Patent Grant
11557414
In the past there have been magnetically interconnected structures designed which were intended to allow for larger structures to be built from the base units. Such magnetically interconnected structures have been used in, for example, children's toys.
It is appreciated by the inventors that current designs of magnetically interconnected structures suffer from one or more drawbacks that may limit how they may be used and manufactured. For example, current designs typically allow them to be used primarily in protected environments, otherwise the key magnetic assemblies may corrode and rust. This limits their ability to engage in water-based activities such as baths or pools. Further, current designs typically require cutting and machining sheets of foam or other material to form desired structural shapes. The magnetic interconnection assemblies, typically formed of plastic, may be then glued into position within a cavity formed in the block. The process is time-consuming and presents opportunities for errors along the production process that may require lengthy quality control measures to ensure against failed bonds between the magnetic assemblies and the foam structure. Still further, current implementations typically do not provide a method to quickly evacuate water trapped within the housings of the interconnections or block structures. This may be especially important in either bath or pool environments, in which the products may be used as a water toy.
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be drawn to a magnetic housing assembly. The magnetic housing assembly may have a housing body, a first capping structure; a second capping structure; a water-tight chamber defined by the first capping structure and the second capping structure; a ratcheting face; a magnet enclosed within the water-tight chamber; at least one ridge on the perimeter of the housing body, where the magnet can flip to reverse polarity within the water-tight chamber, where the ratcheting face is configured to connect with another ratcheting face, and where the ratcheting face is configured to allow adjustment of the magnetic housing assembly in a tangential direction when connected with another ratcheting face.
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be drawn to a system including a plurality of magnetic housing assemblies, and a structure configured to house the plurality of magnetic housing assemblies while exposing the surface of the magnetic housing assemblies with a ratcheting face for each magnetic housing assembly housed in the structure.
The exemplary embodiments described in more detail herein may include one or more features that address or improve upon one or more drawbacks of existing designs. The features of any one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment to produce embodiments that realize complementary advantages of the various features. The exemplary embodiments provide one or more added benefits. By way of example only, and not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments may include one or more features that allow for a watertight or hermetically sealed housing for the interconnections and/or magnets to protect against corrosion from water intrusion or contaminants, improved subassemblies that protect the magnet and allow it to flip into polarity to couple different blocks, mechanisms to facilitate connections and provide audible sounds, simplified moldings and improved injection molding techniques to improve the manufacturing process and reduce the need for extensive quality control, improved shapes for blocks and fully assembled structures, and other beneficial features as described more fully herein.
These and other aspects of the exemplary embodiments may be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
In the below description, a cylindrical coordinate system may be used to describe one or more embodiments. In this application, a radial direction may refer to a distance from a center of a circle along a generally circular face of a cylinder in a plane; an axial direction may refer to a height of the cylinder and a distance from a center of a circle along a direction which is normal to the generally circular face of a cylinder; and a tangential direction may refer to a degree of rotational movement (e.g. displacement from a neutral position of 0-degrees) along the generally circular face of a cylinder. However, not every embodiment described herein may be described using such a cylindrical coordinate system.
Referring to
For example, in one embodiment, the structure body 100 and monomer structure unit assembly 300 may be in the shape of a block, and may house six magnetic housing assemblies, one in each face of the block structure body 100. The monomer structure unit assembly 300 can then be connected with a subsequent monomer structure unit assembly 300 by placing the subsequent assembly 300 adjacent to the first, and the magnets housed with each magnetic housing assembly 225 will then hold the monomer structure unit assemblies 300 together. In addition, as will be further described below, the orientation of each monomer structure unit assembly 300 can be adjusted relative to one another by rotating each monomer structure unit assembly 300, which will then be secured in position by the exposed surfaces of each magnetic housing assembly 225 contained therein.
The shape of the structure body 100 is not limited to a block, and can be any shape, such as rectangular blocks, polygonal prisms, cylinders, cones, spheres, other conical shapes, pyramids, irregular shapes, or any other shape which may house the magnetic housing assemblies disclosed herein. In this manner, the methods and structures of present embodiments may be used to produce any manner of structure which can be imagined by the end user, and they can be used to model a variety of different environments. For example, the monomer structure unit assembly 300 could act similarly to LEGOS® and may be used to construct, buildings, robots, landscapes, roads, castles, or other structures.
In one or more embodiments, the structure body 100 may be made from foam, for example, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU), or cross lined polyethylene, among various possibilities. The magnetic housing assemblies may be inserted into the foam, and may be screwed into the foam blocks where there may be an appropriate structure on the magnetic housing assembly to be inserted, such as a spiral ridge along the perimeter of the magnetic housing assembly. For example, such a ridge 35 is shown in
Referring to
In this embodiment illustrated in
In this embodiment illustrated in
The water tight chamber or hermetically sealed chamber may be large enough to allow for the magnet to flip in polarity (e.g. flip orientation) within the chamber when shaken or moved. In one or more embodiments, the diameter of the chamber may be large enough to allow the magnet to flip and spin freely along the largest cross-section of the given shape, possibly along the longest length of the magnet defined in the largest cross-section, as to allow for it to easily flip in polarity. For example, in the case of a rectangular prismatic magnet (e.g. cube, block, sheet), the chamber may have a diameter which is large enough to allow the hypotenuse (e.g. diagonal length) of the largest rectangular face to rotate freely within the chamber. The hypotenuse may include the thickness of the magnet to include both its thickness in a z-direction as well as the length of the hypotenuse in an x-y direction. In some embodiments, the chamber may have a diameter and height which is large enough to allow the hypotenuse (e.g. diagonal length) of the largest rectangular face to rotate freely within the chamber.
In other embodiments, the chamber may be cylindrical in shape have a diameter and height and diameter to allow for a cylindrical shaped magnet to freely rotate when measuring the longest diagonal length from a bottom right point of the cylinder on the circumference of the lower face, to an upper left point of the cylinder on the circumference of the upper face. Various shapes of magnets may be utilized in the chamber as to allow for the magnet to easily flip in polarity; for example, a cube shaped magnet may be used in a smaller sized chamber, a disc shaped magnet with a larger face and a lower vertical profile may be used in a larger sized chamber, or a cylindrical shaped magnet with a smaller face and larger vertical profile may be used in smaller or moderate sized chambers, among various possibilities disclosed herein.
In this embodiment illustrated in
In some embodiments, the insertion points, protruding posts, or structures facilitating attachment to the main housing body 32 may be friction fits, snap fit, locking mechanisms, or mere contact points which may be then glued, ultrasonically welded, or otherwise fastened using an acceptable method within the art to attach the ratcheting cap 20 to the main housing body 32. While the ratcheting cap 20 is described as a top shaped structure with a generally cylindrical main body, it need not be made in this shape, and may be made in other shapes that may be suitable to insert into a main housing body, including, for example, a rectangular prism, polygonal prism, pyramid, or other shape.
Once assembled, the magnetic housing assembly 225 may then be inserted into a foam block, or other secondary housing structure, using the installation tool 37 to screw the magnetic housing assembly 225 into the foam block, with the threading ridge 35 digging into the foam block to secure the assembly. The plurality of teeth on the installation tool 37 may insert into the plurality of slots within the housing body and rotate the assembly at multiple points to allow for the magnetic housing assembly 225 to be screwed in easily.
The ratcheting face 5 can be described as a surface with a plurality of ridges arranged in a repeating pattern along a tangential direction, for example about a circle, where the plurality of ridges may be defined by a first upwardly slanting surface, and a second downwardly slanting surface, wherein the first upwardly slanting surface may be connected to the second downwardly slanting surface. The ridges may be spaced apart from one another as to allow tangential movement of the magnetic housing assembly in approximately 22.5-degree increments when connected to another like structure also having a plurality of ridges arranged in a same configuration. The ridges may allow for approximately 11.25-degrees of rotation in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from a neutral position between ridges before interlocking with a subsequent ridge. The ratcheting face 5 defined by the plurality of ridges allow for 360-degree adjustment about an axis the magnetic housing assembly when connected to another like structure also having a plurality of ridges arranged in a same configuration (e.g. another ratcheting face).
In one or more embodiments, there may be a minimum of 11.25-degrees of radial freedom of motion in each puck, and 22.5-degrees of motion between two paired ratcheting faces, with there being 22.5-degrees between the teeth or ridges of the ratcheting face, as to always assure alignment. For example, the blocks may align substantially perfectly no matter their orientation because the teeth or ridges of each ratcheting face may be configured to interlock with each other, and be pulled into an interlocking neutral position by the attractive force of the magnets housed underneath the ratcheting face. For example, the rotational movement (e.g. rotation along a tangential direction) may relate to the number of teeth, the maximum degrees of rotation (e.g. 360-degrees), and the number of interlocking ratcheting faces (e.g. two connected ratcheting faces), as described by the formula:
where θ is the degrees of rotational movement along a tangential direction, and T is the number of teeth or ridges in a ratcheting face, 360° is the maximum amount of rotation, and 2 represents the number of interlocking ratcheting faces, as each block may share half the amount of rotation.
While the ratcheting face 5 may be defined by a plurality of ridges arranged in a repeating pattern along a tangential direction, the structure defining the ratcheting face need not be arranged in such a pattern. For example, interlocking structures such as hooks, or interlocking ridges arranged in a planar direction (e.g. up and down, side to side) may also be used to construct the ratcheting faces.
The shape of the magnetic housing assemblies is not limited to a generally cylindrical shape, and can be any shape, such as rectangular blocks, polygonal prisms, cones, other conical shapes, pyramids, or any other shape which may house the magnets and insert into a foam block, or other secondary structure containing the assemblies. Similarly, the threading ridge need not be in the shape of a thread that surrounds the circumference of the magnetic housing assemblies, but attachment of the magnetic housing assemblies to a foam block, or other secondary housing structure, may also be facilitated by one or more spikes extending from the assembly at an angle, for example, a 45-degree angle, with one such spike on each side of the assembly. However, the use of a threaded ridge may be advantageous in that it does not present a hazard to children, as a spike, or other securing structure, could possibly pose.
In one or more embodiments of a magnetic housing assembly, an assembly of a magnetic housing may use an ultrasonically or chemically-welded watertight or hermetically sealed enclosure to protect the magnet 10 from exposure to wet and corrosive environments. Expanding features may be implemented to embed the plastic (or other material) housing into the foam (or other material) without the need for additional adhesives, for example, the threading ridge 35 or spikes described above. This embodiment may reduce or overcome the challenges of permanently affixing two materials with low-surface energies. This embodiment may also reduce the time required to assemble the parts including simplifying the quality control process and secondary tests to ensure proper adhesion between the assemblies. Similarly, other embodiments of the magnetic housing assemblies may also be hermetically sealed by being ultrasonically or chemically welded, including, for example, the embodiments shown in
This embodiment may incorporate a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner, for example, allowing alignment along the surface of the ratcheting faces 5. The contacting surfaces may include a ratcheting interface that may include a plurality of protrusions, teeth, or other interface, to create an audible “clicking” noise. In one embodiment, the face may float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The faces may also float axially so that the ratcheting teeth can pass one another while allowing the remaining mating surfaces of the block to stay in contact as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions. Blocks may be centered in line with each other through magnetism and the ratcheting teeth geometry which both interlocks and nests within the geometry of the mated block preventing misalignment through sheer force.
Referring to
This embodiment may allow for the magnet 10 to flip within the housing, thereby allowing each magnet 10 to orient itself into the correct polarity to pair with another magnetic block assembly.
The exemplary embodiment is further described with reference to
In this embodiment, the ratcheting cap 20 may have a structure similar to that which is described above in reference to
In another exemplary embodiment shown in
This embodiment similarly may use a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner. The contacting surfaces may include a ratcheting face 5 to create a loud or audible clicking sound. In one embodiment, the face may be designed to float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The faces may also float axially so that the ratcheting teeth can pass one another while allowing the remaining mating surfaces of the block to stay in contact as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions. Blocks may be centered in line with each other through magnetism and the ratcheting teeth geometry which both interlocks and nests within the geometry of the mated block preventing misalignment through sheer force.
The magnetic housing assembly 210 may be inserted into an aperture configured to receive the body, or may be machined or injection-molded into foam, wood, plastic, or other material. The inner assembly may contain a watertight or hermetically-sealed enclosed magnet. The shape of the magnet 10 may be a cube, sphere, cylinder, or other shaped component, within a plastic (or other material) housing that may be inserted into outer housings with snap fit features 26. The connection between the outer housings with snap fit features 26 and the plastic (or other material) assembly may be accomplished through a snap-fit tab locking the two parts together tightly or permanently. The outer housings with snap fit features 26 may be fastened to the mating block through chemical bonding or conventional mechanical interfaces, such as threads, barbs, expanding areas or mating snap-fit inner features.
This embodiment may also allow for the magnet 10 to flip within the housing, thereby allowing each magnet 10 to orient itself into the correct polarity to couple to another magnetic block assembly.
In this embodiment, the outer housings with snap fit features 26 may be bisected, and have one or more plastic arms that inserts into a corresponding slot in the opposite outer housing. The ratcheting cap 20 may have a similar structure as the ratcheting cap described in reference to
In another exemplary embodiment shown in
In this embodiment, the bottom of the ring may include two protruding posts at the bottom of the ring to interface with a slot of a few degrees to limit the amount the ratcheting ring 40 can move rotationally, and may provide a few degrees of rotational motion in one or more embodiments. For example, the degree of rotational motion may be between about 5 and 12 degrees, and may be between 5.625 and 11.25 degrees.
This embodiment may include a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner. The contacting surfaces may incorporate a ratcheting interface to create a loud or audible clicking sound. The face may float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The mated faces will ramp up and down axially so that the ratcheting teeth may pass one another such that the previously mated surfaces of the block will stay parallel and centered as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions. Blocks may be centered in line with each other through magnetism and the ratcheting teeth geometry which both interlocks and nests within the geometry of the mated block preventing misalignment through sheer force.
In one embodiment, magnetic housing assembly 230 may be inserted into an aperture configured to receive the body, or may be machined, or injection-molded into foam, wood, plastic, or other material. The inner assembly preferably contains a hermetically-sealed or watertight enclosed magnet, in which the shape of the magnet 10 may be a cube, sphere, cylinder, or other shaped component, within a plastic (or other material) housing that may be inserted into the anchor body 21. The outer housing may be fastened to the mating block through chemical bonding or conventional mechanical interface methodology, which may include threads, barbs, expanding areas, barbs or mating snap-fit inner features.
This embodiment may allow for the magnets to flip within the housings, thereby allowing each magnet 10 to orient itself into the correct polarity to couple with another magnetic block assembly.
This also shows the insertion tool in final threaded position of the assembly.
In one embodiment, the joining of these pieces may be accomplished through a security type adapter to join the threaded portions together, which also captures the ratcheting rotating ring. The bottom of the ring may include two protruding posts to interface with a slot of a few degrees to limit the amount the ratcheting ring 40 may move rotationally.
This embodiment may incorporate a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner. The contacting surfaces may include a ratcheting interface to create a loud or audible clicking sound. The face may float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The mated faces will ramp up and down axially so that the ratcheting teeth may pass one another such that the previously mated surfaces of the block will stay parallel and centered as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions. Blocks may be centered in line with each other through magnetism and the ratcheting teeth geometry which both interlocks and nests within the geometry of the mated block preventing misalignment through sheer force.
The magnetic housing assembly 235 may be inserted into an aperture configured to receive the body or may be machined or injection-molded into foam, wood, plastic, or other material. An inner assembly may contain a hermetically-sealed or watertight enclosed magnet, in which the shape of the magnet 10 may be a cube, sphere, cylinder, or other shaped component, within a plastic (or other material) housing that may be inserted into the lower housing 41. The outer housing may be fastened to the mating block through chemical bonding or conventional mechanical interface methodology, which may include threads, barbs, expanding areas or mating snap-fit inner features.
This design may allow for the magnet 10 to flip within the housing, thereby allowing each magnet 10 to orient itself into the correct polarity to pair with another magnetic block assembly.
In this embodiment, the water tight chamber or hermetically sealed chamber may be created by capturing a magnet 10 between an upper retention cap 42 and a lower housing 41, with a ratcheting ring 40 in between the upper retention cap 42 and the lower housing 41. In this embodiment the lower housing 41 may have a continuous surface along a portion bottom face as to define the lower portion of the hermetically sealed chamber. The magnet 10 within the hermitically sealed chamber in the lower housing 41 may define the magnetic housing assembly 225.
In one or more embodiments, such as those illustrated in
In this embodiment, the water tight chamber or hermetically sealed chamber may be created by capturing a magnet 10 between an upper threaded cap 44 and a lower threaded housing 43. In this embodiment the lower threaded housing 43 may have a continuous surface along a portion bottom face as to define the lower portion of the hermetically sealed chamber. The ratcheting ring 40 may be positioned above the lower threaded housing 43, and below the upper threaded cap 44, which may be rotated using the assembly tool 45 to tighten down the upper threaded cap 44 to form the magnetic housing assembly 235.
Another exemplary embodiment is further described with reference to
In these drawings, shown is an assembly of the magnetic housing 220 that may include an ultrasonically, or chemically-welded watertight or hermetically-sealed enclosure to protect the magnet 10 from exposure to wet or corrosive environments. The seal may be created by capturing a magnet 10 between a ratcheting cap 20, the main housing body 32, and a lower cap 34. This embodiment may use glue, large threads, barbs or other means of adhering to the foam (or other material) block.
A housing cap 33 may also be welded to the bottom portion of the housing. This may help to ensure that water (liquid) will not seep into the remainder of the foam (or other material) block housing. In this embodiment, the main housing body may include fan-like shapes, or threading ridge 35, surrounding its perimeter. This allows water (liquid) to readily evacuate the main housing cavity. For blocks with complete through-holes, the housing cap 33 may be excluded to allow water to drain through the whole block.
The ratcheting cap 20 and the main housing body 32 may have structures and shapes similar to those described in
In this embodiment, the assembly may include a housing insertion tool 46 that engages with the fan-like shapes to spin its exterior threads into the mating foam (or other material) block. The wide shape of the threads secures the housing to the foam (or other material). Notches in the lower extensions of the housing threads help to prevent the housing from backing out from the formed threads in the foam (or other material) block.
This design may include a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner. The contacting surfaces use a ratcheting interface to create a loud or audible clicking sound. The face may float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The faces may also float axially to enable the ratcheting teeth to pass one another while allowing the remaining mating surfaces of the block to stay in contact as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions. Blocks may be centered in line with each other through magnetism and the ratcheting teeth geometry which both interlocks and nests within the geometry of the mated block preventing misalignment through sheer force.
Alternate forms of this embodiment may also eliminate the exterior cutting threads and may instead include a smooth glue-in method, barbs or a snap-in feature.
The main housing body 32 may be inserted into a hole-cut, or may be machined, or injection-molded into, foam, wood, plastic, or other material. The inner assembly containing a hermetically-sealed or watertight enclosed magnet 10 housed within a plastic (or other material) housing that may be inserted into main housing body 32. The shape of the magnet 10 may be a cube, sphere, cylinder, or other shaped component. The outer housing may be fastened to the mating block through chemical bonding or mechanical interface methodology which can include threads, barbs, expanding areas or mating snap-fit inner features.
This design may allow for the magnet 10 to flip within the housing, thereby allowing each magnet 10 to flip into the correct polarity orientation to pair with another magnetic block assembly.
In this exemplary method, plastic (or other material) magnetic housings may be inserted into receiving cavities or apertures within the molds. A tight interference between these mating parts may be provided to ensure the parts are not allowed to move during processing or allow an injected material to migrate to the exterior face of the plastic insert. Geometry at the base of the plastic insert may be constructed in a way that a physical entanglement will occur reducing a need for a chemical bond between the joining components. A molding carousel may be used to facilitate production.
An additional step using methods such as chemical priming or atmospheric plasma may be applied to plastic inserts 75 prior to insertion to increase the surface energy, thereby allowing for a stronger chemical bond to take place.
A liquid form of polymer such as PU foam, TPU, EVA foam or other conventional polymer may then be injected into said mold entrapping all plastic inserts 75 as well as forming to the shape of the mold. After a cooling process occurs, a rod-like object may be inserted into the mold helping to remove the plastic inserts 75 from the previously stated interference helping to “demold” the part.
The mold may also be oriented at a 45° angle to help ensure that any parting lines may be placed along six edges of the final part and therefore do not bisect the plastic magnetic housings. Other variations of this mold could embody different angles.
In this method, plastic (or other material) magnetic housings may be inserted into pick-out-tool-parts 63. A tight interference may be provided between mating parts to help ensure the parts do not move during processing, and to allow an injected material to migrate to the exterior face of the plastic insert. Geometry at the base of the plastic insert may be constructed to cause a physical entanglement to occur, thereby reducing the need for a chemical bond between the joining components.
An additional step using methods such as chemical priming or atmospheric plasma may be applied to the plastic magnetic assembly place holders 65 prior to insertion to increase the surface energy allowing for a stronger chemical bond to take place.
Plastic magnetic housings may also be attached to a single and central chassis as an insert-molded part that assembles all the parts into one assembly that can then be molded around. Alternatively, pucks may be designed to interlock at the center of a block in order to form this insert-mold assembly.
A liquid form of polymer such as PU foam, TPU, EVA foam or other similar polymer may be injected into the mold, thereby entrapping all plastic magnetic assembly place holders 65 as well as forming to the shape of the mold. Post cooling process, the pick-out-tool-parts 63 may be removed from the finished part.
Plastic magnetic housings may also be attached to a single and central chassis as an insert-molded part that assembles all the parts into one assembly that can then be molded around. Alternatively, pucks may be designed to interlock at the center of a block in order to form this insert-mold assembly.
In this embodiment, the joining of these pieces also captures the main exterior housing 29. The top ratcheting cap 20 has two protruding posts at the bottom side of the ring to interface within slots on the exterior housing. There may be a few degrees of rotational freedom before the interference limits the rotational movement. A small gap may be arranged axially between the main housing and space between the ratcheting cap 20 and lower cover 30. This gap allows the ratcheting face 5 to have float in the axial direction. Radial spaces (e.g. a plurality of slots) along the interior of the external housing to allow liquids or other substances to easily migrate out of the assembly. An additional main bottom cover 31 may be ultrasonically welded onto the housing. This serves to help prevent water (liquid) from migrating past the magnetic housing assembly. For blocks with complete through-holes, the main bottom cover 31 may be excluded to allow water to drain through the whole block.
This embodiment may include a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner. The contacting surfaces may include a ratcheting interface to create a loud or audible clicking sound. This face may float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The faces may also float axially so that the ratcheting teeth can pass one another while allowing the remaining mating surfaces of the block to stay in contact as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions. Blocks may be centered in line with each other through magnetism and the ratcheting teeth geometry which both interlocks and nests within the geometry of the mated block preventing misalignment through sheer force.
Alternate forms of this embodiment may also eliminate the exterior smooth glue-in method and instead include cutting threads, barbs, a snap-in feature or other mechanical means of attachment.
In one exemplary embodiment, the magnetic housing assembly 215 may be inserted into a hole-cut, or may be machined or injection-molded into, foam, wood, plastic, or other material. An inner assembly containing a hermetically-sealed or watertight enclosed magnet, may be located within a plastic (or other material) housing that may be inserted into the main exterior housing 29. The magnet 10 may take the form of a cube, sphere, cylinder, or other shaped component. The outer housing may be fastened to the mating block through chemical bonding or mechanical interface methodology which may include threads, barbs, expanding areas or mating snap-fit inner features.
This design may allow for the magnet 10 to flip within the housing, thereby allowing it to orient itself into the correct polarity to pair with another magnetic block assembly.
In this embodiment, the structure of the ratcheting cap 20 and main exterior housing 29 may be substantially similar to the structure described in
The exterior housing 51 captures the welded magnet 10 assembly within cavities formed when the two halves may be ultrasonically welded together. This assembly also makes for a second level of water resistance to liquids. Exterior small extrusion barbs with upward angular faces help to facilitate an easy insertion into the mating foam body and a resistance to movement in the opposite direction upon insertion.
This design uses a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner. The contacting surfaces use a ratcheting interface to create a loud or audible clicking sound. This face can float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The faces can also float axially so that the ratcheting teeth can pass one another while allowing the remaining mating surfaces of the block to stay in contact as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions. Blocks may be centered in line with each other through magnetism and the ratcheting teeth geometry which both interlocks and nests within the geometry of the mated block preventing misalignment through sheer force.
Alternate forms of this embodiment may also eliminate the exterior barbs and instead include smooth glue-in method, cutting threads, a snap-in feature or other mechanical means of attachment.
The magnetic housing assembly 240 may be inserted into a hole-cut, or may be machined or injection-molded into, foam, wood, plastic, or other material. Next, the inner assembly containing a hermetically-sealed enclosed magnet, wherein the shape of the magnet 10 can be a cube, sphere, cylinder, or other shaped component, within a plastic (or other material) housing that may be inserted into the anchor body 21. The outer housing may be fastened to the mating block through chemical bonding or mechanical interface methodology which can include threads, barbs, expanding areas or mating snap-fit inner features.
This design may allow for the magnet 10 to flip within the housing, allowing each magnet 10 to orient itself into the correct polarity to pair with another magnetic block assembly.
In this embodiment, the water tight chamber or hermetically sealed chamber which contains the magnet 10 may be defined by a hollow, generally cylindrical ratcheting post 50 which has the ratcheting face 5 on an upper surface, and is sealed at the bottom with a lower cap 52, possibly with ultrasonic welding. The ratcheting post may have one or more protruding posts or points of contact that extend outward from the curved exterior surface of the generally cylindrical body.
In this embodiment, the exterior housing 51 may be a bisected structure, with the ratcheting post 50/lower cap 52 assembly contained therein, between the two bisected halves. The bisected halves may be symmetrical.
The exterior housing captures the welded magnet 10 assembly within cavities formed when the main exterior housing 53 and side retention housing 54 may be ultrasonically welded together. The exterior housing may be defined by a bisected structure comprised of the main exterior housing 53 and side retention housing 54. The main exterior housing may have the larger upper diameter circle, and half of a generally cylindrical body, and the side retention housing 54 may have the other half of the generally cylindrical body. This assembly may also make for a second level of water resistance to liquids. Exterior small extrusion barbs with upward angular faces may help to facilitate an easy insertion into the mating foam body and a resistance to movement in the opposite direction upon insertion.
This embodiment may include a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner (e.g. along the ratcheting faces 5). The contacting surfaces use a ratcheting interface to create a loud or audible clicking sound. This face may float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The faces may also float axially so that the ratcheting teeth may pass one another while allowing the remaining mating surfaces of the block to stay in contact as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions. Blocks may be centered in line with each other through magnetism and the ratcheting teeth geometry which both interlocks and nests within the geometry of the mated block preventing misalignment through sheer force.
Alternate forms of this embodiment may also eliminate the exterior barbs and instead include smooth glue-in method, cutting threads, a snap-in feature or other mechanical means of attachment.
The magnetic housing assembly 245 may be inserted into a hole-cut, or machined or injection-molded into, foam, wood, plastic, or other material. An inner assembly containing a hermetically-sealed or watertight enclosed magnet 10 is located within a plastic (or other material) housing that is inserted into the anchor body 21. The magnet 10 may be formed as a cube, sphere, cylinder, or other shaped component. The outer housing is fastened to the mating block through chemical bonding or mechanical interface methodology, which may include threads, barbs, expanding areas or mating snap-fit inner features.
This design may allow for the magnet 10 to flip within the housing, thereby allowing it to orient into the correct polarity orientation to pair with another magnetic block assembly.
In this embodiment, the lower housing 55 may be generally cylindrical, and capped with a top cap 56 to form a top like shape. The ratcheting post 50 have a structure similar to that described above, and may define the water tight chamber or hermetically sealed chamber when ultrasonically welded to the lower cap 52. The ratcheting post 50/lower cap 52 assembly may then be captured between the lower housing 55 and the top cap 56 to form the magnetic housing assembly 250.
The exterior housing captures the welded magnet assembly within cavities formed when the top cap 56 and main lower housing 55 may be ultrasonically welded together. This assembly also enables a second level of water resistance to liquids. Exterior small extrusion barbs with upward angular faces help to facilitate an easy insertion into the mating foam body and a resistance to movement in the opposite direction upon insertion.
This design may include a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner. The contacting surfaces include a ratcheting interface to create a loud or audible clicking sound. The face may float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The faces may also float axially so that the ratcheting teeth may pass one another while allowing the remaining mating surfaces of the block to stay in contact as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions. Blocks may be centered in line with each other through magnetism and the ratcheting teeth geometry which both interlocks and nests within the geometry of the mated block preventing misalignment through sheer force.
Alternate forms of this embodiment may also eliminate the exterior barbs and instead include smooth glue-in method, cutting threads, a snap-in feature or other mechanical means of attachment.
The magnetic housing assembly is inserted into an aperture configured to receive the body, or is machined or injection-molded into foam, wood, plastic, or other material. The inner assembly may contain a hermetically-sealed or watertight enclosed magnet, wherein the shape of the magnet may be a cube, sphere, cylinder, or other shaped component, within a plastic (or other material) housing that is inserted into the anchor body 21. The outer housing may be fastened to the mating block through chemical bonding or mechanical interface methodology, such as threads, barbs, expanding areas or mating snap-fit inner features.
This embodiment may allow the magnet 10 to flip within the housing, thereby allowing the magnet 10 to orient itself into the correct polarity to pair with another magnetic block assembly.
The exemplary embodiment is further described with reference to
In this embodiment, the ratcheting cap 20 may be inserted into the rotational limiting housing 22 to define the hermetically sealed chamber, with a gasket 25 and magnet 10 within the chamber. The ratcheting cap 20/rotational limiting housing 22 assembly cay then be inserted into the containment housing 23, which may have one or more snap fittings along an exterior surface to insert into the outer housing anchor body 21, to complete the magnetic housing assembly 205. The anchor body 21 may have one or more anchoring body tabs 24, and a structure which is generally similar to the anchor body described above. The ratcheting cap 20 may further comprise one or more snap fittings 38 which allow it to attach to the rotational limiting housing 22.
Expanding features, such as when the inner housing assembly is inserted into the outer housing anchor body 21, anchoring body tabs 24 may be pushed outward and into the main body substrate, for example, foam, to permanently secure the assembly into the mating substrate, may be implemented to embed the plastic (or other material) housing into the foam (or other material) without the need for additional adhesives. This may overcome the challenges of permanently affixing two materials with low-surface energies. This may also reduce the time required to assemble the parts and may simplify the quality control process and secondary tests to ensure proper adhesion between the assemblies.
This embodiment may include a combination of parts to produce an assembly that allows exterior faces of connecting blocks to align in a planar manner. The contacting surfaces include a ratcheting interface to create a loud or audible clicking sound. The face preferably may float for a few degrees radially to allow exterior faces of the blocks to align. The faces may also float axially so that the ratcheting teeth may pass one another while allowing the remaining mating surfaces of the block to stay in contact as the blocks may be twisted in opposing directions.
In this embodiment, the magnetic housing assembly 205 may be inserted into a hole-cut, or may be machined, or injection-molded into, foam, wood, plastic, or other material. The inner assembly containing a hermetically-sealed or watertight enclosed magnet 10 within a plastic (or other material) housing that may be inserted into the anchor body 21. The magnet 10 may take the form of a cube, sphere, cylinder, or other shape. The interference between the anchor body tabs 24 and the plastic (or other material) housing preferably biases the anchor tabs outward into the foam (or other material) block tightly or permanently connecting the anchor body 21 and the foam (or other material). The connection between the anchor body 21 and the plastic (or other material) assembly may be made through a snap-fit tab locking the two parts together tightly or permanently.
This embodiment preferably may allow for the magnet 10 to flip within the housing, thereby allowing the magnet 10 to orient itself into the correct polarity to pair with another magnetic block assembly.
One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the inventive principles disclosed are not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, and that various aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined to achieve additional embodiments. The applications of the present invention have been described largely by reference to specific examples and in terms of particular allocations of functionality to certain components. However, those of skill in the art will recognize that the invention can also be produced by components that distribute the functions of embodiments of this invention differently than herein described. Such variations and implementations are understood to be captured according to this disclosure, the following claims and their equivalents.
In the figures, dimensions of the various elements, layers, etc. may be exaggerated for clarity of illustration. The same reference numerals designate the same elements. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Further, the use of “may” when describing embodiments of the present invention relates to “one or more embodiments of the present invention.” Expressions, such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. Also, the term “exemplary” is intended to refer to an example or illustration. As used herein, the terms “use,” “using,” and “used” may be considered synonymous with the terms “utilize,” “utilizing,” and “utilized,” respectively. As used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent variations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another element, component, region, layer, or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of example embodiments.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting of the described example embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a” and “an” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
This U.S. utility patent application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/014,613, filed on Apr. 23, 2020, entitled MAGNETICALLY INTERCONNECTABLE BLOCK STRUCTURES AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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