Contained erupting powder stress relief toy

Abstract

The present invention provides a desktop toy, educational device, or stress relief device that provides visualization of the settling of dry fluidized powder and gas within a transparent container, where dynamic gas and powder streams may be seen flowing along the upper inclined side wall of the toy leading to a surface spout or eruption of gas and powder at the upper surface of the powder bed.

1 . An enclosed transparent or partially transparent air-tight container having a first wall, the container filled with gas and partially filled with low true density powder having an upper surface, the container configured such that agitation causes fluidization of the powder which, upon allowing the container to stand still with the first wall at a slope from vertical, the settling powder and rising gas visibly moves along inside surface of the first wall (e.g., a transparent wall) of the container, thereby creating moving channels of gas and powder, with or without sprays of powder and gas at the upper powder surface. 
     
     
         2 . An enclosed container device as described in  claim 1 , where the container and contents is in aggregate lighter than 2 pounds. 
     
     
         3 . An enclosed container device as described in  claim 1 , where the container and contents are in aggregate lighter than 0.5 pounds. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the container is a round or rectangular cylinder or bottle. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the container has one or more sloped transparent sides with or without ripples, such that when set at rest on a flat surface after agitation of the internal contents, the sloped sides or ripples allow rising gas to hit the sloped side and channel the gas into streams of moving gas and powder toward a surface eruption without need to tilt the container. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a stand is provided that holds the container at an angle, for which the angle may be static or dynamically adjustable, so as to provide an appropriately sloped surface for the internal powder and gas to form visible channels of gas and powder as the agitated fluidized powder settles. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , where the primary low density powder or powders have a mean true density of <0.8 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , where the primary low density powder or powders have a mean bulk density of <0.3 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , where one or more additional powders is present in minority volume %, and that have a mean bulk density less than 0.5 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , where one or more additional powders is present in minority volume %, and that have a mean bulk density less than 0.3 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , where one or more of the powders is composed of glass or ceramic and may or may not be hollow or porous. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , where one or more additional powders is composed of hollow silica-based microspheres. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , where one or more additional powders is present in minority volume %, and that have a mean bulk density greater than that of the powder vehicle and that has a similar or different color or shade of gray than the powder vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , where an anti-caking agent, such as fumed silica, calcium silicate, titanium oxide, is inside the container to prevent clumping of the primary or secondary powders. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , where 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. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , where the container is composed 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. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1 , where 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. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , where the container holds ferromagnetic 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. The ferromagnetic freely mobile object may include but are not limited to beads, figurines, toys, statuettes, models, rods, spheres, or balls. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 1 , where the container incorporates or is associated with one or more lighting device, including but not limited to glow in the dark plastic, electric light, motion activated light. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 1 , where 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. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 1 , where the container incorporates or is associated with an imaging device, including but not limited to a camera or a video camera. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 1 , where 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. 
     
     
         23 . An enclosed transparent or partially transparent air-tight container having a first transparent wall, the container filled with gas and partially filled with a first volume of a first fine hollow powder vehicle having bulk density between 0.05 to 0.4 g/cm 3 , and further comprising one or more second volume of particles with bulk density between 0.5 to 2.0 g/cm 3  with or without low true density, wherein the one or more second volume is less than the first volume, the device configured that upon agitation the first hollow powder is fluidized; upon allowing the container to rest with the first wall at a slope from vertical, the first hollow powder settles, and the settling powder and rising gas visibly move along an inside surface of the first transparent wall of the container, thereby creating moving channels of gas and the first hollow powder, with or without sprays of the first hollow powder and gas at the upper powder surface. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23  weighing less than 2 pounds. 
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 23 , further comprising within the container one or more objects of interest.