Q-latch swivel ball joint

1 . A latch, comprising:

a ball joint including a stem comprising a first cylindrical section and a second cylindrical section, the first cylindrical section having a greater diameter than the second cylindrical section, and a first ball positioned at a proximal end of the stem attached to the first cylindrical section, and a second ball positioned at a distal end of the stem attached to the second cylindrical section, wherein an annular shoulder joins the first cylindrical section and the second cylindrical section;

a casing having a first opening at an end of the casing and through which the stem of the ball joint extends, wherein the annular shoulder is disposed within the first opening,

wherein the casing surrounds a portion of the stem and the first ball and secures the first ball of the ball joint and the portion of the stem within an interior space of the casing; and

a cap plate that has a completely threaded cylindrical exterior and that has a U-shaped cross-section and that is disposed completely inside the interior space of the casing and that is spaced apart from the first opening, the cap plate disposed at an end of the casing opposite the first opening and having the first ball between the first opening and the cap plate, wherein the entire threaded cylindrical exterior of the cap plate is completely received into the casing and joined to the casing by corresponding threads of the casing, wherein a combination of the casing and the cap plate retains the first ball in a recess defined only by the cap plate and the casing, wherein the cap plate receives the first ball of the ball joint in the recess and allows the first ball to swivel within the recess, wherein the cap plate continuously and abuttingly contacts at least an entire hemisphere of the first ball; and

wherein the stem extends outwardly from the recess through the first opening, the first opening being a single and only opening defined into the recess, wherein the first opening is defined through the casing, and wherein the first opening is smaller than the first ball,

wherein the casing has a threaded exterior surface that is configured to interlock with a threaded surface of a container; and

a receiver having a conic opening aligned with the ball joint to selectably retain the second ball inside the conic opening of the receiver.

2 . The latch of claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises a space between interior circumference of the casing and outer circumference of the stem of the ball joint.

3 . A locking apparatus, comprising:

a latch having a ball joint that includes a stem and a first ball positioned at a proximal end of the stem and a second ball positioned at a distal end of the stem, the stem having two cylindrical sections, a first cylindrical section of a greater diameter and a second cylindrical section of a lesser diameter, wherein the first ball is attached to the first cylindrical section and a second ball is attached to the second cylindrical section;

a casing configured to surround a portion of the stem passing through a single opening of the casing and wherein a combination of the casing and a cap plate is configured to surround all of the first ball to retain a first side of the first ball in a recess and secure the ball joint within an enclosure;

the cap plate entirely inside the casing, fastened to the casing by threads on an entire outer wall of the cap plate received completely inside corresponding threads of the casing and contacting an entire hemisphere of the first ball, the entire hemisphere comprising a second side of the first ball opposite the stem and the single opening, wherein a combination of the casing and the cap plate retains the first ball completely and entirely in the recess defined only by the cap plate and the casing, wherein the cap plate receives the first ball of the ball joint in direct abutting contact and allows the first ball to swivel within the recess so that the stem swivels in the single opening, wherein the single opening is smaller than the first ball and larger than the stem and larger than the second ball;

wherein the stem extends outwardly from the recess through the single opening in the casing and cantilevers the second ball outward away from the casing; and

a receiver having a tubular member configured to hold and receive the second ball of the ball joint and a locking pin configured to secure the second ball of the ball joint inside the receiver, the tubular member having a threaded outer surface configured to join a lid channel of a container lid by corresponding threads of the lid channel,

a container having a surface, with the latch disposed in an opening of the surface, wherein the container lid is selectably secured to the container by the combination of the latch and the receiver.

4 . The locking apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the ball joint further comprises a second ball positioned at a distal end of the stem opposite the first ball.

5 . The locking apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the tubular member is cylindrical and holds the second ball of the ball joint inside the receiver.

6 . The locking apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the ball joint and the receiver are misaligned.

7 . The locking apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the locking pin of the receiver contacts the second ball of the ball joint.

8 . The locking apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the locking pin is controllable to eject the second ball of the ball joint out of the receiver.

9 . A container comprising a first locking apparatus, the container comprising:

a base of the container defining a base cavity comprising a latch inserted into the base cavity, wherein the latch comprises:

a ball joint that includes a stem having a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion, a first ball positioned at a proximal end of the stem attached to the first cylindrical portion and second ball positioned at a distal end of the stem opposite the first ball and attached to the second cylindrical portion, wherein a diameter of the first cylindrical portion is greater than a diameter of the second cylindrical portion, and wherein an annular shoulder is defined at a union of the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion;

a casing configured to surround a portion of the stem and in cooperation with a cap plate configured to surround the entire first ball and secure the ball joint within an enclosure;

the cap plate that has a recess or cup that receives the first ball of the ball joint and abuttingly contacts an entire hemisphere of the first ball and allows the first ball to swivel within the recess or the cup, the cap plate closing an opening of the enclosure of the casing so that an only opening defined through either the casing or the cap plate is a single opening defined through the casing for passage of the stem and no other openings, wherein the single opening is smaller than the first ball and larger than the stem and larger than the second ball; and

a lid of the container including an indentation with an opening leading to a lid channel having a threaded interior surface, wherein a latch receiver is inserted into the lid channel, the latch receiver comprising:

a receiver including a tubular member configured to hold the ball joint, the tubular member having a threaded outer surface configured to join the threaded interior surface of the lid channel the tubular member having a conic opening defined into the receiver to receive the second ball of the ball joint inside the receiver;

a locking pin configured to secure the second ball of the ball joint inside the receiver; and

a first pushbutton located close to a distal end of the locking pin.

10 . The container of claim 9 , wherein the container further comprises a second locking apparatus, including:

a latch having a ball joint that includes a stem, a first ball positioned at a proximal end of the stem and second ball positioned at a distal end of the stem opposite the first ball; a casing configured to surround a portion of the stem and the first ball and secure the ball joint within an enclosure; a space between interior circumference of the casing and outer circumference of the stem of the ball joint; and the cap plate that has a recess or cup that receives the first ball of the ball joint and allows the first ball to swivel within the recess or the cup; and

a receiver having a tubular member configured to hold the ball joint; a locking pin configured to secure the ball joint inside the receiver; and a second pushbutton located close to a distal end of the locking pin.

11 . The container of claim 10 , wherein the container is opened by pressing the first pushbutton of the first locking apparatus to push the locking pin to eject the ball point from the receiver and pressing the second pushbutton of the second locking apparatus to push the locking pin to eject the ball point from the receiver.

12 . A method of operating a locking apparatus, the method comprising:

positioning a casing to retain a first side of a first ball in a recess and to surround a first portion of a ball joint of a latch, the first portion having a stem and the first ball positioned at a proximal end of the stem, wherein the stem has a first cylindrical section and a second cylindrical section that has a lesser diameter than the first cylindrical section, wherein the first ball is at a proximal end of the stem attached to a first cylindrical section, the casing surrounding the entire first portion of the ball joint;

securing the casing within a container by joining a threaded outer surface of the casing to a threaded interior surface of the container;

securing the ball joint within an enclosure;

receiving the first ball of the ball joint at a cap plate that has a recess that receives the first ball of the ball joint and abuttingly contacts an entire hemisphere of the first ball and surrounds an entire second portion of the ball joint and contacts the first ball of the ball joint directly opposite of the stem, the recess allowing the first ball to swivel within the recess,

wherein the cap plate is fastened inside the casing and contacting the first ball at a second side of the first ball opposite the stem, wherein a combination of the casing and the cap plate retains the first ball in the recess defined by the cap plate and the casing, wherein the stem extends outwardly from the recess through an opening in the casing, the stem having a second ball cantilevered from the stem and away from the casing at an opposite end of the stem from the first ball, wherein the first portion of the ball joint and the second portion of the ball joint are an entirety of the ball joint except for the stem, so that the combination of the casing surrounding the entire first portion of the ball joint except for the stem and the cap plate that surrounds the entire second portion of the ball joint except for the stem that extends through the opening in the casing and the second ball;

holding and receiving the second ball of the ball joint at a receiver having a tubular member with a conic opening configured to hold and receive the second ball of the ball joint inside the conic opening; and

securing the ball joint inside the receiver via a locking pin.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the ball joint and the receiver are misaligned.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising contacting the second ball of the ball joint with the locking pin of the receiver.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising controlling the locking pin to eject the second ball of the ball joint out of the receiver.

16 . A latch, comprising:

a ball joint including a stem and a first ball positioned at a proximal end of the stem and a second ball positioned at a distal end of the stem;

a casing that has a threaded exterior surface configured to join a base cavity of a container by corresponding threads of the base cavity, the casing defining an enclosure that is an interior cylindrical threaded cavity of the casing and that is configured to surround a portion of the stem and the first ball and secure the ball joint within the enclosure; and

a cap plate having (i) a cup shape, (ii) an outer surface that is threaded on an entirety of the outer surface and the entirety of the outer surface received completely inside the interior cylindrical threaded cavity and fastened inside the casing by threads of the interior cylindrical threaded cavity and (iii) an inner surface that provides a cup-shaped recess to receive the first ball in direct and contacting relation against the first ball at a side of the first ball directly opposite of the stem, wherein a combination of the casing and the cap plate retains the first ball in the cup-shaped recess of the cap plate, wherein the combination of the casing and the cap plate define a single opening, the single opening being in the casing, wherein the cap plate receives the first ball of the ball joint in the cup-shaped recess and allows the first ball to swivel within the cup-shaped recess in direct and contacting relation against the cup-shaped recess at a side of the first ball directly opposite the stem of the first ball, and

wherein the stem extends outwardly from the cup-shaped recess through the single opening in the casing, the single opening being an only opening into the interior cylindrical threaded cavity having the cap plate completely therein,

wherein the cup-shaped recess is bigger than the stem and the second ball and smaller than the first ball, wherein swiveling of the first ball within the cup-shaped recess translates the second ball; and

a receiver spaced apart from the casing and having a conic opening to receive the second ball, wherein the translating of the second ball moves the second ball into alignment with the conic opening.