Magnetic fastener
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorDouglas J. Weber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An item may be provided with a body that forms an enclosure. The body (12) may have body portions (16, 18) that open and close along a seam (14). An elongated magnetic fastener (36) may run along the seam. The magnetic fastener may have first (38) and second (40) portions on opposing sides of the seam. The first and second portions may include magnets. When the magnetic fastener is operated in a closed state, the magnets in the first and second portions attract each other and pull the first and second portions of the fastener together to close the seam. When the magnetic fastener is operated in an open state, the magnets in the first and second portions repel each other and push the first and second portions of the fastener apart to open the seam.
Claims27
Apparatus, comprising:
- a fabric body having an interior and having body portions that open and close along a seam to provide access to the interior from outside the fabric body through an opening in the fabric body;
- and
- an elongated magnetic fastener having a curved track that extends along a curved portion of the seam of the fabric body, wherein the elongated magnetic fastener is operable in a closed state to hold the body portions together to close the opening and an open state to separate the body portions from each other to open the opening, and wherein the elongated magnetic fastener includes magnets that move within the curved track when the elongated magnetic fastener switches between the closed state and the open state.
An item, comprising:
- a fabric body;
- and
- an elongated magnetic fastener for securing an opening in the fabric body, wherein the elongated magnetic fastener is operable in a closed state that holds portions of the fabric body together to close the opening along a seam in the fabric body and is operable in an open state in which the portions of the fabric body are not held together along the seam, comprising:
- a first strip of magnets that runs along the seam of the fabric body;
- a second strip of magnets that runs along the seam of the fabric body parallel to the first strip of magnets, wherein the second strip of magnets includes a first set of magnets that attracts the first strip of magnets when the magnetic fastener is in the closed state and includes a second set of magnets that repels the first strip of magnets when the magnetic fastener is in the open state;
- and
- an electromechanical actuator that slides the second strip of magnets to switch the elongated magnetic fastener between the open state and the closed state.
An enclosure, comprising:
- a hinge;
- a fabric body that has first and second portions coupled to the hinge, wherein the first and second portions open and close along a seam in the fabric body;
- and
- an elongated magnetic fastener that runs along the seam of the fabric body, wherein the elongated magnetic fastener has a first strip of magnets and a second strip of magnets and wherein the first strip of magnets rotates with respect to the second strip of magnets about a rotation axis that is parallel to at least part of the seam to place the elongated magnetic fastener in an open state in which the second strip of magnets repels the first strip of magnets to open the magnetic fastener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.