Magnetic device

An improved magnetic device is provided for adhering to an outer magnetic or magnetizable surface in a secure, reliable manner, by ensuring proper orientation of a magnet contained therein at all times.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved magnet device for adhering to a magnetic or magnetizable surface and retaining, e.g., articles such as paper between the device and surface, whereby reliability of magnetic attraction and ultimate retention against the surface is improved.

Various devices for magnetically adhering to surfaces are known, e.g., magnets for adhering to refrigerators, etc. In this regard, structures containing permanent magnets are also known, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,253 showing a block having a magnetic body therein and U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,534 showing a block having a metal ball therein which can be attracted to magnetic objects. Furthermore, U.S. application Ser. No. 10/642,312 filed Aug. 15, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein, discloses various embodiments of devices containing permanent magnets and in various polygonal shapes, whereby the respective devices can adhere to an outer magnetic/magnetizable surface to display decorative patterns and/or lettering imprinted thereon.

The permanent magnets found in these devices can take any number of shapes but are preferably disk-shaped with the primary magnetic lines of force emanating from and around the flat circular surfaces of the magnets. Accordingly, the magnets in such devices can generally rest against any of the surfaces of the container therefor, e.g., with the flat surface of the disk-shaped magnet resting against an inner flat surface of a chamber containing the same, in the absence of an outer magnetic/magnetizable surface nearby. When the device is then brought close to the magnetic/magnetizable surface, the magnet inside the container will then “jump” or “flip”, i.e., be attracted to the outer surface through the adjacent wall of the container. Normally, the magnet might turn as much as 90 degrees, i.e., a right angle, to orient the flat circular surface thereof against a wall of the container extending normally to the wall against which the flat circular surface of the magnet had previously rested.

However, it has been found where a magnet is, e.g., substantially in the shape of a disk and resting against one interior surface of the container, the magnet does not necessarily easily turn 90 degrees to face a normally-extending surface of the container that is brought against an outer magnetic/magnetizable surface such as a steel surface. This is especially true where the outer container is in the shape of a cylinder or spindle and the normal surface is the longitudinally-extending curved surface of the spindle. Accordingly, magnetic attraction between the contained magnet and outer steel surface might not be reliably ensured, with it being necessary for a user to shake the device to properly orient the magnet therein (such shaking could easily damage the magnetic device). This 90 degree turning of a disk-shaped magnet is especially problematic the closer in shape to a cylinder or spindle the main body of the device containing the magnet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve magnetic attraction between two surfaces.

It is also an object of the present invention to improve reliability of magnetic attraction between two surfaces.

It is another an object of the present invention to facilitate retention and positioning of a device against an outer surface, e.g., by magnetic attraction, and improve reliability of such retention.

It is a further object of the present invention to facilitate retention of various articles between two surfaces, e.g., by positioning these articles in a magnetic force field.

It is still another object of the present invention reduce danger of damage to a magnetic device by properly orienting at least one magnet within the same to ensure proper magnetic attraction without shaking the device.

These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention which is directed to a device for adhering to a magnetic and/or magnetizable surface such as a steel surface and having a chamber structured and arranged for containing at least one magnet therein, a magnet movably and adjustably positioned within the chamber, and means positioned within the chamber for orienting the magnet to face a discrete outer surface of the chamber. The magnet will then be attracted to the outer steel surface through this discrete outer surface when the device is brought close. In particular, this means are constituted by a rod extending substantially-centrally through the chamber and oriented such that the magnet, which is preferably disk-shaped, will revolve around the rod upon a curved surface of the magnet so that the flat circular surface, from which magnet lines of force emanate, will always face the outer discrete surface of the chamber.

Preferably, the device comprises several chambers with magnets positioned within some (but not necessarily all) of the chambers. The rod can extend through all such chambers, or alternatively separate rods can each extend only through the chambers containing the magnets. Furthermore, the device itself is preferably in the shape of a hollow spindle or cylinder, but can also be multi-faceted, i.e., polygonally-shaped.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring the present invention in which similar components have been denoted by the same reference numerals,FIGS. 1,2and5illustrate one embodiment of the device10substantially in the shape of a hollow spindle or cylinder and constructed, e.g., from transparent plastic. Decorative lettering and/or patterning can appear upon the outer surface of the spindle or cylinder, e.g., along the curved, longitudinally-extending surface8as illustrated. Partitions4respectively divide the interior chambers5,6and7from one another in the longitudinal direction, with disk-shaped magnets1being positioned in the two outer chambers5and7bordering the central chamber6in the longitudinal direction and which does not contain a magnet in the illustrated embodiment. Alternatively, a magnet can be easily positioned within this central chamber6within the context of the present invention.

A single rod2extends entirely across all three chambers5–7in the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1,2and5. This rod2serves to orient the disk-shaped magnets1to be balanced upon the respective curved cylindrical surfaces thereof as best seen inFIG. 2. The substantially flat surface of the respective disk-shaped magnet1is then oriented to be attracted to an outer magnetic and/or magnetizable surface when the device10is brought near the same and then attract and adhere the device10to this surface along the curved, longitudinal surface8of the cylinder or spindle10. Thus, for example, the inventive device can adhere to a magnet or magnetizable surface to display the decorative lettering and/or patterning seen in the perspective view ofFIG. 5.

FIGS. 3,4and6illustrate an embodiment similar to FIGS.1,2and5but where the rod2has been broken into two separate segments2,2, each segment2only extending into a respective longitudinal chamber5or7containing a respective magnet1. This embodiment accomplishes the same effective orientation of the contained magnets1as the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 1,2and5, but avoiding need to extend a rod through the central “nonmagnetic” chamber6and thereby conserving material (the rod2is fabricated from nonmagnetic material, preferably plastic, to avoid interferring with the magnet1being attracted to the outer cylindrical surface8of the device10when brought near a magnetic or magnetizable surface). Alternatively, the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1,2, and5might be easier to assemble as requiring insertion of just a single rod2through all chambers5–7from one end surface9of the device10.

FIG. 7illustrates a further embodiment similar toFIGS. 1–6but where the device10is polygonally-shaped, i.e., as a rectangular parallelepiped. This embodiment has been illustrated with just a single rod2extending across all three chambers5–7however an embodiment containing separate rods2positioned within just the outer end chambers5and7containing magnets1can easily be prepared within the context of the present invention.

With the present invention, as the device10is brought close to an outer magnetic or magnetizable surface, the magnets1retained within the respective chambers revolve about the centrally-positioned rod2, i.e., revolve facing the longitudinal direction of the main body of the device. Therefore, when the inventive device10is brought close to the magnetic/magnetizable surface, e.g., a steel wall, the magnet1moves in a direction substantially parallel to the magnetic force lines emanating from a surface of the magnet1and is thereby attracted to the outer steel surface, by being attracted to the outer, longitudinally-extending surface8of the device10, to ultimately retain the device10against the outer steel surface. As a result, strong magnetic retentive force can be maintained even if the shape of the main body of the device10is a cylinder having a curved surface8.

The inventive device can be used as a paper holder for clamping paper or the like between the same and an outer steel surface. This clamping can be accomplished, e.g., to display the decorative patterns and/or lettering as shown in the figures. The inventive device can be fabricated from conventional material, e.g., transparent plastic forming the outer container having the outer longitudinal and end surfaces8and9, with the control rod2also being fabricated from plastic and disk-shaped permanent magnets1also being conventionally-available. The inventive device can also be fabricated with any required dimensions, but are preferably formed to ensure the disk-shaped magnets1remain balanced upon their curved surfaces about the rod2and not turn to be situated with the flat surfaces thereof positioned against the end surfaces9(although such positioning whereby the device10can magnetically adhere to an outer steel surface at end surfaces9is certainly contemplated within the context of the present invention).

The preceding description of the present invention is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope thereof in any way.