Patent ID: 8801054

Claim:
An apparatus for latching a first body against a second body pivotally connected to the first body, comprising: a multi-pole magnetic component disposed within the first body, the multi-pole magnetic component comprising a first magnet and a second magnet having a first polarity and a second polarity, respectively, the first and second polarities being opposite of each other; a movable component disposed within the second body and having an open state and a closed state, the movable component comprising a magnetic element having the first polarity, wherein in the closed state, the magnetic element and the second magnet magnetically attract each other with a first attachment force that retains the first body against the second body, and in the open state the magnetic attraction between the magnetic element and the second magnet generates a second attachment force less than the first attachment force, and wherein the movable component is movable in a first direction to move the movable component to the open state and the movable component is movable in a second direction opposite the first direction to move the movable component from the open state to the closed state; and a biasing mechanism configured to apply a biasing force directly to the movable component that is greater than the second attachment force to maintain the movable component in the open state, wherein to maintain the first body substantially closed against the second body in the closed state, the first attachment force is greater than the biasing force.