Magnetic latching mechanism

• US 20070138806A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Degner, Brett, Ligtenberg, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 7,775,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/251.500
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/16 Devices holding the wing by magnetic or electromagnetic attraction E05C17/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 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 Class Codes: H05K 5/0221 Locks; Latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/37 Push button operators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/32 having magnetic fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0999 Spring retracted
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/11 Magnetic

Abstract

A magnetic latch for a display of a laptop computer is disclosed. The latch uses magnetic attraction to maintain the display closed and uses magnetic repelling forces to pop-up the display when opened. The latch includes one or more magnetic elements in the body of the laptop and at least one magnetic element in the display. When the display is closed, the magnet element in the display is positioned adjacent the magnet element in the body having an opposite polarity so that the magnet elements are attracted to one another. To pop-up the display, the user moves the magnetic element in the display so that it meets the magnetic pole in the body having the same polarity. When these meet, the repelling force between them causes the display to open slightly so that a user can then readily open the display.

Claims

1. An apparatus for latching a first body against a second body hingedly connected to the first body, comprising:

a first magnetic component positioned on the first body; and

a second magnetic component positioned on the second body and having an open state and a closed state,

wherein to maintain the first body substantially closed against the second body, the first and second magnetic components are magnetically attractable to one another when the second magnetic component has the closed state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second magnetic component is movable relative to the first magnetic component to produce the open state and the closed state.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to automatically move the first body at least partially open from the second body, the first and second magnetic components are magnetically repellable from one another when the second magnetic component has the open state.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the first magnetic component comprises at least one ferromagnetic element and at least one first permanent magnet having a first polarity configuration, and

the second magnetic component comprises at least one second permanent magnet having a second polarity configuration magnetically repellable from the first polarity configuration.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the second magnetic component comprises at least one permanent magnet having a first polarity configuration; and

the first magnetic component comprises at least one permanent magnet having a second polarity configuration magnetically attractable to the first polarity configuration and having at least one permanent magnet having a third polarity configuration magnetically repellable from the first polarity configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the first magnetic element comprises at least one permanent magnet having a first polarity configuration,

the second magnetic component comprises an electromagnet having an unengergized condition for the closed state and an energized condition for the open state,

the electromagnet in the energized condition produces a second polarity configuration magnetically repelling the first polarity configuration of the permanent magnet of the first magnetic element, and

the electromagnet in the unenergized condition allows the permanent magnet of the first magnetic element to be magnetically attracted to ferromagnetic material of the electromagnet.

7. An apparatus for latching a first body against a second body hingedly connected to the first body, comprising:

means positioned on the first and second bodies for producing a close state of magnetic attraction between the first and second bodies;

means for selecting the closed state to maintain the first body substantially closed against the second body; and

means for deselecting the closed state to allow the first body to be opened from the second body.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means positioned on the first and second bodies for producing an open state of magnetic repulsion between the first and second bodies to automatically move the first body at least partially open from the second body.

9. An apparatus for opening a first body from a second body hingedly connected to the first body, comprising:

a first magnetic component positioned on the first body; and

a second magnetic component positioned on the second body and having an open state and a closed state,

wherein to automatically move the first body at least partially open from the second body, the first and second magnetic components are magnetically repulsable from one another when the second magnetic component has the open state.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second magnetic component is movable relative to the first magnetic component to produce the open state and the closed state.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the first magnetic component comprises at least one first permanent magnet having a first polarity configuration, and

the second magnetic component comprises at least one second permanent magnet having a second polarity configuration magnetically repellable from the first polarity configuration.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the first magnetic element comprises at least one permanent magnet having a first polarity configuration,

the second magnetic component comprises an electromagnet having an unengergized condition for the closed state and an energized condition for the open state, and

the electromagnet in the energized condition produces a second polarity configuration magnetically repelling the first polarity configuration of the permanent magnet of the first magnetic element.

13. An apparatus for opening a first body against a second body hingedly connected to the first body, comprising:

means positioned on the first and second bodies for producing an open state of magnetic repulsion between the first and second bodies;

means for selecting the open state to automatically move the first body at least partially open from the second body.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for automatically resetting from the open state to a close state when closing the first body against the second body.

15. A method for latching a first body against a second body hingedly connected to the first body, comprising:

moving the first body against the second body;

making a first magnetic element on the first body have a closed state;

maintaining the first body substantially closed against the second body by magnetically attracting the first magnetic element in the closed state to a second magnetic element on the second body; and

allowing the first body to be opened from the second body by making the first magnetic element have an open state.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of allowing the first body to be opened from the second body by making the first magnetic element have the open state further comprises automatically moving the first body at least partially open from the second body by magnetically repulsing the first magnetic element in the open state from the second magnetic element.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of making the first magnetic element on the first body have the closed state comprises moving the first magnetic element to a first position on the first body.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the act of making the first magnetic element on the first body have the open state comprises moving the first magnetic element to a second position on the first body.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of making the first magnetic element on the first body have the closed state comprises deenergizing the first magnetic element such that a second polarity of the second magnetic element is magnetically attractable to ferromagnetic material of the deenergized first magnetic element.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the act of making the first magnetic element have the open state comprises energizing the first magnetic element with a first polarity such that the second polarity of the second magnetic element is magnetically repulsed by the first polarity of the energized first magnetic element.