Abstract:
A polyhedron magnet device for attaching to magnetically attractive surfaces and holding items. The device comprises a plurality of sidewalls extending in a longitudinal direction along the surface of the device, partitions, and end walls, which are placed perpendicularly to sidewalls to form one or more magnet holding chambers and separation chambers. Magnets are placed into magnet holding chambers. The separation chamber maintains magnetic interaction between magnets in separated magnet holding chambers. Advertising banners are connected to sidewalls and end walls by printing, adhesive substance, and magnetically attracting. The magnets create the magnetic attraction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates generally to decorative magnets, and more particularly to a multi-magnet novelty device capable of carrying signs, advertisement displays, and interchangeable displays, on all of the device&#39;s multiple surfaces.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     The prior art includes devices that employ magnets arranged inside structures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,253 discloses a block that includes a magnet body inside. U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,534 discloses a block that includes a metal ball inside, that ball being attracted to magnetic objects. Furthermore, it is known, for example, to provide “refrigerator” magnets to secure pieces of paper to a metal surface.  
         [0005]     While prior art arrangements have fulfilled their intended roles and functions in a more or less satisfactory manner, they have been less than desirable insofar as their ability to be utilized as miniature, multi-sided, decorative magnet devices for connecting to magnetically attractive surfaces.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved miniature, multi-sided, decorative magnet device.  
         [0007]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved miniature, multi-sided, decorative magnet device of novel construction for use as a paperweight.  
         [0008]     Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a decorative magnet device in the form of a polyhedron that includes at least one variably shaped magnet.  
         [0009]     A polyhedron magnet device is provided for attaching to magnetically attractive surfaces and holding items. The device comprises a plurality of sidewalls extending in a longitudinal direction along the surface of the device, partitions, and end walls, which are placed perpendicularly to the sidewalls to form one or more magnet holding chambers and separation chambers. Magnets are placed into the magnet holding chambers. The separation chamber maintains magnetic interaction between magnets in separated magnet holding chambers. Advertising banners may be connected to the sidewalls and end walls by printing, adhesive substances, and magnetically attracting. It is the magnets that create the magnetic attraction. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a single magnet device in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2   a  is a perspective view of a multiple magnet device in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2   b  is a top view of the multiple magnet device of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 2   a;    
         [0014]      FIG. 2   c  is a side view of the multiple magnet device of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 2   a;    
         [0015]      FIG. 3   a  is a cross-sectional view of the multiple magnet device illustrated in  FIG. 2   a , taken along lines A-A;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3   b  is a cross-sectional view of the multiple magnet device illustrated in  FIG. 2   a , taken along lines B-B; and  
         [0017]      FIGS. 4   a, b , and  c  are perspective views of a multi-magnet device in use in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a polyhedron magnet device  8 . The exemplary device of  FIG. 1  is of a rectangular or cube shape and includes a flat magnet inside. Each of device&#39;s six sides  10  can be used to display signs or pictures. Those signs or pictures can be painted or glued to the surface of each of the sides  10 . Similarly, interchangeable magnetically attractive sign or picture plates, made of magnetic or magnetically attracted material, can be connected to the sides of the inventive device. Because of its magnetic nature, the inventive device  8  can be used for display purposes or to hold papers, photographs, and other thin items against any magnetically attracted surface, for example a refrigerator or a clipboard.  
         [0019]     In the present example, the inventive device is formed of light transparent material such as plastic, however, other materials that are not magnetically attractive may be used. The inventive magnet device  8  includes a chamber  12  for holding a magnet  14 . The magnet  14  must possess a sufficient magnetic force to attract magnetic or magnetically attractive sign plates to sides of the magnet device or hold the device affixed to a magnetically attractive surface in horizontal and vertical positions.  
         [0020]     The magnet  14  is allowed to move freely inside the chamber  12 , so that any side  10  of the device  8  may be attached to a surface. The chamber  12  may be of any shape, e.g., oval, circular, rectangular, that enables free movement of the magnet  12  inside the chamber. Similarly, the magnet  14  may be of any shape. Preferably, the shape of the magnet  14  enables it to move its widest surface  16  closer to a side  10  of the device  8  that requires magnetic attraction force. For example, the magnet can be flat circular, flat rectangular, cube, and rectangular.  
         [0021]     In the preferred embodiment, the chamber  12  is rectangular in shape, with rounded corners. Walls of the chamber  12  are flat and the rounded corners transition between walls. The magnet  14  is flat or pancake shaped, able to fully rotate inside the chamber  12 . The flat shape and size of the exemplary magnet  14  should allow it to use its largest surface area  16  to fully align with a side  10  within the chamber  12  to interact with any magnetically attractive surface using its full magnetic force. The rounded corners of the chamber  12  prevent the magnet  14  from being wedged in the corner and the flat walls allow the magnet  14  to come to direct contact with each wall.  
         [0022]     In another embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in  FIG. 2   a , the inventive device  20  includes three chambers  22 ,  24 , and  26 . Two chambers  22  and  26  are used to hold magnets  30 . The separating chamber  24  is used to maintain a constant distance between magnets  30 . The separation distance or the size of the separation chamber  24  is sufficient to maintain magnetic interaction between magnets  30  in chambers  22  and  26 . Various items, solids, liquids, and gasses, may be placed into the separation chamber for observation by a user. It is preferred that such items are non-magnetically attractive, however, magnetically attracted items may also be used.  
         [0023]      FIG. 2   b  is a top view of the device shown in  FIG. 2   a . The inventive device is shown to comprise long sidewalls  32 , two partitions  34  and two end walls  36 . Partitions  34  are made in such a manner as to form a rounded angle with long sidewalls  32  around its edge on the side facing the end wall  36  in chambers  22  and  26 . The radius of the formation may be, for example, two millimeters, as shown in the example of  FIG. 2   b . Similarly, the radius of the area of contact between the end wall  36  and the long sidewalls  32  may be 0.5 centimeters. The reason for the above-described curvature is to prevent magnets  30  from being wedged in areas of contact between end walls  36 , long sidewalls  32  and partitions  34 .  
         [0024]     To further assure that the magnetic force of magnets  30  is fully utilized, in one embodiment the present invention uses flat or pancake shaped magnets  30  (see  FIG. 2   a ). A flat magnet will always use its widest area, and therefore its maximum strength, to interact with other magnetically attractive objects.  
         [0025]     A shape of the end walls  36  defines a cross section of the inventive device  20 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2   b , the end walls  36  are of a rectangular shape. This, therefore, dictates that the number and/or shape of long sidewalls  32  is four. In other embodiments of the present invention, end walls  36  may be shaped like a triangle, tetragon, circle, oval, square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, star, or any other shape, thereby defining the shape of the cross section of the device  20 . In addition to varying shape, the device  20  and the chambers  22 ,  24 , and  26  can be made of varying sizes.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2   c  is a side and cutaway view of the device shown in  FIG. 2   a .  FIG. 2   c  illustrates one possible manner of manufacturing of the inventive device. Here, for a rectangular device, three long sidewalls  32  are assembled with two partitions  34  and two end walls  36  to create receptacles for two magnets  30 . The fourth long sidewall  32  covers the remaining opening above chambers  22 ,  24 , and  26  to seal the magnets  30  and complete the device.  
         [0027]     As can be seen in  FIG. 3   a , a cross-sectional view of the device  40 , which may be made of cardboard, plastic, or other suitable material, taken along lines A-A of  FIG. 2   a . The ratio of a length of the interior separation chamber  24  to the length of the device  40  is about 54%. The ratio of a length of each of the magnet holding chambers  22  and  26  is about 23%. The above-described ratios are calculated to position magnets in such distance to each other as to promote interaction, which is the magnetic attraction between magnets  30 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 3   b  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device  40  taken along lines B-B of  FIG. 2   a . Here, the end wall  36  is in proportion of about 40% to the length of the device  40 , the outside corner radius is in proportion of about 6% and the inside rounded corner radius is in proportion of 8% to the length of the device  40 .  
         [0029]     The above described device constructed as described above will allow flat magnets  30  to rotate within chambers  22  and  26  in such a manner that both the magnets are attracted to each other by the mutual magnetic force and held back only by partitions  34  on respective sides of the chambers  24  and  26  when the device  40  is moved, shaken, or rotated. When the device  40  is allowed to approach a magnetically attractive surface, magnets  30  change direction of their position within respective chambers  22  and  26  by 90 degree so as to contact, in a parallel relation with the contact surface, to the magnetically attractive surface. The easy movement of magnets  30  is enabled by the curvature of the edge of partitions  34 .  
         [0030]     The above described inventive device and its variations can be used as a paperweight or paper holder, a refrigerator magnet, and an advertising device, wherein copies for advertisement are connected to each surface of the main body.  FIGS. 4   a - c  show the inventive device  20  in use, connected to a magnetically attractive surface  56 . A magnetic banner  50  is connected to the device  20  in one embodiment, and a sign  54  is painted or glued to the device  20  in another embodiment. Furthermore, a novelty item  52  is placed into the separation chamber  24  for viewing or for making sounds.  
         [0031]     The above description is given by way of example only. Changes in form and details may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.