FR3094952A1 - MAGNETIC ATTACHMENT - Google Patents

Abstract

A bottle holder (12) for a water sports board (10) is disclosed. The bottle holder has a female portion (20) arranged for attachment to a water sports board, the female portion having inclined annular receiving surfaces (32) surrounding a permanent magnet (42). A male portion (50) is arranged to be attached to a water bottle. The male portion has inclined annular protrusions (54) arranged to engage the female portions, allowing the bottle to be held in position by thread engagement and magnetic attraction simultaneously. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 2

Description

MAGNETIC ATTACHMENT

The present invention relates to magnetic fasteners. The invention was developed for use with water sports boards such as paddle boards, but is believed to have a broader scope.

Technological background

Hydration is important in many sports. When a participant cannot interrupt a sporting activity in order to drink, it is advisable to provide for the consumption of a drink during the activity. In cycling, for example, an array of water bottle holders has been developed to allow a rider to store water or other beverages on a bicycle frame for easy access.

In water sports, providing hydrating drinks is also important, but much more difficult. In general, in water sports boards, bottled water is not provided. It is known to attach water bottle holders to boards such as rowing boards by means of an adhesive. Such water bottle holders extend outward from a surface of the board, and are generally "cup" shaped. While a water bottle can be stored in such a retainer, there is a significant risk of it falling. Additionally, the bottle holder is both unsightly and a potential hazard to a user when not in use to hold a water bottle.

The present invention has been developed in view of these problems of the prior art water bottle holders for water sports boards.

summary

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic tether, the magnetic tether having a female portion including a generally circular receiving portion having at least one engaging entry portion located in an internal annular space, and a portion. male having a mating portion of complementary shape having an annular or partially annular projection, at least one of the receiving portion and the coupling portion having a permanent magnet and the other of the opening and the portion d 'coupling having a ferromagnetic element inside.

The ferromagnetic element can be a second permanent magnet.

Preferably, the protrusion of the male portion is arranged to engage the engaging input portion of the female portion by rotation.

Preferably, the protrusion of the male portion is of variable height around a circumference. Similarly, the engaging entry portion of the female portion is preferably of variable height around a circumference. In a most preferred embodiment, the protrusion of the male portion is complementary to the engaging portion of the female portion.

The engaging portion of the female portion may include an extension portion which acts to form an internal thread.

The protrusion of the male portion may have outer flanges which act to form an outer thread.

The external thread of the male portion can be arranged to engage inside the internal thread of the female portion.

Preferably, the permanent magnet is aligned with a central axis of the male portion and / or of the female portion.

In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic clip of the present invention is used to form a bottle holder for use in a water sports board, the bottle holder having a board portion which includes the female portion of the water sports board. attachment and an entry portion engaging a bottle which includes the male portion of the attachment.

Brief description of the figures

It will be expedient to describe the invention further with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. Other embodiments are possible, and therefore the peculiarity of the following discussion should not be interpreted as overriding the generality of the above description of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rowing board having a bottle holder using a magnetic clip in accordance with the present invention Figure 1 shows

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the bottle holder in the wakeboard of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top perspective view of a female portion of the bottle holder of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the female portion of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of the female portion of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view through the female portion of Figure 3, taken along line AA of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view through the female portion of Figure 3, taken along line BB of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a bottom perspective view of a male portion of the bottle holder of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a side view of the male portion of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a plan view from below of the male portion of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view through the male portion of Figure 8.

Referring to the figures, Figure 1 illustrates a paddle board 10 having a bottle holder 12 located in an upper surface thereof. Bottle holder 12 uses a magnetic clip having two constituent parts: a female portion 20 which is secured by suitable means (such as an adhesive) in the top surface of the wakeboard 10 and a male portion 50. The male portion 50 has an upper surface 52 which, in use, is adhered to a bottle such as a water bottle.

The female portion 20 is generally circular, with a generally annular outer rim 22 which tapers upward towards the center, and a generally cylindrical receiving portion 24 which extends inside the female portion 20. The female portion 20 is generally circular. receiving portion 24 has a generally cylindrical side wall 26.

The receiving portion 24 has a centrally located circular base portion 28; that is to say coaxial with the reception portion. The circular base portion 28 has a radius of approximately 55% to 60% of that of the receiving portion 24. The circular base portion 28 has a height of approximately 60% that of the outer rim 22; that is, there is a vertical space between the top of the side wall 26 and the level of the circular base portion 28 equal to about 40% of the height of the female portion 20.

There is an annular space 30 between the circular base portion 28 and the side wall 26. Two partially annular engaging entry portions 32 are located within the annular space 30. The engaging entry portions 32 partially annular are each inclined 180 ° from a base position 34 which is at the bottom of the female portion 20 to a position 36 above the height of the circular base portion 28. The effect is to create a curving ramp. There is a sharp change in height every 180 °, representing 37 shoulders.

An extension portion 38 extends a further 30 ° around the circumference of the side wall 26 from the upper position 36 of each partially annular engaging entry portion 32. The extension portion 38 is at a constant height, which is the height of the circular base portion 28. The extension portion 38 has a width of about 10% of the diameter of the side wall 26. Accordingly, a curved introduction space 40 is formed between each extension portion 38 and the circular base portion 28, the space introduction being positioned near the lowermost part of the other partially annular engaging entry portion 32. The arrangement is such that the extension portion 38 and the lowermost portion of the other partially annular engagement entry portion 32 effectively create an internal thread.

The female portion 20 has a permanent magnet 42 enclosed within the circular base portion 28.

The male portion 50 has two parts: a bottle connecting portion 54 and a mating portion 56. The bottle connecting portion 54 has an outer surface which is the upper surface 52 of the male portion 50, and a lower surface. 58 generally flat circular.

The coupling portion 56 projects downwardly from the lower surface 58 of the bottle connecting portion 54. The coupling portion 56 has a generally cylindrical side wall 60. The side wall 60 contains a circular housing 62, coaxial with the lower surface 58 and vertically spaced therefrom.

The side wall 60 is formed from two side wall portions 64, each of which extends 180 °. Each side wall portion 64 has a variable depth around its circumference, from a high point 66 at the same height as the circular housing 62, to a low point 68 located at a depth of approximately twice that of. the depth of the high point. The effect is to create a curving ramp which is complementary to the curving ramp of the partially annular engaged input portions 32 of the female portion 20. There is a sharp change in height every 180 °, representing shoulders 69.

The coupling portion 56 has two outer wings 70. The outer wings 70 are located on an outer side of each side wall portion 64, near the low point 68. The outer wings 70 extend along approximately 30 °. around the circumference of the side wall 60, and are inclined relative to the circumference so as to be parallel to the slope of the side wall portions 64.

The male portion 50 has a permanent magnet 72 enclosed centrally within the circular housing 62.

The arrangement is such that the coupling portion 56 of the male portion 50 is capable of engaging the female portion 20. The male portion 50 is lowered into the female portion 20 until the low points 68 of the side wall portions 64 engage the upper positions 36 of the partially annular engaging entry portions 32.

The permanent magnet 72 of the male portion 50 is attracted to the permanent magnet 42 of the female portion 20. The resulting magnetic attraction causes the male portion 50 to move axially in the female portion 20. The ramps curving from the sides. The partially annular engaging input portions 32 and the side wall portions 64 interact to cause the male portion 50 to be rotated about its axis during this axial displacement. During this rotation, the outer wings 70 are located below the extension portions 38, and act as an outer thread engaging the actual inner thread of the female portion 20.

The rotation ends when the shoulders 69 of the male portion 50 engage with the shoulders 37 of the female portion 20.

The attraction of the permanent magnet 72 of the male portion 50 to the permanent magnet 42 of the female portion 20 keeps the male portion 50 (and any attached bottle) in a rigid position until it is is required by a user.

Modifications and variations such as those which would be apparent to one skilled in the art are considered to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (8)

Magnetic clip, the magnetic clip comprising:
- a female portion (20) comprising a generally circular receiving portion (24) comprising at least one engaging input portion (32) located in an internal annular space (30), the engaging input portion of the portion female being of variable height around a circumference and
- a male portion (50) having a mating portion (56) of complementary shape comprising an annular or partially annular projection (64) which is of variable height around a circumference;
at least one of the receiving portion and the coupling portion having a permanent magnet (42) and the other of the opening and the coupling portion having a ferromagnetic element (72) therein. A magnetic clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic element (72) is a second permanent magnet. A magnetic clip as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the protrusion (64) of the male portion (50) is arranged to engage the engaging input portion (32) of the female portion ( 20) by rotation. A magnetic clip as claimed in claim 3, wherein the engaging entry portion (32) of the female portion (20) has an extension portion (38) which acts to form an internal thread. A magnetic clip as claimed in claim 4, wherein the protrusion (64) of the male portion (50) has outer flanges (70) which act to form an outer thread. A magnetic clip as claimed in claim 5, wherein the outer thread of the male portion (50) is arranged to engage the interior of the inner thread of the female portion (20). Magnetic clip as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the permanent magnet (42) is aligned with a central axis of the magnetic clip. Bottle holder (12) for use in a water sports board (10), the bottle holder comprising a board portion (20) and a bottle portion (50), the bottle holder being a magnetic clip such as as claimed in any preceding claim, the board portion thus being the female portion (20) and the bottle portion being the male portion (50).