US20110026203A1 - Electronic device and magnetic latching mechanism therefore - Google Patents
Electronic device and magnetic latching mechanism therefore Download PDFInfo
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- US20110026203A1 US20110026203A1 US12/831,505 US83150510A US2011026203A1 US 20110026203 A1 US20110026203 A1 US 20110026203A1 US 83150510 A US83150510 A US 83150510A US 2011026203 A1 US2011026203 A1 US 2011026203A1
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- Prior art keywords
- component
- display
- magnetic
- electromagnet
- components
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K5/00—Casings, cabinets or drawers for electric apparatus
- H05K5/02—Details
- H05K5/0217—Mechanical details of casings
- H05K5/0221—Locks; Latches
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05C—BOLTS OR FASTENING DEVICES FOR WINGS, SPECIALLY FOR DOORS OR WINDOWS
- E05C19/00—Other devices specially designed for securing wings, e.g. with suction cups
- E05C19/16—Devices holding the wing by magnetic or electromagnetic attraction
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1615—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function
- G06F1/1616—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function 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
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
- G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
- G06F1/1675—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts
- G06F1/1679—Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts 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
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S292/00—Closure fasteners
- Y10S292/37—Push button operators
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T24/00—Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
- Y10T24/32—Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc. having magnetic fastener
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T292/00—Closure fasteners
- Y10T292/08—Bolts
- Y10T292/096—Sliding
- Y10T292/0999—Spring retracted
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T292/00—Closure fasteners
- Y10T292/11—Magnetic
Definitions
- the subject matter of the present disclosure generally relates to a latch for a laptop computer and more particularly relates to a magnetic latch for a laptop computer that uses magnetic attraction to keep the display closed and uses magnetic repulsion to pop-up the display for opening.
- Laptop or network computers have a body housing internal components and have a display attached to the body.
- the display is typically hinged to the body so that the display can be opened and closed relative to the body.
- mechanical latches have been used on laptop displays to maintain the display closed against the body.
- the latch mechanisms typically have a hook and catch interlock or similar arrangement that is activated using a button, slider, or the like. To open the display, a user disengages the hook and catch mechanism and then pivots the display on its hinges open from the body. Once the latch is disengaged, the user must pry open the display by hand.
- FIGS. 1A-1B a laptop computer 10 with a display hingedly connected to a body is illustrated.
- the laptop 10 has a hook and catch interlock 30 according to the prior art that uses a magnet 38 .
- a hook 32 is positioned on the display 14
- a catch 36 is positioned in the body 12 .
- the hook 32 is engaged with the catch 36 to maintain the display 14 closed.
- a slideable button 34 on the body 12 is used to disengage the hook 32 from the catch 36 , and a counterbalance clutch 20 causes the display 14 to pop open by a small amount, which allows a user to use the edge of the display 14 to open it.
- the hook 32 shown in FIGS. 1A-1B is biased by a spring (not shown) and stows away within a recess 40 of the display 14 when not in use (e.g., when the display 14 is open).
- a magnet 38 deploys the hook 32 from its stowed position so that the hook 32 can engage the catch 36 through an opening 42 in the body 30 .
- a counterbalance clutch 20 at the hinge of the display 14 and body 12 .
- thrust washers, Omega clips, or bands are typically located at the hinge(s) between the display 14 and body 12 .
- the display 14 acts against the counterbalance clutch 20 so that the locked display 14 is biased to open.
- the latch mechanism 30 is released, the existing bias in the display 14 is released, causing the display 14 to pop-up or open slightly from the body 12 .
- a typical clutch/display weight threshold is about 400-grams.
- the pop-up of the display 14 then allows a user to fit a portion of a finger under the edge of the display 14 to help them better pry the display 14 open.
- Displays 14 with counterbalanced clutches 20 are typically referred to as “pop-up displays.”
- the counterbalance clutches are typically located at the one or more hinges between the display and the body. To produce the pop-up, these clutches are biased or loaded when the display is closed against the body. Thus, the clutches have built in stresses that can cause failure over time. These clutches can also be damaged if the display is inadvertently moved relative to the body in unwanted directions. For example, when the display is closed and the clutches are loaded, any injury to the hinge area by dropping the laptop can damage the clutch and/or hinges.
- the subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
- a magnetic latch for a display of a laptop computer uses magnetic attraction to maintain the display closed.
- the latch also uses magnetic repelling forces to pop-up the display when a user wants to open the laptop.
- the latch includes at least one first magnetic elements positioned in the body of the laptop and includes at least one second magnetic element positioned in the display.
- the first magnet element in the body is arranged so that opposite polarities are positioned towards the second magnet element in the display.
- the second magnet element in the display is positioned adjacent the first magnet element in the body having the opposite polarity to that the first and second magnet elements are attracted to one another.
- the user moves (e.g., slides, turns, pushes, rotates, flips) the second magnet element in the display so that it meets the first magnet element having the same polarity.
- the repelling force between them causes the display to open an amount that allows the user to then readily open the display.
- the first and second magnetic elements can both be permanent magnets.
- one or more of the first magnetic elements can be electromagnets while the second magnetic element can be a permanent magnet.
- FIGS. 1A-1B illustrates a laptop computer with a display hingedly connected to a body and having a latch mechanism and a pop-up clutch according to the prior art.
- FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a laptop computer having a display hingedly connected to a body and having a latch and pop-up mechanism according to certain teachings of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate various embodiments of the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanism according to certain teachings of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate an embodiment of a button arrangement for moving a first magnetic component relative to a second magnetic component.
- FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate another embodiment of a latch and pop-up mechanism according to certain teachings of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate an embodiment of first and second components having a plurality of magnetic elements with a polarity configuration.
- FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate another embodiment of first and second components having a plurality of magnetic elements with another polarity configuration.
- FIG. 8 illustrates a plurality of polarity configurations for magnetic elements.
- FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanism having an electromagnet and a permanent magnet.
- FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate an embodiment for resetting magnetic components according to certain teachings of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 11A-11B illustrate another embodiment for resetting magnetic components according to certain teachings of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 12A-12B illustrate yet another embodiment for resetting magnetic components according to certain teachings of the present disclosure.
- an electronic device 10 is illustrated in a side view and a front view.
- the electronic device 10 is a laptop computer having a body 12 for internal electronics (not shown) and having a visual display 14 hingedly connected to the body 12 by a hinge 16 .
- the teachings of the present disclosure are applicable to other electronic devices, such as portable CD or DVD players, PDAs, calculators, and cell phones, for example, which have first and second body portions hingedly connected together and which can further have a display on the first body hingedly connected to the second body having internal electronics.
- the electronic device 10 has a latch and pop-up mechanism 50 according to certain teachings of the present disclosure.
- the disclosed mechanism 50 achieves latching of the display 14 to the body 12 and achieves pop-up of the display 14 from the body 12 .
- the display 14 positions adjacent the body 12 when fully closed and positions at about 130-degrees to the body 12 when fully open.
- the disclosed mechanism 50 includes a first component 60 positioned on the body 12 and a second component 70 positioned on the display 14 .
- the first component 60 on the body 12 has a first magnetic element 62 positioned adjacent a second magnetic element 64 .
- the second component 70 on the display 14 includes a movable magnetic element 72 capable of having an open state and a closed state.
- the magnetic element 72 is movable (e.g., slideable in a slot 74 on the display 14 ) to produce the open and closed states.
- the movable element 72 is magnetically attracted to the first magnetic element 62 when the display 14 is closed against the body 12 and the movable element 72 has the closed state (i.e., when slid to the right position in FIG. 2B ). In this way, the magnetic interaction between the first element 62 and movable element 72 act to magnetically attract the display 14 to the body 12 to maintain the display closed. Conversely, the movable element 72 is magnetically repulsed by the second magnetic element 64 when the movable element 72 has the open state (i.e., when slid to the left position in FIG. 2B ) while the display 14 is closed.
- the magnetic interaction between the second element 64 and movable element 72 act to magnetically repel the display 14 from the body 12 to pop-up the display 14 .
- a pop-up of about 6-mm between front edges of the display 14 and body 12 has been found to be an appropriate distance to allow a user to gain access to the edge of the display 14 and readily pry the display 14 open from the body 12 .
- the first magnetic element 62 is composed of a ferromagnetic material
- the second magnetic element 64 is a permanent magnet.
- the ferromagnetic material can be steel
- the permanent magnet can be a rare earth permanent magnet.
- the permanent magnet 64 has a first polarity (e.g., North polarity) relative to the display 14 .
- the movable element 72 is a permanent magnet having an opposite polarity (e.g., South polarity) to that of the second magnetic element 64 . In this way, the movable element 72 in the closed state (e.g., right position) is attracted to the ferromagnetic material 62 to maintain the display 14 closed.
- the open state e.g., left position
- the movable element 72 is repelled by the permanent magnet 64 on the body 12 , which causes the display 14 to pop-up a distance from the body 12 .
- the first magnetic element 62 is a permanent magnet having a first polarity (e.g., North polarity), and the second magnetic element is a permanent magnet having an opposite polarity (e.g., South polarity) to the first polarity.
- the movable element 72 is a permanent magnet having the same polarity (e.g., North polarity) as the first polarity of the first element 62 . In this way, the movable element 72 in the closed state (e.g., right position) is attracted to the first permanent magnet 62 to maintain the display 14 closed. Likewise, the movable element 72 in the open state (e.g., left position) is repulsed by the second permanent magnet 64 to make the display pop-up a distance from the body 12 .
- Table 1 below provides repulsion values in grams at various distances for various combinations and sizes of rare earth permanent magnets.
- Top Magnet Bot Magnet (Y ⁇ Z ⁇ X mm) (Y ⁇ Z ⁇ X mm) PM Orientation Repulsion @6.55 mm Repulsion @5 mm Repulsion @3.5 mm 1 5.5 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 5.5 ⁇ 2.5 ⁇ 48 vertical 558 881 1424 horizontal 675 1018 1610 2 5.5 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 5.5 ⁇ 2.0 ⁇ 48 vertical 477 749 1228 horizontal 572 871 1394 3 5.0 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 5.0 ⁇ 2.5 ⁇ 48 vertical 489 778 1292 horizontal 577 886 1439 4 4.5 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 4.5 ⁇ 2.5 ⁇ 48 vertical 416 675 1145 horizontal 484 758 1257 5 4.0 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 4.0 ⁇ 2.5 ⁇ 48 vertical 347 568 988 horizontal 396 631 1072 6 5.0 ⁇ 4.5 ⁇ 48 5.0 ⁇ 2.0 ⁇ 48 vertical 445 705 1174 w/1-mm radii horizontal 528 807 1316
- the top magnet is 5.0 ⁇ 4.5 ⁇ 48-mm in dimension, while the bottom magnet is 5.0 ⁇ 2.0 ⁇ 48-mm in dimension.
- the top and bottom magnets exhibit repulsion values of 445, 705, and 1174-grams at the distances of 6.55-mm, 5.0-mm, and 3.5-mm, respectively.
- these same top and bottom magnets arranged horizontally with the same polarities to produce repulsion exhibit greater repulsion values of 528, 807, and 1316-grams at the distances of 6.55-mm, 5.0-mm, and 3.5-mm, respectively.
- Table 2 below provides attraction values in grams at various distances for the same combinations and sizes of rare earth permanent magnets of Table 1.
- Top Magnet Bot Magnet Attraction Attraction (Y ⁇ Z ⁇ X (Y ⁇ Z ⁇ X PM @ @ mm) mm) Orientation 3.2 mm 1.7 mm 1 5.5 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 5.5 ⁇ 2.5 ⁇ 48 vertical 1654 3024 horizontal 1810 3288 2 5.5 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 5.5 ⁇ 2.0 ⁇ 48 vertical 1424 2637 horizontal 1561 2872 3 5.0 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 5.0 ⁇ 2.5 ⁇ 48 vertical 1497 2823 horizontal 1624 3043 4 4.5 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 4.5 ⁇ 2.5 ⁇ 48 vertical 1287 2588 horizontal 1424 2769 5 4.0 ⁇ 4.0 ⁇ 48 4.0 ⁇ 2.5 ⁇ 48 vertical 1150 2324 horizontal 1223 2466 6 5.0 ⁇ 4.5 ⁇ 48 5.0 ⁇ 2.0 ⁇ 48 vertical 1209 2368 w/1-mm horizontal 1302 2539 radii
- the top and bottom magnets arranged vertical to one another with opposing polarities to produce attraction exhibit attraction values of 1209 and 2368-grams at the distances of 3.2-mm and 1.7-mm, respectively.
- these same top and bottom magnets arranged horizontally with opposing polarities have greater attraction values of 1302 and 2539-grams at the distances of 6.55-mm and 3.5-mm, respectively.
- the embodiment of the magnetic latch and pop-up mechanism 50 having permanent magnets for each of the magnetic elements 62 , 64 , and 74 use a horizontal arrangement of the poles of the magnet.
- the first component 60 having dual magnetic elements 62 and 64 is positioned on the body 12
- the second component 70 having the movable magnetic element 72 is positioned on the display 14 .
- a reverse arrangement with the movable element 72 on the body 12 and the dual elements 62 and 64 on the display 14 can also be used to achieve both latching and pop-up.
- reverse arrangements are applicable to other embodiments of the present disclosure.
- the movable magnetic element 72 slides relative to the edge of the display 14 (i.e., slides in direction S left to right).
- the movement of the movable element 72 can be achieved by a number of techniques, such as sliding, pushing, rotating, flipping, etc.
- the movable element 72 slides in and out relative to the edge of the display 14 (i.e., pushes in direction P) like a button activated by the user.
- a movable element 80 of the disclosed latch mechanism is rotatably positioned on the body 12 and has a first magnetic element 82 positioned adjacent a second magnetic element 84 .
- the first element 82 is attracted to element 86 on the display 14 and is repulsed by element 88 on the display 14 .
- the second element 84 is attracted to element 88 and is repulsed by element 86 .
- a movable element 90 of the mechanism is positioned on the body 12 and has a first magnetic element 92 positioned adjacent a second magnetic element 94 .
- the movable element 90 flips in direction F on the body 12 .
- a corresponding element 96 on the display is magnetically attracted to the first element 92 and is magnetically repulsed by the second element 94 .
- the latch and pop-up mechanism be used near the leading edge of the display 14 and body 12 of the device 10 , which is typically opposite the edge where the hinges 16 between the display 14 and body 12 are located. This location is preferred because applying force at the leading edge best overcomes friction and weight of the display 14 for pop-up.
- the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanism can be positioned in other locations on the device 10 depending on the type of electronic device employed.
- the mechanism 50 achieves both latching and pop-up between the display 14 and body 12 .
- the disclosed mechanisms can be used to achieve either latching or pop-up functions exclusive of the other.
- a first magnetic component 60 shown in FIG. 3D can have only one magnetic element (e.g., element 62 ) and no second element.
- the movable element 72 in the closed state is attracted to the sole element 62
- the movable element 72 in the open state is moved away from the sole element 62 .
- 3E can have only one magnetic element (e.g., element 64 ) and no second element.
- a movable element 72 on the display 14 in the closed state can mechanically latch to a catch 66 on the body 12 .
- the movable element 72 in the open state is moved adjacent the sole element 64 and is repulsed thereby to pop-open the display 14 .
- FIGS. 4A and 4B an embodiment of a button arrangement for moving a second magnetic component 70 relative to a first magnetic component 60 is illustrated.
- the button arrangement includes a button 52 slideably positioned in a slot 51 defined in the housing of the display 14 .
- the button 52 has a portion 54 connected to the second magnetic component 70 , which is a permanent magnet 72 in the present embodiment.
- a user slides the button 52 in the slot 51 to move the magnet 72 relative to the second magnetic component 60 , which in the present embodiment also includes two permanent magnets 62 and 64 .
- the magnets of the first magnetic component 60 are positioned in a holder 56 attached to the housing of the body 12 .
- the surfaces of these magnets may be exposed on the surface of the body 12 .
- the movable magnet of the second magnetic component 70 is positioned in another holder 58 attached to the housing of the display 14 .
- the holders 56 and 58 maintain a distance between the magnetic components 60 and 70 of about 0.7-mm when the display 14 is closed against the body 12 .
- the holders 56 and 58 position the magnetic components 60 and 70 about 4.3-mm from the leading edges of the display 14 and body 12 .
- a number of components of the electronic device 10 may be located near the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanism 50 .
- an edge of a LCD panel 15 in the display 14 and portion of a mouse touch pad 13 in the body 12 may be positioned near the disclosed mechanism 50 .
- Other components 11 such as internal electronics of the laptop device 10 , may also be positioned near the disclosed mechanism 50 . Therefore, it will be appreciated that having magnetic components 60 and 70 on the laptop 10 can pose potential problems to these adjacent electronic components 11 , 13 , and 15 .
- magnetic flux from the magnetic components 60 and 70 may interfere with the electronic components 11 , 13 , and 15 of the laptop 10 . It is calculated that embodiments of the disclosed mechanism 50 may produce 0.2 Tesla of magnetic flux when the display 14 is closed and that the magnetic flux may affect an area of about 2-3-cm within of the laptop 10 .
- magnetic flux from the magnetic components 60 and 70 can be localized to prevent affecting the electronic components 11 , 13 , and 15 .
- the magnetic components 60 and 70 can be physically separated as far as possible from the electronic components 11 , 13 , and 15 to prevent interference. In other examples, techniques known in the art for shunting and shielding the magnetic components 60 and 70 can be employed.
- design of the disclosed mechanism 50 preferably considers the amount of movement required to move the magnetic components 60 and 70 between attraction to repulsion. Furthermore, design of the disclosed mechanism 50 preferably considers the amount of repulsive force to sufficiently pop-up the display 14 . Given these design considerations, it is preferred to divide the magnetic components 60 and 70 into a plurality of discrete magnetic elements. In a preferred embodiment, latch travel to produce the open and closed states is preferably about 25-mm or less. In this preferred embodiment, a plurality of discrete neodymium magnets are arranged in a line and given alternating polarity, as will be discussed in further detail below.
- a first magnetic component 160 in the body 12 has a plurality of permanent magnets 162 and 164 and has a ferromagnetic element 166 .
- a second magnetic component 170 in the display 14 has a plurality of permanent magnets 172 and 174 and has a ferromagnetic element 176 .
- the magnets and ferromagnetic elements are arranged in a line, and the poles of the magnets are arranged horizontally along the line of the arrangement of magnets.
- a button 152 slideably positioned in a slot 151 defined in the housing of the display 14 .
- the button 152 has a portion 154 connected to the second magnetic component 170 .
- a user slides the button 152 in the slot 151 to move the magnetic component 170 relative to the second magnetic component 160 .
- Each of the permanent magnets 162 , 164 , 172 , 174 is preferably a neodymium N-48 magnet, and each component 160 and 170 preferably defines approximately 25-mm of active magnetic length.
- the movable component 170 in a closed state positions magnet 172 in magnetic attraction to ferromagnetic element 166 , magnet 174 in magnetic attraction to magnet 162 , and ferromagnetic element 176 in magnetic attraction to magnet 164 .
- the display 14 is held substantially closed against the body 12 .
- the movable component 170 in an open state positions magnet 172 in magnetic repulsion to magnet 162 , magnet 174 in magnetic repulsion to magnet 164 , and ferromagnetic elements 176 and 166 away from magnets.
- the display 14 is substantially popped-up a distance D P from the body 12 .
- the pop-up distance D P is about 4.8-mm, which combined with a pre-existing G of about 1.5-mm shown in FIG. 5C would give a total pop-up distance of about 6.3-mm.
- the sliding distance of the first component 170 is as small as possible. Having the 25-mm of active magnetic length, the sliding distance required by the second magnetic component 170 of the present embodiment is about 25-mm.
- the leading edges of the display 14 and body 12 define the pre-existing gap G, which can be about 1.5-mm.
- the second component 170 in the display 14 has an upper shroud 158 so that the surface of this component 170 is not exposed when the display 14 is opened.
- the first component 160 in the body 12 has a lower shroud 156 so that the surface of this component 160 is not exposed when the display 14 is opened.
- the upper shroud 158 is approximately 0.5-mm thick metal, such as aluminum
- the lower shroud 156 is approximately 0.8-mm thick plastic. This produces a nominal distance between the magnetic components 160 and 170 of about 1.3-mm when the display 14 is closed.
- the preferred pop-up travel between the components 160 and 170 in the open state is preferably at least 3.5-mm so that an entire pop-up distance of about 4.8-mm can be achieved.
- FIGS. 6A-6B an embodiment of first and second components 200 and 210 are illustrated isolated from the housings of the display and body. As discussed previously, the first component 200 is positioned in the body (not shown), and the second component is positioned in the display (not shown).
- FIG. 6A represents the arrangement of the components 200 and 210 when the display is closed against the body and the components 200 and 210 are magnetically attracted to one another.
- FIG. 6B represents the arrangement of the components 200 and 210 when the display is popped-up from the body and the components 200 and 210 are magnetically repulsed by one another.
- the first component 200 has a plurality of first magnetic elements 202 , 204 with a first polarity configuration
- the second component 210 has a plurality of second magnetic elements 212 , 214 with a second polarity configuration.
- the first magnetic elements 202 , 204 include six permanent magnets 202 and a ferromagnetic element 204 (e.g., composed of steel) arranged in a line. These permanent magnets 202 are arranged with their poles having a horizontal and alternating polarity configuration.
- the second magnetic elements 212 , 214 include a ferromagnetic element 214 (e.g., composed of steel) and six permanent magnets 212 arranged in a line. These permanent magnets 212 are also arranged with their poles having a horizontal and alternating polarity configuration.
- the polarity configuration of the first component 200 is arranged to be attracted to the polarity configuration of the second component 210 when the two components 200 and 210 are substantially aligned (e.g., distance D 2 is substantially zero), as shown in FIG. 6A .
- North and South poles of first magnets 202 are arranged to be attracted to a reverse arrangement of South and North poles of second magnets 212
- each ferromagnetic element 204 / 214 of a component is arranged to be attracted to one of the magnets 212 / 202 of the other component.
- the polarity configurations of the components 200 and 210 are arranged to be repulsed by one another when the two components 200 and 210 are moved relative to one another, as shown in FIG. 6B .
- North and South poles of first magnets 202 are arranged to be repulsed by a reverse arrangement of South and North poles of second magnets 212 , and each ferromagnetic element 204 / 214 is not arranged to align with a magnet.
- the first magnetic elements 202 , 204 each have dimensions (X, Y 2 , Z) of about 4, 2, and 5-mm
- the second magnetic elements 212 , 214 each have dimensions (X, Y 1 , Z) of 4, 4, and 5-mm.
- the first magnetic component 200 has a distance D 1 of about 1.7-mm from the second magnetic component 210 when the display and body are closed. To achieve pop-up, the components 200 , 210 are moved relative to one another by a distance D 2 in FIG. 6B , which aligns opposing magnets by one interval. Once moved, the components 200 , 210 repulse one another and separate a distance D 1 in FIG. 6B of approximately 6.55-mm.
- each component 200 / 210 has six permanent magnets 202 / 212 and a ferromagnetic element 204 / 214 arranged in a line.
- the permanent magnets 202 / 212 of the two components 200 and 210 are arranged with their poles having a vertical and alternating polarity configuration. When aligned for attraction, for example, North poles of first magnets 202 are arranged to be attracted to South poles of second magnets 212 and vice versa.
- each ferromagnetic element 204 / 214 of a component is arranged to be attracted to one of the magnets 212 / 202 of the other component.
- North poles of first magnets 202 are arranged to be repulsed by North poles of second magnets 212 and vice versa.
- each ferromagnetic element 204 / 214 is not arranged to align with a magnet.
- the distances D 1 and D 2 and dimensions X, Y, and Z associated with the embodiment of FIGS. 7A and 7B can be substantially the same as the embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B .
- FIGS. 5A-5C , 6 A- 6 B, and 7 A- 7 B show that a number of polarity configurations can be used for both attraction and repulsion between the magnetic components of the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanism.
- FIG. 8 a plurality of polarity configurations are illustrated for use with magnetic elements according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
- a first (upper) permanent magnet has vertically arranged poles
- a second (lower) permanent magnet also has vertically arranged poles.
- the vertically arranged poles of the magnets can be arranged for attraction (A) and repulsion (R).
- both upper and lower permanent magnets have horizontally arranged poles, and the horizontally arranged poles can be arranged for attraction (A) and repulsion (R).
- two upper permanent magnets have a shunt composed of ferromagnetic material, and each upper magnet has vertically arranged poles that are oppositely oriented from the other. These two upper permanent magnets are repulsed by two lower permanent magnets also having a shunt and vertically arranged poles. As shown, the upper and lower magnets with shunts can be arranged for attraction (A) and repulsion (R).
- either the upper or the lower element is a ferromagnetic material (e.g., steel), and the other element has one or more permanent magnets with any number of pole arrangements.
- These polarity configurations 304 , 305 , and 306 can be arranged for attraction (A).
- the mechanism 400 includes an electromagnet 410 positioned on the body 12 and includes a permanent magnet 420 positioned on the display 14 .
- the electromagnet 410 has a ferromagnetic core 412 wrapped by a coil 414 , which is connected to a power source or battery 416 .
- the power source or battery 416 is the same used to power the electronic device 10 .
- the power source or battery 416 can be an independent supply of power to the electromagnet 410 .
- the electromagnet 410 operates in an energized condition to produce an open state and in an unenergized condition to produce a closed state.
- internal electronics (not all shown), which includes a switch 418 for connecting the coil 414 to the battery 416 , cause the electromagnet 410 to be disconnected from the battery 416 .
- the permanent magnet 420 on the display 14 is magnetically attracted to the ferromagnetic material of the core 412 and can maintain the display 14 closed against the body 12 .
- the user pushes an external button 401 to activate the internal electronics (such as switch 418 ) and to connect the coil 414 to the battery 416 .
- Current is supplied to the coil 414 to energize the core 412 .
- the electromagnet 410 produces a polarity opposite to that of the permanent magnet 420 in the display 14 and causes the magnet 420 to be magnetically repulsed by the energized electromagnet 410 .
- the repulsion thereby causes the display 14 to pop-up a distance to allow the user to open the display 14 .
- a user may be required to move a movable element from an open state to a closed state when closing the display to magnetically latch the display against a body of the electronic device.
- a movable component automatically resets from an open state to a closed state so that the user need not make that resetting movement.
- FIGS. 10A-10B , 11 A- 11 B, and 12 A- 12 B a number of resetting techniques are disclosed for use with the disclosed latch mechanisms of the present disclosure. Although these resetting techniques are discussed in relation to components that resemble those of FIGS. 2A-2B , it will be appreciated that the resetting techniques disclosed below can be equally applied to other embodiments of latch and pop-up mechanisms disclosed herein.
- FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate first and second magnetic components 60 and 70 actuated by a button 50 .
- the second (movable) magnetic component 70 is in a closed state, the magnet 72 is attracted to the opposite polarity of the magnet 62 by a attractive force A 1 , and the display 14 is maintained closed against the body 12 .
- the magnet 72 is also moved, and the magnetic attraction A 1 is broken.
- FIG. 10B the magnet 72 has been moved to the open state and is repulsed by the same polarity of magnet 64 by repulsive force R. Due to the repulsion, the display 14 has popped-up a distance Dp from the body 12 . To achieve the pop-up distance, the magnetic repulsion R between magnets 72 and 64 must typically overcome friction forces between the display 14 and the body 12 , the weight of the display 14 , etc.
- the magnet 72 may remain in the open state, and the user can open the display 14 from the body 12 .
- the user pushes the display 14 against the body 12 , and the magnets 72 and 64 are brought into proximity to one another.
- the repulsive and attractive forces between all the magnets 62 , 64 , and 72 will cause the movable magnet 72 to move to the closed state as the display 14 is closed against the body 12 . Consequently, embodiments of the movable element 70 can reset from the open to closed state.
- the magnet 72 may still be attracted to the opposite polarity of magnet 62 by force A 2 .
- the magnetic forces between magnets depends on the distance between them. Therefore, the magnet 72 may reset to the closed state depending on the distance Dp and other variables (e.g., magnetic strengths of magnets 62 , 64 , and 72 ).
- the magnet 72 may return freely in the opposite direction of S to the closed state because of the forces A 2 and R will tend to move the magnet 72 and the user will have typically released the button 50 after pop-up of the display 14 .
- the magnets 72 and 62 may not cause the display 14 to close right after pop-up. Consequently, the display 14 can remain popped-up from the body 12 , and the user can open the display 14 .
- the user pushes the display 14 closed against the body 12 . Because the magnet 72 is already in the closed state, it will be attracted to the magnet 62 to keep the display 14 closed against the body 12 .
- the magnets 72 and 62 may cause the display 14 to close right after pop-up.
- the user may slide the movable element 70 from closed state to open state, the display 14 may pop-up from the body 12 , the user will typically release their hold on button 50 , the movable element 70 may automatically return to the closed state, and the display 14 may immediately close before the user has a chance to pry the display 14 open from the body 12 .
- FIGS. 11A-11B a biasing force F from a spring or the like biases the movable element 70 toward the open state.
- the spring is shown extended.
- the attractive force A between movable magnet 72 and magnet 62 will overcome the spring force from a spring 500 and will maintain the display 14 closed.
- the display 14 will pop-up distance Dp from the body 12 , as shown in FIG. 11B .
- the spring 500 can prevent the movable element 70 from returning back to the closed state by overcoming the attractive force A 2 between magnets 72 and 62 that may tend to move the movable element 72 back to the closed state.
- the spring 500 may be automatically overcome by the tendency of the movable element 70 to return to the closed state as the user pushes the display closed against the body 12 .
- a catch 510 is used to prevent the return of the movable element 70 to the closed state, allowing the user the opportunity to open the display 14 .
- the user slides the button 50 in direction S, and overcomes the force of the catch 510 to move the movable element 70 from the closed state to the open state.
- the catch 510 includes a biased mechanical component that physically holds the button 52 (and thereby the movable element 70 as well) in the open state after pop-up, as shown in FIG. 12B .
- the catch 510 preferably tends to keep the movable element 70 in the open state by overcoming the attractive and repulsive forces R and A 2 tending to move the element to the closed state.
- the mechanical catch 510 may need to be disengaged by the user for the movable element 70 to return to the closed state for closing the display 14 .
- the mechanical catch 510 may be automatically disengaged by the tendency of the movable element 70 to return to the closed state as the user pushes the display 14 ever closer against the body 12 .
- the magnetic forces between the magnet 72 and 64 increase as the distance between the magnets decreases (usually exponentially).
- the magnetic forces R and A 2 will cause the button 52 to overcome the force of the catch 510 , and the movable element 70 will automatically reset in the closed state.
Abstract
A magnetic latch for a display of a laptop computer is disclosed. The latch uses magnetic attraction to maintain the display closed and uses magnetic repelling forces to pop-up the display when opened. The latch includes one or more magnetic elements in the body of the laptop and at least one magnetic element in the display. When the display is closed, the magnet element in the display is positioned adjacent the magnet element in the body having an opposite polarity so that the magnet elements are attracted to one another. To pop-up the display, the user moves the magnetic element in the display so that it meets the magnetic pole in the body having the same polarity. When these meet, the repelling force between them causes the display to open slightly so that a user can then readily open the display.
Description
- This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/302,907, filed 13 Dec. 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference, to which priority is claimed, and which was filed concurrently with U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/302,801, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- The subject matter of the present disclosure generally relates to a latch for a laptop computer and more particularly relates to a magnetic latch for a laptop computer that uses magnetic attraction to keep the display closed and uses magnetic repulsion to pop-up the display for opening.
- Laptop or network computers have a body housing internal components and have a display attached to the body. The display is typically hinged to the body so that the display can be opened and closed relative to the body. In the past, mechanical latches have been used on laptop displays to maintain the display closed against the body. The latch mechanisms typically have a hook and catch interlock or similar arrangement that is activated using a button, slider, or the like. To open the display, a user disengages the hook and catch mechanism and then pivots the display on its hinges open from the body. Once the latch is disengaged, the user must pry open the display by hand.
- It is known in the art to use a magnet with a hook and catch interlock. Referring to
FIGS. 1A-1B , alaptop computer 10 with a display hingedly connected to a body is illustrated. Thelaptop 10 has a hook and catchinterlock 30 according to the prior art that uses amagnet 38. Ahook 32 is positioned on thedisplay 14, and acatch 36 is positioned in thebody 12. When thedisplay 14 is closed, thehook 32 is engaged with thecatch 36 to maintain thedisplay 14 closed. To open thedisplay 14, aslideable button 34 on thebody 12 is used to disengage thehook 32 from thecatch 36, and acounterbalance clutch 20 causes thedisplay 14 to pop open by a small amount, which allows a user to use the edge of thedisplay 14 to open it. In contrast with the more common hook and catch interlocks, thehook 32 shown inFIGS. 1A-1B is biased by a spring (not shown) and stows away within arecess 40 of thedisplay 14 when not in use (e.g., when thedisplay 14 is open). When a user closes thedisplay 14 against thebody 12, amagnet 38 deploys thehook 32 from its stowed position so that thehook 32 can engage thecatch 36 through anopening 42 in thebody 30. - To facilitate opening of the
display 14, it is known in the art to use acounterbalance clutch 20 at the hinge of thedisplay 14 andbody 12. To produce thecounterbalance clutch 20, thrust washers, Omega clips, or bands are typically located at the hinge(s) between thedisplay 14 andbody 12. When thedisplay 14 is closed and locked against thebody 12 with thelatch mechanism 30, thedisplay 14 acts against thecounterbalance clutch 20 so that the lockeddisplay 14 is biased to open. When thelatch mechanism 30 is released, the existing bias in thedisplay 14 is released, causing thedisplay 14 to pop-up or open slightly from thebody 12. A typical clutch/display weight threshold is about 400-grams. The pop-up of thedisplay 14 then allows a user to fit a portion of a finger under the edge of thedisplay 14 to help them better pry thedisplay 14 open.Displays 14 with counterbalancedclutches 20 are typically referred to as “pop-up displays.” - Unfortunately, several structural issues with prior art hook and catch interlocks and counterbalance clutches pose problems for designers of laptop computers. Although these prior art mechanisms are effective, they are susceptible to breakage. For example, a hook, catch, or spring of a latch mechanism can break simply through use, rendering the display incapable of being locked closed. If a hinge between a display and a body has been slightly damaged, portions of a latch mechanism may be misaligned and not work properly. In addition, portions of the latch mechanism such as the hook may be exposed on the display or the body after opening and can be broken inadvertently.
- Likewise, structural issues with prior art counterbalance clutches pose problems for laptop designers. The counterbalance clutches are typically located at the one or more hinges between the display and the body. To produce the pop-up, these clutches are biased or loaded when the display is closed against the body. Thus, the clutches have built in stresses that can cause failure over time. These clutches can also be damaged if the display is inadvertently moved relative to the body in unwanted directions. For example, when the display is closed and the clutches are loaded, any injury to the hinge area by dropping the laptop can damage the clutch and/or hinges.
- Therefore, a need exists for a latch of a laptop display that overcomes structural issues inherent with the mechanical hook and catch mechanism found in the art. In addition, a need exists for a pop-up display that overcomes structural issues inherent with the counterbalance clutches found in the art. The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
- A magnetic latch for a display of a laptop computer is disclosed. The latch uses magnetic attraction to maintain the display closed. The latch also uses magnetic repelling forces to pop-up the display when a user wants to open the laptop. In one embodiment, the latch includes at least one first magnetic elements positioned in the body of the laptop and includes at least one second magnetic element positioned in the display. The first magnet element in the body is arranged so that opposite polarities are positioned towards the second magnet element in the display. When the display is closed, the second magnet element in the display is positioned adjacent the first magnet element in the body having the opposite polarity to that the first and second magnet elements are attracted to one another. To pop-up the display, the user moves (e.g., slides, turns, pushes, rotates, flips) the second magnet element in the display so that it meets the first magnet element having the same polarity. When these meet, the repelling force between them causes the display to open an amount that allows the user to then readily open the display. In one embodiment, the first and second magnetic elements can both be permanent magnets. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of the first magnetic elements can be electromagnets while the second magnetic element can be a permanent magnet.
- The foregoing summary is not intended to summarize each potential embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure.
- The foregoing summary, preferred embodiments, and other aspects of subject matter of the present disclosure will be best understood with reference to a detailed description of specific embodiments, which follows, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIGS. 1A-1B illustrates a laptop computer with a display hingedly connected to a body and having a latch mechanism and a pop-up clutch according to the prior art. -
FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a laptop computer having a display hingedly connected to a body and having a latch and pop-up mechanism according to certain teachings of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate various embodiments of the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanism according to certain teachings of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate an embodiment of a button arrangement for moving a first magnetic component relative to a second magnetic component. -
FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate another embodiment of a latch and pop-up mechanism according to certain teachings of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate an embodiment of first and second components having a plurality of magnetic elements with a polarity configuration. -
FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate another embodiment of first and second components having a plurality of magnetic elements with another polarity configuration. -
FIG. 8 illustrates a plurality of polarity configurations for magnetic elements. -
FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanism having an electromagnet and a permanent magnet. -
FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate an embodiment for resetting magnetic components according to certain teachings of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 11A-11B illustrate another embodiment for resetting magnetic components according to certain teachings of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 12A-12B illustrate yet another embodiment for resetting magnetic components according to certain teachings of the present disclosure. - While the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanisms are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. The figures and written description are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive concepts in any manner. Rather, the figures and written description are provided to illustrate the inventive concepts to a person skilled in the art by reference to particular embodiments, as required by 35 U.S.C. §112.
- Referring to
FIGS. 2A-2B , anelectronic device 10 is illustrated in a side view and a front view. In the present example, theelectronic device 10 is a laptop computer having abody 12 for internal electronics (not shown) and having avisual display 14 hingedly connected to thebody 12 by ahinge 16. It will be appreciated, however, that the teachings of the present disclosure are applicable to other electronic devices, such as portable CD or DVD players, PDAs, calculators, and cell phones, for example, which have first and second body portions hingedly connected together and which can further have a display on the first body hingedly connected to the second body having internal electronics. - The
electronic device 10 has a latch and pop-upmechanism 50 according to certain teachings of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, the disclosedmechanism 50 achieves latching of thedisplay 14 to thebody 12 and achieves pop-up of thedisplay 14 from thebody 12. Although shown slightly open inFIGS. 2A-2B , thedisplay 14 positions adjacent thebody 12 when fully closed and positions at about 130-degrees to thebody 12 when fully open. - The disclosed
mechanism 50 includes afirst component 60 positioned on thebody 12 and asecond component 70 positioned on thedisplay 14. As best shown in the front view ofFIG. 2B , thefirst component 60 on thebody 12 has a firstmagnetic element 62 positioned adjacent a secondmagnetic element 64. Thesecond component 70 on thedisplay 14 includes a movablemagnetic element 72 capable of having an open state and a closed state. In the present embodiment, themagnetic element 72 is movable (e.g., slideable in aslot 74 on the display 14) to produce the open and closed states. - The
movable element 72 is magnetically attracted to the firstmagnetic element 62 when thedisplay 14 is closed against thebody 12 and themovable element 72 has the closed state (i.e., when slid to the right position inFIG. 2B ). In this way, the magnetic interaction between thefirst element 62 andmovable element 72 act to magnetically attract thedisplay 14 to thebody 12 to maintain the display closed. Conversely, themovable element 72 is magnetically repulsed by the secondmagnetic element 64 when themovable element 72 has the open state (i.e., when slid to the left position inFIG. 2B ) while thedisplay 14 is closed. In this way, the magnetic interaction between thesecond element 64 andmovable element 72 act to magnetically repel thedisplay 14 from thebody 12 to pop-up thedisplay 14. A pop-up of about 6-mm between front edges of thedisplay 14 andbody 12 has been found to be an appropriate distance to allow a user to gain access to the edge of thedisplay 14 and readily pry thedisplay 14 open from thebody 12. - In one embodiment, the first
magnetic element 62 is composed of a ferromagnetic material, and the secondmagnetic element 64 is a permanent magnet. For example, the ferromagnetic material can be steel, and the permanent magnet can be a rare earth permanent magnet. Thepermanent magnet 64 has a first polarity (e.g., North polarity) relative to thedisplay 14. In this embodiment, themovable element 72 is a permanent magnet having an opposite polarity (e.g., South polarity) to that of the secondmagnetic element 64. In this way, themovable element 72 in the closed state (e.g., right position) is attracted to theferromagnetic material 62 to maintain thedisplay 14 closed. When the user moves themovable element 72 to the open state (e.g., left position), themovable element 72 is repelled by thepermanent magnet 64 on thebody 12, which causes thedisplay 14 to pop-up a distance from thebody 12. - In another embodiment, the first
magnetic element 62 is a permanent magnet having a first polarity (e.g., North polarity), and the second magnetic element is a permanent magnet having an opposite polarity (e.g., South polarity) to the first polarity. In this embodiment, themovable element 72 is a permanent magnet having the same polarity (e.g., North polarity) as the first polarity of thefirst element 62. In this way, themovable element 72 in the closed state (e.g., right position) is attracted to the firstpermanent magnet 62 to maintain thedisplay 14 closed. Likewise, themovable element 72 in the open state (e.g., left position) is repulsed by the secondpermanent magnet 64 to make the display pop-up a distance from thebody 12. - Table 1 below provides repulsion values in grams at various distances for various combinations and sizes of rare earth permanent magnets.
-
Top Magnet Bot Magnet (Y × Z × X mm) (Y × Z × X mm) PM Orientation Repulsion @6.55 mm Repulsion @5 mm Repulsion @3.5 mm 1 5.5 × 4.0 × 48 5.5 × 2.5 × 48 vertical 558 881 1424 horizontal 675 1018 1610 2 5.5 × 4.0 × 48 5.5 × 2.0 × 48 vertical 477 749 1228 horizontal 572 871 1394 3 5.0 × 4.0 × 48 5.0 × 2.5 × 48 vertical 489 778 1292 horizontal 577 886 1439 4 4.5 × 4.0 × 48 4.5 × 2.5 × 48 vertical 416 675 1145 horizontal 484 758 1257 5 4.0 × 4.0 × 48 4.0 × 2.5 × 48 vertical 347 568 988 horizontal 396 631 1072 6 5.0 × 4.5 × 48 5.0 × 2.0 × 48 vertical 445 705 1174 w/1-mm radii horizontal 528 807 1316 - For example, in the sixth combination of Table 1, the top magnet is 5.0×4.5×48-mm in dimension, while the bottom magnet is 5.0×2.0×48-mm in dimension. When arranged vertical to one another with the same polarities to produce repulsion (i.e., with only one pole of each magnet positioned relative to the same pole of the other magnet), the top and bottom magnets exhibit repulsion values of 445, 705, and 1174-grams at the distances of 6.55-mm, 5.0-mm, and 3.5-mm, respectively. On the other hand, these same top and bottom magnets arranged horizontally with the same polarities to produce repulsion (i.e., with both poles of each magnet positioned relative to the same poles of the other magnet) exhibit greater repulsion values of 528, 807, and 1316-grams at the distances of 6.55-mm, 5.0-mm, and 3.5-mm, respectively.
- Table 2 below provides attraction values in grams at various distances for the same combinations and sizes of rare earth permanent magnets of Table 1.
-
Top Magnet Bot Magnet Attraction Attraction (Y × Z × X (Y × Z × X PM @ @ mm) mm) Orientation 3.2 mm 1.7 mm 1 5.5 × 4.0 × 48 5.5 × 2.5 × 48 vertical 1654 3024 horizontal 1810 3288 2 5.5 × 4.0 × 48 5.5 × 2.0 × 48 vertical 1424 2637 horizontal 1561 2872 3 5.0 × 4.0 × 48 5.0 × 2.5 × 48 vertical 1497 2823 horizontal 1624 3043 4 4.5 × 4.0 × 48 4.5 × 2.5 × 48 vertical 1287 2588 horizontal 1424 2769 5 4.0 × 4.0 × 48 4.0 × 2.5 × 48 vertical 1150 2324 horizontal 1223 2466 6 5.0 × 4.5 × 48 5.0 × 2.0 × 48 vertical 1209 2368 w/1-mm horizontal 1302 2539 radii - For example, in the sixth combination of Table 2, the top and bottom magnets arranged vertical to one another with opposing polarities to produce attraction exhibit attraction values of 1209 and 2368-grams at the distances of 3.2-mm and 1.7-mm, respectively. On the other hand, these same top and bottom magnets arranged horizontally with opposing polarities have greater attraction values of 1302 and 2539-grams at the distances of 6.55-mm and 3.5-mm, respectively. Given the data available in Tables 1 and 2, it is preferred that the embodiment of the magnetic latch and pop-up
mechanism 50 having permanent magnets for each of themagnetic elements - From a mechanical standpoint, it may be desirable to select the sizes of magnets that produce the most repulsive and attractive forces. However, from a design standpoint, there may be limitations on the size of the permanent magnets that can be used due to space limitations in the
device 10 and magnetic flux limitations from the magnets, along with other considerations discussed later. In addition, design of the disclosed magnetic latch and pop-up mechanism for a laptop computer preferably considers a number of practical mechanical issues, such as the ability to keep the display closed even if the laptop is dropped. - In the embodiment of the disclosed mechanism in
FIGS. 2A-2B , thefirst component 60 having dualmagnetic elements body 12, while thesecond component 70 having the movablemagnetic element 72 is positioned on thedisplay 14. However, as shown inFIG. 3A , it will appreciated that a reverse arrangement with themovable element 72 on thebody 12 and thedual elements display 14 can also be used to achieve both latching and pop-up. Not only is a reverse arrangement applicable to the embodiment ofFIGS. 2A-2B , but reverse arrangements are applicable to other embodiments of the present disclosure. - In the embodiment of the disclosed mechanism in
FIGS. 2A-2B , the movablemagnetic element 72 slides relative to the edge of the display 14 (i.e., slides in direction S left to right). However, the movement of themovable element 72 can be achieved by a number of techniques, such as sliding, pushing, rotating, flipping, etc. In an embodiment of the disclosed mechanism shown inFIG. 3B , for example, themovable element 72 slides in and out relative to the edge of the display 14 (i.e., pushes in direction P) like a button activated by the user. - In another embodiment of the disclosed mechanism shown in
FIG. 3C , amovable element 80 of the disclosed latch mechanism is rotatably positioned on thebody 12 and has a firstmagnetic element 82 positioned adjacent a secondmagnetic element 84. Thefirst element 82 is attracted toelement 86 on thedisplay 14 and is repulsed byelement 88 on thedisplay 14. Likewise, thesecond element 84 is attracted toelement 88 and is repulsed byelement 86. Thus, by rotating the arrangement of theelements 82/84 relative toelements 86/88, the user can latch thedisplay 14 closed or pop-up thedisplay 14 from thebody 12. - In yet another embodiment of the disclosed mechanism shown in
FIG. 3D , amovable element 90 of the mechanism is positioned on thebody 12 and has a firstmagnetic element 92 positioned adjacent a secondmagnetic element 94. Themovable element 90 flips in direction F on thebody 12. A corresponding element 96 on the display is magnetically attracted to thefirst element 92 and is magnetically repulsed by thesecond element 94. Thus, by flipping the arrangement of the first andsecond elements 92/94, the user can latch thedisplay 14 closed or pop-up thedisplay 14 from thebody 12. - As each of the embodiments of the disclosed mechanism shown in
FIGS. 2A through 3D illustrate, it is preferred that the latch and pop-up mechanism be used near the leading edge of thedisplay 14 andbody 12 of thedevice 10, which is typically opposite the edge where thehinges 16 between thedisplay 14 andbody 12 are located. This location is preferred because applying force at the leading edge best overcomes friction and weight of thedisplay 14 for pop-up. However, it will be appreciated that the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanism can be positioned in other locations on thedevice 10 depending on the type of electronic device employed. - In the embodiment of the disclosed mechanism shown in
FIGS. 2A-2B and other embodiments disclosed herein, themechanism 50 achieves both latching and pop-up between thedisplay 14 andbody 12. In other embodiments, however, the disclosed mechanisms can be used to achieve either latching or pop-up functions exclusive of the other. For example, in one embodiment for latching only, a firstmagnetic component 60 shown inFIG. 3D can have only one magnetic element (e.g., element 62) and no second element. Thus, themovable element 72 in the closed state is attracted to thesole element 62, and themovable element 72 in the open state is moved away from thesole element 62. In another embodiment for pop-up only, a firstmagnetic component 60 shown inFIG. 3E can have only one magnetic element (e.g., element 64) and no second element. Thus, amovable element 72 on thedisplay 14 in the closed state can mechanically latch to acatch 66 on thebody 12. Themovable element 72 in the open state is moved adjacent thesole element 64 and is repulsed thereby to pop-open thedisplay 14. - Referring to
FIGS. 4A and 4B , an embodiment of a button arrangement for moving a secondmagnetic component 70 relative to a firstmagnetic component 60 is illustrated. The button arrangement includes abutton 52 slideably positioned in aslot 51 defined in the housing of thedisplay 14. Thebutton 52 has aportion 54 connected to the secondmagnetic component 70, which is apermanent magnet 72 in the present embodiment. A user slides thebutton 52 in theslot 51 to move themagnet 72 relative to the secondmagnetic component 60, which in the present embodiment also includes twopermanent magnets - As best shown in the side view of
FIG. 4B , the magnets of the firstmagnetic component 60 are positioned in aholder 56 attached to the housing of thebody 12. The surfaces of these magnets may be exposed on the surface of thebody 12. The movable magnet of the secondmagnetic component 70 is positioned in anotherholder 58 attached to the housing of thedisplay 14. In one embodiment, theholders magnetic components display 14 is closed against thebody 12. In addition, theholders magnetic components display 14 andbody 12. - As further shown in the side view of
FIG. 4B , a number of components of theelectronic device 10 may be located near the disclosed latch and pop-upmechanism 50. In the example laptop, for example, an edge of aLCD panel 15 in thedisplay 14 and portion of amouse touch pad 13 in thebody 12 may be positioned near the disclosedmechanism 50.Other components 11, such as internal electronics of thelaptop device 10, may also be positioned near the disclosedmechanism 50. Therefore, it will be appreciated that havingmagnetic components laptop 10 can pose potential problems to these adjacentelectronic components - In one potential problem, magnetic flux from the
magnetic components electronic components laptop 10. It is calculated that embodiments of the disclosedmechanism 50 may produce 0.2 Tesla of magnetic flux when thedisplay 14 is closed and that the magnetic flux may affect an area of about 2-3-cm within of thelaptop 10. To overcome potential interference, magnetic flux from themagnetic components electronic components magnetic components electronic components magnetic components - In addition to magnetic effects, design of the disclosed
mechanism 50 preferably considers the amount of movement required to move themagnetic components mechanism 50 preferably considers the amount of repulsive force to sufficiently pop-up thedisplay 14. Given these design considerations, it is preferred to divide themagnetic components - Referring to
FIGS. 5A-5C , another embodiment of a latch and pop-upmechanism 150 according to certain teachings of the present disclosure is illustrated. A firstmagnetic component 160 in thebody 12 has a plurality ofpermanent magnets ferromagnetic element 166. Similarly, a secondmagnetic component 170 in thedisplay 14 has a plurality ofpermanent magnets ferromagnetic element 176. For bothcomponents - As before, a
button 152 slideably positioned in aslot 151 defined in the housing of thedisplay 14. Thebutton 152 has aportion 154 connected to the secondmagnetic component 170. A user slides thebutton 152 in theslot 151 to move themagnetic component 170 relative to the secondmagnetic component 160. Each of thepermanent magnets component - As shown in
FIG. 5A , themovable component 170 in a closed state (e.g., slid to the right) positionsmagnet 172 in magnetic attraction toferromagnetic element 166,magnet 174 in magnetic attraction tomagnet 162, andferromagnetic element 176 in magnetic attraction tomagnet 164. In this closed state, thedisplay 14 is held substantially closed against thebody 12. As shown inFIG. 5B , themovable component 170 in an open state (e.g., slid to the left) positionsmagnet 172 in magnetic repulsion tomagnet 162,magnet 174 in magnetic repulsion tomagnet 164, andferromagnetic elements display 14 is substantially popped-up a distance DP from thebody 12. - It is preferred that the pop-up distance DP is about 4.8-mm, which combined with a pre-existing G of about 1.5-mm shown in
FIG. 5C would give a total pop-up distance of about 6.3-mm. Furthermore, it is preferred that the sliding distance of thefirst component 170 is as small as possible. Having the 25-mm of active magnetic length, the sliding distance required by the secondmagnetic component 170 of the present embodiment is about 25-mm. These values can vary depending on the size of magnets used, their orientation to one another, their distances from one another, and thedevice 10 in which they are used, etc. As noted above, there are a number of tradeoffs and design choices to be made, which would be winging the abilities of one ordinarily skilled in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure. - As shown in the cross-section of
FIG. 5C , the leading edges of thedisplay 14 andbody 12 define the pre-existing gap G, which can be about 1.5-mm. Thesecond component 170 in thedisplay 14 has anupper shroud 158 so that the surface of thiscomponent 170 is not exposed when thedisplay 14 is opened. Similarly, thefirst component 160 in thebody 12 has alower shroud 156 so that the surface of thiscomponent 160 is not exposed when thedisplay 14 is opened. In one embodiment, theupper shroud 158 is approximately 0.5-mm thick metal, such as aluminum, and thelower shroud 156 is approximately 0.8-mm thick plastic. This produces a nominal distance between themagnetic components display 14 is closed. The preferred pop-up travel between thecomponents - There are various numbers and orientations of magnets and ferromagnetic elements that can be used for the magnetic components of the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanisms. Referring to
FIGS. 6A-6B , an embodiment of first andsecond components first component 200 is positioned in the body (not shown), and the second component is positioned in the display (not shown).FIG. 6A represents the arrangement of thecomponents components FIG. 6B represents the arrangement of thecomponents components - The
first component 200 has a plurality of firstmagnetic elements second component 210 has a plurality of secondmagnetic elements 212, 214 with a second polarity configuration. The firstmagnetic elements permanent magnets 202 and a ferromagnetic element 204 (e.g., composed of steel) arranged in a line. Thesepermanent magnets 202 are arranged with their poles having a horizontal and alternating polarity configuration. Conversely, the secondmagnetic elements 212, 214 include a ferromagnetic element 214 (e.g., composed of steel) and sixpermanent magnets 212 arranged in a line. Thesepermanent magnets 212 are also arranged with their poles having a horizontal and alternating polarity configuration. - The polarity configuration of the
first component 200 is arranged to be attracted to the polarity configuration of thesecond component 210 when the twocomponents FIG. 6A . For example, North and South poles offirst magnets 202 are arranged to be attracted to a reverse arrangement of South and North poles ofsecond magnets 212, and eachferromagnetic element 204/214 of a component is arranged to be attracted to one of themagnets 212/202 of the other component. Moreover, the polarity configurations of thecomponents components FIG. 6B . For example, North and South poles offirst magnets 202 are arranged to be repulsed by a reverse arrangement of South and North poles ofsecond magnets 212, and eachferromagnetic element 204/214 is not arranged to align with a magnet. - In one embodiment, the first
magnetic elements magnetic elements 212, 214 each have dimensions (X, Y1, Z) of 4, 4, and 5-mm. In addition, the firstmagnetic component 200 has a distance D1 of about 1.7-mm from the secondmagnetic component 210 when the display and body are closed. To achieve pop-up, thecomponents FIG. 6B , which aligns opposing magnets by one interval. Once moved, thecomponents FIG. 6B of approximately 6.55-mm. - Referring to
FIGS. 7A-7B , another embodiment of first andsecond components component 200/210 has sixpermanent magnets 202/212 and aferromagnetic element 204/214 arranged in a line. In contrast to the previous embodiment, however, thepermanent magnets 202/212 of the twocomponents first magnets 202 are arranged to be attracted to South poles ofsecond magnets 212 and vice versa. In addition, eachferromagnetic element 204/214 of a component is arranged to be attracted to one of themagnets 212/202 of the other component. When aligned for repulsion, for example, North poles offirst magnets 202 are arranged to be repulsed by North poles ofsecond magnets 212 and vice versa. In addition, eachferromagnetic element 204/214 is not arranged to align with a magnet. The distances D1 and D2 and dimensions X, Y, and Z associated with the embodiment ofFIGS. 7A and 7B can be substantially the same as the embodiment ofFIGS. 6A and 6B . - The different polarity configurations disclosed above with reference to
FIGS. 5A-5C , 6A-6B, and 7A-7B show that a number of polarity configurations can be used for both attraction and repulsion between the magnetic components of the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanism. Referring toFIG. 8 , a plurality of polarity configurations are illustrated for use with magnetic elements according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. - In a
first polarity configuration 301, a first (upper) permanent magnet has vertically arranged poles, and a second (lower) permanent magnet also has vertically arranged poles. As shown, the vertically arranged poles of the magnets can be arranged for attraction (A) and repulsion (R). Insecond polarity configuration 302, both upper and lower permanent magnets have horizontally arranged poles, and the horizontally arranged poles can be arranged for attraction (A) and repulsion (R). - In a third polarity configuration 303, two upper permanent magnets have a shunt composed of ferromagnetic material, and each upper magnet has vertically arranged poles that are oppositely oriented from the other. These two upper permanent magnets are repulsed by two lower permanent magnets also having a shunt and vertically arranged poles. As shown, the upper and lower magnets with shunts can be arranged for attraction (A) and repulsion (R).
- In a number of
other polarity configurations polarity configurations - It will be appreciated that these polarity configurations are not exhaustive and that additional configurations may be possible. For example, additional polarity configuration can be used that have switched arrangement of magnetic elements or switched orientations of magnetic poles from this illustrated in
FIG. 8 . - Referring to
FIG. 9 , yet another embodiment of a latch and pop-upmechanism 400 according to certain teachings of the present disclosure is illustrated in a side view. Themechanism 400 includes anelectromagnet 410 positioned on thebody 12 and includes apermanent magnet 420 positioned on thedisplay 14. Theelectromagnet 410 has aferromagnetic core 412 wrapped by acoil 414, which is connected to a power source orbattery 416. In one embodiment, the power source orbattery 416 is the same used to power theelectronic device 10. Alternatively, the power source orbattery 416 can be an independent supply of power to theelectromagnet 410. - The
electromagnet 410 operates in an energized condition to produce an open state and in an unenergized condition to produce a closed state. In the unenergized condition, internal electronics (not all shown), which includes aswitch 418 for connecting thecoil 414 to thebattery 416, cause theelectromagnet 410 to be disconnected from thebattery 416. Thus, thepermanent magnet 420 on thedisplay 14 is magnetically attracted to the ferromagnetic material of thecore 412 and can maintain thedisplay 14 closed against thebody 12. - To produce the energized condition, the user pushes an
external button 401 to activate the internal electronics (such as switch 418) and to connect thecoil 414 to thebattery 416. Current is supplied to thecoil 414 to energize thecore 412. When energized, theelectromagnet 410 produces a polarity opposite to that of thepermanent magnet 420 in thedisplay 14 and causes themagnet 420 to be magnetically repulsed by the energizedelectromagnet 410. The repulsion thereby causes thedisplay 14 to pop-up a distance to allow the user to open thedisplay 14. - In the embodiments of the disclosed latch mechanisms of
FIGS. 2A through 5C discussed previously, a user may be required to move a movable element from an open state to a closed state when closing the display to magnetically latch the display against a body of the electronic device. In preferred embodiments of the disclosed latch and pop-up mechanisms, a movable component automatically resets from an open state to a closed state so that the user need not make that resetting movement. Referring toFIGS. 10A-10B , 11A-11B, and 12A-12B, a number of resetting techniques are disclosed for use with the disclosed latch mechanisms of the present disclosure. Although these resetting techniques are discussed in relation to components that resemble those ofFIGS. 2A-2B , it will be appreciated that the resetting techniques disclosed below can be equally applied to other embodiments of latch and pop-up mechanisms disclosed herein. -
FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate first and secondmagnetic components button 50. InFIG. 10A , the second (movable)magnetic component 70 is in a closed state, themagnet 72 is attracted to the opposite polarity of themagnet 62 by a attractive force A1, and thedisplay 14 is maintained closed against thebody 12. When a user slides thebutton 50 inslot 15 in direction S, themagnet 72 is also moved, and the magnetic attraction A1 is broken. InFIG. 10B , themagnet 72 has been moved to the open state and is repulsed by the same polarity ofmagnet 64 by repulsive force R. Due to the repulsion, thedisplay 14 has popped-up a distance Dp from thebody 12. To achieve the pop-up distance, the magnetic repulsion R betweenmagnets display 14 and thebody 12, the weight of thedisplay 14, etc. - After pop-up, the
magnet 72 may remain in the open state, and the user can open thedisplay 14 from thebody 12. During closing, the user pushes thedisplay 14 against thebody 12, and themagnets magnets movable magnet 72 to move to the closed state as thedisplay 14 is closed against thebody 12. Consequently, embodiments of themovable element 70 can reset from the open to closed state. - Even after pop-up shown in
FIG. 10B , however, themagnet 72 may still be attracted to the opposite polarity ofmagnet 62 by force A2. As is known, the magnetic forces between magnets depends on the distance between them. Therefore, themagnet 72 may reset to the closed state depending on the distance Dp and other variables (e.g., magnetic strengths ofmagnets magnet 72 may return freely in the opposite direction of S to the closed state because of the forces A2 and R will tend to move themagnet 72 and the user will have typically released thebutton 50 after pop-up of thedisplay 14. Thus, if the attractive force A2 at distance Dp is not strong enough to overcome the friction between thedisplay 14 andbody 12, themagnets display 14 to close right after pop-up. Consequently, thedisplay 14 can remain popped-up from thebody 12, and the user can open thedisplay 14. When closing, the user pushes thedisplay 14 closed against thebody 12. Because themagnet 72 is already in the closed state, it will be attracted to themagnet 62 to keep thedisplay 14 closed against thebody 12. - If the attractive force A2 at distance DP in
FIG. 10B is strong enough to overcome the friction between thedisplay 14 andbody 12, themagnets display 14 to close right after pop-up. In other words, the user may slide themovable element 70 from closed state to open state, thedisplay 14 may pop-up from thebody 12, the user will typically release their hold onbutton 50, themovable element 70 may automatically return to the closed state, and thedisplay 14 may immediately close before the user has a chance to pry thedisplay 14 open from thebody 12. For arrangements where thedisplay 14 may tend to close right after pop-up, it is preferred to prevent return on themagnet 72 to the closed position. - In
FIGS. 11A-11B , a biasing force F from a spring or the like biases themovable element 70 toward the open state. InFIG. 11A , the spring is shown extended. When thedisplay 14 is closed and themovable element 70 is in the closed state as shown inFIG. 11A , the attractive force A betweenmovable magnet 72 andmagnet 62 will overcome the spring force from aspring 500 and will maintain thedisplay 14 closed. After the user slides the movable element in direction S, thedisplay 14 will pop-up distance Dp from thebody 12, as shown inFIG. 11B . Thespring 500 can prevent themovable element 70 from returning back to the closed state by overcoming the attractive force A2 betweenmagnets movable element 72 back to the closed state. When closing, thespring 500 may be automatically overcome by the tendency of themovable element 70 to return to the closed state as the user pushes the display closed against thebody 12. - In
FIGS. 12A-12B , acatch 510 is used to prevent the return of themovable element 70 to the closed state, allowing the user the opportunity to open thedisplay 14. As shown inFIG. 12A , the user slides thebutton 50 in direction S, and overcomes the force of thecatch 510 to move themovable element 70 from the closed state to the open state. Thecatch 510 includes a biased mechanical component that physically holds the button 52 (and thereby themovable element 70 as well) in the open state after pop-up, as shown inFIG. 12B . In other words, thecatch 510 preferably tends to keep themovable element 70 in the open state by overcoming the attractive and repulsive forces R and A2 tending to move the element to the closed state. - In one embodiment, the
mechanical catch 510 may need to be disengaged by the user for themovable element 70 to return to the closed state for closing thedisplay 14. Alternatively, themechanical catch 510 may be automatically disengaged by the tendency of themovable element 70 to return to the closed state as the user pushes thedisplay 14 ever closer against thebody 12. For example, the magnetic forces between themagnet display 14 is close to the body 12 (preferably at a distance less than the pop-up distance Dp), the magnetic forces R and A2 will cause thebutton 52 to overcome the force of thecatch 510, and themovable element 70 will automatically reset in the closed state. - The foregoing description of preferred and other embodiments is not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the inventive concepts conceived of by the Applicants. In exchange for disclosing the inventive concepts contained herein, the Applicants desire all patent rights afforded by the appended claims. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims include all modifications and alterations to the full extent that they come within the scope of the following claims or the equivalents thereof.
Claims (24)
1-44. (canceled)
45. A latching apparatus for hingedly connected bodies, comprising:
a first component disposed on a first of the bodies and comprising at least one permanent magnet having a first polarity configuration; and
a second component disposed on a second of the bodies and comprising an electromagnet having an unengergized condition and an energized condition;
wherein to maintain the first body closed against the second body, the first and second components are magnetically attracted to one another when the second component has the unenergized condition, the electromagnet in the unenergized condition allowing the at least one permanent magnet of the first component to magnetically attract to material of the second component; and
wherein to automatically move the first body at least partially open a separation distance from the second body, the first and second components are magnetically repellable from one another when the second component has the energized condition, the electromagnet in the energized condition producing a second polarity configuration magnetically repelling the first polarity configuration of the at least one permanent magnet of the first magnetic element and moving the first and second components apart at least by the separation distance.
46. The apparatus of claim 45 , wherein the electromagnet comprises ferromagnetic material, and wherein the permanent magnet magnetically attracts to the ferromagnetic material of the electromagnet when in the unenergized condition.
47. The apparatus of claim 45 , further comprising means for selecting between the energized and unenergized conditions of the second component.
48. The apparatus of claim 45 , further comprising a power source operatively coupled to the electromagnet for energizing the electromagnet.
49. The apparatus of claim 48 , further comprising a switch operatively connected between the power source and the electromagnet and controlling the energization of the electromagnet thereby.
50. The apparatus of claim 45 , wherein the separation distance overcomes the magnetic attraction between the first and second components when the second component has the unenergized condition.
51. The apparatus of claim 45 , wherein the separation distance permits manual prying of the first and second bodies apart from one another.
52. The apparatus of claim 45 , wherein the first component comprises a first magnetic strength, and wherein the second component produces a second magnetic strength greater than the first magnetic strength.
53. The apparatus of claim 45 , wherein the apparatus comprises an electronic device having the first and second bodies hingedly connected together.
54. The apparatus of claim 53 , wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a laptop computer, a portable CD player, a portable DVD player, a PDA, a calculator, and a cell phone.
55. The apparatus of claim 53 , wherein the first body comprises a display of a laptop computer, and wherein the second body comprises a body of the laptop computer having the display hingedly connected thereto.
56. An electronic device, comprising:
a first body;
a second body hingedly connected to the first body;
a first component disposed on the first body and comprising at least one permanent magnet having a first polarity configuration; and
a second component disposed on the second body and comprising an electromagnet having an unengergized condition and an energized condition;
wherein to maintain the first body closed against the second body, the first and second components are magnetically attracted to one another when the second component has the unenergized condition, the electromagnet in the unenergized condition allowing the at least one permanent magnet of the first component to magnetically attract to material of the second component; and
wherein to automatically move the first body at least partially open a separation distance from the second body, the first and second components are magnetically repellable from one another when the second component has the energized condition, the electromagnet in the energized condition producing a second polarity configuration magnetically repelling the first polarity configuration of the at least one permanent magnet of the first component and moving the first and second components apart at least by the separation distance.
57. The device of claim 56 , wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a laptop computer, a portable CD player, a portable DVD player, a PDA, a calculator, and a cell phone.
58. The device of claim 56 , wherein the first body comprises a display of a laptop computer, and wherein the second body comprises a body of the laptop computer having the display hingedly connected thereto.
59. The device of claim 56 , further comprising means for selecting between the energized and unenergized conditions of the second component.
60. The device of claim 56 , further comprising a power source operatively coupled to the electromagnet for energizing the electromagnet.
61. The device of claim 60 , wherein the power source comprises a battery separate from a source of power for the electronic device.
62. The device of claim 60 , wherein the power source comprises a battery being a source of power for the electronic device.
63. The device of claim 56 , further comprising a switch operatively connected between the power source and the electromagnet and controlling the energization of the electromagnet thereby.
64. The device of claim 56 , wherein the separation distance overcomes the magnetic attraction between the first and second components when the second component has the unenergized condition.
65. The device of claim 56 , wherein the first component comprises a first magnetic strength, and wherein the second component produces a second magnetic strength greater than the first magnetic strength.
66. The device of claim 56 , wherein the first body comprises a first edge, and wherein the separation distance permits engagement of the first edge to manually pry the first and second bodies apart from one another.
67. A method of opening an electronic device, comprising:
providing first and second bodies of the electronic device hingedly connected together;
maintaining the first and second bodies closed together by—
deenergizing a first component on the first body, and
magnetically attracting the first component to a second component on the second body; and
at least partially opening the first body a separation distance from the second body by—
energizing the first component with a first polarity, and
magnetically repelling the first polarity of the first component from a second polarity of the second component.
Priority Applications (2)
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US13/685,515 US8801054B2 (en) | 2005-12-13 | 2012-11-26 | Electronic device and magnetic latching mechanism therefor |
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Also Published As
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US8801054B2 (en) | 2014-08-12 |
US7775567B2 (en) | 2010-08-17 |
US20130094142A1 (en) | 2013-04-18 |
US20070138806A1 (en) | 2007-06-21 |
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