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US 6,655,058 B2Granted
Levitating desktop nameplate
OwnerDel Charles Brooks, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An identification device having a surface for the display of one's name, title, artwork, or other information which, after being positioned properly, gives the illusion of levitating without any visible supports. The device uses magnetic field repulsion to achieve this illusion with a simple, easy release mechanism for lateral stability.
Claims14
A magnetically levitated device for visually displaying information to an observer comprising
- a) a base assembly comprising a base, a plurality of magnets having flat ends, and a means for a tether attached at a predetermined height;
- b) the tether with a means to attach it to one end of a floating assembly;
- c) the floating assembly comprising a plurality of magnets, a display surface on which information is located, and physical magnet carriers for the floating assembly magnets to be attached to the display surface;
- d) the floating assembly and the base assembly are positioned respective to each other to give the illusion that the floating assembly is levitating above the base assembly;
- e) said magnet carriers of the floating assembly each contain a magnet having a flat end with the magnets placed co-axially with the length of the display surface;
- f) the plurality of magnets of the base assembly are in two groups such that
- i) the distance from the center of mass of one group of base assembly magnets to the center of mass of the other group of base assembly magnets is the length of the display surface in addition to the thickness of a magnet in the floating assembly;
- ii) said groups each contain at least two magnets positioned such that the floating assembly magnets are located above the groups and are slightly off center of the center of mass of the groups in the direction away from the tether;
- iii) said magnets in the base assembly are positioned with the polarity such that they repulse the plurality of magnets in the floating assembly;
- iv) said magnets in the base assembly and floating assembly are polarized axially such that the flat ends of the magnets are polarized.
7 more elements
A magnetically levitated device for visually displaying information to an observer comprising
- a) a base assembly comprising a base, a plurality of magnets having a flat ends, and a support at a predetermined height;
- b) the floating assembly comprising a plurality of a display surface on which information is located, and physical magnet carriers for the floating assembly magnets to be attached to the display surface;
- c) the floating assembly and the base assembly are positioned respective to each other to give the illusion that the floating assembly is levitating above the base assembly;
- d) said magnet carriers of the floating assembly each contain a magnet having a flat end with the magnets placed co-axially with the length of the display surface;
- e) said plurality of magnets of base assembly are in two groups such that
- i) the distance from the center of mass of one group of base assembly magnets to the center of mass of the other group of base assembly magnets is the length of the display surface in addition to the thickness of a magnet in the floating assembly;
- ii) said groups each contain at least two magnets positioned such that the floating assembly magnets are located above the groups and are slightly off center of the center of mass of the groups in the direction toward the support;
- iii) said magnets in the base assembly are positioned with the polarity such that they repulse the plurality of magnets in the floating assembly;
- iv) said magnets in the base assembly and floating assembly are polarized axially such that the flat ends of the magnets are polarized.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.