Simultaneous magnetic balancing of two points

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9552914-B2
Application number	US-201514716799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

This application relates to devices in which magnets are arranged so that an intensity of a magnetic field emitted by the magnets is substantially the same at a position of interest for at least two discrete positions of the magnets. The application describes how this can be achieved even when the discrete positions are different distances from the position of interest by identifying locations at which magnetic material can be added to balance the field intensity for both discrete locations. In some embodiments, this type of configuration can be helpful in accommodating movement of magnets between two common positions. When the magnetic field intensity for the position of interest is set near zero a magnetically sensitive component can be positioned at the point of interest with little or no effect from the magnetic field when the magnets are in any of the discrete positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a substrate comprising a first portion configured to rotatably move with respect to a second portion about a hinge line from a first position to a second position; and
a magnetic string coupled directly to the first portion and comprising a number of magnets oriented so that adjacent magnets of the magnetic string have polarities oriented in opposite directions,
wherein an intensity of a magnetic field emitted by the magnetic string is substantially the same at a fixed location external to the substrate when the first portion is in either the first position or the second position.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fixed location coincides with a location of a magnetically sensitive component disposed within an electronic device to which the device is configured to be attached.

3. The device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the intensity of the magnetic field at the fixed location is below a threshold at which the magnetically sensitive component is not adversely effected.

4. The device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the magnets of the magnetic string are arranged in a linear configuration oriented substantially parallel with the hinge line, which separates the first portion from the second portion.

5. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a distance between the magnetic string and the fixed location in the first position is substantially different than a distance between the magnetic string and the fixed location in the second position.

6. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a balancing magnet coupled to the first portion and offset from the magnetic string, the balancing magnet causing a portion of the magnetic field that coincides with the fixed location to have substantially the same magnetic field strength in both the first position and the second position.

7. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a rigid segment that keeps substantially all of the first portion in a single plane.

8. The device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the second portion comprises another rigid segment that cooperates with the rigid segment of the first portion to define the hinge line.

9. An apparatus suitable for attachment to an electrical device, the apparatus comprising:
a flap, comprising:
a first portion comprising a rigid segment and a number of magnets oriented in an alternating polarity pattern along the rigid segment, and
a second portion separated from the first portion by a hinge line, the first portion pivoting with respect to the second portion along the hinge line,

wherein an intensity of a magnetic field emitted by the magnets is substantially the same in a location that correspond to a magnetically sensitive component disposed within the electrical device when the first portion is in either a first position or a second position angularly offset from the first position.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein in the first position the first portion is coplanar with the second portion.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the first portion rotates about 180 degrees to reach the second position from the first position.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein an intensity of the magnetic field does not adversely affect the magnetically sensitive component.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the magnets are arranged in a substantially linear pattern.

14. The device as recited in claim 13 , wherein the linear pattern of magnets is arranged substantially parallel to the hinge line.

15. A consumer electronic product, comprising:
an electronic device comprising a magnetically sensitive component overlaid by a protective cover; and
a flexible flap pivotally coupled with the electronic device, the flexible flap including a first portion separated from a second portion by a hinge line, the second portion including an arrangement of magnets having alternating polarities,
wherein when the first and second portions of the flexible flap are flat against the protective cover of the electronic device an intensity of a magnetic field emitted by the linear arrangement of magnets at the magnetically sensitive component is substantially the same as the intensity at the magnetically sensitive component when the second portion of the flap is rotated away from the protective cover along the hinge line and contacts the first portion of the flexible flap.

16. The consumer electronic product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the linear arrangement of magnets is oriented substantially parallel with the hinge line.

17. The consumer electronic product as recited in claim 15 , wherein a distance between the linear arrangement of magnets and the magnetically sensitive component when the flexible flap is flat against the protective cover is substantially different than a distance between the linear arrangement of magnets and the magnetically sensitive component when the flexible flap contacts the first portion of the flexible flap.

18. The consumer electronic product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the hinge line is substantially offset from the magnetically sensitive component.

19. The consumer electronic product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the magnetically sensitive component is a compass.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Stryker James A

Classifications

• G06F1/1626 Primary

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

• H01F7/021 Primary

  Construction of PM (H01F7/0278 takes precedence; PM compositions H01F1/032) · CPC title

• G06F2200/1634

  Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer · CPC title

• H01F7/0215

  Flexible forms, sheets · CPC title