fuel includes an active material chosen from the group consisting of fragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators, malodor counteractants, insecticides, insect repellants, medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, mood enhancers and aroma-therapy compositions.

12. The container of claim 8 wherein a weight having a density greater than that of the meltable solid fuel is positioned within the container adjacent the rest surface.

13. The container of claim 1 in which the shell has a base at its rest surface and the thickness of the base is greater than the thickness of the shell to provide increased mass at the rest surface of the shell.

14. An open self-righting container comprising: a convex shell with an outer truncated non-spherical Gomboc-like surface, an interior cavity, a rest surface at a stable equilibrium point of the shell, an opening opposite the rest surface;a meltable solid fuel in whole or in part filling the interior cavity; anda wick embedded in and extending from the meltable solid fuel.

15. The container of claim 14 in which the shell is made from a material chosen from the group consisting of glass, resin, polymer, metal, ceramic and rock.

16. The container of claim 14 in which the shell is made from a clear, opaque, translucent, refracting or reflecting material.

17. The container of claim 14 in which the configuration of the rest surface is chosen from the group consisting of flat, concave and convex.

18. The container of claim 14 wherein the meltable solid fuel includes an active material selected from the group consisting of: fragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators, malodor counteractants, insecticides, insect repellants, medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, mood enhancers and aroma-therapy compositions.