Magnetic lock

• US 6,929,291 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, GARY WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US10/627,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20050023841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 292/1, 292/251.5, 312/223.2, 361/732, 361/740, 361/747
• US Class Current: 292/251.5
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/16 Devices holding the wing by magnetic or electromagnetic attraction E05C17/56 takes precedence
• 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: Y10T 292/11 Magnetic

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a magnetic lock mountable on an electronic device, which comprises an upper and a lower magnetic plates respectively formed on an upper and a lower housings of the electronic device, enabling the electronic device to be automatically locked due to the attraction between a plurality of magnetic members disposed on the corresponding positions of the upper and lower magnetic plates having different polarities when the upper housing is covered the lower housing. Alternatively, when the upper magnetic plate is moved a predetermined distance, the corresponding magnetic members on the upper and lower magnetic plates are in turn having the same polarity to repel with each other, enabling the upper and lower housings of the electronic device to be automatically unlocked.

Claims

1. A magnetic lock mountable on an electronic device capable of opening or closing, the magnetic lock comprising:

a disc shaped, rotatable upper magnetic plate comprising a magnetic member of positive polarity at one half and a magnetic member of negative polarity at the other half; and

a circular lower magnetic plate comprising a magnetic member of positive polarity at one half and a magnetic member of negative polarity at the other half, and

wherein the upper magnetic plate is formed on an upper housing of the electronic device and the lower magnetic plate is formed on a lower housing of the electronic device so that covering the upper housing on the lower housing will attract the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate and the magnetic members of the lower magnetic plate having a polarity different from that of the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate together due to magnetism, thereby fastening the upper and the lower housings together for locking the electronic device;

or rotating the upper magnetic plate about 180 degrees will move the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate with respect to the magnetic members of the lower magnetic plate about 180 degrees to repel the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate from the magnetic members of the lower magnetic plate having the same polarity as that of the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate due to magnetism, thereby forming a gap between the upper and the lower housings prior to unlocking the electronic device.

2. The magnetic lock of claim 1, wherein the upper magnetic plate further comprises a tab extended downward from its bottom and the lower magnetic plate further comprises a hole through its center, the hole being conformed to fitly receive the tab so that insertion of the tab into the hole will attract the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate and the magnetic members of the lower magnetic plate having a polarity different from that of the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate together due to magnetism, thereby fastening the upper and the lower housings together for locking the electronic device.

3. The magnetic lock of claim 2, wherein rotating the upper magnetic plate with respect to the lower magnetic plate about 180 degrees with the tab fastened in the hole will move the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate with respect to the magnetic members of the lower magnetic plate about 180 degrees to repel the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate from the magnetic members of the lower magnetic plate having the same polarity as that of the magnetic members of the upper magnetic plate due to magnetism, thereby forming a gap between the upper and the lower housings prior to unlocking the electronic device.

4. The magnetic lock of claim 1, wherein each of the magnetic members is formed of a magnetic pad.