Magnetic Fasteners for Concealed Service Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fasteners visible on the exterior of devices compromise tamper resistance and are difficult for service centers to access without damaging the device, as they can resist external forces and require mechanical engagement.
Innovation Solution
Magnetic fasteners and drivers that allow secure, contactless engagement and disengagement within a non-magnetic housing, using a magnetic field to rotate a fastener without mechanical contact, facilitated by a fixturing device for precise alignment and variable magnetic field strength to manage torque and stiction forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fasteners are used to secure components, then the fastening strength and reliability are improved, but the fasteners become visible on the exterior and tamper resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The visible portion of the fastener is extracted and removed from the exterior surface. The fastener head is concealed within a recess in the housing, leaving only a flush or recessed appearance on the exterior, thereby maintaining tamper resistance while preserving fastening strength through the hidden fastener mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener head is nested within a recess or cavity in the housing structure. This nesting approach allows the fastener to be concealed within the housing boundaries, preventing external visibility and tampering while maintaining its functional integrity for securing components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional fasteners are concealed within the housing, then tamper resistance is improved, but service access and ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A magnetic driver tool is introduced as an intermediary device to interact with the concealed fastener. The magnetic driver couples with the magnetic fastener head through the non-magnetic housing material, enabling service personnel to remove and reinstall fasteners without damaging the housing or requiring disassembly, thus maintaining both tamper resistance and ease of repair.
3Ease of operation
If magnetic fasteners are used for contactless engagement, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional mechanical contact-based fastening system is replaced with a magnetic field-based system. The magnetic fastener uses magnetic attraction and field interaction instead of mechanical threads or clips requiring physical contact, simplifying the engagement operation while the magnetic components integrated into the housing maintain overall system complexity at an acceptable level.
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
Enhances tamper resistance by concealing fasteners while allowing easy service access, maintaining cosmetic integrity and preventing user tampering, while ensuring secure attachment and detachment without mechanical contact.
Implementation Method 1
applying a first magnetic field at the exterior surface of the non-magnetic device housing with the magnetic driver, the first magnetic field having a first polarity pattern that forms a magnetic coupling with a corresponding second magnetic field emanating from the magnetic fastener
Implementation Method 2
the first magnetic field having a first polarity pattern that forms a magnetic coupling with a corresponding second magnetic field emanating from the magnetic fastener
Data Source
AI summary
The described embodiments relate generally to magnetic fasteners. In particular a fastening apparatus for engaging and disengaging a fastener disposed within a device housing is described. By designing a fastener with a magnetically coded head that fastener can be both engaged and disengaged to a fastener attachment point within a device housing by a magnetic driver having a magnetically coded driving feature that corresponds to the magnetically coded fastener head. In this way a fastener can be attached at various orientations within a device housing after the device housing has been closed.