The invention relates generally to leverless detachable magnetic hooks for attaching to a ferromagnetic object and hanging other objects therefrom.
This disclosure related generally to devices having one or more magnets which generate magnetic attraction forces with ferromagnetic objects.
Leverless detachable magnetic hooks for attaching to a ferromagnetic object and hanging other objects therefrom and methods for forming the same are disclosed. In some examples, a magnetic hook device may include a body portion, a hook portion, a magnet-retaining portion, a magnetic device, and a grip material. The body portion may include a top body portion defining a first surface and a bottom body portion defining a second surface opposite the first surface. The top body portion is coupled to the bottom body portion such that the top body portion and the bottom body portion define a cavity. The hook portion may extend from bottom body portion outwardly beyond the first surface of the top body portion. The magnet-retaining portion is disposed within the cavity. The magnetic device defines a first surface coupled to the magnetic retaining portion and a second surface opposite the first surface, such that at least a portion of the second surface of the magnetic device extends substantially parallel to the second surface of the body portion. The grip material is disposed on the second surface of the magnetic device and at least a portion of the second surface of the bottom body portion. In this way, the magnetic device is configured to magnetically couple the magnetic hook device to a ferromagnetic object.
In other examples, a magnetic hook device includes a body portion, a hook portion, a magnetic-retaining portion, and a magnetic device. The body portion defines a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The hook portion extends from the first surface of the body portion. The magnet-retaining portion is disposed within at least part of the body portion. The magnetic device defines a first surface coupled to the magnetic retaining portion and a second surface opposite the first surface such that at least a portion of the second surface of the magnetic device extends substantially parallel to and is recessed a distance D from the second surface of the body portion. In this way, the magnetic device is configured to magnetically couple the magnetic hook device to a ferromagnetic object.
In some examples, a method of forming a magnetic hook device may include forming a body portion that includes a top body portion defining a first surface and a bottom body portion defining a second surface opposite the first surface of the top body portion, such that the top body portion and the bottom body portion define a cavity therebetween. The method also may include forming a hook portion coupled to or integrally formed with at least one of the top body portion or the bottom body portion, where the hook portion extends outwardly from the first surface of the top body portion. The method also may include positioning a magnetic-retaining portion within the cavity. The method also may include coupling a first surface of a magnetic device to the magnetic-retaining portion such that a second surface of the magnetic device opposite the first surface of the magnetic device is disposed substantially parallel to the second surface of the bottom body portion.
The invention can be understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The drawings included in the present patent application are incorporated into, and form part of, the specification. They illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, along with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. The drawings are only illustrative of certain embodiments and do not limit the disclosure.
Magnets may be used to attach items to ferromagnetic objects, such as, for example, to store the items. The disclosure describes leverless magnetic hooks having a magnetic device that is positioned within the body of the magnetic hook to improve the magnetic force between the magnetic hook and the ferromagnetic object. In some examples, the leverless magnetic hook also may include a grip material configured to prevent the hook from sliding on a vertical plane of the ferromagnetic object and reduce marring the surface of the ferromagnetic object, thereby enhancing the utility of the magnetic hook.
Referring to
In an embodiment, hook device 100 includes a hook portion 102, body portion 104 including a front body portion 104a and a rear body portion 104b, a magnet-retaining portion 106, which is understood to be a magnet shunt plate, and a magnetic device 108.
Hook portion 102 extends outwardly and away from body portion 104 forming a hook onto which items may be hung or hooked. Hook portion 102 may comprise one or more relatively rigid or hard materials, such as a plastic material or a metal. Hook portion 102 may be coupled to top body portion 104a, bottom body portion 104b, or both. For example, hook portion 102 may be coupled to and extend from a surface 113 of top body portion 104a. In other examples, hook portion 102 may be coupled to at least a portion of bottom body portion 104b and extent toward and beyond surface 113 of top body portion 104a. In other examples, at least first part of hook portion 102 may be coupled to bottom body portion 104b and at least a second part of hook portion 102 may be coupled to top body portion 104a. In some examples, hook portion 102 may be integrally formed with top body portion 104a and/or bottom body portion 104b.
As illustrated in
Top body portion 104a and bottom body portion 104b may comprise one or more relatively rigid or hard materials, such as a plastic material or a metal. Top body portion 104a and bottom body portion 104b may be separately formed or integrally formed by any suitable technique, including, but not limited to, molding, casting, forging, stamping, sintering, thermoforming, additive manufacturing, substrative manufacturing, or the like.
In some examples, top body portion 104a may be coupled to bottom body portion 104b to define a cavity 110 therebetween. When separately formed, top body portion 104a may be coupled to bottom body portion 104b by any suitable means for joining plastic or metal components, including, but not limited to, adhesive bonding, brazing, compression molding, hot staking, mechanical fastening, press or snap fit, soldering, solvent bonding, and welding (e.g., arc, electron beam, infrared, laser, radio frequency, resistance, thermal, ultrasonic, and vibration).
Magnet-retaining portion 106 is disposed within at least a portion of cavity 110. In examples in which top body portion 104a and bottom body portion 104b are separately formed, magnetic-retaining portion 106 may be positioned within a portion of cavity 110 defined by either of top body portion 104a or bottom body portion 104b prior to coupling top body portion 104a to bottom body portion 104b. In examples in which top body portion 104a and bottom body portion 104b are integrally formed, top body portion 104a and bottom body portion 104b may be overmolded onto magnetic-retaining portion.
Bottom body portion 104b defines magnet opening 112 into which magnetic device 108 is received. For example, at least a portion of magnetic device 108 extends through magnet opening 112 of bottom body portion 104b, e.g., to a rear surface 105b of bottom body 104b.
Grip material 116 is coupled to a rear side 114 of bottom body portion 104b and extends over a rear surface 120 of magnetic device 108. Grip material 116 defines a grip surface 117 configured to engage a surface of a ferromagnetic material, for example, via a frictional force. Grip material 116 may include a relatively high-coefficient-of-friction material. A relatively high-coefficient-of-friction material may include one or more materials having a static coefficient of friction on a clean and dry ferromagnetic object of greater than about 0.1, such as greater than about 0.2 or greater than about 0.3. In some examples, grip material 116 may include, but is not limited to one or more thermoplastic elastomer (“TPE”) materials, thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”) materials, thin silicone tapes, conformal coatings (e.g., Dowsil 1-2577), 3M Grip Tape, rubber sprays and coatings (e.g., PLASTI DIP multipurpose rubber coating available from Plasti Dip International of Blaine, Minnesota), abrasive tapes, and tacky adhesive tapes. Grip material 116 may be coupled to bottom body portion 104b by any suitable means, including, but not limited to, adhesive bonding, compression molding, hot staking, mechanical fastening, overmolding, press or snap fit, solvent bonding, and welding (e.g., infrared, laser, radio frequency, thermal, ultrasonic, and vibration).
In some embodiments, the frictional force of coatings tapes may be optimized for each magnet system design to provide a high coefficient of friction with durability at a minimum thickness to maintain the maximum magnetic attachment (normal) forces. For example, grip material 116 may have a tensile strength greater than about 20 megapascal (MPa), such as greater than about 30 MPa, greater than about 40 MPa, or greater than about 50 MPa.
In some examples, a durometer of bottom body portion 104b is greater than a durometer of grip material 116.
Magnet-retaining portion 106 may include a ferromagnetic metal material such as, for example, transition metals; iron, nickel, cobalt, alloys thereof; or alloys of rare-earth metals, and in an embodiment is a generally flat plate, though other shapes are contemplated.
Magnetic device 108 in an embodiment, is a magnet assembly, and may include, though not be limited to, any of the magnetic assemblies of devices described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/895,464, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. Embodiments of magnetic device 108 are generally configured to concentrate magnetic flux close to an outer surface of the magnetic device, and hence an attachment surface, to maximize normal and frictional holding force, as explained further below.
In one such embodiment, magnetic device 108 includes a magnetic sheet and a baseplate. The magnet sheet may define a plurality of island portions (i.e., individual magnetic regions with alternating north and south magnetic poles) and a plurality of interstitial portions, each interstitial portion of the plurality of interstitial portions disposed between two or more respective island portions of the plurality of island portions. The baseplate may include a conductive material. In an embodiment magnetic device 108 also includes a front side with a front surface 121 for connection to magnet-retaining portion 106, and a rear side with rear a surface to be positioned near a ferromagnetic attachment object.
In another embodiment, magnetic device 108 may define a channel magnetic device, i.e., channel magnet. For example, a flux of magnetic device 108 may be manipulated or improved using a shunt or channel plate, such as magnet-retaining portion 106. By adding a channel shunt plate to front surface 121 of magnetic device 108, the available flux projecting from the back of the magnet will conduct through a ferromagnetic material, such as steel, and focus more available flux towards the target ferromagnetic object, thus increasing flux density on the attachment or rear side of the magnetic device 108. Consequently, magnetic device 108, in an embodiment, may comprise a channel magnet.
In another embodiment, magnetic device 108 may include strips of magnetic material alternating with strips of steel spacers. In one such embodiment, magnetic device 108 includes a plurality of 0.125″ wide×0.125″ high×2″ long magnets with 0.0625″ wide×0.125″ high×2″ long steel strips between each pair of the plurality of long, slender magnets.
Referring specifically to
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Referring also to
To remove magnetic hook device 100 from surface 130 of ferromagnetic object 140, a user may apply a force opposite to the normal force Fn of hook device 100 at a protrusion 103 extending from top body portion 104a, substantially parallel to surface 113, thereby levering hook device 100 off ferromagnetic object 140. Protrusion 103 may be shaped to engage a tool for removal of hook device 100, including, for example, one or more fingers, a pliers, a screwdriver, or another tool configured to apply a force to hook device 100 to disengage magnetic device 108 from the ferromagnetic object 140. In some examples, in response to a force applied by a tool to protrusion 103, at least a portion of one or more of top body portion 104a, bottom body portion 104b, or magnet-retaining portion 106 may be configured to deform or otherwise bend to concentrate at least a portion of the force on at least a portion of magnetic device 108 to facilitate disengagement of magnetic device 108 form ferromagnetic objection 120.
Material of grip portion 116 may extend around the ends of base 104 so that when hook device 100 is pivoted at its ends, soft grip material of grip portion 116 remains in contact with the surface of the ferromagnetic object so as to avoid scratching or marring by base 104.
As discussed above, magnetic hook device 100 and the components thereof may be formed by any suitable technique.
In some examples, the technique of forming a magnetic hook device may include forming a body portion 104 (502). As discussed above, body portion 104 includes top body portion 104a defining surface 113 and bottom body portion 104b defining surface 114 opposite surface 113 of top body portion 104a. Forming body portion 104 may include coupling top body portion 104a to bottom body portion 104b to define cavity 110 therebetween.
The technique illustrated in
The technique illustrated in
The technique illustrated in
In some examples, the technique also may include coupling grip material 116 to surface 120 of magnetic device 108 and at least a portion of surface 114 of bottom body portion. As discussed above, grip material 116 defines grip surface 117 opposite surface 114 of bottom body portion 104b and surface 120 of magnetic device 108 may be a distance D from grip surface 117, e.g., the distance D may be within a range from about 0.01 millimeters to about 0.5 millimeters.
In some examples, the technique also may include forming magnetic sheet of magnetic device 108 such that the magnetic sheet defines a plurality of magnetic island portions with alternating north and south magnetic poles and a plurality of interstitial portions, each interstitial portion of the plurality of interstitial portions disposed between two or more respective island portions of the plurality of island portions.
All of the features disclosed in this specification, and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.
Each feature disclosed in this specification may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
The following clauses illustrate the subject matter described herein.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/400,976, filed Aug. 25, 2022, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63400976 | Aug 2022 | US |