Patent Grant
10292514
The present invention relates to guideless, trackless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels and the like, and in particular, to devices, systems, sets and methods for providing magnets for application onto, or manufacture thereinto, structures such as automobiles, boats, (all-terrain vehicles (ATV's), snowmobiles, recreational vehicles (RV's), personal watercraft, lawn tractors, farm equipment, motorcycles, golf carts, kayaks, furniture, coolers, ice chests, stadium seating, and the like, or surface mounted, retrofit kits, which includes a cup/vessel support component for a beverage, the component having a metal plate with material having increasing width and/or increasing thickness, along with a hub support component having at least one moveable magnet in a chamber, the moveable magnet being initially repulsed by a fixed magnet to a bottom of the chamber, and wherein positioning and rotating the component over the hub increases the magnetic attraction so that the at least one moveable magnet moves upward to a top of the chamber causing a click noise signifying a strong magnetic lock position between the component and the hub.
It is very popular for vehicles (including but not limited to, cars, trucks, boats, planes, RV's, ATV's, personal watercraft, lawnmowers, furniture, kayaks, golf carts etc.) to have one size cup holders primarily built into consoles. While, the one size built-in cup holders are large enough to handle large cups such as 32 ounces, 48 ounces, 64 ounce cups and the like, the one-size cup holders end up loosely holding smaller beverage containers such as small cups, 12 ounces and 16 ounce cans and bottles. As a result, these smaller beverage containers can often spill and fall out when a vehicle is traveling over bumps, making turns and/or making sudden stops. These built-in beverage holders require large voids be incorporated into structural features of the vehicles to accommodate the beverage profile and keep it held in place via mechanical means. These large voids often require an enormous amount of wasted space both above and below the beverage holding structure. This “dead” space would be better served for use for other critical components (i.e., electronic controllers, storage space, etc.).
Attempts have been made over the years to use beverage holders such as insulation sleeves for bottles and cans, straps for bottles and cans and mugs, where the beverage holders incorporate traditional fixed magnets, that allow the beverage holder to be attachable to a fixed support that can have another mateable magnet, and the like. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,632 to Moore, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,202 to Rogers; U.S. Pat. No. 8,251,247 to Breckner; U.S. Pat. No. 9,157,573 to Zach et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,578,954 to Sellars.
However, the mere use of traditional magnets is flawed for all but the simplest of uses (i.e. refrigerator magnets, laptop chargers, purse closures and the like.). If the magnets are strong they accelerate the object attaching to the other object creating a jolt and are difficult to detach. If the magnets are weak their retention ability is limited. Proximity between a magnet and a magnetic surface causes problems. The distance separating magnets and their attachment greatly increases and/or decreases a magnets ability to attract. While touching magnets are very strong—with any distance between them they become exponentially weaker.
Attempts have been made to use additional fasteners, such as coded type magnets (i.e., “programmable magnets”) to attach objects inside vehicles. See for example, U.S. Published Patent Application 2011/0018665 to Fullerton et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 8,941,455 to Alexander et al. which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Fullerton et al. (U.S. Patent Application 2011/0018665) provides a coded magnet attachment utilizing magnetic field emission structures includes a surface, for example a horizontal surface on a table, ledge, or the like. Fullerton teaches of an “alignment force” which matches polarities and “draws” the vessel to the structure. The Fullerton embodiment, with its “all-or-none” attraction resulting in a jarring effect when the two bodies align and are magnetically attracted to each other. This feature can result in spilled beverages as the vessel and structure come into violent contact with each other. This is an undesirable feature when hot beverages are housed in the beverage vessel, which can lead to personal injury to the user. Additionally, the Fullerton et al. design is hampered when the user places the vessel in near-field alignment with the like polarities, causing a rapid rotation of the vessel (as the attracted polarities come into approximation of each other), twisting from the user's hand and most likely resulting in dangerous spillage.
The present invention, in contrast, does not rely on an alignment feature, and subsequently does not demonstrate this tendency to rotate independent if the user, nor have a “jarring” effect as it does not “lock” as taught by Fullerton et al. art.
The present invention provides a very-low engagement magnetic attraction force quotient, which minimizes the attractive forces when the two system components are placed within their respective magnetic attractive range. This feature precludes unwanted acceleration of the components, and eliminates the “jarring” effect found in the Fullerton et al. prior art.
Furthermore, this present invention teaches a “progressive, rheostat-like, incrementally increasing and/or decreasing the magnetic attraction force along a defined but not limited to circumferential, rotational path” which neither jars, nor unexpectedly rotates the vessel. Additionally, the present invention rotates smoothly along an up to 360-degree, generally concentric axis, which keeps the vessel centered.
As anyone versed in the art will realize, these features are not contemplated by the Fullerton et al. application nor in prior art. Summarily, Fullerton et al. does not contemplate the use of retrofit kits as a means of securing any loose, vessel-like objects to any and all geometrically configured surface.
Alexander et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 8,941,455) teaches of an interior vehicle attachment system adapted to selectively secure an object relative to a surface, such that the object achieves a retained condition, the system comprising an interior vehicular component accessible to an occupant, defining the surface, and including a fixed coded magnet having a fixed plurality of maxels having individual polarities and strengths, and cooperatively emitting a magnetic field profile from the surface; and
“a guide configured and positioned to physically engage the object, so as to reduce or eliminate motion by the object in at least one direction.”
The Alexander et al. patent does not contemplate the present inventions, “guideless system” of magnets, with its progressive, rheostat-like, incrementally increasing and/or decreasing the magnetic attraction force along a defined circumferential, rotational path. Additionally, Alexander et al. does not teach of the use of retrofit kits as a means of securing any loose, vessel-like objects to any geometrically configured surface.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.
A primary objective of the present invention, is to provide a beverage vessel, and the like, retentions system which provides a mounting surface which is free from indentions, holes, and cavities, thus providing additional, alternative usable space when the beverage vessel or the like is not in use.
A secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a guideless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels and the like, and in particular, to devices, systems, sets and methods for providing paired magnets for application onto, or manufacture thereinto, structures such as automobiles, boats, ATV's, snowmobiles, RV's, personal watercraft, lawn tractors, farm equipment, motorcycles, furniture, coolers, golf carts, kayaks, stadium seating, and the like, or surface mounted, retrofit kits.
A third objective of the present invention is to provide devices, systems sets and methods for using magnets in retrofit kits to allow for beverage holders with upper magnets to twist lock onto bases having magnets to provide an increasing attractive force while twisting the beverage holder over the base, where the bases can be pre-attached onto interior surfaces of motor vehicles, interior and exterior surfaces of boats, on furniture and the like. The retrofit kits can be used to hold beverages securely and safely inside of vehicles, on boats, and on other surfaces such as but not limited to furniture, such as on tables, and the like.
A fourth objective of the present invention is to provide a dumb (non-programmable) magnetic holder for beverage vessels and the like, retention system which is spill-proof compared to previous designs, when the vessel's magnetic system is introduced into the magnetic engagement area of the base by limiting the engagement force of said system.
A fifth objective of the present invention is to provide a progressive, incrementally increasing magnetic force as the vessel is rotated to increase attractiveness and eliminate potential spillage from inadvertently knocking the vessel over.
A sixth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, systems, sets and methods of using guideless, trackless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels that automatically engages a proximity change allowing the use of a magnet that would otherwise be far too strong to easily attach and detach an object as needed.
A seventh objective of the present invention is to provide devices, systems, sets and methods of using guideless, trackless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels which allows for automatic engagement (movement) of magnets which resolves all of the flaws inherent with traditional magnetic attachment.
An eighth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, systems, sets and methods of using guideless, trackless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels which no longer needs to compromise between attachment strength and burden of removal, so that the user is able to use the strong and easy to remove, essentially on and off magnetism.
A ninth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, systems, sets and methods of using guideless, trackless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels which greatly reduces acceleration/jolt of attachment and detachment
A tenth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, systems, sets and methods of using guideless, trackless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels which creates audible and tactile “click” when the beverage holder is engaged in a locked magnetic attraction position.
An eleventh objective of the present invention is to provide devices, systems, sets and methods of using guideless, trackless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels which requires no power source to increase and decrease attachment.
A twelfth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, systems, sets and methods of using guideless, trackless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels which requires zero moving parts (aside from magnets).
A thirteenth objective of the present invention is to provide devices, systems, sets and methods of using guideless, trackless, magnetic holders for beverage vessels which includes infinitely variable attachment strengths depending on magnet count, size, composition and configuration.
An embodiment can include an upper portion such as an upper compartment/cup and a separate mounted hub/base. The upper compartment/cup can include a plurality of equally spaced (or unequally spaced) apart perimeter located curved metal shapes fixed in a housing. Each curved shape can have narrow tip ends, which widen to enlarged head heads, along with or without a central fixed alignment magnet in the middle. The curved metal plates can be squid shaped and also refers to an object or geometric figure intended to increase magnetism via increasing or varying the mass within magnetic range.
The lower hub/base can be mounted into a support surface so as to be flush to the support surface, or be attached to the top of a support surface, such as but not limited to be a surface, such as a top of a console in a vehicle. The hub/base, can function as an attachment platform, and have a plurality of vertically moveable magnets along the perimeter, equal in number to the curved metal plates and a centrally located alignment magnet.
Hubs and base configurations can be swapped per application needs with the hub being housed in the beverage vessel or on top, inside or beneath the desired attachment surface.
The optional centrally located alignment magnet in the base/hub can be positioned just below the top surface of the hub/base and the plurality of moveable magnets can each be contained in cylinder channels that each have an inside cavity height greater than the thickness (width) of the moveable magnets.
Polarity gradients between hub/base central aligned magnet and each of the vertically moveable magnets, causes the moveable magnets to remain in the “disengaged” position which is a lower position based on based on magnetic repulsion. The disengaged position is the position furthest from the top surface (dependent on vessel orientation) of the hub/base opposite of the central magnet in the upper compartment/cup.
As an upper object (such as a beverage container) containing a metal plate that has a tapered configuration or a material having varying degrees of mass, such as a material having varying widening or thickening portions, which can include but is not limited to a curved plate shape, and the like. The metal plate can be placed in the upper object, above, a lower positioned hub/base having vertically moveable hub/base magnets.
Optionally, an additional aligned upper central located magnet can also be used with a lower central aligned magnet(s) so as to align and attract with one another.
In one embodiment, as the upper object is rotated, such as counter-clockwise, the increasing wider or thicker metal (i.e., attractant surface) surface of each of the curved plates becomes an increasingly attractive mass that begins to align with the vertical channels housing the moveable magnets in the base/hub. When the attraction to this increasing ferromagnetic mass exceeds the upper centrally alignment (this magnet serves as the repulsion magnet) magnet to the lower moveable magnets in the base/hub, the lower moveable magnet or magnets in the hub/base shift from the disengaged to the engaged position.
The engaged position is the position nearest the hubs surface (which is the closed top of each of the vertical channels). Moveable (“engagement magnets”) magnets are now at the hubs surface. Because the moveable magnets have shifted into the engaged position and are thus closer to the attractive mass their retention power is instantly exponentially increased relative to their disengaged resting position. This movement from disengaged to engaged creates an audible and tactile “click”
As the user rotates the upper object containing the curved metal plates the mass aligned over the channels containing the moveable magnets decreases. At the point in which the upper centrally aligned magnet repulsion exceeds the attraction of the moveable magnets attraction to the enlarged head of the curved metal plate mass the upper component (object) returns to the disengaged position creating an audible and tactile click.
This reactive magnetic attachment allows a device to create exponential attraction without any power source. Rotating a device a few degrees, resulting in the moveable magnets engagement can result in magnet force, depending on configuration, increasing from less than approximately 1 lb. to over approximately 30 lbs of retention in just a few degrees of rotation and then back to near zero. The device can contain any number of different shapes of curved plates, and “squid” (will the examiner understand “squid heads?” should we explain they are varying geometries of attractive metal surfaces?) heads (geometrically varying attractive surfaces), magnets and combinations of length or diameter for many applications.
The device and its hubs and squids can be configured such either component is on, in, above or below the beverage vessel or on any attachment locations such as but not limited to as automobiles, boats, (all-terrain vehicles (ATV's), snowmobiles, recreational vehicles (RV's), personal watercraft, lawn tractors, farm equipment, motorcycles, golf carts, kayaks, furniture, coolers, ice chests, stadium seating, and the like.
Another embodiment of a magnetic holder for holding an object therein, can include a hub having a vertical channel therein with a top and a bottom, a moveable magnet inside of the channel being moveable between the top and the bottom of the channel, and a component for causing the moveable magnet to initially rest against the top of the channel, wherein placing the hub on a surface having metal causes an attraction force overcoming the initial rest position of the moveable magnet to move from the top of the channel to the bottom of the channel which attaches the hub to the surface having the metal.
The component can include a fixed metal portion in the top of the channel to initially cause the moveable magnet to rest against the top of the channel.
The component can include a fixed magnet in the hub having a polarity causing the moveable magnet to initially rest against the top of the channel.
The magnetic holder can further include a second vertical channel in the hub with a top and a bottom, the second vertical channel being parallel to the first vertical channel, and a second moveable magnet inside of the second channel being moveable between the top and the bottom of the second channel.
The component can include a fixed metal portion in the top of both the first and the second channels to initially cause the first and the second moveable magnets to rest against the top of the first and the second channels.
The component can include a fixed magnet in the hub having a polarity causing the first and the second moveable magnets to initially rest against the top of the first and the second channels.
The hub can be a beverage holder.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments which are illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.
Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applications to the details of the particular arrangements shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments.
The present invention can be applied to any twist-to-lock retention application. Including, but not limited to, for example, light bulbs, door hardware, furniture locks, all-terrain vehicles or with any vehicle features, cabinet hardware, extension cords, electronic equipment (GPS, cell phone(s), appliances, etc.).
Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. In the Summary above and in the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification does not include all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.
In this section, some embodiments of the invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime notation is used to indicate similar elements in alternative embodiments.
A list of components will now be described.
The invention can use different numbers and sizes of magnets with varying strength. For example, the sizes of the magnets can each include but are not limited to being approximately ½ ″ by approximately ¼″, and the like. The size and strength of the magnets can vary as per the application desired.
Referring to
Each of the metal curved plates 10, 20, 30 can have a narrow tip end 11, 21, 31 with a widening main body 12, 22, 32, and an enlarged cylindrical shaped end 13, 23, 33. The curved plates 10, 20, 30 have a squid shape with an enlarged head end and tail end, and can be another shape having one end that increases in width between one end and an opposite end.
A small disc shaped magnet 40 can be fixed and located in the middle of the disc housing 1.
A small disc shaped central alignment magnet 140 can be fixed and located in the middle of the disc shaped housing 100.
The upper central alignment magnet 40 can have a bottom surface which has an opposite polarity to an upper surface of the lower central alignment magnet 140 so that they attract one another.
The slidable and vertically moveable lower perimeter magnets 110, 120, 130 can be magnetically attracted to the curved plates 10, 20, 30. The upper surface of the lower perimeter magnets 110, 120, 130 can have a polarity that is opposite the polarity of the lower facing surface of the upper central alignment magnet 40. The invention can use magnet designs that function with either polarity of the center magnet. One uses attraction and the other repulsion. The “hovering” behavior of the outer magnets differ a bit but the attachment and resulting engagement are similar). The enlarged head ends 13, 23, 22 of the curved metal plates 10, 20, 30 can have each have a diameter similar to the diameter of the lower fixed circular disc magnets 110, 120, 130.
Referring to
The lower hub/base 100 can be initially built into a support surface so that the top of the hub/base 100 is flush with the adjacent support surface.
Before the invention is used, the upper compartment/cup 1 is physically separated from the base/hub 100 so that there is no magnetic attraction between these parts. At this point, the perimeter disc shaped magnets 110, 120, 130 are physically located at the bottom of the base based on the central magnet in the base that repulses the perimeter magnets and forces them to the bottom of the base/it is a magnetic “spring”). Depending on orientation and configuration the center magnet can also attract to pick the outer perimeter magnets up in the bottom of each of the vertical channels 115, 125, 135.
Next, the user can move the beverage container with the upper compartment/cup 1 over the hub/base 100, and the upper compartment/cup 1 can initially be oriented so that the upper alignment magnet 40 is attracted to the lower alignment magnet 140, while the narrow ends 11, 21, 31 of the curved metal plates 10, 20, 30 are initially placed over the disc shaped perimeter magnets 110, 120, 130 in the hub/base 100.
Next, the user, can rotate the upper compartment/cup 1 counter-clockwise so that the widening portions 12, 22, 32 of the curved metal plates 10, 20 pass over the lower magnets 10, 20, 30 and are magnetically attracted to the lower perimeter magnets 110, 120, 130 until the lower perimeter magnets 110, 120, 130 overcome the opposing forces with the underside of the upper alignment magnet 40, and snap up in each of the vertical channels 115, 125, 135. The quick upward snapping of the magnets sliding upward in the each of the vertical channels 115, 125, 135 to when they hit the top of each of the closed channels 115, 125, 135 causes a sharp snap sound, which indicates to the user that the upper compartment/cup 1 is now locked to the base/hub 100.
Rotating the upper compartment/cup 1 in a reverse direction, such as clockwise can allow the upper compartment/cup 1 to be physically separated from the base/hub 100.
The novel base/hub 100, 200 can be generally rigid, and can consist of a flexible material, capable of installation on flat surfaces and/or bent over rounded surfaces.
Although
Although the drawings show the metal plates in the hub, and the moveable magnets in the base, the invention can work with the metal plate in the base and the moveable magnets in the hub.
The invention can work by only using a hub part, without a separate part having a metal plate. The hub can have a moveable magnet where the hub is attached to any surface having metal, such as but not limited to a metal lawnmower frame, metal table, metal chair, and the like. By attaching the hub with moveable magnet to a metal surface, the moveable magnet itself would not be accelerating onto that metal surface. The user can “rock” the hub to remove it from the metal surface, such as tilting the hub relative to the metal surface.
The moveable magnet 330 can initially be located in the top 322 of the channel 320 by either the moveable magnet 330 being attracted to a fixed metal plate 340 in the top of the channel, or alternatively, by the moveable magnet 330 being repelled by the fixed magnet 350 in the bottom of the hub 310. As such, in this embodiment, either the fixed metal plate 340 or the fixed bottom magnet 350 are separately used.
Referring to
When the hub 310 is placed on a metal surface 380, the moveable magnet can be attracted to the bottom 328 of the channel 320 by the larger area metal surface 380 underneath the hub 310. Lifting the hub 310 away from the metal surface 380, then causes the smaller metal plate 340 to attract the moveable magnet 330 to move back to the top 322 of the channel by being magnetically attracted to the fixed metal plate 340.
The moveable magnet 330 can also be initially located in the top 322 of the channel 320 by being repelled from a like polarity fixed magnet 350 that is located in the bottom of the hub 310.
When the hub 310 is placed on a metal surface 380, the moveable magnet 330 can be attracted to the bottom 328 of the channel 320 by the larger area metal surface 380 underneath the hub 310 which overcomes the initial repelling action of the small fixed magnet 350. Lifting the hub 310 away from the metal surface 380, then causes the fixed magnet 350 to repel the moveable magnet 330 back to the top 322 of the channel.
The channels 420, 460 can be placed about the perimeter of the base of the hub 410 and spaced apart from one another. While two channels 420, 460 are shown, three or more channels, each with moveable magnets can be used.
Referring to
When the hub 410 is placed on a metal surface 480, the moveable magnets 430, 470 can be attracted to the bottoms 428, 468 of the respective channels 420, 460 by the larger area metal surface 480 underneath the hub 410. Lifting the hub 410 away from the metal surface 480, then causes the smaller fixed metal plates 440, 480 to attract the moveable magnets 430, 470 to move back to the tops 422, 462 of the respective channels 420, 460 by being magnetically attracted to the fixed metal plates 440, 480.
The moveable magnets 430, 470 can also be initially located in the tops 422, 462 of the respective channels 420, 460 by being repelled from a like polarity fixed magnet 450 located in the bottom of the hub 410.
When the hub 410 is placed on a metal surface 480, the moveable magnets 430, 470 can be attracted to the bottoms 429, 468 of the channels 420, 460 by the larger area metal surface 480 underneath the hub 410 which overcomes the initial repelling action of the small fixed magnet 450. Lifting the hub 410 away from the metal surface 480, then causes the fixed magnet 450 to repel the moveable magnets 430, 470 back to the tops 422, 462 of the respective channels 420, 460.
If the support surface is not metal, a metal plate or metal coaster can be pre-attached to the surface, by any type of fastening system, such as but limited to peel and stick tape, hook and loop fasteners, and the like.
The novel invention automatically engages a proximity change allowing the use of a magnet that would otherwise be far too strong to easily attach and detach an object as needed.
The automatic engagement (movement) of magnets resolves all of the flaws inherent with traditional magnetic attachment:
The invention can work with any ferromagnetic metal in the cup. The prototype you have in your office has steel washers in the cup.
While an embodiment uses “squid shaped” plates, the plates can have other geometric shapes and any other shape that can provide similar effects that allows for the use of automatically engaging (moving) magnets.
The novel invention can be used with other configurations of magnets move up or down which drastically increases the attachment, creates tactile and audible click, prevents acceleration when setting cup/object down and allows for easy removal.
While the outer shape of the base and compartment in the figures shows circular shapes, the outer shape of the base and the compartment can include any other geometric shape and the like.
Although the figures show the invention using a beverage holder supported on a generally horizontal surface, the invention can be used with a holder that supports objects that are not beverages. For example, the objects associated with the container can include but are not limited to portable handheld phones, GPS (global positioning) devices, light sources, such as but not limited to light bulbs, and the like.
Additionally, the invention is not restricted to the horizontal support surfaces, and can be used on slanted or angled support surfaces as well as against a vertical support surface, and the like.
While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/395,542 filed Sep. 16, 2016, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its' entirety.
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