This application is a National Phase Patent Application of International Patent Application Number PCT/EP2009/000483, filed on Apr. 15, 2009, which claims priority of German Patent Application Number 10 2008 019 063.2, filed on Apr. 15, 2008.
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mechanical-magnetic connecting structure, i.e. a mechanical lock, which closes supported by magnetic force and in particular is utilized as closure on bags, rucksacks and comparable objects, wherein this enumeration should not limit the field of use of the invention. Such connecting structure is described in the document WO 2008/006357. This magnetic closure consists of a two-part magnetic system, so that the two closure halves attract and mechanically lock each other from a predetermined minimum distance. With this mechanical lock the magnetic force urges a locking piece against a resilient and hence yielding locking element. The locking piece and the resilient locking element overlap or undercut each other in the condition snapped into place. For opening the closure, the locking piece is shifted with respect to the locking element until a non-engagement position is reached, in which the two elements no longer are in engagement, i.e. the mechanical lock is released. With this shifting, the magnetic system simultaneously is moved into a position in which the magnetic force of attraction either is weakened considerably or a repulsive force is applied, which opens the closure. The magnetic system only insignificantly contributes to the stability and strength of the closure, but only serves to allow a haptically good closing and opening of the closure.
The loadability of the closure is determined by the mechanical lock and substantially depends on how large the overlap surface or the undercut surface of the lock is. The larger the overlap surface or the undercut surface, the greater the mechanical stability of the lock, when all components of the closure are constructed adequately. The possibilities for forming the overlap surface or the undercut surface as large as possible are limited for several reasons, which will be explained below:
It is a specific property of a pawl closure snapping into place according to the prior art described in WO 2008/006357 that the same only has the required stability and loadability when the resilient element is dimensioned sufficiently strong, which inevitably also involves a greater spring force. To ensure that the snap-in process can be effected on its own, i.e. exclusively by means of magnetic force, a magnet adapted to the spring force is required. In other words, the resilient element must have a sufficient mechanical stability, in order to ensure the desired locking function. However, this requires a sufficiently strong magnet. Thus, two mutually exclusive requirements are placed on the magnet: The magnet must be strong enough to overcome the spring force, and the magnet should be as small and light as possible, in order to reduce the costs and the weight.
In the closures known from the prior art WO 2008/006357 there is also a second problem, which in a rotary closure results from the following facts: The most common magnetic system has two magnetic poles per magnetic element and for opening is rotated from an attracting position by about 120° into an at least partly repelling position. In this position, the magnetic force of repulsion supports the opening of the closure. However, to enable the closure to open on its own, the mechanical lock must be out of engagement.
In other words: There is only one predetermined angular range available for locking. This angular range cannot be increased, as from the maximum available 360 degrees a predetermined angular range is required, in which the locking elements must be out of engagement. The available angular range of the closed condition, however, even is substantially smaller, since opening should only be effected when the magnets have reached a position in which they at least partly repel each other, in order to obtain the desired pleasant opening haptics of the closure. Since the overlap or undercut should only occur in the angular range of the closed condition, an objective limit thus exists for an increase of the overlap or undercut surface by means of an increase of the angular range.
If the overlap or undercut surface is to be increased, it is possible to increase the diameter of the rotary closure. A closure with a greater diameter can be undesirable e.g. on a handbag.
Another way of increasing the overlap or undercut surface consists in increasing the depth of the overlap or undercut in radial direction. However, this measure likewise reaches a limit, which results from this constructive measure itself and from the special properties of the magnetic force, which will be explained below:
When pulling the closure halves together, the parts snapping into each other get in contact in that the locking piece moves a predetermined distance against the resilient and hence yielding locking element, until snapping into place occurs. This distance is the greater the further the locking element must be pushed away in radial direction, i.e. or proportionally increasing compressive force is required to overcome the likewise proportionally increasing spring force of the locking element. It is known, however, that magnetic forces have a non-linear profile and greatly increase only at close range. Since the magnetic force should, however, pull the closure together automatically and thus must overcome the spring force, it is required to select a particularly strong magnet to overcome a long spring deflection, which magnet overcomes the initial spring force already at a greater distance. However, this leads to the demand for a greater, heavier and more expensive magnet. In addition, the magnetic force at close range, i.e. in the condition snapped into place, is higher than required. This in turn requires a greater effort on opening, which is undesirable, however, e.g. for handbags, since these closures should have a soft and pleasant haptics.
It is the object of the invention to improve a generic mechanical-magnetic connecting structure for releasably connecting a first element with a second element such that its locking force is increased without increasing the mechanical latching elements and the magnets.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention a mechanical-magnetic connecting structure includes a module A which is firmly connected with the first element or is rotatably arranged in the first element, and a module B which is firmly connected with the second element or is rotatably arranged in the second element. Module A is rotatably guided in module B. In module A at least one magnet is arranged and in module B at least one armature or second magnet is arranged. The shape, the position and the polarity of the magnets or of the magnet and the armature are designed or chosen such that when rotating module A 51 relative to module B 52, the magnets or the magnet and the armature can move from a closed position with maximum magnetic attraction into an open position with weakened magnetic attraction. Or instead of the weakened magnetic attraction a magnetic repulsion is obtained between module A and module B. Furthermore, a positive lock is provided, which exists between two engagement portions at module A and module B, i.e. when the modules are attracted to each other by the magnetic force, the two engagement portions become operatively connected and lock each other.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the engagement portion which is arranged on a spring locking element on module B is of the helical type and the matching engagement portion on module A likewise is of the helical type. Module A and module B close without rotation such that the helical engagement portion positively snaps into place with the helical engagement portion by means of the magnetic attraction. Module A and module B can be opened such that when rotating the modules and correspondingly rotating the magnets from the closed position into the open position, the helical engagement portions are screwed out of engagement.
The use of helical engagement portions provides for a considerable increase of the undercut or overlap surface of the engaging elements. Hence, all the above-described disadvantages of the prior art are eliminated, which will be explained in detail with reference to the embodiments.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention the helical engagement portion has a plurality of threads. Hence, an even greater undercut or overlap surface is produced, which leads to an even higher mechanical loadability of the closure. On the other hand, it is possible to construct distinctly smaller closures with a predetermined loadability.
According to a further exemplary embodiment, the helical resilient engagement portion consists of separate segments. Since each of the resilient elements as such now is smaller than comparable constructions from the prior art, they can also be designed constructionally different from large spring elements. In particular it is possible to use elastic materials. In addition, the use of a plurality of independent segments offers a high reliability, even if one segment should fail.
According to a further exemplary embodiment, the helical engagement portion consists of spaced, resilient pins which are arranged one beside the other on a helical line.
The invention will be explained below with reference to a comparative example from the prior art and with reference to embodiments of the invention in conjunction with attached drawings:
a shows a comparative example from the prior art, by means of which the invention will be explained;
b shows the closure according to
c shows a top view of the closure according to
a shows a perspective view of a closure according to the invention;
b shows another perspective view of the closure according to
c shows a sectional drawing of the closure according to
d shows a plan view of the closure according to
a shows a comparison of the invention with the prior art;
b shows a comparison of the invention with the prior art;
a shows a comparison of the invention with the prior art;
b shows a comparison of the invention with the prior art;
a shows the functional details of the opening process;
b shows the functional details of the opening process;
c shows the functional details of the opening process;
a shows a further embodiment of the invention;
b shows the locking device according to
c shows a special application of the invention;
b shows the closure according to the prior art in the moment in which the spring locking pieces 9a, 9a′ have contact with the locking pieces 5 and 5′. In this position, the spring locking pieces 9a, 9a′ are not yet pushed aside by a predetermined amount in the radial direction Y and the magnets face each other at a distance X. It is apparent for the skilled person that the angle of the bevel at the locking piece and at the spring locking piece is only variable to a limited extent when the function should be maintained. The relations between the distance X and the magnitude of the displacement path in direction Y will be explained by means of the following Figures.
c shows a top view of the spring locking pieces 9a, 9a′, which have snapped into place behind the locking pieces 5 and 5′. Here, the hatched undercut surfaces 50, 51 can be seen. It is quite obvious that in this prior art the width of the spring locking pieces 9a, 9a′ cannot be broadened when it should be ensured that the closure should at least partly be poled for repulsion with a rotation between 100 and 130°. Thus, the undercut surface cannot be increased either.
a-d show a closure of the invention according to claim 1. In module A (51) the magnets 4a, b are located, which can be rotated with respect to the magnets 8a, b in module B (52) from a closed position with maximum magnetic attraction into an open position with magnetic repulsion.
In the perspective views of
In the sectional drawing 2c, the closure is illustrated in the moment of closing, in which the spring locking element and the locking piece have contact for the first time and the magnets 4a, b and 8a, b face each other spaced by the distance X. This will be discussed in detail in the description of
With reference to
In
It is quite obvious that weaker and/or smaller magnets can be used in the closure of the invention, which leads to a high savings potential.
For further explanation,
a shows the technical non-real representation, in which it can be seen that on opening the bevelled sides of locking piece and spring locking element collide. Depending on the dimensioning of the magnetic system and the spring elasticity of the spring locking element used, this collision can provide two different effects:
In
In
Frequently, a mixed form exists between
It is clear to the skilled person that various embodiments of the invention are equally inventive:
When dimensioning the invention, it should be noted that the closure has the tendency to unscrew under load. Therefore, magnetic systems must be used which effect a moment of reverse rotation into the closed position with maximum attraction, such as a rectangular magnet and a rectangular armature or a second magnet. Furthermore, the thread geometry and the friction between the locking piece and the spring locking element must be taken into account.
An advantageous development utilizes exactly this tendency that the screw tends to unscrew on its own under load for an automatic emergency release from a certain load. Here, the helical engagement portions have such a great thread pitch that the closure rotatingly opens automatically when a certain load is exceeded.
The spring washer must non-rotatably be held by a suitable constructive measure, e.g. a protrusion on the housing 52, which engages in the opening slot in the spring washer 9. The emergency release function will be explained in detail below by means of
In the closure of the invention, magnets or magnet and armature are arranged in module A and module B such that the same are weakened in their mutual attraction or poled oppositely, when module A is rotated relative to module B. For rotating, a force dependent on the shape, location, polarity and magnetic force of the magnets is required. This force can change with increasing rotation depending on the shape, location, polarity of the magnets. To simplify the discussion it is assumed that at the beginning of the rotation an approximately constant starting torque FM must be overcome. In
What is decisive for the mode of action of the emergency release chiefly is this starting torque, since after a partly performed screwing opening the magnets are also separated a bit and quickly lose force both in their attractive effect and in their reversely rotating effect.
To ensure opening when a predetermined load FL is exceeded, or to ensure locking until the load FL is reached, the magnetic starting torque FM must be chosen equal to the resulting torque FD when the load FL is exceeded, i.e. the thread pitch as well as the shape, location, polarity and strength of the magnets must be chosen correspondingly in accordance with the application.
a shows a locking device in a perspective view, wherein only the rotating element and the spring locking element are shown.
The ring-shaped spring locking element 9 here is developed such that the helical spring locking piece 9a is split into several segments 9a1 . . . 9a8 by means of interruptions. The advantages of this development consist in the combination of the high undercut surface with a very soft spring constant of the spring locking element, which provides for a very easy snapping into place, with the lock, however, remaining stable. The soft spring constant of the spring locking element 9 designed as ring is formed by the interruptions between the segments 9a1 . . . 9a8, as there a slight deformation is each possible in the desired direction. It is clear to the skilled person that there is a multitude of equivalent solutions for resilient helical engagement portions, e.g. in each segment 91 . . . 98 a separate spring 9b1 . . . 9b8 and a separate helical spring locking piece 9a1 . . . 9a8 is arranged and the individual elements are not connected with each other, as shown in
Lining up resilient pins in the form of a helical line functionally has the same effect.
c shows a magnetomechanical connecting device in which depending on the rotation the coupling element 106 either gets into attraction to the lower part 102 or into attraction to the upper part 105, wherein it is rotated by means of a winch 101. The separating line 107 separates the parts of the upper assembly from those of the lower assembly. This application of the invention can be used e.g. as coupling device between a roller case and a bag standing on the same, wherein it is important that when placing the bag onto the roller case the coupling elements securely find each other due to the magnetic force of attraction and snap into place and after removing the bag the coupling elements are withdrawn, so that they are not damaged when the bag is put on the ground.
The particularly stable connection of the two assemblies in accordance with the invention is achieved by the form fit of the above-described spring locking element 9 with the segment-like divided, helical spring locking pieces 9a1 . . . 9a8 and the rotating part 106 with the helically ascending locking pieces 5, 5′.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2008 019 063 | Apr 2008 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/DE2009/000483 | 4/15/2009 | WO | 00 | 10/7/2010 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2009/127196 | 10/22/2009 | WO | A |
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