Device and Method for Enabling a Cover to be Attached to and Removed from a Compartment within the Device

• US 20090289063A1
• Filed: 06/07/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Correlated Magnetics Research, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cedar Ridge Research LLC
• Inventors: Fullerton, Larry W., Roberts, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/230
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0215 Flexible forms, sheets
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0263 Closures, bags, bands, engagement devices with male and female parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A device is described herein that incorporates correlated magnets which enable a cover to be easily and effectively attached to and removed from a compartment. Some examples of such a device include a remote control unit, a calculator, a clock-radio, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a camera, a television, a portable media player, and a handheld electronic game unit.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a cover including a first field emission structure; and

a compartment including a second field emission structure, where the cover is attached to the compartment to enclose a space within the compartment when the first and second field emission structures are located next to one another and have a certain alignment with respect to one another, where each of the first and second field emission structures include 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 field emission structures within a field domain.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the cover is released from the compartment to provide access to the space within the compartment when the first and second field emission structures are turned with respect to one another.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the cover further includes a release mechanism which is used to turn the first field emission structure with respect to the second field emission structure to release the cover from the compartment and provide access to the space within the compartment.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the space within the compartment is configured to contain one or more batteries.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the space within the compartment is configured to contain one or more component connectors.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the cover and the compartment each has incorporated therein one or more additional field emission structures.

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

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said at least one correlation function is in accordance with at least one code.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said at least one code is at least one of a pseudorandom code, a deterministic code, or a designed code.

10. The device of claim 8, 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.

11. The device of claim 1, 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 field emission structures and the relative alignment of the first and second field emission structures creates a spatial force in accordance with the desired spatial force function.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said spatial force include at least one of an attractive spatial force or a repellant spatial force.

13. The device of claim 11, 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.

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

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

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

17. The device of claim 1, 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.

18. A method for enabling a cover to be attached to and removed from a compartment within a device, said method comprising the steps of:

attaching a first field emission structure to the cover;

attaching a second field emission structure to the compartment; and

aligning the first and second field emission structures so the cover attaches to the compartment and encloses a space within the compartment when the first and second field emission structures are located next to one another and have a certain alignment with respect to one another, where each of the first and second field emission structures include 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 field emission structures within a field domain.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising a step of turning the first emission structure with respect to the second field emission structure to remove the cover from the compartment.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the device includes a remote control and the space within the compartment is configured to contain one or more batteries.