Methods and apparatus for configuring a magnetic attachment system

• US 8,242,868 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lauder, Andrew, Rohrbach, Matthew D., Coster, Daniel J., Stringer, Christopher J., Ow, Florence W., Ai, Jiang, Ive, Jonathan P., Kibiti, Elvis M., Ternus, John P., Lubner, Sean D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Musleh, Mohamad
• Application Number:
  US12/971,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20120066873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 335/219, 335/285, 335302-306, 439/38, 439/218, 439/217, 439/39, 243/03, 292/251.5
• US Class Current: 335/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0263 Closures, bags, bands, engagement devices with male and female parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/04 Means for releasing the attractive force
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/32 having magnetic fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/11 Magnetic

Abstract

A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a dual state magnetic element for use in an electronic device having an enclosure, comprising:

providing a first plurality of magnetic elements in accordance with a first configuration;

providing a second plurality of magnetic elements in accordance with a second configuration that is complementary to the first configuration;

positioning the first and second plurality of magnetic elements with respect to each other until a peak magnetic attachment force is determined;

positioning the first and second plurality of magnetic elements with respect to each other until a first local maximum off peak magnetic attachment force is determined; and

forming the dual state magnetic element using the first plurality of magnetic elements in accordance with the first configuration, respectively, only when the first local maximum off peak magnetic attachment force is equal to or greater than one half of the peak magnetic attachment force, wherein the dual state magnetic element is disposed within the enclosure at a first side wall and arranged to provide a first magnetic surface at an exterior surface of the first side wall in an inactive state, the first magnetic surface not substantially affecting a magnetically sensitive device at the exterior surface, wherein in an active state, the dual state magnetic element provides a second magnetic surface at the exterior surface of the first side wall, the second magnetic surface suitable for generating the peak magnetic attachment force used to form a magnetic attachment between the dual state magnetic element and a magnetic assembly in a first part of an accessory unit, wherein the dual state magnetic element comprises a state maintaining mechanism coupled to the enclosure and arranged to maintain the dual state magnetic element in the inactive state by providing a retaining force, wherein the dual state magnetic element changes from the inactive state to the active state only when the magnetic assembly aligns with the dual state magnetic element, and wherein when the dual state magnetic element changes from the inactive to the active state, the dual state magnetic element moves from a first position to a second position against the retaining force a distance Δ

x towards the first sidewall wherein the state maintaining mechanism comprises a spring having a spring constant k;

the magnetic assembly comprising;

a plurality of magnetic elements arranged in accordance with the second configuration enclosed in a housing having a front opening, a first end lug pivotally connected to an end of the housing, a second end lug pivotally connected to an opposite end of the housing, wherein the first and second end lugs and the housing pivot about a first pivot line, a rigid connecting rod connecting the first and second end lugs, a collar sized to accommodate the rigid connecting rod, the collar and rigid connecting rod inserted into an opening in the accessory unit, the rigid connecting rod forming a second pivot line different than the first pivot line about which the first and second end lugs pivot.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first configuration comprises an ordering of a magnetic polarity of each of the first plurality of magnetic elements.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first configuration comprises an ordering of a size of each of the first plurality of magnetic elements.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

setting the retaining force applied by the retaining mechanism in accordance with a difference between the first local maximum off peak magnetic attachment force and the peak magnetic attachment force.

9. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the first plurality of magnetic elements are arranged adjacent one another in a first relative size order along a first line and arranged according to a first polarity pattern of magnetic polarities.

10. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the set retaining force prevents a false activation of the dual state magnetic element.

11. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the ordering of the magnetic polarity is at least {P1,P2,P1}, wherein P1 is a first polarity and P2 is an opposite polarity.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the ordering of the size of the first plurality of magnetic elements is at least {2L,1L,1L}, wherein 1L corresponds to a an effective unit magnet length and wherein 2L corresponds to about twice the effective unit magnet length.

5. An apparatus for configuring a dual state magnetic element for use in an electronic device having an enclosure, comprising:

means for providing a first plurality of magnetic elements in accordance with a first configuration;

means for providing a second plurality of magnetic elements in accordance with a second configuration that is complementary to the first configuration;

means for positioning the first and second plurality of magnetic elements with respect to each other until a peak magnetic attachment force is determined;

means for positioning the first and second plurality of magnetic elements with respect to each other until a first local maximum off peak magnetic attachment force is determined; and

means for forming the dual state magnetic element using the first plurality of magnetic elements in accordance with the first configuration, respectively, only when the first local maximum off peak magnetic attachment force is equal to or greater than one half of the peak magnetic attachment force, wherein the dual state magnetic element is disposed within the enclosure at a first side wall and arranged to provide a first magnetic surface at an exterior surface of the first side wall in an inactive state, the first magnetic surface not substantially affecting a magnetically sensitive device at the exterior surface, wherein in an active state, the dual state magnetic element provides a second magnetic surface at the exterior surface of the first side wall, the second magnetic surface suitable for generating the peak magnetic attachment force used to form a magnetic attachment between the dual state magnetic element and a magnetic assembly in a first part of an accessory unit, wherein the dual state magnetic element comprises a state maintaining mechanism coupled to the enclosure and arranged to maintain the dual state magnetic element in the inactive state by providing a retaining force, wherein the dual state magnetic element changes from the inactive state to the active state only when the magnetic assembly aligns with the dual state magnetic element, and wherein when the dual state magnetic element changes from the inactive to the active state, the dual state magnetic element moves from a first position to a second position against the retaining force a distance Δ

x towards the first sidewall wherein the state maintaining mechanism comprises a spring having a spring constant k;

the magnetic assembly comprising;

a plurality of magnetic elements arranged in accordance with the second configuration enclosed in a housing having a front opening, a first end lug pivotally connected to an end of the housing, a second end lug pivotally connected to an opposite end of the housing, wherein the first and second end lugs and the housing pivot about a first pivot line, a rigid connecting rod connecting the first and second end lugs, a collar sized to accommodate the rigid connecting rod, the collar and rigid connecting rod inserted into an opening in the accessory unit, the rigid connecting rod forming a second pivot line different than the first pivot line about which the first and second end lugs pivot.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the first configuration comprises an ordering of a magnetic polarity of each of the first plurality of magnetic elements.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the first configuration comprises an ordering of a size of each of the first plurality of magnetic elements.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

setting the retaining force applied by the retaining mechanism in accordance with a difference between the first local maximum off peak magnetic attachment force and the peak magnetic attachment force.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the first plurality of magnetic elements are arranged adjacent one another in a first relative size order along a first line and arranged according to a first polarity pattern of magnetic polarities.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the set retaining force prevents a false activation of the dual state magnetic element.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the ordering of the magnetic polarity is at least {P1,P2,P1}, wherein P1 is a first polarity and P2 is an opposite polarity.