Correlated magnetic coupling device and method for using the correlated coupling device

• US 7,893,803 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Correlated Magnetics Research, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cedar Ridge Research LLC
• Inventors: Fullerton, Larry W., Roberts, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrera, Ramon M
• Application Number:
  US12/499,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 335/285, 335302-306, 405/92, 405/186, 405/187, 441108-119
• US Class Current: 335/285
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/22 carried by diver
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0242 Magnetic drives, magnetic coupling devices

Abstract

A compressed gas system component coupling device and method are described herein that use correlated magnets to enable a first component to be secured and removed from the second component. Some examples of components of the compressed gas system include a first stage regulator, a second stage regulator, an air pressure gauge, a dive computer, an air hose, a tank valve and a buoyancy control device. Furthermore the compression force created by the correlated magnets mounted on the first and second components create a hermetic seal therebetween.

Claims

1. A coupling device for elements of a compressed gas system comprising:

a first component and a second component, said second component being releasably securable to said first component;

said first component further including a first field emission structure; and

said second component further including a second field emission structure where said second component is operably secured to said first component when said first and said second field emission structures are located proximate to one another and have a certain alignment with respect to one another, and where each of said first and second field emission structures include an array of field emission sources each having positions and polarities relating to a desired spatial force function that corresponds to a relative alignment of said first and second field emission structures within a field domain, said spatial force function being in accordance with a code, said code corresponding to a code modulo of said first array of field emission sources and a complementary code modulo of said second array of field emission sources, said code defining a peak spatial force corresponding to substantial alignment of said code modulo of said first array of field emission sources with said complementary code modulo of said second array of field emission sources, said code also defining a plurality of off peak spatial forces corresponding to a plurality of different misalignments of said code modulo of said first array of field emission sources and said complementary code modulo of said second array of field emission sources, said plurality of off peak spatial forces having a largest off peak spatial force, said largest off peak spatial force being less than half of said peak spatial force.

2. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said second component is released from said first component when said first and said second field emission structures changed from said certain alignment with respect to one another.

3. The coupling device of claim 2, wherein said first and second component are at least one of the following:

a first stage regulator, a second stage regulator, an air pressure gauge, a dive computer, an air hose, a tank valve and a buoyancy control device.

4. The coupling device of claim 3, and further including a release mechanism that turns said second field emission structure with respect to said first field emission structure so as to facilitate the release and attachment of said first component from said second component.

5. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said first field emission structure and said second field emission structure releasably secure said first and second components in a substantially hermetic manner.

6. The coupling device of claim 4, wherein said first component includes a plurality of said first field emission structures and said second component includes a plurality of said second field emission structures, where any one of said plurality of said first field emissions structures operable to interact any one of said plurality of said second field emissions.

7. The coupling device of claim 4, and further including a third field emission structure operable to connect to a fourth field emission structure integrated with an object to facilitate the connection of the said first or second component to the object.

8. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said positions and said polarities of each field emission source of each said array of field emission sources are determined in accordance with at least one correlation function.

9. The coupling device of claim 8, wherein said at least one correlation function is in accordance with at least one code.

10. The coupling device of claim 9, wherein said at least one code is at least one of a pseudorandom code, a deterministic code, or a designed code.

11. The coupling device of claim 9, wherein said at least one code is one of a one dimensional code, a two dimensional code, a three dimensional code, or a four dimensional code.

12. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein each field emission source of each said array of field emission sources has a corresponding field emission amplitude and vector direction determined in accordance with the desired spatial force function, wherein a separation distance between the first and second field emission structures and the relative alignment of the first and second field emission structures creates a spatial force in accordance the desired spatial force function.

13. The coupling device of claim 12, wherein said spatial force comprises at least one of an attractive spatial force or a repellant spatial force.

14. The coupling device of claim 12, wherein said spatial force corresponds to a peak spatial force of said desired spatial force function when said first and second field emission structures are substantially aligned such that each field emission source of said first field emission structure substantially aligns with a corresponding field emission source of said second field emission structure.

15. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said field domain corresponds to first field emissions from said array of first field emission sources of said first field emission structure interacting with second field emissions from said array of second field emission sources of said second field emission structure.

16. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said polarities of the field emission sources comprise at least one of North-South polarities or positive-negative polarities.

17. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said field emission sources comprises a magnetic field emission source or an electric field emission source.

18. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said field emission sources comprises a permanent magnet, an electromagnet, an electret, a magnetized ferromagnetic material, a portion of a magnetized ferromagnetic material, a soft magnetic material, or a superconductive magnetic material.

19. A method for assembling at least two coupling elements of a compressed gas system, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a first coupling component of a compressed gas system;

selecting a second coupling component of a compressed gas system;

securing said first coupling component to said second coupling component, where said first coupling component has mounted thereon a first field emission structure; and

wherein said second coupling component has mounted thereon a second field emission structure, where the first coupling component is attached to said second coupling component when said first and second field emission structures are located next to one another and have a certain alignment with respect to one another, and where each of said first and second field emission structures comprise an array of field emission sources each having positions and polarities relating to a desired spatial force function that corresponds to a relative alignment of the first and second field emission structures within a field domain, said spatial force function being in accordance with a code, said code corresponding to a code modulo of said first array of field emission sources and a complementary code modulo of said second array of field emission sources, said code defining a peak spatial force corresponding to substantial alignment of said code modulo of said first array of field emission sources with said complementary code modulo of said second array of field emission sources, said code also defining a plurality of off peak spatial forces corresponding to a plurality of different misalignments of said code modulo of said first array of field emission sources and said complementary code modulo of said second array of field emission sources, said plurality of off peak spatial forces having a largest off peak spatial force, said largest off peak spatial force being less than half of said peak spatial force.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of releasing said first coupling component from said second coupling component.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said step of releasing said first coupling component from said second coupling component further includes rotating the first and second field emission structures with respect to one another.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

attaching one of the said first coupling component and said second coupling component to a second object, where the first or second coupling components have mounted thereon a third field emission structure, where the second object has attached thereto a fourth field emission structure, where each of said third and fourth field emission structures comprise an array of field emission sources each having positions and polarities relating to a second desired spatial force function that corresponds to a relative alignment of the third and fourth field emission structures within a second field domain, where the fourth field emission structure does not attach to the first field emission structure.

23. The method of claim 19, said first coupling component is a selected from one of the following:

a first stage regulator, a second stage regulator, an air pressure gauge, a dive computer, an air hose, a tank valve and a buoyancy control device.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the second coupling component is selected from one of the following:

a first stage regulator, a second stage regulator, an air pressure gauge, a dive computer, an air hose, a tank valve and a buoyancy control device.