90 degree magnetic latch to prevent high surface flux

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9447619-B2
Application number	US-201213585567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2012
Priority date	Aug 14, 2012
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing having an external surface and a magnet within the housing that moves from a first position where the magnetic axis is substantially parallel to the external surface to a second position where the magnetic axis is substantially perpendicular to the external surface. The magnet may be configured to move in the presence of an external magnetic field of another magnet, thereby engaging the two magnets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A latch system comprising:
a first latch component comprising a first magnet; and
a second latch component comprising:
a first magnetically permeable component; and
a hinged component disposed apart from the first magnetically permeable component and comprising at least one second magnet disposed on a second magnetically permeable component,

wherein, when the first latch component is disposed proximal to the second latch component, the first magnet attracts the at least one second magnet to rotate the hinged component from a pre-engaged position with respect to the first latch component, where the hinged component is stabilized in the pre-engaged position by a magnetic attraction between the at least one second magnet and the first magnetically permeable component, to an engaged position with respect to the first latch component to engage the first latch component and the second latch component by magnetic attraction between the first magnet and the at least one second magnet, and wherein the hinged component is configured to move from the engaged position to the pre-engaged position in response to the magnetic attraction between the second magnet and the first magnetically permeable component upon removal of the first latch component.

2. The latch system of claim 1 , wherein, when the first latch component is disengaged from the second latch component, the first magnetically permeable component attracts the at least one second magnet to move the hinged component from the engaged position to the pre-engaged position.

3. The latch system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second magnet comprises a middle magnet having a first pole of a first magnetic orientation opposite a second pole of a second magnetic orientation and disposed with the first pole abutting the second magnetically permeable component and further comprises a first end magnet and a second end magnet disposed on opposite sides of the middle magnet, wherein the first end magnet and the second end magnet each have a first pole of the first magnetic orientation opposite a second pole of the second magnetic orientation and are disposed with the second pole abutting the second magnetically permeable component.

4. A device comprising:
a housing having an external surface; and
a magnet within the housing, the magnet being movable from a pre-engaged position to an engaged position, where in the pre-engaged position, a magnetic axis of the magnet is substantially parallel to the external surface, and the magnet is stabilized in the pre-engaged position by a magnetic attraction between the magnet and a first magnetically permeable component within the housing, and where in the engaged position, the magnetic axis is substantially perpendicular to the external surface, wherein the magnet is configured to move from the pre-engaged position to the engaged position in response to the introduction of an active magnetic material at the external surface to magnetically engage the magnet with the active magnetic material, and wherein the magnet is configured to move from the engaged position to the pre-engaged position in response to magnetic attraction between the magnet and the first magnetically permeable component upon removal of the active magnetic material from the external surface.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein a strength of the magnet is below an upper threshold to prevent movement of the magnet from the pre-engaged position to the engaged position when a passive magnetic material is introduced at the external surface.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the strength of the magnet is above a lower threshold to cause movement of the magnet from the pre-engaged position to the engaged position when the active magnetic material is introduced at the external surface.

7. The device of claim 4 , further comprising a spring within the housing, wherein, upon removal of the active magnetic material from the external surface, the spring provides a restorative force that causes the magnet to move from the engaged position to the pre-engaged position.

8. The device of claim 4 , wherein the magnet is disposed on a second magnetically permeable component.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the magnet comprises a first magnet having a first pole of a first magnetic orientation opposite a second pole of a second magnetic orientation and disposed with the first pole abutting the second magnetically permeable component.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the magnet further comprises a second magnet having a first pole of the first magnetic orientation opposite a second pole of the second magnetic orientation and disposed with the second pole abutting the second magnetically permeable component.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the magnet further comprises a first end magnet and a second end magnet disposed on opposite sides of the first magnet, wherein the first end magnet and the second end magnet each have a first pole of the first magnetic orientation opposite a second pole of the second magnetic orientation and are disposed with the second pole abutting the second magnetically permeable component.

12. The device of claim 4 , further comprising a hinge to couple the magnet to the housing, the hinge to allow the magnet to move from the pre-engaged position to the engaged position and from the engaged position to the pre-engaged position.

13. The latch component of claim 1 , further comprising a hinge to couple the hinged component to a device housing, the hinge to allow the hinged component to move from the engaged position to the pre-engaged position.

Assignees

• Trinh Bryan D
• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Trinh Bryan D

Classifications

• G06F1/1679

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05B65/0067

  for portable computers, e.g. for locking the screen panel to the keyboard panel · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• E05C19/16 Primary

  Devices holding the wing by magnetic or electromagnetic attraction {(E05C17/56 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• Y10T24/32

  having magnetic fastener · CPC title