Magnetic pairing for lateral restoring force

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10225384-B2
Application number	US-201615224285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Mar 16, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device and accessory device are disclosed. The devices may be designed to magnetically couple together. Accordingly, each device may include one or more magnets that magnetically couple. In order to maintain the magnetic coupling and resist some at least some force or forces acting on, for example, the accessory device, the magnets may include a shape designed to increase the amount of force required to move the magnets in the accessory device relative to the magnets in the electronic device. The shape of the magnets may include polygonal shapes such as a trapezoid or a triangle. Magnets, having a trapezoidal or a triangular shape, magnetically couple with one another, may provide a stronger counterforce to lateral forces acting on the magnets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic attachment assembly, comprising:
a first magnetic element; and
a second magnetic element, wherein in an aligned configuration, the first magnetic element and second magnetic element form a magnetic circuit based upon a magnetic surface having an asymmetric shape that provides an asymmetric retaining force in accordance with a relative direction of movement between the first magnetic element and second magnetic element corresponding to an offset configuration that is different from the aligned configuration.

2. The magnetic attachment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic circuit provides a counterforce to position the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element from the offset configuration to the aligned configuration.

3. The magnetic attachment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic element comprises a surface having an asymmetric surface area profile, the asymmetric surface area profile comprising:
a first section; and
a second section separated from the first section by a centerline passing through a center point of the surface, wherein the first section is different the second section.

4. The magnetic attachment assembly of claim 3 , wherein when one of the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element moves in a direction parallel to the centerline, the magnetic circuit provides a retaining force profile in accordance with the asymmetric surface area profile.

5. The magnetic attachment assembly of claim 3 , wherein the asymmetric surface area profile comprises a trapezoid shape.

6. The magnetic attachment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic element comprises a surface having a triangular shape, and wherein the second magnetic element comprises a surface having a size and shape in accordance with the triangular shape.

7. An electronic device configured to releasably couple with an accessory device having an accessory magnet, the electronic device comprising:
an enclosure; and
a magnet carried by the enclosure and configured to magnetically couple with the accessory magnet to form a magnetic circuit, wherein in response to a force that offsets the accessory magnet with respect to the magnet, the magnetic circuit provides an asymmetric counterforce that causes the accessory magnet to align with the magnet.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the magnet includes a size and shape similar to the accessory magnet.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the magnet comprises a surface comprising an asymmetric area distribution.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the surface comprises a trapezoidal shape.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the surface comprises:
a first section; and
a second section separated from the first section by a centerline passing through a center point of the surface, wherein the first section is different from the second section.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the enclosure comprises a sidewall that allows an attachment feature of the accessory device to engage the sidewall.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the counterforce is perpendicular to the force.

14. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the force aligns the accessory magnet with the magnet such that a surface of the magnet is completely aligned with a surface of the accessory magnet.

15. An accessory device configured to magnetically couple with an electronic device having a device magnet, the accessory device comprising:
a body configured to cover the electronic device;

an attachment feature configured to engage the electronic device;
a hinge coupled with the body and the attachment feature, the hinge allowing the body to fold over the electronic device; and
a magnet comprising an asymmetric surface area profile and configured to align and magnetically couple with the device magnet to form a magnetic circuit based on the asymmetric surface area profile, wherein when the device magnet is offset with respect to the magnet, the magnetic circuit provides an asymmetric counterforce that causes the device magnet to align with the magnet.

16. The accessory device of claim 15 , wherein the magnet includes a size and shape similar to the device magnet.

17. The accessory device of claim 16 , wherein the magnet comprises a surface comprising an asymmetric area distribution.

18. The accessory device of claim 17 , wherein the surface comprises a triangular shape.

19. The accessory device of claim 17 , wherein the surface comprises:
a first section; and
a second section separated from the first section by a centerline passing through a center point of the surface, wherein the first section is different from the second section.

20. The accessory device of claim 15 , wherein the asymmetric counterforce is perpendicular to a force provided by the magnetic circuit.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ji Qigen

Classifications

• E05D1/06

  consisting of two easily-separable parts · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• E05D1/00

  Pinless hinges; Substitutes for hinges · CPC title

• H04M1/0254 Primary

  comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules · CPC title