Container with self aligning magnetic sleeve

Abstract

A container with a magnetic self-aligning sleeve includes a container that defines an interior receiving cavity with an opening at one end adapted to receive liquid or solid, and a base at an opposing end. The container additionally includes a sleeve defining a container receiving interior cavity with an opening at one end receiving the container, and a base at an opposing end. Of note, the container receiving cavity has an inside diameter that exceeds an outside diameter of the container. Finally, the container includes a first pair of magnetic arrays. A first one of the first pair of magnetic arrays has a primary polarity and is included with the base of the container. A second one of the first pair of magnetic arrays has a secondary polarity opposite the primary polarity and is included with the base of the sleeve.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A container with self-aligning sleeve comprising:
 a container defining an interior receiving cavity with an opening at one end adapted to receive liquid or solid, and a base at an opposing end;   a sleeve defining a container receiving interior cavity with an opening at one end receiving the container, and a base at an opposing end, the container receiving cavity having an inside diameter that exceeds an outside diameter of the container; and,   a first pair of magnetic arrays, a first one of the first pair of arrays having a primary polarity and being included with the base of the liquid container, and a second one of the first pair of arrays having a secondary polarity opposite the primary polarity and being included with the base of the sleeve.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve and the container are both cylindrical in shape. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein an exterior portion of the container interlocks with an interior portion of the liquid container receiving cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the exterior portion is a longitudinal ridge and the interior portion comprises a groove adapted to receive the ridge. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic arrays of the first pair each comprise two equidistantly positioned magnets of common polarity. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the magnets are embedded within the base of the liquid container. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic arrays of the first pair each comprise two equidistantly positioned magnets of opposite polarity. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein the magnets are embedded within the base of the container. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic arrays of the second pair each comprise two equidistantly positioned magnets of common polarity. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9 , wherein the magnets are embedded within the base of the sleeve. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic arrays of the second pair each comprise two equidistantly positioned magnets of opposite polarity. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the magnets are embedded within the base of the sleeve. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a second pair of magnetic arrays, a first one of the second pair of arrays having the secondary polarity and being included with the base of the container, and a second one of the second pair of arrays having the primary polarity and being included with the base of the sleeve. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the first one of the first pair of arrays and the first one of the second pair of arrays comprises four magnets of alternating polarity equidistantly embedded within the base about a centerpoint of the base of the container. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein the second one of the first pair of arrays and the second one of the second pair of arrays comprises four magnets of alternating polarity opposite that of the four magnets embedded within the base of the container, and are equidistantly embedded within the base of the sleeve about a centerpoint of the base of the sleeve. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the base of the sleeve further comprises a toggle lock, the toggle lock comprising a rocker with two ends and a fulcrum point therebetween coupling the rocker to the base of the container and providing a fulcrum point about which the two ends of the rocker rocks moves along an arcing path, the rocker comprising two positions:
 a closed position in which one of the ends engages a receiving structure in the base of the container while another of the ends moves away from the base of the container along the arcing path, and   an open position in which the one of the ends moves away from the base of the container along the arcing path while the another of the ends moves towards the base of the container along the arcing path, but does not engage with any portion of the base of the container.   
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein each of the ends of the rocker includes a magnet having the primary polarity causing the rocker to be biased in one of the open position and the closed position by a magnetic force between the magnet in one of the ends closest to the base of the container and the second one of the first pair of arrays having the secondary polarity opposite the primary polarity and being included with the base of the sleeve. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the rocker is an arm with a length that exceeds a width of the arm. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 18 , wherein the arm is disposed within the base of the sleeve at a positive angle relative to an axis defined by the second one of the first pair of arrays having the secondary polarity opposite the primary polarity and being included with the base of the sleeve. 
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the receiving structure is a notch defined in the base of the container and wherein the one of the ends engaging the notch is a protrusion extending from the one of the ends towards the base of the container.