WO2013045390A1

WO2013045390A1 - Magnetic zip fastener.

Info

Publication number: WO2013045390A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/068762
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leonardo Chiarion
Original assignee: Zamengo, Giovanni
Priority date: 2011-09-26
Filing date: 2012-09-24
Publication date: 2013-04-04
Also published as: ITMI20111725A1

Abstract

A magnetic zip fastener (1) is described which comprises a pair of elements (2), having an outer casing (3), each element (2) comprising an essentially tubular inner cavity (4) for accommodating magnetic means (5, 51), with essentially circular cross - section and having a magnetic North pole (N) and a magnetic South pole (S), and magnetically inert spacer means (6, 61). Said magnetic means (5, 51) are adapted to turn inside said cavity (4) with respect to said casing (3). The device (1) may assume an uncoupling position, in which the magnetic means (5) of one element (2) and the magnetic means (5) of the other element (2) are placed at a reciprocal distance at which they do not magnetically interact, and a complete coupling position, in which the magnetic means (5, 51) of an element (2), by effect of the attraction forces generated by the magnetic interaction, are substantially taken into contact with the magnetic means (5) of the other element (2).

Description

"Magnetic zip fastener"

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DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a magnetic zip fastener, in particular for putting and keeping edges of clothing and leatherwear in contact.

Various types of magnetic closing devices have been already suggested, consisting mostly of two elements with ferromagnetic properties, at least one of which is permanently magnetized and thus capable, as known, of attracting the other. In materials provided with permanent magnetization, indeed, there is a static magnetic field which implies the formation of two magnetic poles, N (North) and S (South): in practice, as known, opposite poles N-S or S-N attract and agreeing poles N-N or S-S repel.

A typical example of these magnetic closing systems are magnetic buttons formed by two elements, e.g. discoid, each fixed to an edge of fabric or leatherwear, which reciprocally couple when drawn close, by virtue of the reciprocal magnetic attraction force created by the static magnetic field, thus keep the edges onto which they are fixed stuck to each other. This type of fastener is widely used in wallets, bags and the like, and has the drawback of obtaining a closing of the two edges which is mainly punctiform, i.e. located in the point in which the magnetic button is located, and several buttons positioned reciprocally distanced along the entire length of the edge would need to be used if one were to close edges of a given length, this being in all cases inconvenient to close because the buttons would need to be coupled one by one.

In addition to having a given dimension, the known types of magnetic fastening devices do not allow to preserve the natural flexibility of the fabric, and additionally, if the fabric is not heavy enough, they may struggle to remain coupled. A typical case in which the latter drawback occurs is the one of a windbreaker, the two edges of which are normally closed by means of a zip fastener. If they were provided with magnetic buttons, the fastening would certainly not have the same wind resistance and not even the same functionality.

United States Patent US 5347253 A shows a body which attracts using magnetic force.

International Patent WO2007/024749A2 shows a rotating magnetic fastener.

German Patent DE102005056428A1 shows a magnetic zip fastener.

It would be desirable to have a magnetic fastener with the practicality of a zip fastener without displaying the drawbacks mentioned above nor the known problems which afflict zip fasteners, i.e. the possibility of jamming, wear, in addition to the objective difficulty of engaging the ends before being able to run the slider upwards to close it.

It is the object of the present invention to make a magnetic zip fastener which allows to automatically mate and keep adherent and closed two edges of fabric, leather or the like effortlessly and very rapidly.

Another object of the present invention is to make a magnetic zip fastener the production costs of which are low.

In accordance with the invention, such an object is achieved by a magnetic zip fastener according to claim 1.

These and other features of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of a practical embodiment thereof shown by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 shows a side, section view of an element of the magnetic zip fastener according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a side view of two elements of the magnetic zip fastener according to the present invention located at a distance so as to not interact magnetically;

Figure 3 shows a side view of the two elements in Figure 2 in contact with each other in a coupling position; Figure 4 shows a side view of the two elements in Figure 2 in contact with each other in a second coupling position; and

Figure 5 shows a side view of two elements composing the magnetic zip fastener in a second example of embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to the figures above, it may be observed that a magnetic zip fastener 1, according to the present invention, comprises at least one pair of elements 2, each of which constituted by a substantially tubular outer casing 3, the inner cavity 4 of which is intended to accommodate balls 5 made of permanently magnetized material, e.g. iron, and balls 6 made of magnetically inert material, e.g. a thermoplastic resin. The diameter of the balls 5 will be, in the preferred version, comparable to that of the balls 6 and may be slightly smaller than the crosswise size of the inner cavity 4 of the casing 3. Preferably, the casing 3 will be made of flexible plastic material.

As apparent, a non-magnetic ball 6 is interposed in the inner cavity 4 of the casing 3 between a magnetic ball 5 and another ball of the same type.

Within the cavity 4, the balls 5 and 6 are submerged in a lubricating fluid 8 enclosed within the casing 3 which, in order to prevent the release of lubricant 8, will be sealed.

In a second example of embodiment (see Fig. 5), balls 5 and 6 may be replaced with cylinders 51 and 61, and similarly to the balls, cylinders 51 will have magnetic properties, while cylinders 61 will not be affected by the magnetic field. The crosswise section of the cylinders 51 and 61 will be circular, while the longitudinal section will be rectangular: the cylinders 51 and 61 will be positioned longitudinally and inside the tubular casing 3, so that a magnetic cylinder 51, follows a non-magnetic cylinder 61 and then a magnetic cylinder 51 and so forth. Also in this second option of embodiment, it is apparent that the cavity 4 inside the casing 3 is filled with lubricant fluid 8. The static magnetic field N-S of the magnetic cylinders 51 will be oriented crosswise to the cylinders 51 itself. In practice, in the magnetic zip fastener 1, according to the present invention, when an element 2 is taken singularly, its magnetic balls 5 are arranged so that the static magnetic field which characterizes them is oriented randomly or, at most, each ball 5 will affect the other ball 5 closest to it. The balls 5, in the bath of the lubricant 8, are therefore free to turn about themselves. Furthermore, the balls 6 tend to keep the adjacent magnetic balls 5 distanced so that the latter affect each other very little. By approaching an element 2 close to another element 2, the first magnetic ball 5 of one of the elements 2 which will approach a magnetic ball 5 of the other element 2 will tend to couple therewith putting the outer casings 3 of the two elements 2 into contact at the attraction point of the two magnetic balls 5. The balls 5 couple because on one hand they are free to turn in the lubricant 8, and on the other hand are put into rotation by the forces generated by the static electromagnetic field which cause the attraction of a North pole (N) and a South pole (S). The coupling of a pair of magnetic balls 5, each of a different element 2, causes the drawing of a further ball 5, adjacent to the one which has just be coupled to a ball 5 of the other element 2, which feels its attraction force: these two balls 5, each of a different element 2, will draw each other so that the two elements 2 will have a further second contact point, thus starting to be reciprocally parallel. The phenomenon will continue, ball 5 after ball 5, until the two elements 2 are substantially adjacent and longitudinally coupled.

Once started, the coupling process of the two elements 2 will continue spontaneously until the both the elements 2 are completely coupled.

In fact, if the two elements 2 are distanced from each other to the extent of not being affected by the reciprocal magnetic attraction of their magnetic balls 5, the position is uncoupled. By approaching a pair of elements 2 from the uncoupled position, at a given point a ball 3 of an element 2 will feel the attraction of the other ball 5 of the other element 2: the automatic coupling of the two elements 2 starts beyond this limit EP2012/068762

distance until the complete coupling is obtained in which the elements 2 are substantially adjacent.

If cylinders 51 and 61 are used instead of balls 5 and 6, the coupling is entirely similar, with the only difference that while the balls can turn freely in any direction, the cylinders 51 may only turn about a longitudinal axis of the element 2.

We will now imagine to replace a zip fastener, e.g. the one used to close a jacket, with a pair of elements 2, positioned in the same manner as the zip fastener, i.e. one element 2 on each lapel of the jacket. The user will obtain the automatic closing of the jacket by effect of the complete coupling of the two elements 2 by approaching the two elements 2 towards each other; the jacket may be opened simply by pulling the two edges of the jacket apart to move one element 2 from the other so that they no longer feel each other's magnetic attraction.

Coupling is always easy because the magnetic balls 5 always tend to be oriented so to attract each other by virtue of the fact that they can turn freely in the lubricating liquid 8 and are kept free precisely by the nonmagnetic balls 6.

In practice, any material and size may be used, according to needs.

Claims

1. A magnetic zip fastener (1), which comprises a pair of elements (2), each of which incorporated in one of a pair of the edges of clothing, each having an outer casing (3), characterized in that each element (2) comprises an essentially tubular inner cavity (4) for accommodating a plurality of magnetic balls (5), having a magnetic North pole (N) and a magnetic South pole (S), and a plurality of magnetically inert spacer balls (6), each interposed between two contiguous magnetic balls (5), said magnetic balls (5) being adapted to turn freely inside said cavity (4) with respect to said casing (3), the magnetic zip fastener (1) may assume an uncoupling position, in which the magnetic balls (5) of one element (2) and the magnetic balls (5) of the other element (2) are placed at a reciprocal distance so as not to magnetically interact, and a complete coupling position in which each magnetic ball (5) of an element (2), by effect of the attraction forces generated by the magnetic interaction, is drawn frontally into contact with one or more of the magnetic balls (5) of the other element (2).

2. A magnetic zip fastener (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said cavity (4) inside the casing (3) comprises a lubricating fluid (8).

3. A magnetic zip fastener (1) according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the diameter of said magnetic balls (5) and said spacer balls (6) is substantially comparable and smaller than the crosswise size of the cavity (4) inside the casing (3).