Patent Grant
7192628
The present invention relates generally to the field of magnetism, and more particularly to printed or printable sheets incorporating areas of magnetized or magnetizable material that can interact with a removable magnetized or magnetizable play piece. In particular, the present invention relates to an interactive substrate for a book having magnetized or magnetizable areas printed thereon.
It is generally known that material having magnetic properties may be incorporated into a variety of applications. For instance, manufacturers have incorporated magnetic material into educational, instructional and interactive devices for children. Magnets and devices having magnetic properties have a special appeal to children due to the invisible properties of magnetism. There are numerous types of interactive toys, games, appliances and displays in which material having magnetic properties is advantageously used to encourage children to learn and practice basic skills such as reading and arithmetic.
One method of incorporating the invisible properties of magnetism into a product involves adding ferromagnetic material such as iron particles into conventional paints or coatings. The iron particles are blended or mixed into the paint to form magnetic paint. The magnetic paint is then conventionally applied to the surface of a substrate, such as wall board, wood, sheet rock, plywood and the like to make signs and other types of displays having a magnet attracting surface. After the magnetic paint dries, the substrate is then cut into abstract shapes and sizes using conventional tooling.
One of the disadvantages of using the magnetic paint described above is the inability to create detailed images and designs out of the paint. That is, the magnetic paint is generally not adapted to be painted in specific locations or to form very meticulous or complex designs. Rather, the magnetic paint is designed to be applied in large areas simply to create a metallic or magnetic surface. Furthermore, the magnetic surface that is created is generally magnetized over the entire surface, rather than magnetized in specific locations. As a result, many educational and instructional displays used for children that utilize magnetic paint are limited to very basic designs and applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,700 (Taylor) proposes a book with sheets of magnetic material embedded within the pages, which attract removable magnetic pieces placed onto the surface of the page. Although the sheets do not cover the entire area of the page, they are relatively large, and are not shaped into images or designs. Taylor's magnetic sheets are also sufficiently thick that they will produce a significant bulge in the pages. The bulge is esthetically unattractive, and spoils the invisible effect of the magnetism by making it obvious that there is a concealed artifice within the pages. It is believed that the weight of the magnetic sheets used by Taylor would also be such as to restrict the number and size of the sheets that could practically be included in one book.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,050 (Fosbenner et al.) proposes magnetic cards containing, sandwiched within them, a shaped sheet of magnetic material that produces an image by attracting magnetic particles in a liquid imaging cell. The shaped sheets of magnetic material are set into correspondingly shaped cutouts in a filler sheet in the cards. Fosbenner suggests that “a magnetic or magnetizable ink” could be used instead of magnetic sheets, but provides little or no disclosure of how to formulate or apply such a magnetic ink. Because of the use of filler sheets, Fosbenner's cards are thick. The filler sheets also add to the weight. Fosbenner's structure would not be suitable for use as the pages of a book, or as a wall poster or the like.
It is generally known that detailed designs and graphic images may be achieved through the use of a variety of conventional printing processes or techniques. Conventional printing techniques such as silk-screening, lithography, rotogravure, flexography, and the like are used to produce very meticulous designs and images on a substrate. However, most metallic or magnetic paints are not usable with the foregoing printing techniques. As a result, most interactive substrates, particularly those used for educational or instructional products marketed for children, lack any type of detailed designs and graphic images having magnetic properties.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a printable sheet or other substrate, and a method of making such a substrate, having detailed designs and graphic images that incorporate the invisible properties of magnetism. It is also desired to provide a magnetically interactive substrate for books and other educational or instructional products marketed for children that utilizes detailed designs and graphic images having magnetic properties. It is further desired to provide shaped magnetized or magnetizable areas that are not readily apparent to the ordinary user of the book or other substrate, and in particular that do not have a weight and bulk substantially greater than ordinary sheets of the substrate material. It is desired to provide magnetizable substrates that do not require a thick structure with thick, heavy magnetic pieces, and compensating guards or fillers, shaped to match the magnetic shapes, to offset the thickness of the layer of magnetic material.
In one aspect of the invention, a substrate has a magnetizable area applied thereon using a magnetizable ink. When applied, the ink lies slightly proud of the surface of the substrate. Once the ink has dried sufficiently, pressure is applied to compress the ink and/or indent the ink into the substrate, forming a whole that is substantially flat. Perfect flatness is neither necessary nor, in most cases, achievable. However, it is desirable for the ink layer not to be noticeable to the user. In particular, it is desirable for the edges of the area of magnetizable ink to be nearly enough flush that there is no step noticeable to the user.
The magnetizable ink includes magnetizable particles, such as iron, iron alloys or other material having strong ferromagnetic properties. An especially preferred material is iron ferrite, that is to say, ferromagnetic elemental iron substantially free from non-ferromagnetic iron oxides. The magnetizable particles should be sized and shaped to be compatible with the type of ink and/or the particular printing process ultimately selected. Accordingly, the size and shape of the magnetizable particles may be selected to be compatible with a particular type of ink, the viscosity of the ink, and the type of printing process or other means used for applying the ink to the substrate. As one example of this type of selection, if silk screening is preselected, ferromagnetic particles may be chosen provided that they are small enough to fit through the orifices of the screen mesh during printing.
Magnetizable particles in the range of about 60 μm or smaller have been useful in silk screening. By comparison, magnetizable particles in the range of about 30 μm or smaller have been useful in offset printing. The maximum size of the magnetizable particles may depend on the thickness of the ink layer. As noted below, even smaller particle sizes are possible with some materials.
In another aspect of the invention, one or more areas of magnetic ink preferably comprising, when dry, at least 90% ferrite, and in a practical embodiment from 75% to 93% ferrite are applied to a substrate. Where the ink is to be permanently magnetized, preferred materials are compound ferrites such as SrFe12O19, BaFe12O19, and NdFeB. Where the ink is not to be permanently magnetized, magnetizable iron, preferably in the form of iron ferrite, is preferred. The compound ferrites support stronger magnetic fields, but are more expensive. It is therefore preferred, for many practical purposes, to use together a permanently magnetized compound ferrite layer and a magnetizable but not permanently magnetized iron ferrite layer that is temporarily magnetized by the field from the compound ferrite layer when they are brought together. A preferred, commercially-available grade of SrFe12O19 has a nominal particle size of 2 μm±0.5 μm.
In another aspect of the invention, a magnetizable ink comprises ferromagnetic particles in a plastic matrix. The magnetic particles are preferably encapsulated in a matrix of liquid laminate PVC or low molecular weight styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC). A solvent such as kerosene or mineral spirits may be added to render the SBC sufficiently fluid for printing.
In another aspect of the invention, a vehicle for travel on a magnetic path comprises support elements for contacting a substrate, which support elements are permanently magnetized with swathes of magnetic polarity parallel to a usual direction of motion of the vehicle. The support elements are preferably wheels, with the swathes of polarity running round the circumference of the wheels.
In a further aspect of the invention, a magnetically interactive device comprises first and second substrates, a magnetizable ink layer applied to at least one selected area of the first substrate, and another magnetizable layer applied to at least one selected area of the second substrate, and the magnetizable ink layer is magnetized generally perpendicularly to that layer in swathes of alternating polarity with a pole pitch in the range of from 0.5 mm to 5 mm, whereby the first and second substrates may interact by magnetic interaction of the magnetic ink layer and the other magnetic layer
One or more removable play pieces may be provided having magnetic material for interacting by magnetic attraction with the magnetizable area or areas of a play surface formed by the substrate. The play pieces may be printed with magnetizable ink in accordance with the invention. Each play piece then constitutes a substrate with a magnetizable layer in accordance with the invention. If the play pieces are not printed with magnetizable ink, then they may be coated with magnetizable material in some other form, for example, a suspension of magnetic powder in rubber or plastic. This is appropriate in particular if the entire surface of the play piece is to be covered with magnetic material, so that the extra control of the areas to which the ink is applied by a printing process is not required. If a layer of magnetic material in a form other than ink is used, it is preferably still a thin layer with a very high concentration of magnetic material.
Alternatively, the magnetic ink layer according to the invention may be applied to the play pieces, and some other form of magnetic layer may be applied to the page or other sheet to which the play pieces are to be attached.
The substrate may be of paper, card, or plastic, or any other suitable material, but is preferably heavy paper or thin cardstock. Formulations with SBC as a matrix can be printed on thinner paper, plastic film foil of the type used for foil printing, fabric, and even ceramics and hard plastics.
The art of printing includes both off-contact printing and contact printing techniques. Off-contact printing includes techniques such as silk screening, which uses a screen mesh having a particular image. The screen mesh includes a plurality of holes or orifices through which ink is forced or squeezed through under pressure and deposited onto the substrate. The clarity and type of details that can be formed on the substrate will depend upon the type of screen mesh used (such as fabric, nylon or metal), the size of the orifices, and the tension of the screen. Another form of off-contact printing is spraying in which ink is forced under pressure through an orifice to form an image on the substrate. Contact printing includes techniques such as off-set printing, lithography, flexography, rotogravure, stamping, impression printing and the like, in which the ink is applied to a plate, a rotating drum or cylinder or other surface to transfer an image onto the substrate.
Silk-screen and offset lithography are the techniques at present preferred, but it is contemplated that the present invention may be used with any form of printing process that is capable of applying a suitable layer of magnetizable material on a substrate. It is also contemplated that a transfer process may be used. In that process, the magnetizable ink would be printed onto a resistant medium, and then transferred from the resistant medium to the substrate by placing them in contact and applying pressure.
In a preferred embodiment, the interactive substrate is in the form of a book. The pages of the book form play surfaces with magnetizable areas. The removable play piece is shaped and sized to correspond to the magnetizable area. The magnetizable area can be permanently magnetized to have a predetermined direction of polarization. The removable play piece can also be magnetized, and the relative polarizations of the magnetizable area and the play piece can be opposite to each other so that the play piece can be positioned on the substrate in only one manner.
It is possible in accordance with the present invention to provide a means to print magnetizable Fe inks on a first substrate and a means to permanently magnetize the printed magnetizable Fe inks on the first substrate. It is also possible to provide means to magnetize a second magnetizable substrate so that first or second substrate will support the weight of the other. The second magnetizable substrate may be permanently magnetized, or may be temporarily magnetized by the action of the magnetic field of the first magnetizable substrate. It is also possible to provide means to permanently magnetize the first or second magnetizable substrate, or both, to encode, or direct the other, or trigger magnetic interaction.
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms that are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
Referring to the drawings, where like numerals indicate like elements, there are shown various embodiments of a magnetically interactive substrate as contemplated by the present invention. Referring initially to
Multiple substrates may be used with the present invention in any form. The substrate 10 may be used as part of a poster, a calendar, a gift card, or as wall paper, packaging, gift boxes, displays, signage or the like, as a few examples. In the preferred embodiment shown in
The substrate 10 includes a first or front image surface 12, a second surface (not shown) and a circumferential edge 13. At least one magnetizable portion or area 14 is applied to the first surface 12 of the substrate 10. However, in the embodiment shown in
The magnetizable areas 14 may be applied anywhere on the substrate 10 so desired. The magnetizable areas 14 may be applied to the first surface 12 as shown in
The magnetizable areas 14 are made from a magnetizable ink, the formulation and application of which will be discussed below. The magnetizable ink includes magnetizable particles, such as ferrite, iron, iron alloys or other material having strong ferromagnetic properties. As will be explained below, the magnetizable ink preferably contains a high proportion of magnetizable iron in the form of iron ferrite, or of a more sophisticated compound ferromagnetic material. Compound ferrites such as SrFe12O19, BaFe12O19, and NdFeB are preferred where the magnetizable ink layer is to be permanently magnetized. Where the magnetizable ink layer is not to be permanently magnetized, but is to respond to a nearby magnetized layer, it has been found that iron in the form of ferrite has sufficiently strong magnetic properties, and it is available economically in bulk. It is therefore preferred for this use.
After the magnetizable areas 14 are printed on the substrate 10, they are preferably overprinted, laminated, or otherwise coated. Overprinting can be advantageously used to conceal or visually disguise the presence of the magnetizable areas 14 printed on the substrate. For instance, the magnetizable areas 14 can be overprinted with a white coating of opaque ink or other material to visually conceal their presence on the substrate 10. This coating may consist of more than one layer of ink. Thereafter, the substrate 10 having the white coating material may be overprinted with other graphic images and pictorial designs 15, such as a full color printed scene or characters, using a four-color process or other techniques. Especially if the cardstock 10 is not white, the white coating may be eliminated or replaced with a coating that is similar to the color of the cardstock.
Alternatively, the entire face of the cardstock 10 may be coated with a white or other colored coating to provide a uniform background for visible printing. Suitable coatings include glue board, 250 gsm CCNB recylcled board, 230 gsm C1S board, 128 gsm paper, and stamped plastic foils, including holographically stamped foils. Coatings that are not self-adhesive, such as paper, may be glued on over the magnetizable ink. One suitable form of glue board is Laminator 3046A, supplied by National Starch and Chemical (GC) Ltd., which is a non-flammable, water soluble, dry polymer adhesive and board.
Returning to
For example, gray ink may be printed on the road 18 shown on the substrate 10 to show the line of the road while concealing the presence of the magnetizable material 14. The house 20 can be overprinted with graphic indicia 15 to conceal the magnetizable area 14 of the house on the substrate 10, while either marking or concealing the presence of the magnetizable area. The area around the tree 16 might be overprinted with images 15 of trees that complement, but none of which actually coincides with, the magnetic tree 16. In the interests of clarity, only a few graphic indicia 15 have been shown in
Referring now to
There are, of course, purposes for which an ink layer thinner than 200 μm is sufficient. A thickness of 80 to 100 μm is usually the minimum to provide a sufficient quantity of magnetizable material, and thus a sufficient magnetic field strength, to support the weight of a play piece. Where a magnetic field is intended to be detected by a sensor, rather than to support a load, lower fields and proportionally thinner layers of ink can be used. Such magnetic fields may be encoded by the strength, direction, and/or pattern of the magnetic field formed by the same techniques that are described below.
Once the ink has dried, therefore, the substrate with the magnetizable ink on it is subjected to pressure. It has been found experimentally that placing the substrate 10 in a flatbed press, and reducing the spacing between the plates 17 and 19 of the press to a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the cardstock 10, is satisfactory. Passing the substrate 10 through a pair of nip rollers at a similar spacing would also be satisfactory. The pressure indents the ink 14 into the substrate 10, as shown in
The card stock or paper needs to be about 2½ times as thick as the layer of magnetizable ink, to allow sufficient compression for the ink 14 to be left substantially flush with the surface 12 of the substrate 10. It is believed that a relatively soft PVC substrate would need to be at least twice as thick as the layer of magnetizable ink. In this embodiment, card stock about 0.5 mm thick is preferably used. Thicker card, preferably twice as thick, is preferred if magnetizable ink 14 is to be applied to both sides. The extra thickness may not be needed if the areas 14 of magnetizable ink on the two surfaces 12 and 13 do not overlap. An opaque material is usually preferred for the substrate 10, so that the magnetizable ink cannot be seen even from the back of the substrate.
As shown in
If the magnetizable ink 14 has been applied to the second surface of the substrate 10, further finishing may be unnecessary. Preferably however, especially if the magnetizable ink 14 has been applied to the first surface of the substrate 10, a layer of opaque white ink 24 or other uniform coating is applied to the surface 12 of the substrate 10. This coating 24 serves both to conceal the color and texture of the magnetizable ink 14 and to smooth out the visible edges slightly, and will provide a uniform ground layer for subsequent printing processes. Visible printing 15 may then be applied over the ground layer 24.
Referring now to
The embodiment shown in
As an alternative embodiment, in order to protect the graphic indicia 15, a transparent or clear sheet of material (not shown) can be laminated to the outer surface of the substrate 10. Alternatively, a layer of material could be laminated to the outer surface of the substrate 10, over the layer of magnetizable ink 14, and over or instead of the ground layer 24. The exposed surface of the laminating material could then be printed with the graphic indicia 15.
Once the magnetizable areas 14 are printed on the substrate 10, the magnetizable particles can be permanently magnetized. The magnetizable areas may be magnetized by using techniques such as passing an electric current through a wire or coil close to the magnetizable material, so that the magnetic field that arises around a flowing current impinges upon and magnetizes the magnetic field. The magnetization process will be discussed in more detail below.
The entire sheet of substrate may be exposed to a magnetic field that magnetizes all of the magnetizable areas 14. Alternatively, each of the magnetizable areas 14 or a portion thereof can be separately or “spot” magnetized, using processes such as electric coils by means of which electric current is passed over or brought into contact with specific areas of the magnetizable areas 14 to induce magnetization. Of course, other techniques or means in which to induce magnetization can also be used, including a strong permanent magnet. Since the magnetizable areas 14 are in the form of detailed designs and graphic images, any portion of the magnetizable areas 14 can be magnetized.
Hence, spot magnetization can be used to control the domain orientation of a particular magnetized area 14. For instance, discrete portions of the road 18 or the house 20 may be permanently magnetized, while the tree 16 may be left unmagnetized. Moreover, each of the magnetizable areas 14 can be magnetized to orient the domain or direction of polarization in the same or a different direction. In use, the domain orientation can be any direction within 360°. The advantage of using detailed designs and graphic images is that all or discrete portions of the magnetizable area 14 can be permanently magnetized in any direction. This feature is important particularly when the substrate 10 is used in the context of instructional or educational devices or books, as explained below.
Turning now to
The removable play pieces 34 may be used in the context of a book, as presently preferred, or may be used as part of any activity engaged in for education or amusement. Preferably, the removable play pieces 34 will correspond to and are adapted to interact with the magnetizable areas 14 applied to the play surface of the substrate 10 as shown in
Referring now to
The front surface 38 may include graphic indicia 46 as shown in
Magnetic material 44 is applied to the rear surface 40 of the removable play piece 34. The purpose of the magnetic material 44 is to provide a substance for interacting with the magnetizable areas 14 printed on the substrate 10 by magnetic attraction. In that way, the magnetic material 44 allows each of the removable play pieces 34 to be placed on or attached to the magnetizable areas 14 of the substrate 10. If one of the magnetic layers 14 and 44 is magnetized, then the play piece 34 can typically be attached anywhere on the play surface that there is a magnetic area 14. If both the magnetic material 44 on the removable play piece 34 and the magnetizable areas 14 on the substrate 10 are permanently magnetized, then their interaction may influence the positioning of the play piece 34.
The magnetic material 44 can be in the form of flexible magnetic material, or even a rigid magnet. In the preferred embodiment, the magnetic material 44 is the magnetic ink used to make the magnetizable areas 14 that appear on the substrate 10. The magnetic material 44 may be applied to cover the entire surface, as shown in
As best seen in
If only one of the magnetizable areas 14 and 40 is magnetized, the strength of attachment of the play pieces 34 to the substrate 10 will depend on the location of the play pieces, and specifically on the area of overlap of the magnetizable areas 14 and 40. In particular, the letters “H” “O” “U” “S” and “E” will be strongly attached only if they are correctly positioned and aligned, because the shape of those pieces means that the area of overlap will decrease rapidly if there is even a slight error in positioning.
With play pieces 34 and magnetizable areas 14 of more compact shape, the magnetic attraction will be less sensitive to the exact alignment. Thus, if only one of the magnetizable areas 14 and 44 is magnetized, the house 34 could be placed on the house area 20 in any orientation, and/or substantially off-center. It may therefore be preferred to magnetize both of the magnetizable areas 14 and 44 for the house, and to polarize the magnetizations so that the house will at least be constrained as to its orientation, as discussed below.
Referring now to
A magnetically soft iron plate or yoke 53 may be placed on the side of the substrate 10, 36 opposite the conductor 50. As is well known in other contexts, such a yoke will cause the magnetic field lines from the wires 52 to extend more nearly straight from the plane of the wires to the yoke. This will cause a more nearly vertical magnetization of the material of the magnetic layer 14, 44, the purpose of which will be explained below with reference to
When the magnetizing conductor 50 is energized, the magnetizable layer 14 is immediately magnetized. The magnetic field of the magnetized layer 14 interacts with the field of the magnetizing conductor 50, so that the substrate 10 is attracted to the magnetizing device. However, it is found in practice that the substrate 10 may be attracted somewhat unevenly, so that air pockets form between the magnetizable layer 14 and the magnetizing device. This results in the magnetic field strength at the magnetizable layer, and consequently the induced magnetism, being slightly uneven. It has been found that if a second pulse of current is passed through the conductor 50 immediately after the initial magnetizing current, the substrate 10 is attracted to the magnetizing device more strongly and more evenly, because of the magnetization induced by the first pulse of current, and a more even magnetization of the layer 14 results.
In one embodiment, the coil was 380 mm×210 mm, and was energized with a 4 kJ pulse of approximately 10 ms duration from a 3200 μF capacitor charged to 1000 volts, implying a peak current of the order of 1 kA. The generator used had a sustained current output of 10 amps at 1700 volts, allowing the capacitor to be charged and discharged several times per second.
The ink may be magnetized while it is still wet or only partly dried. This would tend to cause the magnetizable particles to concentrate at the surface of the ink layer nearer to the magnetizing device. The resulting thinner but denser layer of magnetizable particles may be advantageous for some purposes. If the magnetic ink is magnetized from the printed surface, the magnetizing device would need to have a surface or covering of a material to which the magnetic ink does not adhere. Alternatively, however, the magnetic ink may be magnetized by a magnetizing device on the underside of the substrate 10.
Referring now to
In
The optimum pole pitch ranges from about 1 mm to about 5 mm, depending primarily on the separation between the between the two magnetizable layers 14 and 44 when the substrate and the play piece 34 are attached to one another. Larger separations tend to require both magnetizable layers 14 and 44 to be permanently magnetized. For example, with a magnetizable layer 14 that is 200 μm thick and is covered by a 100 μm ink layer, and a magnetizable layer 44 that is 300 μm thick and is covered by a 200 μm paper layer, the centers of the two magnetizable layers are 550 μm apart. With this separation, the optimum attractive force is achieved if both magnetizable layers 14 and 44 are permanently magnetized with a pole pitch of approximately 3 mm.
As shown in
With the uniform pattern of magnetization shown in
When this pattern of magnetization is applied to substrates 10 bound into a book 11, as shown in
Referring now to
The radial connections 64 between adjacent loops 68, and the connection 70 returning the current from the innermost loop to the supply 72, may be set back axially away from the face of the magnetizing device that is applied to the substrate 10 or 36. This serves to minimize the distortion to the magnetization pattern caused by the current in those connections.
If both magnetizable layers 14 and 44 are magnetized with this pattern over their whole area, with swathes of poles of the same polarity at the same radius, they will not readily adhere to one another. If they are magnetized with swathes of poles of opposite polarity at the same radius, they will adhere strongly provided that they are positioned with the patterns of magnetization concentric, largely independent of the orientation of the two substrates.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
As shown in
Small radio-controlled, electrically-powered wheeled vehicles approximately 30 mm×60 mm and weighing about 19 grams are commercially available. One commercially available brand is “MicroSizers,” supplied by Hobbico, Inc. These vehicles are conveniently supplied with the tires separate from the wheels, so that substituting magnetic tires requires no alteration to the vehicle itself. A single magnetized wheel 84 weighing 16 grams can support its own weight when attached to a path 80 formed in accordance with the invention on a vertical substrate. It is therefore believed to be within the ability of the person skilled in the art to equip such a vehicle with four wheels 84 and to reduce the overall weight sufficiently that the magnetic attraction to a track 80 can support the entire weight of the vehicle. Further weight could be saved by omitting the batteries and supplying power via a pickup from electrically conductive ink traces, if the visual effect of the ink traces (which would have to be on the surface) is acceptable. The pickup may be between the wheels, or outside the track 80.
One possible construction for the wheels 84 is a 20 mm diameter ABS plastic wheel with spokes of minimum thickness to support the wheel rim. On the wheel rim there could be a thin substrate layer, for example, 180 gsm paper, with a 0.5 or 0.4 mm thick magnetizeable ink. A magnetic field is induced in swathes extending in a circumferential direction, so that at the point of contact of the wheel with the track the swathes of magnetization are aligned parallel to the vehicle's axis. The width of the tire of the wheel 84 would be half the pole pitch or a multiple of half the pole pitch. Thus, the width of the wheel 84 might be 2 mm or 6 mm on a pole pitch of 4 mm.
Weight could also be saved by omitting any form of power steering, and modifying the steerable wheels to follow the magnetic path 80 passively. It has been confirmed experimentally that an unpowered vehicle rolling down a vertical substrate 10 under the force of gravity will remain attached to the magnetic track 80 and will follow the track. Switch points in the track 80 may be formed by short sections using electromagnets rather than permanent magnetization.
As shown in
In order to power the vehicle through switch points, it is preferred to provide drive magnets 90 on both sides of the vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle may be provided with drive magnets 90 at both ends of one side, if it is sufficiently long that the front drive magnet 90 will leave the switch point before the rear drive magnet 90 enters the switch point.
A sensor on the vehicle may detect coded signals, either generated directly or induced into the magnetizable layer 14 of the substrate 10 by a device such as that shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
If the spacing of the poles 92 and the coils 94 is exactly identical, the platform 91 may tend to drift sideways half a pole pitch, to a position where it would be attracted to the coils 94 and would no longer levitate. This can be countered by sensing the position of the floating platform 91 and selectively energizing the coils 94 with a polarity that opposes the pole 92 overlying each energized coil. The poles 92 and coils 94 may also be positioned in a less uniform array, so that as the floating platform 91 moves sideways the poles do not all move from the area of influence of one coil 94 to that of the next coil 94 simultaneously.
To detect the positions of the magnetic poles 92 in the floating platform 91, a sensor 98 is disposed immediately above each coil 94. The sensors 98 may be conventional semiconductor magnetic field sensors. At frequent intervals, the power to the coils 94 is shut off, allowing the sensors 98 to measure the field from the poles 92 alone. The correct direction of polarization for each coil 94 is then computed, and the coils are re-energized before the platform 91 has time to fall onto the base surface 96.
Referring now to
An object with such a label applied could be attached to almost any iron or steel surface, subject only to the object being light enough to be retained by the magnetic force. If such labels are applied to two separate surfaces, then normally nonmagnetic things can be attached to a surface that is not normally magnetic as well as to magnetizable surfaces. If magnetizable labels are applied to both surfaces, then in many cases only one of the labels need be permanently magnetized. In that case, care would need to be taken to apply a permanently magnetized label to at least one of two surfaces that are to be attached together.
Examples of uses for the magnetizable self-adhesive labels include attaching: a cup to a table or to the fiber glass body of a boat; a highway toll transponder to a windshield; gadgets to a wall; labels to a point of sale display or to a T-shirt; play pieces to a board game or to the back of a car seat; plastic parts or magnetized labels to plastic toys; play pieces or labels to a takeout fast food container; gadgets or folders to the plastic interior of a car, a magnetizable label to a bottle; etc.
Of course, in many cases, the ink could be printed directly onto one or both of the surfaces and then magnetized, which would dispense with the need for the separate magnetized self-adhesive label. However, the magnetized self-adhesive label could make any surface magnetic, with a cool-looking sticker that is thin, light weight, magnetic and inexpensive. In a way Magnix Base Units and Magnix stickers act as a kind of Velcro—with two parts.
As was explained above, in many embodiments of the present invention the magnetizable ink is to be permanently magnetized in a predetermined pattern. Referring to
The need for two printings in registration will increase the cost of the printing process, but in many cases this may be compensated for by replacing a significant part of the magnetizable ink with cheaper conventional ink. The compensating ink stripes 114 may be omitted especially if the magnetizable ink layer is very thin, for example when, as shown in
A suitable ink for the present invention should contain a high proportion of iron, typically in the form of iron ferrite or of a compound ferrite such as SrFe12O19, BaFe12O19, or NdFeB. The ink should encapsulate the iron particles so that they do not oxidize, should bond well to the substrate both when wet and when dry, and should retain when dry a flexibility comparable to that of the substrate. The ink should be without strong odor. The ink should be safe and easy to handle during manufacturing, and should be safe for children and comply with all relevant national and international safety standards for child-related products.
The magnetic ink generally includes a non-water based carrier, such as a medium, typically formulated for the printing process by which it is to be applied. Mediums can be colored and have various material properties, viscosities, and other Theological characteristics. The ink may have a consistency or viscosity ranging from that of warm molasses to that of heavy paste. The viscosity of the ink will depend upon the type of printing process used. Accordingly, the type of ink that may be chosen to formulate the magnetic ink discussed herein will depend, in part, upon the particular printing process or means used for applying the ink to a substrate.
Suspensions of iron particles in many resins and vinyl resins will work. However, the matrix that is presently preferred for printing on paper or cardstock is a low melting point styrene butadiene copolymer (SBC). Low melting point SBC is found to give the best results, with a minimum of residue resulting from undesolved SBC that could produce stringing between a silk screen and the substrate being printed, or other undesirable effects. Liquid laminate PVC is also considered suitable for offset printing.
The SBC is preferably suspended in kerosene or mineral spirits to form a medium in which the iron particles are then suspended. The kerosene or mineral spirits do not have a strong odor, and will evaporate away completely. The proportion of kerosene or mineral spirits can thus be adjusted within wide tolerances to suit the mechanical requirements of the particular printing process. The kerosene or mineral spirits can also be recovered from the air used to dry the ink, and reused. This reduces both the environmental impact of the process and the cost. The liquid medium can contain up to 40% or 45% of the SBC. A high proportion of resin in the liquid medium is important, because it makes it easier to achieve proper encapsulation and bonding together of the ferrite particles in the matrix, giving a durable and flexible ink. On the other hand, a higher proportion of the solvent results in a less viscous ink, which may be easier to print, especially with processes such as silk screening, where the ink must flow through a mesh. Because all of the ferrite materials are considerably denser than the matrix materials and solvents used, they tend to settle out. It is therefore preferred to homogenize the mixture by stirring with a mechanical mixer within 15 minutes before printing.
Ferrite particles of 30 μm or smaller may be used for both lithographic and silk screen printing. Smaller particles are preferred, especially for silk screening, because they pass through the screen more easily. This reduces the effective viscosity of the ink, and thus allows less solvent to be used. The reduction in the amount of solvent reduces drying time, cost of the ink, and cost of extracting and recovering solvent vapors. The use of smaller particles also increases the amount of ferrite that can be included in the ink. Vibrating the ink while it is still wet after printing may also assist in packing the magnetic particles more tightly, and thus increase the ferrite content for a given thickness of ink. Smaller particles also produce a smoother surface, especially on thin layers of ink. Finer particles are also easier to suspend in varnishes, which are preferred as media for spot printing. Suitable varnishes include Matt Lacquer G 95/50 supplied by Terra Lacke, and Brilliant Dexpro E/GV 2621, supplied by Valspar. However, the finer particles tend to be significantly more expensive, and it is therefore preferred to use particles no finer than is needed for a specific application.
The printing machinery should be thoroughly cleaned after use, both to avoid contamination of subsequent printing and to avoid unnecessary damage to the machinery from the abrasive effects of the ferrite powder.
Where iron is used, the iron particles are preferably in the form of commercially-available “double-scrubbed” or “two-time purified” ferrite powder. Ferrite powder that has been only “one-time purified” is adequate for at least some embodiments of the invention, but not optimal. The two-time purification leaves the ferrite powder substantially free from iron oxides, oxygen that might otherwise oxidize the iron after purification, and impurities including silicon based impurities that would dilute the iron content of the final ink layer. To prevent oxidation of the ferrite powder before it reaches the printers, it is preferred to ship and store the powder in a plastic bag, which is tied and placed in a second plastic bag, also tied. This is then placed in a woven bag, also tied, which is placed in a bucket with an airtight lid. Each bag preferably contains no more ferrite than will be needed for a single batch of ink and, for ease of handling, no more than 25 kg.
To form the magnetic ink, the magnetizable particles are added to the preselected ink. The magnetizable particles may be added using mixing, blending, or any other means for dispersing the magnetizable particles within the ink. It is recommended that this be done in a controlled atmosphere, to avoid unnecessary contamination or oxidation of the iron.
Where novel inks according to the present invention are used, and it is not required to compress the ink layer into the substrate, a much wider range of substrates is possible. For example, SBC based inks can be printed onto fabrics, plastic foil of the sort used for foil printing on book covers and boxes, or thin paper. Satisfactory results have been achieved with paper as light as 125 gsm. It is also believed to be feasible to print such inks onto hard substrates, such as ceramics, wood, fiberglass, alumninum, glass, and molded plastics. The skilled reader will understand how the various aspects and advantages of the invention discussed herein may be adapted to these different media, and especially to substrates that have the flexibility of thin paper or of cloth, or are not flat.
The following examples of magnetizable inks for the magnetizable areas 14 illustrate the invention.
Double-scrubbed Fe particles with a particle size in the range of from 20 μm to 40 μm were suspended in a mixture of low molecular weight styrene-butadiene copolymer and kerosene, in the following proportions by weight. The styrene-butadiene copolymer was a low melting point grade of K-Resin® supplied by Chevron-Philips Chemical Company LP.
The ink was applied by silk screening to a standard printer's cardstock and allowed to dry naturally. The dry ink consisted of 92.6% Fe and 7.4% styrene-butadiene copolymer in a layer 100 μm thick. The Fe particles were satisfactorily encapsulated, and the dry ink was sufficiently flexible to withstand compression into the cardstock and normal wear and tear as the book was read.
Double-scrubbed Fe particles with a particle size in the range of from 20 μm to 40 μm were suspended in a mixture of low molecular weight PVC and mineral spirits, in the following proportions by weight.
The ink was applied by offset lithography in a sheet-fed press as a spot-printed laminate to a standard printer's cardstock and allowed to dry naturally. The drying time was rather long, which precluded the use of a continuous-feed press. The dry ink consisted of 93.4% Fe and 6.6% PVC in a layer 80 μm thick. The Fe particles were satisfactorily encapsulated, and the dry ink was sufficiently flexible to withstand compression into the cardstock and normal wear and tear as the book was read.
SrFe12O19 powder with a nominal particle size of 2 μm was suspended in a mixture of low molecular weight low molecular weight styrene-butadiene copolymer and kerosene, in the following proportions by weight.
The ink was applied by offset lithography in a sheet-fed press to 230 gsm SIC card and allowed to dry naturally. The dry ink consisted of 88% SrFe12O19 and 12% SBC in a layer 200 μm thick. The SrFe12O19 particles were satisfactorily encapsulated, and the dry ink was sufficiently flexible to withstand compression into the cardstock and normal wear and tear.
An ink similar to that of Example III was formulated in the following proportions by weight.
The dry ink consisted of 92% SrFe12O19 and 8% SBC. The ferrite was found to be satisfactorily encapsulated in the SBC matrix. The substrate could be bent to an angle of approximately 90° without the dry ink breaking, and the dry ink did not fragment.
With ink formulated similarly to Examples I and II, but with 90% Fe content after drying, it was possible to support useful loads with a layer of ink as thin as 40 μm. The spot laminate process has so far been successfully used only for layers up to 80 μm thick. Greater thicknesses of ink can be built up by repeated passes through the press.
A layer of non-magnetized ink 100 to 200 μm thick, with its top surface 100 μm below the printed surface of the substrate, interacting with a play piece 34 with a magnetizable area 44 that is 400 to 500 μm thick and permanently magnetized in accordance with
With both the magnetized and the non-magnetized areas 200 μm thick, and a 2 mm pole pitch, the maximum field strength (approximately 200 gauss) occurs with a 100 μm separation between the magnetizable layers. The load that can be supported is approximately 0.18 g/cm2 (1.8 kg/M2). The supported ink layer itself weighs 0.04 g/cm2.
With the magnetized layer 100 μm thick and the non-magnetized layer 200 μm thick, and a 1.2 mm pole pitch, the maximum field strength (approximately 170 gauss) occurs with a 50 μm separation between the magnetizable layers. The load that can be supported is approximately 0.12 g/cm2 (1.2 kg/m2). The 100 μm thick ink layer itself weighs 0.02 g/cm2.
With the magnetized layer 50 μm thick and the non-magnetized layer 200 μm thick, and a 0.8 mm pole pitch, the maximum field strength (approximately 120 gauss) occurs with a 25 μm separation between the magnetizable layers. The load that can be supported is approximately 0.08 g/cm2 (1.2 kg/M2). The 50 μm thick ink layer itself weighs 0.01 g/cm2. With both layers permanently magnetized, the peak field strength will be approximately 180 gauss, and the maximum supported weight will be approximately 0.12 g/cm2.
The following magnetic field strengths were measured for samples of material in accordance with Example I magnetized by a device as shown in
For each sample, Table 2 gives the strength in gauss of the magnetic field component perpendicular to the surface of the substrate at two heights above the surface of the magnetized Fe layer at the center of each of a row of adjacent poles.
As an alternative embodiment, the present invention is versatile enough so the magnetizable areas may be applied or printed onto the substrate 10 in the form of readable segments or dots to produce code or an analog signal.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to he appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.
For example, substrates 10 have been disclosed with a magnetizable layer 14 on one surface, or sandwiched in the middle, interacting with separate magnetizable play pieces 34 on one side 12 of the substrate. A substrate with the magnetizable layer sandwiched in the middle can interact with magnetizable play pieces 34 on either or both sides of the substrate. A sufficiently thick substrate can have magnetizable layers 14 applied to both surfaces 12. The layers 14 can be of different shapes, and/or can have different patterns of magnetization applied to them. Provided that the substrate 10 is sufficiently thick, the use of one side 12 of the substrate will not be unduly affected by the magnetic field from the magnetizable layer on the other side of the substrate. This is particularly appropriate in the case of a book 11, where it is usual for the two sides of a leaf to have different content.
In an alternative embodiment, it is contemplated that the magnetizable areas 14 may be applied to the first surface 12 of the substrate 10 in the form of electrical traces as part of an electric circuit used to support interactive devices such as light emitting diodes, speakers, lights or other audio and visual type displays. It is also contemplated that electrical traces may be positioned on the first surface 12 to include two or more contact points spaced a short distance away from each other. An electrical circuit may be closed by the heat or moisture of a finger or by one of the play pieces bridging the contact points. When the contact points are bridged, and the circuit closed, energy will flow through the circuit so that the interactive device is energized.
Various means for forming and controlling the magnetic fields produced by the magnetizable layers 14 have been described. Various patterns and interactions of the magnetized layers have been described. It will be understood that these can be combined in numerous ways. The key factors in creating a magnetic interaction between a permanently magnetized play piece and a permanently magnetized play surface are presently believed to be: the position of the magnetic poles; the spacing of the magnetic poles; the direction of any arranged poles; the pattern of North and South poles; the strength of the induced fields; any variation in the strength of poles of different polarities; and the height of the fields above the magnetized surface. Any combination of these factors can produce a specific interaction. For example, positioning linear field patterns at right angles to each other will produce a very weak attractive force. Positioning polarities so that a sufficient number of North poles are opposite North poles and South poles are opposite South poles will produce a repulsive force; and positioning predominantly North poles opposite South poles will produce an attractive force, even without changing any of the other factors.
Although the magnetic ink layer 14 has been described as being applied in the form of a suspension of ferrite particles in a medium, the particles and the medium could be applied separately. For example, a layer of glue or varnish may be applied to the substrate 10, a layer of ferrite particles may be applied to the glue or varnish while it is still wet, and a further coating of glue or varnish may then be applied to encapsulate and secure the ferrite particles. The varnish may be, for example, a UV curable varnish, enabling the operator to ensure a sufficiently long open time without a correspondingly long drying time.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1531070 | Bruns | Mar 1925 | A |
| 2864275 | Fraleigh | Dec 1958 | A |
| 3093919 | Holtz | Jun 1963 | A |
| 3096206 | Wade, Jr. | Jul 1963 | A |
| 3308462 | Gluck | Mar 1967 | A |
| 3406974 | Nelson | Oct 1968 | A |
| 3464134 | Franklin | Sep 1969 | A |
| 3496653 | Wolfner et al. | Feb 1970 | A |
| 3662477 | Weinstein | May 1972 | A |
| 3716935 | Friederichs | Feb 1973 | A |
| 3726026 | Borcherding | Apr 1973 | A |
| 3758693 | Ebert | Sep 1973 | A |
| 3769720 | Terrones | Nov 1973 | A |
| 3927930 | Goldberg et al. | Dec 1975 | A |
| 3928921 | Gurman | Dec 1975 | A |
| 3994079 | Mirman | Nov 1976 | A |
| 4025379 | Whetstone | May 1977 | A |
| 4032674 | Hirabayashi et al. | Jun 1977 | A |
| 4306869 | Oettinger et al. | Dec 1981 | A |
| 4549532 | Baermann | Oct 1985 | A |
| 4584223 | Krapf | Apr 1986 | A |
| 4604065 | Frazer et al. | Aug 1986 | A |
| 4676753 | Haggas | Jun 1987 | A |
| 4702700 | Taylor | Oct 1987 | A |
| 4832605 | Bragin | May 1989 | A |
| 4876140 | Quackenbush | Oct 1989 | A |
| 4908164 | Brussino | Mar 1990 | A |
| 4952153 | McAllister | Aug 1990 | A |
| 4960651 | Pettigrew et al. | Oct 1990 | A |
| 4990117 | Yonezawa | Feb 1991 | A |
| 5005841 | Klick | Apr 1991 | A |
| 5006000 | House | Apr 1991 | A |
| 5041331 | Glavin et al. | Aug 1991 | A |
| 5079058 | Tomiyama et al. | Jan 1992 | A |
| 5178573 | Smith | Jan 1993 | A |
| 5203847 | Butt | Apr 1993 | A |
| 5419706 | Levy | May 1995 | A |
| 5447439 | Nathanson | Sep 1995 | A |
| 5452508 | Wu | Sep 1995 | A |
| 5609788 | Deetz | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5666712 | Cvetkov | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5820383 | Levins | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5868599 | Kaufman | Feb 1999 | A |
| 5949050 | Fosbenner et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
| 6127034 | Chorley | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6217405 | Burrows | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6262115 | Guittard et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6547626 | Burrows | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| WO 0123058 | May 2001 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040241394 A1 | Dec 2004 | US |
