MECHANICAL MAGNETIC CONNECTOR STRUCTURE

• US 20170194083A1
• Filed: 12/31/2015
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catch Latch, LLC
• Original Assignee: Catch Latch, LLC
• Inventors: Bohannon, Jeremiah
• Granted Patent: US 10,026,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/02 Releasable fastening devices locking by rotation with snap-action F16B21/06; studs or coupling pins with resilient protrusions F16B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/16 with grooves or notches in the pin or shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/83 Use of a magnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/0406 for rods or tubes being coaxial F16B7/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0205 Magnetic circuits with PM in general

Abstract

A mechanical-magnetic connector structure for releasably connecting a first element with a second element is herein described. The connector structure includes a dongle attached to the first element, a receiver assembly attached to the second element and having a bore, and a rotating knob assembly attached to the receiver assembly and rotatable between an open and closed position to unlock or lock the dongle within the bore. With the rotating knob assembly rotated to the closed position, the dongle no longer is completely concentric within the bore, such that a user is prevented from applying any offset, angled, or indirect pull force on the dongle in an effort to remove it. The dongle can only be removed if completely concentric within the bore and the rotating knob assembly has been rotated to the open position.

Claims

1. A mechanical-magnetic connector structure for releasably connecting a first element with a second element, the connector structure comprising:

a first module attached to the first element, and

a second module attached to the second element, the second module adapted to receive the first module therein, wherein

the first module includes a first magnet and the second module includes a second magnet,

the first magnet is exposed in a plug-shaped portion of the first module, the plug-shaped portion having a smooth external surface with no physical retainer element formed thereon,

the second magnet is exposed on a rear interior facing wall surface within a bore of the second module, the bore further having smooth side wall portions along the longitudinal axis of the second module for receiving the first module therein,

the first and second magnets coming adapted to be brought into proximal, opposed facing relation with maximum magnetic attraction as the plug-shaped portion is magnetically sucked into the bore of the second module, wherein with the plug-shaped portion inserted in the bore of the second module, the opposed faces of the first and second magnets do not contact one another, and

only the magnetic attraction between the opposed facing spaced magnets and friction between the smooth side wall portions within the bore and the smooth external surface of the plug-shaped portion serve to secure the first module within the second module.

2. The connector structure of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second magnets exhibits a pull force of less than five (5) pounds.

3. The connector structure of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second magnets exhibits a pull force in a range of between about 1.6 to 4.9 pounds.

4. The connector structure of claim 1, wherein the first element is an electronic device and the second element is a planar structure.

5. The connector structure of claim 1, wherein the first element is a golf accessory and the second element is a clip adapted for attachment to a golf bag.

7. The connector structure of claim 1, wherein a clearance spacing or width exists between faces of the two magnets within the bore of the second module, the clearance spacing or width being in a range of about 1 to 3 millimeters.

8. The connector structure of claim 1, wherein the first module is required to be completely concentric within the bore of the second module to be removed therefrom otherwise the first module cannot be removed from the bore.

9. The connector structure of claim 1, wherein friction present between the external surface on the plug-shaped portion of the first module and the side wall portions of the bore of the second module prevents the plug-shaped portion from being dislodged when any offset, angled, or indirect pull force is applied on the first module to remove it from the bore.

6. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. A mechanical-magnetic connector structure for releasably connecting a first element with a second element, the connector structure comprising:

a dongle attached to the first element,

a receiver assembly attached to the second element and having a bore for receiving the dongle therein, and

a rotating knob assembly attached to the receiver assembly and rotatable between an open and closed position to unlock or lock the dongle within the bore, wherein

with the rotating knob assembly rotated to the closed position, a wall portion of the knob assembly blocks removal of the dongle out of the bore, any offset, angled, or indirect pull force exerted by the user on the dongle in an effort to remove it from the bore will not remove the dongle, the dongle being removable out of the bore only if the dongle is completely concentric within the bore and the rotating knob assembly has been rotated to the open position, permitting a user to overcome pull forces between the magnets as the dongle is removed directly straight out of the bore.

12. The connector structure of claim 11, wherein

the dongle has external surfaces and includes an exposed first magnet, and

the receiver assembly includes a second magnet forming a rear interior facing wall surface within the bore thereof.

13. The connector structure of claim 12, wherein

the first and second magnets are brought into proximal facing relation as the dongle is inserted into the bore, and

friction between interior wall portions of the receiver assembly and external surfaces of the dongle facilitates securement of the dongle within the receiver assembly.

14. The connector structure of claim 11, wherein the first and second magnets do not contact one another within the bore of the receiver assembly.

15. The connector structure of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second magnets exhibits a pull force of less than five (5) pounds.

16. The connector structure of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second magnets exhibits a pull force in a range of between about 1.6 to 4.9 pounds.

17. The connector structure of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second magnets exhibits a pull force in a range of between about 2.0 to 3.0 pounds.

18. The connector structure of claim 11, wherein the rotating knob assembly includes an external ring adapted to be rotatable to the closed position, the external ring including the wall portion which blocks the bore in order to prevent removal of the dongle from the receiver assembly.

20. The connector structure of claim 11, wherein the external ring is rotatable to the open position in order to permit removal of the dongle from the bore of the receiver assembly.

21. The connector structure of claim 20, wherein the dongle is removable from the bore of the receiver assembly only if it is completely concentric within the bore and the external ring of the rotating knob assembly is in the open position.

22. The connector structure of claim 11, wherein the receiver assembly includes:

a receiver body with first and second ends and with a threaded portion formed on its external surface at the second end for attachment to the second element, the receiver body having the bore therein, and

a collar integrally formed with the receiver body at the first end thereof.

23. The connector structure of claim 22, wherein the rotating knob assembly includes:

a external ring rotatable between the open and closed positions to unlock or lock the dongle within the bore of the receiver body, the external ring including the wall portion that blocks removal of the dongle from the bore when the external ring is in the closed position, and

an internal ring integrally formed with the external ring, the internal ring connected to the collar so as to secure the external ring to the receiver body.

24. The connector structure of claim 23, wherein the external ring includes one or more visual indicia thereon to indicate whether it is in an open or closed position.

19. (canceled)

25. A mechanical-magnetic connector structure for releasably connecting a first element with a second element, the connector structure comprising:

an elongate first module attached to the first element, the first module having a smooth external surface with no physical retainer element formed thereon and including a first magnet thereon, and

a hollow second module attached to the second element and adapted to receive the first module within a bore thereof, the bore further including smooth side wall portions along the longitudinal axis of the second module, the second module further including a second magnet within the bore, the first module freely rotatable within the bore,

the first and second magnets being brought into proximal opposed facing relation to one another as the first module is magnetically sucked into the bore but do not come into physical contact each other, wherein each of the first and second magnets exhibits a pull force of less than five (5) pounds,

wherein the first module can only be removed from the second module if it is both completely concentric in the bore and is pulled directly straight out from the bore.

28. The connector structure of claim 25, wherein only the magnetic attraction between the magnets and friction between the smooth side wall portions of the bore and the smooth external surface of the first module serve to secure the first module within the second module.

26-27. -27. (canceled)

29-31. -31. (canceled)