Abstract:
A magnetic supporting means comprising a holder composed of magnetically conductive material having bottom and side portions, a magnetic source member received within said holder proximate, to its bottom and side portions and means secured with the bottom portion of the holder for attaching the holder to a supporting surface. The holder is composed of a metallic material with its side portions extending beyond the magnetic source member which is received therewithin, and the member comprises a flexible plastic material with permanently magnetized ferrite particles embedded therein.
Claims:
The invention claimed is
1. A magnetic supporting means comprising a holder which is an elongated channel of U-shaped cross section composed of magnetically conductive material having bottom and side portions, a unitary elongated magnetic source member received within and substantially coextensive with the channel of said holder proximate to its bottom and side portions, means secured with the bottom portion of said holder for attaching said holder to a supporting surface, the channel of said holder having a bottom portion and a pair of upstanding leg portions and said member comprising an elongated strip of flexible plastic material with permanently magnetized ferrite particles embedded therein received within and in contact with the bottom and leg portions of said holder, the leg portions of said holder each having an elongated edge extending beyond said member, the bottom portion of said channel having an elongated outer surface, said means for attaching said holder to a supporting surface comprising an elongated adhesive material secured with the outer surface of the bottom portion of said holder, said holder being made of a steel material and said plastic strip being substantially equal in length to said holder and is in close contact therewith, the strip of said member being of substantially rectangular cross section with a pair of flat top and bottom surfaces and a pair of side surfaces, the bottom surface of said strip contacting the bottom portion of said holder while the top surface of said strip faces outwardly, and said side surfaces of said strip each contact a respective leg portion of said holder, the edges of the leg portion of said holder each extending beyond the top surface of said strip, said member has anisotropic properties with permanently magnetized ferrite particles with the direction of magnetization being between the top and bottom surfaces of said strip and a thin cover strip of non-metallic material with an exposed top surface secured over the top surface and about the ends of said member, the edges and leg portions of said holder each extending beyond the exposed top surface of said cover strip.
2. The supporting means of claim 1 in which said adhesive material comprises a double-faced pressure-sensitive adhesive tape with a first face secured with said member and a second face covered by a coated paper strip which is removable for attaching of the holder to a supporting surface.
Description:
The invention relates to a magnetic supporting means and particularly a means which can be secured with a supporting surface and magnetically attracts and removably supports a plurality of items composed of magnetically attracted materials.
Heretofore, many attachment means have been provided for securing with a wall or surface for the purpose of holding various tools and articles in an orderly fashion. Such devices have included various hooks, brackets and structures which were nailed or screwed into the wall, and on which the retained articles were secured. The present invention provides a magnetic supporting means which may be easily attached to a supporting surface and which utilizes magnetic forces for detachably retaining magnetically attracted items.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a new and improved supporting means which may quickly be attached to a supporting surface with a minimum of effort.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved magnetic supporting means using magnetic means for detachably securing articles in an orderly fashion.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved magnetic supporting means of substantially flat configuration, and attractive appearance.
Another object of this invention is to supply a new and improved magnetic supporting means which may be easily manufactured and assembled and produced at low cost.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved magnetic supporting means of high utility which is highly durable and maintenance free.
The objects of the invention as well as additional objects are achieved by providing a magnetic supporting means comprising a holder composed of magnetically conductive material having bottom and side portions and a magnetic source member received within the holder proximate to its bottom and side portions, and means secured with the bottom portion of the holder for attaching the holder to a supporting surface. The holder is composed of metallic material, with side portions having edges extending beyond the magnetic source member while the member comprises a flexible material with permanently magnetized ferrite particles embedded therein.
In one form, the holder is an elongated metallic channel of U-shaped cross-section having a bottom portion and a pair of upstanding leg portions, while the member comprises an elongated strip received within and in contact with the bottom and leg portions of the holder. An elongated adhesive material is secured with the outer surface of the bottom portion of the holder for attaching in the holder to a supporting surface.
In another form, the magnetic supporting means comprises a metallic cup having a U-shaped cross section with a circular shaped bottom portion and an upstanding pg,4 edge portion. The magnetic source member comprises a disc of flexible plastic material received within and in contact with the bottom and edge portions of the holder. The upstanding edge portion has a circular configuration and extends beyond the member retained within the holder. An adhesive material is also secured with the outer surface of the bottom portion of the holder for attaching the holder to a supporting surface.
The foregoing objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following detailed description of the invention is read in conjunction with the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a magnetic supporting means embodying the invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the means shown in FIG. 1, with portions broken away.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1 illustrating the means attached to a supporting surface.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the magnetic supporting means, and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
FIGS. 1 through 3, inclusive, disclose a magnetic supporting means 10 embodying the invention.
The magnetic supporting means 10 comprises a holder 12 made of a magnetically-conducting material such as low carbon steel which is preferably cold rolled and milled to close tolerance to form the channel 14 of U-shaped cross-section having a bottom portion 16 and a pair of side or leg portions 18 and 20.
A magnetic source member 22 comprises an elongated flat strip 24 having top and bottom surfaces 26 and 28, and side surfaces 30 and 32, providing a substantially rectangular cross-section. The strip 24 is dimensioned to fit closely into the channel 14 with its bottom surface 28 contacting the inner bottom surface of the bottom portion 16 of the channel 14, while its side surfaces 30 and 32, respectively, contact the inside surfaces of the leg portion 18 and 20 of the channel 14. The maintenance of good contact between said surfaces is important for maximizing the magnetic holding force provided by the magnetic supporting means 10.
The top surface 26 of the strip 24 faces outwardly and may be covered with a finishing strip 34 of material which may be made of thin vinyl plastic. The plastic strip 34 may be provided in desirable colors and designs for enhancing the appearance of the magnetic holding means 10. As illustrated, the plastic strip 34 extends over and covers the top surface 26 of the member 22 and extends over and about the ends at 36, 38 and on to the marginal end portions of its bottom surface 28 as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2. By this means, the strip 34 completely covers the source member 22 which is externally visible when the means 10 is in its assembled form.
In place of the vinyl tape, the magnetic source member 22 may be painted to provide a finishing layer and attractive appearance without affecting the operativeness and utility of the magnetic holding means 10.
When in assembled form as illustrated in the figures, the parallel end edges 40 and 42 of the leg portions 18 and 20 of the channel 14 extend slightly beyond the surface 26 of the strip 24 and its covering strip 34. This relationship is of significance for the operation of the magnetic supporting means, since an object 44 such as a magnetically attracted tool which is to be retained by the means 10 makes contact with and bridges the edges 40 and 42 of the channel 14 for being supported thereby. The magnetic source member 22 and its covering 34 or painted layer, thus must be recessed to avoid interference with such bridging contact to provide the maximum magnetic retention force.
A securing means 46 is fixed with the bottom portion 16 of the channel 14 for attaching the holder 12 to a supporting surface such as the surface 48 in FIG. 3. The securing means 46 preferably includes a double-faced adhesive strip 50 having one face secured with the outer surface 49 of the bottom portion 16 of the channel 14, while its other surface is covered by a coated paper strip 52 which may be quickly peeled off to expose an adhesive surface. The adhesive strip 50 may be of the pressure-sensitive type allowing the ready application of the magnetic supporting means 10 to any suitable surface. After being thus secured, magnetically-attracted objects may then readily be attached for orderly retention shown in FIG. 3 and removed by the exertion of sufficient force to overcome the magnetic attraction.
The disclosed device thus may easily be secured at a desired location, provides an attractive appearance, and allows magnetically attracted items to be retained and removed, without losing its magnetic effectiveness over a long lifetime.
As an example of a specific embodiment of the invention which has been found to be particularly effective, the magnetic holding means provided for its magnetic source member 22 a flexible plastic material having embedded therein permanently magnetized ferrite particles with the direction of magnetization being in the direction through the flat faces 26 and 28 of the material. Such a flexible material providing an anisotropic property with the permanently magnetized ferrite particles having singular or multiple polarity is supplied by 3M Company under the name "Plastiform," and by the B.F. Goodrich Company under the name "Koroseal Magnetic Strip." Optimum magnetic holding force was achieved by utilizing a three-fourths inch wide by three-sixteenths inch thick magnetic material in an 18 gauge (one-thirty-second inch) channel 14 with close contact maintained with the proximate surface of a magnetic material. It was found that an air gap of over .035 inch greatly lowers the magnetic holding power. A practical length for the channel was found to be 12 inches. A desirable extension of the edges 40 and 42 of the channel beyond the magnetic source member 22 was found to be approximately one-sixtyfourth inch. Alternate designs from that specified above may be utilized for achieving desired utility and holding power for the magnetic holding means, the above specific example being provided to illustrate a preferred form which has been reduced to practice.
FIGS. 4 and 5 disclose a magnetic supporting means 60 which is a modified form of the means 10. The magnetic supporting means 60 is substantially identical to the means 10 except that the holder 12' has a cup-like configuration with a bottom circular portion 62 and an upstanding edge portion 64. The magnetic source member 22' comprises a disc 66 of flexible plastic material with permanently magnetized ferrite particles embedded therein, and which is received within and in contact with the bottom and edge portions 62 and 64 of the holder 22'. The upstanding edge portion 62 has circular configuration with its end 68 extending slightly beyond the top surface 70 of the disc 66. This permits ready contact with the edge portion 62 of an article 44' which is to be magnetically retained and supported by the means 60 as shown in FIG. 5.
For the purpose of maximizing the retaining magnetic force provided by means 60, the disc 66 is dimensioned to provide a close fit within the holder 12' with the bottom surface 72 of the disc engaging the inside surface of the bottom portion 62 of the holder 12', while the edge surface 74 of the disc 62 contacts the inside surface of the upstanding edge portion 64 of the holder 12'. The outwardly facing top surface 70 of the disc 66 may be painted or covered by a vinyl plastic tape or other thin finishing coating 76 to provide a desired finished or ornamental appearance for the means 60.
Means 46, such as double-faced adhesive layer may be secured with the outer surface of the bottom portion 62 of the holder 12' to provide securing means for the magnetic supporting means 60 as described above in connection with the means 10.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention will find wide application with appropriate modification to meet the individual design circumstances, but without substantially departing from the essence of the invention.