Magnetic attachment system

• US 8,373,527 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Correlated Magnetics Research, LLC
• Original Assignee: Correlated Magnetics Research, LLC
• Inventors: Fullerton, Larry W., Roberts, Mark D., Richards, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRERA, RAMON M
• Application Number:
  US13/529,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20120256715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: 335/285, 335302-306, 243/03
• US Class Current: 335/285
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/02 Permanent magnets [PM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/021 Construction of PM H01F7/0278 takes precedence; PM compositions H01F1/032
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0273 Magnetic circuits with PM for magnetic field generation
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/04 Means for releasing the attractive force

Abstract

An improved magnetic attachment system is provided that involves field emission structures having electric or magnetic field sources. The magnitudes, polarities, and positions of the magnetic or electric field sources are configured to have desirable correlation properties, which may be in accordance with a code. The correlation properties correspond to a desired spatial force function where spatial forces between field emission structures correspond to relative alignment, separation distance, and the spatial force function.

Claims

1. A magnetic attachment system, comprising:

a first magnetic structure comprising more than three first polarity regions, where the number of first polarity regions equals “

N”

; and

a second magnetic structure comprising more than three second polarity regions, where the number of second polarity regions equals “

N”

, said second polarity regions of said second magnetic structure being complementary to said first polarity regions of said first magnetic structure;

wherein a first peak aligned magnetic attract force is generated when said first and second magnetic structures are aligned and a first plurality of misaligned magnetic attract forces are generated when said first and second magnetic structures are in a corresponding plurality of misalignment positions, wherein the ratio of said first peak aligned magnetic attract force to a first maximum misaligned magnetic attract force substantially equals N/1.

2. The magnetic attachment system of claim 1, wherein N is a number from the set of {4, 5, 7, 13}.

3. The magnetic attachment system of claim 2, further comprising a third magnetic structure and a fourth magnetic structure, wherein said third magnetic structure comprises a third plurality of polarity regions and said fourth magnetic structure comprising a fourth plurality of polarity regions, wherein the number of third polarity regions equals “

N” and

the number of fourth polarity regions equals “

N”

, wherein said third magnetic structure is complementary to said first magnetic structure and said third magnetic structure is complementary to said fourth magnetic structure.

4. The magnetic attachment system of claim 3, wherein a second peak magnetic attract force is generated when said first magnetic structure is aligned with said second magnetic structure and said third magnetic structure is aligned with said fourth magnetic structure, and where a second plurality of off-peak magnetic attract forces are generated when said first magnetic structure and said second magnetic structure are misaligned in a second plurality of misalignment positions and said third magnetic structure and said fourth magnetic structure are misaligned in a third plurality of misalignment positions, and wherein the ratio of said second peak aligned magnetic attract force to a second maximum off-peak magnetic attract force is greater than or equal to

5. A magnetic attachment system, comprising:

a first magnetic structure comprising a first polarity pattern;

said first polarity pattern being divisible into area units, wherein each area unit is of approximately equal size, and wherein each area unit has a single polarity, and wherein said first magnetic structure comprises “

N”

area units, wherein “

N”

is greater than 2; and

a second magnetic structure comprising a second polarity pattern, said second magnetic structure being complementary to said first magnetic structure;

wherein a first peak aligned magnetic attract force is generated when said first and second magnetic structures are aligned and a first plurality of misaligned magnetic forces are generated when said first and second magnetic structures are misaligned in a corresponding first plurality of misalignment positions, and wherein the ratio of said first peak aligned magnetic attract force to a maximum misaligned magnetic force of said first plurality of misaligned magnetic forces substantially equals

6. The magnetic attachment system of claim 5, wherein N is a value of at least 3 and less than 4.

7. The magnetic attachment system of claim 5, wherein N is a value of at least 4 and less than 5.

8. The magnetic attachment system of claim 5, wherein N is a value of at least 5 and less than 7.

9. The magnetic attachment system of claim 5, wherein N is a value of at least 7 and less than 11.

10. The magnetic attachment system of claim 5, wherein N is a value greater than 11 and not greater than 13.

11. The magnetic attachment system of claim 5, further comprising a third and fourth magnetic structure, said third magnetic structure comprising a third polarity pattern;

said third polarity pattern being divisible into a plurality of second area units, wherein each second area unit is of approximately equal size, wherein each second area unit has a single polarity, and wherein said third magnetic structure comprises “

X”

second area units;

wherein said third and fourth magnetic structures are complementary to each other;

wherein a second peak aligned magnetic attract force is generated when said third and fourth magnetic structures are aligned and a second plurality of misaligned forces are generated when said third and fourth magnetic structures are misaligned in a corresponding second plurality of misalignment positions, and wherein the ratio of said second peak aligned magnetic attract force to a maximum misaligned magnetic force of said second plurality of misaligned forces substantially equals

12. The magnetic attachment system of claim 11, wherein a third peak magnetic attract force is generated when said first magnetic structure is aligned with said second magnetic structure and said third magnetic structure is aligned with said fourth magnetic structure, and where a third plurality of off-peak magnetic attract forces are generated when said first magnetic structure and said second magnetic structure are misaligned in a third plurality of misalignment positions and said third magnetic structure and said fourth magnetic structure are misaligned in a fourth plurality of misalignment positions, and wherein the ratio of said third peak aligned magnetic attract force to a maximum off-peak magnetic attract force of said third plurality of off-peak magnetic attract forces is greater than or equal to

13. A magnetic attachment system, comprising:

a first magnetic structure comprising more than two polarity regions, where the number of polarity regions equals “

N”

; and

a second magnetic structure, said second magnetic structure being complementary to said first magnetic structure;

wherein a peak aligned magnetic attract force is generated when said first and second magnetic structures are aligned and a plurality of misaligned magnetic attract forces are generated when said first and second magnetic structures are misaligned in a plurality of misalignment positions, and the ratio of the peak aligned magnetic attract force to a maximum misaligned magnetic attract force is greater than N/1.

14. The magnetic attachment system of claim 13, wherein N equals 3.

15. The magnetic attachment system of claim 13, wherein N equals either 7 or 11.

16. A magnetic attachment system, comprising:

a first magnetic structure comprising a polarity pattern;

said polarity pattern being divisible into a first plurality of magnetic field emission sources, wherein each magnetic field emission source of said first plurality of magnetic field emission sources has a single polarity, and wherein each magnetic field emission source of said first plurality of magnetic field emission sources has approximately the same magnetic strength;

wherein said first magnetic structure comprises “

N”

magnetic field emission sources, and wherein “

N”

is greater than 3, said first magnetic structure having an autocorrelation function having a single peak autocorrelation position and a plurality of off-peak autocorrelation positions, wherein a greatest peak autocorrelation magnitude of said peak autocorrelation position equals approximately N, and a greatest off-peak autocorrelation magnitude of said plurality of off-peak autocorrelation positions substantially equals N/1; and

a second magnetic structure, said second magnetic structure being complementary to said first magnetic structure, said second magnetic structure being movable in at least two degrees of freedom relative to said first magnetic structure.

17. The magnetic attachment system of claim 16, wherein each magnetic field emission source of said first plurality of magnetic field emission sources has substantially the same strength per unit volume.

18. The magnetic attachment system of claim 16, wherein a first magnetic field emission source of said first plurality of magnetic field emission sources is comprised of magnetic material having a different strength per unit volume than a second magnetic field emission source of said first plurality of magnetic field emission sources.

19. The magnetic attachment system of claim 16, further comprising a third magnet structure, said third magnetic structure being complementary to said first magnetic structure, wherein a composite autocorrelation function corresponding to the combination of said first magnetic structure and said third magnetic structure has a plurality of composite autocorrelation positions, wherein the composite autocorrelation function has one peak composite autocorrelation position with a magnitude of approximately 2N and the composite autocorrelation function has not more than two off-peak composite autocorrelation positions having a magnitude of N or greater.

20. The magnetic attachment system of claim 19, wherein said composite autocorrelation function has a single peak composite autocorrelation magnitude and a plurality of off-peak composite autocorrelation magnitudes, and wherein the ratio of said single peak composite autocorrelation magnitude to the greatest non-negative off-peak composite autocorrelation magnitude is substantially 2N/2.