ADJUSTMENT OF MAGNETIC FORCE IN A COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20170017273A1
• Filed: 03/29/2014
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Weldon, Kristin L., Kouliachev, Konstantin I., Brazel, Michael S., Wikander, Jered H., Kolle, Lily, Chen, Weibo, Magi, Aleksander, Miele, Ralph V., Crawford, Richard P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,503,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• 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: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0242 Magnetic drives, magnetic coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/04 Means for releasing the attractive force

Abstract

Techniques for forming and adjusting a magnetic tension mechanism are described herein. A system includes a first magnetic element in a first component of a computing device. The system includes a second magnetic element in a second component of the computing device, wherein the first magnetic component and the second magnetic component are to be held in tension by a magnetic force. The system also includes an adjustment mechanism to adjust the force required to decouple the magnetic elements.

Claims

1-60. -60. (canceled)

61. An apparatus for adjustable magnetic coupling, comprising:

a first magnetic element in an attachment surface of a first component of a computing device to be coupled to a second magnetic element of a second component of the computing device via a magnetic attachment force; and

an adjustment mechanism to adjust the magnetic attachment force.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the first magnetic element of the apparatus comprises a magnet, and wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a mechanical component that is to adjust the magnetic force by displacing the first magnetic element relative to the second magnetic element.

63. The apparatus of claim 62, further comprising a rod within the first component of a computing device coupled to a carriage having the first magnetic element disposed thereon, wherein the mechanical component comprises a chamfered edge to be received at a chamfered edge of the rod, and wherein the first magnetic element is to be displaced relative to the second magnetic element by the force of the chamfered edge of the mechanical component sliding into the chamfered edge of the rod.

64. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the mechanical component comprises a linear actuator to be engaged to adjust the magnetic force by displacing the first magnetic element relative to the second magnetic element through a direction not aligned with a field of magnetic attraction.

65. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the mechanical component comprises a manual adjustment knob to be engaged to adjust the magnetic attachment force by displacing the first magnetic element relative to the second magnetic element through a direction not aligned with a field of magnetic attraction.

66. The apparatus of claim 62, further comprising a motor to move the mechanical component.

67. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the mechanical component comprises a shape memory alloy actuator to displace the first magnetic element from the second magnetic element parallel to the magnetic force.

68. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the mechanical component comprises a rod connected to the first magnetic element, wherein the rod is to be rotated to adjust the magnetic force via orientation of the polarity of the first magnetic element relative to the second magnetic element.

69. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the second magnetic element comprises an electromagnet, wherein the adjustment mechanism is to power the electromagnet to temporarily reduce or reverse the magnetic attachment force.

70. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the first magnetic element comprises a plurality of magnetic components that are to move through a mechanism in opposite directions to neutralize magnetic misalignment forces in the first component.

71. A method for adjusting magnetic tension forces, comprising

detecting a high probability of user intention to detach a first computing device component containing a first magnetic element from a second computing device component containing a second magnetic element;

and

automatically decreasing a magnetic force between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element of the computing device to a detachment force, wherein the first magnetic element is held in tension to the second magnetic element by the magnetic force.

72. The method of claim 71, further comprising:

detecting a high probability of user intention to attach the first computing device component to the second computing device component; and

automatically increasing the magnetic force between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element to an attachment force.

73. The method of claim 71, further comprising:

detecting a plurality of failed detachment attempts; and

automatically lowering the magnetic detachment force.

74. The method of claim 71, further comprising:

detecting a premature detachment or emergency; and

automatically increasing the attachment force.

75. The method of claim 72, wherein the detachment force and the attachment force are user programmable.

76. The method of claim 72, wherein the detachment force and the attachment force automatically adapt to the preferences of a user.

77. A system for adjusting magnetic coupling forces, comprising:

a first magnetic element in a first component of a computing device;

a second magnetic element in a second component of the computing device, wherein the first component and the second component are to be held in tension by a magnetic force; and

an adjustment mechanism to adjust a force required to decouple the magnetic elements.

78. The system of claim 77, further comprising logic, at least partially comprising hardware logic, to control the adjustment mechanism.

79. The system of claim 77, wherein the first component of the computing device further comprises an axis about which the first magnetic element is to freely swing about and the second component of the computing device comprises at least two rollers on which a magnetic side of the first component of the computing device is to rotate.

80. The system of claim 78, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises an electromagnet, wherein the electromagnet is to temporarily reduce the magnetic force between the first component of the computing device and second component of the computing device for detachment.

81. The system of claim 78, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a linear actuator that is to translate the first magnetic element in the first component to adjust the magnetic force between the first component and the second component.

82. At least one tangible, machine-readable medium for adjusting magnetic tension forces having instructions stored therein that, in response to being executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to:

detect a high probability of user intention to detach a first computing device component containing a first magnetic element from a second computing device component containing a second magnetic element; and

automatically decrease a magnetic force between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element of the computing device to a detachment force, wherein the first magnetic element is held in tension to the second magnetic element by a magnetic force between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element.

83. The at least one tangible, machine-readable medium of claim 82, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

detect a high probability of user intention to attach the first computing device component to the second computing device component; and

automatically increase the magnetic force between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element to an attachment force.

84. The at least one tangible, machine-readable medium of claim 82, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

detect a plurality of failed detachment attempts; and

automatically lower the magnetic detachment force.

85. The at least one tangible, machine-readable medium of claim 82, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

detect a premature detachment or emergency; and

automatically increase the attachment force.