Magnetic Attachment

One use of correlated magnetics is to enable rapid assembly and disassembly of precision aligned structural members, panels, and other such objects such as those in buildings, cabinetry, furniture, etc.  Correlated magnetic structures having unique codes can be designed to be integrated into objects during their manufacturing and labeled or otherwise marked to identify them.  Such objects can then be assembled quickly by merely aligning the magnetic structures as marked, where objects having complementary magnetic structures will precisely attach as designed and objects having magnetic structures programmed using different codes will not attach.  Fig. 1 depicts use of magnetic structures for assembly of a frame. 

Fig. 1. Magnetic Attachment of Frame Members

Referring to Fig. 1, a first structural member has correlated magnets labeled AA and additional structural members has correlated magnets labeled aa.  Additional correlated magnets are uniquely labeled BB, bb, CC, cc, etc. (not shown).  Assembly instructions can indicate that to attach a first structural member to a second structural member the label ‘aa’ must be placed against the label ‘AA’.  When doing so, the two complementary magnetic structures will achieve their peak alignment and attractive force and be precisely attached, whereas it would not be possible to place a differently labeled (e.g., bb) structural member to the structural member with the label ‘AA’ because the magnetic forces wouldn’t allow it.  Generally, such unique correlated magnetic structures can be used to manufacture parts that can be assembled exactly as intended without requiring significant training to understand how to assemble them.  Even large scale projects such as home construction could benefit whereby walls, roofs, etc. could be manufactured such that ehy could be assembled without by a workforce (or by volunteers) not having significant training.  Depending on the designs employed, such parts can also be rapidly disassembled.  Referring again to Fig. 1, after assembly the shortest members can be rotated to cause their magnetic structures to decorrelate and thus detach them from the longer members.  Such rotate and detach ability is not possible, however, by rotating the longer members due to how their magnetic structures are configured.  Additionally, conventional mechanisms can be employed to prevent objects from being disassembled accidentally.  

Fig. 2 depicts further use of magnetic structures to secure a panel to the frame of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2. Magnetic Attachment of Panel to Frame

As shown in Fig. 2, a panel having four correlated magnetic structures is placed onto four complementary correlated magnetic structures shown integrated into the top of a frame.  Once placed onto the frame the correlated magnetic structures align and attach precisely.  Thereafter, neither the panel nor the frame can be turned to detach them.  However, if the four correlated magnetic structures in the panel were configured such that they could be individually turned, then by doing so they would decorrelate and enable the panel to be easily detached from the frame.  Thus, by using correlated magnetic structures that are rotatable, all sorts of useful applications for rapid attachment and detachment are enabled.  One simple example is the hurricane shutter market whereby window frames and doorways of homes and businesses in coastal areas can be configured to enable rapid attachment and detachment of storm shutters and panels, which would be much easier and not damage homes as do plywood and wood screws. 

The use of correlated magnetic structures for magnetic attachment can enable a paradigm shift in how industry values materials and labor.  Instead of the basic formula for cost of one part material, two part labor, for certain industries the formula can change to one part + X material to two parts  – Y labor, where Y can be significantly greater than X.  Very importantly however, because objects can be designed such that they are always attached as intended, then all sorts of secondary advantages of the paradigm shift are achieved including increased architectural strength, increased reliability , increased safety, etc.