Magnetic Closure Opening-Assisting Spring Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Magnetic closures often have poor haptics due to the need to overcome residual magnetic force during opening, leading to jerky movements, and are either expensive to produce or lack optimal compact design and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic closure design featuring a magnet-armature structure with an opening-assisting spring that counteracts the remaining magnetic force, allowing for smooth opening without jerking, and optionally using detent springs or a detent spring washer for enhanced functionality and cost reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the armature is completely pushed off from the magnet during opening, then the closure can be opened almost without force, but the haptics becomes jerky due to residual magnetic force
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is pre-loaded in the closed position to store elastic energy that will be released during opening. This preliminary action prepares the counteracting force needed to overcome residual magnetic attraction, enabling smooth armature separation without jerky movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring acts as a mechanical counterweight that generates a force opposing the residual magnetic force during opening. By positioning the spring to push the armature away from the magnet, it creates a counterbalancing effect that eliminates the jerky sensation caused by magnetic attraction.
2Reliability
If a spring is arranged between armature and magnet to reduce impact noise on closing, then closing haptics is improved, but opening requires strong jerk due to non-linear magnetic force
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is pre-compressed or pre-loaded during the closing operation, storing elastic potential energy. This preliminary action ensures that when opening occurs, the spring can immediately exert a counteracting force to overcome the non-linear magnetic attraction, preventing the need for strong jerking movements.
3Reliability
If polable magnet systems are used to support opening through repulsion, then haptics is distinctly improved, but production cost increases due to multitude of magnets
Solution Approach 1:
The complex multi-pole magnetization system is extracted and replaced with a simple single-pole magnet combined with a mechanical spring. This extraction eliminates the need for expensive multi-pole magnets while maintaining the beneficial effect of counteracting magnetic force during opening through the spring's elastic force.
Solution Approach 2:
The expensive polable magnet system is replaced with inexpensive permanent magnets combined with a simple spring mechanism. This substitution uses cheap, easily manufactured components to achieve the same functional effect, significantly reducing production costs while maintaining improved haptics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The magnetic closure achieves improved haptics by reducing the force required for opening, providing a compact and cost-effective solution with enhanced user experience similar to polable magnetic closures, while potentially reducing the number and size of magnets used.
Implementation Method 1
A magnet and an armature are formed such that the armature and the magnet mutually attract each other for the automatic closing of the magnetic closure
Implementation Method 2
An opening-assisting spring is provided to assist the opening operation. The opening-assisting spring is tensioned at the time of opening and acts against the remaining magnetic force
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic closure comprises a magnet-armature structure having a magnet and an armature, the magnet and the armature being constituted such that, for an automatic closing, the armature and the magnet mutually attract each other in a closing direction below a predetermined minimum distance, and, for an opening, the magnet is laterally shifted or rotated with respect to the armature into an open position so that the surfaces of magnet and armature facing each other in a mutually attracting manner become smaller, whereby the force of attraction between magnet and armature comes smaller, Further, an opening-assisting spring is provided for assisting the opening, wherein the opening-assisting spring either is automatically pretensioned by the magnetic force during the automatic closing, or is pretensioned during the opening operation.