Multilevel magnetic system and method for using same

• US 8,222,986 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2011
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Correlated Magnetics Research, LLC
• Original Assignee: Correlated Magnetics Research, LLC
• Inventors: Loum, Kelly, Machado, David P., Fullerton, Larry W., Roberts, Mark D., Mize, Dillon
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRERA, RAMON M
• Application Number:
  US13/184,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 366 Days
• Field of Search: 335/285, 335/306, 310/90.5, 243/03
• US Class Current: 335/306
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/006 for covers or panels for manholes E02D29/1427; for holes enabling access to installations in buildings E04F19/08; for pressure vessels F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/16 Devices holding the wing by magnetic or electromagnetic attraction E05C17/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• 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 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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: H01F 7/021 Construction of PM H01F7/0278 takes precedence; PM compositions H01F1/032
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0242 Magnetic drives, magnetic coupling devices

Abstract

A multilevel magnetic system and method for using the same are described herein. A wide-range of devices including a momentary snap switch, a cushioning device, and an exploding toy are also described herein that may incorporate one or more of the multilevel magnetic systems.

Claims

1. The multilevel magnetic system, comprising:

a first magnetic structure comprising a first portion that produces a magnetic field and a second portion that produces a magnetic filed;

a second magnetic structure comprising a first portion that produces a magnetic field and a second portion that produces a magnetic field, said first portions producing a first force and said second portions producing a second force when said first and second magnetic structures are aligned such that said first portions and said second portions are respectively located across from one another, said first force and said second force combining to produce a composite force that transitions from an attractive force to a repulsive force depending on the separation distance between the first and second magnetic structures, wherein the first portion of the first magnetic structure comprises a first plurality of coded magnetic sources, and the first portion of the second magnetic structure comprises a first plurality of complementary coded magnetic sources, wherein the second portion of the first magnetic structure comprises a second plurality of coded magnetic sources, and the second portion of the second magnetic structure comprises a second plurality of complementary coded magnetic sources.

2. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 1, wherein the first portions produce an attractive magnetic field and the second portions produce a repulsive magnetic field such that (1) the composite force causes the first and second magnetic structures to repel one another when separated by a distance greater than a transition distance, (2) the composite force causes the first and second magnetic structures to neither repel or attract one another when separated by a distance equal to the transition distance, and (3) the composite force causes the first and second magnetic structures to attract one another when separated by a distance less than the transition distance.

3. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 1, wherein the first portions produce a repulsive magnetic force and the second portions produce an attractive magnetic force such that (1) the composite force causes the first and second magnetic structures to attract one another when separated by a distance greater than a transition distance, (2) the composite field causes the first and second magnetic structures to neither repel or attract one another when separated by a distance equal to the transition distance, and (3) the composite force cause the first and second magnetic structures to repel one another when separated by a distance less than the transition distance.

4. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 1, further comprising one or more movement constraining structures which only allow the first and second magnetic structures to move towards and away from one another while ensuring the first and second magnetic structures are parallel to each other.

5. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 1, further comprising a spacer to prevent the first magnetic structure from completely contacting the second magnetic structure.

6. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 1, wherein:

the first magnetic structure includes the first portion, the second portion, and a third portion, wherein the third portion has one or more magnetic sources;

the second magnetic structure includes the first portion, the second portion, and a third portion, wherein the third portion has one or more magnetic sources; and

wherein the first magnetic structure is aligned with the second magnetic structure such that the first portions, the second portions, and the third portions are respectively located across from one another.

7. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 1, wherein the first portions each produce a higher peak force than the second portions while the first portions each have a faster field extinction rate than the second portions such that (1) the first portions produce the first force that is cancelled by the second force produced by the second portions when the first and second magnetic structures are separated by a distance equal to a transition distance, (2) the first portions produce the first force which is stronger than the second force produced by the second portions when the first and second magnetic structures have a separation distance from one another that is less than the transition distance, and (3) the first portions produce the first force which is weaker than the second force produced by second portions when the separation distance between the first and second magnetic structures is greater than the transition distance.

8. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of coded magnetic sources comprise first field emission sources and the plurality of complementary coded magnetic sources comprise second field emission sources, the first and second field emission sources having positions and polarities relating to a desired spatial force function that corresponds to a relative alignment of the first and second magnetic structures within a field domain, the spatial force function being in accordance with a code, the code corresponding to a code modulo of the first field emission sources and a complementary code modulo of the second field emission sources.

9. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 8, wherein said positions and said polarities of said first and second field emission sources are determined in accordance with at least one correlation function.

10. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 9, wherein said at least one correlation function is in accordance with the code.

11. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 10, wherein said code is one of a pseudorandom code, a deterministic code, or a designed code.

12. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 10, wherein said code is one of a one dimensional code, a two dimensional code, a three dimensional code, or a four dimensional code.

13. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 8, wherein each of said 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 magnetic field emission structures and relative alignment of the first and second magnetic structures creates a spatial force in accordance with the desired spatial force function.

14. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 13, wherein said spatial force include at least one of an attractive spatial force or a repellant spatial force.

15. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 8, wherein said field domain corresponds to first magnetic field emissions from said field emission sources of said first field emission structure interacting with second magnetic field emissions from said second field emission sources of said second magnetic field emission structure.

16. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 8, wherein said polarities of the field emission sources include at least one of North-South polarities or positive-negative polarities.

17. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 8, wherein at least one of said field emission sources includes a magnetic field emission source or an electric field emission source.

18. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 8, wherein at least one of said field emission sources include 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. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 1, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which prevents the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure from transitioning into an attractive regime.

20. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 1, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which controls an amount of attractive force that is achieved by the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure.

21. A multilevel magnetic system, comprising:

a first magnetic structure comprising a first portion that produces a magnetic field and a second portion that produces a magnetic field;

a second magnetic structure comprising a first portion that produces a magnetic field and a second portion that produces a magnetic field, said first portions producing a first force and said second portions producing a second force when said first and second magnetic structures are aligned such that said first portions and said second portions are respectively located across from one another, said first force being opposite said second force, said first force and said second force combining to produce a composite force that transitions from an attractive force to a repulsive force depending on the separation distance between the first and second magnetic structures, wherein the first portion of the first magnetic structure comprises a plurality of coded magnetic sources, and the first portion of the second magnetic structure comprises a plurality of complementary coded magnetic sources, wherein the plurality of coded magnetic sources comprise first field emission sources and the plurality of complementary coded magnetic sources comprise second field emission sources, the first and second field emission sources having positions and polarities relating to a desired spatial force function that corresponds to a relative alignment of the first and second magnetic structures within a field domain, the spatial force function being in accordance with a code, the code corresponding to a code modulo of the first field emission sources and a complementary code modulo of the second field emission sources, wherein the code defines a peak spatial force corresponding to a substantial alignment of a code modulo of the first field emission sources with a complementary code modulo of the second field emission sources, wherein the code also defines a plurality of off peak spatial forces corresponding to a plurality of different misalignments of the code modulo of the first field emission sources and the complementary code modulo of the second field emission sources, wherein the plurality of off peak spatial forces have a largest off peak spatial force less than half of the peak spatial force.

22. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 21, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which prevents the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure from transitioning into an attractive regime.

23. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 21, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which controls an amount of attractive force that is achieved by the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure.

24. A multilevel magnetic system, comprising:

a first magnetic structure comprising a single magnet;

a second magnetic structure comprising a first portion that produces a magnetic field and a second portion that produces a magnetic field, said first portion and said single magnet producing a first force, said second portion and said single magnet producing a second force when said first and second magnetic structures are aligned such that said first magnetic structure and said second magnetic structure are located across from one another, said first force being opposite said second force, said first force and said second force combining to produce a composite force that transitions from an attractive force to a repulsive force depending on the separation distance between the first and second magnetic structures; and

wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the second magnetic structure comprise a plurality of coded magnetic sources.

25. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 24, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which prevents the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure from transitioning into an attractive regime.

26. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 24, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which controls an amount of attractive force that is achieved by the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure.

27. A method for using a multilevel magnetic system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the multilevel magnetic system having;

a first magnetic structure comprising a first portion that produces a magnetic field and a second portion that produces a magnetic field;

a second magnetic structure comprising a first portion that produces a magnetic field and a second portion that produces a magnetic field, said first portions producing a first force and said second portions producing a second force when said first and second magnetic structures are aligned such that said first portions and said second portions are respectively located across from one another, said first force and said second force combining to produce a composite force that transitions from an attractive force to a repulsive force depending on the separation distance between the first and second magnetic structures; and

aligning the first magnetic structure with the second magnetic structure such that the first portions and the second portions are respectively located across from one another, wherein the first portion of the first magnetic structure comprises a first plurality of coded magnetic sources, and the first portion of the second magnetic structure comprises a first plurality of complementary coded magnetic sources, wherein the second portion of the first magnetic structure comprises a second plurality of coded magnetic sources, and the second portion of the second magnetic structure comprises a second plurality of complementary coded magnetic sources.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising a step of positioning a spacer between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which prevents the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure from transitioning into an attractive regime.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising a step of positioning a spacer between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which controls an amount of attractive force that is achieved by the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure.

30. A multilevel magnetic system, comprising:

a first magnetic structure comprising a first portion having a first plurality of magnetic sources and a second portion having one or more magnetic sources;

a second magnetic structure comprising a first portion having a second plurality of magnetic sources and a second portion having one or more magnetic sources,

the first magnetic structure is aligned with the second magnetic structure such the first portions and the second portions are respectively located across from one another;

said first and second magnetic structures produce at least one attractive force field and at least one repulsive force field when the first portions and the second portions are respectively located across from and aligned with one another, said at least one attractive force field and said at least one repulsive force field combine to produce a composite force field that transitions from an attractive force to a repulsive force depending on the separation distance between said first and second magnetic structures, said first plurality of magnetic sources and said second plurality of magnetic sources being coded in accordance with a two dimensional code, a three dimensional code, or a four dimensional code.

31. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 30, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which prevents the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure from transitioning into an attractive regime.

32. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 30, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which controls an amount of attractive force that is achieved by the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure.

33. A multilevel correlated magnetic system, comprising:

a first magnetic structure comprising a single magnet having a first portion a second portion;

a second magnetic structure comprising a first portion having one or more magnetic sources and a second portion having one or more magnetic sources, said first and second magnetic structures producing at least one attractive force curve and at least one repulsive force curve when aligned such that the first portions and the second portions are respectively located across from one another, said at least one attractive force curve and said at least one repulsive force curve combining to produce a composite force curve that transitions from an attractive force to a repulsive force depending on the separation distance between said first and second magnetic structures; and

a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which prevents the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure from transitioning into an attractive regime.

34. The multilevel magnetic system of claim 33, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure, said spacer having a thickness which controls an amount of attractive force that is achieved by the first magnetic structure and the second magnetic structure.