Magnet retention system
AssigneeNairobi Incorporated
InventorJustin Eugene Evans
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnet retention system includes magnets positioned in a housing having constraint surfaces or rails. The magnets have orthogonal magnetic polar axes, and their physical and magnetic properties are selected such that a magnetic interaction between the magnets generates forces that urge each magnet against constraint surfaces. The resulting normal forces produce static friction that retains the magnets in place without adhesives or mechanical fasteners. The system can be used to achieve robust, passive, and reversible magnet retention.
Claims20
A method of retaining magnets, the method comprising:
- providing a housing having a cavity with at least two rails extending along at least a part of the length of the cavity;
- providing a first magnet and a second magnet, wherein the physical and magnetic properties of the first and second magnets are selected such that, when the first and second magnets are positioned in the cavity with their magnetic polar axes oriented orthogonally to one another, a magnetic interaction between the first and second magnets generates a transverse force that urges each of the first and second magnets against the at least two rails, thereby retaining the magnets in place by static friction;
- positioning the first magnet within the cavity in a first predetermined orientation along one of the at least two rails;
- and
- positioning the second magnet within the cavity in a second predetermined orientation relative to the first magnet.
A method of retaining magnets without adhesives or mechanical fasteners, the method comprising:
- selecting a first magnet and a second magnet having physical and magnetic properties such that, when the magnets are positioned in a selected relative orientation and placed in proximity, a magnetic interaction between the first and second magnets generates a force that urges each of the first and second magnets against a physical constraint;
- and
- positioning the first magnet and the second magnet in the selected relative orientation and in contact with surfaces of the physical constraints such that a force generated by the magnetic interaction causes each of the first and second magnets to be retained in position by static friction.
An apparatus configured for retaining magnets without adhesives or mechanical fasteners, the apparatus comprising:
- a first magnet and a second magnet, each having physical and magnetic properties;
- one or more physical constraint surfaces positioned to contact the first and second magnets when the first and second magnets are placed in proximity and in a relative orientation;
- wherein the physical and magnetic properties of the first and second magnets, and their relative orientation, are such that a magnetic interaction between the first and second magnets generates a force that urges each of the first and second magnets against the one or more physical constraint surfaces;
- and
- wherein the first and second magnets are retained in position by static friction between each of the first and second magnets and the one or more physical constraint surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.